#hope this was interesting to read and you learned more about the Chinese language and how name localization works

[reidishh]

Have ya'll seen the tiktok where the guy learns Chinese so that he could propose to his girlfriend in her native language? And he gets super nervous, and his hands start shaking, so his girlfriend holds his hands to keep them steady so he could read the translations he wrote down?

Yeah, I just watched that video, and my immediate thought was of jegulus.

Can you imagine James wanting to propose to Regulus, but he wants to make it super special, so he decides to propose in French???

James asks Sirius to tutor him in the language, and when Sirius is curious about his sudden interest in it, James blushes and stutters out some bullshit excuse because Sirius is Regulus' brother (and they're not on the best terms - never have been, really) and James isn't certain how Sirius will react to the news that James is going to be proposing to his best friends little brother. But Sirius knows. Of course he knows. This is obviously important to James, and nothing is as important to him as Reggie.

James spends months learning French with the help of Sirius. Months. By the time Sirius deems James competent in the language, James is certain he knows more French than he does English. Still, James translates all the things he wants to say to Reggie during the proposal and writes it on a piece of notebook paper because he's certain he's going to mess it up somehow.

When he finally gets down on one knee, James is hoping that it goes off without a hitch. But, of course, nothing really ever goes his way.

He gets through the first few sentences without having to use the paper, his hands clutching Regulus' as the words roll off of his tongue with practiced ease. But then the weight of the moment catches up with him, and all of the nerves he'd managed to keep suppressed finally bubble over because 'oh Merlin, this is the man I love. What if I fuck it up? What if I fuck it up and he says no?'

And, suddenly, every bit of French Sirius taught him is gone. But, Regulus is there, and he's holding James' hands, and there are tears in his eyes, and he's sending James the most comforting smile, and James knows he has nothing to worry about.

So, James lets go of Regulus in favor of digging the folded sheet of paper out of his pocket. His voice is shaky as he tries to read from it, but his hands are even shakier than his voice, and he can barely make out what he wrote. He's close to just giving up and switching over to English. Then, without warning, Regulus has his hands back on James', holding them steady.

James pauses his speech to look at Regulus, only for a moment, before continuing when Regulus whispers, "Keep going."

By the end, Regulus is sobbing, and James is worried he said something wrong. But before James can ask, Regulus is throwing his arms around him, saying that he just can't believe anyone would do something like that for him.

Regulus says yes btw.

[lostfirefly]

Thank you for your kind words and support. I'm feeling a little better, though still in a wild panic. But let's take our minds off everything and have one fluff morning with Buggy and Сatherine. I'm still abysmal at describing things, but it's never too late to learn. But it was fun to create Catherine's songs. English isn't my native language, errors may occur. As always, feel free to share your thoughts)

Bugust. Day 14. Baker (Buggy x OC). I hope this story fits this theme.

"Hey, Cathie-pie, question for you." Buggy walked into the kitchen. "Ancient Egyptian fertility god. Six letters across, the third letter is I."

Catherine stood at the table and beat eggs in the bowl, humming a song.

I mix the batter, sugar sweet, A sprinkle of laughter, a dash of heat. Eggs and flour, whisked just right, A cake to mirror his delight.

"That's Osiris, my love."

"Oh, I remember him. O-si-ris. Yeah!" Buggy plopped down on the chair.

"What are you doing?" Catherine came to him and kissed him on the head. "Hi."

"Hi. A word puzzle." Buggy tapped his pen on the table. "Oh, I know that word. Bacon."

"You're so cute now." Catherine ruffled his hair. "You look like an old man."

"Hey, I'm not old. Old man can't be the sex god. I thought I proved my title to you this night."

"God!" Catherine rolled her eyes. "I knew this phrase would stick in your head, pervert!" She gently slapped his head. "And by the way, tell that god that he is punished."

"But why?" Buggy scratched his head, looking at the lines. "Oh, this's lotus." He started to write the word in the cells. "So why am I being punished?"

"For your chop chop in bed, clown! I told you not to use during.. well.. you know..." Catherine blushed.

"But you never complain, cotton candy. All I hear is," He started imitating her, "more, Buggy, don't stop, Buggy." He looked at the cells. "Oh, that's library."

"I hate you." Catherine stroked his head and looked at the word puzzle. "The word here is terracotta." She pointed to the empty cells vertically. "See? What kind of warriors guarded the emperors of China. It was the terracotta army. The Chinese emperors used these warriors to protect themselves, their servants, and their animals."

"Oh, thank you!" Buggy wrote the word in the cells. "How do you know all this?"

"I studied at the ancient literature faculty, remember? I don't know," Catherine shrugged, returned to the bowls and poured the beaten eggs into the flour. "I've always liked reading books about the past times. Dynasties, traditions. It's all so interesting."

"Yes, I've noticed your love of reading. The whole apartment is filled with books, candles, and stuffed animals."

"Don't grumble, my silly clown. Here, keep your mouth busy." Catherine put coffee and sandwiches on the table.

"Oh! My favorite! With hot cheese." Buggy took the sandwich, sniffed it and glanced at Catherine. "But.. how did you know that I would come?"

"You were gone for twenty minutes. So far, your record for being in another room without me is 21 minutes. How did you even survive without me on the couch?" Catherine laughed and poured the grated carrots into a bowl.

"Go to hell! I lived somehow before you." Buggy took a huge bite of his sandwich. "Yummy! I won't deny that I'm kinda happy that you couldn't resist my charm and fell in love with me."

"Oh, my god! There was no charm, Buggy!! You pissed me off and wanted to leave me in the desert!!"

"But I didn't leave you!" He took another bite. "Fuck, so tasty." Buggy looked at Catherine, who was standing at the next table, cutting something. "What are you doing, cotton candy?"

"I wanted to make carrot cake, like mom used to make. Remember how I told you we ate it every Saturday? I've never made it for you. You were sitting in the living room and for some reason I wanted to make you something tasty. But I'm not a great cook." Catherine took a package from the table. "I'll add walnut. You know, most people add raisins to this cake, but my mom added walnut." Catherine chopped up the nuts in the blender and added them to the dough. "That's great.. All I need is.. Hey!" She slapped the flying hand that had stuck its fingers in the bowl. "What the fuck, Buggy?!"

Buggy pulled his hand back and licked his fingers. "Fuck! Delicious!"

"You're disgusting! Where are your manners?!" Catherine rolled her eyes, groaned and began pouring the batter into the bowl. "We have to wait 30 minutes and then the crus-- Fuck! Stop grabbing my ass!" Catherine turned to face Buggy. "What's wrong with you?!"

"Nothing!" Buggy giggled and reattached his hand.

"Geez!" She turned on the oven, poured the batter into the mold and as she flattened it, she felt Buggy's hands on her waist. "You know, I wonder. Is there some kind of on/off switch in you? A minute ago you were sitting calmly and doing the word puzzle, and now you're sticking your fingers in a bowl and hugging me. Hey!" Catherine slapped Buggy's hand again. "Stop shoving your fingers in the batter."

"But why? This's so tasty." He moved his lips to her ears. "But you still tasted better, my Cathie-pie."

"Don't you dare say those vulgar, idiotic phrases around my mother's cake." Catherine tried to open the oven but couldn't even bend over because her clown squeezed her in his arms. "Buggy."

"What?"

"I know you missed me, but I can't move. See?" Catherine slowly attempted to shift her body, desperate to find a more comfortable position. "I can't. You squeezed me like a fucking octopus. Do you want this damn cake or not?"

"I want cake." Buggy sighed, unclasped his hands slightly, and as soon as Catherine put the mold in the oven, immediately pulled her against him.

"Shit! Don't break my back." Catherine laughed. "We need to wait 30 minutes, then I'll sprinkle more leftover peanuts on top." She stroked Buggy's cheek. "Let me make us some coffee, my silly clown. Can you let me go for five minutes? I'm not going anywhere. I promise."

She gently unclasped his hands and walked over to the coffee maker. "See? I'm still here."

Buggy plopped down on a chair and watched Catherine intently. The kitchen was filled with the aromas of freshly baked goods and freshly brewed coffee.

Buggy listened as Catherine softly hummed.

In the morning glow, a brew begins, I measure out the joy, where laughter spins. The kettle hums a cheerful tune, While sunbeams dance to the jester’s croon.

Buggy stood up, continuing to watch Catherine, walked to the oven and sat down on the counter to look at the cake.

"Will it be ready soon, Cathie-pie?"

