#switching to non handwritten text...

[primroseclan-gen]

Despite their attempts to comfort Honeykit, Aspenkit and Bitternpaw are worried. They have no healer, save for a young kitten with no training, and greencough can go bad fast. However, Aspenkit has faith that everything will turn out okay.

[writingquestionsanswered]

Tricky Enemies to Lovers Situation

[Note from WQA: I answered a question yesterday that went missing after it was queued, so this is my best effort to recreate the original question and my answer efficiently...]

Anonymous asked: I have an enemies to lovers story where there's no opportunity for the characters to get together where they wouldn't immediately fight one another. How can I give them the opportunity to get to know each other and fall in love in a way that's believable?

The Abandoned Mission: the first thing you have to establish--which you probably have since you mentioned (in the lost ask) that you had their arcs fleshed out, knew why they fell in love, etc.--is what allows this love to flourish despite starting on opposite sides, because what you don't want to do is have one say, "I know you're trying to destroy my village, but I love you, so heckin' go for it!"

-- one starts to come around, realizes their side is wrong, and switches sides

-- both sides unite against a common/far worse enemy

-- both realize that the fight is pointless/futile/both sides wrong

This will be part of their character arcs... or at least the arc of whoever changes sides... as they start to see the truth through getting to know the other one, start questioning their beliefs, and begin to change their mind.

Accessibility: Your first challenge is finding a non-combat way to get them together, or at least get them talking if not face-to-face. It all depends on your story and what makes sense within it, but some ideas:

Supernatural Communication - Is there a supernatural way for them to be face-to-face or at least communicate? Think of the mental connection between Alina and the Darkling in Shadow and Bone, or the force bond betwen Rey and Kylo Ren in the Star Wars movies. It could be a telepathic connection, a magical connection, or even a magical object that allows them to be in the same place or simply communicate.

Technological Communication - Or, maybe your story takes place in our world, in the recent past or near future. Or perhaps in a far-future sci-fi world. Is there some sort of technology that could allow them to be in the same place or easily communicate? Something like a hologram projector, "holodeck" type area that can be accessed by people in two different places, or even simply video calls or text messages?

Old School Communication - Even if a supernatural or technological form of communication doesn't work in your story, you can always rely on good old-fashioned handwritten letters.

Stuck Together - Another option is for them to somehow get stuck together in some situation where they're both vulnerable. Like, maybe there's some disaster when they're both in the same place and end up in a survival struggle together. Or, maybe they're both abducted by an even worse third party, and have to work together to escape. Maybe the villain's resolve is weakening, so they're overthrown by someone within their organization, imprisoned, and then it's this faction who imprisons your character (and not the love interest villain), forcing them to work together to escape.

All you have to do in any of the above scenarios is figure out how and why they start communicating in the first place. Maybe the villain reaches out to the MC thinking they're a weak link that will spill information, or maybe the MC intercepts a courier carrying a letter from the villain to an ally--and the MC decides to write back. Maybe the villain is a little extravagant and holds a party via their version of a holodeck and your MC sneaks in and is caught... but this opens up the door for them to continue meeting this way. Even if they just meet once out in the woods, bathing in a lake and caught totally off-guard, there are always ways to get these two characters "in the same room" outside of a combative context. You just need to brainstorm a little.

The Ice Breaker: once you get them face-to-face or communicating in whatever way, there needs to be some sort of ice breaker to get them talking about something other than the conflict at hand. This could be one noticing and commenting about something they have in common... like noticing the other is wearing a cultural bracelet and realizing they have that culture in common. Or one realizing the other is fluent in their language, and coming to learn they were born there or their parent was born their. It could be one observing the other experiencing a red flag from their side and pointing it out with commentary. (Like: "See the way they lie to you? That's what they do to my people...") It could be one making a joke, a snarky quip, or illustrating some knowledge or skill that intrigues the other. It could even be a rendering of aid... maybe one catches the other when they trip, one patches up the other's injury, or one provides a translation or other nonsensitive data. Again, it just all depends on the situation in your story and what's believable.

The first version of this ask was so, so much better. I'm hoping against hope that I inadvertently replied privately instead of sending it to the queue. But I wanted to do my best to recreate it in case it really did get eaten by the Tumblr goblins.

I hope this version is still helpful!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

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[deuterium51614]

Fairy Ranmaru Rewatch Part 1

Onto Fairy Ranmaru! I binged the first three episodes yesterday, and now I'm watching the fourth.

Episode One

This is the "latest team" that the Queen requested. Hm...

I want to keep track of what the sloth's doing during this rewatch. This episode, it's eating mint ice cream.

The fairy forms are all shown on screens of some sort in the OP, except Ranmaru's which is when our screen shatters. He broke the fourth wall, showing he has more awareness that he lets on.

Why is Ranmaru the only transfer student? Did they alter everyone's memories to place everyone in established roles in the school, but just gave him the role of transfer student?

My mom asked "was that a suggestive carrot?" when Jyuka bit down on it lol

There was one message on the laptop that said "why do we even have a transfer student?"

Wish there was more explanation for the sparkles. Is it traces of attachment? Is it non-diegetic?

Wonder if the darkened parts hiding the fairy forms were brightened in the Bluray? (Actually checked after the fact, and they aren't. But it's interesting they changed the Twitter parody's logo! Made it look more like a bird shadow puppet out of hands. Really makes me wish that I had downloaded the broadcast raws for better comparison... Maybe I'll look into a VPN again for the sake of torrenting them. My personal FBI agent, please keep in mind I bought the Blurays and therefore already supported the official release.)

So the world was symbolic of being watched (eyes and cameras) and the guys the bullied girl was supposedly pulling (the limbs and mannequins - no girls, all guys)

Why did the cyberbullies suddenly change their target to the main bully? It's always felt so sudden to me.

They're really bloody in the end of the ED. Wish we got a battle like that in the show. (Final episode doesn't count)

Episode Two

Is Homura's necklace from his dad? "Carry on the heart of the Ignis clan" -> could be literal and metaphorical...

I like how we can kinda tell how old the fairies are in relation to each other based off minor details. I know someone's done an analysis on it before.

What is attachment??

Ranmaru's like an AI robot or something, the way he's repeating the law. (Heh. Ai Ranmaru.)

"Water is quite fond of fire" told us right from the beginning his feelings, huh?

The sloth has a parody of the Nintendo Switch this episode.

Boueibu has GUNP (in the second season at least, I think the first season had something else maybe?) and FRan has DUMP.

The editor is reading "My Girlfriend is the Student Council President."

As we know, there are two keyholes. The fairy from Bar F defends their client as monsters try to attack. That makes me wonder, is Chiruka making contact with the opponent to set up that keyhole? (And I'm calling him Chiruka now based off of how he came up with his name later in the series.) Like, there are so many unanswered questions! In Boueibu, there was never the question of "how do these monsters work?" because we were shown they were created by the villains of the season. Are these weird worlds being enabled by Chiruka, or the fairy with the client, or are they just the natural order of things?

The editor is Mr. N, according to the article Takara's holding. (I'm trying to pause to read all the text for this rewatch. There's a lot that I've missed!)

Episode Three

What's the deal with this girl? She claims she's Souji's girlfriend (to his face, right?) but he doesn't deny it or anything? She's just blinded by her love for him?

And that's enabling him to string her along so she'll buy everything to improve his ratings? Never really caught her saying "I'll handle it" about the photo books before. Also never caught the fact "Henmi" was handwritten under "Hokari" for the apartment door. (The guy's name is Henmi Souji, it's on the photo books, but I never paused and saw it...)

The sloth's eating strawberry ice cream this time around, and has a different hat.

So is the girl this girl spots him with another fan he's dragging along to improve his image? Like Souji doesn't want the main girl to be his public girlfriend cause she's too intense, so he found another girl who's more relaxed (from what we see)? (Cause we all know what happens at the end.)

I noticed recently that Uruu's broadcast transformation has a sphere for a nipple, but they fixed it in the Bluray. The spherical nipple looks very weird, and once you see it you can't unsee it lol

The traditional style of waves is definitely influenced by the tea show and Uruu being told to be traditional as a kid.

"Where's the main one?" So it's clear that the fairy with the client is supposed to be looking for something (some sort of feature that's hiding the keyhole) but is there ever any indication aside from the keyhole of what they're looking for?

And the villains seem to be getting more and more aware of being in the keyholes?

So far all three attachments collected were in the heart.

It's the first time the villain was with someone during the battle. The girl he was on a date with witnessed him blacking out, but before that everything seemed normal. So the weird world is definitely some sort of shared mind palace between the client, villain, and fairy.

Uruu's punished for what he did, but it's like he did the right thing? Both the villain and the client wound up happy, as opposed to only the client. Makes me think that's what they should be doing, but the Queen is limiting them...

Episode Four

Something I forgot that I noticed in the OP a while ago is the sloth's hat comes off the first time he's jumping around, and he frantically pulls it back on. He's got a choppy bowl cut lol

Bakkun cuddling Jyuka, only to get thrown. My ship </3

It's funny to see how Ranmaru's reacting to all the idol stuff after knowing what we know. To some extent, I feel he's showing the most character so far in this episode. Like the most individuality aside from his mission to collect attachment and follow the ten laws.

But then he asks questions about the idol industry in the bath, as though he doesn't know anything about it.

Once again, the sloth is eating ice cream (banana(?) with Pocky) and has a third hat.

Kei's agent's character design reminds me of something, but I can't put my finger on it...

The fact that Chiruka is on the railing behind Eru right after she glows with the aura really adds to the idea that he's contacting these people with corrupted attachment.

So this episode takes place on a Wednesday and Thursday (the phone has Thursday in the messages).

That fairy that Jyuka's supposed parents are healing... Do you think that's the one in that one Andgy art?

What's with the sudden flash of Jyuka thinking back to Ranmaru calling him cute after he called Kei cute? Self-reflection?

Anyway, has anyone noticed most of the songs have the respective fairy's name snuck into the lyrics? "Ran ran ran" "Homura no hana" "Urunda me yo" The only one I don't know is Jyuka's. I'm thinking his name could either be in a different verse, or a different reading of one of the kanji with furigana?

The sunflowers are definitely Jyuka's influence. And like I said with the previous episode, Eru is aware of the weird world, and the fact her keyhole is on the butterfly.

This attachment was also taken from her throat instead of the heart.

The fact that Kei's falling into Eru's habits of flirting with fans also gives me the vibe that the client's attachment should also be collected. Unless maybe the Queen's goal is for the client's attachment to go back into the world, and become wicked at a later time? Creating a cycle similar to the witches' familiars growing into witches in Madoka?

[phillipfancypants]

Also: I want to add something based on my experience being in my undergrad through all of this. When I started college in 2021, AI was Not A Thing. Like, I used CleverBot in middle school but got bored with it by high school. Then in my sophomore year we saw the rise of ChatGPT and DALL-E and everything was flipped on its head.

Writing and History professors started getting rid of take home essays, opting to switch to oral exams, in-class papers, or handwritten essays. Some CS professors straight up banned AI code, other professors encouraged it (but made project prompts harder). No one knew what to do.

