#the language culture barrier is real though

[freefolkfightorflight]

Making soup.

I put away some laundry

Answered a phone call.

Need to go to dmv 🙄 dreading it bad. Need to just try to make it happen tomorrow but it’s iffy with everything closing. Gotta get the kids by 11 from school.

I know this sounds like nothing but it’s a lot for me right now. I’m overwhelmed and weepy and struggling somethin fierce. But god damn this broth is exquisite.

#It’s really hard having just one person in your whole life. #I want a family sob #I need a mom and dad #siblings #I need help and it’s non existent #I don’t know what I’m going to do #re car #driving my bfs but I hate it bc I’m so scared I’ll mess it up somehow #it’s too tall for me and I can barely reach the pedals #I’m so scared of literally life right now and I’m not sure how to function in society #I’m drowning #I can’t afford a new car #I can’t afford anything #how do people make it? #my bf got me groceries so I’m not utterly desolate #the language culture barrier is real though #I’m lucky I’m not dead #I know that #but I’m in a head space where I wish I had atleast been placed in a coma for like a year 😳😫 #I know it’s awful #I’m not going to hurt myself.

[room-surprise]

Analysis of Laios and how he hugs/interacts with people, pre and post-manga.

Reading body language in real life is basically pseudo-science most of the time, however, these aren't candid photographs of real people I'm analyzing, they are drawings purposefully made by Ryoko Kui to tell us something about Laios and his relationships with other characters.

These illustrations are designed on purpose to communicate information. So what do I think they say?

Here's the illustration of how things are at the start of the manga:

NAMARI AND CHILCHUCK

They're both rough towards Laios, expressing displeasure with him, using violent physical touch to get his attention or punish him for something.

TOSHIRO

His reaction to Laios is totally passive. He isn't turned towards Laios, but he isn't turning away either. He's staring up into space with a look of discomfort, suggesting he wishes Laios would leave him alone... But that he is too polite to openly reject him.

We know this is partially a cultural issue: because Toshiro is Japanese, he considers it catastrophically rude to tell someone "no" in a blunt way. He is trying to communicate his discomfort and disinterest to Laios, but Laios isn't understanding Toshiro's signals.

Meanwhile, Laios is turning his whole body towards Toshiro, his eyes are wide open, he's smiling. He's very eager to interact, in a way that he isn't with any other character on this page except Falin.

MARCILLE

They are having a neutral interaction. Neither of them seems excited or interested in each other, but they are talking seriously. Marcille is gesturing at Laios in a way that seems scolding, they are standing at a polite distance, and Laios is standing at his full height, perhaps even leaning/straining away from Marcille slightly. There is a physical object (Marcille's staff) acting as a barrier, and it's physically pushing Laios away from her.

But it is worth noting that he has his hand on the staff, suggesting that he's not letting himself be pushed away any further, that he's having a reciprocal interaction with Marcille, not a passive one where he just stands there and gets lectured. Laios is participating and engaged.

FALIN AND SENSHI

The only people having unambiguously positive interactions with Laios on this page, which makes sense since they are the two people who are the most friendly towards him at the start of the manga.

Laios and Falin are touching hands, smiling and their bodies are turned towards each other, showing enthusiasm and a mutual interest. This is less intense than the hug in the post-manga illustrations, which maybe suggests that there's something distant and unresolved between them here, like resentment and guilt.

Laios and Senshi are closer to each other than Laios and Marcille. Laios is sitting or crouched down to get closer to Senshi's height, and they are both smiling and turned towards each other. Senshi may even be laughing!

Here's the "post-manga" image...

What a huge difference!

All of these interactions are basically positive, so I'll just go left to right, top to bottom. Also for some of these, we can't see Laios' friends full reactions, so I'll focus on what we can see, and how Laios is behaving.

SENSHI

They share a gentle hug. They both have their arms wrapped around each other, so the desire to touch is mutual. Laios bends to reach Senshi, and has a calm, content smile on his face while they hug. Laios rests his head on top of Senshi's head, showing trust and intimacy and a desire to be physically even closer to Senshi than just hugging. Senshi isn't pulling away, so I think that's a good indicator that he doesn't mind it, and possibly even likes it!

Which is a big change from how he felt violated by Laios touching his chest earlier in the manga, even though Laios was trying to heal him... I think Senshi isn't someone that easily lets others touch him, so this is a big improvement.

CHILCHUCK

The size difference makes this hug awkward, but that's not the only reason! Laios has both hands on Chilchuck and he is bending down in order to reach him, suggesting that he wants to embrace his friend, however Chilchuck is not straining to reach Laios, and he is only using one hand to touch him, suggesting that Chilchuck doesn't want to embrace too closely. Chilchuck is willing to allow a hug, and he is willing to touch Laios back, but he doesn't want it as much as Laios does.

I think Laios is aware of this, because he isn't trying to push the hug to a higher level of intensity. He's holding back to the level he thinks Chilchuck is comfortable with.

MARCILLE

They share a happy, but not overly intimate hug. Their chests and bodies are pressed together, but they are turning their heads away from each other.

Laios' hands are resting side by side on Marcille's back, and it seems like she is hugging him back in a similarly loose way. His arms are not overlapping, and they aren't squeezing or grabbing each other, just holding on lightly while pressing their chests together.

TOSHIRO

What a fascinating set of drawings!

I'm going to assume that the color drawing is what happens first, and the black and white line drawing is what happens afterwards, solely because if the black and white drawing is meant to just be Laios' fantasy of hugging Toshiro, then surely he would imagine Toshiro hugging him back enthusiastically, and not a more passive reaction like Kui drew.

Kui wrote a note here to remind readers that hugging is not considered normal in "the East", where Toshiro is from, to give context to why the character seems so uncomfortable.

Laios is approaching Toshiro at high speed, arms open and reaching for Toshiro, eyes wide, with a happy expression. He clearly wants to wrap Toshiro up in a big, enthusiastic hug.

Toshiro is sweating with discomfort, and he has a hand pressed against Laios' chest, attempting to stop him… However, the arm is not extended and his elbow is bent at an acute angle, and it looks as if no force is being applied. Toshiro perhaps feels a need to offer a token protest, but he isn't really trying to stop Laios.

In the black and white hug drawing, Laios has both arms wrapped tight around Toshiro, much tighter than Senshi, Chilchuck or Marcille, and he's pressing their bodies together and resting his head on Toshiro's shoulder. He's turning his face towards Toshiro's neck, and smiling serenely.

Toshiro's body is stiff, he's sweating, and his arm is held at a rigid 90 degree angle… But he isn't using it to push Laios away, just holding it uselessly at his side. Perhaps he is half-way towards returning the hug, thinking about lifting his arm a little higher and resting his hand on Laios' back, but he isn't sure if he wants to do that yet.

Toshiro is bending his body towards Laios, and allowing himself to be pressed against the other man. He's staring out into space with a neutral expression that suggests either discomfort or surprise. I think we're meant to understand that he has given up fighting against the foreign, offensive hug, realizing that it isn't offensive for Laios, and therefore it might be okay to allow it...and it might actually be more offensive if he rejected the hug.

FALIN

Falin has thrown herself at Laios with considerable force, and Laios has his arms overlapping across Falin's back. They are both squeezing each other tightly with their arms, and even Laios' hands are gripping Falin tightly. There is an overjoyed look on Laios' face, and I think this embrace shows how Laios has healed through the course of the story.

KABRU

Since Kabru is one of Laios' newest friends, it makes sense that the hug would be the least intimate.

The two of them have a complicated relationship in the manga, but the complete world bible shows that Laios has finally accepted that Kabru is genuinely his friend and not just trying to use or manipulate him. He's made an effort in the post-canon to reach out and try to be Kabru's friend in return, and Kabru has forgiven Laios for not listening to him in the past.

Kabru is turning his body away from Laios, which puts his shoulder towards Laios' shoulder at a perpendicular angle, forcing distance between them. Laios is fully facing Kabru, and has one arm behind his back, a hand resting on Kabru's shoulder, and another hand resting on his chest. The hand on the chest is attached to an arm that is bent at an obtuse angle, holding Kabru at a distance, with no indication that he is trying to pull Kabru in. Both hands are relaxed, like in the Marcille hug, indicating that Laios' grasp is loose.

This arm position is pretty unusual for an embrace. It allows Laios to keep Kabru at a distance where he can see him, and control where he moves, and how close he's able to get to Laios… and Kabru isn't returning the hug in any way, instead allowing himself to be touched and held in place.

Their bodies aren't pressed together, and Kabru's arm is down at his side, neither encouraging Laios nor pushing him away.

Laios has a big smile on his face, and he looks enthusiastic. Kabru on the other hand has a calm smile. In my opinion his expression is less enthusiastic than Marcille's.

I think Laios can't tell how Kabru feels about the hug, and so he's holding himself back. He's not blinded by emotion like he is with Toshiro, so he's not flinging himself at Kabru… And because Kabru is such a new friend, Laios is also probably hesitant to get too close to him.

There may also be some lingering trust issues, if Laios still isn't completely certain if Kabru genuinely likes him or not. Laios has often had trouble telling if people really like him, or if they are just being polite (Toshiro), or using him (former party members), so it makes sense that it would take awhile for him and Kabru to become truly comfortable with each other..

#dungeon meshi #delicious in dungeon #kabru #laios touden #falin touden #marcille donato #senshi of izganda #chilchuck tims #toshiro nakamoto #shuro dungeon meshi #theories #my stuff

[deeswrld]

Random astro observations

Some content is 18+

I’ve noticed people with Sagittarius/9H placements always seem to stand out in the field they pick or in some sort of way become pioneers. E.g. Jimi Hendrix was a Sag stellium and has a reputation of a guitar God for his innovative and crazy good guitar skills. Teena Marie (Sag moon) became a beloved non black R&B singer/artist at Motown. I just feel like Sag placements are just out here breaking barriers lol.

People with trining risings all have a certain similar look!!

E.g Most Air risings tend to have pointy chins and high cheekbones with prominent noses—I’ve noticed they always seem to have a prominent nose bridge even if it’s not that thin but it sorta gives them this Greek god/goddess look with their eyebrows slightly arching.

With water risings I’ve noticed Scorpio risings have a more reserved look in their eyes and all water risings have a somewhat oval shaped face. You can literally tell them by their eyes lol. Cancer risings have bambi eyes and Pisces risings have doll like watery eyes.

Now, I knew I started recognizing earth risings when I found Sarah Paulson to look like Adele.😭 Which further goes to prove the trining risings point I made previously.

I think I’ve stated this before but hear me out! Idk what the connection is but the moon sign also affects how you look!! I fr can’t stop guessing people’s moon signs at first glance.💀

Libra rising with 1H venus & mercury culture is constantly teasing others!! Wanting to be in a relationship yet wanting to be independent and having no problem breaking things off if they feel something’s not right.

Gemini risings with 10H suns have an INSANE bone structure/hot body!!! ����‍💨🔥 Their arms & legs tend to be long! Legs tend to be skinny and thighs thick meanwhile their collarbones just stand out, overall they just have great bone structure! I’ve noticed this with myself & Irene Cara! 😩

I’d apply it to 10H suns in general but I haven’t looked into it as a collective thing yet.

11H Aries mercuries only speak what they think is true to them regardless of anybody’s opinion and I love how real they keep it, they’re also very humanitarian and speak up for groups/communities!

Pisces and Aquarius in the big 3 HATE boundaries. I’ve noticed this with myself and Axl Rose!😂 Ironically I’m Pisces sun-Aqua moon and he’s Aqua sun-Pisces moon.😛

I’ve noticed a pattern with people that have Aqua venus and mars and being aggressive…🥲

Taurus venus love soul/R&B music?

I’ve noticed some 10H Chiron people have trouble with work like, they might switch jobs often.

8H Chiron and having a phobia of being touched by anybody and for no reason too?

People who’s planets fall in your 9H might be the ones who you rarely see crying but are the first to try and cheer you up! You might also see them as arrogant or too blunt at times too especially if their mercury falls in your 9H!

People who’s planets fall in your 10H, you’ll see them as reserved and hardworking, they might like to give you stuff as a love language like share their food or they might like to invite you to go somewhere. Even though it might feel a little awkward at times, you both might get into deep conversations.

Not Gemini suns with Leo moons out here causing chaos then if somebody else asks them about it they’ll charmingly lie their way out of it and make it seem like it was the other person’s fault.😭😂

Scorpio mars lowkey live for toxic sex. ✋🏽 Some Scorpio mars & Aries mars I know, also secretly have a spanking kink??😛

If you have mars in somebody’s 1H they just won’t be able to contain themselves around you! You might sexually fantasize about them a LOT too. And you’ll find them hot down to the way they talk, their body language!!😮‍💨🔥

And if somebody’s mars falls in your 1H you’re prone to getting horny like 24/7 and it’ll feel like an intense and passionate connection! Sex might be like, ripping each other’s clothes off and one get thrown on the bed while the other dominates them and they both make out while grabbing each other—basically just not being able to keep your hands off of each other lmao. Also, having sex anywhere too and going for multiple rounds during the day!💀🔥

That also applies to Aries mars in composite too!⤴️⤴️

Pisces and Sagittarius suns—when they’re not at each other’s throats—actually make a good pair!❣️

Earth suns with Earth mars are so sensual and sexy😩😩😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨!!!

