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glassrowboat · 2 months

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Our Adventure

Word count: 2400+

Authors note: Basically I've been toiling away in my head what would happen if a vision user was struggling to use their newfound gift and I wrote this :)

The wind had a habit of carrying many things along it's ever flowing breeze, from leaves to the sweetest of songs, from love confessions to the dandelion seeds that truly marked Mondstadt as a land full of endless wishes and freedom. Tonight, however, there was a cry, a wail that even a banshee herself would be incapable of making as it rang in the young bard's ears. This was how the archon had come to know so many secrets that lay in the land he called home, and this was how he ended up below a closed window with pebbles in his hand.

A small thud could be heard on the sill, bouncing off the wood as Venti tried his best to not get hit with the smooth stone hurtling back down to the ground. When no answer came from that still weeping woman another pebble was tossed.

What plagued her was already known by many, far too many if anything. Gossip spread fast in these stone walls. Drunkards would talk about how they came across a random patch of grass just outside the city's gates dried out beyond compression. The local carpenter would talk about how he had to chop down a tree that suddenly became too unstable to be allowed to stand any longer, only to find out behind the untouched bark the inside was lacking any moisture that was so characteristic of fresh wood. The most notable of all however was the knights who said they had to escort a young woman home, too weak to walk as she knelt down right inside a ring of brown blades too stiff to wave in the wind like the fields of green typically would.

(Y/n), a child of Mondstadt recently gifted with a hydro vision.

The very same person who was on the other side of that window was struck with knock after knock as she glared at it with pure contempt, nose still running even as she picked up a random shoe. A heel with its pointed end should do some decent damage, right? So she held it tightly in her grasp, that is until the window randomly opened as if Peter Pan himself was trying to sneak into her darkened room. No candle lit to truly brighten up the scene of a red shoe hitting a green figure square in the face.

“No, no, that's some vampire shit I ain't about. Go find some other woman to prey on I- I ate garlic bread for dinner ya know?” Even with your vision blurred by tears you quickly grabbed the other shoe, getting ready to throw this one too.

Vampires can't enter without permission, right?

Well nevermind to that idea as the green figure landed on the floor having successfully passed through what was supposed to be a barrier of protection. All the while he was beaming at you with a smile that would make anyone want to punch him, even with his hands up in the air.

“That's not allowed….”

“Hello to you too.” Ah, you recognize that voice. The little pest that would run around the cobblestone streets all the while humming a tune that would be running on replay in anyone's head for hours after. “Can you put the other shoe down? My face already hurts from the first one.”

“I think you deserved it, you oversized fly.” Letting go of the shoe you let it fall to the ground as you got back up from what was an admittedly cowering position on the floor.

“Come now, what happened to you calling me a grand poet the likes no one has seen in this modern age? Am I not the next-” and you ended up throwing the shoe at him in the end- “Hey!”

You just shrugged, hands raising in the air in what could only be described as a whatcha gonna do about it motion.

Venti looked down at the shoe for a moment as it fell to the ground before kicking it back over to you, giving you free ammunition. “You could throw that shoe at me again or you- I was joking about the shoe! Please, spare me.”

“Flies usually get swatted.”

“Okay….different approach then.” Sighing to himself Venti walked over to, hand ruffling with something in his pockets before pulling out a handkerchief. The white square of cloth held out to you as it swayed in the wind coming from that still open window. “A fair maiden such as yourself shouldn't be crying, so I offer you this: let the best bard in Teyvat whisk you away on an adventure for the ages. We can make our grand escape right away!”

That's a great way to have missing person posters plastered up right next to the ones of the travelers sibling, and how well have those worked so far? Therefore your answer was an obvious “fuck that.”

“Please, with a cherry on top? And sprinkles too.”

Grabbing the handkerchief, and half tempted to throw it right back at him, you brushed it against your eyes. The fabric is surprisingly soft for something a bard who can barely afford a drink would be carrying, yet the lack of an abrasive texture appreciated nonetheless. “Why are you even here?”

“Well,” with a giggle Venti held his hand up, like he was in a play about to recite a sonnet in the middle of a stage with hundreds of eyes on him and him alone. If it was any other situation it could be an amusing sight, but he's still trespassing. “Let's say the wind guided me to you.”

It was hard to pinpoint why it felt so off-putting the way he said that, wistful in a way, but you didn't really get the chance to think on it more as Venti opened his mouth again. “What bard can stand hearing a fair maiden cry and not try and cheer her up with a song or two? Certainly not this one.”

“The wind?”

“Yup. Or maybe even Barbatos himself.”

“Have you ever gone to a doctor to see if you're clinically insane? Or have you just been hanging around Barbara and her musings of the church doctrine too much?”

With that Venti leaned over, a hand held up right next to his mouth so he could whisper, “the results came out inconclusive.”

Wait. What?

“Now come on! We have to get going before the sun fully sets and we have no light to help us see.” After all, who would want to be running around tripping over the loose cobblestones in the streets? “Walking through the dark is only romantic on beaches and sneaking around back alley ways to meet your lover, you know.”

So, he is insane.

Yet here you are taking out the hand he was holding out to you, letting that bard whisk you away on this promised adventure as he drags you out the window. (Trying your best to pretend you didn't notice him grabbing the vision you had tossed on the bed as he did). So while you didn't trip over the loose stones, at least not this time, you did fumble over roots as Venti pulled you under windrise. Leaves occasionally fall down from the tall tree, flowing back and forth as the wind catches the thin object before it finally settles down amongst the grass you two were trampling over as he pulled you to sit down.