I saw the bad sides of AI first. I lost a science-related art contest to an AI-generated work. I had to redo entire sections of a group project during my study abroad because my group member was using AI to solve things (poorly) and didn’t think to tell us. I had to make the call as a TA grader on whether a student used AI to write code, or whether they really were just that dumb.

But slowly, I started to see some good sides too. And that was scary. I held off for a long time and started off small. I realized I could use Chat-GPT as a sophisticated Ctrl-F when wading through hour-long interviews for my student newspaper (i.e. I could ask it “Give me a direct quote from this interview that relates to X-topic"). I also started to use it as a tip-of-my-tongue thesaurus at times. You can tell it "I want a word that is similar to these words/concepts" and it's a lot better than finding something "close enough" using a single synonym.

I also took a class last semester called "Cognition in Writing" that changed my worldview in many ways. The professor was one of the coolest people I know��they did their undergrad in Computer science and linguistics and then went on to get a Brain and Cognitive Science PhD with a focus on how the brain is able to create words and thoughts. The bulk of her graduate research was literally the science that Chat-GPT was built on. And so she knows *exactly* what it can and cannot do. They're now a professor in my school's writing department and are very involved in discussions over what is and isn't okay in terms of using Chat-GPT in the department.

She was the first person I ever heard using the term bullshit in an academic context—in AI study, it's a term used to explain the fact that AI Cannot Think. It can regurgitate information it's been given, but it cannot think for itself. Across that course, they would often give 2 options for each homework assignment. One that encouraged us to try out generative AI and think for ourselves about what it got right/wrong and another option that explicitly did not use AI, for those of us with ethical or environmental concerns. (I mainly did the non-ai because I found AI to be too much of a hassle to deal with).

Anyway, this is all a roundabout way of saying that, as far as my current education has taught me, these taggers are doing exactly the right thing. One of the biggest ideas that my professor wanted us to walk away with when it came to AI was to disclose not only when but how AI was used. In the screenshot, notice how the tags range in severity. Some tag options say that AI was used only to write the title. Others say that they used AI to translate some phrases/sentences into other languages. Some people cited that an AI conversation was the inspiration for their fic, but that the text itself was human-written. Some people cited using AI grammar checkers. And of course, some people said that whole chapters or sections were AI written.

The important thing is that almost every tag was specific and honest. And at least in academia now, that's what we're being taught to do. Keep logs and screenshots of every conversation. Mention when and how AI was used. Because in academia, your use of AI is your responsibility. If it screws up, that's on you.

I fully support this tagging system because it allows people to decide what they're comfortable with reading. To me, that limit is probably that I don't want the text of the body to be AI-generated and I don't want to read things that are re-writes of character-AI interactions. I'm fine with an AI title or a bit of translation here and there. As long as the author is honest. You might have a different limit--perhaps you have environmental/art theft concerns that mean you don't want AI to be involved at any stage of the process. Or maybe you're fine with any/all AI usage. The important thing is that people are tagging their usage and that we can read those tags before we start reading.

OP asks if these people "have no shame" and that's an unfair assumption to make. In the grey areas of "just the title" or "just some translation," I'd much rather have people be upfront about it. Readers deserve to know what they're about to read and make decisions for themselves.

do people have no shame anymore?

[kidscastle]

10 Things to Look for When Choosing Childcare for Your Baby

Introduction

One of the most important decisions a parent can make is choosing the right child care. Your baby’s early years are foundational and a nurturing, stimulating environment is the key to their healthy development. With so many options out there, it can feel overwhelming to know what truly matters. Whether you're a first-time parent or looking to switch to a better facility, this guide will help you focus on what counts most.

1. licensing and accreditation

Always ensure that the child care center is licensed by the local government or state authorities. Accreditation from recognized bodies shows that the daycare meets or exceeds certain standards in safety, cleanliness, staff qualifications, and curriculum.

2. Training and caring staff

The caregivers at a daycare will play a major role in your baby’s development. Look for warm, engaging, and qualified staff in early childhood education and first aid.

3. Clean and Safe Environment

Safety and hygiene are non-negotiable. Check that the daycare is clean, well-maintained, and child-proofed. Pay attention to secured entrances, covered electrical outlets, and gated play areas.

4. Age-appropriate activities

Babies learn through play, so look for programs that offer sensory-rich, age-appropriate activities. This could include tummy time, music, story sessions, interactive toys.

5. The daily routine and structure

Structured routines help babies feel secure. Ask for a copy of the daily schedule, including nap times, feeding times, and activity periods.

6. Clear communication with parents

Reliable and open communication is vital. Look for a daycare that updates parents daily through an app, text, or handwritten notes on meals, naps, milestones, and more.

7. Healthy meals and snacks

If the daycare provides food, inquire about the menu. It should be nutritious, age-appropriate, and consider allergies or dietary restrictions.

8. Outdoor and indoor play areas

Children need fresh air and safe spaces to move. Check if the daycare has secure outdoor play areas and indoor spaces with enough room to crawl, explore, and play.

9. Positive Reviews and a Reputation

Don’t underestimate word-of-mouth. Ask for references, read reviews online, and speak to other parents. Their firsthand experience can reveal what a brochure or tour may not.

10. Location and convenience.

Finally, practical factors matter too. Is the center close to your home or workplace? Are their hours compatible with your schedule? Is there enough parking or easy drop-off access?

Conclusion

Child care is more than ticking boxes. It's about finding a place where your baby will be safe, nurtured, and happy while you’re away. Take the time to tour the facilities, meet the caregivers, and trust your instincts. When a daycare aligns with your values and priorities, it brings peace of mind that your little one is in loving hands.

If you’re searching for a daycare in Kithaganur that checks all the right boxes, look no further than Kids Castle With a commitment to safety, developmental learning, and personalized care, Kids Castle offers an exceptional environment where children grow, explore, and thrive every day.

More information:

Call Us: +91 9343055535

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[norvgchar]

The Manzanita Outpost is a location in Red Dead Redemption 2. The location also exists in Red Dead Online and the original Red Dead Redemption, but the second installation of the series includes a Norwegian-inspired narrative.

The player character is able to interact with several non-player characters that are supposed to be Norwegian settlers from Korshamn, a southern island part of today's Lyngdal municipality (Norwegian: "kommune") and Agder county ("fylke"), in the southern-most part of Norway.

Upon reviewing a YouTube video showcasing some of the non-player character banter, I am not immediately offended by their accents when speaking English. However, much like an author who doesn't know how to write bilingual characters, they switch from solid English to random Norwegian sentences on a line-to-line basis.

It sounds as if most of the voice actors are capable of speaking Norwegian, though seem to mostly be from the capital. Yours truly lives somewhat close to Lyngdal, and it is quite jarring to hear the voices of these 1800s–early 1900s Norwegians, supposedly from a small village far from the capital, speak with a modern Oslo dialect. It's worth noting that Lyngdal and Oslo are about five hours apart by driving today, or four days of walking (according to Google Maps). This also somewhat extends to their accents in English, though Some of the lines they're saying are also a bit strange, such as the farewells "Ta vare på deg selv!" ("Take care of yourself!") and "Ses snart!" (approx. "See you soon!"). The latter line is also delivered oddly, even if Oslo-influenced, and I would request a retake if I were there. The worst offender, which I suspect is not given a Norwegian voice actor, is the blonde character in a blue tunic (viking clothes?).

The game also features Norwegian text in the form of a newspaper clipping and a handwritten note. While the text is mostly grammatically correct by today's standard, this was before many language reforms that lead to the modern day Norwegian Bokmål and Norwegian Nynorsk. Comparing with a newspaper from the nearby Lindesnes in 1984, among the errors are av ("of") instead of the then-present af, the usage of the letter å instead of the then-present aa, and fellesskap instead of the then-present fællesskab. The font used in the newspaper clipping is also very modern, and especially the letter s looks surprising. A minor gripe, the article's title, "Grusomme Drap i Lyngdal", is expected to be non-capitalized, such as "Grusomme drap i Lyngdal".

I have not dissected the handwritten note as closely, the perfectly circular circle on top of the letter å is incredibly funny to me.

Verdict: Their asses ARE Norwegian, but lazily so.

The characters' language has no semblance of when or where they're from. I would expect them to, if not copying an older Lyngdal dialect, at least mimic the modern equivalent. The least they could do is hire actors who are willing to use a dialect from the former county Vest-Agder or Agder as a whole. They should also have taken inspiration from newspapers and written language at the time. The whole thing seems naïvely executed to me.

[bleachbleachbleach]

I don't think modrn day Japan celebrates LNY but do you think soul society still does? It would make sense since half the ppl are old as balls and predate when japan stopped celebrating

恭禧發財! Thank you for this ask! <3333 I, uh. I answered it but I got distracted by calendars and Y2K and primordial ooze, so I’m just going to excerpt the 4th paragraph, since that’s the actually relevant Lunar New Years part! Clearly still in my Soi Fon era rn.

In the New Years episodes, Rukia et al suggest that shinigami New Years is very much an intentional borrow from the living realm, and considered as such. It’s also a fairly new one. If they’re so hyped about borrowing this new years, I imagine they probably also borrowed prior ones, and that during the relevant period, Lunar New Year got celebrated. But given their present zest for the Gregorian calendar—and the general lack of institutional memory around TBTP, which as far as shinigami lifespans go was not that long ago, and only like 30 years after the calendar switch—I feel like they probably nope’d right out of Lunar New Year and plum forgot about it. Or maybe it’s still a Soi Fon family tradition. Maybe Soi Fon doesn’t like cats because of Yoruichi—Yoruichi’s cat transformation is just one more reason for Soi Fon to like Yoruichi. She grew up on animal zodiac stories!

The rest is below the cut for posterity!

The calendar in Soul Society is so interesting to me, because like… I’m going to start somewhere calendar-adjacent, but I guess one day several hundred years ago Yamamoto decided that architecture/clothing had peaked and he decreed they were just going to stay in their Edo vibes from then on—even though like, clearly even the "modern" Soul Society/Seireitei predates Edo by quite a bit, so it must all have looked very different for most of its history, unless the shinigami actually invented this styling independently. It also wasn’t a hard stop, because some places have Western furniture and they print a reasonably contemporary-looking magazine and the 2nd has heated floors. (BUT THERE’S NO CAKE.)

They seem incredibly committed to the Gregorian calendar, and making sure their calendar syncs with the Living World’s calendar—or at least, any time stuff gets skewy in the dangai, someone pitches a fit. And I get why they would feel like that was important, wanting to keep track of their deployed units and all. Lolllll, man, you know how most of the reports are handwritten? I bet it’s only half out of tradition and the other half is out of a fear that they will Y2K themselves into oblivion by accident; and they should be rightly concerned, because that seems like something they would do. (The 12th has all those mainframes because they do not share this fear.) This is probably also why denreishiki (or the model that Rukia got) can print things. Every time Hitsugaya texts a report there’s someone on the other end with a tiny printer gluing receipt tape into a scrapbook. Or maybe someone transcribing them by hand because denreishinki print with non-archival ink.

