#practicing to become a polyglot

[polyglotinthegreenwood]

I feel like finding editions of books in your target languages should be easier than it is.

Recently found a few German editions of contemporary books I love in order to help with my reading comprehension and vocabulary skills… but I am challenged to find French editions.

And getting ahold of a physical copy of the books, without having to travel to France or Germany, seems even harder.

[occamstfs]

Peace Together

Devon dreamed of getting out of the South, after achieving his great escape and beginning his Ivy League education he finds a new challenge in his perfect roommate, Phillip Wellington III or Lip. Never has the jock been anything but an angel to his new roommate, so why does he drive Devon mad?

Anxious nerd -> Preppy jock Bit of a self indulgent one, vaguely based on a certain American novel, which anyone who has read it will surely notice haha! Once more aided by Fred W. Kong! Hope you enjoy this tale of two longing roommates! -Occam

Devon never believed that people like Lip actually existed. Sure, superficially he looked just like any number of tormentors he knew from back home; The very ones who led him to avoid any team sports or phys ed, the ones that led him to pour everything he had into his studies and any academic extracurriculars he could find to get out of Mississippi. And so he did, and then he met Phillip. Or Lip, as he prefers to be called.

The pair came from different worlds. Devon was the sole Asian student in a southern public high school. Phillip Wellington III was the scion of a blue blooded Massachusetts clan. From the start Devon knew he would be encountering people from lives he would never understand, coming from backgrounds of such privilege he could scarcely understand.

But when he heard he would be rooming with a Wellington, Devon went almost catatonic with fear that he would be some plaything of a rich asshole. Out from the frying pan of brutish jocks and into the fire of a genuinely powerful preppy tyrant. Come to find out however, Lip was the furthest thing from a cruel snob.

At face value, one would assume Lip was handed his admission to this university on a silver platter, and true, no donor-hungry university would deny a Wellington. Devon certainly thought as much. But after learning even briefly of his new roommate’s achievements it was clear that by all accounts, Lip earned his place here. His test scores were stellar, academically he sometimes even gave Devon a run for his money. On top of his stellar intellectual pursuits though, he was an athletic star unlike any other.

Like a polyglot learns languages or a prodigy instruments, anytime Lip encountered a sport or game he had yet to play, in an hour's time he would be schooling whoever showed him the ropes. He could do it all, he did do it all. He had every right to look down on Devon. And yet ever since their first meeting Lip has been nothing but kind and respectful. He has been a beacon of warmth to Devon as he adapted to this cold, often hostile new university life.

So why does he fill Devon with such dread?

“Y’alright buddy? Dev?” 

Devon shakes out of a stupor he didn’t even know he was in and finds himself staring directly at his roommate, his self-proclaimed best friend, Lip. He smiles awkwardly, as he does most things, and apologizes, “Jeez yeah- too many late nights I guess, sorry Phillip.”

Lip grins, perfect smile gleaming as he walks over to ruffle Devon’s hair. The meek man desperately tries to hide how he freezes up under the faultless man’s touch, something he’s well practiced in after their few years living together. While both are quite busy with the rigor of their course schedules, Lip even more so with his athletic and social commitments, in their free time it was rare to see one without the other. 

Outside observers would be quick to pin Devon a hanger on, but in reality Lip goes out of his way to be near his roommate whenever the opportunity presents itself. Which, given Devon’s proclivity towards static study is fairly often. An entire floor of the campus’ library had become something of a popular haunt due to Devon, and by proxy Lip, frequenting it and attracting the true hangers on of the Wellington golden boy.

For the life of him, Devon can’t understand why a man that anyone in their right mind would describe as perfect would give him the time of day. Why he would care to spend time with him at all, let alone invite him on their family vacations. Since Devon stumbled into their dorm all those years ago and saw Lip hallowed by their cheap phosphorescent ceiling fan, he has done nothing but gone out of his way to ensure Devon would never feel lesser. It made the ever-antsy man feel like he was going insane.

“Man! Lost in your head again Dev? Gotta be a new record,” Devon feels the blush burning on his cheeks as he sees the same genuine smile that is almost always painted on Lip’s face. His blush is certainly not helped by the fact that Lip is halfway through changing into a flowy button up. Not that Devon’s gay of course, or whatever. He just wasn’t prepared to see his friend shirtless. Lip’s smile briefly flickers as he tilts his head before continuing, “Are you still down to head to the frat networking thing tonight?”

Devon groans for a few uninterrupted seconds. Shit- He knows he really should go, but truly nothing sounds more hellish than spending time with those money-bagged brutes. Eyes flicker and something in his chest flutters as he looks to his roommate, at least Lip will be there. The thought is buried without reflection, “Yeah…  Yeah, I’ll go with you-”

“Sweet!” Lip’s smile fades for the smallest moment and he quickly goes to smell his pit before grimacing, “Oof I better hit the shower before though-” The Adonis reaches to grab his shirt by the hem and lifts it over his head with effortless grace, perfectly displaying his waist and sending a gulp down Devon’s throat. Looking down at his roommate with a wink, Lip grabs a hanging towel before rushing into the bathroom, “Be out in 30, you don’t need a shower before the thing too do ya?”

Face angled down, pointedly not looking at Lip as he unbuttons his pants Devon shakes his head and doesn’t see his roommate’s carefree shrug. Finally, when the door closes and Devon hears the shower running, he sighs and feels secure enough to raise his eyes again. With Lip away Devon feels his attention drawn to the discarded, apparently sweaty shirt. His mouth goes dry.

Try as he might to distract himself, the pull the garment has on him is all-consuming. Devon is pulled to it like a mouth to the flame, his eyes struggling to stray just as they always fail to avoid staring at the back of Lip’s head. Comforted by the drone of the shower, he allows himself to step forward and grab the ever so slightly damp shirt, all the while repeating the mantra ‘I’m not gay’ in his head.

Such thoughts are put on hold as he reaches down to grab it, finding the shirt still slightly warm from being worn by Lip. Moreover he feels his hands are sticky with sweat as he lifts it up, unsure why he is doing this or what he is to do with it next. Devon gulps as he realizes just how large it is. It’s of no surprise of course, Lip is so much larger than him. The Achilles to his Pat- er no that’s not right. All these classics classes are rotting his mind.

Devon bites his lip almost to the point of drawing blood as he feels his fingers rest on the damp left behind by Lip’s pits. Before he even knows what he’s doing he thrusts his face into the shirt and takes a deep sniff. Quicker than he can consciously think, his body reacts to this with delight more than he thought possible. In his mind he reflexively pictures his perfect roommate on the green chasing down a soccer ball, working up a sweat as he climbs trees just for the fun of it, sprinting down the university’s track to set a new high jump record. 

Devon’s heart flutters as he is so easily able to recollect the man’s splendor, his success. Burned into his psyche clearer than anything, Devon sees Lip. He sees his brilliant smile, feels his rough palms, smells the memory of his sweat overpowering expensive cologne as powerfully as he smells both on the shirt clutched to his face. This is not enough, he needs more. His mouth waters as he imagines the exposed happy trail, sees a few curls extending past the edge of Lip’s sleeve, hears an echo of his loud lilting laughter. Devon needs to be him, Devon needs him. 

Comforted by the sound of the shower still running, Devon loosens his white-knuckled grip on the shirt and moves to stand in front of a mirror. Throwing off the graphic tee he had on, he moves quicker than he has in years to throw on Lip’s shirt. It hangs limply from his thin shoulders and onto his flat chest, the sleeves fall well past his fingertips. He feels the cold patch of sweat about halfway down his sides where the garment apparently clung to Lip’s pits. 

He pulls the placket tight to feel the shirt strain against his thin back, desperately willing the shirt to fit him. Wishing more than anything it was skin tight as it fit on Lip. Wishing he were man enough to fill it.

