#and 5 practicals which are me working on excel sheets

[birdy-bird27]

Help I’ve been hit with the curse of the scholars (too much homework)

[spacejade]

Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle Directory

As requested, here is the excel sheet that I use as a reference to revisit chapters! Because what better thing to do while waiting for chapter 400 than reread the manga another 5 more times? 😄 Please feel free to make your own copy and edit it to be more helpful to you.

DISCLAIMER: This doc wasn't originally meant to be shared, so chapter descriptions are brief and written in a way for myself to understand and may not apply to you. Again feel free to make your own copy and add more comments or highlight your favourite chapters etc.

Also! If you used to read fan translations you may have noticed that the official viz localisation gave some different names. I decided to standarise the doc using the official names to make searching easier, so please note when searching! I also added this character legend for characters with multiple names/titles/names that can get translated differently.

That all said, I shall now use the rest of this doc to ramble abt the localisation of the names, because I can.

For the record, I do study Japanese, but I'm not fluent and I wouldnt consider myself a translator. The sleepy princess raws use pretty simple language, so I like to read them for practice, and I think it's really interesting to see the different translation choices. Also, maybe this might help you when reading JP fans posts/fanart

1. トリース (Tori-su) vs. Bard

Starting off with Cursed Musician, because the localisation of his name baffled me for a long long time. I mean, I know bards play music, but how do you get that from Tori-su (or Tris or Tweeth, as some tls have gone). Only when I noticed that Ch 274 is called "Bird or Bard" in EN and "トリースオアトリート(Tori-su or Treat)" in JP did it click that Bard is one letter away from Bird, just as Tori-su is one character away from Tori (bird in JP) 🤦 I'm not sure if the "-su" in JP has anything to do with music, so feel free to tell me if you know!

2. 睡魔(Suima/Sleep Demon) vs. Hypnos, ヒップノース(Hypnos) vs. Somnus

So thing is, "Hypnos" in the official EN translation is the Sleep Demon that lives in the Old Demon Castle, but "Hypnos" in the original JP is the God of Sleep in Heaven's Haven. For this naming choice, I have questions... namely, doesn't Kuma-sensei have to vet localised names? Couldn't this confusion have been avoided? 😭 I feel like I've seen JP merch of Sleep Demon with "Hypnos" in English characters written on it before. Given that the God of Sleep is introduced 250 chapters after Sleep Demon, I'm just assuming Kuma-sensei hadn't thought of adding the God of Sleep yet, and thought "Hypnos" for Sleep Demon would be OK back then. And since Poseidon, Hades and Zeus are Greek, the God of Sleep should have a Greek name, so Hypnos in JP is correct (Somnus is Roman)..... Still. I've seen睡魔 translated as "Morpheus" in other works, I can't help but think that wouldve solved most problems (actually given how many characters have title-as-name, they could've left him as Sleep Demon), but oh well.

FYI "Oneiros" has the same name in both EN in JP, so at least that consistent (and possibly plot relevant?)

3. さっきゅん(Sakkyun) vs. Bussy

This one is just.... unfortunate... Sakkyun comes from サッキュバス(Sakkyubasu), and I guess Succun doesn't look that nice. I heard the anime subs uses Kyubey (I haven't watched) but in the manga Cubie is used for her brother. The translator and editors probably didn't know what bussy is and thought it would be the best choice (bless their souls....)

4. The Demon Kings

For those who don't know, the demon kings are named after times of the night! See below:

Understandably they couldn't name Twilight's father "2:00 to 2:30am" , and I can't think of any one-word equivalent in English. Does anyone know where "Gloom" comes from though??

Other Did-You-Knows:

- "Goodereste" in JP is "カイミーン(Kaimi-n)" which comes from 快眠(kaimin) which means "pleasant sleep"

- Most of the character names are directly translated: Hero Dawner in JP is called アカツキ(akatsuki) which means "dawn", Agave in JP is call ゼツラン(zetsuran), etc

Thank you for reading this if you did!! I've always wanted to ramble, translation is difficult and its so interesting to see what gets carried over (and what doesn't) in localisation . Happy reading! 📖

[zipstidbits]

zip's tid bits | wednesday, may 15, 2024

i woke up exactly when i was supposed to be all ready and out the door so this morning was a bit of a rush 🫠

i did skip breakfast as a result and then came home early bc i felt unwell

i took a nap to feel better which worked!!! however, the nap was 5 hours long and that was 4 hours more than it was supposed to be so

i got my haircut and caught up with my hairdresser (we gossiped about my mom, lmao)

i ended up door dashing for a few hours and other than driving in the rain, it was good!

the to-do list:

✖️ exercise + 4,000 steps (i slept through my chance to do these both...)

✖️ fold laundry

✖️ make rmv appointment

✔️ pay apartment security deposit (my soul left my body for this one ;-;)

✔️ daily spanish practice (duolingo, podcast episode, journal)

✔️ cook!

✔️ make budget/finances excel sheet (this makes me feel more in control/aware of my money but also looking at all my loans is giving me a mild crisis so)

currently:

📚 the black hand by will thomas // dracula daily

🎧 coffee break spanish // sherlock & co

📺 sherlock holmes (1984 series)

credit:

dividers

[timeless-fanfic]

Do you have any study tips?

Thanks for asking! Studying in medical school can be intense, but there are definitely some strategies that can help make the process more effective:

Anki (Spaced Repetition): I swear by Anki, a flashcard app that’s become a staple for med students. It uses spaced repetition, which means it shows you cards at intervals optimized for long-term retention. This is crucial when studying subjects that require you to retain a ton of information over time, like medical physiology, cellular biology, and pharmacology. I make my own decks, but there are plenty of pre-made ones that are excellent too!

Active Recall: Instead of passively reading notes, focus on active recall—this means testing yourself regularly. For example, after learning a topic, close your notes and try to write or say everything you remember. This reinforces the material much better than just reading or highlighting.

Blocking Information: Another strategy I use is blocking information. I dedicate full sheets of copy paper to one topic, writing down everything I can remember. Then, I use a whiteboard to recreate that information from memory in a timed session (usually 10-15 minutes). After that, I go back with a different color (usually red) and write down everything I missed. This helps me visualize the gaps in my knowledge and target areas that need improvement.

Differentiating Between Memorization and Understanding: Different subjects need different approaches. For example:

Subjects like medical physiology or cellular biology require you to learn large quantities of information—names, functions, pathways—so memorization techniques like flashcards or mnemonic devices are useful.

On the other hand, subjects like organic chemistry or math are more about steps, processes, and formulas. For these, practice is essential, so working through problem sets repeatedly is often the best way to master the material.

Pomodoro Technique: Medical school involves long hours of study, so it’s important to break it up. I use the Pomodoro technique, which breaks study sessions into 25-minute focused intervals with 5-minute breaks in between. After four Pomodoros, I take a longer break. It keeps me fresh and focused during long study days.

High-Yield Resources: Focus on high-yield resources—study materials that condense key concepts efficiently. Boards and Beyond, Sketchy (especially for microbiology and pharmacology), Pathoma, and First Aid are all examples of resources that give you the essentials without unnecessary details.

Teach What You Learn: A great way to ensure you truly understand something is to teach it to someone else. Whether it's a study group or just explaining it to a friend or family member, teaching forces you to articulate and organize your knowledge in a clear way.

Prioritize Sleep and Health: It can be tempting to pull all-nighters, but proper sleep is essential for memory consolidation. Make sure you’re also eating well and exercising—your brain will function much better if you’re taking care of yourself.

Study Groups: Working with a group can help too. Explaining concepts to each other, quizzing one another, and discussing difficult topics are great ways to reinforce your learning.

Each student is different, so finding the methods that work best for you is key. These are just a few strategies that have helped me and other medical students manage the heavy workload. Hope this helps, and feel free to reach out if you have any more questions!

[cxncordia]

So I will be creating some sort of character sheets for my characters. Being much less intimidating and smaller than Mage: The Ascension original character sheet, but taking inspiration from it.

So how will it work?

Crafting the character:

Every character will have a number of skills. They will be divided into three categories:

Noteworthy, which are skills that the character had excelled at and understands completely, with little room to improve.

Superior, which are skills where the character understands on a basic level but has not quite mastered.

Practiced, which are skills that they have practiced before in their lives but are far from mastering completely.

Where each represents a number of dice that can be used on a dice roll.

Noteworthy skills receive 8d10.

Superior skills receive 6d10

Practiced skills receive 4d10

Depending on the type of character are how many skills do they get on each category:

Beginner characters receive 2 Noteworthy skills, 3 superior skills and 4 practiced skills.

Intermediate characters receive 4 Noteworthy skills, 5 superior skills and 6 practiced skills.

Advanced characters receive 6 Noteworthy skills, 7 superior skills and 8 practiced skills.

Backgrounds

All characters receive three backgrounds: two merits/backgrounds and one flaw. These can not only create hooks for your characters to interact with my own, but also, they alter the dice roll by adding 2 extra dice when available. Or they can substract 2 dice from the roll in the case of the Flaws.

Rolling dice

Now, when rolling, to make matters easier for me, I will be using WOD Fifth Edition rules: where every dice that is rolled on a 6 or above is considered a success. If the roll possesses two die on a 10, they are counted double (meaning that those two die are equal to FOUR successes, not just TWO).

And with that comes the table of difficulty:

The Art of being a Supernatural

Each character will receive their Supernatural abilities, but easier to follow. So, whenever each creature wants to use their supernatural abilities, they roll their respective supernatural die, with the successes being add to the respective skill being used at that moment in the thread:

Vampires roll a rouse check. They get to use their cool abilities but only on a failure they need to solve, within the thread, the impending hunger that now befalls them.

Werewolves roll a rage check. They get to use their cool lupine traits but on a failure they will turn wild and feral, which will need to be solved within the thread.

Mages roll a paradox check. Magic happens no matter what they do, but on a failure the Paradox will run over them making them feel an intense pain that cripple them during the thread.

Changelings roll a banality check. They use their powerful cantrips either way, but on a failure Banality takes a hold of them, making them an intense cold that will stop them during the thread.

Depending on the level of the character, they are divided again on:

Beginner characters, who get only one dice.

Intermediate characters, who get two die.

Advanced characters, who get three die.

And that also determines how many Discipline powers (Vampires), Gifts (werewolves), Levels of Spheres (Mages), and Cantrips (Changelings) do they get:

Beginner characters get three.

Intermediate characters get six.

Advanced characters get nine.