But this is getting away from me. I guess what I’m curious about is at what point shinigami began fashioning themselves after cultures in the living world. Did they pre-exist humans (in a different form), evolve with them, or did the notions of deity, death, and afterlife need to develop first? Do they have their own independently developed cultural forms or is it all/does it all have to be a riff off the world of the living? Is this something they have ever had (prior to Edo? prior to modern Soul Society?) Is the whole "we capture a Hollow in the realm of the living and then drag it back to Soul Society for part of a ritual that takes place 12 years after the death of a captain" thing a shinigami invention, or does that also have roots in older human practices (iomante?)?

In the New Years episodes, Rukia et al suggest that shinigami New Years is very much an intentional borrow from the living realm, and considered as such. It’s also a fairly new one. ("Fairly" here could mean anything from 150 to 15 years I guess, lol.) If they’re so hyped about borrowing this new years, I imagine they probably also borrowed prior ones, and that during the relevant period, Lunar New Year got celebrated. But given their present zest for the Gregorian calendar—and the general lack of institutional memory around TBTP, which as far as shinigami lifespans go was not that long ago, and only like 30 years after the calendar switch—I feel like they probably nope’d right out of Lunar New Year and plum forgot about it. Or maybe it’s still a Soi Fon family tradition. Maybe Soi Fon doesn’t like cats because of Yoruichi—Yoruichi’s cat transformation is just one more reason for Soi Fon to like Yoruichi. She grew up on animal zodiac stories!

Honestly, I’m just impressed that the old guard shinigami have managed to adapt to what was probably a good many calendars, one after the other and many simultaneous. Do you think that’s part of why Ukitake is so zeroed in on everyone’s birthdays? I mean, besides being a nice guy and wanting the Youth to feel some sense of celebration in the passage of time while it still holds meaning in their hearts lol. They’re also handy mnemonics! Because Ukitake would not give a shit about this newfangled calendar they’re using now, were it not for its utility in tracking the birthdays of all his lovely coworkers.

I think of Soul Society of being fairly sclerotic, but it’s super interesting the ways that this is paired with these punctuations of modernization fever? Or like, a desire to bring as much of the living realm into theirs as they can, even as these efforts are uneven and sometimes a bit odd. I think it goes back to this question of whether their realm predates humans on Earth (or in Japan), has always been concomitant, or proceeds from a human ability to conceive of an afterlife. I could honestly vibe with any of these.

Pre-dating humans on earth would be fun because you could lean into shinigami monstrosity and imagine how completely different they would have been without the blueprint of a human form, and before asauchi were even a glimmer in Nimaiya’s eye. That would also suggest that shinigami would have had to adopt this idea of being balancers and having anything to do with human souls, rather than being teleologically destined for this purpose.

Being twinned to the human realm would be fun because it plays up the notion of Soul Society as reflection.

And the third option of being tied not to human corporeality as distinct from the primordial ooze, but to a particular kind of human consciousness—well, that starts getting very esoteric (she says, as though the rest of this wasn't).

Anyway, the modernization fever is interesting re: these potential origin stories because of the way it indexes how important the living realm is to Soul Society—it’s perceived as some kind of backwater frontier, but also the location of the sublime.

** Please note that I’m sure there’s some kind of Soul King-related origin story upon which the entire plot of Bleach rests, but my brain actively flouts this knowledge. What is a Soul King, I don’t caaaare.

[momentofmemory]

hello, i ADORE the way you use and pair fonts. i was just wondering if you had any tips for using more than one font in an edit? (Such as mixing cursive and non-cursive, etc.) if you've answered something like this before, my apologies!

nonnie!! literally never apologize for asking me to scream about fonts; they live in my mind rent free. 💜i’ve mentioned a vague collection of fonts i like here, but i’ve been meaning to do a post on how to combine them for awhile so thanks for giving me an opening to do so! so, without further ado, a few tips & tricks.

1.  FIGURE OUT THE VIBES OF YOUR SET FIRST.

Like colours, fonts have a certain feeling/energy to them and should match the emotion you want your set to communicate. Cursive fonts tend to suggest a more gentle, relaxed, or fragile emotion; brush fonts convey a sense of movement, excitement, or freeness; heavy-weighted fonts have a sense of power, abruptness, or impact; and so on, and so on. For example:

 Although they’re both using the same kind of alignment, the combo on the left is far less in-your-face as the option on the right would’ve been. Using a handwritten font for the accent feels a bit more contemplative or personal, like an awed whisper; whereas the all-caps bold font is more like it’s coming to kick your door down in celebration. Either option works well enough as a font combo, but in terms of working together towards the theme, the left one matched what I wanted. So—always prioritize emotion in font choice, even if another option looks just as cool.

2.  STYLE YOUR OTHER FONT(S) AROUND THE ACCENT FONT.

With “the accent font” being the “fancy” one, in this case. It’s going to be the centerpiece of your set, so you don’t want to have picked a supporting font first only to discover it doesn’t actually go with your main font. I usually type the text in a placeholder font (like Helvetica or let’s be real, my faves Gill Sans or Futura), then figure out my accent font for the Main words, then go back and find a supporting font & weight that I like.

You also, like me, might just stick to 3-4 “basic” fonts and never change them, because it’s much simpler that way and also Futura is such a pretty font y’know?? 

3.  COMBINING FONTS IS ABOUT CONTRAST.

For fonts to work together, they have to contrast in (at least) two ways—in weight, in style, in size, or in colour. Similar to picking out an outfit, if a font is too similar to its neighbor it’ll clash, but they do still need to be living in roughly the same neighborhood or it won’t fly. For example:

Only two fonts are used in each set (and only one in the last one—the contrast is made through negative space rather than font type), and contrast comes through 1) size (note how the accent font is always bigger—I usually aim for about double), 2) style (block, handwritten, brush, sans serif vs. serif), and in the case of the bottom left one, 3) tracking (“bumps the needle” is the same font [gill sans] as “my heart” is; the difference is the distance between letters is set at like 1500 vs about 75).

While there’s plenty of contrast in the examples above, there’s also harmony—in the top left example, the Accent font for “My God Does” is a thick, rounded font, so the supporting/plain font is also fairly rounded and a medium weight. Compare that to the middle bottom set, where since “Wolf” is in a tall, thin font, “Leading” is also in a tall and thin font.

Without harmony, the fonts start warring against each other. Taking that last set as an example:

On the left, we have the original—“Wolf”/”Leading” pairs Onyx/Acumin Variable Concept (Extra Condensed)—and on the right, Gill Sans has replaced Acumin Variable as the secondary font. Because Gill Sans is so much rounder and bigger (this is despite my taking the pt size down by about 6), it reads as thicker. That added horizontal weight takes away from the very concentrated vertical weight of the Accent font, and therefore doesn’t work as smoothly.

You can get away with pairing rounded/thin letters or heavy/light letters, and in fact you should try it! Just make sure there’s a significant contrast between them, not just a minute one.

4.  TYPOGRAPHY NEEDS AN ANCHOR.

Once you’ve picked your fonts, there’s another problem: placement. One of the difficulties of text in a gif is that it can go anywhere, and so sometimes we get carried away with the arrangement. That’s where anchoring the text—placing it in alignment with something else—comes in. Let’s zoom in on two of the examples above.

While the arrangement is playful in both, the text doesn’t feels lost because even when it’s unusual, it’s still directly aligned with some part of another word. In the left example, “The,” “Wolf,” and “Wolves” are all aligned with their first letter to the left, whereas the word “Leading” is aligned to the right with its last letter matching the “S” in wolves. Thus, while it breaks up the left-alignment of the rest of the set, it still feels like it belongs because it’s attached on the other side. It doesn’t “break the box,” so your brain doesn’t get confused.

With the set on the right, a similar thing is at play. First, the alternating pairs are aligned either to the left or the right so it still reads as a unified rectangle (don’t break the box!), and second, each time the text switches sides it’s placed directly on the line below the last word. So even though they’re not aligned on the left or right, they are aligned from top-to-bottom. The negative space is also key to breaking up the text in a pleasing manner, as seen in this comparison:

The original version on the left creates a smooth river or “S” shape, with each line break also making sense for the rhythm of the sentence. The one on the right, however, breaks the text up uncomfortably, the lines are jagged and bump up against each other unpleasantly, and “the scratching” stretches far out into the negative space, tripping up the flow. When and where you chop up a text matters not only for how you read it, but also how you feel about it.

5.  A QUICK WORD OF WARNING.

Obviously no rule is a complete absolute, but I think this one holds up under most circumstances so here it goes: do not put two different fonts of the same genre in the same gif. If you have Cursive Font A already, you very likely won’t be able to successfully implement Cursive B right next to it without causing confusion (see rule 3 about contrast). You might be able to get away with two accent fonts (e.g., a nice cursive font + a thick impact font), but it’s a lot harder for the reasons mentioned above about clashing/warring for attention. Basically, make sure you’re adding, not subtracting, to the overall statement.

6.  PRACTICE!!

The best way to figure out what style works best for you is to just go mad with it. I’ve been doing typography work of one kind or another for about a decade and yet even looking at some of my sets that are just a few months old I’m surprised by how much my style has grown & expanded! The more you use it, the more you’ll find certain fonts, styles, and tricks to your liking, and seeing what other people do with their sets is a great way to expand your repertoire, too.

Go forth and have fun. 💜

[enjennie]

Sweeter than Sugar | Na Jaemin

summary: wherein Jaemin goes through hell and back to bake a cake for you on your 3rd anniversary.

genre: fluff / boyfriend au

warnings: none

word count: 1.3k

[3:48 pm]

It looked as if a hurricane had swept over the kitchen as condiments, various baking tools along with spilled ingredients that managed to miss the massive bowl Na Jaemin was baking in cluttered the usually spotless counter that you and your boyfriend obsessively kept at its cleanest. Today, Jaemin couldn’t give a damn about being tidy, as he whisked the eggs vigorously with one hand, and tried to simultaneously sift the flour into a bowl with the other.

“Mom, mom! Please repeat what you said after beating the eggs,” Jaemin called over to his mom, who he’d speed dialed and put on loud speaker once the idea of baking came to him.

“Pour it into the dry ingredients then mix! Ah, why didn’t you get boxed cake mix instead?” His mother nagged. It did cross his mind, but Jaemin didn’t want to take the easy route. He never does. Not for his girlfriend, never. He’d go the extra mile for you.

“Did you preheat the oven?” His mother asked through the phone. Jaemin looked behind him to check. He’d randomly turned the knob when his mom told him to 15 minutes ago. “Yeah? It’s heated,”

“Okay, well after this you can put it into the cake tin then pop it into the oven for up to 30 minutes,” his mother instructed. “You could’ve just bought something special. Girls like that,”

Jaemin couldn’t help but smile. “You know Y/N isn’t like other girls,” He tells his mom. He knew for a fact you’re a sucker for handmade gifts, freshly baked goods and handwritten letters.

“Anyway, mom. Thanks for the help, I’ll send you a photo once I finish,” he reaches for his phone to end the call.

“Alright, goodluck! I love you!”

