#fantasy flashcards

[rigelmejo]

audio study methods

Still working on that 'lazy' study plan post, since I am just not satisfied with any chinese grammar guide summaries online enough to recommend them as a small grammar intro. If anyone knows of any good 'grammar overview summary' articles or sites for chinese grammar, please let me know. (I like AllSetLearning's Chinese Grammar Wiki but it is huge and in depth and not something I'd recommend a learner 'just read through' on month 4 of learning, and the grammar guide summary site I used as a beginner that was very easy to read through in a few hours... no longer exists)

So in the meantime. Not a grammar study tip, but a general 'lazy' option for language learners who (like me) can't focus on stuff like anki, or just don't want to. I go more in depth about using audio lessons and audio flashcards on other posts, and on the lazy study plan post i'm drafting, but the short of it is: you can listen and learn while doing your normal daily activities. That's what makes the study method so convenient. You don't have to squeeze in any extra time, or change your daily life schedule to make time for chinese, to use audio lessons and audio flashcards.

You simply find some times during the day when you'd either normally listen to audio in the background (like if you listen to music when commuting or shopping, or if you listen to podcasts when working, or if you listen to youtube while exercising or browsing social media). As usual, the more time the better as you'll make faster progress if you study 1-2 hours a day or more. But anything is better than nothing. So lets say you commute to work 30 minutes in morning and evening, there's your hour of studying audio. Or you go for a walk at lunch for 15 minutes, and browse tumblr for an hour scrolling (that's 1 hour and 15 minutes of study). It's very easy to fit 30 minutes of audio study into a day, and it's fairly easy to fit even 2-4 hours of audio study if you're so inclined. I usually do 30 minutes - 2 hours of audio study some days, since when I walk I decide if I feel like listening to a youtube essay or chinese or japanese stuff, when driving I decide which I feel like listening to, and I want to listen to something in english 2/3 of the time.

How do you use audio study material? Well, the easy way is you just press play on it, let it play in the background while you do other stuff, and that's it. If you tend to avoid studying new stuff (like me), then I recommend PRIORITIZING listening to NEW AUDIO every time, until you get into the habit of listening to NEW stuff to learn. Then you can re-listen to stuff sometimes, as review, especially when you're doing activities you have less attention on audio during. So for example: you'd listen to new audio on the commute or when walking (when you can mostly focus on what you're hearing), and then re-listen to audio as review while working or scrolling tumblr and reading english (activities where you pay more attention to other things besides audio).

What can you listen to?

There's audio lessons - which would be something like ChinesePod101 (Immersive Language Chinese in the Hoopla library app), Coffee Break Chinese, youtube videos where teachers talk in english and explain chinese as they teach it. These are good for study material, because you comprehend what you're learning due to the english explanations of every word and grammar point you hear. These are good for beginners, because you will understand everything you're listening to, and learn new words and grammar, thanks to the explanations. The drawback with audio lessons is they require the most focus.

There's learner podcasts like TeaTime Chinese and Slow Chinese, these are more often ENTIRELY in chinese. So these are better for practicing comprehension of stuff you've studied elsewhere, rather than for learning new things. You can learn new words and grammar from these, but if that is your goal then re-listen to learner podcasts a decent amount (5-20 times or more until you can't guess/figure out any more word meanings).

There's audio flashcards (which I love). These are sentence audio in english, then repeated in chinese. The order may vary, the chinese may be repeated more than once. These are good for beginners and upward, because you get a translation of every single thing you hear in chinese. You can pick up new words and grammar from audio flashcards. Audio flashcards require less focus than audio lessons, because you can learn from sentences while you pay attention and then if your attention drifts you can just focus again to the next sentence you hear and continue learning. The drawback is there are no explanations for which word specifically translates to what, some translations are not literal, and there's no explanation of why the grammar is the way it is. Audio flashcards require the listener to try and guess what means what by exposure to chinese sentences and their translations. So it's harder than audio lessons in terms of explanations, but easier than learner podcasts. Audio flashcards are the best substitute for traditional flashcards or SRS apps like anki, if you're trying to improve your vocabulary by hundreds of words ASAP. Audio flashcards are dense with new vocabulary (usually 1 new word or grammar point per sentence you can learn), so you'll learn more words than you would with an audio lesson that is paced slower with more english explanations or a learner podcast which would ideally be mostly words you know and only 20% or less new words.

There's Spoonfed Chinese Anki audio files (which I recommend since these start out very basic and increase in difficulty while also repeating words a lot so you can review, they're shared on reddit if you search, or ask me), if you search 'chinese english sentences' on youtube or bilibili (i've done this with chinese japanese sentences on bilibili) you'll find videos like this where you hear audio english then audio chinese. Old glossika cd files are basically this structure as well, which you can find the audio files of for free online or free in libraries (I'm using the new glossika app for japanese but I'm hesitant to recommend the modern app courses as there's significant errors in japanese so I'm not sure how good/bad the chinese one is). If you're a beginner, then the audio flashcard material you pick won't matter much as you need to learn a few thousand common words first which will be in most materials you find. But if you're an upper beginner, you may wish to prioritize finding audio flashcards with MORE unique words, more sentences, or may want to transition to using learner podcasts more for new vocabulary. If you aren't running into at least one new word for every 5 sentences you hear in audio flashcards (and ideally one new word for Every sentence), then that audio flashcard is way too easy for you and you know enough words to move onto new study material.

Audiobooks and audio dramas - use these like learner podcasts, listen to ones you can comprehend the main idea of, and then re-listen until you can't guess/figure out any more new words. If you're not very good at listening comprehension (like me lol), then you may want to listen to a given audiobook/audio drama file 3-5 times before deciding if you can comprehend the main idea (and use the material). When my listening skills are rusty, or just in general since my listening skills are bad, it can take me a few times of listening to recognize words I 'already know' and then a few more times of listening for my brain to put the words i recognize together into 'comprehending' what was communicated. So if you can read better than you can listen, you may want to listen 3-5+ times to a new audio file before deciding if you can follow the main idea or if it's too hard. And if you can READ the audio drama transcript, chapter text, but cannot understand the audio file? Then it probably IS at a good level for you to listen to, you just need a lot more practice hearing and recognizing the words you can read. So re-listen.

All of these listening study methods are good for:

Adding more study time into your day, since you can do them while doing other things.

Learning new words and grammar, when you don't have the time (or don't want) to spend time dedicated mainly to focusing on your study material.

Learning new words and grammar, if you don't use flashcards or SRS like anki but want the benefit of learning lots 'faster' than you would if you only picked up words during active study time (active study time being when you ONLY are focusing on study activities: like reading chinese, watching cdramas, chatting/texting people, and looking up words)

[mejomonster]

My treat when i get done writing draft 1 is: print a lil poster for myself of the cover i commissioned 2. Read and play video games for like 2 months, only work im allowed to do on my own time is language study If its while i play (i read WAY too many 1000 page nonfiction books this summer i Need to take a break from working during my free time ToT)

[unimatrix-420]

[sourcherryandsprinkles]

boob obsessed ethan!!

I have very few smut requests for Scream characters and I'm in that mood to write that... Please send more for Ethan and Billy (I can do Billy x reader x Stu too)

Warnings: 18+, boobs touching/sucking, Ethan being obsessed

my taglists are here + you can send requests here at any time

—

It all started clicking one night you and Ethan were studying for finals. He was having difficulty concentrating, easily distracted by flipping his pen or even whistling, so you decided to give him a little bit of motivation.

‘’If you get five answers right, I’ll show you my boobs.’’ 

Automatically, Ethan’s eyes lowered to your boobs — still covered by your shirt — and bit the inside of his mouth to not moan. 

‘’And if you get ten right,’’ you added, ‘’I’ll let you touch them.’’ 

His jaw almost dropped. There was no way you were being serious. No one ever made deals like that and honored their part of the deal — except in his late night fantasies.

‘’Y-you’re playing,’’ Ethan said, shifting on the bed, feeling himself harden just at the thought of your breasts.

You chuckled, shaking your head. ‘’I’m not. You helped me when I was struggling last semester, now it’s my turn to help you. Do we have a deal?’’ 

Seventeen minutes later, you put the pile of flashcards down and Ethan held his breath, knowing what was coming. He got five answers right. It was an understatement to say he was nervous, however he was also so excited — very excited. 

You grabbed the bottom of your shirt and pulled it off, then unclasped your bra, nipples hardening from the cool air of the dorm. 

Watched intently, Ethan let out a strangled moan, his eyes wide with wonder and staring directly at your chest. ‘’Holy fuck, those tits are so nice. Way better than what I imagined through your shirt,’’ he said, his blunt honesty making you laugh. ‘’Shit. Did I say that out loud?’’ His face flushed, embarrassed at himself. He really wanted to crawl into a hole and die right here.