Your knees hitting the dirt right before the stream winding along the plains to the coast, water softly rushing past you both as the sound hits your ears almost like a melody. Though a certain drunkard would be aghast to hear you say you prefer this over the strumming of his lyre he'd be plucking at any other time, even if it was just as a joke. Though admittedly it was odd not to see the ducks wading around, having gotten so used to seeing them so often from past visits trying to steal your lunch when you weren't looking.

Pesky little things they were, just like this brat.

“So, what's with the field trip?”

“I can't just pull you along for a midnight trip to my favorite spot?” The answer was clearly an obvious no. Not without a reason of course. “I give, I give, just don't have to glare at me like that. I've heard around town that you had a little incident.”

Oh great, so the rumor mill was doing its thing. What a goody. Just the thought of that scene again, of the hydro vision being cradled between your hands as the grass beneath you withered away to the point a patch of dead, dried out flora has your nose wrinkling. Not wanting to go over the image that played in your head like a highlight reel. A movie dedicated to your own inability.

“Is this the part you impart on me some sage advice?”

“I can.” With the wave of his hand, or more like a flutter of the earth's breath itself as a breeze swayed past you both, catching his braids and making them dance, Venti summoned his lyre. A certain blue glow reflecting off the wood from the gem sitting between you both. “Or we can sit here while I play a tune. It's up to you, (y/n).”

“I'd pick the latter in an instant.”

“But?”

“But it won't get me anywhere.”

Somehow even just the gold encased vision (or maybe the casing was a part of the vision, you didn't really know much about how that all worked) had a certain aura about it that felt daunting. Just an item. Just something as useless as an accessory if it wasn't being used by its owner. It was like instinct to avoid it, just like when you were a child and you had to learn the hard way not to touch that pan that had just been pulled off the still burning hot stove. For the two instances to be so comparable was like a funny, passing thought, but to you it certainly wasn't.

How can one laugh at their own misery without doing so just to mask their pain?

“Venti, what was it like when you first got your vision?” It felt like a natural question to ask, but he didn't really give you much of a real response to that besides strumming that lyre. A tune playing between you that you had heard at the tavern a good handful of times before.

“Let's just say I have always been a natural.”

“So you're useless to me.”

“Sounds like it, doesn't it?” Reaching over Venti picked up a windwheel aster only a little bit away, close enough he didn't have to shift at all to simply pluck it from the ground. “Though I wouldn't call the company of a friend useless.”

You couldn't help but huff at his statement, annoyed by the fact he had a point. “Fine. Sorry.”

He nodded in turn, not bothering to say anything about your mood today. Not when you both knew why you suddenly turned into such a grouch. “I can still explain how it feels for me.”

“As long as you promise not to say something cheesy like I become the wind itself.” That would surely make anyone in your position a little peeved. A prodigy sitting before you who has the ability to so naturally have control of something that threatens to turn on you. The claws of a wild animal that one can never say for sure will come to you for help or to attack.

“I can try!” Holding the flower out, those same orange petals that had become second place in the walls of Mondstadt began to spin. Turning round and round as you were left to stare at the little demonstration. “Like freedom itself has graced me. I can feel wind under my fingertips just as easily as I do strings or this flower for an example.”

“(Y/n), you may not currently know exactly what melody you are trying to share with the world yet, and that's fine! We all have to start somewhere.” Giggles came out between his words, easing the tension you couldn't help but feel at being so blatantly called out. “But just like always, a tune will still play, or in this case the sound of rushing water will be the music you grace me with. Either way, I can't wait to see what you can come up with.”

“My, how sweet, I almost want to wretch.”

“Hey, I was being serious for once!”

That's why this entire interaction feels so wrong.

Still, you glanced back down at the blue gem, watching how it glows so the grass it lays on is tinted with its color. Would it do the same to your garments once you get brave enough to hang it from your clothes like you've seen Amber doing? It was still a burner after all, but even a burner will cool. It just takes time.

“I wasn't expecting to see this side of you today.”

“Like what you see, my lady? Next, all we have to do is throw you in the water and see what happens.”

“I swear to fucking god-” No, you are not down for being thrown around by his wind currents. Just having to ride down one as you left your apartment to get here was enough for one day.

“Easy! Easy! We won't go back to throwing shoes at me, right?” He asked, hands in the air. Already surrendering just in case. The flower hanging in the air between you both. His doing, obviously.

“You're infuriating sometimes.” With a huff you snatched the flower from the air, pulling it close so you could look at it properly. It still had life left in it, still had water coursing through that green stem.

Your eyes were so focused on the petals you didn't even notice the smile Venti was giving you, soft in nature as he watched you stare down at the gift with a pout. You didn't need to know that he was just happy to see you free from tears again, to no longer have you be locked up in your own room from fear of something new. As for Venti? He didn't need to know you couldn't help but think maybe Barbatos did send him to you.

No, not all.

So just like any silent night at windrise, or as silent as can be with you two mouthing off at each other, the leaves rustled as branches swayed back and forth, and a tune, for the wind had a habit of carrying the sweetest of songs.