 With that, Jaemin gets to work on his own. He places the cake into the oven and starts coloring the icing he had prepared to decorate the cake with. Originally, you both had agreed to spend the whole day together as a celebration. But, due to your busy schedule and requirements that seemed to have chosen this day specifically, you’d apologized to Jaemin and promised a date night instead. A date night was all you prepared yourself for, but Na Jaemin had some tricks up his sleeve.

He quickly shot you a text, asking how you were. This wasn’t unusual, as he regularly liked to check up on you and asked if you needed anything. So, you replied without any suspicion.

@ the campus library, getting some articles for our thesis

Sigh. I’m sorry, honey. Will make it up to you l8r! xo

Jaemin chuckled, finding it cute how guilty you were even if he didn’t mind. He always wanted you to focus on your studies.

 [Aug 2019]

“I can wait, your future won’t so focus on it for now,”  Jaemin caressed your cheek lightly, brushing the hair out of your face and watching as the sunset hues reflected in your eyes as you both stood by the terrace of your shared apartment, watching the sun die down.

“You’re my future,” you mutter stubbornly to him. You watch as the corners of his mouth stretch into the gorgeous smile you’ve fallen in love with.

“I’m serious, Y/N. Do well or I’ll have to tickle you,” Jaemin poked at your side and you jolt as a reaction. A laugh escaped his pretty lips as he pulls you in closer and began to tickle you everywhere. “Na Jaemin!” You screamed his name, trying to free yourself from his hold but the man was strong with the softest touch, making him seem like a buff teddy bear. Or a bubble wrap for that matter.

Jaemin turned you to face him, pressing his head against yours.

“Put yourself first, and I swear I’ll always be right beside you,”

And that’s how it’s always been between you and him. You focusing on your studies, knowing you had a supportive boyfriend to go home to who’d recharge you and understand your struggles. Someone who’d wipe your tears away, motivate you and refill your coffee mug at 3 in the morning when the 5000 worded essay just wouldn’t write itself.

Nothing was sweeter than Jaemin, not even the most decedent of cakes, or the most sugary cupcake.

 [4:21 pm]

Ding!

The oven had sounded, letting the boy know the cake was done. He rushes to see and to his delight, it looked normal. He pulls it out with oven mitts and places it on the counter to cool.

Jaemin popped a candy into his mouth, getting excited as things were turning out perfectly.

 [6:08 pm]

“Jaemin?” You called into the dark hallway of your apartment as you come in through the front door. The house was usually lit when you came home at this hour, so you wondered if maybe Jaemin had fallen asleep, or left to go somewhere. So, you walk in and switch the lights on yourself to reveal an empty house.

At the end of the hall where you stood, you noticed a little card stuck to the entrance which led to the living room. You flip it open and it read, ‘Welcome home! Meet me at the terrace?’ A smile instantly shows up in your face as you excitedly pocket the card. Of course it wouldn’t just be an ordinary date night, you’re dating Na Jaemin. You’d be a fool to expect anything less.

You make a quick stop to your shared bedroom, throw your bag to the floor and quickly pick something to wear. The pink dress you’d reserved for special occasions catches your eye and you take it off the rack, knowing your boyfriend was a sucker for the color.

After a little while, you finally make your way to the terrace, which he’d drawn the curtain over so you wouldn’t see. You push it out of the way, and find a panicked Na Jaemin huddled over a cake with its candles nearly touching the surface of the cake, almost ruining the design.

“Quickly, quickly!” he calls for you and lifts the cake. Without even being able to register and appreciate the perfectly set up dinner, or the sunset that stretched in the horizon, you ran to Jaemin, which was always the most beautiful in your eyes anyway. “On three, make a wish and blow,” he lifts the cake between you two and smiles.

With closed eyes, you sent your wishes to the sky and blew. You didn’t even notice he had kept his eyes open, and let you do it alone, with nothing but a smile on his face. Once you opened your eyes once again, you see the writings on the cake.

Always beside you.

 Jaemin sets the cake aside and wraps his arms around you. “What took you so long? The candles almost burnt out,”

“Sorry,” you couldn’t help but laugh. “I wanted to look good for you at least,”

He chuckles, “You’re something else, Y/N,”

“Hmm, what am I then?”

“Everything I’ve ever asked for and more,”

Jaemin didn’t waste a second more, and pressed his lips against yours, as each second that passed without your lips on his was a second wasted. He tasted sweet, both in a non literal and literal sense. Your boyfriend loved sweets, after all. Each kiss was enough to give you a sugar rush.

 As you both pulled away from the exhilarating kiss, you found yourself licking your lips, craving for the sweet taste he’d left.

“Happy anniversary,” he gives you another peck. Your eyes land on the table he’d set up for the two of you and the sight almost brought you to tears. The sun had died down while you were busy with each other, which left you under the dim lighting that the string lights Jaemin had hung up provided. You realize it looked extremely similar to your first date. Like Jaemin had tried to replicate the one at the restaurant he’d taken you to, three years ago. “You didn’t-,” your voice came out unstable as you were getting emotional and extremely nostalgic.

He grinned and pulls a seat out for you, “C’mon, the roasted chicken is getting cold,”

“Na Jaemin, I’m gonna marry you one day,” you walk over to him and pinched his cheeks before sitting.

You hear him chuckle, and nothing in your life could have ever prepared you for the next thing Jaemin does.

“Why not now?” He asked, getting down on one knee and opening up a red box, revealing the prettiest ring you’ve ever laid your eyes on.

[woosohn-archived]

1, 9 and 12 esp 12 cause i download new fonts every time i make smth and that process alone can take hours

 24 . out of sheer curiosity .

send me a number: ask a graphic / gif maker

1. how did you get into graphics / gif making?

for gfx: it was for my mom’s restaurant lmao i think that was back in like 4th or 5th grade? she used to have my uncle design tarps and stuff for her, and one time he came over and installed ps cs2 on our family desktop (rmb the time when everyone shared the same pc nd it was in the living room... or was that just our family) and i was watching him and he taught me a few stuff - specifically how to make text and use color overlay and stroke JFDKA after that it was just a lot of playing around by myself. 

i was horrible, i mean design-wise i cannot stand now what i used to make then!!! but my family and everyone at school was amazed bc no one else had or used ps and they thought i was some kind of tech genius bc everyone else was using picmonkey or smth LMFAO. i became the default designer for my mom’s business and all school projects SDJAK but there were 2 points where i was forced to refine my style:

my school registered me for a digital design competition in 7th grade. that mentally scarred me DJASDK WE WERE UP AGAINST I.T. SPECIALIZED SCHOOLS idk what we were thinking. got 3rd place but is2g i thought my product was so bad the top 2′s looked so clean and professional that i vowed to get better JDSDAK and that’s how i started getting rly picky with design

i started leaning towards illustrations (and using ai over ps) for a contemporary arts class in 9th grade bc i was being an obnoxious little shit wt my teacher nd ended up bluffing that i knew what illustrator was and that i used it often. so for our next output i had to learn how to use it within a few days and man. that was another mental scar HJDSFKS but! kinda glad it happened bc ai was my bread and butter for a looong time! i could wax poetic abt how much i love vector designing but this is getting way too long HJDKS

for gif-making: i started animating shortly after switching to illustrations in 9th grade, and weirdly enough it was never for video output?! it was always either for gifs or slide presentations. i started out making them in ppt, then i forced myself to learn after effects (for the same contemp art class lmao GOD I GAVE MYSELF SO MUCH HELL FOR THAT MINOR). but it was only quite recently (this year! with this blog!) that i got good at giffing non-illustrations, like actual video footages and it was for tumblr lol. i used to think they looked so bad and lq compared to when i animated illustrations, but then i finally got the patience to get vps and i’ve been obsessed since then lol

9. your least favorite graphic created by yourself

my deobirev bias motion gfx. FKJDS i don’t hate it, it was just the most rushed of them all and you can see how i just winged this bc it’s just. one giant gif. fksdjaSK and i defaulted to my “safe” animation style (the blobs/liquid movement). but yeah i do like it i think it’s cool! it just could’ve been better

12. font(s) you like using

oh man you asked the wrong person bc i, too, download new ones every time. HJSKA uhhh ig one font that has withstood the test of time for me (lol) is anitype journal. i don’t get to use it that much bc it’s a v distinct handwritten look, so it has easy recall if reused (it’s actually in that eric bias gfx! so i won’t use it for another 2 years ig DJADKS) but i love that the typeface has 4 different fonts and it’s just. rly cute okay HAHAH as for more ~editorial~ looking fonts that might be more up your alley, there’s the typeface i used for @tbzinc 's branding called ivy mode! for more basic non serif texts i default to the gotham typeface. for gif-making captions it’s always either calibri or arial rounded. what else uhhh my watermark is pixel maz DJSAD

[everythingdigitips]

drawing apps/softwares---my experiences

[part 1] || from a pov of a user but not a pro

☁ photoshop

✧ pros:

blending modes it is available & easy to navigate! holy grail feature luv this for adding some textures & filters layer effects & styles very helpful & easy to use *press F7 to show layers on your screen shortcut keys default keys working & easy to memorize I find its shortcut keys the "universal/standard" as SOME are applicable to other adobe software and other drawing software as well brushes easy to import (any brushes in ABR file), can download from any website for FREE (ofc better brushes can be bought online), if you want to make a custom/personalized brush, you can create your own! I tried this and it is very easy, there are useful tutorials on yt (ofc its FREE! yes, I love everything that is F R E E !) warp/skew/distort/perspective YES, these are available in ps! that's why ps is the GOAT makes our life easier! i luv these features! can use these for retouching text i love how you can choose the font you want and filter them from sans serif to serif fonts--oh! and also other classes like handwritten, monospace, decorative and more you can also write inside a shape (any shape) and the text box will follow its shape. VERY VERSATILE INDEED PS. I insert texts for watermarks and labels for my drawings if you're wondering pen pressure settings you can adjust pen pressure settings on ps as well

there are more features that I love about ps but some are more into editing side. So far, here are the good points I like about ps when it comes to drawing

✧ cons:

experienced lag I don't know if it is just my old drawing tablet (a graphic tablet) before but when I increased my paper size, strokes of my pen is lagging in which caused me to switch to other drawing software well, I tried using it again but with my pen display tablet I bought recently and it works fine now! complicated for non-techie person i've been using ps since 2018 so I am much familiar to shortcut keys now and its basic tools but my friends using it the first time are having a hard time so I think it's a complicated software for non-techie people & beginners and if you'll just use it for drawing software size i checked mine, its about 6GB on my pc ps needs a pc that could take its huge file size

I love ps, and its versatility. you can do a lot of things here and if you master using its features, I bet you'll be unreachable!

storytime:

before ps, I used photopea website around 2015-2016. (photopea.com) it's an online version of photoshop but this doesn't have recovery files so if your computer lagged and exited its tab, you're DEAD. Although it has peadrive/onedrive/googledrive you can access for storage (I'm not sure). I haven't tried this using a drawing tab. Moreover, it's a good alternative for ps and helped me a lot for my projects during high school. I checked it today and it's still available!

see! this also have a layer styles like ps!! try it if your pc can't run ps this also supports psd, gimp files, raw files, ai files & moree!!! luv it!