‘’You did,’’ you confirmed. You gave Ethan a soft smile, pulling him out of his trance by placing your hand on his kneecap. ‘’Let’s not get distracted. If you want to touch, you gotta give me five more good answers. Remember?’’ 

Ethan nodded, shifting again to cover the slight tent in his pants. Controlling that part of his body was impossible. He took a deep breath and you hit him with the next question. 

It was harder to concentrate this time, his eyes dropping back to your chest every three seconds, but he did it, successfully correctly answering five more flashcards.  

‘’Can I touch them, now?’’ he asked shyly, his fingers tingling with excitement. 

‘’Go for it.’’ 

That's exactly what he did. Ethan placed both of his hands over your boobs, covering them with his palms and splayed fingers like a kid discovering something for the first time. He squished them both, his fingers sinking into the softness of your breasts. 

Ethan could feel his cock twitch slightly in his pants as he continued to feel you. ‘’Oh my god. Oh wow,’’ he said, breathing heavily. His finger tweaked your nipple, experimentally pinching at it and rolling it between his fingers, drawing out a soft gasp from you when he used more pressure than you were expecting. ‘’I could cum just from touching them—’’

‘’Ethan!’’ you gasped, shocked by his words. 

His eyes snapped up and he mumbled apologies, but you just laughed.

—

Scream taglist: @misfityanii @beautybyfire @iluvscream191 @mariposa555 @bella7866 @o638 @lulubelle14 @luvvtxinityy @frasersgf  @Eddiefrickenmunson @jasperr-the-friendly-ghost @ghostf4cee @thesebitcheslovesosadotcom @wandaswigglywoos @xjennyx2 @jennasslut @thatonesblog  @mikaelsonsstuff @icarly23 @tcddszn  @bt.oliana  @skyesthebomb @a1mzcruml3y @red1culous @iluurmom @popeheywardssecretgf @michaelangdonsslut @byhrxb @kamthecoolest @kattybug @ravenstrueluv @landryslxys @die4niyahhh  @sl4sh3rfuck3r @radiant-whore  @Meadzy21 @luci1fer @nomorespahgetti  @bloodyhw  @depthsofdespairr  @bellysbeach @wilmalovegood @loupiotesworld  @wenvierismycomfort @t-candy  @s-al-em  @darylscvmdumpster  @tommysaxes  @adaydreamaway08 @johannelis2302nely  @aqshua @lynbubble  @luiise  @planetkt  @vampyrgoff

All and more taglist: @spiokybirdstarfish @kenqki @liidiaaag @hawkegfs  @gillybear17  @areaderinlove @acornacreacure @black-rose-29 @fudge13 @cece05 @rosie-cameron @Caxddce @laylasbunbunny @gemofthenight @beautyb1ade  @hi-bored-as-fcuk-rn  @lovelyy-moonlight @mellabella101 @vxnity713  @marzipaanz  @bisexualgirlsblog @queenofslytherin889 @thatbxtchesblog @softb-tterfly @ethanlandrycanbreakmyheart  @xyzstar  @graceberman3  @Heartsforneteyamsully  @aerangi  @hallecarey1  @bxbyyyjocelyn @mikeyspinkcup

[iaure]

𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁; 𝗳𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗼𝗿

｡ﾟ•┈୨♡୧┈• ｡ﾟthe dearest collection - part one/beloved 𓆩♡𓆪 part two/prized 𓆩♡𓆪 part three/devoted 𓆩♡𓆪 part four/desperate 𓆩♡𓆪 part five/blind 𓆩♡𓆪 part six/watcher 𓆩♡𓆪 part seven/ardor 𓆩♡𓆪 part eight/fervor

this is very heavily inspired by @//clusterfuck-yandere's yandere leon headcanons; please check out their works. this is something of a love letter to their puppy obsession series. roadmap for future dearest parts with dates

yandere leon s. kennedy headcanons; reader is a survivor of raccoon city.

tw: general yandere behaviour, stalking, harassment, ptsd, entrapment, delusional thinking

notes: the formatting will be slightly different in some parts, as using the headcanon format with dialogue can feel quite clunky.

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ guess who's back?!?!?! muerte is here and ready to rumble!! minor hiatus over - and I'm coming in swinging! melania content is going to follow shortly, as I missed it on my roadmap, but i wanted to prioritise this!! wahh!!!! ᏊΦ ꈊ ΦᏊ

this couldn't ever possibly be enough.

♡ you were so close to him.

♡ for the first time in so long, you weren't hidden away, like some fairy tale.

♡ your face was certainly something-a mix of horror, confusion, and what he was sure was simply complicated happiness, not disgust.

♡ but Leon didn't mind, nor care.

♡ this would go swimmingly!!

♡ he'd gotten all dolled up and everything.

♡ there was no coworker to hide you away. no job to steal your time.

♡ it was just him and you! alone! in your apartment!

♡ his joy was practically overflowing.

♡ he knew you'd understand!

♡ you were so sweet, so kind...there was no way you wouldn't!

♡ at your silence, he realised you were most likely nervous.

♡ after all, saying 'we need to talk' is always scary.

♡ you were probably worried sick that he was upset with you! that he was angry that you couldn't see him!

♡ but he'd never be angry at you. never.

♡ "i'm not mad at you! i swear!"

♡ he gave you the best smile he could, despite his heart launching into his throat.

♡ you were too cute!

♡ he was gonna date you, marry you, woo you, sweep you off your feet, get a house together-

♡ "get out of my apartment."

♡ the vitriol in your tone was enough to make his heart drop to his shoes.

♡ where did this come from?

♡ it made his stomach churn.

♡ all he did was love you. how would that garner such anger?

♡ the fantasy of how this would play out began to tear at the seams.

♡ he knew that you had no pity or love for him, in that second.

♡ he didn't understand how this could've started off so poorly, but he knew that he needed to get out what he needed to say now.

♡ "wait, wait, please!" he begged. "please, i just need you to listen to me!"

♡ your face shifted into something uncomfortable, like you were watching a bug, and he felt so...small.

♡ why did you feel this way about him? what did he do wrong?

♡ he wanted to crawl into a hole and die, just from the sheer pity and disgust of your gaze alone.

♡ you crossed your arms.

♡ "then talk."

♡ he immediately been pooling out his confession, stuttering and stumbling over his own words and embarrassment.

♡ he could barely hear what he was saying, let alone you possibly understanding it.

♡ he was functioning purely off of fear now, ready to sob and beg to whatever higher power that he had a chance.

♡ you put your hand up. "i don't understand gibberish."

♡ the force with which Leon's jaw clamped shut was biblical.

♡ he felt like a puppy who'd been chastised, wanting nothing more than to please you, to make you happy.

♡ his brain ran completely blank. he didn't what to say, what to do, how to fix this.

♡ wait! the flashcards!

♡ he began fumbling into his pockets, yanking out the flashcards. but some fell out of his hands, some were upside down, and others were smudged.

♡ it felt like the world was ending.

♡ you were watching him, and the sheer humiliation of it all felt like his entire existence was for naught.

♡ no, no. he couldn't give up. you gave him a chance, and if he blew it, he'd never forgive himself.

♡ he had this one opportunity.

♡ he stared up at you, at how you towered over him while he was sitting. you were so...perfect. how could he compare?

♡ he took a deep breath. he needed to calm down. calm...

♡ and he knew what he had to do.

♡ "i love you!"

♡ he was sure that his honesty would win you over, would bring back your love for him.

♡ but you raised an eyebrow, and he could only stare in horror.

♡ "and why does that warrant you breaking in?"

♡ your line of questioning made his heart fall into the earth's crust.

♡ he could only gape for a second, trying to realise just where along the line this went so wrong.

♡ it totally wasn't when he barricaded you in with him, right?

♡ "i...i needed to talk to you. and you've been avoiding me, so..."

♡ your frown was worse than any kind of possible nightmare he could have.

♡ "and how does that translate into you harassing me? stalking me? scaring the hell out of me?"

♡ the guilt was eating him alive. he absolutely, totally, completely went about this the wrong way, and now he's paying for it.

♡ you get up to move, and instantly, he knew it was now or never.

♡ if he let you get any further away, then he'd be giving up.

♡ he made an unceremonious dive for your legs, praying and sobbing against everything that you wouldn't just kick him in the shins.

Leon looked up at you, at how your face contorted into confused disgust. You looked at him as though he were nothing more than the dirt under your feet. And he hated to admit just how much he liked it. You were looking at him. It was everything. The smell of you overwhelmed him, eyes wide and a flush on his cheeks.

"Please! Please don't!" He hated just how much this made his heart thunder in his chest. You were looking at him. All he wanted was your eyes on him, all the time. If you looked away, he'd just...die. It'd be all over. Look at him, every day, please? "If you leave, I'll die! My heart would just stop beating! I can't live without you! You're everything to me! You're my world, and-! Please!"