Having composite mars at Libra degree (7, 19) can indicate compliments and vanilla sex!😮‍💨

If somebody has their mars in your 7H, most likely they’ll be super possessive over you. 😭

If someone has their venus in your 7H then you’ll feel very comfortable with their love language or feel like you’ve found the one!💗

Sagittarius mars in composite is often grabbing thighs, giggles or soft laughter, a somewhat competitive energy and possessive aura.❣️Also, wanting to travel and explore new places together or talking about moving or including each other in future plans! Also, learning new things from each other or talking about subjects like geography/history and genealogy or about different cultures! You both could be from different backgrounds too or similar but one person is mixed, etc…

Also, when looking at appearance not only should we consider the rising but also the 7H! Say if you’re a Gemini rising; You might be able to build muscle easily or have long legs yet thick thighs because Sag falls in your 7H and Libra is also ruled by venus. Just like how Aries risings tend to have charming smiles and great bodies (7H falls in Libra), etc…

#deeswrld #astroblr #astro observations #astro community

[aesthetic-gem]

i think one of my favorite thing about bbh and yd interacting is that they’re both very patient with each other when trying to communicate, but sometimes there’ll be a slip up. bad forgets and uses a little too much sarcasm that doesn’t translate as well or he says a joke that is too dependent on knowing english, etc. it doesn’t discourage them from interacting though. they both use it as a learning moment, a way to learn more about each others language or exchange some part of their culture and that’s exactly how it should be. despite the barrier that’s between them they’re very understanding bc they’ve found a friendship with one another. it’s very sweet to watch it in real time <3

#qsmp #badboyhalo #bbh #qsmp badboyhalo #양띵 #yangdding #qsmp yd

[3-2-whump]

Friend needs cheering up?! *busts in your window with your favorite food and drinks*

So gush about your favorite whump tropes!!! 👀

-- @whumperofworlds

Thank you 🥹 you brought my favorites I see!

*slurping and munching noises*

So, my favorite whump tropes…

Well, I love an unequal power dynamic. Especially when it comes to the NSFW side of things. Rarely is consent asked in these circumstances, and if it is, does the disadvantaged party really have any choice but to say yes? Do they have the freedom to say no?

I love bondage because I am a human being with eyes and a working blood circulatory system. Idk how to fully explain it, but when I saw Aladdin at the impressionable age of …what, like four?… that was it for me. Just didn’t know what it was called or that I didn’t have to be embarrassed about it until semi-recently.

I also love culture whump, particularly as it pertains to language barriers. I haven’t published anything on this blog about it yet, but in my personal copy of Whumpee and Whumper’s stories (Khaled and Thomas), they can’t understand each other. One has limited English comprehension, the other doesn’t even know what language his pet is speaking. Of course, this changes as the story goes on, Khaled becomes fluent and forgets his natal tongue (with some encouragement), and that makes it all the harder on him when he’s eventually rescued and returned to his family.

Hang on to your hats, everyone, shit’s about to get real under the cut

My love of culture whump and language barriers probably stems from my long-underaddressed adoption trauma. I only just realized as I began seriously writing whump this last year that I also had my culture and my mother tongue ripped away from me without my consent, and, like my Whumpee, I may never be able to fully reclaim it in a way I would have if I had grown up within its framework my entire life. (No wonder I always write about it!) That is why, when my Whumpee recovers, he is never the same person he was before he was taken. But he is doing better than he was, even though his tongue stumbles clumsily around words his siblings could say in their sleep. He is happy enough. And that is enough.

Wow, making me emotional again. But it feels good to kind of lore dump/give backstory about the author now and again. And I do feel kinda better. So thanks!

#whump asks #whump tropes #whump community #deep dive into authors backstory #culture whump #language barrier whump #loss of culture #adoption trauma #interracial adoption #intercultural adoption #writing is cheaper than therapy

[olivescales3]

With the reveal of an NB character in Ninjago, I feel that people are placing this theme on a pedestal because of this one single move of inclusion. Don't get me wrong— I'm glad that LEGO is including LGBTQIA+ identities into their themes, and I genuinely hope they continue doing so, but we're forgetting that they're investing a step forward into a theme that's always going two steps back.

I don't feel like pointing out the issues of Ninjago, especially because it's tiresome and it's not the point of this post, but I remember that there was an entire thread here on Tumblr about the problematic worldbuilding of Ninjago. I might write something about it as well, but it's unlikely.

Chima had a great amount of inclusion and diversity within its cast (though no canon LGBTQIA+ characters, unfortunately):

POC-equivalent characters (brown and blue crocodiles; vultures with tan and bright blue skin colors), of which a few of those are part of tribes that have a motif from predominantly white cultures (Longtooth and Lavertus, who are brown lions in a tribe with a roman motif; Ehboni, Eglor, who are black and dark blue respectively, alongside unnamed eagles of mixed origins [dark blue x white] in a tribe of greek motif, and even Ewald himself isn't white).

A majority of these characters are important to the plot and/or have reoccurring appearances;

Diversity in tribe lifestyles, with the Wolf Tribe being nomadic (and not going through the stereotype of nomadic traders).

Each vehicle in Chima follows the motif and lifestyle of their respective tribe. For example, crocodiles are ambush predators and require camouflage, thus their vehicles are heavily based on military vehicles, with camo colors and strong silhouettes;

Marginalized characters whose arcs actually end with them winning and gaining respect. The Ice Hunters vs. Phoenixes arc was an obvious allegory of colonization, and it ends with the Ice Hunters alive and thriving, while the Phoenixes (who started the war) lost and failed to 'educate' their enemies.

The Crawlers also have their arc finished with an anti-war and pro-diversity lesson, where Laval lends them Chi because it's not supposed to be earned, and instead is free for everyone, even though they had stolen all of Mount Cavora's Chi beforehand;

Characters whose appearance is distinctive and break barriers of ableism are not only present in Chima, but are also treated equally to other characters, without having their differences be a point, argument, or lesson. (Cragger with a blind eye, Crug with a prosthetic jaw, the Raven Tribe as a whole, Leonidas with distinctively shaped incisors and Longtooth with long canines).

However, the Rhinoceros Tribe is an unfortunate exception, as they're constantly depicted as dumb;

The Lion Tribe has a lot of diversity by itself, with lions having a variety of mane colors that represent hair colors in real life. Laval has red hair, Leonidas is ginger, Lavertus is blond, Lennox has brown hair;

Other cultural representations such as Dom de La Woosh being based on Brazilian carnivals;

There's Wonald, a vegan character;

My favorite fact of all: Chima and Chi are both real words who exist in multiple languages, and each of their meanings was instrumental to the interpretation we have in this theme. → Chi means: knowledge in japanese; water (literally) and source of life (figuratively) in chinese; god in igbo. Chima means "god knows all" in igbo → in LoC, the Phoenixes created Chi, which looks like water and is the source of life/knowledge in Chima, and they also sculpted Mount Cavora with each tribe's heads before they had even evolved.

All of this unfortunately flew over most people's heads, which is a bad thing, as all of the effort that was put on Chima's diversity was left unnoticed, but it is also a good thing at the same time, because everything was executed seamlessly and naturally, just like how people should view each other in real life (view one another without discrimination). However, this amount of care and thought put into adding a diverse cast of characters is probably not going to be seen again, in any lego theme or any story made by corporations/companies.

#lego chima #lego legends of chima #legends of chima #diversity #inclusion #inclusivity #diverse characters #inclusive design #inclusive writing #respect #anti war #anti ableism #equality #world building #worldbuilding #for chima #lego

[elikaina]

ngl, when I first read the itoshi brothers backstory, my initial thought was that this type of conflict could only happen between siblings as they both lashed out and hurt each other deeply and I understand both sides of it as well.

On rin's side, rin was excited to see his brother who he hasnt seen in a few years and missed a lot in both football and companionship. But sae's time in spain changed him and he doesnt recognize him, it feels like he changed their shared dream without consulting him.

He admires sae too much to be the best striker, he believes that that title belongs to sae. So rin felt like his brother threw him away and looked down on him when he lost the one-on-one. Rin started questioning their whole relationship like it was false and thinking that he meant nothing to sae, all those good memories are now burnt like trash. Rin's worldview shattered and couldnt stand anything that reminded him of sae, while at the same time, he yearned for his approval.

Sae, on the other hand, went straight to rin after he got back from spain. He didnt go home to put his stuff away before confronting rin, it was that serious for him.

Before I go in depth about his reaction, you gotta remember that sae went to spain when he was around 12/13 years old (7th grade). He was young, dealing with culture shock, language barrier, homesickness, and the feeling that he was not good enough to continue as a striker. No matter how much passion you have for something, sometimes its just not meant to be so you learn to adjust and go into something that is more suited for your skills.

With all of these negative feelings that's been brewing over the past couple of years, sae went to talk to the only person who he thought would be understanding, empathising, and supportive of him and his new goal.

He tried to adjust their shared dream from being number 1 and 2 striker to him being the best midfielder while rin is the best striker so rin would still be onboard. But instead he got the last bit of hope in his heart was crushed when rin rejected him and told him he's not the brother that he remembers. He went through whatever happened in spain and rins words were the final nail to his coffin. Something inside broke, he has nothing to lose anymore, no one to rely on.

So he went with the one-on-one without holding back. And called rins soccer lukewarm cause rin was basically copying his style while rin original way was completely different. This also made sae feel so infuriated with rin cause rin actually has the skills that he lacks to become the best striker. Sae calls him out on this by telling him that he didnt experience the real world and that he should give up if this is how wishes to play cause he knows that rins not gonna survive cause he didnt.

All of this misfortune happening to them around the ages of 16-17ish and 14-15ish. they are both teenagers, so they have a chance to learn and grow from these interactions and eventually mend their relationship. But what are siblings, especially teen siblings, if not petty.

It's kinda annoying (to me) when ppl disregard the fact that they were both hurt.

Yeah, I admit, that sae was harsh, as a brother, after the u20 vs. blue lock game. As a world-renowned player, his judgment, though biased from his hate towards japanese football, is frankly correct. Ego literally reiterated what what sae told rin to the team afterward.

#blue lock #bllk #bllk itoshi sae #bllk itoshi rin #itoshi brothers #itoshi sae #itoshi rin #itoshi brothers relationship analysis (??) #not really #its just my perspective of their relationship #I think I went more into detail for sae's part than rin #but thats bc im an older sibling

[teine-mallaichte]

You know what irritates me in dragon age? Ok a few things but going to focus on one thing here, the languages... so we have all these diverse places, each with heir own fashions, customes, accents, etc but everyone speaks common (or trade which although in some codexes is said to be different seems to be basically treated interchangeably in the games).

Only a few places are said to be bi-lingual, implying that their own language is still used.

Also the inherent cultural differences between places are shown or mentioned and then totally forgotten about... In every game we get a diverse group of people with differing back grounds and yet there is almost never any language barrier of cultural misunderstandings, and even when they are they seem to be glossed over. Sten is about the only one I can think of where the cultural differences are even vaguely explored.

I want to see situations where characters are totally confused by what’s happening, where they don’t understand (or misunderstand) local phrases or dialects, where they fear making social forpars due to the inherent differences in their native societies – or simply in their upbringings.

Alamarri died out in Ferelden and now everyone speaks trade and/or common, fine, ok. But in the real world when this sort of thing happens people often try to reclaim the language later, so there should be places where the language is still used, even if only for certain phrases like the elves use elvish. Or maybe there are scholars who still speak it? I used to live in Scotland, believe me although Gealic is a “dead” language people still use it in certain places and situations, same in Ireland, and in Wales there are signposts, TV channels, and radio shows in Welsh… It feels like Alamarri should definitely still exist and have some sort of presence. Ok as you may be able to tell from my user name I may be biased when it coems to this example...

But the same goes for Ander. I think Anders should have been able to speak it at the very least, and the fact that many of the Darkspawns name come from Ander should be seen as more of a thing. In a way it would make some sense for the Grey Wardens to be taught at least some Ander during training due to their history.

And Alsahiria, given the politics and history of Seheron it makes some sense for this language to be slowly dying out, but I feel it would still be spoken in remote areas and likely by members of the Fog Warriors. Some may even see the continuation of the language  as a form of rebellion and carefully hold onto it. I wouldn’t be all that surprised in a fair number of slaves in Tevinter could speak it, using it as a way to communicate in secret.

Antivan… well to be honest Antiva is just fascinating in general, but their language is under used. It considered one of the most poetic and beautiful of Thedas, and yet it mainly only spoken in the rural and poorer areas. That seems like a shame… I mean yes the Codeses do imply that the higher members of society can and do speak it, but they also imply that in the cities common is almost exclusively spoken.

Did we even hear Zevren speak Antivan? I don’t remember him doing so, but I could be wrong.

I’m going to skip Avvar for now because there is a LOT to unpack there… same for Chasind and Ciriane.

The Drawves are said to have several languages, including Trade, and the language spoken specifically in Orzammar (often incorrectly referred to as Drawven), but to be honest I don’t think we know much about any of the Drawven languages… which is a shame.

Elvish is another complex one as it makes sense why that one is essentially lost beyond a few key terms and a few phrases known by the Dalish. However, I feel like it’s one that has potentially to be, at least partly, reconstructed… there are ancient elvish ruins and artifacts, though of course as with all reconstructed languages it would never be what it once was.

Qunlat, finally an actual language that although not used much is definitely a distinct language with significance and logical usage. We even get to hear it used a few times, though only for the odd word or line it at least makes sense.

Orlesian, again a language that is referenced and appears to be in regular use. It’s said that most Orlesians are bilingual. So it makes sense that they tend to use common around the player, but it feels like the language could be utilised more.

Rivaini… You know what we know far less about Riniani than I realised when I started this mild rant… They essentially have thie rown religion, and the only peaceful Qunari settlement that I can think of, but there’s language… very little seems to be mentioned. It would make sense that it is still spoken those given their general culture and identity, it is likely that they are bi-lingual in a similar way to Olaris.