"What? Do you want dessert already?" Catherine came closer to him and kissed him on the top of the head.

"I wouldn't mind the dessert I had last night." Buggy giggled. "If you know what I mean."

"I always know what you mean. The cake needs another 15 or 20 minutes. Sit down, your coffee is almost ready." Catherine returned to the table and began pouring him coffee.

Beneath a cap of red and white, My clown will waltz into the light. With painted smile and joyful grace, He brightens up this humble space.

Catherine set the mug on the table, smacked Buggy once more on the head and sat down on the chair next to him. She couldn't help but be captivated by the way Buggy slowly and methodically brought the ceramic mug to his lips, tilting it ever so slightly to allow the steaming, aromatic liquid to pass between them.

As soon as the timer on the oven went off Catherine went to check on the cake. She carefully slid open the oven door, the warm, fragrant air wafting out and filling the kitchen with the inviting aroma of freshly baked carrot cake.

"Oh, it's ready!" With a gentle touch, Catherine grasped the edges of the baking pan, its sides lined with a golden, buttery crust, and slowly pulled it out, the soft, moist cake wobbling slightly as she lightly twisted the baking pan in her hands. Catherine paused for a moment, admiring the perfect domed top, its surface dotted with tiny specks of carrots and walnuts that had caramelized in the intense heat. "Looks good. See?" She put the cake on the table.

Buggy sniffed it and looked at Catherine. "Smells delicious!"

Grabbing a clean knife, Catherine carefully ran it along the edges, loosening the cake from the pan, before flipping it over onto a serving platter, the unmistakable shape and color of the carrot cake now fully revealed. The rich, creamy frosting she had prepared earlier glistened invitingly, its smooth texture begging to be sliced into and savored.

"My blue-haired love, I hope you're gonna like it." She began to portion out the cake. "Her-- Why are you smiling?"

"I'm not smiling." Buggy blushed, broke off a piece of cake and put it in his mouth.

The flavors exploded across his tongue - the rich, buttery sweetness of the vanilla frosting mingling with the subtle notes of walnut and the faint tang of carrot and lemon zest in the tender cake layers beneath. Buggy paused. He let the flavors linger, rolling them around in his mouth, allowing them to fully unfurl and permeate every corner of his senses. The cake practically melted on his tongue, it was the perfect blend of comforting familiarity and delightful novelty, a true delight for the taste buds.

"Enjoy this ordianry cake, my love." Catherine kissed him on his head.

But for Buggy this was not an ordinary cake, that was her cake for him. It was clear that she had poured her heart and soul into this creation. Each component was perfectly balanced, coming together in harmonious symphony to deliver an immensely satisfying and delightful gustatory experience. Encouraged by that first tantalizing bite, Buggy took another, larger forkful, eager to further indulge in the cake's delectable delights.

"Fuck me, cotton candy! This's so delicious!" Buggy put another large piece in his mouth and washed it down with coffee.

"Tasty?" Catherine giggled, stroking his head.

"Hell, yeah!"

Catherine sat back in her chair, sipped her coffee and tasted a piece of cake. "Yeah, not bad."

"Not bad? Are you fucking kidding me? This is the best cake I've ever had in my life." Buggy looked at the empty plate. "I want another slice."

"Sometimes I think you love food more than you love me, Buggy." Catherine smiled and put a bigger piece on his plate. "Here." She took a bite of her cake. "You know, these smells remind me of the time we all gathered in the living room. Mom would bring out the big tea set on a tray and the smell of pie would waft through the house. She was fantastic at making it. We'd sit around the table, telling stories from the week that we hadn't had time to tell at dinner. Dad grumbled that our neighbor had stolen the newspaper again, and mom laughed at him. You would have loved our gatherings. Maybe we could start a tradition of our own? That would be great." Catherine bit her piece of cake and swallowed it. "Like eating ice cream every Saturday?"

"I don't know," Buggy shrugged, eating his piece of cake. "I'm not a fan of that kind of thing. Damn, so delicious."

"Okay. Let's just think of our walks as our little tradition for now." Catherine found herself transfixed, watching Buggy's every movement as he slowly slid his fork through the moist layers of cake. Each delicate morsel he brought to his lips seemed to disappear with a satisfied hum, leaving behind just the faintest trace of crumbs on the corners of his mouth. "You're so cute, Buggy the Clown. I love you so, so much." She narrowed her eyes and sipped her coffee.

"It's hard to say you something back, because it's so damn good and I can't stop eating this masterpiece." He took another bite. "But I love you too, my cotton candy." He said with his mouth full.

"Chew and then talk!" Catherine giggled and put another piece of cake on his plate.

[mementoboni]

[part 4/4] DIR EN GREY WOWOW Interview & Document (2020)

"I hope not to go (overseas) as much as I can. In this day and age, I can sing even at home, like when my younger sister asks, 'Can you sing for me?' I will sing seriously at home, really." — Kyo

Notes before reading:

The whole interview is divided into 8 topics, and the translation is divided into 4 parts. This is the last part, including the 6th to 8th topics. The details of all topics and time markers are 👉 here.

I have added Chinese subtitles for this video in 2021. The whole interview was very meaningful, and I hope that with the English translation, more people can understand what they’re talking about.

The five members were interviewed separately and then edited into a video, so the words spoken by each of them are not necessarily coherent.

Repost and share are welcome.🙌 I translated it all by my ears, so please feel free to correct me if you spot any mistake or any confusing parts.☺️

--- --- ---

06. Overseas

►Opportunity to Go Overseas

Die: I think the biggest reason is that the Internet has become so popular that people overseas can learn about Japanese culture. Kaoru: Someone in Germany told us that there are many people waiting for DIR EN GREY to come. Toshiya: To be honest, I was skeptical about it. Of course, I appreciate what they say, but I still think to myself, "Eh, do you really know us?” Kaoru: I refused several times. That person came to tell us that they were ready for a venue of about 3,000 people.  No, wait a minute. "We can't go to that kind of place," "Wouldn't it be too exaggerated?" "You value us too much," even though I said so. Die: I heard that all the tickets were sold out in a few minutes and there were so many people gathered in places we had never been. I wonder what the hell was going on? Toshiya: We went to Germany in such a half-believing state and were greeted by a very, very large number of people. Kaoru: Not only from Europe, there are people from  all over the world as well. It was the first time we held LIVE overseas, in Asia, and the audience came from different places, so I felt a bit numb. Shinya: Isn't it easy to go abroad now?  This was not possible at that time.  Maybe that's what people overseas think. If you miss this time, you don't know when you'll see it next. (*Yes Shinya, you’re right! 🥺) Kyo: It's just like "If there are people who support us like this, let’s go there."

►About Overseas Fans

Toshiya: Whenever I saw the audience singing in Japanese, I felt that they are really conveying frankly. Kyo: I don't know how to convey what I'm singing, and I can't sing in the local language, I can only sing in Japanese.  But when I think of the people who try as hard as one can, studying and looking up information to find out what I'm singing, I think it would be nice if they could pass some time. I guess that's how it is. Kaoru: Although we don't intentionally aim for overseas, people who will like us will like us.

►Life on the Overseas Tour

Die: In the case of the U.S., the tour bus can accommodate up to 12 people including members and staff. We had to go all over the U.S. with one bus, but of course the Japanese managers and staff were hardly there. Shinya: Basically, it's "Bus→Venue→LIVE", and then "Bus→Venue→LIVE" keeps going on. It's much better than in Japan that I'm already in the venue after getting up. Kaoru: We don't talk much in Japan. It has been like that for more than 20 years.  But when we were on the overseas tour, I could talk to the members quite often because I stayed with them all the time. After all, there were only members.  It's nice to be able to talk to the members, so I think it's good to have overseas tours regularly. 🤣🤣 Kyo: I don’t get out of the tour bus. I was in my own bed, about a tatami space, the height is probably only this way (Kyo gestures with his hand), like a box, but separated by a curtain. I stay in it almost all the time, even when I’m resting. Kyo: I'm still interested in some history, and although it's nice to see all kinds of scenery and live a healed life, I don't really care... If I'm in the mood for a short trip to enjoy myself, it's not DIR EN GREY. (*Screen caption: Unlike European double-decker tour buses, American tour buses are single-decker.)