Resisting willpower

If a character's mind or spirit is being threatened by an opposing party, they can use a Willpower roll to defend themselves. In which case, again, they receive a dice pool depending on their level:

Beginner characters get a willpower pool of 4 dice.

Intermediate characters get a willpower pool of 5 dice.

Advanced characters get a willpower pool of 6 dice.

Can't you just write like all the other rpers? Isn't this a bit too much?

Yeah. Maybe. But I have found that leaving the result of an action to the luck can be quite creative. It allows me to create new problems to keep the thread fresh and to have new solutions on the spot. Because that is precisely what makes this fun!

[racke7]

I've been playing around with Disgaea 5 again, updating my excel-sheet to be more user-friendly, and to also include some extra-stuff.

Ended up looking into how Support-Attacks actually work in-game, and apparently there's a very clear logic there.

Any attack can trigger three (3) Support-Attacks, and any character can only perform three (3) Support-Attacks.

What this means in practice is that if you have four Archers? They'll hit the target, their three friends will hit the target, and then they'll hit the target every time (3) that the other friends launch their attacks on the target.

So, four Archers would hit the enemy sixteen times, in total (with 12 of those being 75% weaker than "real" attacks).

Now, I'm not entirely sure how this "less strong" debuff would play out mathematically (if it applies prior to crit-dmg, etc), but it is technically a multiplier so that might not matter so much in the grand scheme of things.

(It doesn't matter if you do 3*10*2 or 3*2*10 as far as the results are concerned.)

Anyway, as I was playing around with it, I realized that Support-Attacks only use their regular weapon, so the usual "magic build" wouldn't apply.

Which lead me to remember a certain branch of Weapon-Innocents that transform your attacks into a specific element. And how there's another Innocent that boosts Ice-damage.

Now, there are things out there that are resistant to ice, so I checked an old support-Evility that's never really felt cost-effective, but which reduces ice-resistance (negatives are possible).

And uhhh... if I account for the Support-Attacks, a single member in a group of four (all with the stackable anti-resistance) would hit for 70B+.

Adell (and his bullshit 200% ATK) hits for 50B+.

So yeah, I feel like I'm going to have to explore that now. Which is frustrating because it means:

Reincarnating some of my old Shamans into Pirates (they did slightly more damage than pure Archers)

Getting their Weapon-Mastery maxed (they need to be using Bows)

Finding four weapons with Freezer-innocents on them (probably annoying, haven't looked into it yet)

Unlocking their Evility-slots (I never got around to it before the Shaman-idea fell through)

Making sure that they all have the needed Evilities (Chara-world again)

Getting their Aptitudes maxed (Chara-world for days)

Duplicating twelve (12) more of my Barefoot X (fuck, I thought I was done with this)

Creating a maxed out Bow (I've only got a monster-weapon and a Sword currently)

Duplicating the maxed out Bow four times (so that I have a spare one ready to duplicate in the future)

But once ALL OF THAT is done?

It feels like this would be pretty cool (oh, a pun).

[bluecarpetsdubai]

How to Choose the Best PVC Flooring Tiles: A Personal Journey

Choosing the best PVC flooring tiles can be overwhelming, but with the right guidance, it becomes effortless. In this personal story, discover the essential factors, benefits, and expert tips to select durable, stylish, and cost-effective PVC flooring for your space.

A Personal Journey into PVC Flooring Selection

Selecting the perfect flooring for my home was one of the most challenging yet rewarding experiences. Like many homeowners, I wanted something that was both durable and aesthetically pleasing. After much research, I stumbled upon PVC flooring and quickly realized its many benefits. However, with the vast array of options available, choosing the right one required careful consideration. Through trial and error, I learned valuable lessons that I am eager to share with anyone facing the same dilemma.

Understanding PVC Flooring

Before diving into the selection process, it is crucial to understand what PVC flooring is and why it has become so popular. PVC (polyvinyl chloride) flooring is a synthetic material known for its resilience, water resistance, and affordability. It comes in various forms, including tiles, planks, and sheets, making it a versatile choice for both residential and commercial spaces.

When I first considered PVC flooring, I was amazed by its realistic wood and stone textures, which provided the luxurious look I wanted without the hefty price tag. Moreover, its ease of installation and maintenance made it an attractive choice for someone like me who prefers practical solutions.

Key Factors to Consider When Choosing PVC Flooring Tiles

As I embarked on my journey to find the best PVC flooring tiles, I encountered several critical factors that influenced my decision. Here are the most important ones to keep in mind:

1. Durability and Wear Layer

One of my primary concerns was longevity. I needed flooring that could withstand heavy foot traffic, accidental spills, and daily wear and tear. I learned that the wear layer—the topmost protective coating—plays a crucial role in durability. The thicker the wear layer, the more resistant the tiles are to scratches, stains, and fading. For high-traffic areas like my living room and kitchen, I opted for tiles with a wear layer of at least 20 mils.

2. Design and Aesthetic Appeal

The aesthetic aspect of PVC flooring cannot be ignored. With an array of patterns, colors, and textures available, it was essential to choose a style that complimented my home’s décor. I gravitated towards wood-look tiles for the bedrooms and stone-inspired ones for the bathroom. The variety of choices allowed me to achieve a cohesive yet distinct look for each room.

3. Water and Moisture Resistance

Since I have a kitchen and bathroom prone to moisture, water resistance was a top priority. PVC flooring tiles are naturally resistant to water, but some varieties offer enhanced waterproofing. I made sure to select waterproof PVC flooring tiles for these areas to prevent mold and mildew buildup.

4. Ease of Installation

Another deciding factor was the installation process. As a DIY enthusiast, I wanted an option that I could install without professional help. PVC flooring tiles come with different installation methods, including glue-down, peel-and-stick, and interlocking systems. I found the interlocking type to be the easiest to work with, allowing me to complete the project without hassle.

5. Budget and Cost Efficiency

Affordability was another major factor. I set a budget before beginning my search, which helped me narrow down my options. While some high-end PVC flooring tiles were tempting, I found that mid-range options provided an excellent balance between cost and quality.

Advantages of PVC Flooring Tiles

After finalizing my choices and installing the tiles, I came to appreciate several key benefits of PVC flooring:

Low Maintenance: Regular sweeping and occasional mopping kept my floors looking pristine.

Comfort and Cushioning: Unlike cold ceramic tiles, PVC flooring felt softer underfoot.

Noise Reduction: It effectively reduced noise, making my home feel quieter and more serene.

Eco-Friendly Options: Some brands offered recyclable PVC flooring, making it a sustainable choice.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

During my journey, I also encountered a few pitfalls that others can avoid:

Ignoring Subfloor Preparation: I initially overlooked the importance of a smooth subfloor, leading to minor installation issues.

Choosing the Wrong Thickness: Thinner tiles were tempting due to their lower cost, but they lacked the durability I needed.

Not Considering Room Functionality: Initially, I almost chose non-waterproof tiles for my bathroom, which would have been a costly mistake.

Final Thoughts

Choosing the best PVC, Parquet flooring tiles was a rewarding experience that transformed my home’s aesthetic and functionality. By considering factors like durability, design, water resistance, and budget, I was able to make an informed decision that suited my lifestyle. If you are considering PVC flooring, take your time to research and select tiles that best meet your needs. With the right choice, you can enjoy beautiful, long-lasting floors that enhance your home’s overall appeal.

Have you ever installed PVC flooring in your home? Share your experience in the comments below!

[maharghaideovate]

Data Analysis Tools and Techniques in DY Patil Online MBA

The term 'Data Analysis' is a very familiar word if you are looking for information on DY Patil distance learning MBA. In today's data-for-analytics world, it is essential to know about different tools and techniques for Data analysis. This program introduces you to a few important tools that will make you strong in terms of understanding as well as application of Data Analytics on real projects. The program covers the following common tools for data analysis.

1. Spreadsheet Software

Why It Matters:

Data analysis and computation Spreadsheet software (Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets) As most people have used a spreadsheet at some point, it is accessible to students of all levels.

Key Features:

Organize data- Easily deal with the organized and unorganized form of your needed information.

Formulas and Functions - you can analyze trends, and perform calculations.

Chart and Graph Creation: A good approach to visualize data is by creating graphs or charts.

Tip:

Formulas can be intimidating in the beginning, but mastering SUM, AVERAGE, and IF functions will get you very far Practice is key!

2. Statistical Analysis Software

Overview:

If you want to step the game up a bit more, these are some great programs such as SPSS, SAS, or R for statistical analysis. This software is used for intensive statistical testing and performing big data analysis.

Key Highlights:

In-Depth Analysis: Perform advanced statistical analyses.

Predictive Analytics: These models predict future behavior based on past experiences data.

Cleaning Data: Structuring data in such a way that makes it much simpler to actually read and see the truth of my experience.

Quick Win:

Statistical software — the fact of getting comfortable with one separates you Begin with R, which has been used more widely and the online community is excellent in support.

3. Data Analysis Programming Languages

A Game Changer:

Data analysis is evolving, and programming languages form an integral part of the process- more so now because Python and R are coming into their own concerning data management which saves time as far as getting powerful solutions from your DY Patil Online MBA.

Benefits:

Automating repetitive tasks quickly

Sophisticated Analysis: This involves driving machine learning algorithms for deeper insights.

Library Rich: Get access to many libraries that are made for data manipulation (e.g, Pandas in Python)

Engagement Tip:

Free online resources for learning Python or R e.g., Codecademy where you can start with the basics easily.

4. Business Intelligence Tools

Purpose and Benefits:

Used to visualize big data in easy-to-follow charts, graphs, and tables; Business Intelligence (BI) tools such as Tableau, Power BI, etc. are imperative for enabling stakeholders to make informed decisions easily.

Core Functions:

Dashboards: Maintain real-time data monitoring via interactive dashboards.

Data Integration: Collate data from an array of sources for a comprehensive evaluation.

Easy To Use Interface: For the most part, no programming is needed.

Insider Tip:

Be able to work with one form of BI tool. You will thank me when you are exposing data insights to your fellows, or even at work.

5. Database Management Systems

Understanding the Landscape:

E.g: In the data-land, we will rely on Database Management Systems (DBMS) such as MySQL, Oracle, or Microsoft SQL Server to store and retrieve data.

Primary Functions:

Save all kinds of your data — save a lot of it securely.

SQL Commands: Use structured query language (SQL) to fetch and perform work on data.

Transaction Management: Maintains the integrity and consistency of data between transactions.

Actionable Insight:

Learn the fundamentals of SQL statements Creating, reading, updating, and deleting data are basic operations carried out with data in the realm of data analysis.