Tevene… ok this one is my main bug bear… So it’s said in the codexes that Tevene is essentially a dead language, certain phrases still exist (many swear words) and it’s used by the elite as a show of status  but everyone mainly speaks Trade – which once again is meant to be slightly different to common. But just look at Tevinter society, the idea that they don’t retain their language, or a modern variant, at least for things like ceremonies, ritual, and events seems unlikely. The most we really hear of Tevene in Fenris swearing. Which is another thing... The guy literally only has memories of being a slave and then been on the run (with a short period with the fog warriors in between) there really should be some serious cultural/social/linguistic barriers there.

This… this got away from me a little and escalated lol, but ye… this irritates me probably more than it should… and I haven;'t even ccovered ALL the lagunages. Anyway, i this I think is why I keep trying to crowbar language and cultural differences into AUs.

#dragon age #Thedas #DA:O #DA2 #DA:I #languages in thedas #culture in thedas #world building #just a random rant #bit of an info dump #yes i read all the codex #and the books #and the comics #this likely only bothers me #i may be a little TOO into the lore #I want to see the characters in dragon age experience language barriers and culture shock

[shiny-jr]

Praise be the seven, I guess. Finally, I got Beans Day Azul. He was one of the first SSRs I was missing, mostly because I never wished on his banner when he first came out because I had no idea how twst’s gacha system worked. I was worried I was going to have to save and do every achievement I could to collect more gems to wish for him, but he came home on the last key I had. It was a little over 20, no more than 30, I think that’s a win. 

Anyways, I’m a little bored, gonna try to write for Scarabia (damnation) again and probably post the sneak-peek after I check it. But for now, here are some random twst thoughts I have. Enjoy?

- Do y’all think Twisted Wonderland might be a little more peaceful say, compared to Yuu’s world, if they’re from Earth? Think about it. There’s a lot of issues with this world like climate change, wars, pollution, etc. But I imagine in a world filled with magic, some of those issues may not be as big of a deal. Like, I imagine that there’s magic or some magical machine that acts as a resource and energy source and is much cleaner than using gas or oil. 

- Kinda related to the last point, but do you think the reason the “wand” happens to actually be a pen is due to the fact that because magic creates the hazardous blot, the pen uses up that blot when they write? 

- Not gonna get into this one too much, but I wonder if some people will obsess over a certain species or kinds of people and commit cultural appropriation. Example: A regular human wearing fake ears and a tail then claiming they’re a real beastmen.

- Thinking about the existence of Noble Bell College and the whole City of Flowers. The interior of the school was decorated a lot like a church, so that makes me wonder if it was like a religious school because of the movie’s close association with religion. Does that mean there’s a religion akin to Christianity in Twisted Wonderland? What about other religions? How would that even work? 

- I wonder how languages work in twst, since it doesn’t appear like there’s a ton of countries (makes sense if I was right about the war thing, so there wouldn’t be a lot of countries with conflict). Also, if there normally is a language barrier, how is everyone able to communicate perfectly fine on campus? Is there like a commonly used language, or is it some magic that allows everyone to understand each other?

- Obviously the Queendom of Roses would probably be the equivalent of the U.K. and Island of Woe being Greece with it’s connection to Idia and Hercules, but what about other places? Would Briar Valley be like France then, because it’s connection to Sleeping Beauty being set in France? But it’s mostly fae, does that matter? What about the Country of Pyroxene (Shaftlands)? That’s the home of Vil, Cater, Jack, Epel, Trein, and Vargas. But Snow White is supposed to be German, and Cinderella with Beauty and the Beast were supposed to be French. So is Pyroxene French, German, or just a land based off Europe? Is the City of Flowers somewhere here? Don’t forget the Land of Scalding Sands where Kalim and Jamil are, it’s obviously supposed to be inspired by someplace in the Middle East, is it just based off the region and not a single nation? Similar to the Afterglow Savanna, is it just based off the continent of Africa and not a single nation? Many many questions. 

- Kinda back to the language thing, I wonder how accents would be like. Riddle? Definitely British, there’s not a doubt in my mind about that. Maybe Trey too, I can see him going either way. Everyone else in Heartslabyul though? I cannot imagine them with a British accent. Deuce? Upper US east coast kinda guy, definitely used to reply with “ya mutha” in his delinquent days. Ace? Southern US west coast, along with Cater too. Cater definitely has the valley accent, says “like” all the time. Others I like to imagine are Azul, Jade, and Floyd. They’re from the Coral Sea, but they mention it gets really really cold so of course I’m gonna imagine it as the Nordic Sea and they have this subtle Scandinavian accent, but since they probably practiced a lot to cover it. Another one is Vil, obviously I imagine him with a German accent because his last name is Schoenheit. A while ago I was unsure about Epel because he says the most out of pocket stuff in the weirdest ways sometimes, but because of the Harveston outfit I’ve seen on him, I’m gonna say he has like this Russian accent. Rook... starting to think Rook isn’t even French since apparently he’s from the Afterglow Savanna. 

- Something that I personally wonder a lot, are there Latinos in this world?? Like, c’mon. I saw the tacos in the cooking event, I know they’re hiding them somewhere. You can’t hide them forever. At least I know there’s Mexicans. But who knows? Maybe if they add more villains like they did with Rollo, they’ll add a character that’s probably Mexican like Ernesto De La Cruz (Coco) or Peruvian like Yzma and Kronk (Emperor’s New Groove). 

- Sometimes I wonder, they say that everyone knows about the seven. Like apparently in Twisted Wonderland they learn about them when they’re young, and they’re not seen as bad guys. So if that’s the case, do some people learn about the good guys? Do their beliefs kinda conflict and clash or does it conveniently not clash? That’s something I wondered when thinking if RSA has statues like NRC does. 

- RSA would treat Yuu right, just saying. It might not be fun all the time, but it’s probably better than some aspects of NRC.

#shiny speaks #twst #twisted wonderland

[satancopilotsmytardis]

Second chapter of current! Fuck yeah! (I'm writing this as I read and just putting my thoughts down, so some questions I bring up might be answered later in the chapter)

Dabi is so anxious. I mean, there's a good reason for that, but y'know. Nobody explained shit to him, just told him not to worry about it.

They are still disgustingly in love I see.

I understand why Dabi is so unsettled by everyone carrying weapons. As someone who grew up in Europe, where weapons are heavily monitored, thinking about going somewhere where everyone carries them openly sets me on edge, too.

Sire lore!! You know, I think Dabi would make for a very interesting siren. Not in this story, but in general. Hmmm.

Dabiii :(. I'm sure Tomura is happy to answer any and all questions you have.

Oooh chocolate! I really like how you portray the language barrier and how everyone is trying to work around it. As well as how some words don't exist in one language or the other!

Somehow, I don't think everyone eats that much each day.

Please, please explain eating to Dabi. The poor guy. Tomura, you know he is worried. And I know this is all normal for you, but for fucks sake.

I don't know if it's more funny or tragic that Dabi assumes they're guppies. He's trying so, so hard to deal with everything, but he's just missing so much information. He really wants to adapt, and understand. Honestly, I'm surprised Shigaraki isn't asking him more questions.

Shigaraki wants Dabi to be part of his world and sure, I can understand that. He doesn't want his mate to go hungry, but we haven't seen him really try to understand Dabi's culture in turn. Sure, he wants to know, but he doesn't ask about it, even with Toga there to translate. Might come in the future, but yeah.

Magne! Lol, finally someone who tells the others off for literally explaining nothing. Well, not nothing, but y'know. And she's right. Tomura does ask very few personal questions.

Oooh this is good. Explaining about culture for both of them! I was wondering how things in Hollow Reef are goong.

Nice touch that Magne is a clownfish, btw, since with real clownfish the biggest of the group changes gender.

Oh. Since Toga is, technically, a hunter, Dabi makes sure to eat less than her. Or maybe he wants to see how much is eaten on average. Probably a bit of both.

Oh boy! Dabi sure is going through it. But hey, they finally talk about it! About time.

"scared?" "Not of you" oh my god. They are sickeningly sweet. No wonder Tomura wants to tell Dabi that he loves him. They're both so down bad. Oh my god.

Ah, yes. Arena fights and challenges that end with one person dead and eaten. That sure is a way to resolve conflict. Especially since I'm sure Shigaraki totally has the option to refuse a challenge, as prince :)

(that was sarcasm. The eggs I understand. It's a solid system. But we still don't know the rules about fights, so idk about that)

Ah yes, death threats. Pretty sure Spinner only won because they were on land and Shig was distracted, but imagining him just getting pushed into the water and later coming oit again, dripping wet and seething, is very funny.

Oooh, I can't wait for the magic reveal. I think your magic system here is really cool! With all the little details and stuff. Since Rei has told Dabi about sirens, maybe that was just people who couldn't control their gifts? I do think Dabi will end up having one, btw, though I'm not sure which one. Could be it only works above water, if it has to do with fire? But it would be really cool if he could create/control/maintain fire underwater. I wonder if the hunters learn how to use magic?

Disgustingly sweet. Spinner agrees, lol.

I wonder how Dabi plans on hiding his necklace once he has to go back to Hollow Reef. He won't leave it on the island, or maybe he will? But he can't wear it. Too much risk of it being taken away.

Oooh, the finally have the mate talk!!

Learning how to express all that sexual stuff sure is going to be an experience, lol. Dabi's oral fixation is true in every universe. Shigaraki is being responsible and wants to talk first but it's hard when both he and Dabi are so desperate.

Poor Toga has to teach Shigaraki dirty talk in another language. Do it for the chocolate!

Party time! This is where the sneak-peek you gave us is from, right? Nice.

Poor Dabi has a hangover. Good thing Shigaraki is there to take care of him. Dabi just spitting out his whole stomach when he vomits and Shigaraki being caught so off guard by it.

Using a party so there is less to talk about the next meeting is very much unprofessional. Like yeah, that might work, but that doesn't mean issues will actually be resolved.

The meeting sure is something. I'm sure Shigaraki just didn't think of it when inviting Dabi to join them, but the ritual to see if someone is fit to join the sirens is brutal. Good that the kid made it and Dabi didn't have to watch him die? Magical awakening or something, I don't know.

Of fucking course Overhaul causes trouble. I understand why you want to make fried shrimp now. And of course a challenge can't be avoided. Knew there was something up with that law. Like, I'm sure that Dabi will win, simply because Overhaul is too much of a bitch to be able to beat him, but he is at a disadvantage here. I wonder if that fight might activate Dabi's magic? Actually making fried shrimp out of Overhaul would be funny as fuck. (And also tasty)

Oh, too bad. I wanted to see Dabi fight, but I understand he isn't ready yet. Shigaraki will make Overhaul regret ever challenging his mate :)

Oh boy! Dabi sure feels guilty for putting his mate in that position!

Oof, imagine your dad died and you eat him (you know, to pay respect) and suddenly a guard shows up because your king/prince wants a bite too. Kinda fucked up, not gonna lie.

Ah, I suspected eating others is somehow tied up with the magic. I love hearing more about all of this, though "following the natural order of things" is not as good of an argument as you make it out to be.

"I want you to be strong." Dabi has spend so much time forcing himself to be small, he would never want anyone else to starve themselves for his sake.

Overhaul is blocking his own vision with how much sand he's throwing around. And of course his magic causes trouble. Can't wait for Shigaraki to rip his arms off.

Oooh poison! Nice!

Dabi is a shark, after all. And there is a lot of blood in the water :)

Shigaraki holding onto Overhaul's arms because those are his now, dammit.

Dabi is trying so, so hard to adapt and take care of his mate. He just wants to not be small, he just want friends, and family, and to properly live.

Welp. At least Overhaul tastes good, even if he has no other use.

Dabi isn't used to going days without eating anymore. And he's a shark. It's no wonder he's hungry. Especially with so much blood in the water.

Yay! Cannibalism! Shigaraki just wants what's best for him, and he's so worried he fucked up. Oh, they're so sweet to each other in the most deranged way possible.

So much for making sure Shigaraki eats, lol. I mean, he sure eats out, but somehow I don't think that's what Spinner meant.

Oh, Spimner is so mad. And Dabi is being protective of his mate <3. He's letting his instincts take over more.

Oooh! Dabi developed his magic, since he ate "actual meat". We already know it strengthens it, so it wouldn't surprise me if that, combined with him giving in to his instincts more, is what did it. Now, is his magic healing or is he a sorcerer like Spinner?

(also, i'm pretty sure his touch was healing, no matter how funny the thought of healing cum is. Maybe even his tears, since Shigaraki licked those up too?)

Hm, if Dabi didn't heal Shigaraki, it was probably Overhaul's meat, somehow. Sped up the healing process for both of them.

It will be interesting, when Dabi comes back to Hollow Reef (because he promised Natsuo) and while everyone else is weaker coming out of the coma, he will be stronger. And bigger. That might cause problems.

Oops, All for One is home. Surely that will all go over well. Him walking in on them making oit is very funny, though. Welp, it was nice knowing you Dabi.

Hm. I'm interested to see how this version of All for One is like. I don't trust how friendly he acts.

Ooooh, Compress' magic is so interesting! I like how it now also includes other aspects outside of physically shrinking things.

Interesting that Tomura formed the court. I mean, it makes sense, especially considering canon, but still. Monarchies never work well, having a court helps that. Hmm. I'm surprised All for One allowed such a big change.

Hm. It's so hard to tell All for One's intentions. He's obviously talking down Hollow Reef on purpose, trying to use that to make sure Dabi is loyal to Graveforge, but still. He seems to want Tomura to succeed. And unlike canon, this version of AfO isn't as old.

Still, he's making me uneasy. I am, on the other hand, looking forward to what Dabi chooses to do with his life.

Dabi: "Tomura is so sweet. He's obviously a romantic." Almost everyone else: "With you maybe."