Staring at his reflection he sees nothing but the fool he is. The phoney he always has been. He sees his eyes begin to water as his face burns with embarrassment, with envy, with a need to be someone else. With an oppressive hunger to be more like Lip, to be Lip.

Clenching his eyes shut to avoid crying outright, the sound of the running shower fades into silence as he loses himself to his memories, his obsessive recollections once more. Burned into his eyes before the sting of tears can overwhelm him he sees how the waist of the shirt hung low, almost to his knees. And then he flashes back.

It was early on in their relationship, Devon was still unpacking his things as they moved into their first dorm. He had probably spent about half a minute trying to reach something on top of their bookshelf before Lip sidled over to lend a helping hand. Guarded more than could possibly be healthy, Devon almost scoffs before grumbling out a thanks. Turning to look up at Lip, he sees his new roommate scratching the back of his head in as awkward a manner as he’s probably capable, “Sorry Devon- I just didn’t want you to hurt yourself or-”

“It’s fine! It’s whatever.” 

 Refusing to let it rest, and unaware that Devon’s size is obviously an insecurity, Lip continues, “How tall are you anyway?” Devon’s brow twitches into a scowl as he prepares to snap before turning to see a look of genuine care and curiosity on his new roommate’s face. Thrown for such a loop he answers as he always does, falsely, “No it’s fine I’m uh, 5’9” Lip looks the student up and down and knows he can’t be taller than five seven. Devon simply banks that no one cares enough to call him on the matter, usually a safe bet.

The deceit bothers Lip though, quickly he moves to rest a hand on Devon’s shoulder before his new roommate can flinch away. Lip looks him intently in the eyes, “You shouldn’t lie about your height Dev. You shouldn’t feel the need to.” Devon feels the hand twitch on his shoulder as Lip considers moving it into a caress or pulling him into a hug before he instead takes a step back to give him room, “You don’t need to care about what others think of you buddy.”

The conversation dogged him then almost as much as it does now. All this time later he still cannot get over how affected he was by Lip’s kindness. How much he immediately longed to help him, to be his friend. His intense stare, the warm hand perfectly resting its weight on his shoulder, if Devon focuses he swears he can feel it there now, comforting him. Ugh! It’s driving him insane. 

Opening his eyes he sees himself in a mirror, just as he was before. A reflection of his playing dress-up. Shaky hands resting on the counter and then he sees it. Or no? No, the image has changed? It must be in his head, it has to be. And yet, as he stares at the mirror, he would swear the shirt seems to be fitting him better. Making an effort he goes to stand up straight and sees the button up pull a few inches higher, he feels himself take up more space in the room. 

Covering his mouth with a hand, Devon gasps and poses to find himself standing at least 5’9. No. Even taller. His eyes alight with wonder, but there’s no time to question this miracle as he realizes the sound of the running shower has stopped. Then he hears the turning of a door handle and sees steam pouring out from the bathroom door opening as Lip returns, towel wrapped around his waist and sculpted body bare to the world “Don’t remember if you needed to shower too but you’re all good now Dev!”

Shaking his hair dry like a dog, only then does he notice Devon guiltily staring at him, “Oh! That my shirt buddy? Coulda just asked-” Not a hint of judgement or suspicion on his face. Though he’s stunned from shock as Devon runs over and grabs him by his arms, never has the man ever gone out of his way to touch him fully clothed. For him to even look at him while he’s basically nude must mean something is seriously amiss. 

“Phillip. Do you notice anything different about me?” Lip looks him up and down with a shy smile, tightening the towel hiding his modesty as he does so, “Uhhh, not really Dev?” Devon releases his grip as he too realizes how out of character the action was, “Look! I’m clearly taller!” 

Lip tilts his head and looks closely, Devon sees his furrowed brow and for a moment it seems like he’s going to agree, but then his eyes get glassy. With a grunt Lip blinks hard a couple times and then whatever confusion that lay behind his eyes is gone, his expression returned to the usual perfect smile that rests upon his face, “What do you mean buddy? We’ve always been the same height!”

Devon blanches. Looking down he realizes that as he was so honed in on Lip that he didn’t even notice as he sprouted taller once more. He feels the cool air of their dorm room on his ankles as his legs have clearly lengthened, sees his wrists peeking from the sleeves of a shirt that now seems almost too short for his lanky arms. Gasping, he almost falls back from realizing that he is currently making direct eye contact with Lip, a man who has always stood over a head taller than him. In fact he would have fallen, had his roommate not been ready to catch him.

Devon feels the man’s slightly damp arm holding him aloft, he quietly apologizes, knowing that Devon is usually touch averse. “Sorry Dev.” In the rush to catch him, their faces rest but an inch apart from each other. Both men freeze. Devon smells Lip’s minty, warm breath and is faced with a need more pressing than he’s ever felt before. Fortunately for him, Lip’s down-turned eyes and wanting mouth provide no illusion that he craves anything but the same. 

It’s not clear who moves first as their mouths meet. It doesn’t matter as they both lean in and for the first time since they met, Devon feels peace. Even the hysteria of his suddenly sprouting almost half a foot taller cannot stir him from the bliss and contentment he finds in the embrace of Phillip Wellington. When he glides across the man’s brilliant teeth with his tongue and feels his counterpart do the same, Devon finally opens his eyes to see Lip's tanned face far too close for comfort, see his lashes quiver as he somehow finds similar delight in Devon’s mouth. 

And he pushes away.

Devon falls to the floor, causing a clamor louder than either man expected. Scrambling on the floor he gasps deeper breaths than his thin torso should be able to manage. His vision flashes white from taking in more oxygen than he’s ever done before. Hands that moments ago were clutching and rubbing the bare muscled back of Lip now fly to his own chest as his expanding lungs burn, only to find resistance where there should be none. 

Fingers inching under the borrowed shirt scrape against the bulging muscle fibers of pecs beginning to form. As Phillip reaches out a helping hand as he has done on countless occasions in the time they’ve known each other, Devon skitters away, doing everything short of smacking the hand as he struggles to push himself back using his legs alone, crying out in a voice cracking deeper, “WhAT’s happening to me PhILip!” 

Lip, not used to being caught off-guard, struggles to come up with a game plan as he’s distracted watching Devon’s exposed ankles prickle with hair as hitherto non-existent calves begin to press against his pants. Staring hungrily as wider feet press against cheap tennis shoes, filling them almost to bursting as Devon tries to crawl onto his bed. Lip’s mind is torn between two worlds, just as Devon seems to be torn between two selves. He struggles to remember which Devon he knows to be real, the quiet one sheepishly sneaking peeks at him from behind a textbook, or the one that seems to be bursting forth before him.

Crying out as his vocal chords thicken and expand, Devon’s deepening grunts cover the unpleasant sounds of his back cracking as it widens to fill Lip’s shirt. Ribs pushing out and giving him a thick chest that anyone would envy, that he should envy. Memories flash through his mind from years of hungrily staring at Lip’s pecs are interrupted with just as many instances of staring at his own massive chest in gym mirrors. Posing alongside his lov- friend, flexing and playing with a meaty chest. His eye twitches as sees a clear memory of Lip sucking on his larger nipples before gasping and returning to the present moment, hands clenching his bedsheets.

Looking at them, Devon is again stunned with images forcing their way through his mind like a reel. He can’t tell what is real or imagined, he feels himself being topped by Lip. And then he sees Lip’s tanned hands pulling at the bedsheets as he clutches the man’s pecs from behind. Yanking at his blonde curls, he hears heady breaths from his deeper chest. Feels the sweat, smells the man’s natural musk. 

In reality his hips reflexively rut against the bed as he cries out Lip’s name in between drooling grunts, “Lip, help-” For the first time in all their knowing each other that he opts to not use the man’s full name, breaking Lip out of his strange lull. Seeing the man quivering against his bed frame, ass suddenly filling out his pants as they begin to tear, Lip can’t help but get distracted. He’s always been drawn to his bookish er- brawny roommate, but facing the man as he grows he doesn’t know how long he’ll be able to hold back.