Wrapping Up

The data analysis tools and techniques that have been incorporated into DY Patil distance MBA are for you to gain the skills of working with these useful career skills so that when you hit the real world, where there are no help guides around every corner they still have your back. Every tool out there has unique features and people like us need to be experts in using any one or two of them since you never know how many are familiar with the ones that trap you and get placed elsewhere when those guys leave.

[nat-tea-n-coffee]

Tips on Surviving Tripple Digit Heat Waves

By A South Florida Local

1. DRINK WATER

I know everyone else says this already, but it bears repeating, DRINK WATER. No, more than that. Get an insulated water bottle, a straw if that’s your fancy, and keep that full and on you at all times. (I like to throw some fruity type herbal tea into the bottle for flavor). Try to have fruits and vegetables that have lots of water, and don’t worry too much about avoiding salt because you do need some for those electrolytes. 

2. Shade and airflow are your new best friends because...

Channel your inner little ole lady and avoid sunlight like a vampire. Umbrellas will often double as great parasols. Hats with wide brims are excellent AND fashionable. If you’re going to carry around a hand fan (which I super recomment, the bigger the better) make sure to only fan yourself languidly, lest your overwork yourself and just increase the overall heat in your body. Beach umbrellas are not just for the beach, they work fine in a back yard or park too. If you’re feeling crafty you can probably rig up some awnings to extend shade over your windows. Remember that shade kinda works cumulatively, the more you have, the less time the air is in the sun, the longer it has to cool before getting to you. 

3. Eat light, avoid heavy, rich foods. 

Try to eat lighter foods that have more water in them like fruits and veggies. Cucumbers are especially good because they’re basically 70% water, 20% fiber, 10% electrolyte. Stuff like red meat, red wine, high fats foods, anything that would give you gout pretty much, puts a toll on your digestive system and works to warm you up. Now is the time to find out what all the hype around gazpacho is about. What the hell is an acai bowl? Refreshing is what it is. Go patronize your local thai restaurant, they know how to make food appropriate to this weather. 

** Extra tip! Take you favorite juice, or tea, or whatever, put it in a mold or a cup with a stick in it throw it in the freezer, boom, cheap, low sugar popsicles.  Keeps the little ones entertained, and if you make it with some chicken broth you can give it to the pups. 

4. Dress in LOOSE, LIGHT, and NATURAL clothes.

Think of how the native folks of naturally hot and humid climates tend to dress. Big Native american Ribbon Skirts and Poofy blouses, the loose baggy pants of a salwar kameez, the incredible volume and colors of a hatian quadrille. Contrary to instinct, you actually want longsleeves in sunny weather to keep the deadly UV rays off your skin. Layers should be minimal though, and as little polyester as you can manage. Linen is best with cotton being the next best.  Silk and leather are horrible and will basically turn you into a human green house. (I know a lot about wool in theory but little in practice. Probably still a good option if you’re out by the water). Avoid dark colors as they absorb a lot more heat that they will then keep directly across your skin (ouch).  If you’re a goth who only dresses in black wool, go get a nice-ish cotton/linen bed sheet, and go to this  link and help bring the ancient greek chiton back into style. Once you’re done with it you can still use it as a bed sheet. 

5. External Water.

if you can get off to the coast for a bit, I would recommend it.  Coastal areas tend to have the sea breeze, and the ocean is good at absorbing heat, plus being able to submerge yourself in water will help you cool off.  If you can’t get to a beach, a little tub of water just enough to dip your feet into will go a long way. And as many people other than me have already pointed out, a wet towel across the back of the neck can work wonders. 

6. Bonus Bits

- As obvious as drink water, but wear sunscreen. You can sunburn bad enough to give yourself a fever, this is especially true with CHILDREN. 

- Speaking of children and any other smol creatures in your care, DOUBLE EVERYTHING ABOVE. They are tiny and so everything happens to them MORE. See #3 for popsicle ideas. 

- Avoid energy drinks, if iced coffee or extra strong tea won’t get you through the day then it’s not worth the kidney damage. 

-outside is not your enemy if your house is built like an oven.  remember, you need SHADE and a BREEZE. If you don’t have your own, store bought is fine. 

-libraries and museums tend to be temperature controlled. support your local institutions

- avoid being outside/in the sun during the hottest part of the day (normally 3-5ish), and if you’re going to be out and about, night time is best. 

- Keep your hair off your neck, just trust me. 

[hailhydra920]

Mister Hockey Ch.2

Pairing: College!Hockey!Bucky x reader

Chapter 2

Summary: Bucky Barnes is the biggest playboy on campus. He’s got the looks, charm, and high hockey player status. He can have any girl he wants, except you. And for some reason, you’re the only one he wants. Hockey AU!

Warnings: None

          “Wake up sleepy head!” Steve hollered as he flipped the lights on in Bucky’s room.

           A low groan rumbled out of Bucky’s chest as he buried his face in his pillow. A sheet was tangled around his legs and covered the edge of his waist, leaving his bare back exposed. He flexed his arms, pulling his pillow as close as possible.

           “Come on, Buck. You’re gonna be late for class if you don’t get up now.” Steve lectured, crossing his arms like an annoyed parent.

           “Jessica’s gone I’m assuming.” Bucky’s muffled voice drifted across the room.

           “Yeah.” Steve answered looking around Bucky’s messy room. “Don’t worry, I gave her an energy bar and a bottle of water before I kicked her out.”

           Bucky nodded and slowly pushed himself up, a pounding headache making itself known. He winced as he opened his eyes, the light making his headache worse. Rubbing his eyes sleepily, he squinted at Steve.

           “Shut off the light, will ya? My head feels like it’s been smashed with a sledgehammer.”

           Flicking the light off, Steve sighed. “I put some medicine and water on your nightstand. If you’re not out of this room in ten minutes with some decent clothing on, I’m making you skate 5 extra drills at practice.”

           “Yeah, yeah, whatever. I’ll be out soon.” Bucky muttered before falling back on his bed, his forearm covering his eyes, his hair splayed against the pillow.

           Steve shook his head and shut the door to Bucky’s room. He laid on his bed for a little while longer before reaching to his bedside for medicine and water. After he downed the pills, he swung his legs over the side of the bed with a groan. Shuffling around the room, he found some clothes and tugged them on, his eyelids still heavy. He stumbled toward the door and ambled toward one of their kitchen stools.

           Steve slid a bowl of cereal in Bucky’s direction, and Bucky mumbled out a thanks before diving into the cereal. He was starting to think partying last night wasn’t such a good idea. He glared at the cereal box that was still sitting on the counter as he shoveled another spoonful of cereal in his mouth.

           “You look like crap.” Steve said taking in the bags under Bucky’s eyes and his chaotic hair.

           “You always know what to say to make me feel better, pal.” Bucky grumbled.

           “But really, Jessica? Dude, she’s my lab partner. It’s kinda weird.”

           “Was just a one night thing, Steve. She’ll forget about it soon.”

           “I hope so.” Steve said walking toward the sink to wash his dishes. “Anyway, you should finish getting ready. Maybe get some energy into that body of yours. We have a game today.”

~~~~~

           You entered the art room with a smile. You had gotten a few more sketches done last night, and you were quite satisfied with how they turned out. As you walked toward your usual seat, you overheard some of the other girls talking about Bucky.

           “Yeah, Jessica went home with him last night. Lucky.”

           It would take too much work to stop your eyeroll, so you didn’t stop it. Sure, Bucky was cute, hot even, but you did not want to become another thing in his gallery.  You had enough self-respect to not throw yourself at every good-looking guy that crossed paths with you. He was a good hockey player though, that you couldn’t deny. Which reminded you, Nat wanted you to join her at their game today. You didn’t really have anything to do today anyway.

           “Alright class.” Your art teacher boomed. “I’ll be going around to see if you did the sketches I told you to do last week.”

           You pulled out your sketchbook out with a sigh. You guess you could think about hockey later, right now you needed to stay focused.

           “Ms. L/n, let’s see them.”

           You showed him a select few sketches, explaining some things to him. He nodded his head as he looked over your work.

           “Excellent job. I’m looking forward to seeing more of your work.”

           He walked off and you couldn’t hide your smile. Your teacher liked your work, and he was known to not like a lot of things. Today seemed like a pretty good day.

~~~~~

           Bucky clicked his helmet on, before shaking his limbs to get some more blood flowing to them. He absolutely loved game days. He got to take all his anger out in the rink, the crowd would go wild at the small things he would do, and the girls would fawn even more after games. As he skated out onto the rink, the crowd cheered, and he soaked it in. His blue eyes scanned the crowd, multiple people with his number painted on their cheeks and his last name plastered on small signs.

           When he spotted you, a small smile worked its way onto his face. You looked uncomfortable in the huge crowd, but he thought you looked cute. You weren’t wearing his jersey, which was what he expected, but a guy could hope. Nat was wearing Steve’s jersey and had a big #13 painted on her cheek. Well, at least one of you was enthusiastic about this game. His eyes wandered back to you again, but this time you made eye contact with him. Sending you a wink and signature smile, he focused back on his warmup. He missed your eyeroll.

           Finally warmed up, Bucky met Brock Rumlow in the middle. Bucky stared Brock in the eyes with a look of determination.

           “Hope you brought your big boy game today, Rumlow. I want a challenge.” Bucky said as he lowered his hockey stick.

           “Sure you can handle my skills, Barnes?” Brock countered.

           “Been waiting for you to show some skills for the past three years now.”