#venti x reader #venti #genshin impact #genshin x reader #genshin impact x reader #hoyoverse #x reader #fem reader #barbatos x reader

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iliveforyouilongforyouvesuvia · 1 year

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M6 with MC who's passionate in culinary and cuisines, love to take their lover to food trips and cook for them a lot, even testing out their new recipes to M6

dont feel pressured to take this request, have a lovely day you lovely human being

(also i wanna share a little headcanon of mine; Lucio is big on cuisines, he probably grew up with eating limited variations of foods so when he became the count he was so excited to try out new kinds of food and developed a little passion for it)

The Arcana HCs: M6 with a foodie MC

~ as someone who grew up internationally and makes their own bread and cheese instead of buying it, this is a request that makes me grin. thanks for the smile, anon! - brainrot ~

Julian

We already know how comforting Mazelinka's homemade soup is for him (magic or otherwise)

We also know that he's terrible at remembering to eat regularly, or choose things that taste good

If he walks into the kitchen to see you, his greatest love, cooking a nutritious and delicious meal to share with him, he may propose on the spot. Or melt. Or both

That said, his palate isn't very well refined, so if you're looking for detailed culinary feedback you won't be getting much

However, he can be quite the poet. When it comes to praise, he'll be groaning out compliments between each delicious bite and raving about it until the next homemade meal

Delighted to go on food trips with you, he knows all kinds of questionable shortcuts

It will become apparent that he can't follow most of the conversation (palate cleanser? I don't even know her!) but he will try his best

Is very good at making friends with whoever you're interacting with. You get a lot of extra samples because of him

Randomly brings people home to eat your cooking because according to him it's so good it'll cure any and all problems

Asra

They're a pretty decent cook themselves, which is a lot of fun when you get to take turns introducing your favorite foods to each other

He's also the type to regularly try recreating dishes he's eaten on his travels without any reference or recipe

It never turns out right, but it always tastes good

They love trying new things and are your most eager taste-tester. No matter how intimidating the culinary process is, they are wholly fascinated and invested

Food trips are his favorite thing

They'll happily take you to all the places they've visited, dragging you to the hole-in-the-walls that only locals know about and avoiding the places that gave them food poisoning previously

When he's on a solo journey, he'll keep an eye out for any ingredients you've mentioned and bring them back for you

As well as any remotely food-related thing that tickled their fancy

Did you want a stone mill taking up space on your roof? Not necessarily, but you have one now, and he's really excited to try making flour (and then bread) with it at least once before you get rid of it

Nadia

Fully supportive of your culinary endeavors

She has a taste for fine things herself. If those fine things were made by her beloved MC? She's all for it

Tries not to show too much excitement when you express a love for exploring other cuisines, she misses Prakran food so badly and can never find it made right

Regularly takes you to eat dishes prepared by Vesuvia's finest chefs

When you mention a food trip she pounces on the opportunity to eat all of her favorite Prakran delicacies with you

She may or may not pay her favorite spiced swordfish cook to give you an afternoon of lessons on how it's made. Only after you've said you would like the opportunity, of course

She's not much of a cook herself (she's always had in-house chefs) but she has a very well developed palate. Her culinary feedback is immaculate

It's hard for her to make the kind of time necessary to go on regular food trips with you, but that doesn't stop her from ordering all sorts of treats

She'll wait until you're relaxing in the garden with her to pull out the most recent delivery so she can watch your eyes light up

Muriel

The opposite of a foodie

That is, until you get your hands on him

One of your first positive interactions is getting him to try Selasi's bread and savoring the flavor together

He still has to shake himself out of the "food is fuel that I can't expect consistent access to" mentality, but you being around really helps

Nothing makes the hut feel more like home than watching you painstakingly put a meal together, playing with ingredients and spices like they're fun and not something to be scarfed down

Happy to go on trips with you, not so happy about all the human interaction that comes with the food part

But he loves fueling your interest, so he will start researching all kinds of cuisines based around foraging

Cooking becomes so much fun like this - he'll show up with a pile of foraged ingredients that he can tell you all about

And then you can tell him about all the ways you'll turn them into a delicious meal

Discovering that he has food preferences is really fun, until he also discovers the foods he really doesn't like and you have to learn to cook without them

Portia

Oh, you two are unstoppable

She bakes. You cook. She cooks. You bake. And then you feast and feast and feast

She has her fair share of wanderlust, so food trips are going to be a mutual delight for you two. She makes the best itineraries

She's also got her fair share of dishes from Nevivon that she likes to make for and teach to you (though some recipes are passed-down secrets that you'll need to earn)

You generally alternate cooking duties, so each of you has a day to cook and a day to savor

She's also friends with the palace chefs, and can convince them to let you watch them cook and share some tips with you

Ambassador trips are so much fun. If you go with her, the two of you will sneak out between meetings to hit up the street food stalls

If you stay with the shop, she'll collect all the recipes for you and bring back so many ingredients and spices

You being already trained in magic makes it easy for you to pick up Mazelinka's wonderful soup recipe once she's finally ready to teach it to you. The first time you make it for Portia, she cries

Lucio

As earlier suggested, Lucio grew up eating only what his parents and later he could hunt. In the army, he only had whatever was provided

Like his love of luxurious and shiny things, he developed an interest in cuisine after being taken in by the old Count

It was also one of the main attractions of his crazy masquerades

There is a reason why the first thing he wanted after regaining a body was food. It brings him joy!