You looked at him, scanning over his face as your nose scrunched up. Your mouth was slightly askew, tired from your work and from Leon...and you were perfect. Tears came to his eyes from just how overwhelming the entire situation was. This was the closest he'd been to you since you let him sleep in your bed. He knew he needed you to move, to get away from anywhere away from him.

He stood, gently tracing his hand up your body as he began to lead you back to the couch. Your movements were so slow, so uncertain...but that was alright. This was all about you and ensuring your own sense.

He had to come clean.

♡ he confessed to having known you on the internet, even back then.

♡ the look on your face was...something. you didn't seem as surprised as he thought you would be.

♡ he confessed to having come into your home before. he admitted to snagging some of his own prizes, to indulging a bit. he admitted to making sure you got home safe, in his own way.

♡ there was a lot he confessed, but he didn't particularly care or mind.

♡ he could see you think, could see your opinion shift in and out as he spoke.

♡ he wasn't sure what all your thoughts were. but you didn't look at him with disgust anymore.

♡ it leaned more towards pity, truthfully, but he certainly didn't mind.

♡ you didn't hate him anymore.

♡ this had gone the absolute best way possible.

Leon kept on talking, praying that the more he did, the more likely you were to love him back. To give him the dedication he gave you. All he ever wanted was you. If you'd feed him even a sliver of that...he'd be happy beyond belief.

"I've loved you for...god, so long now. It's been months, I think. You were always just so nice, even to people you didn't know, you know?" He played with his hands, hoping that you'd take what he said to heart. "Back on the forum, I didn't like that you were trying to help everyone by yourself. And you were always so sweet when you responded to me. It felt like I knew you my entire life. The people from Raccoon City, the people that know what happened...it's really a world of it's own."

The memories of what had happened, those he met. Those he left behind. Marvin. Ada. Those that he failed. There was nothing that could even come close, Leon was sure of that.

"Trying to save those two...I never said their names, did I? Sherry and Claire. Sherry was maybe ten, I think. She was under my care for a while, and I saw how the outbreak was scary. Caring for someone like that is scary. And you were trying to do it for so many people. I wanted to help you."

"You know stalking someone is scary?" You looked up at him with those pretty eyes, but your voice was gentle now. Sweet, succulent, worried. He cast his head down in shame.

"I'm sorry." He whispered. "I'm sorry."

"When you sent those messages, I was scared shitless, Leon." Your voice was firm, but quiet, trying to get the point across. "I thought you were going to kill me or kidnap me or something."

"Never!" Leon's heart leapt back to his throat at the idea. He'd rather die than any harm come to you, at all, ever. "I'd never do that! Swear to god! I wouldn't ever hurt you! I just-! I was scared. Scared that you hurt yourself, or something. I wanted to respect your privacy for as long as possible, but...I really wasn't sure what happened."

You stayed quiet, and the fear of you getting mad again began to well up.

"And I love you. I really do." Leon bit his lip, trying not to cry again. "I know I didn't really talk about my family."

"Mhm." Your eyes flicked across his face, he saw, and he couldn't help the flush. "You knew all about mine."

"I'm sorry."

"Your family?"

"They're...well, my parents died when I was a kid. And a cop took me in. And there was a lot of people liked me when I was a teenager for my looks, and it really messed me up. Literally right before the outbreak, I had just broken up with my girlfriend."

You raised an eyebrow and Leon faltered. Maybe you were the jealous type. Maybe you didn't like that he had a girlfriend.

"Am I a rebound or something?"

"No! No! I didn't mean it like that!" Leon felt like shrieking, trying to temper his voice but horrified at the idea that you'd think you were a rebound. His ex couldn't possibly begin to compare to you, in your divine glory. "She didn't really seem to love me, and I wanted someone who wanted more than just a guy who was nice-looking. And you were nice to me when you didn't even know who I was. And you were nice to me at the bakery, and during the power outage, and it was just a lot."

A lot. That was one way to put it.

You finally spoke, and your hands reached forward a bit to actually hold Leon's. He gave a stuttering gasp, and his eyes went wide. You were touching him. He wasn't forcing it. He wasn't reaching over for you. It was you. All you. You wanted to touch him. You wanted to hold his hand. You wanted him! You wanted him!!

"What do you want out of this?"

"What?" He had to snap out of the haze of you holding his hand, tilting his head. "What?"

"You came in today hoping for an outcome." Your words were stiff, almost practiced. "What's that outcome? The best case scenario?"

Leon went still. What did he want? The best outcome was that the two of you would date, be wed, have a house, share insurance, get two cars, and Leon would come home to you, and...well. Maybe capping it at marriage was the smart idea.

"I want to marry you."

"No."

"Okay." He gave a bitter chuckle at your quick response, face falling with a wince. That was...to be expected. Of course you'd say no. You were the practical type.

"However."

"However?!" He gasped, lighting back up again. However what! He felt like a dog, with someone opening a bag of treats.

"I'm open to dating-"

Yes!!!

God loved Leon. He was the world's favourite person. He was the luckiest man to breathe. The possibility that you would even entertain the thought of dating him was everything. He could touch you. Hug you. Kiss you! Hold you! Hug you! He thought of hugging twice, but the idea was just too good to pass up. He scooped you up into his arms, cheering as calmly as he possibly could.

"I'll be the best boyfriend ever, I promise! I'll do everything for you, I'll move in right away-or you can move in with me! We'll figure it out! I love you! I'm so excited! This is the best day of my life! I love you so much!"

"L-Leon!" You gasped, trying to get some words out past his bear hug. "On some conditions!"

Leon let you go, keeping his hands on your arms. His grin was like the sun opening up. If you asked him for the moon on a ring, he'd like the band with the stars and forge it all with the sun and make metal out of the night sky. He'd do anything.

"Of course! Anything!"

"One-don't threaten Selia."

"Who?" He paused. He knew only of a handful of people, but Selia wasn't a name he recalled.

"My coworker?" At your words, Leon's eyes went wide, with a 'ooohhh'. "I, believe or not, like hanging out with her."

"Okay." Leon nodded.

"Stop stealing my stuff. Ask first."

"Sounds good!"

"And just walk me home. Don't stalk me."

"I mean, I was doing that before..."

"Don't sass me."

"You're the boss!" Leon leaned down to kiss you, the joy in his heart about to make him combust. If he was going to die of joy, he wanted to sneak a kiss in first, so he can say he had the single greatest experience mankind could possibly achieve. But when he closed his eyes, he felt something that wasn't quite your soft lips. It was the palm of your hand, a bit sweaty against his mouth. He opened his eyes, blinking fast and still on top of the world.

"Mmh mmh? (Too soon?)"

"Yes, Leon. Too soon."

𓂋

ʚ♡ɞ taglist @theybotomy ⸜❤︎⸝‍ @kujosuke ⸜❤︎⸝‍  @je-suis-argent-miel  ⸜❤︎⸝‍ @xxacademy ⸜❤︎⸝‍ @apollodarling-writes  ⸜❤︎⸝‍  @gettingsilly ⸜❤︎⸝‍ @yumekos-gamble

[iwriteisuckatittho]

Clueless- JJ M.

JJ didn't get it.And you were starting to think he'd never get it. You'd let him sleep at your house for months without asking for anything in return. You'd cleaned and bandaged every cut and scrape of his since you were 10. He would climb your parents' polished fence almost every night. He'd pick up a few pebbles from your father's prayer garden, and chuck them at your window. You'd already be up, pretending to study but really waiting for him. A portable ladder sat by your window seat, ready. You'd crack the window fast and eager. Putting down the ladder for him. In your fantasies he was Flynn and you were Rapunzel letting down your hair, inviting him into a sacred space, breaking every rule your parents had set out for you. But everytime, you saw his crooked smile and his promising eyes, your dad's warnings were crammed to the back of your head and stomped out by those boots JJ never seemed to take off.He'd climb into your window and twist his lips to the side of his face. You'd frown at him and trace your fingers over whatever spot was bruised or bleeding this time. “I swear I didn't start it this time.” he'd lie.“Eat something.” You knew all too well how often he'd go the whole day eating only slim Jim's and beer. He'd dig into the little fridge beside your desk and roll his eyes at the bowls of fruit salad and mini water bottles. He'd eat two bowls of the fruit and have 3 waters while you poured hydrogen peroxide over his cuts.You'd cringe at his pained expression. “Sorry.” You whispered and then he'd place one of his free hands on your shoulder and say, “I am too. Why aren't there any grapes in here?”And you'd laugh together. And you'd listen to music as loud as you could without waking your baby brother. And he'd smile. And that weight of loneliness would dissipate. And you'd have a friend. Finally.Then it'd be your mom knocking on your door, telling you how you'd miss school if you weren't ready in 30 minutes. You'd be lying on your side feeling JJ's heavy absence. You'd be getting dressed. Tugging on a pair of jeans, and seeing one of your flashcards, covered in JJ's horrible handwriting. “Hanging with Kiara. See ya later.”