           Brock growled right as the puck went down and both hockey teams sprang into action. Bucky’s team moved like clockwork, with grace and a certain fierceness. Brock got possession of the puck and started to skate fast, but Bucky was faster. Bucky smashed him into the boards before sending the puck to Steve. The crowd screamed and Bucky smiled. Gosh, he loved this game.

~~~~~

           You watched as Bucky nailed one of the opposing players. It looked painful and you were glad you weren’t a hockey player. Nat screamed in your ear as Steve slapped the puck into the goal and lit the lamp. You hoped your ears would recover. The game actually wasn’t as boring as you thought it would be, and you began cheering along with Nat as your team scored. The game ended soon, and you found yourself following Natasha toward the locker rooms.

           “Uh, Nat, I can head back to the car.” You said as she tugged you through the growing crowd of fans waiting near the locker rooms.

           “Nonsense! We have to see Steve!”

           “Okay, okay. Fine.” You shoved your hands in your pockets in defeat.

           You saw Peter, one of the younger players, poke his head out of the locker room and smile when he saw you and Nat.

           “The guys were asking for you. Come in.”

           You warily eyed Peter as you walked through the locker room doors.

           “Don’t worry. They already changed.” Peter assured as he led the both of you.

           Soon, the hockey players came into view and Steve smiled brightly as he saw Natasha. He engulfed her in a hug, and she returned the sentiment as they talked about the game and how well he did. He also mentioned how much he loved her outfit. They made such a cute couple.

           “Glad to see you could make it to our game.” Bucky’s smooth voice sounded beside you. “Just seeing your pretty face made my day.”

           “Yeah right, Barnes.” You said crossing your arms. “And maybe try something you haven’t used on hundreds of girls.”

           “Wow, okay. Thank you for the feedback, I will consider that.” Bucky chuckled before wrapping an arm around your shoulders.

           You immediately pushed his arm off of you. “Don’t touch me, Barnes. Do you always invade girl’s personal space like this?”

           “Nah, only the pretty ones. And I, uh, think you forgot something to bring to the game today.”

           “Oh really? What?”

           He leaned in close to you, his face inches away. “My jersey.”

           You stepped back, before looking deep in thought. “No…I don’t think I forgot it…oh wait…that’s right, last I checked, you still annoyed me.”

           “That’s alright, sweetheart. As long as you don’t hate me, I can live with that.” He refuted giving you a cheeky grin.

           “Nat! I’ll be waiting in the car!” You said before turning on your heel to walk out the door.

 MH Tags: @ajeff855​ @lostyx​ @ahahafudge​

 Perm Tags:  @sleep-i-ness​​​ @thefridgeismybestie

[crowbird]

| OUTSIDERS ; h. sanzu x reader

| WORD COUNT ; 900+ | RELATIONSHIP ; haruchiyo sanzu x gn!reader | PLEASE NOTE ; illusions to the events of 241 | CROW’S NOTE ; i got the idea for this from this post from @ryohell, if anyone wants me too I will gladly elaborate on this concepts

5 Years Old : You disliked the new baby. Things were already cramped at home and Mother and Father were only acting worse because of it. You started spending more time in the garage, maybe you would get carbon monoxide poisoning but the car in there hadn’t worked for a decade. There’s an old piano in the back, sheet music and theory books stuffed away in a long forgotten box. You begin to play in hopes that maybe one day the music would sound like silk rather than gravel.

6 Years Old : You meet a boy in the park. His hair is cut short to his head, it’s fuzzy, almost like a peach. But you don’t like peaches much so you try not to think of it like that, because you do like him. His eyes are lighter than yours the same way his hair is. You are fairly certain his hair should not be that white that young. You make a joke about how only old folk and dying people have white hair. He says he’s not about to cross the river of the dead anytime soon. You start calling him by the same name as the river.

7 Years Old : Sanzu has a brother, and a sister. He thinks you’re lucky to have parents. You think he’s lucky he isn't home much. The both of you elect not to talk about family, instead he starts sitting in the garage with you, fidgeting with the old pieces of the broken car as you play piano.

8 Years Old : You don’t like Mikey much. He’s loud and sticky, but his brother bought you that new book of sheet music after he saw you staring at it one too many times, and Baji is cool and helps you feed the stray cats. You deal with the blonde’s presence for the sake of your friends. Sanzu tells you he wishes he was strong like Mikey, you tell him you’re glad he’s not because then he wouldn’t be Sanzu. Your parents enrol you in formal piano lessons, and your name is listed on the ballet for a contest for children who excel at musical instruments.

9 Years Old : The piano in the garage is thrown away, a new one is brought inside the house. Suddenly piano isn’t as fun anymore.

10 Years Old : You’re too young for this, but you don’t know that as you try desperately to stop the bleeding. Your fingers are stained red and briefly you wonder if it’ll ever come out. Sanzu is somewhere between crying and laughing, or rather attempting to do the latter as he suppresses the former. When he finally goes silently and you’ve managed to sloppily apply bandages, cotton and medical tape to the wounds, neither of you say much, but he holds you when you cry.

11 Years Old : Your brother breaks your glasses, he ran them over by accident with his new bike. You hate him then, and you hate yourself all the more for it. So you attend a regional piano competition for young classical musicians, because the piano is the one thing your brother cannot do to earn your parents’ love. Despite having three broken fingers, you shouldn’t have punched Mikey when you saw him last, you win.

12 Years Old : You teach Sanzu how to braid your hair. You’ve always liked it long. It means you can do different stuff with it, and there’s a satisfaction you get from watching your braids fall almost to your knees. You get a new neighbour that Fall, he’s larger than you, despite your oddly impressive height for a kid your age, older as well. You imagine he’s what brother’s should be like. Not whatever you have sleeping in the twinbed on the other side of what was once your room.

13 Years Old : You practice piano when your parents aren’t home, which is often. They both have more work than they don’t. You don’t think they love each other much anymore. When they are at home, you are with Sanzu visiting the neighbour’s house, Yasuhiro Muto is kind. Or maybe you’re both just desperate. Either way, he’s more family by the mere status of the blood of the covenant than anything you know by the water of the womb.

14 Years Old : You do not go to the same school as your best friend. But calling Sanzu that does not feel right, it feels too cheap. It is not enough to describe the comfort you get from existing with him. He joins Mikey’s gang because Yasuhiro does, you kiss his scars when he tells you this through angry tears. Until you miss and your lips land on his, and he’s suddenly desperate for you to do it again.

15 Years Old : you are walking home from school, you will meet Sanzu at your spot. By the rusted park, that’s now been overtaken by vines and weeds because the city can’t be bothered to maintain a space for children in the part of town where no child should ever live. You do not see the man approach you, you do feel the blow to your head. Your last thought is not of your friends or family, it’s the distinct one that you never thought that you’d see a delinquent wearing glasses.

5 Years Old : There’s an old piano in the back, sheet music and theory books stuffed away in a long forgotten box. You begin to play in an effort not to drown in the nostalgia and deja vu of a different flow of time, in the ocean of the universe.

| SONG ; outsiders by jean-michel blais

| TAGLIST ; @stroberrylite @meena-in-a-nutshell @izuniias @girl-by-the-lake (click here if you want to join)

[duckprintspress]

How can I write quickly?

I (hi, I’m @unforth) have been asked frequently over the years how I write a lot quickly. I’m a pretty fast writer - for example, I wrote the 5600 words of my May Trope Mayhem fill from yesterday in under 2.5 hours. 

First, a little of my personal history for context. I’ve always written, starting from when I was able to string letters into (very poorly spelled) words and (horrible un-grammatical) sentences. When I started trying my hand at serious, professional-level fiction writing, I joined a community called novel_in_90, which was founded by the author Elizabeth Bear. The purpose of novel_in_90 was “to be NaNoWriMo but more realistic.” Instead of 50,000 words in 31 days, it was 67,500 words in 90 days, or 750 words a day. I participated in multiple rounds of novel_in_90 starting in mid-2005, and in 2007 I completed my first (godawful) novel. When I started, even writing a couple hundred words of day took me forever, but it got easier with time. 

During those same years, I also got a job that required I do professional writing on a deadline: I was a grant writer, and I only got paid when the grants won. That often meant working fast under high pressure, culminating in the weekend I wrote and edited an entire 40 pages grant that was due on Monday. I think, if I hadn’t had a solid foundation of “regular daily plodding writing,” I’d not have been able to marathon when the moment came...and it came because I had to, not because I wanted to. However, I learned a valuable lesson: I could. Subsequently, I found that, when I had the time and space and was rested enough to use my brain, I could bust out a huge amount. Like, I wrote an entire 150,000 word novel in 17 days.

My personal record is about 200,000 words in one month (it was the month I wrote that novel; I wasn’t tracking when I did that so I don’t know exactly), 25,000 words in a day, and I’ve topped out around 3,000 words an hour. I do know people who can do more...but not many.

Not everyone will be able to do this. Flat out, I MUST preface the rest of this post by saying that. Some people will find that writing fast fits their brain, and for others, it just won’t, and that’s okay. Fast doesn’t equal better, and it isn’t inherently “good” to write fast. Furthermore, even for those who can write fast, not everyone will find the same strategies helpful. I can share what works for me. Try out one item, some items, or all of these - if writing faster is something you want to be able to do, which it certainly never has to be. Use what works for you, and discard the rest.

Sit in your chair, put your fingers on your keyboard or touch screen, and write. You can’t write 1,000 words in half an hour until you write one word, however long that one word takes. I know saying this is obvious, but I’ve been asked “how can I write fast” by people who struggle to write at all...fast can’t be your priority until you’ve got a foundation of just writing. (Honestly...fast should never be your priority, but it might be helpful to you regardless, which can make it worth learning.)

Start small. Set an achievable goal, and make yourself meet that goal (daily, weekly, whatever) come hell or high water, no matter how long it takes you. Keep the goal small at first; you’re not trying to torture yourself, you’re trying to build a skill. If you set the goal high enough that you consistently fail, you’re not teaching yourself anything. And, if you find the goal IS too high...lower it. There’s no shame in working within your limits. Think of it like starting a new work out regimen: you wouldn’t try to run a 10k at a record time if you can’t run a mile slow. Treat your fingers and your brain the same way you’d treat your legs and joints. Give them time to grow, learn, and improve before you try to push yourself.

Trying to write daily is worthwhile if you want to work on your writing speed, because you’ll be forced to try to fit it in as you’re able - that might be ten minutes in your morning, or an hour in your evening, and it might vary from day to day, but making it daily means you have to fit it in somewhere.

Building skills takes time and isn’t easy. For some people, it will come easier than for others, and even when you’re fast, going from “I can write words fast” to “I can write damn good words fast” takes practice and dedication and accepting constructive criticism - speed alone will never be worth more than writing well.