Him having the eggs might cause problems. I hope Dabi doesn't get found out :(. He should have hidden them at the island, that would have been safer.

Hopefully nobody asks Natsuo about the lie. Oh god, that would bring up so many questions. I mean, Natsuo knows that Dabi went away, but I don't know how he'd react to Dabi having eggs with him.

Dabi, you can't judge Shouto for his taste in partners. You are literally mated to a prince you met two months ago who you have seen rip the arms off of someone.

Oof, if Hollow Reef is eating their dead because they don't have enough food and then pretend that it's Graveforge who are the only savage ones, damn. That's fucked up. At least in Graveforge people know they'll be eaten.

Damn. Shigaraki can really just destroy magic. So cool. I really really love how you translated their quirks into magic while also switching things up to fit better into the universe.

Eri! Oh shit. I mean, she'll make it, but damn. Poor kid.

Ah, Natsuo will be pretty worried to hear about Dabi's mate. Especially if he figures out what he has been eating.

Woops, Dabi immediately blurts it out. At least he doesn't have to keep that secret from Natsuo anymore?

Oh, this conversation is painful. Very, very painful. Dabi just wants to stay where he is happy and keep his family safe at the same time. But I completely understand where Natsuo is coming from. Because while Dabi was the same, in the beginning, this is different. Natsuo never had to be small. Not like Dabi. And the beginning was hard for Dabi too. This is a lot at once. And, I mean, from Natsuo's perspective it does kind of sound like Dabi joined a cult.

I knew it! The bigger hunters eat the dead to gain access to magic. Oh damn, how much of that did Enji hear??? Oof, I hope Dabi's magic activates before the week is over, because I don't know if he'll survive otherwise. And even if he does, it won't be good for anyone involved. Obviously Enji didn't hear about Dabi's mate, because otherwise he just put himself into a lot of danger willingly.

Oooh, this story is so good! I love love love the worldbuilding.

I am feral and chewing on this ask, oh man yeah holy fuck is so much happening and I'm glad you're enjoying it so far! God, this makes me so excited to work on the next chapter! Thank you so much!!! 🖤🖤🖤

#tanco speaks #ask #asks

[imhereformysciencefriends]

Royalty

Day 3 of @peerpressureweek I got real excited about this one lads

Cultural differences and language barriers my beloveds <3

”Ender prince,” the particles that hovered on the edges of his vision whispered. ”We may have found a solution.”

“Have you now?” he muttered, voice pitched low and distracted as he surveyed The End. The dragon was still keeping the main portal locked away beneath her wings, stranding thousands if not tens of thousands in the Nether and the Overworld. Only Ranboo, being the prince, and a handful of other particularly powerful Endermen could make the jump without the portal open. Well. Most Endermen could make the jump out. It was making the jump back in that posed the problem.

More than that, she thought herself a tyrant, making demands none of them could deny, for her overwhelming strength. She ate too much. Stored too much of her energy in those deadly crystals, the ones that none could break without risking damage to their Pearls. Even if they could somehow band together and wound her, she’d just draw on those energy reserves to heal herself, and she’d scorch and eat them all long before they managed to bleed the crystals dry.

But a solution. That had Ranboo’s ear.

”In the Nether—” Ranboo pulled a face, which had the particles laughing at him immediately. He hated the Nether. ”Yes, in the Nether, our Ender prince. There is a Piglin king. He is strong. Stronger than the dragon. His bastion wants to expand, but a clade of Endermen block the Piglins’ path most violently."

Ranboo perked. “So I go, order the Endermen to back down, and tell the Piglin king that if he kills the dragon, they will leave his territory entirely.”

The particles made a pleasant hum. They warned him again of danger, but yes. Ranboo knew. If he was strong enough to kill the dragon, he was more than strong enough to pose a serious threat to Ranboo’s life. Heck, if the particles were right, he’d might even be strong enough to kill the clade that blocked his path. Why didn’t he try? Ranboo had never heard of a Piglin being overly cautious.

Well, either way, Ranboo was thankful for it. Reincarnation might return the dead Endermen’s Pearls to The End, but nobody liked dying, and a peaceful, mutually beneficial resolution to the conflict was more than welcome. He donned his elytrian cloak, put chorus fruit and weapons in one shulker box, three diamonds in another, and closed his eyes and breathed.

Nether.

He opened his eyes, his Pearl thrumming behind his diaphragm, and scrunched his nose at the oppressive heat.

“I have arrived in the Nether; which way do I go?” he asked his particles, and they led him on a long and frankly confusing journey, during which he mentally recited what he was going to say. His path bottomed out in a stretch of warped biome, where he was promptly attacked by a hoglin. Okay, maybe he should’ve kept his weapons out, and only put them away after he’d reached the bastion. Shows of peace didn’t do him much good with wild animals.

But he dropped the hoglin carcass into the shulker box with the diamonds and called out for all Endermen in the area to come to him. Being their prince, they didn’t have much choice but to obey, though all seemed quite happy to see him.

“Are you alright?”

“Why are you here?”

“Are we able to go home yet?”

“Are we able to go home soon?”

“How can we help you?”

“What are you doing?”

Ranboo raised his hands, his tail flicking in a smile. “I am here to negotiate with the Piglin king that’s giving you trouble. Please refrain from attacking any Piglins unless they attack you first, at least until I say otherwise.”

All gathered Endermen bobbed their tails in a nod, and Ranboo flicked another smile at them. “Have any of you picked up blocks with gold in them? I hear Piglins like those; I can add them to my gift if you have any.”

So in the shulker Ranboo had three diamonds, a hoglin corpse, and two blocks of gold nuggets. Perfect gift, honestly. “I will return with the verdict. Stay away from the bastion for now.”

He warped to the bastion, the Piglin guards immediately on alert, but Ranboo made a show of dropping his weapons into his shulker, and then set the second shulker down between them.

“Please take this to your king. It is a gift from me. I would like to speak with him.” Nailed it.

They regarded him with open hostility and wariness, looking at his face (but Ranboo did not attack, despite their baiting him to do so). One guard kept a crossbow trained on him, the other tapped the box open like it might explode when he did. But, seemingly content with its contents, the guard nodded at the other with a grunt and took the box in.

Ranboo stayed right where he was, and he and the guard pointing the crossbow at him had an honestly wonderful interaction. The guard’s tail kept flicking and twitching, and so Ranboo flicked his own smiles back in kind. What a friendly guard! Ranboo was expecting them to be far more hostile, for their conflict with the nearby clade! How nice :).

The bastion’s main gate opened once more and a group of Piglins poured out, their king at their center. Ranboo certainly thought he was king, his hands had golden rings on nearly every finger, and his body language spoke of confidence.

“Piglin king,” Ranboo greeted, giving another friendly flick of his tail. Here’s hoping the king was as personable as the guard, whose tail was practically wagging, now.

“Enderman. I thank you for your gift. You wanted to speak with me?”

“My Pigspeak is rarely practiced. Forgive me if I misspeak.” Ough, Ranboo was pretty sure that was the word. Pigspeak was a tough language, their sentences structured differently than Voidtongue, but Ranboo wanted the dragon dead more than he wanted to avoid social interaction with a member of a different species in a language he barely knew. “I have a problem. You have a problem with my Endermen. I would like us to,” Ranboo’s tail lashed in a frown, searching for the right words.

“Make amends?”

His tail and ears flicked up. “Yes! Amends. I will help your problem with my Endermen. You will help with my problem.”

“Ah, workin’ together then.”

Another issue was that Ranboo had learned Pigspeak with Ender tutors. The accent was… rough, to translate around.

“Workin’ together, yes. Together amends?”

“Right.” The Piglin king’s eyes were sharp. “What are you proposin’?”

Ranboo’s tail lashed in another frown, his eyes pinched around the edges. “Workin’ together is easier if you do not staring at my face,” he hissed, and tried not to give in to his urge to deathcall about it. That would summon all the nearby Endermen, and he wanted to prevent a bloodbath, not start one.

“A Piglin looks his opponent in the eye,” stated the king.

“We are not opponent! We are together amends!” Ranboo all but shouted, and mercifully the eyes did leave his face, the king now looking amongst his entourage.

“We aren’t,” he thankfully agreed, his gaze now settled somewhere around Ranboo’s neck, which was a little intolerable but much better than his face. “Come inside. We can discuss this further privately.”

Ranboo strode forward and pretended that he was not bothered by being encased in blackstone and surrounded by Piglins. He was the prince. He could kill a Piglin easily enough, and teleport away when their numbers overpowered him. Even so, it was easier when he and the king settled into a small, clean, and well furnished room. Well. Small in terms of height, the size of the room was about average but Ranboo had to stoop.

“For Piglins, not makin’ eye contact means you’re a coward and a weaklin’. I couldn’t keep havin’ this conversation with you out front; I’d lose face.”

Ranboo desperately tried to keep up with his accent and the confusing terms he was using as he took his seat. “Your face… will be torn off you?” Ranboo asked. That seemed a dire consequence for not doing something that no reasonable species would ever do in the first place.

“Er, no. It means they’d stop respectin’ me as much.”

Then why not just say that? Ranboo huffed, his tail lashing with agitation, but he only let it lash once. He was being polite. Well mannered. He was ignoring that Piglins had some terminal fucking issue with not saying what they meant. No, no, rude thoughts, he was being polite he was being polite.

“Thank you for conversation with me in here,” he said instead, “I have asked my Endermen do not attacking your bastion already. They are waiting for me. If you help me, they are leaving here total.” Ranboo’s tail lashed with a frown. No, that wasn’t the right way to say that. “They are leaving here entire? Entire…”

“Entirely.”

“Leaving entirely.”

“And you’re some kind of big hotshot who can make that kinda call?”

Call? Hm. He supposed he had called them to him. “I am Ranboo, prince of The End.”

That seemed to give the Piglin king pause. He leaned back in his chair, and dipped his head. Ranboo was pretty sure that this was a sign of respect? Endermen’s heads didn’t really move much, except to look at things. It involved him removing his eyes from anywhere near Ranboo’s face, so he would go ahead and assume that meant it was a respectful gesture.

“I am Technoblade, king of this bastion. What do you need from me?”

“Slay the dragon.”

The Piglin king did not move for a very long moment. Ranboo was content to sit in the silence while his thoughts moved; such things were commonplace in Ender conversation.

“Heh?!”

Oh, maybe Ranboo had used the wrong word. “Kill? Kill the dragon. Dragon stop aliving.” No, wait, that wasn’t a word—right? Ranboo was pretty sure that was not actually a word.

“I, yeah, okay, I got that, actually, but you want me to?”

“Yes.”

“Can’t you, I don’t know, do it yourself?”

“No. You know the game Fruit, Seed, Stone?”

“I’m… not familiar, no.”

“Fruit defeats seed, because without fruit, seed does not have energy to grow. Seed defeats stone, because stone cracked open by seed–” he didn’t know the word for germinating in Pigspeak, “growing. Stone defeats fruit, it can… fruit open.” Ranboo mimicked the act of bashing a rock against a chorus fruit to open it. “Each weak to one opponent and strong to other.”

“And this is like that? The dragon’s strong against Endermen, but weak against Piglins?”

“Yes! You understand.”

Technoblade sighed and pushed his ringed fingers through his hair, head tilted back towards the low ceiling. “What happens if I don’t agree?”

Ranboo’s tail waved in a shrug. “My Endermen cannot leave. The dragon locked The End. She guards it. They cannot go home. I told my Endermen do not attacking your bastion. They will not. But they cannot leave.”

Technoblade’s head bobbed forwards and backwards, which was a very strange motion Ranboo couldn’t decipher in the slightest. “Right. But if I kill the dragon, that frees The End, and if I unlock The End, they’ll go home with you.”

“Yes.”

“And we can send our hunting parties out to forage mushrooms and kill hoglins that way without issue, once they’re gone.”

“Yes.”

“What makes Endermen so weak against the dragon, anyway? She stare at you too hard?”

“Fire,” Ranboo said, stone serious. “Her breath deadly to Piglins, yes, but her breath very deadly to Endermen. I can,” he mimicked bashing again, “Piglin with my hands until Piglin dead, but I cannot punch fire, and I cannot reach her when she flying.”

Technoblade huffed out a laugh, and sat forward again, extending a hand. “Fine. I play pest control for you, you get your people outta my backyard.”

Ranboo’s tail flicked in a smile at Technoblade’s outstretched hand, but he didn’t have any block to put in it. Oh well. He pulled up a block of the blackstone floor and placed it in Technoblade’s palm, happily leaving his own hands on the brick.

“Yes! I am happy you together amends with me.”

Technoblade laughed again, and set the blackstone back where Ranboo had pulled it up from. “Sounds good. But you gotta either let me teach you better Pigspeak, or teach me your language. Listenin’ to you talk is makin’ my ears bleed.”

Ranboo’s tail lashed with a concerned frown, his head dipping this way and that to examine the king’s ears.

“Er, ah, no, not literally bleedin’, it’s a figure of speech.”

Ah, more Piglin nonsense. “I will teach you Voidspeak, but you must saying what you are meaning.”

Technoblade snorted. “Fair enough. I look forward to workin’ with you, Ranboo.”

And Ranboo’s tail flicked with a smile as he agreed.

#prpweek #dream smp #ranboo #technoblade #royalty au #ROYALTY AU ROYALTY AU ROYALTY AU BABEYYYYYYY #cultural differences #political alliances #peerpressureduo #peer pressure duo #dsmp

[abtheb]

100 days ago, I was in Schipol Airport in Amsterdam, waiting for my husband as he went through customs/security before our return flight back to Canada.