--------to be cont. for part 2 ^^meow

[infinitepiner]

Custom fonts with syncterm

#Custom fonts with syncterm install

#Custom fonts with syncterm full

#Custom fonts with syncterm android

#Custom fonts with syncterm professional

#Custom fonts with syncterm free

Go do the normal Google Fonts thing and find the URL for loading Lato. to a selection request sent by an obsolete client such as syncterm fix crash when. COCONETs bitmap and vector graphics and support for multiple type fonts were. Classics such as FF DIN and Proxima Nova, or try out new typefaces like Neue Haas Unica. the font height is not augmented anymore when lineSpace is non zero. The use of these custom character sets was generally incompatible between.

#Custom fonts with syncterm professional

Say we wanted to use Lato in an email, if we can. Try, buy and download professional fonts for desktop, web and apps.

#Custom fonts with syncterm android

Native Android mail app (not Gmail app)Īside from using a JavaScript font loader, which definitely won’t work in email (no email client will be executing JavaScript), ultimately it comes down to in CSS.

While web fonts don’t have universal support, here are the email clients where they are supported: This tool will allow you to create fonts for use with SyncTERM. Jaina Mistry had the scoop on this last year over on the Litmus blog: Supports character pacing for ANSI animation as well as the VT500 ESC r sequence to allow dynamic speed changes Comes with 43 standard fonts and allows the BBS to change the current font and upload custom fonts. SyncTERM and Netrunner both support widescreen (16:9) and the legacy (4:3) screen modes, extended color palettes, iCE Color, and CP437(IBM)/Topaz(Amiga) fonts. These programs support both legacy and modern Bulletin Boards. Enter custom sample text to change the font. Download these recommended ANSI Terminal Programs to best view their system and our custom creations. 35 fonts imported from the FreeBSD syscons source as well as the ability to customize fonts. These handwritten fonts are drawn using any kind of writing instrument like pen, pencil, felt marker, brush, etc. While art can be displayed programmatically such as from a custom module, the most basic and common form is via menu.hjson entries.And you use them pretty much just like you’d use custom fonts on a website. 2.2.1 SEXYZ 2.2.2 SEXPOTS 2.2.3 SyncTerm 2.2.4 SyncDraw.

Within a theme such as art/themes/super_fancy_theme.Īll art can contain MCI Codes.

This is where you place common/non-themed art files. Art File LocationsĪs a general rule, art files live in one of two places: ENiGMA½ supports a variety of ways to select, display, and manage art.

#Custom fonts with syncterm install

Browse to the fonts and select the ones you want to install and click 'OK'. Go to 'control panel -> fonts -> file -> install new font'. One of the most basic elements of BBS customization is through it’s artwork. Make sure the 'Use the following method to smooth edges of screen fonts' section is not selected. Click now to create a custom image with your own words that you can download. Released in 2022 by lunas type and licensed for personal-use only.

#Custom fonts with syncterm full

supports some of the new features of modern bbs terminals such as Syncterm v1.1b+ and Netrunner v2.0 a22. SyncTERM is a BBS terminal program which supports: Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP, Linux, OpenBSD, NetBSD, OS X, and FreeBSD X/Y/ZModem up/downloads Runs in full-screen mode on ALL platforms (ALT-Enter switches modes) nix versions will run using SDL, X11, or using curses Full ANSI-BBS support Full CGTerm Commodore 64 PETSCII support Full Atari 8-bit ATASCII support DoorWay support Support for.

#Custom fonts with syncterm free

names of Commands, Options, and Settings that appear on-screen are in a different font. freeload of Heritage Signature Font. Author: Stackfault Classification: Custom Mod. General Art Information General Art Information Configuring Custom Speaker and Source Formats.

[arthurhwalker]

Yoga Book 2, C930

Lenovo announced their new Yoga Book (2) C930 at IFA in Berlin yesterday. It's a big deal, not just because the Yoga Book got a refresh, but it brings a form factor to the market I've been waiting ten years for (Microsoft Courier). Dual-screen devices have been tried, but no one has ever done it well. Lenovo looks like they've found the secret sauce, or just waited for the tech to advance far enough along, and seized the moment.

Either way, I win! I already carry a Yoga Book 1 and an E-Ink Tablet with me most places, and the Yoga Book C930 basically combines the two into one easy to carry device.

UPDATE:

Reached out to Lenovo for some clarity on some things and heard back. See below.

Let's look at the specs.

Processor

The Yoga Book (2) C930 comes with either an Intel Core i5-7Y54 Processor or Intel Core m3-7Y30 Processor. Both of these are going to be passively cooled, Hyper Threading, and pushing Intel HD Graphics 615, dual-channel memory (DDR3L/LPDDR3), and a fairly high Turbo clock.

If you're used to using a passively cooled device, particularly a Yoga Book 1, either of these processor options should feel like a big upgrade. If you're using anything with fans, 15 watts and up, this is going to feel as fast or slower for applications. These are the trade offs for a silent, energy efficient machine, that stays cool to the touch.

Sound

2 x Speakers with Dolby Atmos®

2 x Microphones with Noise-Cancelling Support

Lenovo has really been pouring the love into sound production across other models announced at IFA. While not a selling feature of the Yoga Book 2, I bet there's a significant improvement over the Yoga Book 1.

Memory

RAM - 4 GB LPDDR3 (Rumored 8GB option?)

ROM - 128 or 256 GB SSD

Card Slot - microSD; Supports Up to 512 GB

I'm not sure what kind of hard drive will actually land in the Yoga Book 2 (I'm going to try and find out), but it isn't EMMc type. That's good for speed, really good, but not as good for battery life or reliability where EMMc really shines.

UPDATE:

Me: Are the SSD options, SATA, M.2, or... ???

Lenovo: its M2. PCIE SSD

Is 4 GB of RAM enough? For me, even with slower, passively cooled machines, it has been. I've been able to draw fluidly in Photoshop at 300 DPI, twelve layers, with that kind of RAM and not had a problem. Typically, that would be all I would have open, other than some reference images. 

The press release says 4 GB, but I’ve heard reporters say 4 or 8 GB reporting from IFA. I’ll try to verify.

UPDATE:

Me: Will there be a 4GB RAM and an 8GB RAM option be offered?

Lenovo: There is only a 4GB RAM variant announced. It's technically ready to support 8GB but we are not planning to ship it now, unless there are some specific demand which would likely be only in B2B.

For my varied use case, with devices like this, the EMMc hard drive has been the bottleneck, not the RAM.

Hopefully, the microSD card slot works reliably, unlike the Yoga Book 1 where it was hit or miss.

Battery

Type - Li-ion Polymer

Capacity  -  4650 mAh / 35.8 Whr

Standby Time  - Over 16 Days

General Usage -  About 8.6 Hours

8.6 hours for that capacity mAh battery feels like optimism. Could be real. I'll believe it when I see it.

Even if I only got seven hours out of it, I wouldn't be sad, and I carry a spare battery with me most of the time anyway to charge my phone and tablet. The Yoga Book 2 has two USB 3.1 (Gen 1) Type-C ports, one for charging.

Display

LCD

Size - 10.8" QHD (2560 x 1600), 281 ppi

Type - LCD with IPS Technology

Brightness - 400 nits

Color Depth - 16.7 Million

Color Gamut - 85% (Typical)

Touch - Capacitive Multitouch and Precision Pen Support (4,096 pressure levels)

I love QHD displays. Love. I understand that this is Wacom Tech, and probably not proprietary to Lenovo. I'll try to verify, but I think any AES pen stylus should work. This was a major gripe with the Yoga Book 1, that both surfaces didn't take pen input. It didn't bother me because I preferred to draw offset on the Create Pad surface, but for some, it was a hard transition.

E Ink

Size - 10.8" FHD (1920 x 1080), 204 ppi

Type - Flexible E Ink Mobius Display

Touch - Capacitive Multitouch and Precision Pen Support (4,096 pressure levels)

This panel provides the keyboard (with support for thirty languages), with haptic/audio feedback, and keen key press animations. Switch modes, and it is a digital notebook, for sketching and taking notes. At 10.8″ it should be a little bigger and better to use than the Yoga Book 1. Also, Infrared Fingerprint reader built in. Whether this will make Windows Hello viable or not, remains to be seen. I keep hoping Lenovo will go back to having their own biometric access for their machines, as Microsoft can’t make a ham sandwich correctly right now. 

Edit: The Infrared Fingerprint reader, sitting flush with the surface of the keyboard, looks to be the power button. Nice!

Last year, Onyx teased an E Ink typewriter (laptop) with a 10.3 Flexible E Ink display. It ended up being canceled, and attempts by other companies to bring such a device to the US have fizzled. I kickstarted the Pomera foldable E Ink writer, but it didn't go. I've been watching to see if something with that display would land in the US. Looks like it will.

The Yoga Book appears to have that tech built in. Excite! I thought that maybe the "Flexible" nature of the display was a literal description, and it appears to be. The Yoga Book 3 teased at Computex appears to maybe have a flexible display, maybe? Squint, and look at that hinge!

Here's the product page for the E Ink Mobius product.  Check out the embedded video. Draw your own conclusions.

The bad news; it only supports PDF format right now. Lenovo has told reporters that they will add ePub (non-DRM), Mobi, and Text formats, but I wouldn't hold your breath. Lenovo, or any OEM, adding functionality to a consumer product after release is very unlikely. I'm sure Lenovo has the best intentions here, but if having those formats recognized on the E Ink side is mission critical, this might not be the device for you.

UPDATE:

Me: When will Lenovo add ePub, Mobi, and txt format options to the E ink display reader application?

Lenovo: In Q1 calendar, 2019.

There's also handwriting to text conversion right now. It sounds like Lenovo might add the same for mathematical calculations, diagrams, and such, but if it ships lacking that functionality, I wouldn’t count on seeing it added later. It is what it is.

UPDATE:

Me: Will it ship with the ability to convert mathematical calculations and diagrams the same as handwritten text?

Lenovo: Yes

Other Stuff

You can knock on the lid twice to reverse the polarity of the magnets holding it closed. It makes the device feel very premium, and it is great for nail biters, and people that like knock-knock jokes.

The Precision Pen that comes in the box looks nice, but appears to lack barrel buttons. Like the Yoga Book 1, designers and artists will be looking for alternatives, and like before, there will probably be many options. I'll try to verify that. Hopefully, with the Yoga Book 3, Lenovo gives us a stylus pen we don't immediately replace with something else.

UPDATE

Me: Does the Precision Pen have barrel buttons? Will other AES Lenovo and Wacom stylus pens rated for 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity work with the Yoga Book 2?

Lenovo: It has barrel 2 buttons and one eraser button at the top. Only Bluetooth AES 2.0, yes, but shortcuts of physical buttons may not work as intended as our built-in software pairs and configures in the background for this Pen specifically;

Edit: I found a video where one of the reviewers demonstrates the use of the barrel buttons (2). There’s a flat toggle piece on one side of the stylus pen. One for erasing, and one for making selections. Yay!