His excitement makes itself known as under the towel barely hanging onto his own gyrating waist, there’s a clear, throbbing outline of a cock that could do with some attention. One that Devon finds precisely at eye level as he turns on the spot, “Lip. I need your grgh-,” the words dance as he has trouble controlling his still thrusting form, abs bursting onto his torso give him power enough to push off his bed with ease. Which he does, exercising his new burning strength.

Head light from vertigo, he takes his first stumbled step forward and falls once more into the arms of Lip, his face squarely pushed against the man’s dewy pecs. Looking up to find Lip staring into him with nothing short of total desire, biting his lip with a fervor, Devon struggles to not totally give in to whatever alien drive is pulling them together,“Look we- we can’t, I’m not supposed to be like this!” 

It’s unclear if Lip is even listening as he whines from the feeling of Devon’s bare skin against his own. Shaking with the effort of holding back, he allows his towel to fall to the ground, gasping as his cock bobs free, forcefully bumping into Devon’s barely contained package. Looking down to see Lip’s exposed growing rod, Devon feels his ability to keep his hardening cock and growing lust under control waning.

He doesn’t know how much longer he can keep this up. As he feels his traps bulging and arms bulking, he wonders if he even wants to anymore. There’s only a hint of lucidity behind Lip’s eyes as Devon makes his appeals, and with each needy throb of his package, every scratch of Lip’s hands against his back, every sweaty breath against his torso even that meagre show of willpower begins to fade.

“I’m not some muscle-bound hunk like you Lip! I’m just dweeb! I’m your little pet project!” Lip shakes his head slowly, and with each rotation Devon changes even more, biceps shaping up to be even larger than Lip’s. He feels them strain the shirt and grunts as he is unable to ignore the continuing changes. Lip would never call him a pet project, to Lip they were friends, just friends. Not divided by status, Lip never looked down on him.

“Okay whatever! We’re friends, right? Just friends!” Lip’s mouth falls open, wanting to take a bite, give a hickey, drink in Devon’s saliva, taste his sweat. Devon’s heart skips a beat as his chest feels a pang of need, are they just friends? His jaw squares out, shaping into something impossibly masculine, powerful and sharp. One of Lip’s hands forces itself under his shirt to rub his back as muscle continues to pack on. The other makes its way all the way up to play with Devon’s hair as it changes from the same cut he has gotten his whole life. Changing from one deliberately unassuming to a cut that heightens his masculinity, displays his status. One that looks just like Lip’s

He remembers when Lip took him to the barber shop his parents always took him to, being introduced to men that have known Phillip his whole life. He remembers being introduced as Dev, ‘my boyfr-” No. that didn’t happen, that can’t have happened. And yet he feels his haircut change to something posh and preppy. Something like that which he has always adored on Lip’s head. Oh how he adores him.

His mouth is a millimeter away from kissing his perfect man, the perfect man once more, something he knows would spell the end of life as he knew it. But as the seconds pass in the grasp of Lip, as his hands unconsciously free his cock from its captivity, he can scarcely remember which life lived is even the real one. He’s still Devon, he’s still a student who fought his way here from the south, he’s still intelligent. Still hotter than anything. His head tilts as Lip moves in for another kiss. And for the life of him he doesn’t know why a small part of him objects at all. 

He allows Lip to tear the shirt off him before tackling him onto the bed, almost growling with need as they fuck like it’s the first time they ever have, despite clearly having done so innumerable times. Every burning muscle on Dev’s sweaty body feels brand new as they stretch and trust like they never have before. The bed frame creaks under the weight of both men as their twins burst together into a king size bed befitting the new titanic couple. 

Their wardrobes combine as Dev finds himself far more accustomed to dressing just like Lip. Graphic tees and baggy pants vacate to make room for clothes exactly like Lip wears, if not a tad larger what for Dev’s preference to be bulkier than his, only relatively, lithe lover. Memories of cowering in the shadow of his perfect roommate totally disappear as instead he clearly recalls always standing by the nothing-but-kind man’s side. Dev and Lip are a pair as they always have been, and if they have their druthers, as they always will be.

When the third alarm goes off warning the pair to quit their fun and get ready for the impending networking event for their frat, Lip finally pushes Dev towards the shower, “C’mon now there’re gonna be associates of father there Dev, we’ve gotta look our best!” His lover rolls his eyes and laughs at Lip’s disheveled hair, “Think you might need a touch up there too Mr. Wellington-”

Forcing up Lip’s arm to get a good smell of his b.o. He smirks and mocks his boyfriend, who just like himself, smells unmistakably of sex, “Ooh man- And another shower for yourself I think?” Turning on the faucet he directs Lip in first, “two birds one stone?” Lip rolls his eyes before winking, “Never knew you were so concerned with efficiency there. As long as you’re able to control yourself so we might actually come out cleaner than we went in, you've got a deal.”

Following him in, it’s not long at all before Dev’s pressing his boner into his lover’s back. Lip just smiles and turns before pulling his head down to shampoo the massive man’s sweat-stained hair. Afterwards he grabs him by the jaw and shakes his head, playfully complaining, “You little horndog, what am I going to do with you…” 

Despite Dev’s best attempts to have some fun, the pair eventually get all washed up and head out to the door only a few minutes later than planned. Dressed as well as they can be with what limited time they had, they wander off to the event hand in hand, as they almost always are. For the first time in years Dev is not burdened by his obsession, not held back by his denial. He finally allows himself to take advantage of the life he has found himself in, to feel the love of the man he has found himself with.

Lip of course never felt on anything besides equal footing with his roommate. While the Devon of the past may eventually have shed his self-conscious nature on his own, that he was blown out of his shell supernaturally is all the better for his relationship with the Wellington scion. As they catch the eyes of every guest at the party, no one can say they are not perfect for each other. Feeling his hand clasped in Phillip’s, Dev smiles as he is finally able to feel peace.

[official-linguistics-post]

hello! i do not mean to be rude when i ask this, i am just curious as a neo-pronouns user and polyglot. i saw your last anon, and i just wanted to understand- what is the “linguistic” stance on neo-pronouns? (I was a bit confused by the last paragraph of your response and i wanted to better understand) /gen

i can't speak for the field at large but my personal stance is that neopronouns are fucking cool!

linguistically, pronouns usually fall into what is called a "closed category" of words—that is, there's not a lot of new material, and it can be hard to make new ones stick. think of something like articles in english: all we've got is a/an and the. innovation doesn't really happen in that grammatical space. (note that "closed" is a descriptor, not a mandate. nobody's checking IDs on that gate.)

neopronoun users are therefore facing a double challenge: to be socially recognized as valid in a world that is often hostile to gender innovation, and to have their pronoun paradigm(s) adopted as natural. many people struggle with learning neopronouns from simple lack of exposure because it does take practice to be able to use an uncommon paradigm fluidly regardless of your intentions.

so yeah please keep on keepin' on. it's not an easy battle to fight, but the more we're exposed to the concept and practice, the more likely it is to become accepted both socially and grammatically.

[foreverjeans]

language learning is such a personal thing that there is no “right” or “wrong” way of doing it. it’s whatever works on bringing YOU closer to YOUR goal.

you want to watch tv shows but don’t really care for speaking with others? yay!! no speaking practice needed.

you want to learn quickly for an upcoming trip? yay! text book phrases and simple grammar.

you’re a beginner and it’s been 10 years? 2 weeks? 6 months? it doesn’t matter. as long as you are working towards bringing YOURSELF closer to what YOU want to achieve, you have succeeded: you are succeeding; you are doing great.

i find that so much demotivation comes from comparison and/or trying to follow other's advice too closely. if anki decks don't work for you, that's fine! if duolingo works well for you, then use it!

this language learning thing, it should be enjoyed. in the sea full of deceptive polyglot stories and videos on top of videos attempting to understand how to learn languages in "the fastest way possible" sometimes we should sit back and ask ourselves, "when is just learning things, enough"?

with that i hope you all continue working towards your dreams! whether you want to become a translator or just watch a few more movies in your target language, you can do it. i know you have it in you.