Having a community can help. Ya’ll will check in on each other, cheer each other on, remind each other that missing a day or a goal isn’t the end of the world, and keep each other’s spirits up. If you don’t know other writerly folks online, I recommend Weekend Writing Marathon ( @weekendwritingmarathon ) as a good place to start (I used to be a mod there). Once you’re trying to work up to larger word counts in a day, remember that even writing fast will take minutes or hours. You can’t write 2,500 words in an hour if you don’t set an hour aside. Make sure you’re giving yourself the room and time you need to succeed.

You will probably never be able to do high, rapid word counts every day, every week, every month. The best runners in the world don’t run marathons every day. Set realistic long term goals.

Work on projects where you have a clear idea of where you’re going. I’m not saying “pantsers” can’t write fast, because of course they can, but if you want to write fast, and well, and coherently, to create a first draft that’s in pretty good shape, you’ll do better if you have a good sense of what you’re trying to accomplish with your story. That doesn’t mean you need to do all your world building up front, or have a complete outline (I never have either). All you really need is what happens next. I tend to plan projects - and write them - one full scene at a time, with only a vague idea what’s going to come after. (I’m personally a “plantser,” and the strategies in this post will likely be most effective to other plantsers.)

Visualize ahead of time what you’d like to write...but don’t get too attached to what you visualize. When I go to bed, I plan the next scene I’m going to compose, often to the least detail. I then forget all of it overnight, at least all the specifics, and I’m left with a general sense and shape of what’s to come. You’ll never be able to replicate the “perfect” dialog you pre-conceive, so give up on trying to. Instead, play through the scene and think about the emotional beats you want to hit and plot points you want to forward. If you keep that in mind, you’ll be able to get the words out faster than if you’re agonizing over every word or regretting the “oh-so-great” idea that you’ve since forgotten. 

Practice different work styles. If writing every day doesn’t work for you, try instead saying, “this is my writing day each week,” and aim for a lot that specific day, and write little or nothing other days. Try writing at different times of day and on different days, fitting it into your schedule. If you’re beating yourself up for not writing when you “should,” it’ll be that much harder to succeed, so instead, as I said for point 2 - set a reasonable goal that fits your life and working style, fitting it around your other responsibilities, and push yourself within that framework, instead of trying to shoehorn into a style that you “think you should” use to succeed. 

Track your word counts, and take notes on how much you did and what project you were working on. If you’re also experimenting with different times of day and different days, make sure you note that too. I personally use a simple Excel sheet (well, Google Sheets, now) - column one is the date, column 2 is “starting word count,” column 3 is “ending word count,” column 4 is “=column 3 - column 2”, column 5 is notes. Pay attention to when you succeed at writing faster, and when you don’t, and consider what factors might have played into your success...and then try to replicate those factors next time you’re doing a sprint. Control as many variables as you can while you’re “training.”

If you find social media distracting, trying getting a web browser extension that prevents you from connecting to websites for a set period of time.

If you find you tend to dither before starting, I find it helpful to run through everything that I might do to procrastinate (check my social media! grab a snack! make some tea! set up my playlist! check my social media again! finish making the tea! check my social media for what I swear will be the last time!), and when I’m done, it’s like, well, I’ve done all those things, I’ve got no choice left, time to write, no excuses left.

If you find you struggle with picking up a WIP, try leaving off in the middle of a sentence at the end of a session, one where you know exactly how it ends - or, leave off mid-paragraph, or when you are positive you know what happens next (and I mean literally next, as in the very next sentence.) It’s much easier to “pick back up” when your first words are super clear. (Do not do this if you think there’s any chance you’ll forget or end up in a situation where you won’t return to your WIP for months!) 

If you find you struggle to maintain continuity across multiple writing sessions, try rereading what you wrote the previous day before you proceed. Resist the urge to edit it!

Avoid stopping when you get stuck, even to do research. Don’t know a fact? Add a comment to your manuscript flagging the relevant text, “LOOK THIS UP LATER.” Can’t think of a word? Put in something you can use the “find” function on easily (I personally use “XX” since there are no words that have a double x in them) and so you can come back later, search for your chosen placeholder, and fill in the blanks. Not sure how a scene ends but know the next scene? Jump ahead.

That said, if you really don’t know what happens next, you don’t do yourself any favors by pressing on. As I’ve said previously, speed alone should never be your writing object. It’s better to slow down, consider your plot, figure out where you’re going, and then write, than to just plow ahead - or at least, that’s better if you want a manuscript you’ll actually be able to use for something at a later point. If you’re truly just practicing, you can also say “screw it, who needs coherence?” and keep going. I’d personally never have finished my first novel if I’d spent a lot of time worrying about making the pieces fit together and yeah, it’s a mess, but it’s a mess I wrote instead of a mess I got stuck on and never completed.

Don’t move the finish line. If you’ve set the goal of 500 words a day, don’t beat yourself up if you get 550 because you think you think you could have done more. If you say you’ll write five days a week, don’t get mad because you DID have time the sixth day but chose to use it on something else. If you make yourself feel like shit when you succeed, what’ll happen when you fail? And when you’re comfortable and really think you’re ready, change the goal - reassess every month, say, and up your goals. While working for speed, trying upping your word count goal without changing the amount of time you allot for working.

Your need to adhere to the above suggestions will change over time. Once, I always had an outline; now I often don’t need one. Once, I wouldn’t let myself stop even to use a thesaurus; now, I find I can look up words without breaking my flow or significantly slowing myself down. This is not an “all or nothing” prospect, nor is it a “do things the same way forever once you’ve found one (1) thing that works” prospect - you’ll experiment, and find strategies that work for you, and then at some point, your needs will change, and you’ll experiment more, and find new strategies that work for you, on and on, as your skills grow. 

To reiterate: writing fast should never be your objective in and of itself! Greater writing speed will come with practice and as a general side effect of improving your craft. Simply being able to write fast is useless; being able to write fast and well will enable you to get more of your ideas out there, so if that’s something you’d like to accomplish, focus on building your general skills and training yourself to be able to use those skills rapidly and in tandem with each other to produce decent writing, in a first draft, at a decent speed.

Once you try, you may find none of this works for you! That’s okay. That’s good! You tried, which means you learned something about yourself and your own writing style, and that too will help you to improve. Keep experimenting, keep learning, and find what does work for you - and accept that no two writers will ever be the same, and one of those differences will be writing speed. Some writers will never write fast, and that’s doesn’t make them any less awesome or valid. And some writers will always write fast, and that doesn’t make them inherently awesome or valid. Only with a suite of skills that suit your individual life, personality, work style, writing capabilities, goals, etc., will you succeed as a writer (for various, personalized definitions of the word “success”); speed is only one of those potential skills, and not one that’s particularly important in my opinion...yet I still get asked about it fairly often, so here we are, these are my suggestions

Go forth, and write some words! <3

[sluttbuttsstuff]

Hucow!AU Part 5 (FINALE!!!)

WOOHOO!! It’s finally Bruno’s turn, I saved best boy for last.  All parts combined in gdocs are 29 pages total, this is def the longest thing i’ve written in over a decade!! I hope you enjoy, and look forward to whatever i decide to write next

thanks, and enjoy!

as always. credit goes to @dark-side-blog2 for the wonderful hucow! au

WARNINGS: not sfw, yandere, duncon, noncon, sleep fucking, force feeding, manipulation, dark themes, afab reader, she/her pronouns, all characters 18+!!

After taking care of Narancia and tucking him into bed, Bruno returned to your room once more.  You slept like the dead, worn out from a long night.  Bruno smiled proudly, you had been wonderful for them.  Each bull, you had accepted their love, their passion, their essence and earned your place in the herd once again.  It filled Bruno with such joy, knowing that you were the perfect mate for them, for all of them.

You were caring and kind for Narancia, playful and fun for Mista, calming and gentle for Fugo, accepting and attentive for Abbacchio.  And for Bruno: you were everything.  For so long, there had been a piece of the puzzle missing in his life.  He had a family with no mother, no children.  

Bruno had met you first in a very dark part of his life-his herd was beaten, driven from his home in fear, on the brink of death with no hope.  And then, you had appeared, an angel hidden away in paradise, offering safety, shelter.  Much more than that, even, with a little bit of convincing, and a lot of planning.  He would have his family, his children, and you.

Bruno knew how to play the long game, how to strategize and manipulate, but he only did it for good reason.  He had to, you were too prideful, too stubborn to realize how much you needed him.  You were running a giant farm several acres large by yourself, no employees, relatives or neighbors to help.  Bruno couldn’t have that,now could he?  He and the other bulls took over the hard work and heavy lifting-eventually, after a lot of hemming and hawing from you.  Bruno managed to talk you into it; it was beneficial for both of you, a way for the bulls to earn their keep and for you to get some help.

The bulls helped with Bruno’s plan as well, in their own ways.  Mista put his cooking skills to use, making you healthy meals infused with lackweed (Mulgeo, a plant that encouraged your body to lactate) and pills that increased your sexual urges.  He’d even been adding charcoal to your meals to cancel out your birth control; it wasn’t necessary, Bruno had gotten rid of your birth control months ago while you were asleep, but Bruno appreciated it nonetheless.  

Narancia had gotten you to warm up to them very quickly, being as innocent and naive as he was, and Bruno was able to use him to display his parenting skills.  Yes, Narancia was a grown bull, and mostly treated as such, but he was still the youngest, and hard not to spoil.  Plus, the way you seemed to light up when Bruno would baby Narancia- it was clear your maternal instincts were awakening.  Good!  It was excellent practice for your own children.  

Fugo was admittedly the most awkward around you, it wasn’t really his fault, though.  He had the least experience out of the bulls with women, but Bruno could tell his true feelings about you.  So, he encouraged Fugo to show his strengths to you; mainly his brain.  There was an old tractor collecting rust that needed repairs, and you had lost several crops last season due to lack of irrigation. Fugo was able to repair them, thanks to researching some books and some help from you.  Plus, it was one less job for you to do, and another reason for you to depend on them.  Bruno knew Fugo was nervous, but Bruno was certain he’d be a good mate and husband.  He would make their children very smart.