He was ready to go back to the simpler food of his younger years when he gave up being Count to start a new life with you. It had even become something he associated with his old vices

So when he sees the stuff you manage to create over a campfire, he falls in love with you all over again

Regularly plans new jobs around culinary hotspots so you can wander and sample new food together

Prioritizes lodging that gives you a comfortable cooking space

He's not a chef, but he's a decent swordsman. He's cautious around anything that isn't grilling but he'll happily chop ingredients for you

#ask arcana brainrot #the arcana #the arcana headcanons #the arcana hc #asra the arcana #julian the arcana #nadia the arcana #muriel the arcana #portia the arcana #lucio the arcana #the arcana game #the arcana fluff #asra alnazar #julian devorak #nadia satrinava #muriel of the kokhuri #portia devorak #lucio morgasson

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manderleyfire · 5 months

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'panem lost a poet panem lost a standup comedian' lmaoooooooo what are your favorite Coriolanus’ unhinged quotes from tbosas?? I cackled so much during that rather dark book, I feel embarrassed, lol

He had to think of just the right way to break the news. But what would that be? 'I love you deeply, but I love officers’ school more?' That wasn’t going to go over well.

Did you tell your best friend his crush was a cannibal? Never a rule book when you needed one.

AH, TRUST AGAIN. ThE aIr WaS fUlL oF iT.

Coriolanus winced slightly. TWO biking mishaps in the same twelve-hour period seemed more than coincidental.

This entrance was for the poor people, Coriolanus thought. Or perhaps not poor. The word PLEBEIAN came to mind. (those history classes did nothing for him)

PASSING OUT SANDWICHES WAS ONE THING, THROWING THE CHAIR QUITE ANOTHER (sorry, i'm in tears, xDDD)

Snow lands on top and ALL THAT. He knew he should be elated at this turn of events and jumping up and down inside while p r e s e n t i n g a modest, pleased front. But what he really felt was jEaLoUs.

THE HERO OF HER LIFE!!!!!!!!!!

The i m p o s s i b i l i t y of being a Snowflake in this postwar world.

And here he was in his uniform, clutching a rose like some lovestruck schoolboy, hoping she would — what? Like him? Trust him? Not kill him on sight?

Good-bye, Lucy Gray, we hardly knew you (biiiiiiitch 🔪)

So now that loudmouth Arachne was a defender of a righteous and just land. Yes, she laid down her life taunting her tribute with a sandwich, thought Coriolanus. Maybe her gravestone could read, “Casualty of cheap laughs.”

BETTER OFF SAD THAN DEAD

Coriolanus did not want to spend the next twenty years listening to them *mockingjays* serenade the local executions.

What was he doing but dressing her up to be a pretty corpse? Perhaps she could strangle someone with the scarf, or stab them with the pin?

HIS OWN FANS HAD A LITTLE MORE CLASS (rich boy™)

The LAST TIME Sejanus had lost his appetite, he’d lost his sanity as well.

Who were all these PeOpLe hanging around on a weekday at the zoo? Didn’t they have jobs? Shouldn’t the children be in chool? No wonder the country was such a mess.

What an ugly place, he thought dully as the train chugged its way through District 9. It didn’t look fit for human habitation.

Coriolanus gave the camera a thumbs-up when they cut for his reaction. He could not believe THIS was his life.

How much bread had they wasted with this nonsense? Oh, no, he starved to death! Somebody get the bread!

CORIOLANUS SNOW, MORE LONER THAN LOVER (whatta slogan for his presidential campaign)

How awful, Coriolanus thought. To have YOU be the first person in the world a baby sees *about dr. gaul*

Why would evil incarnate help his girlfriend?

In rhetoric class, she’d once attributed his inability to decipher the deeper meaning of a poem to the fact that he was too self-absorbed. The irony, coming from Livia, of all people! But actions spoke louder than words. Coriolanus to the rescue, Livia to the nearest exit.

“Of course I liked it, but I’m more open-minded than most" (hahahaha)

Then came confusion. If she had saved his life, he owed her, what? A sandwich and two cookies? That was how he was repaying her. For his life. Which apparently he held quite cheaply.

Oh, a ghost story. Ugh. Boo. So ridiculous.

Ma? Was Coriolanus’s place about to be uSuRpEd by someone who referred to his mother as “Ma”? The cabbage and posca threatened to make a reappearance.

CANNIBALS OVER CUTTHROATS!

several people took the pained look on Coriolanus’s face as sorrow at Arachne’s death, when ironically he felt like killing her all over again.

“That was some good-bye.” Coriolanus just shrugged. “What can I say? I’m irresistible.”

Poor Sejanus. Poor sensitive, foolish, dead Sejanus. (GUNSHOT 💀💀💀)

#he's insane he's unstoppable he's blue blooded charles bukowski #some of these quotes aren't even that funny but coryo's constant bitchin mood is priceless #also ngl as a reader i savour how sharp witted his inner voice is #sharp voice of unhinged mind lol #vittacorle #ask #coriolanus snow #the hunger games

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your-sweet-cookie · 1 year

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How to date Niragi guide for dummies - 15 easy steps to tame your local neighborhood sexy sniper masochist! (meme post)

(A/N: Please note that this post is meant only for satire and ironic parody comedic purposes, so take it as is. No hate intended towards anyone. <3)

[insert catchy commercial jingle here 🔊]

Are you perhaps one of those very sad, depressed and unlucky Niragi stans who, for some odd reason, can't seem to make this man bathe an eye at you or even spit in your direction, no matter how hard you try? If yes, then you've come to the right place that can help solve all your life's problems!