[wolfish-chan]

More of my batfam headcanons since you guys liked them

- After Dick moves out, Alfred finds Bruce in Dick’s old bedroom staring aimlessly

- Sometimes, especially in the beginning years as Batman, Bruce has days where he can’t stand to look in the mirror because those aren’t his eyes staring back at him — they’re Martha’s

- There’s a lullaby that all of the family knows because Alfred would sing it to them on their hardest nights, even when they were adults

- Alfred has made the habit of becoming fluent in all the languages his family speaks

- Bruce tries to do the same, but he’s not nearly as fluent. There’s still a lot of proper pronunciation he can’t get right and the kids make fun of him for it constantly

- Alfred speaks with them in their preferred language as often as possible, but usually sticks to English when they’re all together

- Everyone is a polyglot, except Cass, who currently only knows English and ASL

- Cass doesn’t speak often, as she’s still not used to having the ability to, but she wants to become a polyglot eventually, too. Her brothers help her practice

- It’s become a running joke amongst Bruce’s kids that whenever Father’s Day rolls around, they make cards for Alfred instead of Bruce

- Alfred keeps every single one

- No one has any idea what Alfred’s room looks like. Stephanie is convinced he doesn’t have one and that he sleeps in the cave (“I’m telling you guys! He sleeps upside down like a bat!”)

- Bruce is impossible to sneak up on, unless it’s Cass. She likes jumping out from behind corners and spooking him.

- He doesn’t react aside from throwing whatever is in his hands into the air. One time he threw an entire cup of hot coffee in his own face without so much as blinking

- Tim absolutely despises Country music, but Kon listens to it non stop and it’s drives Tim crazy because it’ll get stuck in his head for weeks on end

- Dick and Wally love going to haunted houses together, but only the intense ones where you have to sign a waiver

- They tried to take Starfire with them once, but she knocked out one of the employees when they jumped out at her so she now has a permanent ban

- Dick used to keep those alphabet fridge magnets at his apartment, but he kept finding them rearranged to spell swears and he still has no idea who was doing it

- Tim has a photographic memory which he uses to spout off random facts when someone annoys him

- Bruce: “try that again and I bench you” 13-year old Tim: “well did you know pigeons can be trained to tell the difference between Picasso and Monet paintings” Bruce: “okay”

- All of the younger bats think Jason was the problem child, but it’s actually Dick. Bruce tells them this constantly and they never believe him

- Jason doesn’t visit the manor often, but when he does, he always makes sure no one’s home. He’ll sit in his childhood bedroom that Alfred has kept immaculately clean with all the lights off for hours. He slips out as soon as he hears someone come home

- Jason chooses to ignore that his bedsheets are always newly washed because he knows Alfred is doing it in case he ever decides to come home

- He doesn’t know that Alfred used to do it when Jason was dead, too

- Alfred only ever lets Duke wash dishes because he’s the only one he can trust not to break them

- Dick is ridiculously good at juggling

[sandrakir31]

Can you share with me some headcanons only about Chase

Hi! Sorry it took so long, I needed to think.

1. Chase is a polyglot and loves to learn new languages.

2. In fact, Chase could cook food just fine, he just lacks the practice.

3. On Cybertron, Chase was originally some kind of accountant, but he really wanted to become a police officer, so he joined the ranks of the rescuers.

4. Chase hides from Whirl in Heatwave's office. Incidentally, he and Blades swap cadets quite often.

5. Most of the fiction Chase reads was recommended to him by Boulder. However, he is not so interested in art.

6. Among book detectives, Chase likes Hercule Poirot the most. However, he uses Sherlock Holmes' method of deduction quite often in practice.

7. Chase doesn't really understand what "being cool" means. He just takes Heatwave and Blades at their word.

8. Sometimes Chase only pretends to listen to someone. This happens when the plot of the book is too exciting to pay attention to reality. But he will always pay attention to the notes of sadness in someone else's voice!

9. Chase knows Strongarm. She was the one who gave him several pairs of handcuffs after Sideswipe was stranded on the island.

10. Chase can move the antennae on his head, but it is done unconsciously and barely noticeably.

11. When Boulder is busy, Chase helps Graham with his homework. The same goes for Cody.

12. When Chase learns something new from history or politics, he first checks with Charlie to make sure he understood the meaning correctly, and later discusses it with Heatwave.

13. Chase actually tries to get into hockey, only because Heatwave likes the sport.

14. Sometimes Chase watches True Crime, but forbids Blades from being around while doing so.

15. One time, Chase had to spend a lot of time persuading Huxley to delete a stupid video of him.

16. Chase is an ISTJ. In fact, he is one of the best workers in many areas. However, if he thinks that he knows a "better solution" that he has calculated logically, then that's what he will do.

17. Chase takes on the role of the team's defender in any situation. Sometimes others literally have to grab him by the arms or shoulders because he is always putting himself in danger.

18. Chase is an absolute pro at every game, but he keeps it a secret.

19. Chase has a gun, he just doesn't like using it most of the time.

20. Chase is left-handed.

Humanization version:

1. Chase doesn't sleep much because he works so much. The only thing that helps him fall asleep is chamomile tea (or hugs, but he won't admit it).

2. Chase is English with German and Japanese family roots.

3. Chase has his own small library at home.

4. As one of his hobbies, Chase writes scientific papers, which Charlie helps him publish. When necessary, he defends the papers online.

5. Chase could have a cat or fish as a pet, but he is rarely home. By the way, he only dislikes Mr. Pettipos because he considers him rude, but he will never say it out loud.

6. When it comes to food, Chase loves seafood the most.

7. Chase always smells like he just got out of the shower.

8. In addition to his work in the police, Chase works remotely in IT.

9. Chase has several cacti in his work area because Boulder said they absorb "bad moods."

10. Chase visits the traumatologist more often than others.

[smoothiedreams]

Pro hero Bakugou headcanons

Hero name: Ground zero ( I also like Dynamight but i feel like we as a fandom had already become so intimate with this headcanon that i feels its right)

His costume has a high technology behind the cloth and the gauntlets. He has a hearing device that is used for communication but is also directly connected to the gauntlets: which capture the release of nitroglycerin before he lets out an explosion and the device blocks the sound.

His boots are made to absorb impact when he lands from great heights

Uses a utility belt that has first aid

He is a fire specialist

He knows a lot of physics and fire trajectory, so he can be prepared to calculate escape routes in large explosions and damage control.

Did swimming and other activities that help with breathing

He is familiar with different types of dust poisoning in case of fires and has some preventative remedies for the lungs, as well as having a mask to use in such cases.

Works very well with uraraka and Sero

He is practically kicked out to take a break (usually by friends who ask him out)

Likes to make patrol

He sometimes goes to a local gym but has several personal machines at home (Kirishima says it's good for him to go out once in a while so he tries to go to the public gym at least twice a week)

Is in the top 5

He knows English, Italian and Russian (he learned Italian because his parents have many agreements with Italians - he learned Russian because he was interested in literature and films) .

Want to be a polyglot

His favorite subjects: chemistry and physics often help him at work

I dunno what else i have to say lol

A also have headcanons for our boy Red riot

[simonaslangblabblr]

How and why I fell in love with Language Learning

Hi everyone! I'm Simona and I'm an aspiring polyglot from Italy.

I've been studying foreign languages since elementary school, when I started learning English, and as I grew up, I realized that foreign languages was something that I absolutely loved and wanted to keep in my life, especially because I've also been wanting to travel and explore the world since I was in middle school.

Once I started university (majoring in Modern Languages, of course!), I started my first attempts of self-studying Korean in my free time. During the pandemic, however, my motivation and focused dropped significantly and I shelved any self-studying project.