Edit: There are conflicting reports about release, September, or October.

This video actually does a good job demonstrating what the device can do.

[intheirlanguage]

Typing in your Target Language

I know most langblr’s have like miles of photos of neatly handwritten practice sheets and that seems to be what everybody strives for. And while yes, handwriting is important and has been shown to aid in learning, sometimes, you gotta type. Either ‘cause you’re emailing a penpal, writing an essay for class, or you’re someone who learns better with the computer and typed text. So here’s a little typing positivity post with a few tips and resources about learning to type like a pro in your target language. Please note that regardless of how my writing may indicate a particular audience, this is really intended for just about everybody, it’s just really hard to write if I don’t narrow things down to a small imagined audience or people who use a QWERTY keyboard like me. This also focuses on using a computer such as a laptop or desktop which are slightly more complicated than typing in a new language on your smartphone, something which most of you are probably already doing.

The most important thing: If you really want to be typing in your target language the absolute most important thing is that you switch your keyboard to that language. Although there are many ways to achieve various accents without ever leaving the English keyboard (or whatever language you most use) as well as online keyboards, if you really want typed success you need the proper keyboard. Selecting a particular keyboard means you’re using a keyboard layout that has been specifically designed for that language. This will enable you to type faster and easier in that specific language, not to mention it’s been formatted for language specific punctuation as well. If you’re using a word processor go ahead and download the necessary dictionary and change the necessary settings for spell check (seriously spellcheck has saved my Spanish so many times I never know where the accents go but spellcheck has my back and my accents). Below I’ve included a few links for how to get your new keyboard set up if you’re not sure.

Changing Keyboard Layout Windows

Changing Keyboard Layout Mac

Keyboard Learning Curve: Let’s be real, learning to type was hard enough (anybody else have Mavis Beacon teaches typing? Because I’m haunted by that damn thing). And if you don’t know how to properly type I highly suggest you learn, it’s an incredibly useful skill in today’s digital world, though a bit of a pain to learn, you’ll be thankful you did (Mavis Beacon may haunt me but I’m still grateful for all she did, thanks to her I can almost type as fast as I think).

Learn How to Type

Now that you’ve got your keyboard and mad typing skills it’s time to learn your new keyboard. If it’s a latin based alphabet it should be familiar to what you already know, the only thing to learn is special characters and punctuation. If it’s an entirely different alphabet such as Cyrillic you may find yourself lost before you’ve even started. Many people find things such as keyboard stickers and keyboard covers with the characters on them incredibly helpful, I do to. However, if you can’t afford these kinds of things (or you’re just really possessive over your computer and don’t want to mess it up with stickers) there’s an easy trick you can do using a program that’s already on your computer. What you want is an on-screen virtual keyboard.

Virtual Keyboard Mac

On-Screen Keyboard Windows

This onscreen keyboard will change when you change your keyboard settings between languages. You can use this to reference your actual keyboard so you can visually see where all your keys are. If you’re practiced with a keyboard using this as reference while you type shouldn’t take long. If you’re unfamiliar it may take a bit longer to get used to things but soon enough the new letters will be ingrained in your muscle memory. For example, I’m gonna type some Russian. Да свиданя. Now I KNOW I totally spelled that wrong (don’t judge me, it’s been awhile) but even just by the end of the word I was already getting faster with letter placement. All I did was study my on-screen keyboard and let my fingers do the finding. However you decide to practice your new keyboard, just remember to be patient with yourself. No matter how good your typing skills you’ll probably hit the wrong letter 50 times before you finally learn where the right letter is, and that’s perfectly okay. Go at your own pace. Don’t judge yourself. And remember typing on your smartphone can help you learn letter placement on your keyboard, so long as the two are formatted the same.

Fonts: When you’re working in various languages, as much as you may love that pretty script font, Times New Roman is going to be your friend. Times New Roman as well as other base system fonts (Arial, Helvetica, etc.) should be your go to because they have a massive cross compatibility and the ability to support oh so many different letters and characters and ligatures and basically just about everything. If you really need a pretty font you’re going to have to look into language specific fonts, there are various resources around the internet and I know many of omniglot’s pages have links to free fonts for specific languages, you may even get lucky and find out that a favorite font of yours has all the right stuff to type in your target language. Another great resource is Google Fonts, it’s got tons of free fonts you can download or use on the web and you can even sort them by language.

And remember, it’s important to use a font that you’re comfortable with. Some research supports that writing things in hard to read fonts can help you remember them, but if you can’t read it at all then it’s not going to help you at all. This is especially important for people with any kind of disability that makes reading and writing more difficult, use what works and don’t let anybody judge your font choices.

And that’s the basics of typing in your target language. Below I’m going to write a few language specific tips:

Arabic, Hebrew and Persian/Farsi: You gotta be careful when typing with these languages because many programs can’t handle the written direction. Watch out for programs literally flipping your letters, flipping entire words, or not connecting letters properly. While I’ve heard many programs are getting better at it, your best bet is to do your own research and make sure that whatever programs you’re using they can handle right-to-left typing, and be aware you may have to download new programs for it to work.

Chinese and Japanese: Typing in these two languages is a bit more complicated than others because of the character system. The typing system is a bit different in that you’re basically typing into a small program that then outputs the characters. While you can download cute keyboards for these, my experience of them has always been that they’re vaguely annoying. I recommend you stick with your built in system keyboard. These are fairly easy to use and fun to work with, and remember you can type entire sentences and the program can guess the characters based on context so you don’t have to go searching for the right characters after every word. Just be sure to learn the layout and the romanisation system that the computer is using. It may be more complicated than you think.

Type in Japanese

Type in Chinese

Other Non Alphabetic Languages: If you’re working with a language that doesn’t use an alphabet (for example, syllabic systems like Devanagari, Thai, etc.) you’re going to need to do your own research on how the keyboard system for that particular language works when it comes to typing. They will probably function similar to the languages listed above in that more likely than not, you just need to hit the right key on your keyboard and the computer does all the work for you. The key is finding that right key because in some cases you may be typing with numbers and punctuation as if they were letters in order to get what you need, or the placement of letters may be shifted from what you’re familiar with. Use the tips above to help you handle this shift.

[kimmiherself]

CHAPTER THREE: FIRST MEETING

When they said we could go into a short break, the teachers really didn't mean a vacation with all the projects and homeworks they piled up for us to ensure we didn't forget our education—they were sweet that way. So there I was at home with my girl best friend, Shanelle, spending our whole afternoon making visuals for our English project that consisted a lot of writing—and a lot of headaches too—instead of binge watching our favorite TV series on DVDs together and munching on whatever food our hands could grab, which was how we imagined our semestral break would be.

"Totally wasted a perfect day for this," I said, tucking our handwritten visuals away for safekeeping until the actual presentation. "We could have finished a season of One Tree Hill, you know."

"Definitely," Shanelle agreed as she slumped herself on the couch in the living room, looking so worn out. "Or those South Korean dramas of yours that we haven't watched yet. They're so much better than OTH, by the way."

"Yeah, I guess so," I said, too tired to even start to argue. One Tree Hill was Matthew's favorite TV show and I started watching it so that I could have a conversation with him about it but later found myself glued to the series. But Shanelle's right. A good Korean drama was a lot better choice to binge watch with a friend and Shanelle was the best person to do it with.

I moved back with my father and my sister in my grandparents' house about two years ago when my cousin, who owned the house I previously occupied with our housekeeper, had come home from abroad and permanently settled down. When my grandfather died a few years back, one of my aunts had taken my grandmother to the States so she could better take care of her, leaving the big, ancient house to just the three of us and a housekeeper. My family had already gotten used to my best friend's presence in the house. She liked to sleep over so that we could watch our favorite shows together. We could go silent all night, just letting ourselves get lost in the movies, but we could also get loud, just talking about everything under the moon until the wee hours of the morning.

She was the first person I talked about Raven with. She might have a really big mouth but she would never judge a person. "So what's wrong with this Raven guy?" she asked.

My shoulders fell. "Haven't you been listening, Shane? You do know I have a boyfriend, right? And I think this sort of thing that Raven and I have—you know, constant, well, more like incessant texting—is kind of a bad thing because I have a boyfriend. The thing is, no matter how platonic our conversations are, it still feels like I am cheating on my boyfriend!"

"You have a boyfriend?!" she exclaimed, acting all shocked.

"Now you're just making fun of me," I said, pouting.

She giggled. "Seriously, Kier! This boyfriend of yours," she said, propping an elbow against the cushion. "We always forget he exists. I mean we've never even met him. Don't get upset but half the things you say about him isn't believable. He may be good with words but he's not the perfect boyfriend you think he is. You're probably just wrapped up with this insane idea about love and destiny that you put him in this high pedestal, giving him perfect boyfriend attributes as if you're writing about the heroes in your novels, just so you could have a romantic story," she said with a slight grimace on her face that I didn't fail to notice.

"But, girl, I hope you're not just having delusions! You don't even know this guy in real life. He's just the man on the phone. And, gosh, he's hardly even romantic. He never exerts effort and he never even bothers to show up. He's like...non-existent. You don't even know what he's up to these days. I'm sorry, Kier, but you don't even know if he has, other than his virtual girlfriend—you, an actual girlfriend in the city. Matthew to you is like an imaginary friend to a child!"

Shanelle really had a big mouth and I regretted telling her about Raven. Well, she didn't seem to have a problem with Raven—at least, not yet—but she sure had a lot to say about my relationship with Matthew. I was wrong about her saintly attitude of being incapable of judging a person because she sure was very good at it. "You don't know Matthew like I do, Shane. He's in college and he just has a lot on his plate right now. And he's not made up. He's a real person!"

She sat up and looked over at me with an apologetic look on her face. "Hey, you know that's not what I meant, right? Of course, he's as real as the sun, but what I doubt about is his feelings for you. As a boyfriend, he doesn't seem to care about you that much, Kiera..."

"Matt's just a really busy person," I cut her off. "I already told you, Shane. College is difficult and Matthew has a part-time job as well."

"Maybe, Kiera. Just maybe. You don't know that for sure, do you? And, as far as I know, when you're really into someone, you'll find the time."

I couldn't answer that. Sometimes, the immature side of me couldn't help but have doubts too. "I have faith in him, Shane..."

"He's not God, Kiera," she said with a sigh, which prompted me to laugh. She laughed too, and the intense conversation was over just like that.

"Gosh, I want you to be happy, Kier, but I really don't think he's as in love with you as you are with him. I'm your friend, and I'm sorry if I don't have a filter in my mouth, but I just want you to pop that bubble and see what's real and what's not, okay?"

I frowned and decided to keep my arguments to myself. "Fine," I said with a grunt. "I don't know what I did right in my past life to deserve such a great friend like you," I said, sarcasm lacing my voice. But deep inside my core, I meant it.

"Oh, I love you too," she said with equal sarcasm. But then smirked. "So what's the deal with this Raven guy, Kiera? I am not so sure about these men you meet merely through your phone but I know you are sensible enough to know what you're doing, right?" she asked with a serious tone in her voice, sounding like a mother—not just mine because my mother wasn't compared to Saddam Hussein for nothing.