And you'd secretly wish for another fight with topper or even a beating from his father, just so you could see him again.He'd choose her over you everytime, Without fail. And here he was, not getting it. Again. He didn't get why you offered to drive him to kitty hawk. He didn't get that you couldn't care any less about your blind older cousin being stuck at wilderness camp. You'd always know how clueless she was. “I'm a pogue. I'm a pogue!” she'd scream at her parents. But she really, really wasn't. Kiara didn't know hunger. She didn't know what it was like to not have the safety of four walls at night, she didn't know sleeping on a friend's couch was her only option. She was dumb and she was selfish and someone. Just one person needed to give her a reality check.But you wouldn't. You would drive JJ where he wanted to be. You would follow him around the camp in your black leggings and black luluLemon jacket and your black converse. And you would roll your eyes as Kiara rose up from her spot on the top bunk and said “you're looking for me.”Unfortunately. You thought. Tears would prick your eyes as he said he loved her and tears would spill past your nose and into your mouth as they kissed, completely oblivious to you. And your stomach would churn as the girls began clapping for them.You'd run ahead of the two and away from the camp with them following behind. You'd be sobbing against a tree. And kie would ask if you were ok and you'd ignore her. And JJ would ask what was wrong. And you'd turn around and shove him. “It's you! You two are what's wrong with me! You have never not once included me in something you enjoy JJ. I've never been invited to surf with you guys or have a freaking beer! And we're cousins Kiara! Every injury you've ever had since we were 10 I've treated, I've been doing your homework for the past 5 years just so we could still have classes together and you make it your business not to show up!” You'd back away and wipe your tears with a sweatshirt Rafe let you borrow years ago. “You two don't even speak when we pass each other on the street.” “I-I” JJ stutters. You'd pull out your phone and text Rafe. Come get me?“I'll um, I'll leave the car. Y'know for the distraction? Have fun in South America.”A weight lifts itself off your shoulders as Rafe pulls up on his motorcycle, toting an extra helmet for you. He was here, again. Like every time before. Too late had the truth dawned on you. You didn't get it.What JJ was to you, you were to Rafe.

[speirslore]

domestic john brady hcs

(a/n: so.... i went a little insane today and wrote these but hopefully someone else enjoys them! pls send me an ask if u want to chat about brady because he might be ruining my life right now... just a little bit.. also this includes vague mentions of pstd)

lmk if you would like to be on my taglist! @ronsparky @bcon24 @blueberry-ovaries @1waveshortofashipwreck @beautifulbluejay

okay starting off... imo john brady is super domestic like he definitely has had a 2.5 kids and a dog, white picket fence fantasy for a good portion of his life <3

and he loves routine... most days you come home to soft jazz music playing and john sitting on the sofa, brows furrowed in concentration as he flips through a book, pipe in his mouth, and the familiarity always makes you feel so warm

john is very loyal... and can definitely be stubborn and determined, but it all stems from a protectiveness over you and the love you two have

yes he can be a bit sassy or snappy especially from others people's perspectives but john is a really great partner

he has a tender side that you see very often but others might not immediately pick up on... i think john is super attentive and caring in his own, analytical way, and that's extended to all the people in his life that he cares about

when you first meet and start dating i do think he is a mess trying to flirt and gets very flustered very easily, especially if you're more confident in your own flirting abilities... but he quickly gains confidence in that area

john is not hugeee into pda

but does like to be touching you in some way, like hand on the small of your back, around your waist, head resting on your shoulders (or vice versa), he loves all of it

john is SO supportive: you want to go to/finish school? go for it! he’s your number one supporter, no matter what stage of life you guys are in

if you're already married and have kids by then, he definitely helps you study after the kids go to sleep

will help make flashcards to study and proofreads over your essays for you

obviously music is a huge part of his life whether he sticks to teaching music after the war or pursuing something different, it’s a huge part of him and loves getting you equally obsessed with it

will most certainly be in a community choir/orchestra of some sort and is so proud of it... loves spotting you in the crowd and having you there to support him

is ever the realist, very practical about settling down after the war, having kids, buying a house, etc... he genuinely enjoys budgeting and ofc couponing... he gets very into it

john really values your opinions and input on all things

i think john's love language is mainly words of affirmation... like okay, yes he can be a little snarky at times but john is extremely thoughtful

he's great at picking up on your emotions and how you're feeling

words of affirmation- complimenting, uplifting, and supporting you is how he communicates that he cares

when john can tell you're upset, he wants and will do anything to solve whatever problem there is and make you feel better

john is really perceptive, like annoyingly so, "what's wrong? are you sure you're okay?" you can't fool him at all

he really prides himself on knowing the people he loves

a big problem solver, will come up with a game plan to tackle whatever you come to him ranting/upset about

john can be fiercely protective, especially after the war- after he's seen so much loss first hand. not even jealousy really and it's never because he doesn't trust you or is possessive, it stems more from how much he loves you and how vulnerable that makes him feel sometimes

is he as impulsive and scrappy as curt or bucky? no but could definitely be pushed to that point and definitely will not let himself be intimidated by some asshole at a bar (referencing a specific event when you were dating back in new york after the war, john does not take lightly to someone trying to upset/scare you refusing to take no for an answer)

he definitely does enjoy you doting on him afterwards, cleaning the nasty bruise and scrape on his jaw/cheek

i think john would for sure enjoy pet names, he loves any symbols or reminders of how close/intimate your relationship is, specifically loves "honey", "dear", or an occasional "darling"

your relationship starts to have some serious old married couple vibes very quickly, like months into dating you?

john is a not so secret romantic

would be annoyingly good at big romantic gestures, is the best at anniversaries

john lovesss and really romanticizes the idea of settling down, knowing someone that deeply, someone else being your person, your soulmate, having children, and having a shared life

he does believe in true love and soulmates and would blush furiously if you were to ask him about it but he'll manage to get it out, barely able to look at you when he's affirming, "yeah i think you're my soulmate. nbd."

wants to know all about you, even the most trivial things i think he would be so interested in learning about

for sure one of those people who's had a list of baby names they've had picked out since childhood

john is a great person to share a life with, he's organized, methodical, responsible, and respectful

would be the sweetest dad, would feel perpetually unprepared and terrified for fatherhood

would always be researching the best foods, products, etc

like not full helicopter parent/soccer mom but he's very involved and always trying to find new experiences for your kids

LOVES planning the annual brady family road trip in the summer when all the kids are out of school and y'all take off work

he always creates such a detailed and efficient route and makes sure to get everyone's input on where they want to go and want to see... that's when he's in his element fr

he would love having a bigger family and knowing each of his children's different personalities and interests

i think he does struggle after the war with ptsd, especially during the winter when it's super cold outside

he has to get out of this initial phase of pushing you away out of not wanting want pity or sympathy

there's embarrassment and shame there and it's hard for him to navigate that and he doesn't want to burden you or others. doesn't want to be fussed over or taken to the doctor like a child, doesn't want to feel broken

for a while he struggles with falling asleep and would always make excuses about coming to bed late, only once you're sleeping, because he's embarrassed about how long it takes for him to fully relax and actually feel safe enough to sleep

it gets better with time... and when john realizes how much he values transparency and vulnerability between the two of you and after you reassure him it's not burdening you or dumping anything on you

might be (is) a lip biter like first time he did it was on accident, he just got very excited but you both quickly discover he lovesss it

i think john is masterfully good at foreplay, especially if we assume he was raised in a good ol' catholic family... yeah he has the foreplay down pat

he's methodical in everything he does... including uh... physical intimacy

john has a lot of self control and he prides himself in that... but he is also soooo sensitive he just thinks it's incredibly unfair

like just running your hands through his hair and scratching his scalp lightly, oh he's meltinggg

john absolutely has to have the perfect music for everything including anything physical... he'll break away from a heated kiss to to flip through vinyls, hunched over the record player while you're lying in bed like... babe... come back pls

a very intense lover like his eye contact, his touch- firm grip, his voice- always lower and quiet, intense in the best way possible

oh and once you're married he loves always mentioning or name dropping "my wife," in conversations

overall... john brady loves being in love! he loves having little inside jokes, petnames, shared memories, etc and wouldn't trade it for anything in the world <3

[reqxxyt]

followed by december

pairings: oscar p. x f!reader

summary: after a winter night in december, you had a soul goal to find the boy that had your heart soaring at first glance. That was until your best friend introduced him as her boyfriend.

disclaimer: heavily inspired by 'One Day in December' Josie Silver

warning: angst, falling in love at first sight, part two

masterlist requests are open!