That was until 2023, when I re-installed Duolingo again and started learning Portuguese.

Now that I've graduated university and started my 9-to-5 job, I am striving to learn Portuguese, Turkish, Slovene and Korean, as part of my goal to be able to speak 10 languages by the time I turn 30.

I'm turning 26 this year, so I do not have many years left, but my education surely helped me immensely, as I have managed to become fluent in English, French and German through school and university.

In addition to this goal, I'm trying to be as present as I can be while learning, which translates to integrating language learning apps with written practice, specific media and grammar resources.

With this blog, I hope to find some other polyglots to share and comment ideas with, as well as a further tool to stay accountable in my language learning journey.

Well, I think I've yapped enough, now it's your turn: how did your language learning journey start? What are your learning goals?

[stirringwinds]

some rough alfred language headcanon thoughts:

the first languages he knows how to speak are carolina algonquian and english. carolina algonquian because i see alfred having a link to the so-called "lost colony" of roanoke, which had interacted with the croatan people (and carolina algonquian is their language).

he learns french growing up under arthur's authority, as arthur thought it practical given its pre-eminence as a diplomatic lingua franca, but spanish is another one he picks up because of his neighbours—mexico and cuba. today, he is perhaps most fluent in mexican spanish.

during the old china trade period with Yao, right after the american revolutionary war, he picks up some casual cantonese from the southern chinese port of guangzhou, where western ships were confined to.

he and Kiku converse in dutch when they first meet, before the latter becomes fluent in english. alfred imo started learning dutch due to buying arms from jan (ned) during the revolution, and more or less posed as a young naval officer serving as a dutch-english linguist throughout the whole perry expedition.

i think alfred does eventually learn japanese, but compared to jan (netherlands) who imo, is strong at both written and spoken japanese (and can even read the original form of old japanese classics like the tale of genji)—alfred's better at speech but weaker at reading kanji or kana.

after his victory in the spanish-american war which also leads to the philippines coming under american rule, alfred picks up at least some tagalog (if not more). alfred is someone i think, who can both be genuinely gregarious and charming—but also see learning other languages also as a strategic advantage to intelligence gathering and magnifying his own cultural power.

overall, imo alfred's a polyglot because most nations are, plus when he was born, english doesn't quite have the cultural dominance it does today. it was quite essential to know multiple languages as a nation—and for all the stereotypes, a huge proportion of his people today are also multilingual.

[softlypaintedseafoam]

what are your tips for becoming a polyglot teach me your ways 😭

TAT aahhh i'm honored you're seeking me out for polyglot advice but the only tips i really have are

pick the languages you want to learn

study them

be consistent

beware the plateau

there are things you can do within those tips to make studying more enjoyable for you but that's really what it boils down to. studying, being consistent and being aware that at some point you're language abilities are going to plateau and that you'll have to find ways to be creative and work around it

as for studying- you can look up studying methods until you're blue in the face but it doesn't mean anything unless you actually put it into practice. i'd also bear in mind that not everyone's study tips are going to work for you, only keep what works best for you that melds well with the type of learner you are

and toss out what your idea of fluency means. it's a lot more gray than black and white. map your path to fluency based on what your goals are

creative study methods i recommend are reading fanfiction in your target language and translating songs you come across. maybe some journaling

other than that, go buck wild and make progress! and try making friends in your target language!

[audreyscribes]

Ω PJO MISC. DEMIGOD HEADCANONS: 🧠 MNEMOSYNE “TITAN OF MEMORY AND REMEMBRANCE, INVENTRESS OF LANGUAGE AND WORDS AND MOTHER OF ARTISTIC INSPIRATION” 📚 {Wave 5.0}

A/N:  Hi everyone! I’m here with {WAVE 5.0} of my Miscellaneous Gods and demigods Headcanons! This entire wave is going to be based on Titans and what if they had demigods/demi-titans. There might be some titans you’ll recognize if you’ve read some of my asks but some are definitely ones I haven’t talked about before. Anyways, hope you all enjoy what i wrote and have a nice day! Also decided because of Mnemosyne’s general mythology and possibilities, I did something unusual for the story. Thanks for reading!! MISCELLANEOUS DEMIGOD H/CS MASTERLIST LINK: [TUMBLR] || [AO3]  

As a child of Mnemosyne, you are gifted with good memory to the point people have remarked that you have “perfect memory”. It’s not entirely sure if you do have perfect or even photographic memory, while on one hand you can recall specific actions and events by associating them with things, but on the other hand, it didn’t help you were forgetful at times because of ADHD. It felt kind of ironic that you may have memory issues because you were a demigod of Mnemosyne, who is the Titan Goddess of Memory.

“Forgive, but never forget”

You aren’t necessarily claimed in the typical way because of your perfect memory because you remember Mnemosyne who told you were her demigod child, and that part always remained with you. Sometimes the memory fades away into your subconsciousness and sometimes it will rise back up, but it becomes a more active and clear memory as you approach your teens and when you arrive at Camp.

Another trait of being a child of Mnemosyne is having another trait that belongs to the head: you have really beautiful hair as Zeus was smitten with Menmosyne and complimented her “beautiful hair”. 

You find out really quickly that being a child of Mnemosyne would have anything happening related to the head; the brain for Memory, the scalp for Hair. It also wouldn’t be surprising if you’re a more logical and/or reasonable person as well.

If you’re good at reading, writing, and reciting, that’s a good sign that you’re a child of Mnemosyne, as she was the one who invented languages and words. Honestly, I think because of this, the typical affliction of demigod Dyslexia doesn’t affect you as much or if at all while still being able to read Ancient Greek, English, and any other language. Whether because Mnemosyne’s realm prevents it from happening to you or you are able to work around the circumstances may depend on you.

Speaking of Languages, aside from your native language and ancient Greek, if you are interested in or already have knowledge of another language, that’s being a part of Mnemosyne’s child! It wouldn’t be surprising if you end up being a more than multilingual or a polyglot in the future. As Mnemoysne is the inventor of words and languages, you can pick up other languages more easily than others. Fluency depends on the individual and how much practice you’re willing to put in, but overtime, you are able to also connect languages and pick out their linguistic similarities.

You have a way of words, whether its in speaking, writing, or reading. Whether being able to sway or present an argument well, in a speaking debate or meeting, in an essay, or simply being able to pick apart questions and riddles.

Libraries are Mnemosyne’s Sacred Places and her presence keeps monsters away, so if you ever felt safe in a library, that’s why. As long as you keep to the rules of the library and respect the books, then you’re safe. In fact, the cabin looks like one! You think back to the librarian with very luxurious hair, who always smiled kindly at you and always seemed to know what you needed or liked in the library- she seemed so familiar to you…

Surprisingly, as a demigod of Mnemosyne, you are a great carver and have a talent in woodworking. This is because Mnemosyne carved the Throne of Memory, a white coloured wooden chair that people would sit on to clear their madness, from when they visited the Oracle Trophonius; while also allowing them to recite whatever Trophonius said in an articulate, coherent manner. This is great as you use your woodworking skills to keep making more shelves to hold more books. You’ve eventually made tables and chairs, but you can’t help noticing something weird whenever someone sits in your chairs…oh well, what a coincidence! You do make a mean ‘ thinking’ chair!

Due to Mnemosyne’s connection with oracles, once you appear into camp, you work closely with the children of Apollo, and the Oracle (depending when you arrived and were claimed before or after Rachel Dare came into position). You either are approached or you’re already writing down and logging every prophecy or anything close to prophetic that has happened. They end up being collected and housed in the Big House, as well as a copy of these prophecies are in your own collection due to your godly mother’s realm. The Athena cabin have been more than eager to show and help with their organization system when you inquire how to properly sort these books.