It had been a tumultuous week abroad, and the mood that day was pretty dour. My anxiety and gloom had me feeling very down, the airport x-ray machine ate my hat, and I was aching and tired as I waited.

So I downloaded the owlbird language app and started learning Dutch.

One of my best highlights of the trip was seeing this new language for the first time. At first it was an unexpected culture shock/language barrier. But the more I "read" signs, maps, labels, menus, schedules, tourist pamphlets, etc - the more I loved the words and could start deducing meanings. It was especially fun and rewarding seeing the linguistic connections to my english/french vocabulary.

Most often though, it was seeing words like "melk" (english: milk) or "appel" (english: apple) that would just send me into fits of giggles.

Mosterd lmao

A few weeks before the trip, when my mind, body, and spirit were in a real pit from the last year+ of burnout, I had a moment of clarity re my place on the autism spectrum. It all started with this post from @drdemonprince 's book, good talks with friends about art and passion, therapy, re(rerere...)listening to my emotional comfort cosmere books, and a lot of introspection about my life - especially my younger years (0-21) in near-total isolation, my lifetime of size/shape/gender dysmorphia, my many rocky relationships, my rock bottoms, and my failing to adapt back to human civilization after leaving the Arctic last year.

All that to say, the trip to Amsterdam was my first chance to step outside my bubble and "let myself" "be autistic". It kind of changed my life completely.

I have no eyes and I must meat

The most important step a man can take is not the first step, but the next one after that. Always the next step - and every step I've taken since then has come from being my best autistic self. So this streak has some emotional weight to it now, unfortunately.

In the last 100 days, I've managed to start dragging myself out of my pit. I've worked on reconnecting with family, I've met new people and been inspired by the passion of others, I completed some impressive art projects that flex bigly at the top of my portfolio, I've maintained and cared for my body, and very soon I'll start putting some pieces of an irl identity back together once I move out on my own to attend 3d video game art school.

Self affirmations

I don't know what the future holds, but I guess as long as I can keep this streak going, I'm reminded of all the things I've achieved and the person I've been becoming since I started learning this lovely language.

PS: Did I mention/post that I completed my pilgrimage to Blender HQ during that trip? I brought them a Nunavut fridge magnet for their collection and had a short, mindblowing tour with the incredibly passionate founder. 😌

#personal

[slashingdisneypasta]

I know I've sent you enough asks about Poppy and Kingston... But now I've been thinking about their trip to Australia and now I HAVE to send you my thoughts on them in the Outback XD

Of course as usual, you don't have to answer right away, and whether these are true on Kingstons end is up to you ^^ and if you have any thoughts on this, I'd love to hear them!!!

First things first. The language/slang barrier. Can you inagine??? XD I did not confirm if your guys language was still the same around the 40's, but still!!! Like-

Kingston: *sees Poppy packing shoes that probably aren't the best for the Australian environment* Yeah, we're gonna get you some thongs, love.

Poppy: ... Honey, we're going to meet your parents??

I know that by then they've more than likely cleared some things up about their languages, but still, this was too hilarious for me not to include XD besides, hearing your boyfriend talk about bringing thongs to his parents' house would factory reset any American I bet XD

Poppy just- not at all being prepared for the Bush XD but also loving it!! She's not used to not having the sounds of the bustling yet dangerous city outside her window at night, but she definitely appreciates the lack of it. Having neighbors being literal yards apart and not having to worry about walking too loudly for people below you, etc. Of course Poppy still minds her manners, but it's very jarring and relieving for her out here ^^

Of course, Poppy on the farm. If Kingston was raised here, he can introduce Pops to the animals!!! And just in general, assure her woth the Australian wildlife... But also giving her a heart attack when he just calmly picks up a snake that snuck in their room that night, or wave a dismissal hand at a dingo XD (omg imagine if Kingston Kangaroo got into a fight with a human kangaroo!!! I wanna see that. And I want Poppy to see that and be very surprised what real-life kangaroos are like XDD)

Again, Poppy going through a culture shock with Australia. Idk if people in general in Australia don't care about filtering their words like Kingston, but if they do, ho boy Pops is in for a treat XD

Ok, time for your regularly scheduled angst. Poppy would be trying so hard to impress Kingstons parents. She's upping her etiquette to the max and is going to be stressing out about how Kings parents will perceive her :( though something tells me that Mr. And Mrs. Kingston will be quick to assure her ^^

All in all, it's a very surprising culture shock for her, but she loves it all the same and would love to move somewhere outside of the city with Kingston someday ^^

No. Never enough Poppy and Kingston XD

First off, coming from an Aussie, I can genuinly say that the thongs thing will never not be funny XDD Yes, I'm sure, hearing that would be a surprise for her 😅😄 And Kingston would know e x a c t l y what he's doing, cuz we are perfectly aware of American slang and non-slang XD He would just say it, smooth-faced, and move on. Rena will perpetuate the horror, too. So Ryan will have to let her in on the secret (whils King's whining that Ryan ruined his fun XD ). But eh 🤷‍♀️ There are other fun Aus Things to tease her with 😏

~

Poppy: OH, it's SANDALS! Oh my- thank goodness. Kingston how dare you do that to me!!

Kingston: Awww, Ry, you had to ruin the fun?

Ryan: I'm just being a friend. What she's really gotta worry about is the drop bears, anyway 😏

Poppy: Drop- Drop bears??

Rena: 😏 Mhm, scourge of Aus, those fucken drop bears.

Kingston: 😏😏😯 OOOOOOooooo you're right. When you're right, you're right, Ry. Don't worry Pops, I won't let those viscious cunts get you.

Poppy: W h a t???

~

Ahhhhh! Imagine bonfires with Poppy and Kingston's family!! XD They're out in the middle of nowhere so as long as weather permits, they can set up a nice fire and roast marshmallows, and look for the southern cross and orion, and listen to kookaburras!! God I'm suddenly so jealous XDD

Omg, Kingston introducing Poppy to the animals 💛💛💛 And don't forget- Kingston introducing Poppy to Aussie snacks!! Vegemite, Tim Tam's, Milo, twisties, anzac bickies, fairybread, lamingtons, pav, shapes, etc. Obviously some of these are more modern but hey, if they're toons they're immortal! Kingston showing Poppy how to Tim Tam Slam! ^^ (she will never be the same. Girl will be importing Tim Tam's to the US in order to tim slam them- )

Haha, as for how the regular person talks... yeah I guess their could a culture shock there 😄 It's not that fuck and cunt are every second word or anything but we're definitely not as sensitive about them as I think the US probably is (or at least older generations?). Cunt is for sure used as a term of endearment, especially if you're mixing with bogans XD I'm sure by that point Poppy will be used to that though from Kingston! XDD He's the most g e n u i n e aussie bloke XD Friendly, but loud and a little kinda scary.

Awwww, King's parents will l o v e Poppy!!! I'm basing them off of any and all of my aussie friends parents, so they're friendly and sweet and inclusive ^^ When Poppy arrives they just want her to r e l a x. 'We're not here to scare you sweetheart, our home is your home ^^ Now we were thinkin of frying up some fish for dinner, what do you think? We'll have whatever you want ^^'.

#me: *writing this out immediately as soon as i see it* #me: *out in the sun without sunscreen* #whoops #thats another rule for poppy- never be withoit sunscreen during the october-march period XD

[perhaps-in-anotherdream]

[CN] Victor’s Webbed Heart Date (Eng Translation)

⌚Warning⌚ This post contains detailed spoilers for a date, 心网之约, that is yet to be released in the global server! ♡

[Translation Under The Cut]

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

[Tidbits]: The lore for the date and Victor and MC’s character are inspired by Qu Yuan’s “山鬼 (The Mountain Spirit),” one of The Nine Songs. It’s actually a Chinese literature gold. It was really fun digging deep into the ancient culture haha~ I have included the crucial references in the date, and analysis at the end for those interested~ 💖

[Fun fact]: There’s like a real language barrier here LOL. Victor talks in old language (ofc), and MC at first finds it hard to comprehend as a modern day person HAHA. I debated going full old English for Victor’s parts at first but then just chose to roll along the middle ground LMAO 🫣

—

✧ [Chapter 1] ✧

The night fog accumulates increasingly densely in the mountains as the twilight closes in, slowly obscuring the distant mountain view from our horizon.

As we keep walking, the outline of an antiquated residence gradually becomes clear. I size it up for a moment and turn my head in high spirits.

MC: This is amazing! It fits the bill perfectly for the location of a supernatural movie!

Friend: Indeed. With this kind of shooting environment, we have a much greater chance of grasping victory within the palm of our hands.

For novice directors, the annual self-made filmmaking competitions organized by some media outlets are an excellent opportunity to showcase. It’s for this reason that we’ve come to the mountains to film the scenes.

Amid our excited conversation, the house with a courtyard is already right in front of our eyes. I take the lead and push open the broken door panel.

A dull noise pierces the quietude. The dark mansion appears gloomy beneath the illumination of the torch. My friend rubs the nape of their neck and speaks in a low voice.

Friend: Why do I feel like it’s too eerie in here...

MC: Don’t scare yourself. We’ll get out of here as soon as we are done with filming!

I retort obstinately, beckoning my companions to set up the camera. But the moment I turn around, I seem to see a glimmer of light flickering in the corner.

MC: Click!

Friend: How about this one?

I shake my head exasperatedly. Despite wearing bizarre makeup and costumes, we appear inharmonious with the house in the camera shots every time.

Seeing how exhausted everyone looks, I hurriedly get up from behind the video camera.

MC: Let’s give it a rest for now. We’ll start over later!

I brief the crowd and walk out into the courtyard myself. Inadvertently, I see that glimmer of light in the corner again.

They shimmer with a strange luster, intermittently visible in the night fog. It’s as though they are enticing me forward.

As I draw nearer, I finally realize they are a few strands of silk threads with a peculiar texture, the end of which extends deeper into the house.

MC: What’s this?

Observing cautiously, I tentatively fiddle with them for a little while. Shivering though the delicate threads are, they are surprisingly pliable and tough.

By some curious coincidence, my interest bubbles forth immensely. I set out and head deeper into the house.

The threads grow increasingly concentrated the deeper I walk. Passing through the dilapidated hall, they finally converge on the single-leafed door of the courtyard.

I gently push it open, holding my breath involuntarily.

Numerous threads dangle from the deserted pavilion, intertwining into a vast web of yarns. Slightly, it quivers as if there were a life within it.

Allured, I move forward, and just as I’m about to touch the silk mesh, I hear a faint sound of footsteps.

A slender figure walks out of the depths of the mist. His chilly gaze falls on me, carrying with it a bit of scrutiny.

?? (Victor): ...human?

?? (Victor): How did you get in here?

Why is this man talking a bit strangely?

Puzzled, I scan his dark gold patterned robe and strange accessories with my gaze. The moment I see his face clearly, my heartbeat suddenly accelerates a little.

This man’s temperament blends in perfectly with the antiquated mansion... could he be a professional cosplayer? Are there other casts and crews around?

I survey the surroundings curiously, but no filming equipment is in sight.

The frown on the man in front of me deepens more and more. I hastily withdraw my gaze.

MC: I came here to shoot a film with my companions. Are... you too?

The receiving end says nothing and just looks at me coldly.

Such an attitude of rejecting people and keeping them a thousand miles away makes me think of the character I need to portray in the film, causing me to speak up subconsciously.

MC: May I ask you to make a guest appearance? We won’t take up much of your time!

?? (Victor): Leave at once. You guys should not have come to this place.

He interrupts me mercilessly, turning to walk deeper into the silk screen. I freeze for a moment, then propose, unwilling to resign myself.

MC: Your appearance is perfectly photogenic! We will pay the remuneration, even above the market price, if needs be!

I step forward as I say this, touching his skin unwittingly. The unusual coolness causes a shiver to run through me. Stunned, I look up and meet the man’s eyes, finding myself unable to decipher the expression in his eyes.

The next second, the silk yarns that were static till now, suddenly rush from all around, wrapping themselves around me violently.

MC: …what’s happening!

I struggle subconsciously, but the seemingly fragile silk threads are incredibly tenacious. I’m tied up tightly in mid-air, akin to a prey that has fallen into a web.

My eyes widen in alarm, but my mouth is swathed with silk yarns, and I’m unable to make any sound.

My brain turns blank in a split second, and I shudder instinctively. A faint voice travels to my ears while I’m on the verge of suffocation.

?? (Victor): You really followed the path to your own doom.

The force tugging at me tightens in response to this voice, and a burning sensation comes from my wrist amid my befuddled state. Gradually, the only thing remaining in my field of vision is blackness.

—

[Tidbits]: Though it will be explained later, just to not leave any blank spots — the force tugging MC’s wrist here is controlled by the demon house (foggy gray rope). Victor’s are the red (silk) threads btw !ofc (the ones in the CG)~ ❤️

—

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

—

✧ [Chapter 2] ✧

??: MC? Can you hear me?

An anxious call rings in my ear. I slowly open my eyes.

The sight that greets my eyes is the warm lighting of the homestay. I turn my head, heaving a sigh of relief as I see my friend. It’s as though I’ve had a weight off my mind.

Friend: You scared me to death! We flipped everything upside down in that old mansion, only to find you passed out in the backyard. Are you too tired, or is your blood sugar low?

I clutch my forehead in dizziness, recollecting the last scene I’ve seen.

MC: I-I bumped into a strange man in the backyard, and then a lot of silk threads appeared…

MC: And then they suddenly tied me up, getting tighter and tighter, like they were going to strangle me––!

Fragments of images appear before my eyes at this moment, and I break out in a cold sweat in lingering fear.

Friend: …you are not in a daze, are you?

??: Young lady, you might have run into the evil spirit.

A gruff voice suddenly comes from the doorway. I tilt my head and see the guest house owner walking in with hot water.