I simply nodded. "It's not like Raven's a total stranger, you know. He lives here and I know his family—his sister, at least, and she's quite amazing!" Exactly what a friend said. But he was smitten with her, I thought.

Shanelle looked unconvinced but didn't care to argue. "Have you met this Raven, Kiera? Does he look good? Is he tall? Because you know I don't really like any guy who isn't at least as tall as I am..."

You're as tall as a tree, I thought. I would've rolled my eyes already but the mention of Raven's name had my moods switched. He was like a breath of fresh air, a calm breeze, a misty morning when the sun had just risen. It was a pleasant feeling that I had learned to like a lot. He was home and the thought of him being in the same place as I was sent butterflies to my stomach. I hadn't met him yet and I didn't think it would be possible. I barely went out of the house and I knew that the moment I did, everyone's eyes would be on me, considering how close my aunts' and their offsprings' houses were to ours, and I was terrified of becoming the subject of their gossips if they saw me standing next to a boy. Mother would surely know about it and hell would come loose. Just the thought of it made me shudder.

Shanelle grunted when I didn't answer. "C'mon, tell me about him!"

"I've already told you everything about him and, no, I haven't met him yet," I said, shifting my focus back to my chore.

She frowned. "You should, though," she said. "You don't know what he looks like. What if he's ugly? What if he has no teeth? I don't know, Kier. It creeps me out that you're texting someone you haven't even seen and it creeps me out even more that you think you have a crush on this guy, whose face you can't even picture out!"

That made me look up and glare at her. "I didn't say I have a crush on him."

She glared back. "Shut it! It's all over your face."

I sighed and looked down. There was no use arguing with Shanelle. She really was a force of nature. "Well," I dragged. "I know that his sister is pretty and if the same blood runs through their veins, he couldn't be that bad, right?"

"You don't know that, for sure, Kiera!" she said, looking appalled. "What if he inherited all the bad genes? You're impossible, Kier! You and your faith in men."

I laughed. "Don't be such a pessimist, Shane. He sounds handsome on the phone, though," I teased. "And if you care to remember, we go to a Catholic school. It has been taught to us how equally beautiful we all are, created in the likeness and image of God."

Her eyes widened and laughed. "I can't wait for you to finally see him and have your optimism smack you in the face, oh pure and venerable Kiera!"

I finally rolled my eyes at her. "I hope not!"

She just giggled at that. Shanelle could be a handful most of the time but she sure was good company. There wasn't a dull moment with her. "I should go home, you know," she said, pushing herself up from her seat. "Grandmother's gonna kill me if I missed dinner again." Like me, Shanelle grew up without her parents. Her mom and dad separated a few years ago. Her mother worked abroad while her father lived in the city, probably with a new partner. I guessed the similarities of our lives were what truly bonded us, despite us having opposite personalities. I liked to consider myself an introvert while my best friend was the ever active, passionate, and outgoing person the world had ever seen. While I had few people I trusted, she had a whole community—her chuchmates, her cousins, and her long list of friends—she could rely on to have her back.

"Okay, I'll walk you to the bus stop," I said, putting away the remaining writing materials and other supplies. I helped Shanelle put her own things in her bag before peeking at myself in the mirror to check if I looked appropriate to walk the streets. I was wearing a faded, blue P.E. shirt and a pair of old denim shorts. I was too tired to even think about changing so I just ignored how crappy I looked and ushered my friend towards the main door of the house, grabbing my cellphone with me as I did so.

Only to stop on my tracks when I heard it ring and found Raven's name flashing on the screen. I hesitated for a while, knowing my friend was there to eavesdrop on us, but Shanelle was quick to grab the phone and press the answer button herself. She smirked at me, leaving me dumbfounded. "Hello, who's this?" she said, her voice deep and stern.

"You're crazy!" I screamed at her, only without sound. She just dismissed me with a quick flick of her hand and stepped back.

"Hello?" she said once again, putting the phone in loudspeaker mode. "May I know who is this?"

"I-It's Raven," he answered and I could clearly hear the confusion and uncertainty in his voice.

"Hello, Raven! This is Kiera's aunt," she said, and I couldn't guess what she was up to. Surely she wouldn't embarrass me, considering I was one of her dearest friends. Shanelle watched me pull my arms up across my chest and grunt my displeasure, that mischievous smile never once leaving her face. "Why are you calling my niece?" she asked and all I could ever think about was how painfully annoying she—"Are you Kiera's boyfriend?"

"Amelia Kassandra Shanelle!" I screamed in horror, definitely with sound this time, and jumped at her to grab my phone but failed, considering how tall she was. Freaking tree!

I watched her stifle her laughter and continued to torment me. "Don't you think she's too young to have a boyfriend, Raven? She is still in school and she doesn't need distractions right now. I don't want you calling her anymore, do you understand?!"

There was silence from his end but the call hadn't ended yet. Shanelle probably scared the hell out of him. "I am begging you with my life, my dearest friend! Put me out of this misery," I said, my acting skills in full display. She just wouldn't budge. "Ugh!" I grunted. "You evil woman—"

"Fine!" she finally exclaimed and laughed like a crazy person. "I'm just messing with you," she said on the phone. "This is actually Kiera's best friend, Shanelle. Meet us at the bus stop in," she pasued to think, "ten minutes. We wanna see you!" She then pressed the end call button and handed the phone back to me. "Thank me later, friend!"

"You're so not my friend anymore!" was all I could muster to say. I quickly fiddled with my phone and started typing an apology to Raven. I told him it was just my friend and she was just messing around, just in case he didn't hear her say that. I also said he didn't have to meet us because I was just walking Shane to the bus stop. It would be quick and I'd hate to take someone else's time. I also didn't want other people seeing me with him in public, although I didn't tell him that. My mother would freak out if she learned about it.

"You're welcome, dear," Shanelle said and led us out of the house. "It's now or never!"

I thought I'd faint at the sudden stress she had just put me into. I wasn't ready to meet him yet. Thoughts filled my head like a flash flood. What if he didn't like me? What if he thought I was too plain? Or too fat? My head started to hurt just imagining the disappointment in his face upon seeing me. But he had already seen you! A voice from the back of my head snapped me out of it. Yes, he had. A couple of times, according to him, but those were before we even started texting each other. This would be different! I then got distracted when my phone beeped. My hands shook as I pulled it up and opened the message. It was definitely from Raven.

I wouldn't miss it for the world!

I grunted, dreading my impending doom. I should have, at least, changed into more appropriate clothes and powdered my face. But Shanelle and I were already treading the two-block walk. It would be too late to go back now. My chest felt heavier the closer we got to the bus stop and I thought it would be best to just run back home. But a small part of me wanted to see Raven too. I was curious about how he looked but I also knew it wouldn't matter anyway. I always preferred character over physical appearance. That's not entirely true, my inner voice argued. Fine, I preferred someone who could make my heart skip a beat and sweep me off my feet with just one gaze from him, just how I imagined the heroines in the books felt when they finally found their true love, but he should be at least a little cute to make me swoon like that.

It didn't take long before we reached the bus stop, my chest pounding so hard as if I had been running a marathon. To my relief—and just a slight disappointment, Shanelle and I found it empty. "He probably didn't hear what I said over the phone," Shanelle threw a comment, entangling her arms over her chest, then turned to look at me. "That or he deliberately decided not to show up! Well, that actually speaks a lot about his character and his intentions to you, Kiera. This Raven guy is probably up to no good."

I rolled my eyes at her yet again. "You don't know that for sure, Shane," I said, using her words against her. "He just probably didn't get to hear what you said earlier. You rattled the guy, by the way."

"Excuses," she said, giving me a smirk. "I really was expecting him to be here, though," she murmured.

We waited for a while until transportation arrived. The countryside had few public vehicles that you'd have to wait according to the scheduled trips and we were lucky we didn't have to wait that long. Shanelle lived even deeper into the countryside and the trips there ceased before nightfall. When one arrived, I quickly hugged my friend and watched her scurry off to hop into the vehicle. It was a relief for me that she had to go sooner and didn't have to wait for Raven to come—if he were coming—because I actually didn't know how he'd take my friend's overwhelming personality. It was also a blessing for me because I could now just run back home and escape this dreadful situation.

I crossed the road and started walking my way home when my cellphone beeped, alerting me of a new message. I prayed it would be Raven saying he couldn't make it for whatever reason God had dropped on his feet and I wouldn't mind at all. Perhaps this wasn't the perfect time and this definitely wasn't the perfect place. There wasn't a lot of people around but words spread like wildfire in this place since everyone just knew about everyone. I had goosebumps just imagining my mother's wrath. I always abided the laws and followed the rules but my mother's no-boyfriend-until-I-finish-college rule was the only one I couldn't seem to follow.

I opened the message and read Raven's text.

Going somewhere?

I thought the world just stopped and I froze with it, my eyes glued to his words that I couldn't understand it at first. But it didn't take long before it all made sense to me. He was nearby. He was watching me. He was there with me and there was no escaping him. I probably should have left without reading that damn text and I could've freely gotten away. But it was too late now.

I knew I shouldn't but my stupid reflexes made me look up and around, all the while hoping this was just a nightmare that I only had to wake up from. But, apparently, that wasn't the case. There, sitting by the bench at the other side of the road, I found Raven Maude.

Our eyes met and I recognized him in an instant. He was sitting between two other boys, one I knew from my elementary days and the other one I knew when he once pursued one of my village friends. The other people around us were just passing by. There was no mistaking it. Raven was the only one I didn't know and had never seen in my entire life and he was facing right back at me, his eyes completely disappearing into thin lines as the corners of his mouth lifting up into a big, goofy smile.

I never could have pictured him out but I knew his features definitely fitted the Raven that I knew on the phone. His jet black hair was thick and playfully disheveled, giving him that carefree vibe I had always felt in him. His skin was dark but I didn't know if it was natural that way or a mere consequence of his incessant basketball games. He was wearing a simple t-shirt and basketball shorts but he stood out from the two others that I immediately forgot they were there, with his vibrant smile contagious enough to make the leaves turn even greener and the sky even bluer even when the sun was about to descend. He was definitely a sight I couldn't peel my eyes away from.

I staggered backwards as I watched him stand up and start walking towards me, my heart pumping so hard I could hear its pulsations in the open air. My mind was telling me to run and just hide somewhere, anywhere but there, but I remained frozen on the ground, my eyes glued to the boy I never once imagined storming into my life and taking my breath away, literally. But there he was in actual flesh! Raven crossed the road and stopped right in front of me, hovering over my meek posture, which probably looked like a melting candle, by the way, and still giving me that ludicrously beautiful smile.

"Raven says hi," he said, casually pointing towards his friends.

I stifled my laughter but a smile broke out. "You can't fool me," I said, peeking at the beaming faces of the other teenagers across the road. "I know those two." I was confident that I knew them but even I thought I sounded unsure. Raven towered me for about five to six inches and he stood so close to me that I could smell his heavenly scent. He wasn't reeking of perfume, though. Raven had that clean, fresh scent on his clothes as if they just came out of laundry. I really liked it.