You also end up being acquainted with Ella, the Harpy who is the reader of the Sibylline Books and with impeccable memory of books. You at first talked with her as she recounted the prophecies as you wrote them down but began to come closer as you devoured books. If you have any writings of your own, Ella would be very eager to read them, regardless if they were finished or not. If you don’t feel ready to share your writings and stories with her, be sure to keep them away, otherwise, she is a very eager beta reader who will remember changes in drafts and keeps you on track about your worldbuilding and so forth. She is a constant fixture in your library and you two share her little nest, reading books with each other.

Speaking of Prophecies, whether because of your involvement in the memorization and exposure to prophecies or simply being a demigod afflicted with demigod dreams, or being able to pick up patterns of various events, you may also have prophetic abilities. At some point, you’ve compiled anything prophetic that you personally experienced in a book of your own, and it's always a deja vu moment.

You eventually learn from Ella about peeking and being in people’s memories. The details are fuzzy (ha!) but as the demigod child of the memory titaness, this is your ability. Most of the time, you are an observer to the memory and are able to draw them out if they are lost or submerged deep in the subconsciousness, but if you so desire, you can manipulate them. However, this part of your power should remain a secret and kept with a tight reign because to change a memory, is to change a person.  ── ࣪˖ ࣪ ⊹ ࣪ �� ──── ࣪˖ ࣪ ⊹ ࣪ ˖ ──── ࣪˖ ࣪ ⊹ ࣪ ˖ ──── ࣪˖ ࣪ ⊹ ࣪ ˖ ──── ࣪˖ ࣪ ⊹ ࣪ ˖ ──

“I’m surprised no one kept a log of prophecies up until now” you said as you reviewed some of the past prophecies since the time of Percy Jackson’s arrival, all written down in a book with copies in book and scroll form. You were now looking over a draft page design for it to be possibly memorialized in something like stone and wondered if any of the Hephaestus kids knew how to do stone etching and carving.

“More prophecies. More words. More books for Ella to read and remember” chirped Ella as she was running her clawed fingers gently over the recently prescribed words and the descriptions and notes you all put down together. 

“That’s right” you agreed while nodding. “It may serve as history but it could help future demigods to learn from past prophecies and may be even keep us two steps ahead.”

“Though the Fates will always have something planned so we can’t always know either” noted Rachel, her eyes not leaving the book cover designs and materials that were planned to be used to create the bound books. 

“True. We are always in the mercy of the gods and the fates” you sighed, twirling your pen in thought. 

“I’m surprised a lot of these prophecies still survived, even though they already came to pass” said Rachel. 

“Well, the Greeks have always orally told their stories and prophecies; heck, it’s why my mother Mnemosyne invented language and emphasized reciting and remembering; like Ella, but also reading and writing too. At some point though, oral history could easily be lost too so we have to memorialize it anyway we can and practice both.” 

Rachel furrowed her eyebrows. “I wonder if being an oracle naturally makes you remember the prophecies because if not for that, I can’t imagine how many prophecies could’ve been forgotten.” she paused before her face darkened. “Or if Nero and the other roman emperors were successful in destroying all the oracles.”

You and Ella stop in what you were doing and looked at each other to share a silent message before you got up to place a gentle hand on her shoulder. 

“Hey, its probably why Mnemosyne sent me here; to make sure none of the words of the gods and the fates could be forgotten or twisted to help humanity” you said, “besides, we’re not all alone anymore.”

“Yes, friends together are good. Stick together like a flock. Read many books safe in the library” Ella chirped repeatedly as she glided down, her wings patting Rachel’s back. “Much like Ella and Tyson keeping the Sibylline books together.”

“Oh yeah, you have to introduce me to Tyson sometime” you said, “I wanna know how you managed to tattoo all of the Sibylline passages on a cyclop’s back.”

“Tyson is very strong. His back is safe. Ella feels safe here too” blushed Ella as she pretended her feathers. 

You and Rachel giggled. 

You leaned back in your cabin and semi-library, and smiled as a nostalgic, safe feeling wash over you. “Well the library is Mnemosyne’s domain and she’ll keep anyone here safe. She probably knows your love of books Ella and she kept you safe for as long as she did.”

Ella smiled and chirped. “Ella loves books and libraries. Will keep them safe and cared for like a nest.”

“Please do” you smiled. 

Rachel sighed happily as she placed down her sketchbook as you could see the detailed designs and drafts scrawled over. She stretched her body and mouth into a smile. 

“I never knew how much I needed to do this. Anytime I was about to have a prophecy, it would keep building in my chest and threaten to choke me. Before I realized I was an Oracle, I kept painting and painting which helped a lot but even now, when the prophecies are told, it feels different now they’re etched into words.”

“Well, you know what they say: “A picture is worth a thousand words”. I think Mnemosyne would also appreciate you having your art since she is responsible for artistic inspiration,” you said, “and now we’re putting it into both visual and literary.”

Rachel beamed as she sat in the chair you had just recently made, “It’s nice having you here, [f/n [l/n], child of Mnemosyne; titan of memory, remembrance, language, artistic inspiration.” 

“And thank you for the welcome Rachel Elizabeth Dare, Oracle of Delphi, and Ella the Harpy, Reader of the Oracle Sibylline Books, for your warm welcome and companionship with your effort of my titan mother Mnemosyne” you replied back. 

Rachel and Ella beamed, before a strange look came over the human oracle. 

“What’s wrong?” you asked. 

“I think…I’m about to get another prophecy” told Rachel.

“What?!” 

“But its weird, I keep getting them only when I sit in this chair and the more I sit in it, the more they become clearer-”

“...the chair? The chair that I just finished carving and assembling together?” you pointed out. 

“Yeah…it’s weird…? Or it could be that I’m just about to let out a prophecy but I don’t know what the trigger is-”

You remembered something and a strange forebearing feeling came over you. “....I know there’s the Throne of Mnemosyne that allows you to receive prophecies properly but I’m just a demigod, surely not-” you laughed nervously and dismissively-

The door was slammed open, making you all jump with Ella squawking and flying up into the rafters, as Apollo-Lester slid into view and pointed to you, and specifically the chair. “DON’T LET HER SIT IN THAT CHAIR-”

“OH COME ON-”

[tiredlilguy]

The Flags HC's

(that nobody asked for... but i love them and I have no where to put these) note: these are just general hc's :P if you want me to make other ones lmk!

Pianoman: - his ass cannot play piano, when people asks if he can because of his name, he changes the subject because he feels embarrassed - is the oldest sibling in his family - since he's a perfectionist, he's also kind of his own worst critic (can be in a really shitty mood if he's alone with his thoughts for too long) - his hair is a result of vitiligo - is an anxious person, but somehow his anxiety goes away when he's with The Flags - whenever he handles something physically using his hands, he's very cautious and tends to treat whatever is in his hands gingerly (like if he's given a gift, he will gently hold it in his hands instead of just taking it like normal) - has naturally shaky hands (i want to give him a big hug and kiss :( ) - going along with his hands, they're very thin, so his gloves are thick enough to where you don't really know what they look like underneath - has a really shitty sense of humor and will laugh at that one meme video with the bread falling on it's side - has defined canines and it shows if he opens his mouth or smiles

Lippman: - gets to know all of the celebrity drama before it gets out in the media: sometimes he uses it for blackmail or just tells the others and they all become a little gossip group (it's mostly just him, iceman, and chuuya though...) - he can make really good tea, like knows every little detail that comes with making tea: not leaving out a single step so you can get the best flavor out of the tea - polyglot, he once had to learn english for a role that he had and then proceeded to teach himself any language he thought was cool (sometimes mumbles in a different language under his breathe to mess with chuuya) - flirts with Pianoman a lot, says it's for fun, but he might have a little crush - wears that really dramatic silk robe with feathers and drags on the floor, it's either white or baby blue - paints his nails and will paints Chuuya's nails sometimes to practice, Chuuya says he's only doing it because he's his superior, but secretly enjoys it - unintentionally fixes The Flags outfits or hair, mostly Chuuya: like he'll adjust Iceman's collar if it's standing up, or he'll comb Chuuya's hair back into a nicer ponytail if it gets messy throughout the day