[uedited] 1.6k

_________ ׂׂૢ་༘࿐

Finals week had to be your end of existence. It currently held you in the library near midnight like most of the other students, praying to just end the class on a C. Although, right now a D sounded nice. Finishing up the last bits of your flashcards, already setting up your alarm for the following morning to give you enough time to review one last time before you started to pack up. 

The quiet environment of the library always had you held within, admiring how silent a habitat can be. You frequently visited the location seeing as not many were interested in studying unless there was a test that week but with finals week, it had the library being the loudest it's ever been. Not like a rager or anything, but like a coffee shop type of loud. The constant chatter of study groups, shuffling paper, scraping of the chairs, and keyboard clinking feet away did send a headache over time but you learned to deal with it after your sophomore year. 

Right now, you dreaded the idea of having to walk out of the library building to reach your apartment on a cold winter night. But either way, you slung your bag onto your shoulder and began walking out. As you passed the front reception, you took a singular glance at the lady flashing a warm smile but before you could turn back, your body found itself colliding with another almost losing balance of your footing. 

“Crap, I’m sorry” a soft voice, almost raspy apologized. You looked in front of you to see an unfamiliar face. He had short dark brown hair that was messed with the wind of the winter. His pale skin now held a red tint on his nose and cheeks. His dark eyes looked frantically around your figure trying to gather that you were physically okay but the second his eyes found yours they seemed to also stall. 

You hated the idea and fantasy of ‘love at first sight’ but the way your feet were planted, facing him it didn’t seem like such a bizarre thing. Your lips parted to say something, anything you could muster but a buzz in your back pocket pulled you away from whatever trance you were held in. 

‘Where the hell are you? Your mom called me, says it's an emergency’ your roommate texted and before you said anything else, you dashed out the door only sparing another small glance at the boy you swore you would never see again. It was a huge campus after all. 

The walk to your apartment was only a five-minute speed walk (which you very much intended on doing). You arrived in 3, frightened about what happened thinking the worst happened by her desperation to call near midnight. As the phone rang, your hand ran through your frizzy hair trying to fix the mess the wind made. 

“What happened?” you immediately asked the second you heard the phone pick up. Instead of the sounds of sobbing you thought you would hear, the sound of cheering came on and your face contorted into confusion. 

“Your sister is getting married! Isn’t that amazing?” Your mom exclaimed. You wanted to glare through the phone. 

“And why is that an emergency?” you asked now growing annoyed. You weren’t surprised though, your mom tended to do these things. You swore the day that an actual emergency, you wouldn’t believe her. The boy who cried wolf and all. 

“You weren’t answering your phone so I had to get your attention somehow” she huffed, not believing you weren’t as excited as she was. You were, you were just too tired to express anything but annoyance at the moment. Finally, your mom must have realized how absurd it was to call during this time telling you, “Make sure to come home safe so we can talk more about this”

“Yeah, okay goodnight” You pressed the red button and groaned. Your roommate now looked confused as to why you looked angry about asking but instead, you interrupted. “I bumped into someone”

Now interest sparked in her eyes urging you to continue. It was rare to find you so entranced in someone, especially someone you just saw and knew nothing about. Martha, your only friend and roommate believed in the whole ‘love at first sight’ so immediately you knew her mind was racing. 

“But your text interrupted before anything could happen” Her frown quickly spreaded, mirroring your own. 

“So no name, number, anything?” her voice of desperation grew but your shake of the head made her wince. She rubbed your back to give some sort of comfort but it only gave you reason to feel worse.  “I’m sure you’ll find him again. Soulmates are a thing, you know?”

March

“No name, number, anything?” Now was your sister the one asking, sounding just like Martha after having just explained anything. Unlike your friend Martha, she didn’t believe in the first-love scenario so she could partially not care any less about it but with your pathetic desperation voice, it made her feel a tad bit sad for you. 

It was spring break and you decided to visit your parents once again to help organize the wedding. And while you weren’t trying to make it about yourself the whole asking how it's been got you rambling. 

“There's still a chance she might find him,” Martha said, trying to encourage you as she typed away probably texting one of her many ‘acquaintances’. Your sister rolled her eyes, 

“It's been months, on the real note: give up” your sister bluntly stated. You thought about her words for a couple of moments, as your leg bounced up and down until you finally decided enough was enough. 

“Yeah you’re right” you sighed and your sister nodded along Martha sprung but before she could say anything more to feed your delusions, your sister glared at her and with that, she backed off. “I need to focus on school anyway”

“You sound like Oscar,” Martha said, flopping back onto the couch and you gave her a confused look not knowing the slightest who she was talking about. “I’ve been talking to him. Super nice dude, I think I actually like him” 

“What happened to ‘staying a bachelor throughout college’?” you asked, the exact phrase she said as one of the first things she said to you. 

“A girl has to settle down at some point, no?” 

“You though? You have your standards soaring greater than the sky”

“Had” she corrected. “You should meet him, I think you’ll like him” 

You just shrugged realizing your sister must have left mid-conversation as she no longer stood in front of the two of you, probably exhausted by the college talk. 

December

“I promise you’ll love him,” Martha said as you two were about to finish getting ready for your sisters' wedding. Martha and Oscar (who you have yet to meet) have been going out for the past 5 months and she had been talking so brightly about him every night she would come back. It's a surprise you haven’t found him the morning after. 

Her past guys made it terribly awkward. 

“He should be at the altar when it begins” Her excited smile made your own curve upwards, happy she found someone who could make her so smitten. “But be completely honest with me when you meet him. Tell me all the red flags” 

“I’m sure he's fine,” you said, finishing up your own makeup. 

“Fine is no good” she reminded you. Pointing her finger at you, suddenly appearing stressed to you so you held her by the shoulders making her take a deep breath. 

“I’m sure he's amazing then” Your comforting smile definitely made her feel all the better. 

The reception was perfect, just like your sister wanted it to be and the second pictures were done you turned to Martha and realized she no longer stood by you. That's fine, you thought all though right now you really needed an excuse to get out of the exhausting conversations wondering when you’ll get married. 

As if your guardian angel heard you, you felt a tap on your shoulder and heard the familiar sound of Marthas voice make you turn around about to rant to her about the conversations before your eyes finally landed on the same pair of brown eyes that once had your heart souring by the simple thought of. 

No. This can’t be possible. 

“This is Oscar. Oscar this is y/n” his eyes seemed to widen for a second before his smile covered. You couldn’t help but wonder if he also remembers you. 

Your lips parted, knowing you needed to seem normal. This is fine. You’re fine. 

But your smile covered whatever shock showed and his soft smile almost made you want to dissipate. 

“It's so nice to meet you” you were the first to say, reaching out your hand for him to shake, and although it only lasted a second, shock waves ran through you. You took a glance at your friend, seeing her excitement between the two of you and you could feel your own heart ache at the sight. 

Martha tried sharing similar interests between the two of you but you found yourself spacing out most of the time. Out of everyone in this world, he had to be the one that caught your attention at first glance, you felt disgusted by yourself, having to excuse yourself away just to get some fresh air. 

With your chest feeling as if it were tightening, you tried anything to get more air running through you. It was ridiculous, you barely knew Oscar yet you felt as if you knew him all your life. But he wasn’t yours, he never was. He was with your friend, and you’d have to accept that. 

“y/n?”

[theunaestheticstudyblr]

How I limit my productivity and why you probably should too

Yes. I limit my productivity. I monitor my time being spent on being "productive" and doing things that are focused on growth instead of existence. Now I don't mean to say that I just ignore myself and don't try to be a better person. I'm talking in context of stereotypical social media productivity; things like studying for hours, working extra shifts, maximizing time spent on growth podcasts and self help books instead of indulgences like music and fantasy novels. I don't mean analyzing your bad behaviors and working on breaking bad habits. I'm talking more on the lines of marketable growth.

I have noticed a major increase over a couple years in people trying to be as productive as possible. They prioritize productivity and growth (again talking more of the marketable, social media style, not personal) and minimizing time spent living and merely existing. We are sprinting a marathon it seems. And I do not like sprinting. Or even running. It's my most dreaded part of my gym time. I acknowledge that it is necessary, and so is spending time being productive and working on your marketable growth. But it shouldn't be the main part of every day, just like sprinting for 10 minutes on a treadmill shouldn't be the main part of every workout you do.

I love informative podcasts just as much as the next person and TED Daily is a favorite for sure, as well as various fish and nature podcasts are too! But I limit these to my hour+ commute to campus every other day. When I'm walking around, I listen to music or maybe a "brain numbing" podcast (ones that don't make you think and comprehend and analyze things like story ones [magnus archives eg] or paranormal or mythology or crime style podcasts). I listen to pleasure things, not to thinking things. This gives my brain noise that's just noise. It let's my brain slip out of analytical scientist mode for a while and maybe dance while I walk around!