Guest House Owner: There have been long-standing rumors about this mountain. It’s said that all that exists on this mountain can transform themselves into demonic spirits. And the one with the strongest demon power among them, The Mountain Spirit, can transform into a human form.

Guest House Owner: Legend has it that he will prey on lives according to his wishes, and he once roamed about the earth under the name “Victor.” You should be afraid if you’ve accidentally agitated him.

Demonic spirit? The Mountain Spirit?

The inconceivable words cause my dizzy head to hum even more, and I stiffly tug at the corners of my lips.

MC: …why would The Mountain Spirit have a human name? …Victor? The legend is quite rich in detail.

The boss, however, doesn’t mean to joke in the slightest. The shadowy lights shine on his face, inexplicably adding more touches of treachery.

My heart stutters, and I straighten up.

MC: So this rumored Mountain Spirit… are there any distinctive features?

Guest House Owner: It seems like he is a dark-haired young man who lives in a house in the depths, and he also bears the patterns of a demon spirit on his body.

Guest House Owner: In the early years, there were still pictures of demon spirits in the booklets. But over the years, the villages in the mountains have been deserted, and the contents have gradually been scattered.

Young man, old residence in the mountains, sorcery… how come every one of these adds up perfectly!? 

A slight chill runs down my back, and my friend has already opened their mouth in bewilderment.

Friend: This place is really strange. MC, let’s leave tomorrow early in the morning!

I nod in residual fear. I look at my wrist as I watch everyone leave in twos and threes.

The tactile sensation of being entangled haunts me, and I can almost see those cold, stern eyes when I close my eyes a little.

MC: That was too close. I had almost handed over my life…

My line of sight inadvertently lands on the camera. When I think of the reason for coming here, I can’t help mumbling to myself.

MC: Can’t let this getting scared go in vain. I’ll change the film’s subject to a pseudo-documentary when we go back and recreate the experience.

The words have barely had the time to leave my mouth, and my wrist feels as if it’s being violently tugged by invisible threads.

—

The lights before my eyes flicker at a fast speed. After a moment’s spiral of my surroundings, I feel a pain in my back, seemingly having landed on solid ground.

At my wit’s end, I raise my head, only to find that I can’t help but stare blankly.

The moonlight streams down the dilapidated window frames, illuminating the dusty beams and drapes… this is clearly that strange, antiquated mansion!

Why am I suddenly back here!?

I hear a faint rustling noise drifting from behind the curtain. Heart in my throat, I hide behind a pillar and peer out, spotting that man again.

He is sitting in the corner of the study, his eyes hanging low on a piece of moon-white silk cloth embroidered with patterns of silk mesh.

His long fingers, wrapped in a black glove, continue to stroke the wine cup intermittently. It seems as though he is contemplating something.

And those pliable threads are lying dormant around him in all directions, displaying a bit of viscous iciness.

I try desperately to breathe lightly and see that his body, which was concealed by the jacket earlier, is densely covered with bizarre interwoven black and gold patterns.

...I really did bump into the rumored Mountain Spirit.

The suffocating feeling of near-death experience resurfaces in my mind. My heart thumps wildly and uncontrollably, my eyes looking for an exit while I’m in a state of panic.

Suddenly, my ankles tighten, and I’m pulled down to the floor. A few threads drag me irresistibly across the slab, as if they are about to cut through my flesh at any time.

To my horror, I see a pair of black boots unhurriedly entering my field of view and open my mouth with fear and trepidation.

MC: Vi-- Lord Victor, thank you for sparing my life just earlier...

The footsteps before me pauses.

Victor: You again?

Victor: And you know my name?

MC: I- I heard your legend from down the mountains... I swear, I had no intention of agitating you!

MC: I don’t know what happened. It’s like I was being pulled by something, and I was already here when I snapped out of it... I- I’ll leave immediately!

Stuttering, I look up and see Victor’s brows knitted into a frown. He seems to have thought of something and moves his fingertips.

The next second, a foggy gray rope suddenly appears on my wrist, the end of which disappears into the depths of the house.

The voice in my ear suddenly becomes a few degrees heavier.

Victor: What did you do before you were transferred here?

MC: I didn’t do anything! I was simply being grateful for your generosity...

As if in answer to my voice, the foggy rope around my wrist tightens, and even yanks me deeper into the house again.

Victor: ...

Victor’s throat stirs as if holding back something. He lifts his hand a little, and the gray rope bound to my wrist suddenly weakens considerably.

I move my wrist in astonishment and hear him speak.

Victor: The house is aiming for your earthbound spirit. Get out of this city right now while the restraint on you is still not too heavy.

Victor: Also, don’t think about anything related to this place again; its restraint will flare up when it perceives what you’re thinking.

Victor: The next time you break into my residence, you won’t have the luck to leave.

–

Accompanying these words, the silk threads bind my body and wrap me into a ball, neatly pulling me out of the antiquated mansion.

The mountain breeze blows on my face in a splattering motion. In the blink of an eye, I’m jolted around and thrown to the foot of the mountain.

Still unable to believe it, I gasp in fright, watching as the silk yarns shed themselves off my body and dissipate into the mountain at lightning speed.

I draw a half step back in a daze. Soon after, I whirl around and run towards the bus stop without looking back, not even giving myself the time to rejoice.

Earthbound spirit, restraint... these various words I’ve heard just now are long beyond my comprehension. The only thought that repeatedly echoes in my mind is: “hurry up, hurry up a bit more.”

It seems as if I were to hesitate even a little, I would be caught and be brought back to that eerie antiquated house at any time.

Soon, I board the latest night bus. The vehicle speeds down the road, and the passengers beside me are fast asleep one after another.

Wearing a tense expression on my face as I watch the outline of the small town gradually recede in the distance, I finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Having traveled such a distance, I should be able to break out of the control range of the demon house.

It’s only now do I send a text message to my friend, informing them that I’m setting off first. Thinking of the wild “run for life” I’ve just made, I lean against the seat, exhausted.

MC: What a haunting luck! I almost had to stay in that mansion and couldn’t get out... thanks to that Mountain Spirit for still having a little bit of human warmth––

Even before the words are out of my mouth, the cold and solid touch of the seat behind me suddenly disappears. Accompanied by an ache in my wrist, the sight before me lapses to darkness again.

–

My heart turns cold. Before I can mull over what’s happening, I feel as if I’ve sunken into a soft fabric, and something is blocking my view.

Gathering my courage, I pull off what is before my eyes, only to realize that it seems to be a bed curtain.

Could it be possible that right now I’m...

My heart thuds, and I lift my head in hindsight.

What greets my eyes is a chest that is rising and falling slightly with each breath, and the crisscrossed demon patterns that fade along the depths of the clothing’s tight ravines. As my gaze moves further up, I’m met with a side profile that is patiently holding back anger.

—

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

—

✧ [Chapter 3] ✧

The swaying shadows of the trees filter through the bed curtain and are reflected in my widened eyes.

Probably because he’s been bothered in his sleep, there’s still a faint weariness cresting between Victor’s brows. My heart skips half a beat, remembering what he told me earlier.

The mansion must have sensed my thoughts and captured me back here... but how can it have such a wide control range?!

A few strands of silk threads climb up my neck and tighten mercilessly.

Victor: Did you think I was joking with you?

In a split second, my breathing is restrained, and my head is lifted beyond my control. I don’t have time to part my attention and be shocked as I proceed to explain with difficulty.

MC: When I saw the bus was already far away... it was only then that I thought about you...

My gaze struggles to fall on my wrist. The fog that originally thinned out has become a little denser again. Something suddenly dawns on me, and I gasp for breath as I open my mouth.

MC: I didn’t mean to disregard your words... both times, I was pulled by the wrist by something and brought back by force.

MC: The problem, the problem should be this ring of fog... it’s the restraint you spoke of, right?

MC: I’ve heard that you have the strongest demon power, then it shouldn’t be too difficult for you to resolve this completely. So can you––

Victor casually crosses his arms as if he’s heard an absurd remark, tugging at his thin lips.

Victor: Why should I seek trouble for myself?

Victor: For demon spirits, “take what you give” is the supreme law. It’s an even higher law than “the weak are prey to the strong.”

Victor: If you want to get something, you must offer the corresponding bargaining chip first, not to mention unlocking the restraints set by the other demon spirits on their prey.

Victor: And as far as I’m concerned, you don’t have the value to make the bid.

My lips part in a helpless manner. But when I think of being trapped here forever, I find no other choice but to speak up, panicked.

MC: But if I become an earthbound spirit, I’ll roam about your house every day… y-you wouldn’t wish for that either, am I right?

My frenetic voice is interrupted by a cold one.

Victor: That will indeed be aggravating, but it won’t last a long time.

Victor: Transforming into an earthbound spirit is merely the first step. Eventually, your soul will dissipate here. When that time comes, I will naturally be able to return to peace and quiet.

Victor: Since you didn’t capture the opportunity to escape, you can only wait to turn into nourishment for the house.

Victor lifts a corner of the bed curtain as he speaks, seemingly about to leave.

The survival instinct overrules fear for the moment. I subconsciously fling myself on top of Victor and brace myself on his shoulders with one hand, making a futile attempt to curb his motion of getting up.

Victor: …

His slightly cool body temperature presses against me closely through the fabric, and from the tautness of his body I can feel that he seems to be forbearing something. Victor’s eyes narrow slightly, a hint of incredulity flashing through them.

Before he can say anything, I open my mouth impatiently.

MC: Isn’t it about “take what you give”? I can give you my entire fortune!

Victor: The Mountain Spirit is unable to leave the place of their birth, and the condition you propose is meaningless to me.

How can this person be so immune to both coaxing and coercion! As I keep pondering anxiously, suddenly something comes to my mind.

MC: You can’t get out of this place, so you should have very little contact with the outside world, right?

MC: I… still have a certain amount of freedom of movement now. I can be at your disposal and bring you back anything you want!

Victor: …there’s no need. I’m not interested in the world beyond the mountains.

Perhaps it’s my illusion, but Victor’s voice sinks a little imperceptibly. Soon after, a few strands of silk threads pull me away.

Sensing an opening, my voice takes on a few hints of pleading.

MC: But it’s a bit boring to constantly encounter the same things all the time, isn’t it?

MC: How about just giving it a chance? See what kind of freshness I can bring to your life.

MC: if you aren’t satisfied, it won’t be too late to ignore me!

The room lapses into silence, and I can even hear the indistinct buzzing of insects outside the window. After a moment, the silk threads wrapped around my body slowly shed off me.

I release a breath in exhaustion, then hear Victor speak.

Victor: The condition you proposed is only worth letting me defer the erosion of the house upon you.

Victor: If you want me to undo the restraint, you will have to think of a higher bargaining chip.

—

Using the excuse of collecting material, I inform my friend that I will be staying here for a while. Even though I’ve bought myself time, I seem to have been caught in a puzzle.

In order to find the bargaining chip that can touch Victor, I must grasp his preference; but he is indifferent to everything.

He doesn’t like hunting as he is rumored to be, and he is also weary of the other coming and going demon spirits. After observing him for a long time, I notice that his countenance seems to soften a little when he eats dessert.

Thereupon, I try to bring back desserts every now and then. Victor ignores them at first— until one day, I find that the mung bean cake I’ve brought back is missing a piece.

MC: …?

Staring at Victor’s nonchalant side profile, I can’t help but lift the corners of my lips. With the tacit acquiescence of being welcomed, this little solicitous attention of mine becomes all the more confident and rightful.

—

Autumn is gradually approaching. One day, I’m walking towards the antiquated mansion carrying desserts in my arms when I see Victor sitting on the hillside. I hand him the pudding and speak expectantly.

MC: Today’s pudding has vanilla seeds in it. What do you think of the taste?

Victor: It’s quite good.

Victor’s voice is still unperturbed, but his eyes reveal a bit of softness. I breathe a calming sigh and sit relaxed on the grass.

The sky is crystal clear, and the frolicking silhouettes of the demon spirits flash across the distant mountain and fields. Looking down the hillside, one can just see the path leading to the antiquated mansion.

My eyes descend on the dense gray fog circling my wrist and land back on Victor’s side profile again. Perplexed, I heave a sigh.

The restraint of the ancient house on me has indeed eased as agreed upon. But even so, the range of my movement is still lessening with each passing day.

To the extent that if I take even one step out of the town, I will be instantly pulled back to the house.

I’ve already entered the countdown to becoming an earthbound spirit… but what exactly is the bargaining chip that can move him?

Seemingly not noticing that I’m beside myself, Victor takes a bite of the pudding. His distinct and handsome side profile blends with the beautiful lake and mountain landscape, and he seems to be encased in a soft light.

I subconsciously reach for my phone. The moment I adjust the focus, though, I see Victor faintly looking at me through the camera.

MC: …haha, it’s an occupational disease. Sorry.

I put down the phone in embarrassment, only to hear him speak.

Victor: You seem to really like filming.

Victor: When we first met, you bent over backwards to drag me into making an appearance in a guest character.

Victor’s tone is laid-back, like having a casual, friendly chat. Perhaps because we’ve been together for a long time, I’m a little more frank too.

MC: You can record different stories through the camera lens.

MC: Even if you are in a corner of the earth, you can still discover the world in a million different ways and witness diverse lives through the screen.

MC: Which is why I planned to use the camera to record the places wherever I go.

MC: So that no matter when I look back, I can return to that scenery…

I keep talking in an unceasing torrent. But the moment I lock eyes with Victor, my voice suddenly lurches to a stop.

He once told me that Mountain Spirits can’t leave the place of their birth.

No matter how the years have changed, it’s always been the landscape of the mountain that he has seen. It should be such a regret for him…

I sigh slightly and suddenly think of something, proposing tentatively.