Iceman: - has a niece, and is the BEST uncle to her, likes to spoil her and will literally do anything for her (i read this from a fic and i can't stop thinking about it) - loves hearing gossip despite not talking that much - insomniac, spends most of his nights listening to his records with whiskey unless he has a job to do - plays his records really loud, but his listening room is sound proof so he can hear every little detail in the music - likes records, but he actually prefers live bands instead, thinks records are classy - gifts Chuuya records if he notices that Chuuya is singing a song to himself, usually tries to find the song and gets Chuuya that record of the album - is slowly becoming deaf, the only person that knows is Pianoman and Lippman, and he's slowly teaching The Flags sign language when they're on missions with him (he'll say it's because he wants to be quiet) (he won't admit it, but he will miss not being able to hear the others banter in the background anymore) - doesn't actually care about his ego/reputation at all, he's pretty confident in his assassinations, but if he fails a job, he'll just sigh and smoke a cigarette and move on - does not style his hair, he wakes up in the morning and moves it around a little bit and that's his hair for the day - he can't see out of his right eye that has the scar, but when he feels invoked with an emotion, he'll open that eye - notices small details... like extremely small details: one's that you won't even be thinking about; probably remembers what people like when they mention they like it once, knows when someone gets a haircut or they change colognes

Doc: - silly guy (canon) - he judges people's fashion taste despite not wearing any sort of outfit himself: likes to give pointers to Lippman about how to style his shirt or will judge Chuuya's strange outfits; will put on a good outfit if he's feeling like it - is very good at video games, but he doesn't really play them in his free time, but once Chuuya offered to play a video game with him and Doc beat his ass (Chuuya is still salty over an old Mario Cart match) - avoids walking long distance otherwise he'll start to feel tired, Albatross offers to take Doc everywhere - really good at darts... like his accuracy is scarily amazing, but guess you can't expect less from a doctor with his credentials - his way of showing affection is by being... very uncomfortably close to someone and then waiting to see if they're going to react, if they acknowledge his presence he smiles and then just walks away - very fidgety when he's doing something that isn't his job, will often fidget with something in his hand like a paper clip or rubber band, but suddenly that all goes away when it involves work - youngest sibling in his family... idk he gives me that energy

Albatross: - uses text emojis like ":D" and ":O" and so on; it does not matter who he is texting and he can and will accidentally text that to Mori on the phone (then proceeds to get lectured heavily by Pianoman) - answers his phone/messages immediately the moment that he gets them - can and will talk his ass off for hours on end, sometimes he does it to annoying Chuuya, but sometimes Chuuya actually wants to listen to it all - metalhead, this is canon actually i'm asagiri - gives the best hugs, like he gives big bear hugs; greets all of the Flags with hugs despite they're reactions - human heater, is always warm and it doesn't matter what season it is... he's just strangely warm all of the time (sometimes Doc sits next to him during the winter or if he's cold because he gets cold easily, and is a lot thinner than the rest of them) - openly bi, like he talks about it all of the time if he finds a man attractive

" I mean I know this man is our next target, but his ass looks nice in this file photo- " " Albatross." " Sorry.

-has freckles on his cheeks - has heterochromia, his eyes are blue and red

Chuuya: - has freckles... like everywhere, used to cover them up with makeup when he was younger and around The Flags, but then forgot one time and then Lippman said that it fit him and he stopped covering them up - can pick up any instrument he finds and owns a couple of guitars - huge audiophile and will judge every pair of headphones or recorde/cd/speakers that he's given; the record player in his house is very extra and over 2000 dollars - sings to himself when he's doing chores, or if he's playing music in the background, he will dance and sing while sweeping the floor - despite being musical, his dancing tends to be very clumsy (was once caught by Albatross and he made fun of him for a whole week) - can speak French and will cuss in French without thinking when he gets annoyed - knows all of the Mafia gossip, but no one knows he's a gossip-y kind of person... he knows everything about everyone, often finds himself hearing two different sides of one story - shopaholic (he cannot close his closet door anymore because the door is broken because it's so crowded in there)

[o0anapher0o]

The prayer scene in ep 4. Once again there is so much going on.

For one it’s the only time we see ‘Rashid’ in a non-professional capacity. In every other scene he’s there as Louis right hand/blood bag; this is the only time we see him not working. Which means there is no immediate practical purpose for it (intradiagetically). In his other scenes Armand is organising/arranging things, keeping an eye on Louis, managing the household/the interview/Daniel’s treatment, making cocktails, guiding Daniel places. There is always a practical and obvious reason to why he is in the room at any given moment. They might not always be particularly good reasons (otherwise he couldn’t just leave at a whim whenever someone isn’t happy for him to be there), but you can bet if asked why he’s there he’d have an answer.

When he’s praying there is no reason at all. There isn’t even a reason for why he would be praying. Even if we assume this version of Armand is a devout Muslim who does pray regularly (for which we have no evidence, nor any against it. Only being brown doesn’t automatically mean he has to be hereditarily Islamic.), why would he do it in the room next to Daniel within hearing range of the old man. Surely he has his own room somewhere in the penthouse where he could go about it undisturbed. And if it’s just a part of the Rashid persona why include it at all. Because Daniel would expect a servant from Dubai to be a devout Muslim? Then why immediately undercut it by admitting he’s not from Dubai (ref back to not all brown people…)?

For some reason he wants Daniel to see him pray. Of course, the obvious answer is to mess with Daniel some more. The thing is though none of the incidents of Louis and Armand messing with Daniel are random. They always fit with the part of the story Louis is telling in that episode. The deliberately disturbing dinner parallels/illustrates Louis’ struggle with vampirism and provides conversational anchor points to his increased struggle with the morality of it all. Louis feeding from Armand at the beginning of ep 5 mirrors Lestat force feeding on Louis at the end.

In that regard I do not believe for a second that it is a coincidence that the episode in which Rashmand starts to become more than ‘guy behind an iPad’ (and starts blatantly flirting with Daniel) is the episode that introduces Claudia.

I do think the praying goes beyond that though. I think it’s also a way of testing Daniel. Hear me out: Asr namozi.

Again I don’t believe for a moment that Armand saying those words with Daniel in the room was an accident. That didn’t just slip out. He said it and looked to Daniel for his reaction. And that reaction is in fact the interesting part. Because I’m calling complete and utter bullshit on Daniel being able to identify the geographic origin of a language he has heard a total two short words in with any precision. Yes, I know Kazakhstan is ginormous but Crimea isn’t (it’s also nowhere near Kazakhstan. At least not anymore than England is near Italy). That’s a pretty specific location.The only way I would believe that someone could do that is if the were an insane polyglot or if they had had significant exposure to that or similar languages. According to Daniel’s official biography he falls into neither category. However, if we assume that official biography includes a couple vampire induces gaps…

It seems like the vampires are constantly testing Daniel’s memories, or rather the ones he shouldn’t have. Two episodes later Louis asks him point black what he remembers of their first meeting. And the Tintoretto conversation in ep 2 could be a similar thing. I wrote in another post how weird I thought it was to use Tintoretto as a reference (especially seeing the dates are off) and someone argued Armand would know that Daniel has the background knowledge to find that reference useful, but the thing is we don’t have a lot of indication that Daniel, as he remembers himself now, would have that knowledge (and I don’t count the puzzle at the beginning as such an indication. Just because you’re doing a jigsaw of a famous painting doesn’t mean you know anything about art. It only means you thought a picture with lots of figures on it would make a good jigsaw. Obviously not counting Daniel’s subconscious decision making here). I could go on a whole other tangent about that scene but this is already way too long.