My gym time is scheduled. I spend the scheduled time in the gym and I enjoy it so much! But when it's not gym time, it's not gym time. I do my morning stretches and yoga and I do my hour in the gym every other day. This is time purely for the gym and nothing else. It's a great release but can also become taxing very quickly, so I only think about it when it's time to.

Study time is the same. It's scheduled and I study when it's study time. I don't walk around and look at flashcards anymore. This is not helpful at all and you could easily hurt yourself or others. You won't retain the information really and you're just adding extra stress into your already stressful life.

I have a schedule for my week and I block out my productive times. My gym time. My study time. My intellectual reading time. My information podcasts. All those things. But I schedule them AFTER I have blocked out classes, work, my slow mornings, chores, and pleasure items like a hair mask night or a night out or something. Of course I make time for improving myself and like I said they are also scheduled, but not with more importance than my actual life. And I also make sure that I know to be flexible with myself. Sometimes I have to add in extra study time and reduce time spent elsewhere if I have a test or something. Sometimes I get sick or I lose track of time while playing video games. Sometimes I sit in the bath way longer than I should. And that's ok. Sometimes we need to have the discipline to put pleasure aside EVERY NOW AND THEN and Sometimes we need the grace to put productivity on the back burner EVERY NOW AND THEN.

Don't ignore your responsibilities, but don't ignore your life either. So please, make just as much time for your pleasure as you do for your productivity. They're both important, but don't let school and life weigh you down so much that rain is annoying and angering and that you miss your niece's 3rd birthday. Dance in the rain. Jump in the puddles. Spin and laugh as you get soaked. And eat the easy bake cakes your little cousin bakes. And read your friend's kid a story. And draw little doodles in your notes. And smile. And try to make someone else smile. And drink your too sweet, too hot coffee. And listen to that song that you'd be embarrassed if anyone knew you liked it. Please don't forget to live.

[open-hearth-rpg]

#RPGaDay2024

An accessory you appreciate

I weirdly love card-randomizers for in-game inspiration. I have a deck of attack description cards, a full set of all the Backstory Cards, the classic BitD Heist deck, and so on. I’m acutely aware that these would be as (or maybe more) useful as random tables. But I dig cards. 

Two accessories come to mind as ones I'm really excited about right now. The first is the Deals in the Dark deck from Evil Hat. They have a set of four of these, but this one really caught my eye. Coming up with Devil’s Bargains and even sometimes costs/consequences can be a road bump when I’m running. My mind’s pushing forward and suddenly I have to switch gears. Too often I find myself going back to the same well to answer. 

This deck has cards broken into three levels: low, moderate, and high risk. Each card then has appropriate suggestions in four categories. Character "An opponent swears vengeance on you. Start a Faction Clock as they begin to plan". Threat "A foe is propelled into an adjacent space, attracting attention to the clash." Heist "You indulge in a vice along with others while on the job, taking a Lesser harm of “Dazed.”" Crew "Fallout from your boldness or demands means a Contact needs help with a social event…" Those examples all come from a Low Risk card. 

I don’t know if I’ll actually be drawing these cards to resolve things, but I will be looking through them for inspiration before a Forged in the Dark session or during the breaks. They’re like flashcards to get my mind primed for play. 

The other accessory I’ve been pleased with is a little more niche and situational. If you have friends in your circle who collect & play Magic the Gathering, ask them if they have extras of the art cards. Each recent MTG set has a series of art cards (about 80) which aren’t really collectible. Or at least most of them go for cheap. Collectors can end up with lots of duplicates, even if they collect a full set. 

I have a friend who hands these off to me. I have stuff from Kaldheim on. In a couple of cases I bought full sets of these off ebay really cheap. I also finished out some sets by buying particular cards for upwards of .25 cents at online shops. They’re good inspiration and great character, monster, and location references for fantasy games played face-to-face. 

[omnomnomdomcaps]

A Guide to Language Domming, Pt. III

Tips and Tricks for Language Players  

Hello again, my curious friends! As I wrap up this guide, I wanted to go through a few important tips for any eager ageplayers and their bigs looking to try this out. There’s a lot to think about, it’s fun to think about, so without further ado let’s dive in!

1. From accent to attitude to activities, immersion is the key.

When we talk about how to language play, it’s always important to remember why we language play. What we’re doing, after all, is using the power of foreign language to immerse our littles in the feeling of being little, to create an escape from the power, responsibility, and sensation of adult life that’s hard to find anywhere else. That immersive experience is what it’s all about, and that understanding is at the core of how we think about making ourselves the best language doms we can be. 

Your accent matters. Does it have to be perfect? No. It doesn’t even have to be particularly accurate. But being confident in the way you use your words helps sell the fantasy of this different world that you’re creating. You’re not Roger anymore - you’re Rodgrido, or whatever it may be. Think about changing the physicality of how you talk (some great videos on Youtube about this). Think about using a different tone or pitch than you usually do. Immerse yourself in your language, and you’ll be able to immerse your little much easier. 

Your attitude matters. Remember this fantasy that you’re building. You have the rest of your lives to treat your partner like an adult. When you’re language playing, you should treat your little like a little - a little baby who doesn’t know their words yet, who can’t read or write or count, who totally and completely needs you. Talk down to them. Tease them. If they break the rules and speak English, remind them that it’s just baby speak, and that they need to communicate like a grownup if you’re going to understand them. Which they can’t, of course. 

And the activities that you choose matter. With the basics of your fantasy in mind, you can choose appropriate activities to suit your little. Maybe they need to be fed breakfast. Maybe they need to be put down for a nap at some point. In between, they should probably have some age-appropriate cartoons and stories, and some healthy learning too. That could be alphabet blocks to spell basic words, or flashcards to learn names of animals and the sounds they make, or a board game where they learn how to count as you roll the dice and methodically move the game pieces. 

Now, how much learning should they actually be doing? Well, that’s a great question, and it brings up the next important tip:

2. You can make it educational, but don’t make it hard. 

Occasionally, my little and I will refer to a language domming session as a “lesson.” We say that half-joking, and it’s important to remember - even if your little ends up picking up a few words from the play, you don’t want to push the learning aspect of things too hard, or you can end up creating an environment that just isn’t quite as fun. 

The best way to avoid this is by making it clear throughout the play that your expectations (for what your little is going to learn) are low. If you’re counting, count very slowly, and don’t make your little try to say more than one number at a time. If you’re talking about what sound a dog makes, use your doggiest voice to do it. If your spelling out words with alphabet blocks, treat your little like they don’t know any of the letters. And if your little is able to repeat back any of it, shower them with gold stars and heaps and heaps of patronizing praise.

With that last example, by the way, it’s worth remembering that “alphabet blocks” as an activity is going to be a wildly different experience depending on what language you’re using. And that’s because…

3. Not every language is created equal.

Whoa there, hold your horses - not going to be any crazy hot takes here. I’m not here to say some languages are superior to others. And even in terms of how easy or hard they are, that depends a lot on your audience and their language background. But different languages do create different dynamics for play, and that should be taken into account. 

In the case of alphabet blocks above, there’s really not much “learning your letters” you can do when it comes to Spanish, German, or French - it’s more about spelling basic words (on the plus side, the blocks themselves are super easy to find). Japanese, with its large syllabaries, can be daunting (but I have seen the blocks, and they’re very cute). Russian and Greek are somewhere in the middle. And Hebrew, with its right-to-left spelling, can be downright trippy. 

And while it’s possible to be gentle or stern in any languages, the same messages are still going to sound and feel very different depending on what they’re delivered in. Italian and French are traditionally seen as romantic, and drive some listeners wild.Spanish might be more familiar, and less exotic, to an American audience, but has a ton of easily accessible children’s media to make up for it. German and Dutch have a reputation for sounding harsh, but may work well for a sterner dom. And so on. 

For many people reading this, though, you’re probably not going to try to learn a new language from scratch to use for play. Still, even if you’re not picking a language based on some criteria, it’s important how the language that you’re bringing to the table is going to sound and feel to your little, and what special advantages and tools it gives you to work with.

4. Know when to stop. 

I’ve mentioned this before, but it bears repeating, again, and again, and again. Especially in a kind of play like this, where verbal communication might be limited, and where the intensity of the scenes might make it intimidating to ask for a break, you need to be able to recognize when it’s too much. 

Creating nonverbal cues is one good way to approach this. Make sure you have signals in place that you can send, and made absolutely clear to your little that it is 100% okay, and 100% understood, if they need to send them. 