►Future Approach to Overseas

Shinya: Even if we tour overseas now, we can't reach the scale that we have in Japan. That's why I want to try a Hall Tour like the one in Japan, but it's really hard to do that. Die: Now we're mostly touring on our own. I'd like to do a tour like Fes, a tour with several bands, and so on. Personally, I'd like to do that again.  It's not impossible, right? Kaoru: But compared to the old days when we went overseas, when we performed in larger venues and had a large audience on stage, there is almost nothing like that now. Of course, it's the same in Japan. It's very rare. Basically, as long as there are fans, we'll go there. (*I think Kaoru is trying to say that they rarely go to big music festivals these days.) Kyo: I hope not to go (overseas) as much as I can. In this day and age, I can sing even at home, like when my younger sister asks, "Can you sing for me?" I will sing seriously at home, really. Kyo: It doesn't mean I hate fans, Daisuki desu. ❤ 🤣🤣 Toshiya: There was an interview during our underground period, and I still remember very clearly what I said then. "Anyway, I want to keep stumbling forward". No matter what happens, I/we will not stay there forever.  Even if I/we really can't move forward, at least I/we will fall forward and feel like I/we can move forward again. Toshiya: I won't do it if I don't have to. Hahahaha, I'll quit.  But there are people still waiting (for us), so I will continue to do it.

...

07. Transition

►The way to convey music in the future

Shinya: There was no change in the way the music was produced. However, even if Corona has subsided afterwards, I think there are a lot of issues that need to be considered when it comes to the way that LIVE is organized. Toshiya: In any case, the rules will probably become stricter and stricter in the future, both for music and film. That way, there is a clear distinction between what we can and cannot do.  On the contrary, what we really want to show and what we own will be shown on the internet.  Negotiating with each other, and then continuing to create. We can only move forward in that direction. Kaoru: If you say that the production itself has changed, I think it has not changed.  But what's the point of making a song if you can't do LIVE? There are a lot of voices like that, but basically I still think that in the end. Kaoru: In this case, what we create is definitely different from what we did before. Isn't the value of "wanting to convey something" a bit tiring?  I sometimes think so.  Well, but we have to adjust step by step and move in this direction, and that's all we can say now.  We have to create a place where we can express ourselves. Kyo: After the Corona is over, you probably won't be able to go back to your old world, whether it's in terms of feelings or anything else. So you have to be flexible to deal with all kinds of things.  If you think about it positively, it might be a good time, a good opportunity. After all, we never know when something is going to happen, and there is no such thing as an absolute, everlasting thing.  Because of this, I often think that I must do everything 100%. Die: We've done this before, with members picking their own lists and then playing on video sites*. Of course, the members are listening at the same time, with fans and members, this is also a form of LIVE, very LIVE-feeling. "I want to see LIVE" and "members also want to do LIVE". I listened to the songs chosen by members with the same feeling as the fans. However, I really want to be on stage because I can only feel the atmosphere like that when I am there. (*Die is talking about the "Audio Live Stream 5 Days" broadcasted on YouTube from 2020.05.02 to 05.06.)

...

08. What does DIR EN GREY mean to you?

Kaoru: Maybe it's the property or the value that I've been holding on to. Among everyone who listens to our music, I think this is the time to confirm our existence.  In the case of Corona this time, we did make some rules using the internet. But the response I got at that time made me realize that DIR EN GREY is a part of our lives, and I felt that there are many people who consider DIR EN GREY as an important presence. At that time, I also understood our value and existence. Kaoru: I can't quite tell you what DIR EN GREY is when I’m asked. But seeing that everyone is watching us, I think it's great that I can keep going. Toshiya: I really started out alone, but I have since met many people.   So, to me, DIR EN GREY is, in a word, a medium that connects me to the world in a big way. Shinya: More than half of my life is spent in DIR EN GREY, it is my life. Die: It's like the meaning of living.  It is...  It's what I've bet everything I have. Kyo: It's already part of my life, and now it is. (*Edit: Although both Shinya and Kyo said that DIR EN GREY is his "life", Shinya actually used the word "人生" (jinsei), which means the process from birth to death, more like "lifetime"; while Kyo used the word "生活" (seikatsu), which is closer to the meaning of "daily life".)

(END)

--- --- ---

part 1. & part 2. & part 3.

topics & time marks

中文翻譯 (My Blogger) part 1. & part 2. & part 3.

[szarolina]

intro

Witam! I had been lurking in the studyblr community before I left Tumblr a few years ago. Yet here I come again and hope I still fit since I'm not a student anymore. I hope we'll get along!

About

I'm Karolina and I'm 27 years old.

From Poland (with love ♡).

INTJ & 5w6 / 8w9

I'm a graduate of two Master degrees: 1) International Relations in Asia 2) Russian & Central Asian Studies. I'm currently writing two theses and hopefully finish them by December.

Next, I want to enroll in PhD program and focus on politics, economy and markets in East and Southeast Asia.

In the meantime I'm looking for a job in the field. I'm thinking of an analyst of the area (just Asia or better Eurasia so it would cover both my degrees), but mixing it with academic path, so while pursuing PhD degree.

One of my hobbies are foreign languages! Over time of my education I've managed to learn English, French, Russian and I'm still learning Japanese (currently at B1+ level). I used to learn Mandarin Chinese, but I intend to get back to it at some point. Also, I'm interested in picking Korean.

I like learning often just for sake of it since my mind needs to be constantly on the go (it gave me sleepless nights several times). It could be picking some textbook (I learnt bases of macroeconomics by myself), doing some online quizes on all seas, gulfs and straits or reading a popular history/science books (because of the Oppenheimer movie, I bought "The Making of the Atomic Bomb" by Richard Rhodes and yes, that's my current read!). I just enjoy it.

I have a never-ending books list on my Goodreads account (2600+ and counting). I like nonfiction (history, biography, political science, business, economics, you name it) and catching up on classics. Also, a h u g e Nabokov fan.

I'm one of these people who need to write everything down, from day schedule, important dates and tasks to all kinds of lists, trackers and brain dump. My Filofax is with me everywhere I go.

In general, I tend to be super-organized and put together. That applies to my daily or at least weekly schedule, surroundings or appearance - otherwise I can't properly focus.

I can't live without good coffee and I'm very picky about it.

Blog

The plan is to make it more personal by posting original content: hopefully daily, realistically a few times per week - mostly covering my writing proccess and languages learning, but also other random things. I intend to reblog some posts too, but I wish to keep the balance between that and OC.

Tagging #szarolina and #karolinatalking

My inbox is always open! c:

[benkyoutobentou]

（再）自己紹介 | Langblr Reintroduction!

皆さん　こんにちは！I recently hit a follower milestone and figured that it was time to reintroduce myself, as it's been quite a while, and I don't really have much information about me easily accessible on my blog. Additionally, I'd like to actually write stuff down about how this blog is organized. じゃあ、始めましょう！

Hi, my name is Nobody (they/them), my native language is English, and I like studying languages! Languages have interested me ever since I was a child, but I feel like I never knew how to properly learn a language until I started studying Japanese in 2020. Now, I also study Mandarin Chinese and German! Japanese is my main target language, and I would some day like to make Japanese my primary language. Yes, that means I'm interested in moving to Japan long-term.

Immersion is my favorite way to study, but as of right now, most of my immersion has been done in Japanese. Please tell me what you're reading or watching, or ask me what I'm reading or watching! I especially love talking about books and manga and would be more than willing to share recommendations!

Outside of language learning, my hobbies include horseback riding, gardening, and reading (in English). I also have a degree in music performance, but I don't really consider that to be a hobby since it's something I'm actively pursuing as a career.

As for my blog, I keep it mostly Japanese focused, mainly because I made this blog when I was only studying Japanese, but my other languages do show up once in a while, and much of the content I post/reblog isn't tied to a single language. Here are the tags I frequently use to organize my blog and what they all mean:

#benkyou posting - these are my own posts! These are usually tagged with at least one of the other tags, as this tag just denotes that I was the one who made it, not necessarily the content that it contains.

#languages - these are posts that are typically tied to a specific language or the specific study of languages. Resources for learning languages will also show up here.

#tips - these posts are general studying tips and may not be specifically about language learning, but are applicable to the study of languages.

#study - these posts are aesthetic posts of peoples' notes and study spaces.

#inspo - these posts are inspirational posts, for when you might have a bit of trouble getting into the study mood.

#art - this is just for Japanese art! Usually, it'll be traditional arts and I must admit that I'm a sucker for woodblock prints. If I reblog any sort of Japanese fashion (think more kimonos), it'll also show up here.