Abbacchio could be a little rough around the edges, it's true, but he clearly had a soft spot for you.  While he would smack Mista and Narancia around when they got on his nerves or got ornery, you he respected and let a lot slide.  Bruno had seen you tug on his tail (admittedly by accident) , elbow him (after a funny joke), and even put flowers (that he was allergic to!) in his hair!  Abbacchio had taken it in stride, and even defended you when Mista’s teasing or the other shenanigans went too far.  Plus, Abbacchio’s skills as a lockpick let them sneak into your house when you were away or sleeping.  Very useful indeed…

 Bruno knew he had to share you, as much as he wanted you for his own.  He couldn’t hurt his herd, his brothers, who loved you almost as much as he did.  So Bruno was patient, he let them have their turns first, keep the peace….

But Bruno couldn’t wait any longer.

The timing had to be perfect, to ensure he had the best chances. He had snuck into your home months before, stealing and disposing of your birth control, and destroying your refill prescription.  Thankfully you were too busy and preoccupied to make a new appointment with the doctor for new medication, which Bruno appreciated greatly.   Digging through your trash, he was able to record and determine your cycle, in order to find out when you would be most fertile.  He would allow his herd many things,including you.

But his child would be first.

Letting the others go first- he allowed it before you were truly in heat.  They didn’t know why, but were grateful nonetheless, eager to claim you. 

He pulled back your blankets, after making sure you were deep in R.E.M. sleep.  Birds started chirping as dawn rose outside, but you were dead to the world.  So much, in fact, that when Bruno pulled back your bed sheets you didn’t so much as flinch.  You were still nude, too tired to put your pajamas back on last night; Bruno admired the early morning light glowing on your body.  Bruno kissed down your face and body everywhere the sun touched, relieved you were still asleep.  Bruno made note of every bruise and marking on your skin to treat later that morning, as he went lower and lower down your body.  Spreading your legs, you tasted divine.  You were definitely ready, too: now would be his best chance. 

 Licking the others out of your core, he heard you quietly whimper- he paused, waiting for you to stir, but you eventually drifted back to sleep.  You always were cute when you slept, the way you would sometimes talk in your sleep or kick your legs “Running.”  Bruno had learned a lot observing you, and intended to learn a lot more from you today.  He cleaned you out with his tongue and prepped you thoroughly-maybe it was petty of him, saving you all for himself, but Bruno was the alpha bull, and the perfect mate for you.  That’s why it was so important to not just get you pregnant, but pregnant with his children.  It’s what you, the both of you deserved.

Once Bruno was certain you were ready ( you were still soft and wet from last night, and pleasantly warm against his tongue and fingers)  he leaned over you, pulling your legs up against his shoulders into a mating press.  It terrified him how easily you slept, how dangerous it would be if his herd hadn’t found you.  What if someone else had found you before them, taken you like this in your sleep?  It worried him so, that’s why he had to do this, claim you and protect you from any rivals.

  Bruno stroked your cheek, before pressing inside.  Finally, after all this time, he was inside of you, warm and wonderful and all his.  You squirmed in your sleep,but otherwise accepted him without complaint.  Bruno was so happy he could cry, he settled for kissing your  shoulder as he pushed into the hilt.  Bruno couldn’t hold his urges back any longer, he thrust into you again and again, hitting against your sweet spot.  You cried out in your sleep, jumbled noises Bruno convinced himself were his name.  In this position, he was able to reach so deep, force himself as far inside as he could reach.  

His grip on you tightened, feeling the strain of the position, the slap of his balls on your ass fueling his desire more.  But it wasn’t enough, he had to make sure you felt good too.  He suckled your chest, licking your nipples the way he had seen you enjoy.  Your pussy was so wet he was able to rub slick onto your hard throbbing clit, careful to rub the raw skin gently. 

“Y/n, I’m so thankful to have found you, finally we can make our dreams come true~” Bruno whispered to you, desperate for you to know the feelings he’d held back for so long.

“I can hardly hold back with you; I’ve been waiting so long for this, and I can tell now that so have you.�� Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you, we all will.  Just give in, you can trust me.”  Bruno pleaded, close to the edge.  Bruno grit his teeth, it was about to end, all too soon.  Bruno wasn’t ready, he wanted to stay like this with you forever.  Relief washed over Bruno as he heard you cry out in release, tightening around him and bringing him to release.

“I’m cumming, y/n.  Please, accept all of me!”  He gasped,spilling his seed inside.  Tears Bruno had held back spilled down as his emotions overcame him, something he would only allow to happen while you couldn’t see.  He was certain this was the right thing to do, now more than ever.  You were his, all of theirs, safe and protected. 

 In the next months, you would become full with child.  Naturally, you would have to stop manual labor-which would be fine, you could depend on your sturdy bulls to run the farm for you.  And then when you had their children, you would need to raise them. Obviously, you had five capable mates to help you; taking turns feeding them, staying up on long sleepless nights, teaching them right from wrong.  So many precious memories to be made with you, Bruno could 

hardly wait.

As Bruno turned to leave you to rest, he saw you start to rise.

“...Bruno?”  You called weakly, and Bruno was by your side in an instant.

“Y/n?  What’s wrong, you’re up so early?”  Bruno asked, concerned.  

“...It’s hot” you groaned, reaching out for him.  Bruno’s heart fluttered, you called out for him.  He felt your forehead; admittedly sweaty, but not necessarily from illness.  

“You are a little warm.  Let’s get you out of these sweaty blankets and cleaned up.”  Bruno helped you out of your sheets, and ran to get a damp washcloth.  He returned quickly, sitting on your bed and wiped the cloth over your body.  Your body flushed, and whenever you thought Bruno wasn’t looking, you would glance over at him.  Bruno smiled to himself, you really were spoiling him this morning-he couldn’t be more delighted.

“Are you feeling any better?  You should take it easy today, you had a long night.”  Bruno said as he washed your stomach.

“Umm, yes, im-ahh!”  You jumped, as Bruno’s wash cloth reached your nether regions.  

“Relax, bella, It’s important to clean this area as well. We don’t want you getting sick now do we?”  Bruno continued, unfazed by your reaction.  You fidgeted a moment longer, but considering all that had happened, you relented.  What more could Bruno do to you?

He toweled you off quickly, patting you dry and then headed to your closet.

“Let’s find you something extra comfortable to wear today, shall we?”  Bruno asked, flipping through your hangers.  What a shame, most of your outfits were utilitarian and industrial, not befitting a mother to be.  

“Oh, Bruno, you don’t have to-”  You began, but Bruno cut you off.

“Here we go, perfect!  Ah, and this shade of lavender will look lovely on you!”  Bruno proclaimed, holding up a flowery sundress made of soft cotton.  Very comfortable, but not the best for farm work.  Bruno couldn’t be stopped though, grabbing some undergarments for you    (how did he know where you kept them?) and helped you sit up in bed.

“Let’s get you dressed, as much as I love the thought of having you nude all day, nothing will get done around the farm with the boys fawning over you.”  Bruno chuckled, sliding socks onto your feet for you.

“Bruno, please! I can dress myself!”  You pleaded, trying to pull away, but Bruno stopped you with gentle but firm hands.  

“Bella, please-let me take care of you the way you’ve taken care of us.  It’s only fair, isn’t it?”  Bruno smiled, tugging your socks up to your ankles.  He held a white pair of panties out for you, “Step in, dear, one foot at a time” You groaned, turning an adorable shade of red Bruno loved, but did indeed let him slide the panties up and onto you.  He convinced you to skip a bra today (Bruno wasn’t completely selfless) and slip into the sundress, snug as a bug.

“Much better!  Now, do you want to see if you can get some more sleep?  You didn’t get many hours of sleep last night, and your body must be very sore.”  He asked you, stroking your cheek.  “Well, maybe later, but-”  You began, only to be interrupted by your growling stomach.  Bruno chuckled, “Ahh, of course, let’s get you fed shall we?”  he winked, placing a hand on the small of your back and escorting you to the kitchen.

You tried to make yourself breakfast, really you did, but Bruno wasn’t giving you any leeway this morning.

“Please, Bambina, let me cook for you.  You always make the rest of us meals, and I’m not completely hopeless in the kitchen.”  He told you, sitting you on a kitchen chair, rolling up his sleeves.  True to his word, he was decent in the kitchen-more than decent, in fact.  Bruno fried up a pig’s worth of bacon, crispy and fried with a sprinkle of cinnamon.  Eggs, sunny-side scrambled and over-easy, just a little bit runny and fresh from your henhouse.  And the cru-de-ta, a mountain-pile of fluffy home batter pancakes, smothered in homemade syrup and creamy smooth butter dollops piled on top.  Bruno piled your plate to the brim, sure to give you only the crunchiest bacon strips and roundest pancakes, with plenty left over for the boys.  It was a miracle the other boys hadn’t woken up yet, but you supposed they were still wiped out from the night before and needed a little more rest.  

Bruno didn’t mind one bit, enjoying the one on one time with you he rarely got.  Sitting patiently for him like a good mate, letting him clean you, dress you, even feed you. Bruno was determined to spoil you, so you would never want for anything other than him again.  Looking around your plate, you asked Bruno, “Sorry, but you forgot to grab a fork and knife.  Would you mind?”  

Bruno smiled, unblinkingly, “Oh no, I didn’t.  Open wide~”  He cooed, stacking a silver fork full of your breakfast.  You looked at him incredulously, “Seriously?”  

Bruno didn’t relent, smile unwavering, “You wouldn’t turn down all my hard work and this delicious food, would you?”  

You wanted to argue with him, you really did.  For every inch he gave you, he took a mile, and it was starting to be humiliating.  But for whatever reason, Bruno always made you cave.  Besides, after everything you’d been through, he’d never hurt you, always gentle and caring.  So, against your better judgement, you sheepishly opened your mouth for him.

Bruno lifted the fork into your mouth, watching your lips close around his fork.  You savored the buttery rich flavor of the pancakes, the spongy texture bouncing lightly in your mouth as you chewed.  To say it was delicious would be an understatement; you were starting to consider letting Mista and Bruno handle mealtime more often.  Bruno bit the corner of his lip, watching you eat your meal.  You wanted to pout, not give Bruno the satisfaction of knowing you enjoyed being babied like this, but you couldn’t help smiling as you swallowed bite after bite, opening your mouth and even leaning forward.  Each bite was better than the last; the salty sweet bacon grease and runny eggs soaked into the pancakes, soaking up the flavor medley and sending your palette into overdrive. 

 Bruno loved every minute, watching you let your guard down for him, licking up syrup from your chin, even letting him wipe your cheek clean with a napkin.  Your stomach puffed out as you ate through your meal, it excited him to know he did that to you, and that your stomach would soon be even more distended and full with his baby.  Your plate was nearly clean, but you didn’t think you could eat another bite.  Bruno had given you so much already, and it was all delicious and rich, and had no more room.

“Please, Bruno, I’m full to the brim.  I’m sorry but I can’t eat anymore.”  You groaned, clutching your stomach.  