MC: I’ve actually saved a lot of videos documenting the scenery from various places. Would you like to watch them together?

I set down my phone in the gap between us as I speak. The distance that was initially a palm’s width bridges quietly, our shoulders gently touching each other.

Victor freezes almost imperceptibly, but he doesn’t keep away from me.

Various settings flow through the lens one after another. Amidst the clamorous backdrop, I furtively turn my head and stare at Victor.

The breeze softly caresses the black fringes over his forehead, the dark-colored pupils of his eyes reflecting the shifting colors of the scenes.

I know very clearly that he has a power thousands of times greater than mine. Simply with a single thought, he can control my freedom and even my life or death at any time;

But at this moment, staring at his serene side profile, I feel a certain part of my heart vaguely aching.

I purse my lips, then open my mouth to speak by some curious coincidence.

MC: Victor, when we have solved the problem at hand, let’s go to these places together.

The light in Victor’s eyes dims slightly. After keeping quiet for a while, he turns his head to look at me.

Victor: There will be no such opportunity.

Victor: My life is bound to this mountain and fields. The second I step out of this place, my body and soul will dissipate together.

Victor: Perhaps the day I’m weary of this life, I will consider taking that step.

MC: But what we know now necessarily may not be the entire picture. Before I met you, I didn’t believe there were demon spirits in this world either!

MC: There are always methods that have not yet been discovered, and they will be able to get you out of here in one piece.

MC: I’ll help with it too. We will look for it together.

As if to testify my trustworthiness, I curl my pinky finger at Victor.

The breeze from the valley blows toward us, and the grass sparkles like waves, reflecting the luster of the autumn sun.

There seem to be some emotions churning in Victor’s eyes, and he turns his head away after a while.

I deflate my mouth and withdraw my hand helplessly, only to hear him speak.

Victor: I’ll undo the restraint for you.

Victor: In exchange, bring me a sachet of vanilla seeds.

I almost dare not believe my ears when I hear the bargaining chip that I’ve been painstakingly mulling over, turns out to be so simple.

MC: …that’s it?

Victor: Do you want me to add a few more conditions?

MC: Of course not! Wait for me. I’m going down the mountain right now!

Victor smiles softly and averts his gaze, looking towards the twilight sinking in the distant mountain.

I scramble to get up from the grass. As I walk to the end of the path, I can’t resist stealthily looking back.

His figure has become a tiny ball, and I can’t tell whether he is looking at me or not. The autumn breeze picks up again, seeming to melt into the mountainous landscape.

—

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

[CRUCIAL TIDBITS TIME]:

SOMEONE PLS HOLD MY HEART FIRST ༎ຶ⁠‿⁠༎ຶ

The Representation of “Vanilla Seed”:

It’s directly taken from Qu Yuan’s “Nine Songs: The Mountain Spirit”. In the poem, it represents the “protagonist gentleman (i.e. the spirit)”, and basically embodies all things that’s beautiful and pure. Here, it represents Victor.

The meaning of asking for vanilla seed as “bargaining chip”:

Vanilla is the lover’s knot, the Sorceress’ prayer to the God. In one of Qu Yuan’s Nine Song’s, there is a description of widespread ancient Chinese folk culture – couples who had to live away or travel far from their spouses, they would use vanilla and sacred woods to tie concentric knots and pray for their lovers to return to them. It also, naturally, used to be used for crafts and spells during marriage ceremony.

Coming back to the date, Victor is using the ancient method to confess his feelings. But since MC is from modern times, she naturally doesn’t understand what it stands for (and you’ll see it couple more times later too). By asking her to bring him a sachet of vanilla seeds, he is telling her to leave him a part of her heart, which is why he says this is equal enough an exchange. The warmth, love she has given him and made him feel is enough for what comes next—— ༎ຶ⁠‿⁠༎ຶ

—

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

—

✧ [Chapter 4] ✧

The lanterns are gradually lit as the early evening hangs low, and the town’s night market is bustling with activity.

I pick up the vanilla seeds from the flowers and plants merchant. Thinking of the restraint that can be lifted immediately, my pace quickens a few notches.

??: Hey, you haven’t left this town yet?

A familiar voice rings out behind me. I turn around and see the owner of the homestay.

MC: …yes. The legends here are very interesting, so I wanted to collect materials for a while longer.

I beat around the bush perfunctorily. But fortunately, the other party doesn’t detect anything peculiar.

Guest House Owner: When you have time, come again and have a chat with me then! I heard a lot more tales the other day.

My heart stirs, and I open my mouth as I try to sound out.

MC: Then, have you heard any other rumors about the Mountain Spirit? For instance, methods of getting out of the birthplace?

Guest House Owner: I didn’t pay attention to this. I’ll have to search for it again. As for the other things… I’ve heard that the house he lives in is a bit evil too.

My breathing accelerates a few beats.

MC: “A bit evil” means––

Guest House Owner: I heard that the house generates a demonic nature which will trap those who enter by mistake!

MC: And how did those who entered before escape?

Guest House Owner: It’s not that easy! Demon spirits made of wood and stones are brain-dead. When they aim at their prey, they will not give up, unless they can find someone else as a substitute.

Guest House Owner: But where can one find such a squanderer! Legend has it that the souls of two or three of them have scattered in the mountains…

Several urgings drift from a distance, and the guest house owner bids goodbye to me. I lower my gaze, looking at the vanilla seeds in my hands, dazed.

“Take what you give”... substitution… could it be that Victor’s method of undoing the restraint is to become the prey of the antiquated mansion on my behalf?

But he knows what that means even better than I do, so probably not…

I retort to myself while my mind is in chaos, but my palms clench unconsciously.

As if sensing my violent emotions, a sharp pain suddenly travels from my wrist. Immediately afterward, that familiar sky-spinning and earth-revolving feeling strikes.

—

When I open my eyes, I find that I’ve been pulled back into the ancient house, and the fog on my wrist has become incredibly dense.

I struggle instinctively. But to my horror, I feel my strength being consumed little by little.

The loss of control over my body has never been so apparent… could it be that the antiquated mansion is in a great rush to turn me into a part of it?!

The fog drags me deeper into the house like a soul-seeking hook, and I resist in vain. Just at this moment, a few sharp flashes of brilliant light streak across my field of vision, tearing through the fog in an instant.

The heaviness on my wrist suddenly becomes lighter, and I look up blankly. When I see that figure in the distance, my heart, which has been crammed with fear, relaxes instantaneously.

Victor sighs very softly, his tone of voice carrying within it a hint of helplessness.

Victor: Sparked such a violent erosion… what did you think about this time?

MC: I…

I open my lips, but the mist suddenly condenses in front of him as though giving a warning of something. Remaining unmoved, Victor steps forward, the silk threads wrapping me up irresistibly.

As if receiving a sort of provocation, the fog thickens instantly, enveloping the entire courtyard and the sky overhead like a confrontation. The sense of oppression is almost impossible to endure.

With difficulty, I gasp for breaths, and my heart clenches violently as I see the silk threads becoming frail out of the corners of my eyes. It’s as though they have been eroded by the fog.

Before I can say anything, I see Victor’s footsteps. In the next second, countless sharp silk threads spread from Victor’s palm and interweave into a perilous web––

–– akin to a barrier, standing shield between me and the fog, extinguishing all danger.

As though sensing a threat, the gloomy mist stagnates for a moment. Just as I breathe a sigh of relief, I feel the burning heat on my wrist grow increasingly pronounced like a vent of resentment.

My consciousness gradually becomes blurred. In a haze, I’m drawn in by the silk threads, and I’ve fallen into Victor’s arms. I clutch Victor’s sleeve, muttering:

MC: Victor… I’m really not going to turn into an earthbound spirit, am I?

MC: If I had known earlier that it’d be the last time I’d go down the mountain… I shouldn’t have returned with only vanilla seeds…

The hand around my waist pauses, and a helpless sigh resounds in my ear.

Victor: [sighs LONG and HARD]  Truly a dummy.

Like an answer to his voice, countless threads spring up and envelop us completely in a blanket.

—

I seem to have sunken into a dream of heavy colors.

A tidal wave of gray fog surges overhead, reflecting the outline of light.

Transfixed, I reach out for the spec of light, but my body feels as heavy as if I’ve fallen into a mire.

Until a slender arm comes up and firmly clasps my fingers. I seem to have been asked for something, and by doing so, I break free.

My body becomes lighter, reminiscent of a bird that has broken free from its cage. The spec of light in the distance gradually magnifies and occupies my entire field of vision––

I gasp as I wake up from this strange dream, and what greets my eyes is the somewhat familiar canopy roof. I size it up for a moment before I remember that it seems to be the bed curtain I once entered by mistake.

…why am I in Victor’s room?

I lift my hand to knead my dizzy head, only to feel a tug of something. Puzzled, I lower my gaze and see countless red silk threads covering my body.

With a slight movement, they all fall in a flurry, landing silently, one after another, on the bed. And the thick gray fog on my wrist has disappeared without any trace whatsoever.

The last picture I’ve seen flashes before my eyes at this moment, and I open my mouth in bewilderment.

MC: Victor? Are you here?

A faint response drifts from outside the bed curtain. I lift open the curtain of the bed, but can’t help but be rendered speechless.

Victor is leaning against the bed head, and countless silk threads drape over him as if caging him in a soft web.

For what seems like an instant, I seem to see a little bit of fatigue between his eyebrows. But the next second, he stands up as if nothing has happened and looks at me.

Victor: The restraint has been lifted.

Victor: You can leave now. Nothing will block your way anymore.

He takes the lead towards the door as he speaks. The silk threads climb up our wrist and pull me along to follow behind him, not gently but not firmly either.

I look down, only to see that their original vibrant red color has taken on a hint of faint darkness, as if they have lost their vitality.

My anxiety surfaces more and more clearly. Thinking back to that bizarre dream, I hesitantly open my mouth.

MC: …isn’t “take what you give” the principle among demon spirits? What’s the price for swapping me out?

Victor’s pace seems to slow down a few notches. While I’m wondering if it’s an illusion, he raises his hand and pushes open the door to the room, and the valley full of autumn light suddenly floods into the courtyard.

Victor leans against the door, his voice taking on a little more hint of alienation.

Victor: The person who is about to leave doesn’t need to know so much.

The silk threads quietly converge behind me, gently pushing me into the refreshing colors of autumn. Soon after, they swirl back to Victor’s feet, never crossing the border.

At this moment, the low door threshold in front of my eyes seems like an insurmountable barrier.

The question that has been heavily weighing down my heart is now vaguely answered. My nose is a little sore, and I force myself to avert my gaze.

The freedom I’ve been waiting for a long time is close at hand. So long as I turn around, I can leave this antiquated mansion behind forever.

But… I don’t want to leave like this.

I exhale deeply and walk over to Victor. He opens his slender eyes, looking at me with an expression that I’m unable to read.

Victor: What are you still dawdling about?

I open my lips, and only now do I notice a hint of hoarseness in my voice as I begin to speak.

MC: I have heard the intact rumor that the restraint on earthbound spirits can only be transferred. It can’t be lifted.

MC: You have become the prey on my behalf to make it stop devouring me, haven’t you?

The trailing notes of my quivering voice dissipate into the air. After a long time, Victor speaks in an indifferent tone.

Victor: You ask too many questions. You should know, I’m not always soft-hearted.

A few strands of silk threads wrap around my neck in response to his voice. I purse my lips.

MC: …I don’t buy that you’ll actually do it.

He seems to release a soft sigh as the silk threads swirl and tighten threateningly soon after.

MC: It’s not fair to trade a sachet of vanilla seeds for my freedom in the future.

MC: There is no way I can just pretend that nothing has happened and leave.

Almost subconsciously, numerous fragments of images appear before my eyes;

The look of discard I saw on the person before my eyes when I tripped over the silk threads, the way his brows smoothed out slightly when he ate dessert, and that face when he gazed into the distance.

My vision gradually becomes blurred. Amid the haze, I hear a very soft sigh.

Victor: …I had already become familiar with these mountains and woods to the stage of being a little worn out.

Victor: Before you came along, I seldom walked out of this house. Even though staying here is simply a return to the old life.

Victor: So, you don’t need to think so much. Our transaction is sufficiently equal.

The silk threads that bind me drop silently. I sniffle and stare fixedly at Victor.

MC: You don’t need to think too nobly about human beings either.

MC: I- I simply don’t want to think of you remorsefully every time I see a mountain view in the future.

MC: Instead of that, I’d rather stay here and be more at peace.

Victor’s gaze lands on my bloodshot eyes, his voice soft.

Victor: Don’t you still want to capture a lot of scenery with your lens?

Victor: After staying here for so long, I’m afraid there’s nothing left in these mountains worth for you to continue recording.

MC: …that’s not my only wish. I’ve told you this before too. I want to leave this place together with you.

MC: I’ve heard from people down the mountain that there are quite a few legends scattered around the area. Maybe it won’t be long before we find clues.

The profound, warm autumn light filters in from outside the door, looking as if it’s melting into the light of Victor’s eyes. I speak in a quiet voice.

MC: And when together with a special someone, we can always find novelty even if the days are endlessly long.

MC: I can bring more to your life than just dim sums and vanilla seeds.

The rustling of the trees echoes through the courtyard, causing my entire being to shiver. A brief while later, the silk threads hanging over my shoulders suddenly descend lower and tug at my waist.

I stumble and am led into the arms in front of me. A tender, cold breath pours itself into my own. Soon after, I see a slender hand extending before me.

Victor lowers his gaze, curling his pinky finger at me slightly.

Victor: Since you don’t want to leave, stay here then. The courtyard is very empty, and I need someone to accompany me in sowing the seeds.