#culture - these are posts about the cultural aspects of Japan, such as explanations of festivals and the such.

#aesthetic - these are just beautiful photos of Japan, mostly temples. Again, these are just photos I like, and I really like shrines and castles (once someone called me a "temple weeb" and I'm still laughing about it).

#memes - this tag is for anything fun! Memes aren't the only thing that go in here- things such as polls and silly text posts will also show up here.

Things that I don't post or reblog include vocabulary lists and grammar explanations. I have nothing against them, I just don't particularly use them on tumblr and therefore find no reason to put them on my own blog. I've made a few vocabulary lists in the past, but have found that it's just not for me! Remember that language learning is a deeply personal journey and what works for you might not work for me and vice verse. Just because these things aren't particularly what I look for out of langblr content doesn't mean that they're not important to other people, but I would like to be clear about what shows up (and doesn't!) on my blog.

So welcome to my blog! I hope you choose to stick around a while! And for those who don't know Japanese, my blog name means "studying and lunch boxes."

[raw-law]

guess who !! bweh !! BWEHH !!!

i hope this hasn't been asked before... what's your favorite kind of flower? i feel like flowers can be very symbollic and hold special meanings; i feel that one's favorite flower, or really any plant, says a lot about them. maybe that's just me though i dunno... i think my favorites have always beeh marigolds

Light:

...it's you again. (/pos)

Anyways. My favourite plant...?

Now that you've brought it up, I do like reading about plants, but unfortunately, I don't know anything about the meaning of them, only the facts (think something that usually'd be found in a botany book). It'd be interesting, certainly, to learn more about flower 'language'---I'd be open to finding out more about their meanings.

To answer your question, my favourite flower's probably baby's breath. I like the way it's simple yet beautiful---and goes well with almost any other flower in a bouquet. And fun fact: did you know that 'baby's breath' in Chinese can be translated to 'a sky full of stars'? So I like to think of them as tiny fallen stars, tumbled to Earth.

Thanks for your question, it was interesting.

L:

hello there. bweeeeh. :]

i don't think i really have any favorite plants though. i mean, i like moss, but it also freaks me out a little. it reminds me too much of mold. i know that unlike mold, its presence doesn't harm humans, but it still feels too similar sometimes..

if i had to pick a favourite flower, i guess i'd pick the penny black. no other reason besides i think they look nice. maybe black roses too, but that's mainly because of how their used in literature..

sorry to disappoint. despite my adoration for nature.. plants just aren't really my thing.

[hopeful-to-learn]

Language Learning as of 4/2/2024

I just picked up language learning again and i wanted to make a place to document it. I've been learning several languages on and off since 2016. The only ones I'm still learning are Spanish and Japanese. I am currently eyeing Mandarin Chinese and Korean as well but I'm trying to avoid overloading my brain, two is already a lot.

This blog is for me to update on my language learning and maybe other learning subjects as well. I'll try to update regularly (hoping for daily but no promises) on what I've been studying and how it's going. However, be warned if you care about seeing efficiency in learning I don't focus on that. I learn these things as a hobby and often what is efficient isn't fun. So even though i know learning multiple languages at a time isn't efficient, I do find it fun.

Today I was getting back into things so I logged back into Duolingo and did a couple Spanish lessons and watched a simple Spanish children's story on YouTube to see how well I could follow it (i got 5 minutes in). For Japanese I tried a few new apps to see if I liked any, watched a video on all the Hiragana halfway, and reviewed the Hiragana I learned a few times (hours between) using both flashcards and an online quiz.

Tomorrow I hope to review more Spanish and make a better plan for it. I've studied Spanish the longest and feel I haven't gotten anywhere so I'm looking to step it up. For Japanese I'll watch the other half of the hiragana video and review more.

My biggest goal in Japanese is to learn Hiragana, I've been stuck on it for a while, for Spanish it's to start reading more children's stories/early reader books and to expand my vocabulary.

I'm also listening to a lot of beginner and "what i wish i knew before starting" videos on Korean and Mandarin to see how interested I am in them and sort of prime my brain without actually starting yet.

[leilawoo]

Returning to Tumblr...

After some much needed time away from this site following the untimely loss of my original blog, I think I'm finally up for slowly rebuilding a semblance of what I had before. Although, I don't think there are as many artists on this platform as there used to be, so I doubt I'll be getting back up to over 1000 people to follow.

On my old blog I had an entire About page set up that one could get to on the desktop, but I don't think it ever once got seen so I'll make this a pinned post instead and include some short info below the read more.

I go by either Leila or Lupo. Just default to they/them with me (you can unlock extra pronouns through friendship :3). I've been using Lupo as part of my handle online for the longest time, so if you're looking for one to go with that's a safe choice.

This blog will primarily be filled with reblogs instead of original content, and mostly just of anime art (with sources of course, added by me if I have to). While I don't plan on having explicit stuff here (but it's not a non-zero chance), I'm just going to enforce that this should be considered an 18+ only space. If I think something is ecchi/nsfw/sensual it'll be tagged with #e (for ecchi); other sensitive topics will probably get a tag of some sort too.

#dalle dita del lupo = my text post tag

#dalla bocca del lupo = my ask tag

A little about me:

My most heavy interest is linguistics, specifically historical linguistics / philology, and conlanging. I'd love to talk about anything languages and if you want to know more about my conlangs please ask!

With my interest in languages came also the interest in learning to speak a foreign language. Sadly I am not fluent in any second languages yet. I had 4 years of Spanish in high school but I never used it so I've lost a lot of what I learned. I self-studied German and then Dutch to near B1 level after high school, even getting good enough at the former to understand most of what my German teacher would say when she would be teaching the class entirely in German in my intermediate classes at uni. But like with Spanish I have not used either of these languages consistently and lost a lot of what I gained. My current focus is learning Japanese, which I have been off and on at technically since middle school, but I am now taking it more seriously. Eventually I also want to learn Korean and some Chinese languages.

I got my Bachelor's degree in Cognitive Science with a computational emphasis, but this wasn't what I was accepted for in the beginning. That was Astrophysics. I'd like to return to school sometime soon to pursue higher degrees in CogSci and Linguistics, working toward doing research in what I'm calling Cognitive Computational Linguistics. I worked as a math tutor for community college and high school students for a while during my time as a community college and university student. My favorite subject to tutor was Statistics.

I'm looking to improve at programming in general but I lack any projects that I want to work on (I gained two ideas shortly after I made this post lol. They're both beyond my current ability but hey, they're something to aim for). I also only really know fundamentals in several languages and not enough to actually accomplish significant things with them. To be honest, I could really use an experienced mentor and some challenging projects to work on.

Hmm, not much else to say here. Thank you for reading, and I hope you'll stick around :3

よろしくお願いします～

[shytastemakerthing]

Hello! Could I get a romantic matchup for twst? I understand that there might be a ton of other requests, so take all the time you need :))

I'm an INFJ 1w9, Libra! I tend to change the way I act depending on the person I'm talking to, and I have this bad habit of saying what others want to hear instead of saying my own opinion,, I'm also quiet reserved most of the time— but with the people I end up being more comfortable with, I'm a lot more enthusiastic! I end up being the one rambling about my interests to them and apparently I mess around a lot with them. During school breaks I prefer staying in my room hanging out by myself. I get very tired of interacting with people (not that I don't like them, i just get tired!) and I need time to recover. I'm also a pretty hard worker and people say I push myself too hard sometimes 😅 I'm generally someone who's calm and not very prone to anger, but once I do get angry everything just starts to spill out

In my free time, I like making art and do creative writing! . And if I'm not doing that, then I'm probably busy reading a book, playing RPG/Rhythm games or watching anime :) I also like to indulge myself in new knowledge? For example if I don't know much about Chinese mythology I'd end up just researching and learning more about it for hoursssss until I get a good grasp of it I really like well-written stories, RPG + rhythm games, all kinds of animals, coffee, art supplies, museums, aquariums, libraries/bookstores and shopping. I dislike overwhelming situations (like a loud party or fireworks) and people who are rude and inconsiderate for no reason,,

As for a partner, I'd like someone who's wits can keep up with mine, have a great sense of humor, and is willing to listen to me and understand me without judgement either— A sense of security would be nice. My love language is gift giving + words of affirmation, while I'd prefer to receive quality time and acts of service!

I'm so sorry for writing so much 😭 thank you in advance!

A/N: Hello and thank you so much for your request and for your patience! I really appreciate it! I hope that you enjoy your match-up and have a wonderful day/night!