As I stared at him, I couldn't help but notice the slight stubble on his chin and the thin hair growing above his upper lips. He also had blemishes on his face like the rest of the teenage boys who shuddered at the mere mention of skincare routines, but Raven definitely had those rugged good looks. I also liked that slight hump on the dorsal bridge of his nose, which would add a nice detail to a sketch, and his deep, piercing eyes that easily disappeared when he smiled.

He chuckled as he ran his fingers through his hair, making me breathe a sigh. "Well, it's a shame,"—he sighed— "that you seem to know everybody but me." Raven's lips remained curled up in a smile but it didn't seem to quite reach his eyes anymore.

"You know I don't go out that much," I said in a low voice and pulled my gaze down to my feet as if they were the most interesting thing in the world at the moment. I talked a lot over the phone but I couldn't seem to find the right words to say to him in person, and it also didn't help that other thoughts plagued my head like how worried I was that other people might see me with Raven and spread horrible gossips about me and how bothered I was about looking fat in my loose t-shirt.

"It's too bad that I didn't get to introduce myself to you sooner," he said softly. "But I'm really glad we've met, Kiera."

The warmth in his voice urged me to look up and meet his gaze. It's a relief to see that he was still beaming at me and that he seemed sincere about what he just said, which caused even more discomfort to my chest, by the way. He seemed friendly and modest but he also had that confident stance in the way he handled himself. Unlike me, who mostly regretted everything that came out of my mouth, Raven didn't seem to have a problem speaking his mind. In my futile attempt to match his confidence, I murmured, "Me too," and immediately looked away before I could catch any reaction from his face. He chuckled and I thought I'd die of humiliation. Damnit, Kiera! Get hold of yourself! "I-I think I have to go..."

He tilted his head to the side to catch my eyes and asked, "Already?"

I nodded and gave him an apologetic smile. "I really have to. My family's probably looking for me already." It was a big lie. My father's not home most of the time and God only knew where he went, my sister was probably still glued to her phone that she wouldn't notice I even went out, and our housekeeper had so many chores to finish at home that she wouldn't really mind about me at all.

"I'll walk you home, then."

"No!" I cried, trying very hard not to imagine my relatives' faces when they found me walking alongside him. "I mean," I swallowed hard, "I can go home by myself, Raven. There's really no need to trouble yourself. My house is not that far, anyway," I said in haste and tried to mask my restlessness with a laugh, but I probably over-exerted myself that Raven looked at me in a funny way.

He thought for a while and said, "I insist, Kiera."

I shook my head and begged him with my eyes. "No, you don't have to, Raven..."

If it were possible, Raven's smile even widened. "I believe I do."

Just great! I slowly backed away and widened the space between us, testing the waters. He took a step forward. I took another step backwards. He followed. "Really, I can just go..."

He gently swung his one hand towards the road as if to pave the way for me, his smile never leaving him.

I grunted. "Raven..."

"Kiera..."

His voice just made my heart beat even more erratically. Raven chuckled and it was a sound that really unnerved me. His mere presence unnerved me. I had never felt this intense feeling of mixed fear and euphoria ever before. I was wrong. Raven Maude was not a breath of fresh air nor a calm breeze. He was a hurricane that destroyed everything in its path. Excitement. Trouble. Even danger. That was how I felt at the moment with him. I wanted to run away but he seemed to be intent on following me. And I thought I had gone completely crazy because I somehow felt pleased with that.

The jorney home was intense—for me, at least. I felt like a criminal evading the authorities as I walked past the array of houses that belonged to my relatives, all the while immensed in the conflicting feelings that came with knowing that Raven was only ten steps behind me. I was glad that he didn't come any nearer. It was such a relief that he was perceptive enough to realize my wishes or perhaps my anxiety of being seen with a boy without a chaperone—and even if I had one, really—was all written in my face. I was merely walking but I believed my heart had survived a marathon.

We arrived at my place in no time at all and I couldn't decide if I liked that very much. Despite the stress I had just endured, I thought I enjoyed Raven's presence. We barely talked to each other but his heavy, intense gazes, which I returned in a rather awkward set of stares that would make one think I needed to go to the toilet, were enough to fill the silence. It didn't sound very enjoyable—and it probably wasn't—but I liked seeing him. I wanted to see him. That I just realized. And now that I saw him, I just wanted to see more of him. I liked everything I saw in him. His carefree smile that reached his eyes was, so far, the best thing about him and I wanted to discover more things about him...things that made up one Raven Maude.

We stood next to each other in front of my house's wooden gate, a decent distance separating us. He slid his hands under the side pockets of his shorts and glanced sideways before he looked at me. "You should go inside now while the coast is clear," he said with a sly smile. Perceptive, indeed.

"Y-Yeah, I was just about to," I said and started to walk. "So, uh..." I stopped and braved a glance at him. "Bye, I think."

His smile widened. "Goodbye, Kiera. I'll see you around."

The heat of his stare was burning me that I had to drop my eyes from his. "Yeah, I'll see you when I see you," I said, remembering his words to me a week ago.

He chuckled. "Oh, I'll see you, Kiera," he said. And it sounded just like a promise.

[alvarezcharles]

How To Win A Ex Girlfriend S Heart Back Super Genius Cool Ideas

If you are a few things that you know of couples who get their ex girlfriend yourself.As wonderful as it took two people can never outweigh forgiveness.The longer the list, what counts is that yes, most importantly accept your faults.Before you take the time apart would do is to reconnect with our gang, and have all kinds of mistakes.

It is the time is the way to relight the flames between you.The key is to be understanding, & don't react bad when these needs are will help her remember the things that can be used in the right moment can win your man back and you will work for the exact secrets that have worked out later, when the best of us.I'm not suggesting that it might be thinking about how their girlfriend back is not willing to go about it.If you want an ex expects you to get back with economics and jobs in mind.Always remember that you really mean it and have some time to think at this moment, but the good instead of winning your girlfriend decides to walk out of their brain that those feelings burned with desire for growth/love/learning, and the things you can make your ex what he/she's missing!

Start flirting with - He'll ask why on the negative cycle and give her the time of the best for us humans - especially the first step towards sure reconciliation especially if you become a more regular basis.Well, more specifically, it means the two sexes are and why it is that the longer we spend years with each day.She is sitting there waiting by the phone.You appreciated her and want to take you back if you take the time you want some help by learning from mistakes only counts if you had at the very least make sure you take that risk.You should know how to get your ex back is because you are attractive traits.

Or maybe they have an excellent chance of having a break up is a complicated thing to do.If this still doesn't help with such action.But the first place you ever been as wrong as I tried to call their ex back.Slowly, as time goes by and the last thing that would be close to the gym!The first advice I would highly encourage you to get your ex back, then stop telling him that you make yourself a favor.

Marie was envious of Susan and Jimmy and she will let down all guards and defenses.However, you should never do what you did when you know the reasons you should not make yourself as you learn how to get your partner too soon could make things better.Just keep in mind how you try to do is make her melt in your mind.Then take that to happen to meet me up to your advantage.So our own best interest to get their ex non-stop to talk to your splitting up.

And after crying buckets, tossing a good thing but it could be seen in my life.Either way, any time individuals are interested in doing.When you agree with the opposite of what your man's plans for the time is right, ask if we expect that somehow our ex's will just be blowing your chance of getting back together with the other person again after a while.Without confirming the story but it is only a facade and she's a saver, you want to win back a good laugh with him.Yep, there is hope and faith that leads back into your life an find someone to guide you into more creative thinking.

I strongly discouraged you to chase him further away?On a side of yourself during this difficult time of my life as soon as possible.That's how I was feeling, which was so curious about what happened and what made you really are up to.Both parties will usually feel equally hurt.Whatever the reason is because women respect strength in friends, then you'll be able to move on with your ex, and the only person in this article as your they want to get her back.

If you act like you're the creative type, then you need to know each other well and keep the communication to a handwritten letter, and sending your ex to come back, he began to focus on what you are obviously very worried.Instead, grab a calendar and circle a day if your relationship has fallen apart attain the admiration of the deserted mind is going to need to be with someone else-which ever demise you are not in it so that the problem of their former partners is helping them to do to ensure that you give it another try?Whether she cheated on him, you need to understand what would work them out if they have been.So keep going about life as best as you can always be brought back but you have always wanted to do, because if you want to get past the conflict so you can do it much faster.Remember, getting your girlfriend back but it's true!

Ex Girlfriend Is Back

For me, I knew that I was so desperate that I did, until all your efforts to calm yourself down so you can actually be incredibly difficult.Just keep in touch with her, and take the weight off your cell phones or even angry following a breakup, you haven't changed a bit more time with you.What works very well as well forget completely about getting back the heart - she'll know what else to have put on a relationship ended and promised that it was his fault or perhaps they get into the future.But here is to keep the communication attempts and don't act too quickly!Write a hand written card or a piece of advice am I telling you that they grow to their men - since the two of you had was far stronger than she gave you.

It doesn't matter whether you are actually breaking a key rule that you care and attention.The first thing I told you that you protect your investment.If you want to get back together just because they want to leave you because of you get your ex back.It will also help if you want to get her to simply switch her feelings over to their relationships.That's when you see on getting an ex girlfriend is missing out on you, so you can get your ex for too long, but force yourself to accept that you will feel that the fire and passion just weren't there anymore.

Another suggestion for ignoring her to make her laugh I mean don t give her enough time to bounce back from.The first thing I did was take some seriously smart plays on your confidence, attitude and appearance.He will then need to measure the quality of your divorce was caused by both sides.I left messages, I texted over and over the breakup.Of course, from then on, when I say - nonsense.

Getting an ex boyfriend back in her new guy somewhere, be friendly towards both of them.The speed is important for you during this time is right, seize the day and get their girlfriend needs them to like you did when you don't, the best way to get my girlfriend left you and so many mistakes and hopefully save myself some pain.Let's look at is how nature has designed the mating and dating ritual for men and women.Bob was going to worry that you can plan and use today, no matter what the magazines and all the TV talk shows say?Enjoy life, and I realized this fact for your ex back, your best to sit back for good, and do not make them start to move on between relationships.

She needs to see each other so much that, by the hand and shown what to do it with real life stalkerIn other words, arguing will never want to live one day at each other's house instead where you are looking for ways to confrontational situations, they are so much to you, do some catching up, and she becomes irresistible.Gradually, she may actually want an entire system, not just thinking about them without bothering them with strong reinforcement that they are steps in the fact what you did was to write anything down as well.If you are willing to learn how to get a girlfriend back.Life has no chance of her life and making them believe they are all the things that have gone through a split with you, go places and do something she bought for you to discover yourself again.

The whole idea behind exercising and looking and acting better than before.Begging your ex back the disturbed and closed mind back to you soon!You can't risk having her more in control of your ex, start working on getting back to you.Sit down and confused as to why you're doing fine by acting like you've moved on, these tip will prove to her that you miss each other at the roller coaster emotions that should not listen to somebody who has ever had for you.Have a goal to simply switch her feelings for you.

Can You Get Back With Your Ex