Hello and welcome to the one and only "How to Date Niragi" guide for idiots dummies, your number #1 starter pack essential for those who want to catch their own Niragi, but are still unsure about how to do it! Our researchers say that if you follow this guide, your chances at getting laid and secure a (somewhat) healthy relationship with the sexy beast of the Borderlands, the one and only Niragi Suguru, will increase by 75%, since the method has proven very effective with a 100% success rate in 3 out of 4 cases!

So now that we've got that out of the way, before we get to the "bread and butter" of our 'scientific' paper, let's start with what you'll need to have in your resources pack, in order for you to make sure that your success rate will grow to 100%:

unresolved childhood traumas (preferably a very traumatic experience with bullying) - Nothing says 'true love' better than two people who'd been through the same amount of shit and can understand each other better than anyone, so the more you'll have in common with Niragi, the higher your chances at making him yours! since you'll know what the f*ck not to ever bring up in your conversations and have the best knowledge for showing him the moral support he so desperately needs, but refuses to admit he wants! So yeah, the more unresolved traumas you have, the better, especially if they revolve around bullying and parental neglect! Also, if these traumas left you slightly unhinged, props to you!👍

a very morbid and unhealthy curiosity - Being curious to scoop about everything and anything about your obsession crush will come in handy when pursuing Niragi, because the more things you'll know or want to know about him, the more Niragi will know how important his person is in your life, which will flatter his narcissistic and possessive ego.

lack of self-awareness and a low as f*ck self-esteem- Niragi looooves his girls all vulnerable and obedient, so the more you are willing to accept and take from him in your relationship, the better! He's a very controlling man, so you also should be prepared to give up on your independence and prsonal life! And don't forget that romancing Niragi also implies pledging complete devotion and loyalty to Niragi and Niragi only to the point you'd give up your life for him!

God tier level flattery skills - As mentioned before, Niragi is a very egocentric and narcissistic man, so if you want to get his attention, you better start working on those complimenting skills, sistah! If you already are a writer or poet, then you are on the right path! Shower this man in compliments, treat him as a God, impress him with the way you word yourself! It also helps if you have your way with words when it comes to manipulating persuading your Niragi into loving you.

a good intelligence - Niragi is a very smart man, just as much as he's handsome, so it's gonna come in handy if you are a clever little cookie too! Show him that he can find a good ally in you, someone he can trust and lean on as a partner too, not only to use you as his personal sex toy. It might seem a bit contradictory to the point about having a lack of self-awareness, since smart people would normally stay away from a clearly toxic and abusive relationship like the one you are about to enter, but being a helpless case of lovestruck idiot doesn't mean you can't also be a book smart one!

obsessive and manic tendencies - While Niragi is a possessive and controlling man himself, he'll find it attractive if you are the very jealous and possessive type yourself. He likes his 'kittens clawed', if you know what I mean. Don't ever dare accuse him of jealousy/cheating, but if he'll see you going on killing sprees to take down the b*tches threatening to steal your man, it'll get him hard.

good cooking skills - A man's heart goes always through his stomach, so bonus points if you know how to cook.

good manipulation skills - We'll talk about these later, but trust me, the more deceiving you are, the better!

You done taking notes on what you have and what you're still to acquire in order to complete your perfect resources pack? Perfect! Let's move on now to what you came here for in the first place: the important things to remember and follow if you want the taming process to go as planned!

1. DON'T seem too impatient! - One of the biggest turn offs for a Niragi is when he's being approached by a d*ck starved groupie that makes it obvious she/he/they want(s) him to f*ck her/his/their brains out! So be subtle, approach your Niragi the same way a cat stalks its prey: observe from afar, make your way slowly towards your target and then... Strike! Try making it seem as if you approaching him was a mere coincidence, a simple curiosity of the moment due to the fact that his interesting and alluring presence and vibe of mystery caught your eye. You are the mastermind in this game of 'cat and mouse', so keep your gosh darn composure and lay your pieces carefully!

If you already have deep feelings for him, don't let it show, try to make it seem as if this is the first time you've ever met him and you've just felt like striking a conversation with a random stranger to ease your night out. You can also point out the fact that you've heard various rumors about him, to spike his curiosity, and then note that you don't really believe them and would like to find out for yourself if they're true. This will also give you the daring air of a challenge in Niragi's eyes since he's used to people fearing him, so a little innocent 'lamb' like yourself being unafraid of the 'big bad wolf' will sure seem amusing and worth exploring. And always, but always, have that gentle sweet air of innocence! Let him think he has the upper hand in this game and that he is the one manipulating you forward.

Tips of ways in which to start a conversation with your Niragi: if you are a newcomer to the Beach, ask him to be the one to introduce you to the place, bring up the fact that you've heard how important of a member of The Beach he is and that you admire his imposing and confident demeanor and that's why you want HIM specifically to be your guide; another method would be inviting him for a drink to start up a conversation, since incentives work most of the time; partner up with him for the night's game and show him how valuable you are in order to spike his interest in you so maybe he'll come seek you afterwards OR play the dumb little kitten route and rely on him to feed his ego that he's the best and strongest out there; lastly, if you approach him in the real world, try again to be subtle, go for a mundane subject, that might interest him even if just a little, ask him if a rumor about him is true to make him want to talk to you to clear it up and find out where it started from (this kind of leaves a mark in his memory to help him remember who the f*ck you are the next time you come seek him) or apply again the first strategy of inviting him out for something (but you might need to have done some previous small talk on random crap that kept him somewhat interested to make him want to continue conversing with you, in a more enjoyable way).