Request: Romantic Twisted Wonderland match-up

I match you with........

Idia Shroud

Honestly, the perfect break that this man has is staying in his room at all times....granted he does that anyways, but still

So count on either him being with you in your room and the two of you binge games

Or you are in his room, quite possibly doing the exact same thing... with a better set up

Let's face it, this man certainly has the better set up and chances are he built it

Also Ortho may be there, he's the support, Idia is still questioning how he got in this relationship so Ortho is the voice of reason until this man has the right amount of confidence

His wits can certainly keep up with yours, if his dorm uniform vignette is anything to go by

This man will give you a run for your money on that, that's for sure, but it's rather fun to see the banter going back and forth between the two of you

Another man who who is not a fan of being in an overwhelming situation. He can see it before it even happens so it's rather nice to have him around because he can always help you avoid it entirely

Idia is not a fan of public spaces, this much is known

But if it is possible to go to some of your favorite spots during the time with the least amount of people, or even finding a way to have it only be the two of you, you may be able to convince him

Maybe

Yeah, he'll go, only because Ortho begged his brother to bring something back for him

He can't say no to that

Congrats, the man is whipped enough for you to go out into certain public spaces

Thank you for your request!!

[communist-ojou-sama]

hello ojou-sama! I’m really interested in your language journey and i would love more posts about it! Also, for all the languages you are learning/already learnt: what were your fav resources, app-wise? (i remember you use duolingo and clozemaster) i’m asking about apps only bc i feel listing books and other stuff would be too much hassle.

Ty for your time ❤️

ooh it's no problem! As far as apps I'm an old-head so what I used to use a lot is memrise but that's gone to shit since the changes a couple years ago. What I'd recommend now in its place is anki, though the out-of the box experience isn't as good and you need to do work to set up the experience you want from it; that said i think customizeability is always preferable to ease of experience out the gate as for resources, well:

for Russian I always found the simply-titled Russian Podcast to be a good resource, with dialogues performed first slow, and then fast, entirely in russian, including vocab explanations. For grammar I remember using AlphaDictionary's Interactive Online Russian Reference Grammar, which is very thorough if a bit dry. For Persian, while the site layout has changed quite a bit since I first used it in like 2015, PersianLanguageOnline has been a very simple and straightforward resource for especially the early steps of learning, while Jahanshiri has served as an indispensible reference resource.

For the fact that I'm now very fluent in Japanese I actually don't have much in the way of specific recommendations for Japanese learning outside of Tae Kim's Grammar Guide. Other than that I can mostly give the advice that you should not tell yourself that you don't need to learn kanji at first. Start learning kanji right away when you start learning and you'll thank yourself later. Also contrary to the bizarre narratives floating around, unless you only watch shonen anime, japanese popular entertainment is perfectly adequate input for someone learning to learn the language, so long as you pay attention to what contexts what language is being used in, and develop a sense then for what is and isn't appropriate where.

For Korean I owe a lot to HowToStudyKorean, both for the grammar explanations on the site, and for the accompanying Memrise courses, while TalkToMeInKorean has a very nice podcast that's a nice supplement to it. For Chinese I actually have used very little formal resources, though back in the early days I did download the texbook Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar somewhere off the internet, though most of my language practice has consisted of reading chinese yuri manhuas alongside their translations if I'm gonna be honest with you.

And that's all I can think of off the top of my head. Hope this helps! :)

[baeddel]

oh yeah, since i like, if i'm talking about things, talking about how i'm learning things: (long and extremely boring if you don't care about me)

at the moment i've been trying out some new stuff. as you know i typically just read whatever interested me without very much discipline. then for the last year or so i tried kind of a flexible schedule that involved setting weekly goals for myself, mostly 1ch of my OE book every week. i also started doing 15m of anki every day. well 2022 was a fucking nightmare for me so i wasn't as good at it as i think i coulda been, but when i was 'on' it was pretty good. but i've been trying something new again, which is to work on small daily goals instead.

because i divide my days by meals (cuz my weird diabetes leaves me with an inflexible meal schedule, it's very reliable), i must eat 4 hours apart and must have a snack in the middle. so my day naturally comes in 2hr chunks. so my ideal schedule is something like this:

breakfast meditate 7m [心斋法 'heart purification method'] (building it up) LANGUAGES BLOCK do my daily language chores snack break TEXTBOOK BLOCK pick 2-4 books & study 15m of each lunch LITERATURES BLOCK just read something i picked snack CORRESPONDENCE BLOCK reply to emails & IMs i have to reply to dinner free time snack free time supper brush teeth meditate 7m [心斋法 again] sleep

currently the language chores are:

15m Chinese Assimil book/tapes 10m Old English reading 15m Anki (both OE and Chinese)

the textbooks i'm using are

the OE grammar book still Hock & Joseph Intro to Historical and Comparative Linguistics Hayes Phonology a Lacan essay i'm reading cuz a friend's reading it

the literature part is currently Dante's Divine Comedy

the reason i'm doing it this way is three reasons:

1. learning two languages means i have to do a certain amount of stuff every day no matter what. plus grinding OE every day for over a year really trained my discipline in that respect so it's a lot easier for me now than it used to be.

2. i'm at a point in my learning where i'm kind of starting all over again at something new, re: studying linguistics, so i need to get through a bunch of textbooks and stuff. i needed something more consistent for going through a ton of material.

3. going by chapters or page numbers has a disadvantage, which is that you don't feel like you can skip pages or else you're cheating, and you also don't want to 'read around the subject' and dig into things you find that are interesting because it doesn't help your page number goal. and that's the opposite of what you want, because you want to skip around and do different levels of reading, and you want to follow up on things you're curious about. so going by time rather than page numbers is much better.

the reason for the literatures & emails portions was that i felt so good about the scheduling that i realized i could use it to work on other stuff too. so i'm hoping it helps me reply to stuff on a better schedule and also actually get to read poetry & fiction and stuff more often.

the only one i actually have to do daily is the lanɡuaɡes one. everythinɡ else can be skipped or swapped around dependinɡ on my enerɡy level / interest.

the languages component i've been faithful to for about three weeks, except this weekend when i had a huge fatigue crash & skipped two days. the other stuff i've added later. i've only managed to meet this ideal schedule twice in the week or so i've had it in mind. my hope is that i can work up to being more consistent with it, but it's also not that important that i really do it all every day. it's just an orientation thing. i've still been doing way more, way better than i have done for a long time, so i think it's been helpful. but i'll check back in on it later.

the meditation is interesting. my only reason for it is curiosity. it's part of what i'm studying, so i wanted to try it for myself. 心斋法 is based on a passage of Zhuangzi. i'm following the explanation of it in Wu Jyh Cherng's 'Daoist Meditation.' i've done the best with it out of any technique i ever tried. my problem with meditation is the opposite of most beginners; it tends to produce in me extremely intense experiences extremely quickly. this was also true this time, but starting with a short timer (5m) and being able to focus on the sound of the breath, as is part of this method, was helpful in getting through it. once i got through the initial hurdle i would get very intense blissful feeling and a tingling sensation all over. it's crazy that it really works... but now after a about a week i'm not getting it, and i'm getting distracted by thoughts and fidgeting like a normal person! who knows where it's going...

anyway for linguistics i'm working through those textbooks (which i nabbed from a Harvard historical linguistics class, and constitute my 'intro to historical linguistics block'), then i'm going to do a Writing Systems workout: Rogers' Writing Systems, Page's Intro to English Runes, and Boltz' Chinese Writing System. when i finish my introductory OE grammar i have a kind of 'bridge' text called Old English Historical Linguistic Companion by Roger Lass which is supposed to take you from the introductory grammars to Campbell &c. then Campbell's Grammar > Mitchell's Syntax > Hogg's Grammar. i have a general morphosyntax workout to pair with them at various stages: Payne Morphosyntax, Akajemi & Heny Intro to Transformational Grammar, Haegaman Intro to Government & Binding. at that point i think i can be done with textbooks. obviously i'm not bound to stick to this plan exactly, it's just orientation.

the historical linguistics & phonology textbook are a ton of fucking fun btw. the phonetics chapter of the phonology textbook is amazing because you can make all the sounds yourself, & its like doing a bunch of little experiments on your own body. now i know what i'm doing when i'm making all those sounds. and i inflict this knowledge on my girlfriend who thankfully loves me.

sometime before 2024 i'll start on Latin and work it into the language dailies part. the plan is to ideally get to where i can drop the textbooks & anki vocab grinding & just get where i need w/ extensive reading (and, in the case of Chinese, listening). then i'll change my schedule to have something like: 40m OE reading, 40m ZH reading, 40m Lat reading. and once i work that up enough i can fill that time with the kind of stuff that i'm learning the languages to read, so that my language practice is also actually study/research, and i'm starting to consolidate the different branches a bit and actually freeinɡ up time for other areas. that's the lonɡ term ɡoal, like, 'up to when i'm 35' kind of timeframe. thanks for reading!