“Oh please, just another bite, bambina~  you’ve done so well, you’re almost done.”  He cooed, forking the last bits on your plate.  You tried to excuse yourself, but Bruno stuffed it into your open unsuspecting mouth.  You nearly choked on the utensil forcing your way into your mouth, a sugary syrupy mess that was starting to nauseate you.  It was too much, too rich, but Bruno held your mouth shut.

“Please, y/n, you have to eat more.  Think of our children, won’t you?”  You froze, as you remembered everything that had happened last night with a wave.  You looked at Bruno, mouth still full and ready to vomit.  His gaze tore into you, more serious than he had been all morning.  In fact, the last time he looked at you like that…

Bruno rubbed your back, as your eyes watered and spilled over.  Poor thing, were you already having morning sickness?  No worries, it was only natural; he would take care of you. You were having trouble breathing, not sure if it was the food or the panic setting in.  

“Come on Bambina, you’re almost done.  Just swallow it all down, you can do it~”  Bruno hissed, as he plugged up your nose.  Bruno sighed, watching your eyes bug out; he didn’t want to be harsh with you, but what other choice were you giving him?  You needed to follow his orders, that’s how he kept you safe and happy.  “Now, y/n”  

Despite the lump in your throat, you had no choice but to swallow, the lack of oxygen making you gag.  How could you forget who you were dealing with?  How could you let him take advantage of you again and again?  You wiped the snot and tears from your face, catching your breath.  You flinched as a familiar hand reached out and grabbed your chin.  Bruno turned you to look at him, his face calm and smiling as if nothing had happened.

“There, Bambina, that wasn’t so bad was it?  You have to let me take care of you, okay?  We don’t want you hurting yourself do we?”  He asked, voice soft and patronizing, like he hadn’t just force fed you against your will.  You wanted to run away, but didn’t know where to go.  It didn’t help any as you heard footsteps coming down the stairs.  

“Yo, y/n!  You’re up already?  I thought we wiped you out last night!”

“Guess we’ll have to try harder next time.”

“Are you okay, y/n?  You look ill.  Maybe you should go back to bed.”

“Ohh, it smells so good!  Did you make breakfast for us, y/n?”

You were surrounded.  No way out.  Five strong angry bulls that had taken over your life, your home, even your body.  You couldn’t trust them, not any of them.  There was no escape.

“What’s wrong, bella?  Are you crying?”

“Don’t cry, y/n!  There’s nothing to worry about, we’ll take care of you!”

“You can count on us, y/n.  We’re mates, after all.”

You were trapped.

Trapped.

Trapped.

 You opened your mouth to scream, but it was no use.

It’s not like anyone would hear you, anyways

END

[princip1914]

A few thoughts on writing longfic

I’ve had this post brewing for a while and I figured since today is a Friday I might as well let it out into the wild. 

First off, this is not writing advice. I don’t feel qualified to give writing advice. This is a few observations I’ve made over the course of trying to write something that feels, well, long. Fandom is full of excellent authors writing long chaptered fic, but I don’t see a lot of people talking about how they go about producing such fics. I remember feeling like long fic was really out of reach for me when I started writing again in the summer of 2019 after not writing for years and years and I wanted to talk a bit about how that changed for me. Of course, this post comes with all the caveats that there is no need to ever write long fic if you’re not feeling it. Some of my favorite authors write mostly or only oneshots! But, if you are interested, here’s my lengthy, self indulgent, and entirely personal take on ~the longfic process~ below the cut. 

First, to get this out of the way: long fic is anything that feels long or complicated to you, the author. “I’m working on my long fic” can mean that you’re branching out from microfiction to write something that’s 2k long, or it can mean you’ve got a multi-part 800k epic. There’s no objective measure of if something is “long fic,” Your own personal definitions can also change as you grow in confidence or change your focus as a writer (a little over a year ago when I finished Doubt Thou the Stars are Fire topping out at 31k, that felt very very long to me. Now it feels….still long, but not very very long.) 

Here are a few specific things that helped me write something long. I don’t know if they will be interesting for anyone else, but at the very least writing these down has been a fun way for me to reflect on my own process. 

Practice exercises. Ok, this is going to sound exceedingly obvious, but writing one shots prepares you for writing chaptered fic. Here’s what I mean more specifically: if you know you want to write (as a totally hypothetical example) a chaptered fic set in America in the summer that relies heavily on a nature metaphors, is written out of chronological order, and features a melancholy tone--it helps to write a few one shots like that before you embark on the Big Fic. Just like artists tend to do sketches before starting a big piece, it’s very helpful to write something small that gives you a feel for the ~vibe~ of what you’re trying to do in the long fic. It’s helpful for all the usual reasons--you get to know a specific version of the characters which helps plan out a character driven plot for the long fic--but it’s also helpful because you will learn if the tone and mood of the fic has enough staying power to capture your interest for the long haul. For instance, I have a few unfinished chaptered fics that have a humorous tone. I wish I had done more short humorous fics before starting them, because I would have realized that I don’t currently have the mental stamina to hold up a humorous tone for the length of a chaptered fic (hopefully that will change and I will finish Last Days some time this century!). 

Plan it out ahead of time. I used google sheets for The False and the Fair. I do not think God intended google sheets to be used for fiction, but that was not going to stop me. On a more serious note, I think the best tool for planning fiction is the one you’re the most comfortable with--the notes app in your phone, handwriting, word, google drive, sheets, chalk board, summoning circle, the blood of your enemies, etc. The reason I chose to use sheets is that I knew from the very beginning that I wanted certain things to happen at specific places in the story--for instance, I wanted the first kiss to happen at the end of the first third of the story and I wanted the “reveal” about the mine accident to happen at the end of the second third of the story. But, I didn’t know what was supposed to go in between those elements. A traditional outline for a story at this point in development might have looked like: 

Meet cute

Kiss

Reveal 

Ending 

But, what my brain needed was to preserve the blank spaces in between these story elements, and specifically to preserve the right amount of blank space between these story elements so that it didn’t end up, for instance, that the first kiss was halfway through rather than a third of the way through. In this way, I found google sheets an invaluable tool for pacing in the early parts of the planning process. I simply made 30 rows assuming 30 chapters, and started plugging in the elements I knew I wanted in the locations I wanted them. Then I filled in the blank spaces by asking myself “how do we get from X plot element to Y plot element in Z amount of chapters.” I’m not a mountain climber, but I’ve often thought about the first things that go into the spreadsheet in terms of mountain climbing terminology.  In climbing, a crux move, which can be anywhere along the route, is the most difficult move of the route: if you can’t do it, you can’t do the route. I think of the first things that go into the planning spreadsheet as the crux moves of the story, the most important pieces around which everything else turns. It was not an accident that those were also all the first scenes of the fic that I wrote; if I couldn’t do those scenes, I couldn’t do the story the way I planned it so I wanted to know early on if I needed to make changes.

Make changes if you have to: even though it helps to have things planned in advance, don’t resist the story if it tries to change on you while you’re writing it. Usually the feeling that you have to make changes stems from having a plot that is not entirely character driven. As you write the story, the characters reveal themselves and sometimes the plot has to change to change with the characters’ motivations. Here’s an area where fanfic writers have a leg up on everyone else: if you write fic, you already know the characters really well. That means, (in my experience anyway) it’s less likely that you’ll have a surprise character development which leads to a rethinking of the whole plot. Less likely, but not completely unlikely, unfortunately.

Lie to yourself: The False and the Fair was supposed to be 90k words. I thought that sounded reasonable, a little less than 3x the longest fic I had ever written. Now it's 161k and will probably top out a little over 170k. Ooops. But I never would have set out to write something that long. I wouldn’t have thought I could do it, even though anyone more experienced looking at my plans for the fic probably would have laughed at the idea I could cover all those plot points in 90k. Ignorance is bliss. Protect your ignorance.

Scrivener: Long fic for me means “fic that is long enough you can’t hold all the parts of it in your head at once.” That’s where Scrivener comes in (or another app if you’d rather, but I really like Scrivener for the ability to see the project either linearly or as condensed notecards). You can put together an organizational scaffold in Scrivener that allows you to move back and forth between the forest and the trees. So, for instance, you might be going for a jog and come up with the perfect line of dialogue for chapter 27 when you’re only up to chapter 5 in terms of writing progress. With Scrivener, you can go home, and put that dialogue in the “bucket”/index card/whatever for chapter 27 without compromising your ability to see chapter 5 clearly or muddying up your google doc. You can then use the fact that you’ve started writing bits and pieces of the later chapters in conjunction with the tool of lying to yourself that, actually, you’ve written a lot more of the fic than you realize and that when you get to chapter 27 it won’t be as hard as chapter 5 because you’ve put in the groundwork already. In my experience, this lie turns out to be true about 50% of the time, which is better than 0% of the time.

Digestible mini arcs: The False and the Fair was originally broken up into thirds. I thought it would be 90k and 30k was the longest I had written, so thirds seemed to make sense. Also, 3 is a nice, time honored storytelling number. I think it’s good to give yourself seemingly achievable milestones along the way to completion. These milestones (for me anyway) lined up well with the “crux moments” I’ve described. If you’re someone who likes to write out of order, writing your way to an already written milestone can feel like sailing to an island where you get to rest for a bit from the stormy seas before setting out for the next island in the archipelago.

“It's all part of the process”: I’m categorically incapable of describing things without resorting to running metaphors, and so I apologize in advance, but I am now going to do the insufferable thing of comparing writing a long fic to running a marathon. Here’s the thing with a marathon. You are not going to feel good every step of the way. We all know this. It’s a marathon, it’s supposed to hurt a little bit, especially at the end. In the same way you literally cannot write something novel length or even novella or long short story length without, at least at some point, feeling bad about yourself and your writing. But you also can’t run a marathon if the whole thing is agony, and for most people, it’s not--your meat sack shuffling along the course is subjected to the slings and arrows of all sorts of weird body chemistry that only happens when you push it to its limits. So, you’ll be in agony and then the endorphins will kick in for a while and you’ll be thinking “this isn’t nearly as bad as everyone said,” and then you’ll drink some water at a rest stop and feel like a God for half a mile before you crash and you’re in agony again until that one perfect song comes up on the playlist...and you get the idea. Writing something long, for me at least, is a bit like that. There are massive ups and downs. The key for me is to just understand it’s all part of the process, a necessary step on the way to the finish line. If the fic is 10 chapters long, at some point you have to write chapter 5. Just like you have to write chapter 5, at some point you also have to go through a bit of despair before reaching the end. It is unfortunately non-optional. In fact, despairing is something you can check off your list each time you’ve done it. Cut dialogue tags, check. Feel awful about my writing for thirty minutes, check. Write ending section, check. Often I feel that the stress and shame and fear that come with bad emotions while writing are worse than the bad emotions themselves. It really helps me to remember these emotions are all part of the process and nothing to worry about. If I didn’t have them, then I would worry! 