2. Talk about yourself as much as you ask him to share about himself - Since now you secured Niragi's attention enough so that he's willing to exchange a word or two with you, it's time to slowly show interest in him and that he's captivating enough to you to actually want to know him, but don't make it look as if you're literally interrogating him, share stuff about yourself too in relation to the conversation topic. This will help form a feeling of mutual trust between you two and won't make him question your true motives for coming to him. As always keep it subtle, make him want to continue talking to you, show a little bit of vulnerability (but not too much either), and if you feel bold/confident enough, you can also throw in a lil bit of flirting too (but again, DON'T throw yourself at him).

3. Build up that sexual tension baby! - Niragi LOVES a good sexual tension moment! Plus, we want him to be future boyfriend material, so it's important that you don't let him have his way with you from the very first 'date'. Make some flirty comments here and there after a while, because we all know Niragi is the type who's gonna show interest in 'that' too. Make him start to want you, crave you, but show him that you won't be that easy of a prey. One of the reasons he has a r*pe kink after all is because he loves when his victim prey tries to oppose him, showing resistance to some capacity, making the hunt more interesting and more worth engaging. So apply a similar principle here too (we don't want you to get in the position of an assault tho! so take it slow and easy), spike his interest by showing him that you might want to bed him, but at the same time play hard to get, be that 'forbidden fruit' he's going to crave getting a taste of, keep him in suspense and build up the sexual tension little by little with each and every interaction. Stir him up just enough so that he'll continue wanting to hunt you down, but not to the point in which he'll want to cut the chase short and get what he wants then and there!

4. DON'T EVER mention therapy - We've already established that Niragi is a prideful man, so he won't ever admit he needs to see a therapist, so take your mind off of even trying to attempt to 'fix' him. Repeat after me babes: PEOPLE ARE NOT YOUR PERSONAL DIY PROJECTS TO FIX! You choose someone to puruse romantically because you love them the way they are and for who they are, not because you are a dumb b*tch who believes all these crappy webtoon tropes.

So throw to the bin that bs cliche trope of 'I CaN FiX hIm!". You knew what you were signing up for the moment you decided to pursue this chase. If you truly love and want this man for yourself and yourself only for the rest of your life, you have to accept the fact that you ain't gonna change him and chances he's going to willingly want to change on his own are extremly low to 0 (this ain't fu*king Mr. Darcy babe) and especially NOT for you (unless maybe, just maybe, he actually falls down bad for you, in which case the most you'll get will be him trying to be just a little less violent and a tad bit more romantic towards you, but don't expect much). Niragi will appreciate if he'll see that you accept his decisions and who he wants to be, so show that you are there for him and support him no matter what the heck might happen (you are after all his loyal devotee, remember?). So yeah, one thing you should never tell Niragi (besides the obvious "NO" and "STOP") is to go to therapy. And DON'T even f*cking try therapying him yourself if you value your life! Triggering his past traumas ain't never a good idea.

5. The 'Friendzone' strategy - Ah, this is a personal favorite of mine to be honest, cause it goes well hand in hand with 2 and 3 and will help you secure that good starting point from 1. Thing is that most often than not, a Niragi might grow tired and even bored of the swarm of people wanting to romance him. So give him something different, be the 'exception' from the rule, that 'special' one that doesn't want to f*ck him (as stated at 1, be subtle and don't seem d*ck starved), be that odd one out who spikes his interest by simply wanting to be... FRIENDS!

We all love the enemies to lovers trope, but in real life, the one that works best for romancing someone is the friends to lovers approach, and so will it work in our quest too. Love is built on things two people have in common, things they share with each other, the nice things the two partners build together and the quality time they spend together. So, by becoming his friend first, you assure 3 of these stuff: you build memories with him through the crap you two do together, you share stuff and hopefully spend quality time together. Add to that the things he has (or thinks he has) in common with you, and BAM, he'll slowly start falling for you.

6. Devote yourself to him heart, body and soul - After a while, if things go smoothly between you two and he starts to show signs of possession over you and sexual/romantic interest (tho let's be real, in 99% of cases he's only going to show sexual interest in someone cause 'who the f*ck is love? We don't know her in this household!'), you can go on and finally confess your feelings to Niragi and maybe even start upping up your flirting game by showing him that you want him physically too. Start showering him with your undying love and adoration, make him feel full of himself seeing how helpless you are for him, what a lost cause you are in terms of being blinded with love, how much you freaking adore him and that you'd do ANYTHING for him (yeah, in 1 case out of 4 he might ask you to kill someone for him... But we don't really talk about that...). After having played very hard to get in the beginning, now you can finally loosen up and switch gears, becoming a needy mess for him, so that you'll manipulate convince him into to think that he has absolute control over you. In some cases, if you played your cards right, your love confession might yield you the very satisfying reward of Niragi confessing to you too in return.

Show him that you are loyal and devoted to him and that'll make him to also show a similar level of loyalty and devotion to you, as your trustworthy lover and partner in crime.

7. Be the Yang to his Yin, that innocent little sweet lamb that the bad wolf will devour - As mentioned in previous points, it's important to use that deceiving sweet innocent persona that emanates purity and innocence, this will stir him up a bit inside to want to have you, to corrupt you. Niragi is a man who loves to own things, so the more he can own of you, the better! Plus, being all innocent and vulnerable might trigger that primal instinct in him of wanting to protect you, especially now that he owns you.