[wolfprincesszola]

The Fate of the Marked Six Chapter 2

I have decided on updating this fic every week, so look forward to 22 more weeks of content <3. Most likely, each chapter will be posted either on Wednesday or Friday just because (probably going to be Wednesday late night to be completely honest). I really liked the idea of one character on the head rather than an entire English word, plus I always love fangirling about Chinese characters, so enjoy this. Don't worry, you won't lose any experience if you don't know any Chinese. Just like in this chapter, I'll explain what each character means. I hope you guys enjoy and if you do, please reblog this because it helps a lot more than a like would! <3 ——————– Summary: Virgil moves into a new town and meets Roman, a ghost that he promises to help in finding the unfinished business needed to pass over. However, Roman's past seemed to be deeply muddled with trouble, an uncurable disease that has started to affect a classmate, and a certain tight-lipped valedictorian. Friendships are made and Virgil finds himself thrown into a situation far more complicated and twisted than he signed up. Hopefully, with the help of his new five friends, he can find a way to bring peace to the town once and for all.

Trigger Warnings: None

Content Warnings: Swearing, Talk about Vulgar Activity

<Masterlist>

<Previous> <Next> ——————–

Chapter 02

Janus Wright has known the fates of everyone he has ever come across, just by looking into their eyes. Once he found out symbols were branded on people’s foreheads, he stopped making eye contact with them. When he found out that he could see the symbols on their hands, he stopped trying to shake them. As a result, he found himself not wanting to talk to others in fear he would find out the fates of others, specifically their curses.

He was young when he first started seeing the symbols, and he didn’t know what they meant, because they weren’t in English. Maybe it was what piqued his interest in Chinese culture as every symbol was a character in Chinese. More specifically, a word. He learned pretty quickly how to read Chinese because of the symbols that hung over everyone's head.

Sometimes, they were the word 爱. Sometimes, they were the word 钱. Sometimes, they were something else. However, all of the words Janus saw seemed more like curses than fates. Anyone with the word 钱 seemed to have the worst fortune with money, often struggling to even be in a stable place financially. Anyone with the word 爱 seemed to struggle in finding someone they love.

He hated looking tragically at things, so he tried his hardest not to look at them to make sure he couldn’t see their curses. However, with most of the people in his high school, it was already too late. Most of them were branded, the halls haunted with the Chinese symbols.

The worst symbol he had ever come across was the word 死, the curse of death. he had only seen it on one person and one person only: his best friend, Remus Porter, and for the past 10 years of knowing him, he has been trying to figure out how to change his fate.

-+=~=+-

“Wright!” Janus heard Remus’s voice echo in the crowded hallway. He paid no attention to Remus' voice, continuing to walk away from him.

He heard Remus running through the halls to try and get to him, and everyone almost parted the way, as if he was the king of the school. He caught up to Janus pretty fast, pulling on the top of his backpack and almost making him fall over. Damn Remus for having such long legs.

“You never wait for me!” Remus complained.

Janus shrugged, taking off his headphones that weren’t playing anything and staring at Remus.

“I thought after a decade, you would be nicer to me.” Remus pouted before grinning, "Although...it would be nice for you to-"

"Not in school." Janus hissed, glaring at his best friend before he could even get a word out. The boy could be very outward with his vulgar language and Janus had gotten used to it, but it didn't mean that it never turned heads when Remus said something not school-appropriate.

"Oh come on, you never let me have any fun." Remus pouted.

"How I got stuck with you as a best friend confounds me." Janus sighed as he continued to walk away. Remus followed close behind, ranting about a new game he was playing in his econ class.

It was their daily routine. Remus, the king of the school, would talk to Janus, the quiet kid at school, and everyone around would pretend like it was normal that two people–completely opposite from each other–were such good friends. It shouldn’t have made sense, but with their friendship, it just did.

Maybe it came from the fact that despite Remus being so popular, his language and way of communicating with others was so vulgar that it made people wonder whether or not Remus was messed up or if he was awful at showing that he was joking. Maybe it came from the fact that Janus had been the only one to know how to handle Remus' attitudes and sometimes had gone along with his plans. Maybe it came from the fact that Janus wasn't quiet, but instead didn't mess with the niceties and faux smiles that everyone else hid behind. Maybe it came from the fact that only Remus had been genuine from the very start towards Janus. Janus would never know.

While the two walked to Janus’s math class, Remus high-fived everyone that looked at him on the way, while Janus tried his best to keep his eyes on his feet and not make eye contact with anyone.

“Yo, Pat!” Remus grinned as he bumped hips with the class clown, Patton Morris.

Janus was wrong about Remus being the only genuine guy. There was also Patton, who seemed a little too genuine at times for Janus. He was kind to everyone and it baffled Janus how Patton could be so nice to everyone, even those that were awful to him. Patton didn't hang around the pair too often though because of Remus' humor. Unlike Remus, Patton preferred to stay PG, in both his actions and language. If Patton wasn't so genuine to Janus, Janus would've hated him.

“Remus!” Patton smiled, turning towards the two of them, “Always a pleasure to see you. And you too, Janus!”

Janus made the mistake of looking up, pretending not to notice the branded 爱 on Patton's forehead. Still, Janus nodded in the class clown's direction, "Patton."

"How were your weekends, you two? I hope not too exciting." Patton began to fall into step with the pair walking.

"Oh-" Remus began before Janus cut him off.

"No, Remus. Patton doesn't need to hear any of that. You can tell me later."

Remus groaned before sighing, "Alright, I did nothing this weekend."

Patton raised an eyebrow in confusion as he fixed the grey cardigan sitting on his shoulders of his polo shirt. "Are you sure?"

"Nothing of interest, at least." Janus filled in for Remus.

"Ooh, I know what we can talk about! Did you find anything about your powers?" Remus jumped up in excitement.

Janus really had to get someone like the valedictorian to explain to Remus how powers worked because it was clear Remus wasn't understanding what Janus was saying. Still, Janus tried one more time, "I’ve told you this already, Re, if you have the power, you’re born with it. It comes easier to you when you can’t control it when you’re younger, and after a while, it’ll only come in spurts until you learn to control it again. Patton doesn’t have that ability, just like you don’t.”

“Hey, you never know. It would be cool if he had magic!” Remus grinned, “Besides, I thought you liked to speak in lies."

“Not when you say stupid shit like that.” Janus scowled, rolling his eyes.

“Which reminds me, you have to tell me what your powers are. You haven’t told anyone!” Remus grinned at Janus.

“Because I don’t fully understand them myself!” Janus scoffed, knowing the real reason was because Janus didn’t want Remus to find out his fate.

“Uh huh, I’m pretty sure you’re just bluffing.” Remus snorted, grabbing Janus' hat off of him.

“I’m not! I’m really magical!”

“That’s something a faker would say and not a real person who can use magic.”

Janus rolled his eyes, “Go to class, you two. We wouldn’t want the valedictorian to catch you guys again, do we?”

Patton’s eyes widened as he muttered a bunch of curses, “Logan's going to kill me if I’m late again. Bye, guys!”

Janus rolled his eyes as he said goodbye to Remus, getting to his math class as well. Patton had forgotten that Logan didn’t check tardies during the third period.

-+=~=+-

Janus enjoyed the valedictorian’s company. Logan Sanders was a quiet person, who kept to himself most of the time, so they often paired for group projects. With them being so oftenly paired together, they knew which parts to assign to who, and so they could spend the entire class period in silence while working separately and together at the same time.

Janus didn’t know a lot about Logan, but he knew the boy's fate. Janus knew that the symbol that haunted Logan was the word 憦, the curse of regret.

Sitting quietly with Logan, Janus started to learn more about the teacher’s pet. Janus could see the regret that weighed within his shoulders and his eyes that never seemed to go away, and Janus understood that Logan’s curse of regret had been with the boy for a long time.