The TLDR is Armand is praying in that scene because he decided that for some reason Daniel needed to see that and I think at least part of that reason was that he is testing Daniel’s memory, as he and Louis do this in different ways throughout the season (Other instances include ‘remember the best you ever had’, the proposal ice cream and reading from Daniel’s memoir, maybe even ‘I wasn’t sure you’d remember me’. All those refer to points in time that could conceivably have happened during or very close to the Devils Minion timeline. Most of those prod at the memories Daniel has as supposed to the ones that are missing). Which is interesting because it implies they don’t fully know the scope of the memory wipe.

[sonata-ffxiv]

Character Profile for Sonata of the Qalli ((Mateus Server FFXIV))

Name: Sonata of the Qalli (Real name - Altansarnai (Meaning (Mongolian - Алтансарнай) - the Golden Rose)

Role: On the surface: Musician/Dancer -- Tayū, who has deliberately flaunted her background and training as such to become something a little more specialized in her ways and means, seeking opportunity, power, and … Dirge dealing in death, Composer drowning in song and visions. Assassin, under the guise of being a simple actress. Collector of the Arcane - possesses interest and experience in archaeology and history (having been a relic hunter and explorer of ancient sites). Within Discarnate's decadent fusion of order as guided by the Lady Spider's weave, she is an Arbiter, guiding Fate and helping to foster the future.

From beneath -- Collector of data. Performance has its true purpose. The staging is important, yet it is not.

The illusion will fool them in the end.

"Your end shall justify my means, always."

Gender: Female

Sexual Orientation: Sapiosexual/Heteroflexible/- Male leaning, but if you get her interest, that does not matter for gender or other such limiting labels. If you're not interesting to her, she's not interested.

Languages: Polyglot with a fascination for letters as birthed into being. Knows Eorzean, Hingashi, Doman (Ancient and modern with regards to both Hingashi and Doman languages and other languages known as well.)

Temperament: Quirky, cute at times, Cultured, Dry humor - Logical, calm, precise to detail and always mindful of her visual presentation as well as that of others, friendly when the need is there, firm, practical, intelligent, methodical, pays attention to details, dark sense of humor, willing to teach others if they appear willing and have some promise.

Available for: Dancing, music, companionship, possible sexual activities, training with regards to herself and others (especially in the ways of dance, cosmetics, clothing and more), serving in the way of tea (She's fully versed in the tea ceremony, and a known enthusiast of such ways to means, Shibari, Manipulation, Games & more, Slice of Life/Day to Day RP, Intrigue, experimentation, other things may be possible and negotiable. As for ERP, while it can be more rare for me, as it is, I like a story of some type with this, even if it is just a simple thing. Doing it for the sake of just doing it is not my thing. I love collaborative RP, and it is great when all parties are having fun with it.

Limits: No animals, scat, watersports, vore, or some drug RP (Just some stuff I am not into being done on her.), No character death/permanent injury without ooc discussion. If anything comes up, I will always go for OOC communication and discussion as needed. I believe that IC actions always equal IC consequences, though rules of common sense will always prevail, as well as what is fun RP for all involved. Non-Con (May be discussed on a case-by-case basis)/Dub-Con (Should be discussed on a case-by-case basis to be sure everyone is good with things) (edited)

Interludes: Time is a ribbon wrapped around my fingers, stretched too thin to the point of breaking.

晴天の霹靂

Something had shattered her heart, and buried her soul in endless darkness. The lights from the house behind her blinked on and off, casting lurid pictures of her body upon the ground. Grotesque, elongated images danced along the towering stone walls as the female body below moved. She seemed orchestrated as if pushed on the tangled strings of a broken marionette. An eerie sort of grace marked the staggering pace she took towards the edge of the well.

The collapse was too sweet as the strength seemed to drain from every muscle in her body.

I am a dream tossed into the flowing streams of reality.

Memories. They were thick ropes tied into her mind, nylon torture sent to bind her mercilessly. All of it was clawing and pulling at the female's mind as something higher demanded an audience.

"Sonata, it is time."

"For what?"

"For you to awaken and protect what I took your very life for. Others will come and try to find you. They will take the secret."

"But I do not want to. I am so very tired. Also, human, I am not yours to call. You saw to that when the rituals twisted into the wrong paths …"

"Abomination! You dare to -- !"

"Hai, I dare much and more. He comes, sent to his roads by the Prophet. She comes, and they all converge into destiny. The fates have a hand in this. Where there were essences of three, summed to six, there is now only one …"

Her laughter ripped into the void as the sound shattered the lingering ghosts of the Deliverer, the foul, lying beast that had cursed her to this toil..*

I inhaled fire and rain in the same breath last night. There was something sharp in the air that 'cut' at my lungs with each gulp taken, and it was not the smoke. Nostrils and parted lips were the openings through which I gathered each life-giving bubble before it all burst within my chest.

I saw the statues speaking to me, whispering their secrets in a language long dead, though not unknown to me. They asked questions of where I had been, where I was going, and when I had been born. There was no taste of death this time, but simply life. The darkness lingered with each sound given forth as the statue of the woman leaned down with a crack of stone. The pieces fell about my body, but nothing hit me as I looked upward into the blank eyes. She kissed my lips with the cold touch, and I shuddered. Every cliché was served up to me on a platter of possibilities as I gathered the pebbles in my palm. Each piece was marked with a sigil and a word. Behind me, the blades flashed golden as light flooded the chamber, and the edges of my vision faded to leave me blind. Sightless as our seer, unable to push ahead while the future choked me, drowned me, and the thunder filled my mind.

There was a void. In those moments, war arrived at the feast, the meal was served up hot, but it left us all cold. I had one thought as the rewinding images stopped going backward, and future bled into the present.

The time is now. Musical Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1SWfIhROxE /https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FN_mPSg_jk0

[pink-strawberry-kissess]

What do you think was Ada's religion before she turned into a mercenary (assuming she became atheist afterwards)? I'm thinking she was most likely Buddhist. Then again, wasn't she wearing a cross in RE6? Did she convert to Christianity at some point? I'm so curious about this woman.

i think there's just not enough canon information about her background, that i usually try to just.. assume things based on assumptions i've made based on ada's upbringing and the timeline

if ada was born in 1974, and IF she was born in china, then religion was becoming less popularized due to the cultural revolution. religion was frowned upon and it's unlikely that she would have grown up in an environment that was full of religion.

in the 1980s, catholicism was popularized and taught in schools, however this is also something to think about if ada was in school at all. i also struggle with her timeline because i feel as though, that ada would have begun to learn english at an early enough age to not have any sort of accent.

to be a worldwide mercancy, having an extremely distinct accent would have you stand out. ada also is known to be a polyglot (confirmed in the damnation notes!!! lol) and is capable of speaking multiple languages. her learning english fairly early on in her childhood makes sense.

further adding to my theory of her moving to the states or some other primarily english speaking country (i also like the idea of her living in paris or something for a few years because we usually hc that she speaks french), children who learn multiple languages when they're younger tend to have an easier time learning more as adults

going back to religion, i don't feel as though she would have been forced to learn about religion or at even practice religion in any capacity. it's such a tricky thing to think about and hc about because i'm also fairly anti religion.

honestly for specifically the necklace, i think it was just a design choice and doesn't have a lot of merit for any supposed religion.

BUT I DUNNOO THAT'S JUST A THEORRYYYYY

lemme know what your thoughts are

[language-hyperfixation]

Langblr intro~

Hello! - Hallo! - こんにちは! - 안녕하세요!

We're new to this community and wanted to see what it's all about. We've been practicing languages on and off for years but still have a long way to go!

📖 Studying:

German

Japanese

Korean

📖 Previously studied:

Spanish

Mandarin Chinese

Swedish

Sign language

📖 Want to study:

Hindi

Ukranian

Icelandic

Tagalong

🩷 Some info about us! 🩷

Pronouns: They/them

We're plural system and prefer the term "headmates" over alters, plz! Due to being a system we'll be using I/me and we/us interchangably

Hope to move abroad someday ✈️

Wanna become a polyglot but ADHD makes studying hard 💔

Dividers by cafekitsune and saradika

Tschüss!~