Victor: By this time next year, perhaps we will be able to harvest the taste of surprise.

-

—

Pretty long rambling, so please feel free to ignore if you wish haha~

I found this beautiful translation of the poem, so for those interested~

—

#it was really so hard not to add translation notes and just ramblings after each sentence akshxxsdgnf #so i went for documenting them instead LOL 😭 repeating myself for the millionth time–– #—— BLESS VICTOR’S WRITERS😭❤️ #mlqc victor #mlqc li zeyan #mlqc #mr love victor #mr love queen's choice #恋与制作人 #李泽言 #love and producer #mlqc cn #mlqc spoilers #mlqc translations

[boliv-jenta]

(I'm obsessed with this picture.)

Found this in my WIPs from early last year.

Slip of the Tongues.

Din Djarin x f!reader

Smut 🔞 not overly explicit but it's there.

The familiar sight of the exquisitely crafted Baskar helmet greeted her as her eyes fluttered open. The relationship between her and that chunk of metal was complicated.

At first she had been intrigued by it, captivated by the design, fascinated by who could be underneath. Once she had gotten to know the man underneath it, she welcomed the sight of it. Same as someone would look forward to seeing the smile of a loved one at the end of a long day. Knowing she would never get to see his real face she tried to think of the helmet as an extension of his face. It was how she spotted him in a crowd, Mandalorians were scarce so it was uniquely him. It could reveal just as many emotions as any face, if you knew how to read it. She tried to embrace it, along with the other tenets of his culture, as it was so important to him. Eventually, when she realised how she felt for Din, the helmet became another barrier between them. She couldn't help but resent it as another obstacle to overcome. Along side their anxieties, their pain, their hidden scars.

When Din had elected to start removing the helmet, she started to look forward to seeing it again. This time she looked forward to seeing it discarded. On the console of the ship as he waited in the cockpit for her. Thrown on the bed before she followed closely after. Or set on the nightstand as it was now. Din placed it there when he got back. Wasting no time, he pulled her down the bed and maneuvered himself in between her legs. She barely had time to set down her holopad before he had her stripped from the waist down. His face was buried so deep all she could see was his tousled hair and the slight furrow of his brow as he concentrated at the matter, quite literally, at hand as his fingers curled up inside her and his tongue danced on her moist flesh.

There was one tenet of Din's culture she had easily embraced. His language. His deep, smooth voice was already something else but combined with his language, it just did something to her. It got under her skin in a way only he ever could. Early on in the partnership she was impressed by his knowledge of other languages. It wasn't unusual for people who travel to speak more than Basic but he seemed to have a particular talent for them. The only language she hadn't hear from him was his own. Not until she felt their friendship shifted to something more. At the time she thought their feelings were going unspoken. Not by Din though, who began to pepper in words in his own language. Later, she found that at first they were generally compliments. 'Atin' persistent, 'mirdala' clever, 'nuhunla' funny. Then the terms of endearment slipped in 'mesh'la' beautiful, 'cyar'ika' sweetheart. By then she had started to learn the language and couldn't help the slight smile on her face when he said it. Luckily he usually averted his gaze when he spoke, so he didn't see the hint of joy on her features.

Not until he called out to her with 'cyar'ika' before they had left to face Moff Gideon. He'd search for her on the ship, stalked towards her like a bounty, taken her hands in his. His breath was unsteady, it sounded like he tried to speak several times. Instead she spoke for him. "Ib'tuur jatne tuur ash'ad kyr'amur", "Today is a good day for someone else to die." A huff of laughter escaped Din along with what sounded like a soft sob and a sniffle. "You understood?" he asked in Basic. "I've been learning bits and pieces." she replied linking her fingers with his. "And yes, I understand." The both knew what her last comment was referring to. Din sealed it by cupping her face and pressing his forehead to hers.

She couldn't hear the Mando'a that Din was speaking now, any sound was muffled by the flesh of her soft thighs encasing his head. Thankfully, she could feel every syllable. His tongue swept and rolled around her clit. His lips occasionally pursed against it.

When Din had first asked to taste her, he had been eager but unsure of himself. To help him she had shared a trick that she had used before. "Write letters with your tongue." From his first taste of her Din was obsessed. He would go down on her at every opportunity. He started with letters, then words, then full sentences. She swore he must have written several novels by now. He would test every letter combination he knew to see what felt best for her. His tongue worked over her clit, sounding out words in his language. He'd tried writing them in Mando'a but the characters were simplistic. It didn't allow for the swirling and rolling of his tongue that basic did. After switching between the two he came to the realise that all the Basic letters that made her moan, the curve of 'a', the lave of his tongue with the 'u', the loop of the 'o'. Those letters were littered through his language when spelt in Basic so he married the two.

Once her knew how she liked him to move his tongue, it came more naturally to him. He stopped talking until she confessed that she missed it. Purely because sometimes in his silent ramblings a word or two would slip out. "Perfect." "So sweet." "Need you." She loved to hear him.

When she had asked him to talk to her in bed, his cheeks flushed. Din had always been a man of action rather that words. If you needed a sarcastic comment, snark or a quip he was your man. Asking him to express his feelings in words was another story. His affection was shown in his loyalty. His love was shown in the gentleness of his actions. His desire was shown in the way he wouldn't waste a second once they were alone to join his body to hers in any way he could.

To ease his embarrassment he began talking to her in Mando'a. He would describe every little thing he wanted to do to her. The words feeling just as foreign on his tongue as they were to her ears. He'd never spoken like that to anyone. Certainly not in Mando'a. Even thought she didn't fully understand, she enjoyed it all the same. Soon he began to enjoy it and slowly some Basic began to slip in.

Her reaction to his words always spurring him on. Starting at her feet he would trail his finger tips up her legs with a gentleness that betrayed his size. The feather light touch ignited her nerve endings, awakening her synapses. Until her senses were heightened. His lips would soon follow in their wake, skimming over her skin, occasionally leaving a feather light kiss. Eventually, he push her legs apart to nose at the underwear, revelling in her scent. His lips teasing her folds earned him a whine before he made his way further up her body. "Not now cyare. I want you to hear me." Nestling beside her his thick fingers dipped beneath her waistband. They ghosted over her sensitive flesh before becoming bolder and seeking out her clit.

"I want to make you come undone until the only thing tethering you to this world is my voice." His lips teased the shell of her ear as he spoke. His fingers traced light circles over her swelling flesh. She could only gasp his name in response. Withdrawing his hand he slipped into bed behind her. Rolling her on her front he mounted her. Pressing his growing need against her ass. "I've only even gotten this hard for you. No one makes me feel like you do." His words set a warmth in her chest. It was quickly accompanied by the warmth of his body laying on top of hers. The soft curve of his stomach molded against the arch of her back. His lips brushed the spot on the back on her neck that drove her crazy. A smile tugged at his lips at the way she shivered beneath him. "Mmmm so responsive for me. You get all worked up from the slightest touch."

Hiding her face in the soft pillow beneath her, she smiled. The first time she had touched him he had been a whimpering mess in minutes. Letting him have his moment, she moaned as his hands caressed her sides, working underneath her to reach her breasts. "So soft." He murmured. "I could never get enough of you." It hadn't gone unnoticed by her that Din's words were always sweeter when he couldn't see her face. Saccharine whispers in the dark. Loving words spoken into her hair as he took her gently from behind. It always felt like the sun before the burn. She yearned to hear his adoration but it hurt that it was never to her face. Pushing the thought away she concentrated on the ache between her legs instead. She couldn't take his sweet words right now and after three days without him she wanted to hear something else from him. Rising to her knees, she pushed him back enough to turn over. He groaned at the contact. "Don't tease cyare." he tone was low, warning. Lust edging it's way in. "Maker, I've missed you." Her heart fluttered inspite of the fact it was obvious what he missed as he adjusted his thick length in his flight suit. "I got so hard I had to touch myself to get some relief to focus on the job." Din spread her legs just in time to see the effect of his admission. "Always so wet and wanting for me."

They fell into their well practiced partnership. In and out of bed they moved well together. Always an ebb and flow between them. In battle they moved in and out of each other's spaces with a predatory gracefulness. In bed they gave and took pleasure from each other equally. She angled him to where she needed him, while clenching around him. He powered through the clutch of her, savoured it, as he hit where she wanted. As they came down, she lay her head on his heaving chest. Sleep tugged at her as he muttered into her hair. Dreams and reality bled as she listened to him say all the things her heart wished he would.

Their latest bounty came with perks. A high paying client who offered them a place to relax for a while as a bonus for a job well done. The room was stunning. Elegantly decorated in white and cream. The floor to ceiling windows allowed light to flood into the room. The golden hues of dawn illuminated Din as he panted above her. His hard Baskar, replaced with soft curls and soft eyes. He was breathtaking.

She had lost count of how many times he'd come that night. The passion and need that had burned so hot it threatened to consume them had burned down to embers. Sated for now but ready to be stoked up again at any moment.

His eyes where closed as he came down from his high. "Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum." he breathed into the crook of her neck.

Feeling her tense against him for a moment, he realised she had understood him. Panicked his head shot up, his eyes searched hers for a reaction. "Do you mean to say that?" She asked, her gaze steady on him.

"No! I mean, yes. I mean yes but not like this." he babbled looking down to where he was still inside of her.

"Well I did ask you to talk to me during sex." she smiled up at him.

"Cyar'ika." He warned.

"I love you too." she said it so readily it caught him off guard. His mouth gaped open until she kissed him.

"If you have anything else to tell me.." she spread her legs wide smirking at him "...am listening." Returning her smirk he lowered himself and began to explain everything he loved about her.

Tags @kirsteng42 @babydarkstar @prolix-yuy @thegreenkid @hquinzelle @fangirl-316 @gracie7209 @jedifarmerr @doommommy @scorpio-marionette @sturkillerbase @harriedandharassed

#pedro pascal character fanfiction #the mandalorian #din djarin smut #din djarin fluff #din djarin x f!reader

[spotsupstuff]

*gathers courage* oh boy, how do I say this? I really love the parallelism that you made with the world of the Ancients with ours. Humans want to enjoy living, of the present moment and what we have, even with our own faults. And if the circumstances allow it the humans will want to stay a little more even when our time has come. And then there we have the Ancients and their corrupted religion, that strives not for the enjoyment of life, but for the detachment of it and that perfectionism almost impossible to achieve that only a select few can do to just leave the world behind, a self imposed almost impossible nirvana.

I may be getting something wrong because I remember a post about how the original religion deriled from what was supposed to be and can't find it in the navigation post or I am just blind (even though I have glasses!!) And wanted to reread it to explain what I mean better.

I am just like, in my head play like this scenario of a human crash landing in your version of the rw world (a la subnautica or some other sci-fi shenanigan) and meeting you Ancients and being like "what the fuck is this place? Why rains here? What do you mean that they will wake up again?!?!?! What do you mean you have sentient computers?!?!?" And this humans just create chaos (the fact that the human will be basically child/gremlin size adds to the chaos factor). And just the concept for the Ancients that this creature from the sky doesn't have a respawn cycle not matter the stage of its life (can't remember if all creatures of your au have that gift from the god) will be just "you don't respawn? You only experience the pain of death once?!?! ".

There are some much angst scenarios that can come from this *cof*seeing an Ancient friend die an think it is permanent, seeing your humanfriend die without knowingthat it won't wake up again*cof*

Gotta love some old good culture shock.

This also has me pondering that the ancient just are like getting rid of most of what they consider animalistic traits and then there are humans that want those animalistic traits (not all humans, but you know how sometimes we wish we had certain things)

But the important question is, will a human be able to survive in your rw world in ancient times and post mass ascension? (Assuming the human has his own air supplie and gravity doesn't crush it)

I hope your hand is better!

Have a nice day!

sorry this took so long to answer! long question combined with me not being really fond of the idea of humans barging in like that into the RW world no matter in what quantity or with what intention made it harder to gather the will to answer (← not shaming your tastes, each to their own)

i'd like to quickly supply the knowledge on the matter and argue against the idea of Detachment from life, from the five sins, being a bad thing. certainly the kind of detachment that the Ancients are chasing is the wrong kind because of the extremism- really it is Complete Eradication of these things from the self that they are propagating, which is wrong. detachment in the sense of not being dependent, addicted to the sins' subjects i'd argue as a very good thing (yes, very much including the last one too). saying that is wrong kinda throws a nasty shade on the real life religion the Ancients' one is inspired by

i suppose the main concern in all of this would be the language barrier (along with the oxygen posioning stuff, but assuming that is taken care of), what with the Ancients communicating with strange wet noises produced mainly by their complex muscle structure of the throat/neck. suppose they'd have to sit down and figure out the writing system, if technological "now you understand me" fuckery doesn't take place

and then yeah the respawn stuff... Ancient dies and then the next day comes visit the bud with a coffee in their hand like "hey man, yesterday was a wild ride huh" n cue tears and wailing and what all else

during Ancient times i can imagine a human possibly managing to survive, because after all there is a society that offers at least Some safety and is strictly non-violent. the human would be kept within the high circles for the sake of information sharing, i'm sure

post-mass ascension it is really only a question of time until they die to something, that world is Not a cozy one and there isn't really any place to be truly safe. especially without the respawn mechanic in place and if they are to be solo. anything can barge in at any time, including the abandoned Iterator cities

and thank you! you have a nice one too

#spot says stuff #rw #this aggressively reminds me of that avatar film- i know the second one came out but that shit is just too long for me to watch so im- #-comparing only to the first one. take that comparison as you will ive mixed feelings on that film personally #actually shit man....... im connecting dots between those now #-stares into the sunset- fuuuuuuuuuck........ goddammit...