If you’re trying out language play for the first time, it’s also a good idea to limit the session. Maybe make it last from lunchtime through naptime, so that you can just snap back to English when your little wakes up. Don’t feel like you have to give the full experience in your first go-round.  

Again, this is meant to be a deep and immersive form of ageplay. If you and your little just met on Fetlife and are playing for the first time, maybe it’s a bit much. But if you’re comfortable and ready for it, if you’ve built up a strong bond of trust and clear communication, then…  

5. Anything is possible with language play! 

Seriously. There are so many exciting activities and experiences that I’ve talked about, and that’s barely scratching the surface of what you can do when you open up play to a new language. 

Maybe your little already has a year or two of high school Spanish or French classes under their belt. Maybe you can use that heavy accent and very limited vocabulary to set up a preschool scenario, and all the teacher-student fun that you can bring with it. 

And why stop at French and Spanish, or Dutch and Polish, or Swahili and Thai? You can set up some wonderful scenarios with Klingon or one of Tolkien’s Elvish languages, if that’s what you’re into. You could even make up your own alien language - though from what I hear, it’s a bit of work.

Language domming doesn’t even have to be an ageplay thing. You could use it for petplay, teaching commands to your pup with lots of repetition and rewards. You could create a scenario where you’re some mysterious foreign kidnapper, tying up your partner as you threaten them with words they can’t understand. Is it my thing? No, not really, but who am I to judge??

Whatever you choose to do with language play, there is a world of possibility at your fingertips. Explore, experience, enjoy. And please, when you’re done, give us every single juicy detail. 

As always, thank you, and keep it kinky. - ONND     

[beefromanoff]

Going Under Ch. 1

summary: Bucky Barnes is assigned to head the security detail of an internationally beloved singer named Gianna as his next mission. not based on the song, but the whole story idea came from the lyrics to Going Under - Evanescence, which will be incorporated into the story at some point!

characters: Bucky Barnes x OC

soundtrack: changing - the airborne toxic event

warnings: fluff, pop star fantasy x love story, set in an AU where the Avengers reunite after Civil War, pre-infinity war, slight angst, hurt/comfort, lonely reader/OC.

author’s note: this is my first ever fanfic, so please be kind! I have so many chapters written but not edited, so prepare for spam. enjoy xoxo

chapter list/links - xo

_______________________________________________

chapter one

Bucky Barnes sat in the Avengers' conference room, his eyes fixed on the long oak table in front of him. He couldn't believe that he was back in the same position he had been in years ago, working for SHIELD and taking orders from Tony Stark. Drumming his metal fingers on the solid wood of the table, he wondered if Tony ever missed a chance to spend extra money.

As if on cue, the large double doors to the conference room slid open with a soft whoosh, and in sauntered the billionaire.

"You're going to be assigned to protect Gianna Cruz on her global tour," Tony said without missing a beat, his voice ringing out in the otherwise silent room.

Bucky looked up, his eyes meeting Tony's. "Who's Gianna Cruz?" he asked, his voice low and guarded.

Tony rolled his eyes. "Come on, grandpa, can you at least try to get with the times? I guarantee Cap has her name written in his little notebook. Ask him for some flashcards.”

Bucky looked at him blankly, not responding to Tony’s trademark sarcasm in the slightest. 

Tony sighed. “She's only one of the biggest pop stars in the world, Barnes. You know, the one with the uh, strawberry blonde hair and the killer voice?" he said. 

Bucky scowled. He didn't care about pop stars or their music. Of all the new developments of the past 85 years, pop culture wasn’t high on his list to brush up on. 

"Why me?" he asked, his voice tinged with frustration. “Doesn’t she have a bodyguard or something?”

Tony leaned forward, his eyes fixed on Bucky's. "Because you're the best, Barnes. That’s what she needs. This girl’s star power is off the freakin’ charts and her label is concerned for her safety on this tour. And because it's one of the conditions of your pardon. You know that," he said.

Bucky sighed. He knew that Tony was right. He had to do this if he wanted to stay in good graces with the powers that be. He was thankful for the swift pardon for his crimes committed as the Winter Soldier, but he always wondered about the clause they included for him to be assigned to whatever cases the Avengers deemed necessary. He always pictured more intense, high-octane missions, not exactly running a security team for a little blonde singer. Not that he had a choice in the matter. 

At least there’s bound to be less gunfire on this assignment, he thought to himself.

"Fine," he said, his voice resigned. "When do I start?"

Tony grinned. "Right away. Gianna's tour starts in two days, and you need to be on that plane with her," he said.

Bucky nodded, his mind already racing with thoughts of how on Earth he was supposed to to protect her, and from what. Teenage girls? Crazed stalkers? He didn't know anything about her, but he hoped she wouldn’t be too overwhelming. He still struggled warming up to new people, and since this was a solo assignment, he wouldn’t have the buffer of the other Avengers to ease him into it. 

“Oh, one more thing.” Tony said, with one foot already out the door. “This job pays…incredibly well. Her record label knows she’s a cash cow and they’re willing to invest a pretty penny in her safety. Let’s just say that once the wire hits, you won’t be worried about money for quite some time.”

As he left the conference room, Bucky couldn't help but feel a sense of dread. He didn't know what he was getting himself into, but he knew that he’d be plunged in soon enough. As for the money, that was a welcome surprise. Part of his pardon was the reinstatement of his Veteran benefits, as well as a small stipend for being a prisoner of war and injured in the line of duty. He always felt guilty accepting it, because he had still outlived everyone else in his battalion by decades. But he couldn’t exactly go get a job at Starbucks, so he took the money anyways. 

Thanks to the existence of the Avengers’ compound and all the private funding from Stark Industries, Bucky really didn’t have that many living expenses. The occasional meal out with Steve or Sam, new clothes every now and again, and routine maintenance for his motorcycle. That was about it. 

The thought of having a hefty payday was appealing, but Bucky had no idea what he’d spend it on. As he walked back to the residential wing, Tony’s words echoed in his head “She’s a cash cow. They’re willing to invest a pretty penny in her safety.”

He knew Tony didn’t mean anything by it, but the way Gianna was already being discussed like a commodity or an object just didn’t sit right with him. He was assigned to protect a person, not a diamond necklace.

The next two days were a blur of activity as Bucky prepared for his assignment. He went through intensive training with SHIELD, learning everything he could about protecting high-profile targets. They did incredibly in-depth briefings on Gianna and her team, as well as any potential threats. The worst part was a mandatory media training he had to sit through to learn how to conduct himself when and if he should ever be on camera with her. He sincerely hoped that wasn’t in the cards. For a non-combat based mission, the training was incredibly intricate. He was used to being the reason people needed protection, not their protector. This would be a change of pace, being on the defensive all the time. 

He also did his own research on Gianna, watching her music videos and reading up on her life story. 

By the time he walked out on the tarmac towards the private plane, he felt like he knew her better than he knew himself. She was beautiful, with her strawberry blonde hair that always seemed to be in loose waves when she wasn’t performing. She had bright green eyes and stood about 5 '3, pretty petite. Although her voice was anything but. When he played her music, goosebumps erupted on his right arm. He wasn’t typically amused by any of the mainstream music, but her voice sounded completely and utterly angelic. 

And she was beloved by the entire world it seemed, with fans from every corner of the globe. She was only 24, which seemed incredibly young to have billions of eyes on you at all times. Then again, when he was 19, he was already entrenched in the hellhole that was HYDRA. He grit his teeth and forced that thought out of his head.

Bucky hoisted his black duffel bag higher on his shoulder and took a deep breath as he climbed the stairs onto the plane. He looked around and was surprised to see only four people on the plane. 

“Sargeant Barnes!” A man in a suit called out, walking up to shake his hand. “I’m Tom, Gianna’s manager. This is Kate, she’s our hair and makeup guru for the tour.” A heavyset woman with thick lashes and pink lipstick waggled her fingers at him. 

“And this, of course, is our princess. Gianna, come say hi.” Tom tapped Gianna on the shoulder and gestured for her to take out her headphones. She startled and looked directly up at Bucky as she pulled the airbud out of her ear. He noted that she still used the kind with the wires, even though he’d seen how high her net worth was. If anyone could appreciate the old fashioned things, it was him. At least they had one thing in common. 

“Hi Sargeant! Thank you so much for coming, I know this probably isn’t your first choice of how to spend your summer and it probably really isn’t your thing at all, but Tom and Mr. Stark said you’re the best and -” she gushed until Tom put his hand back on her shoulder. 

“Woah, G, don’t scare the man off on day one. Give him some breathing room.” Tom chuckled and gave Bucky a knowing look. “First note, if you want to be able to keep up with what she’s saying, you’ll have to cap her coffee consumption.”

Gianna elbowed him before returning to her corner seat. She looked back up at Bucky and said with forced calmness, “I’m very glad you’ll be joining us, Sergeant Barnes.”