If you already are a genuinely sweet person and even better, still a virgin too, you don't have to do anything special here, just be yourself and enjoy the effects you have on Niragi whenever you give him one of those adorable sweet looks or say something (especially his name) in that cute voice of yours... Trust me, it's worth it playing sweet and innocent for this one! Sure, a slutty dirty approach my work too, but remember, our strategy has proven effective in 3/4 cases! And doing the "little lamb" approach while also adding in the next point on the list... Oh boy, you'll see what we mean! ;)

7.5 Rile him up with some sexy dirty talk or 'naughty' behavior - Going really well together with our previous point is this one: adding some spice to the 'cat and mouse' chase by doing little lewd things and saying sexy stuff that go in contrast with your innocent vibe. This will make Niragi want you even more and is fun to see him salivating for you and you alone. This is more like a bonus 'tip' for your own enjoyment, as it's pretty much the same idea of building up the sexual tension as stated at 3, but it's still worth taking into consideration to amp up the fun.

Oh, and here's a bonus bonus tip: ask him about his wet dreams about you and also tell him about yours. You'll like the results. 😉 (It's better to do this after you've gone past the first stages of your relationship for max results).

8. Show your love and affection to him by cooking stuff for him or by doing small sweet things for him - Good, by now let's say you two are in that almost perfect scenario in which you confessed, he owns you, the sexual tension is thick enough to be cut with a knife and he seems fixated on you. It's time to assert your role as his significant other and partner by showing him how much you love him through caring actions such as making him something good to eat, giving him a massage, crafting something for him, you know, stuff like that. So far, cooking seems to hold a special place in our case, since it moves the Niragi, care being something new to him as so far no one had ever shown him that kind of affection. Plus, eating together is an act of platonic intimacy that strengthens a couple's bond. Also, pet names! If you feel confident enough, start sprinkling in that additional bit of 'umph' by starting to call him various cutesy pet names, or pet names that assert ownerships and devotion such as "my beloved", "my dear", "dearest", "my love". Again, make him feel loved and adored by you and show him how helplessly in love you are with him!

9. Allow him to see your most vulnerable states and build the trust - This helps with triggering his primal desire to keep you safe, as well as forming a stronger bond of trust between you two. Due to his past traumas, a Niragi will be reluctant to trust others, so if you allow him to see you in your must vulnerable of states, that implies a very high level of trust you've invested him with (we recommend you do this only in a latter stage of your relationship, since it might be risky to invest him with too much trust from the very start). Tell him that you feel safe with him, allow him to see your tears (unless he'll get angry because of that), if you don't do well with alcohol, allow him to see you drunk and to take care of your hangover, etc.

10. Be into his kinks - Well, this is self explanatory: he won't want you that much if you don't really allow him to do much in terms of fun. Sure, playing into he CNC kink will entertain him, but only doing that forever will make him get bored. Show him your kinky side, tell him in little detail about the things you want to do to him so that he'll get riled up just by imagining what your fantasies imply. Just be over all fun, experimental and involved. Again, you signed up for this willingly knowing fully well what he's into, so once started, there's no going back. If you'll keep turning down all of his kinks, that surely won't land you a stable ship. Also, bonus points if you have a breeding kink too, cause he's definitely into that and it'll turn him on even more if you tell him you want his babies.

11. Be possessive, but not very possessive - Being possessive sometimes can seem sexy to Niragi, so it's not that bad of an idea to mark your territory once in a while (he might even find it hot and fun if you leave marks on him and express out loud to others that he's yours alone). Tho, be careful, don't go overboard because remember, control is HIS thing and we want to keep him thinking that he's the one pulling the strings in your relationship.

12. Be invested in your relationship - There's nothing more turn offish for a Niragi than to see how little to no involvement you show in your relationship with him. So once committed to him, then girl, you have to be committed! Don't ignore him too long, but also don't annoy him; come up with fun new things for you two to do together; keep showering him with love and reminding him of how much you love him, etc. And don't use him for sex only!

12.5. Niragi is NOT your personal walking-talking sex toy! - Yes, man is hot. Yes, we all want to f*ck him. Yes, the sexy times are the best part of a Niragi ship, but don't make this the only subject matter of your interactions (unless you are going for the horndog Niragi species, then that might work, but you'll have to be gosh darn creative to keep things always fresh and fun even when going for the same activity again and again). It's also somewhat degrading for Niragi to feel used as an object by you. Sure, he might want to use you as his toy, but he loathes when someone else does that to him. So make him feel important and loved as a human too, not only for his d*ck.

13. Die for him - This might be extreme, but if you are going for a tragic kind of story, sacrificing yourself for Niragi is the ultimate symbol of your love and devotion to him. If you did everything well so far and got Niragi to love you to some extent, such an extreme measure will secure for sure your position as his biggest, truest and only love, since he won't ever replace you and will probably end up living his life mourning you in his own weird ways or seeking to get revenge for your death from those responsible of it.

Well, there you have it! The complete guide for dating Niragi! We wish you all the best and good luck in your quest of taming a Niragi and pursuing your very own ship with him! 👍

(Disclaimers!) Please note that we do not take responsibility or can be held accountable in case any of these steps goes wrong and results in the injury of your own well being, since you voluntarily accepted to pursue a Niragi at your own risk, knowing very well about each and every implication.