Then, that gave Janus insight on Remus. Sitting with the quiet valedictorian with regret that weighed tons on the boy's shoulder told Janus something about Remus.

He had never really noticed it before but now he saw the tiredness that rested on Remus’s shoulders, the ones that always seemed in pain. He remembered how Remus always had a reminder around 4 in the afternoon to take painkillers, and he remembered how easily Remus got sick.

Janus was sitting at his usual table during their break time, reading a book when he saw a figure walking towards him. Janus closed his book, looking up to see Remus grinning at him. Remus' shoulders were sagging more than usual. It was clear he was cheerful, but there was a part of him that was more physically exhausted than normal.

“Hey, Jan.” Remus grinned as he stole a chip from Janus’ snackbox. “How was your day?”

“Good.” Janus pushed the entire box out for Remus to eat, knowingly having packed another one for himself since it had been an issue that Remus would steal his food.

“Hm, same.” Remus smiled as the two sat in silence, eating. It was usually how the more recent lunches have gone, as he had been noticing Remus had been getting more and more tired.

So, with his burning curiosity, he broke the silence in the worst way possible, “Are you going to die?”

“What?” Remus choked on his snack, laughing as he turned towards his best friend. “What do you mean?”

Janus turned towards Remus, “You heard what I said, Re.”

Remus laughed, “Oh, I wish. Would you be plotting to kill me? How delicious that sounds! Oh, tell me more, tell me more."

Maybe Remus was fine.

"I'm not planning to kill you. I'm just...not asking you straight out."

Remus seemed to grasp that Janus was seemingly worried for him and exhaled, "Oh, come on, Jan. I'm not going to die. To hell with that idea. In fact, the only way I would ever let anyone kill me is if they did it gruesome enough."

Yep, Remus was definitely fine.

"What even prompted this?" Remus raised an eyebrow.

The mark of death on his forehead.

“I don’t not know…maybe it’s the fact that you’ve been more tired recently, or that you haven’t been as cheerful, or that you’re always in pain, or that you can never eat a full meal anymore and resort to stealing snacks, or that-”

“I get it.” Remus laughed, cutting his best friend off. “I promise you, Janus Wright, with my life. I’m not going to die. If I do, I will strike myself down with a butt plug until I die."

Janus groaned. Of course Remus had to ruin it.

"That defeats the entire purpose of making you swear not to die."

"Well, just trust me, Jan. You're not getting rid of me that easily."

"Good." Janus bumped shoulders with his best friend, "I don't know how I could deal in this world with all these crappy people without you."

"You know it, baby." Remus shimmied before pulling Janus into an involuntary hug.

Despite the fact that Remus had promised him, Janus knew by the way Remus squeezed him so tight he was scared he would never see Janus again, that Remus was lying.

-+=~=+-

“I need your help.” Janus dropped a book onto Logan’s lunch table. Remus was currently serving detention for skipping first period and Logan was sitting alone during lunch, just reading his book and annotating it. Probably doing homework like the studious valedictorian he was.

“Is this because I put your boyfriend in detention?” Logan asked deadpanned as he didn’t look up from his annotations.

“What? No! He’s not my boyfriend.” Janus scowled.

“Mhm, keep telling yourself that.” Logan turned the page of his book, still not truly caring about what Janus was saying.

“Stop that.” Janus tsked, “You have access to all of the students’ medical records, right?”

“Don’t even think about making me break the rules, Wright.”

“I’m not, I’m not!” Janus flushed in embarrassment, knowing that it was exactly what he was going to ask Logan to do.

There was a bit of silence as Logan continued to read through his book and annotate it before Janus caved from the silence to tell Logan the plan. “It’s just that Remus is my best friend, and I know he’s lying about not being hurt. I don’t know how to help him if I don’t know his medical record. I’m scared that he has some sort of illness that’s making him feel this sick, and I want to help him.”

“No.”

“Please, Logan. I promise I won’t ask anything like this from you ever again.”

“I’m sorry. I feel sympathetic.” Logan hesitated as he finally looked up to face Janus, closing his book, “But I can’t break the rules. I have the trust of every faculty member on me.”

Janus was surprised that Logan could feel something, moreover feel sympathetic.

“I know, but can’t you make an exception this once? I mean…it’s not going to hurt anyone, is it?”

Logan gave a small smile--Janus didn't know Leo could do that either--as he stacked some folders together and stood up, “I’m sorry, Wright.”

“Please…I just want to keep him safe. I promise I won’t ask anything else from you for a month, and I won’t tell anyone about this. Besides…haven’t you ever tried to feel empathetic rather than sympathetic?”

Again, Janus didn't really know why he was saying that when he wasn't even sure that Logan could feel anything. The valedictorian had always been so robotic and emotionless that Janus was surprised that Logan stiffened. An unreadable expression flashed in Logan’s eyes and suddenly, the mark on Logan’s forehead turned bright red.

Holy shit, what did Janus just do?

“...Logan?” Janus asked, watching as the mark started to turn bright in the same color as fire.

The boy sighed, brushing through his hair and looked up towards the sky for what Janus could assume was a plea of forgiveness, “Fine, but only once.”

Janus perked up, “Really?”

“Not. A. Word. Got it?” Logan threatened Janus.

“Got it.”

With that, the two boys walked silently to the computer lab, where Logan typed in the computer a couple of passwords and went through a few firewalls until Logan scrolled down to Remus’s name. “Cancer.”

“What?” Janus’s voice cracked upon hearing Logan’s straightforward answer.

“Specifically, for the way natural magic is being stored in his body.” Logan replied, closing the tab before Janus could see more, “His body is too small for the growing and powerful magic, and so he needs to take medication in order to stop it from growing. I don’t know if there’s a cure.”

Janus nodded, staring at Logan. The mark on Logan's forehead was fading from a bright fiery orange back to the regular black it always was. “Thank you, Logan.”

Logan just shrugged, “Remember…”

“Not a word. I know.” Janus nodded as he watched Logan walk away.

Now that Janus knew what Remus was going through, even if he found out through a questionable way, he knew he wanted to help Remus get rid of the cursed symbol on his head, and hopefully learn how to help him in a way that he could help the others around him also remove their curses. ————– I know, I know. I didn't make Roman and Remus siblings in this. I'm actually so dumb for not seeing it before, but the entire fic is already planned out and it doesn't make sense if I change Remus' position for Logan's at this point.

If you enjoyed this, please consider reblogging! Reblogging helps me a lot and are very appreciated. Check out my masterlist for more, feel free to request any writings, and stick around if you want to see the rest of what I have in store for this! :)

P.S. Should I start doing a tag list? If you let me know, I'll put you on the tag list.

[1ore]

me again (insert man standing emoji here)

A) my previous ask asking for reading materials really proved useful in my course actually! ive been very busy but it was interesting to compare outside knowledge with what we've been learning about in class c:

B) I've noticed the little Japanese notes sometimes in your post and I'm also attempting to learn - I've got hiragana down, but I was wondering what you/who you learn from :o? I've found the tofugo (think I spelled that right) website n have been just goin through it.

Thank you! ^u^

🕴️

A.) I’m so happy to hear that it was enriching : D I hope the class makes good conversation with those articles!

B.) I’m taking a Japanese class at my college, this semester. I did self-study about 2 years ago using duolingo, toucan, and whatever activities I could scrounge up from the internet, but I fell off the wagon for a while. The difference between self-study and a structured course is night and day for me, but I’m also in my last semester… So… I still have the same questions you do LOL. I want to talk to my professor about how to keep going without the classroom structure. When I do, I’ll share anything that I haven't already. (I have also heard good things about wanikani and sometimes refer to Tofugu for grammar weirdness. I want to check them out more!)

Anyway, the textbooks that we’re using are good ‘ole Genki and Kanji Look & Learn. They come with workbooks that are pretty good for giving you a variety of writing and listening activities to do. I also use the Renshuu app, which is kinda like Duolingo, but beefier and more customizable. I set it up to be very writing- and kanji-focused, so any time I do text input, I have to write it out. This works great for learning vocabulary and kanji, but I haven’t used it as much for grammar.

Apart from that, I have my friend @soulfullofold who speaks Mandarin Chinese at a much higher level than I do Japanese. I find it helpful to vex and haunt her talk about kanji with her. The characters are mostly the same, but the readings, the meanings, the pronunciations—it’s a complete tossup, we’re lucky if they sound even a little alike. Still, learning the characters is more intuitive if I have a memory attached to them, even if that memory is “oh, snoodles hates 自転車 because it’s pronounced じてんしゃ ji ten sha and not zi xing che.”