He gave a soft smile. “Bucky.”

“Bucky,” She repeated, folding her legs up in her leather chair. She was pretty in person, but in a much softer and more vulnerable way. She looked younger. When she was on stage or on red carpets, her makeup was often done to make her look fox-like, with bedroom eyes and glossy, plump lips. Right now, with her bare face and loose girls, white sweatset, and slippers - she just looked like a young girl. 

As they settled into their seats, Bucky couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. He knew that he had to keep his guard up at all times, but he also knew that he was in for a long summer with people he didn’t know at all. He had never even been to a concert, and now the next few months would be full of them. He wasn’t sure how he felt about it.

But as he looked over at Gianna, he felt a flicker of something else. Something that he couldn't quite put his finger on. Maybe it was the way she smiled at him, or the way her eyes sparkled when she talked. Maybe it was the way that somehow, she was not at all what he expected. She was polite, gracious, and unassuming. Not how he expected the biggest name in the world to talk to her security. Whatever it was, Bucky had a sneaking suspicion that he was in for more than just a simple protection assignment.

He had a feeling that this was going to be the most challenging mission of his life. As the plane gathered speed and took off, he hoped he was ready for it.

[benkyoutobentou]

31 Days of Productivity Reading もう一回！: Days 28-29

Day 28: I had a very reading relaxed day. In true fashion of someone who spends the majority of their free time starting at words on paper, I really didn't know what else to do with my free time beyond reading, so I ended up finishing A Psalm for the Wild-Built and returning that to my library, then starting Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit. And yes, I did make a conscious decision to not read in Japanese because I wanted to give myself space.

However, I did indeed still get some Japanese practice in! Not only have I been getting along surprisingly well with doing N2 flashcards (I consistently know 1/3 of them and I'm still on my first time through the deck. So yes, immersion does work!), I also watched a movie in Japanese. I watched カタクリ家の幸福 which is an absurdist horror comedy musical about a family who opens up a bed and breakfast and all of their patrons start dying. I really enjoyed it, even if some of the jokes didn't age very well. It was weird, stupid in parts, visually stunning, and really engaging. I also watched without any subtitles and found it pretty accessible, except for one character who spoke in a fake accent and another who spoke about a hundred words per second. I think I'd recommend it to anyone who already likes weird movies, and especially the specific brand of 90s/2000s Japanese weird.

Day 29: I read a little bit in Japanese today and read 狼の皮をかぶった羊姫 which is a fantasy GL about a wolf butler and a sheep princess. It took me under an hour to get through and that's probably just as much time as I'd like to spend on it. It seemed to rely on kawaii and moe more than actual substance to get the audience to enjoy it. I'm not sure if I'll buy the rest of the series, but I'll at least read what I've got of it. It was also 144 pages long, which completes my goal of 100 pages per day! Even though I'm mostly considering my challenge completed, even though its... not.

Since I'm considering myself largely finished with this challenge, let's take a look at how I did

Read 100 pages of manga OR 25 pages of a novel each day [26/29 - not bad]

Finish reading three novels [2/3 - I'm okay with that]

Read ten volumes of manga [11/10 - crushing the manga game!]

[dipplinduo]

Ok, Dipplinshipping nation,Bthis is dumb. BUT HEAR ME OUT.

I'been listening to good old nigthcore lately, and you can't convince me that Kieran didn't dedicate Juliana whole cascada discography.

An silly litlle idea formed in my head since I put him in a mundane situation. Both in a normal high school.

Juliana and her friends took the Natural sciences orientation. He took the literature and History one. He is the best in the school team

They see each other in the recesses. He is deeply in love

He reaches home and gets into old internet, and write things (prob fanfic about a ship in some so specific fanfom, based in his feelings 4 Juli and the romance fantasies ) and as in the good old days, he listens to nigtcore meanwhile.

He found himself dedicating her that songs

All of this hidden cause he is the atleric boy of da school, imagine him writing fics

The best part about this ask is the fact you began with "dipplinshipping nation". xD Like, I could see you at a podium with flashcards. I wasn't ready for that

I could easily see Kieran being a nightcore person and I love the academia vibes :')

[little-scribblers-heart]

Chapter 18 of The Cold Night Air We Breathe is up at last on Ao3!!

Eddie had spent a lot of time imagining what being in bed with Chrissy would be like. Some of those fantasies involved the snorting giggles that he had surprised out of her during their time at the picnic table. Others had them smoking together. His personal favorites, where they were still in high school and she wore her cheer uniform while Van Halen’s “Hot for Teacher” played in the background, even incorporated flashcards. None of his imaginings could ever stand up to the reality he’d been living for the past twenty minutes.

[ordinaryoracle]

Labyrinthos: A Beginner's Map to the Labyrinth of Tarot

The Swiss army knife of Tarot learning resources

Between the 22 major arcana cards and the whopping 56 minor arcana cards (which are divided into their separate suits!) it can all be a whiplash of new information for the beginner tarot enthusiast.

If you've ever felt like this, don't worry, because you're not alone! I and several others have encountered this roadblock before. Here's a little secret: you don't need to know everything right off the bat! There's no shame in doing a reading and immediately having to consult the guidebooks as you try and remember what these cards mean in the first place.

Buuuut if you want to be one step closer to knowing all these meanings by heart, Allow me to show you this handy thing known as Labyrinthos.

What exactly is a Labyrinthos?

Labyrinthos is an all-around tarot resource app you can download for free on Android and IOS devices. Released in 2016 by Labyrinthos Academy, it has since amassed over a million downloads, myself included. Like other Tarot resource apps on the market, it offers a guide for all the card meanings and a digital deck so you can make your readings on the go. But it has several other features that I love that make it really stand out among other apps like it.

A Charming Theme

When you log in for the first time, you'll be instantly met by the whole theme of this app. Your cute little spirit avatar meets a guy named Doppelganger who brings you to your senses. Your spirit self has apparently stumbled into the space between realms, unable to get back home! Fortunately, you're in a place called the Labyrinthos Academy which will help you learn tarot, the language of the universe so you can go back! Doppelganger further shows you the features of the app before saying goodbye.

I love fantasy magic schools in fiction and the fact that this app is themed this way makes me like it even more. As a side bonus, you can unlock more versions of your adorable ghostly avatar as you use the app more and more!

Tarot Theory and Card Meanings

When you buy a new tarot deck, you're usually given a guidebook alongside the cards so that you know what each individual card means. Labyrinthos is that and so so much more.

Along with giving the standard meanings of the cards, it also has keywords that really help in associating the imagery of the cards to their meanings. There's also information on different spreads to use for all types of circumstances and even an option to make a custom spread! 

There's also a short section about Tarot Theory, explaining the underlying principles and symbolism of tarot and how best to use it, which I think is really really helpful for beginners to get into the mindset and figure out what tarot is about.

There's also flashcard-based quizzes for the Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana Suits that help really well with memorizing! It's by completing these same quizzes that you can level up and unlock more versions of your avatar.

In the off chance that the brief card summary the app provides isn't enough, tapping the read more button at the bottom of the page leads you to a more in-depth dive of the card's meanings in their dedicated website!

Readings Journal and the Mirror

Their Readings Journal allows you to store your previous readings. From the daily card draws to the more elaborate spreads. As someone whose forgetfulness is the bane of my existence, having a journal like this where I can jot down my thoughts after a reading is very helpful. Moreover, I like being able to see readings from months ago to compare and contrast with my more recent ones.

Labyrinthos defines the Mirror as Self-knowledge through the cards. It takes all the data from the readings that you've logged and gives you insight on what patterns and trends may have been coming up in your readings. This big-picture view lets you know how many reversals you've gotten, what were the common cards, suits and numbers of a certain time period. My results have always been eerily accurate which makes it all the more interesting to me.

Absolutely Ad-free

Have you ever used any free app only to be bombarded by the amount of ads it has? You go to turn off your internet so the ads stop coming, only to lock yourself out of the important online features? I've also gotten used to being wary whenever an app says they're a hundred percent free. After all, it seems too good to be true... is there a catch or something?

Well friends, Labyrinthos has none of that! The app is funded by the purchases of their high-quality physical decks, so the app can go without those tedious, tedious ads! They don't even have pop-up ads for their own products! There's only a separate Shop tab, showing all the designs they have offered but no sleazy UI design that tricks you into clicking the links and buying them!

Overview

All in all, I like using Labyrinthos. I aptly nicknamed it the swiss army of tarot learning resources, because it does just that! It's a guidebook, a digital deck, a tarot journal, a flashcard tarot quiz app all in one. It's been really helpful to me when I was still starting and very very lost with all the information I need to absorb, and I'd recommend this app to any beginners in a heartbeat,