I certainly have plenty more to say about writing, but this ramble has gone on long enough. If you’re interested in any of this stuff, please feel free to send me an ask. 

I would also love to know more about everyone else’s writing processes, so feel free to pop into my ask box to talk about your own approach too! I am very interested in this stuff! 

[vortahoney]

Doing the Shopping- Re-Animator

@dilfsisko @bashircore this is the 5 + 1 grocery store thing!!

Herbert did not like going to the grocery store. Apparently, it was unfortunate he had to eat at all. Thankfully, he now had a boyfriend who could do it for him, and Dan was more than happy to get away from the damned lab for a while.

Sometimes he purposefully took too long. Examining each product and making long conversation with anyone who would listen.

As he went along, he was looking for which register worker he would most like to talk to. He settled on a woman with dark brown skin, what looked like a tool belt under her store-issued vest, and a nametag that read ‘Amaya’.

“Good afternoon,” he gave a small greeting. “How are you?”

“Can’t complain.” Amaya shrugged.

“I couldn’t tell you the last time I left the house.”

“Been busy?”

“Ohh yeah. My um, partner-“ there was a snap of relief in Dan’s chest as he saw her excited reaction. “He doesn’t like doing the shopping. So I get stuck with it.”

“My girlfriend.” She put extra emphasis on the word. “Is the same way.”

“Well, my guy, Herb,” Dan continued, smiling widely with relief, as she rung up his canned peaches. “Well. He’s very passionate about his… work. He gets this look in his eye, real bright-like.”

“He sounds like quite the guy.”

“Oh he is, barely sleeps though.” He chuckled. “Oh um, I’ve got a coupon for that.”

She took it. “So what’s he do?”

“Hm?” He looked up as he put his grocery bags back in his cart.

“Your boyfriend. You said he’s passionate about his work. What is it?”

“Oh! He’s a doctor, kinda.” Dan smiled before leaving.

***

“Peaches again?” Amaya raised an eyebrow at Dan’s cart, which had a good twelve cans of peaches.

“Herbert’s been getting really into peaches.”

“Sounds um… obsessive.”

Dan laughed. “Oh yeah. He certainly can be. He’s in his lab right now, has been for awhile. He’s hell bent on his ‘experiments’. That’s how we met, actually.”

“Oh, you’re a doctor too?”

“Yeah, kinda.” Dan shrugged. “How’s Shauna?”

“She’s good. Just got a job at a sunglasses kiosk in Boston.”

“Pretty long drive.”

“Yeah. I guess it is.” She finished scanning the peaches. “Wait what does ‘kinda’ mean? Are you not a doctor?”

“You do not want to know, Amaya.”

“Alright,” she chuckled. “No further questions.”

***

Over the next few weeks, Dan went grocery shopping five times. Each time, Dan and Amaya grew ever closer. They always had new gossip for each other, about their partners or not. Dan talked about his books and his med school experience, Amaya talked about her job and law school applications. It was a great relationship.

“Amaya!”

“What’s the situation, Daniel?” She smiled. “Oh, no peaches today!”

“I got tired of them. We’re doing soup now. More variety there. Herb slept in his glasses last night.”

“They broken?”

“Just bent a bit. They’re all crooked now, it’s adorable.” Dan got out his wallet. “He slept at his desk over his notes.”

“Do you want me to help bring those out to your car?”

“Sure!”

Amaya grabbed a few bags. “So how was that book?”

“Hm?” Dan looked over at her.

“Oh, first time you came in. You bought a book called ‘The Saint’s Perversion’ from the newsstand.”

“Oh, didn’t finish it. It was erotica.”

Chortling, Amaya’s face scrunched up. “Did you expect it not to be?? It’s called ‘The Saint’s Perversion’, dude!”

He opened the trunk. A small green glint caught Amaya’s eye as she placed the bags in the car. Investigating slightly further, she noticed it was a syringe full of something glowing and green. “Hey, what is tha—“

Dan slammed the trunk closed. “Nothing! I gotta get back, good talking to you!”

“Alright! Tell Herb I said hi.”

“Tell Shauna the same!”

“Will do!”

***

Dan was unusually quiet in the checkout line, save for the small, angry murmurs to himself.

“So,” Amaya spoke up. “How’s Herbert?”

He gave a harsh laugh. “Busy as ever. Spending every day in that damn lab cooking up his…” he stopped before he could say ‘monstrosities’.

“I’m guessing you’re not on great terms?”

“No, we’re fighting. Again.”

“Again?”

“We fight more often than not these days.” He sighed, practically slamming his gallon of milk down on the counter. “He’s always working or yelling at something. The sex is… basically nonexistent. No, no, completely nonexistent. He’s too busy working. I’m too busy helping him! I told him today that I’m done with his sick power games and that I can either be his lab partner or his romantic one.”

“Why are you still with him?”

“I…” he paused. “I don’t know.”

***

Dan came in the next day, nothing but a pack of batteries in his hand. “Amaya!”

She leaned over her register. “You seem chipper. Get over your fight?”

“Sorta.” Dan smiled and looked down, bouncing on his heels. “You asked me yesterday why I’m still with him.”

“I did indeed.” She rested her chin on her palm. “I sense you’re going somewhere with this.”

“Well, I can agree that he’s a difficult person. Difficult to work with, difficult to talk to, difficult to love… sometimes.” Dan’s face softened and he wrung his hands together. “But sometimes… it’ll be late at night, I’ll be staring at the ceiling, and he’ll have been working for… forty eight hours straight. And he’ll crawl under the sheets and curl into my side.”

“Awww.”

“He doesn’t really sleep. Ever. So it’s more for my benefit than his. But he does get bored easily, and he does this cute little thing where he traces circles on my chest. Or- or I’ll ask him a question about his work and he’ll just light up. Or when there’s an accident in the lab and the first thing he’ll do is make sure I’m okay. He cares about me, and… I think the world would be a worse place without him.”

Lightly smacking Dan’s shoulder, Amaya let out a small laugh. “Dan!! That was so cute!”

“You think?”

“Why are you telling me?!” Her voice was a squeak at this point. “Why aren’t you saying this stuff to your boyfriend?”

“I’m going to!”

“Did you really need the batteries?”

“Maybe not exactly…”

Amaya snorted. “Dude.”

“I wanted to make sure it was okay!!”

“It’s more than okay.” She squeezed his shoulder. “You should bring him around sometime.”

“If I can get him out of the house.”

***

Something was strange about the next store visit. A man was on Dan’s arm, a shorter man with big glasses and dark brown hair. Scowling, his arms crossed, he looked like he did not want to be there.

“Hey,” Amaya nudged her coworker. “Be, do you mind taking my register? I’m gonna make some rounds.”

She nodded. “You got fifteen minutes, I get out at four today.”

“I’ll be right back!” Amaya hurried off, waving at her. “Promise!”

She jogged up behind Dan. “Hey you two.”

“Hey, Amaya!”

“Yes, hello.”

“So, you must be the famous Herbert, then.” Amaya stuck out her hand to shake.

He did not take it. “Unfortunately, not yet. You may be confusing me with a different, more famous Herbert.”

“No, I just mean that Dan talks about you a lot. You and your work?”

“The work?” The man glared at him. “What have you—“

“Nothing specific, dearest.”

“You know I loathe when you call me that.” The blush on his cheeks betrayed his statement.

‘This is Herbert?’ Amaya thought to herself.

“Amaya, you aren’t at the register today?”

“Nah, I’m a ‘can I help you?’ right now.”

As they were talking, the man started drawing small, impatient circles on Dan’s bicep. Definitely Herbert.

“How’s the work been going?”

Herbert perked up, eyes brightening. “Fantastically. Our specimens have been responding excellently to the— um, the prototype.”

“I see what you meant, Dan. He is passionate.”

“This work is important.” Herbert frowned.

“I bet. Anyway, anything I can help you guys with?”

Dan shook his head.

“Well I’ll leave you lovebirds alone. Nice to meet you, Herb, I see why Dan likes you so much.”

“Likes… me?”

Dan gave a small, breathy chuckle. “Well, tell Shauna I said hi.”

“Will do!” She waved at them as she jogged back to her register.

So that was Herbert.

[whatdoesshedotothem]

Wednesday 4 March 1835

7 25

12

no kiss rainy windy rough morning - breakfast at 9 in ½ hour - before and after read last night’s paper till 11 ¼ having had Joseph Mann (for ¼ hour till 10 3/4) - Holt let him the small pit at the bottom of Tilley holm to sink at 6/ per yard but to have something more if much plagued with top water Joseph M- thinks a man will fill it up again in a day - said I had thought whether it might have been put down in the place where the engine pit is to be - he had been thinking so too - however I said Holt should have his way - it seems they are all against SW about the dam and I ended by saying I should not have it (just on the upper side Tilley holm stile) - for it would cost 3 times as much making and look like I knew not what - no! it should be in Wellroyde upper holme just under the hedge along the top side - wrote the above of today till 11 20 and from then to 12 20 wrote the latter ¼ page 3 and the ends and  crossed 1 2/3 of the 2 first pages and finished my letter began on Sunday to M- then wrote a ½ sheet full to V- till about 2 ½ - then talking to A- and making out deciphering Lady S-‘s last letter ready for answering till 4 20 from then - to 6 5 wrote to Lady S-  Kind affectionate letter to M- in what I wrote today said how busy I was in spite of the bad weather - had ‘had many jobs in hand - draining, walling, wood-felling, planting, drift driving etc I have had from 12 to 20 workmen employed ever since my return home -  In fact, I find travelling much the cheapest way of spending my time - my aunt’s state of health seems in favour of remaining here perhaps a 12 month longer, that I have plans in agitation which will require a considerable outlay - my father is so well, I cannot do very much immediately at home, that is within doors, but I have scope enough without - yet there will not be much for me to see, even [ever] should you be this long again a year hence’ ........ ‘not in the least afraid for my bet’ (with Mr Lawton) ‘it is (is it not?) that the present ministry should last one year from the time of practical formation of the cabinet - I would double the bet but Adney laughs, and says she is not fond of wagers, and will keep any account books for me I like, except betting books - However I am in very good political spirits, the speakership and amendment to address not withstanding’ - say there are not many notes in the journal respecting Gottingen that might profit her friend - but there an excellent military college there - could he not go and see the place and return by Francfort and Basle to Geneva, and then give the boys the promised tour in Switzerland - conclude with ‘I am interested, my dearest Mary, for all your friends, and very anxious for better accounts of your little niece - but keep up your spirits, forgetting never that ‘all things work together for good’ - I am not aware that the perfecting (as far as may be) my own earthly happiness wants anything but the assurance of yours - Believe me always very especially and affectionately yours AL.’   Sent off at 7 ¼ my letter (as above) to ‘Mrs Lawton, Claremont house, Leamington, Warwickshire’ - dinner at 6 25 - coffee -with my father and Marian an hour till 8 ¾ - then looking over A’s summaries of the joint property - 20 minutes with my aunt till 10 10 - rainy, snowy, windy, wintery day - 2 or 3 short gleams and no more - F40° now at 10 ¼ pm - note this evening from Mr Parker to say William Oates had called about the trespass at Northgate