(this Does create situations where I know 口 as “kou” first and not “くち / kuchi,” so. you win some, you lose some.)

We also get together on Mizu Mondays to learn and teach one another about a quirk in our respective language. Some of our prompts have been “terms of endearment,” “things you can’t do in english,” “learn a new character with this radical,” etc. Maybe a more generalizable activity to do with someone you know who is learning any second language. Keeps you accountable and lets you learn something new+fun with a friend.

頑張って！！　がんばって！！ ganbatte!

[ithaquasbbg]

May I slide in here to request a matchup? I’m a trans autistic male who enjoys reading, writing, drawing, fashion, and makeup. I love cats and snakes, and learning new things. I’m also bilingual (I speak Chinese, my native language, and English), love to read classical literature, yet I spend most of my time playing games. My friends say I’m good at comforting people, and am empathetic and logical in my approach. I am pansexual, maybe polyamorous, and have no preference to any gender, although my type for men is intelligent, and my type for women is those who will top me. I do have a penchant for avoiding things that make me feel uncomfortable and get irate quite easily, and would like to, one day, become a mortician. Please take you time if need be and I hope I’m not bothering you too much. Have a good day!!

Hello! There’s several I think could work.. so here we go ^^

Matchup 05

Aesop Carl

- he honestly gives me the vibes of somebody who would like classical literature as well.

- Aesop is definitely intelligent, and he also seems like he could possibly be multilingual (pretty easily too)

- Based off the gatto costume.. I can assume he probably likes cats as well! You can collect cats together.

- He, unlike you is not good at comforting others, and that may or may not go amazingly, but small differences shouldn’t be a big deal.

- His career path is pretty similar to the one that you want to follow, so he may be able to give helpful advice, and you could learn more from each other!

2) Demi

- Demi gives me the vibes of somebody who would enjoy animals, so if you had cats, I think she’d like playing with them quite a bit!

- She’s probably not as into literature as Aesop, BUT she’d probably be willing to play games with you, even if she… may need to learn how

- She seems like somebody who would appreciate having another person around to comfort her, so the fact you’re good at that would probably make her appreciate you all the more

- For things that make you uncomfortable, you may need to communicate that to her as well as you can, but she seems like she may actually be receptive to things like this.

- I think…. I think she fits in your type for women

- Your career path is very different from hers! But I do believe she’d have an interest in things you do, and would also tell you stories about what happens at her work.

3) Sangria

She’s so… she’s so fine..

- Honestly unsure on if she’s ever had pets or not, though I do think she would like having them around, sort of like an extra friend.

- She honestly is probably multilingual as well, and may know Latin, if that’s something that may be interesting to you. (Saying this because a LOT of opera songs are in Latin!)

- She also seems like the type to like classic literature quite a bit! And in terms of games… you may need to teach her how to play them. She seems like she would be funny to listen to when she gets mad.

- I don’t think she’s much of somebody who would push boundaries, she seems like a more reserved but still flirty type of lover. One that would slowly get to know your boundaries.

-…she also feels really fitting for what you described as your type

- Career wise, theres No similarities at all. But I think she probably sees death in quite an interesting lighting, and that would make her have a definite respect for your career path.

…

Yay! I’m done now

[skopostheorie]

hi Q! hope ur days been good ^_^ and i hope u dont mind me asking a few language related questions. besides english, what language have you been learning the longest ? also, what motivates you to pick up new languages?

To the contrary, everyone here is required to send me LOTE questions ON THE DAILY.

My longest-studied language is French, I started in 2019 after discovering Astérix and the special interest activating pretty much instantly. I remember the moment super well. Studying the art of translating Astérix made me decide I wanted to be a translator and from there my passion for languages grew. I think it helped that I knew French wasn't the most linguistic diversity languages had to offer. I went onto Swedish after that, and got just far enough to read Pippi Longstocking, and then I got into Arabic, and did it for Year 11 and 12. Arabic is on hiatus at the moment, and I highly doubt I'll ever go back to Swedish.

Motivation is mostly just that besides Astérix, it's my special interest, so I wasn't going to be doing much else with my time anyway. If we're talking more specifically about what leans me towards certain languages, I think the 1) size of its speaker-base (Chinese, Hindi, Arabic) 2) how much work it is (I like having a language that really gets my brain turning, which is why I've mostly abandoned Europe, having to be dragged kicking and screaming to learn Spanish) 3) interest in its speakers and etymology and/or proximity to Australia (Yiddish, Vietnamese) and 4) interest for other special interest reasons (French, Japanese (ダンロン、セカオワなどのおかげで)). To be frank, though, most of my choices are based on whims that I stick with because "might as well". I got to a certain level in Japanese where I thought to myself, well, what else am I doing?

[studyeonjena]

Introducing Me!

Hello! I am Bella, also known as studyeonjena, formerly known as westernstudies. I decided to redo this intro since I am revamping this page and also I have changed so much since the last time I posted this intro.  Without further ado, I present a small glimps into my life;

a mini bio:

My name is Bella, and I am 20 (an Aries) as well as a Junior in Uni. I am currently studying Behavioral Science and Social Science. I have a certificate in CompSci and Graphic/Web Design. I am very passionate about my beliefs on politics and am not afraid to argue with you if I think your ignorance will genuinely affect human lives. I get sick VERY easily and have the worst immune system in the world. I have had some bad problems with both physical and mental health over the last year and it has been very hard but I hope doing studyblr again will get me back on track with my studies. I love music, art, rain and coffee. Lastly, my personal outlook on life is that everyone has kindness in them, but it is not up to you to show those who treat you like shit the kindness they neglect to give you.

hobbies:

watching YouTube, reading, hiking and camping, discovering new music and singing along poorly, reading fanfiction, starting but never finishing art and craft projects, driving around, laying in bed and staring at the ceiling until I eventual tire myself out.

Connect with me:

 Personal Tumblr:  @camisadoclouds

Personal Instagram: @aestrieella

Personal Twitter: @bellasj0y

Personal Youtube: Star Girl

Spotify: Peaches

QUICK FAXS:

I am an INFP (Meditator)

Trying to be a Pescatarian

Astrology Lover (Aries, Leo, Aquarius)

Tree Hugger/ Earth Lover

Religion is complicated

HUGE Horror fan

Kpop fan

Spencer Reid Enthusiast

Not a Brony but I do enjoy My Little Pony

Trying to get into Adventure Time

Really wanna penpal

Former Emo Kid

GIANT Geek

ADVID British Joke Consumer

Chinese Meme Conisour

Language Learner

Trying to become a streamer

Terrible French speaker

interests:

I like to watch tons of different genres of youtube, these days I watch a lot of compilation videos and such

I’ve decided to take up reading again

Art

Video/Photo Editing and Taking

I prefer movies over tv shows, unless it is Asian Dramas

I enjoy baking

Dancing

Learning languages

favorites:

movies: Battle Royale, Midsommar, Crazy Rich Asians, Percy Jackson, As Above So Below

shows: A Business Proposal, Falling into Your Smiling, Full House (Korean), Crash Landing on You, Criminal Minds, Sailor Moon, So I Married an AntiFan and many more

colours: Powder (pink, blue, ect), Yellow, Navy, Maroon, Orange

albums: A Fever You Can't Sweat Out - Panic! At the Disco, Any Lovejoy album whatsoever, Sour - Olivia Rodrigo, Arrival - ABBA, Manifesto - Enhypen, Superache - Connan Gray

video games: Minecraft, The Sims, AmongUs, Portals

food: Sushi, Noodles, Popcorn, Tteokbokki, Japchae, rice

drinks: TEA, COFFEE, Orange Soda, Sprite, Ginger ale, dr. pepper

aesthetics: Light and Romantic Academia, Y2K Cyber, Cottage Core, Emo/Scene and sometimes Gothic.

I like to describe my aesthetic under the name Persephone Inspired.

TXT and IKEA for some reason

classes:

Winter Semester:

Still Determining

Spring Semester:

Still Determining

Summer Semester:

Internship in Hawaii

goals:

finish relearning Korean, Japanese, and Spanish ASAP

BULLET JOURNAL MORE, I am so much more productive and organized when I use my buju.

make all A's these next two semesters

eat and be healthier

participate in as many studyblr challenges as possible

have 1 year of productivity

do okay while streaming

Get an iPad