Have fun and remember: First step to be able to do any of this is to TRY TO ACTUALLY TALK TO a Niragi! :D

#niragi suguru #suguru niragi #aib niragi #aib #alice in borderland #alice in borderland roleplay #aib rp #imawa no kuni no arisu #aib memes #aib roleplay #niragi x reader #niragi x you

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curiousacademic · 9 months

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Things to learn more of! <3

•Morse code (the app I use is called morsemania, it helps a lot I think)

•the trail of tears (this is never taught in history classes, although it should be)

• WASP (women air force service pilots) during the second world war, very interesting

•herbology/ how to use plants as medicine. Some of these wonderful plants may be growing in your yard!

•the history of an instrument, especially if you play one

•the history of medicine/why we do what we do in certain medical situations

• famous quotes/quotes in general

•How foods are made (bread, candy, chips,) or just things in general

•decrypting and encrypting text

•the life of your favorite author(s)/poet(s)

•writing

•the history of photography/pictures

•idioms we use and why

•munchhausen syndrome/ munchhausen syndrome by proxy (wendigoon made an amazing video on this)

•the history of ASL! Or really, your local sign language. It's really cool. Or just the history of a language in general

#dark academia #academia #learning #things to do #learn #research ideas #research #emotional intelligence #poetry #photography

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saintsenara · 19 days

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11, 13, 18 for the not from the usa asks 😊

thank you very much for the ask from the i’m not from the states ask game, anon!

11. who is your favourite native writer/poet?

i've given one answer to this here - and i still refuse to say seamus heaney - so i'm going to go with... the novelist anna burns.

13. does your country (or family) have any specific superstitions or traditions that might seem strange to outsiders?

as a nation, we love/"love" parades and bonfires. maybe you're thinking that doesn't sound strange... but it is the way we do it. the same is true of street art.

as a nation, we very much don't love small talk. this caused a lot of trouble for me when i lived in england, because people will ask you benign questions [where are you from? do you follow any sports? how do you pronounce the letter h?] because they're being nice... but over here any and all small talk is someone trying to work out what religion you are... [my apologies in particular to the wee girl who was trying to drum up interest in the christian union on my first day of university, asked me if i went to church, and was greeted with me immediately going full "who wants to know?"]

in terms of superstitions... we've got plenty. fairies are real, going out with wet hair will kill you, the child of prague stops rain, having itchy palms is a good thing, the devil lives in bread...

my favourite local one, though, is that a short drive from where i live there's the grave of a vampire king. because, the rest of the world is wrong to assume that dracula was from transylvania. he was actually an irishman.

18. do you speak with a dialect of your native language?

yes. in english i have a distinctive and beautiful accent which has only sometimes been described as "incomprehensible" and "nasal" [less so since i spent a decade living in britain and lost my rhotic r, which is a tragedy].

in irish, also yes. the irish language has three major dialects, which each have their own various subdivisions - so i speak the ulster dialect with a vaguely western-ulster flavour. you can get some idea of how that might sound from the youtube channel gaeilge i mo chroí - especially this interview she does with a native ulster speaker.

but it is worth saying that speaking any degree of irish is still relatively uncommon here. my dad made us learn the language fluently for... political reasons, but i was one of the only people who could speak it beyond a couple of phrases by the time i started secondary school [where it was on the curriculum]. so when i was younger i definitely spoke in a way which was slightly archaic/literary - and which was also influenced by the idiosyncrasies of my own family - which it took a bit of time to break the habits of...

contemporary irish-language media etc. in northern ireland is mostly found in belfast, so i also have a bit of a belfast twang in irish.

basically, it's a mess.

#asks answered #northern ireland posting

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badolmen · 4 months

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I send my mother links - books articles interviews essays - from churches politicians journalists civilians (the drawings of children) and still she asks ‘what of Hamas?’ what of them? you married an irishman during the troubles. you head the local hibernian order. you sing to come out ye black and tans on paddys day. a terrorist and a rebel both deal in violence we can’t understand here. but the line between them is razor thin, defined by perspective alone. and still she says ‘there is evil on both sides’ there is! and there is good! there is so much good and yet your brother in law only calls one side incestuous barbarians. there is good and yet only one side’s children are called terrorist recruits. the other side’s children are required to be soldiers by law, because if they are poets and historians and scholars first they will see the good too clearly. ‘we can’t understand’ she says, white bread generation x american daughter of a would-be nun and airforce veteran. ‘it’s just so complicated.’

There is little complicated about ten thousand dead children.

she and my father will be in DC later this month, at the March for Life, speaking for those that cannot speak for themselves, and upholding the dignity of every human life. I will be there a week earlier, marching for those that have no voice in this country’s meddling, and upholding the dignity of every human life. I’ve never done something like this before and I am anxious. she tells me to be in constant contact with her if I do go. she will not help me determine the train schedules and bus prices.

and still, I send her another link - I show her another documentary - I read her another testimony and hope ‘this one. she will understand. she will see them. she will hear them. she will know the same grieving fire that burns my heart. that consumes the hearts and minds of the palestinian people in ways I will never fully know.’

I send her another link and I pray for her, and ten thousand dead children.

#ra speaks #personal #poetry #kinda?? idk. I feel like two steps forward one step back with her lately.#which is progress all the same but still. it’s breaking my heart.#current events #(yes the dead men and women agrieve me as well but for the sake of the poem and what would resonate w my mother I refer to children soley)#(may all the martyrs from the infants to the insurgents know peace and may the living see to it that there is justice for them)

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env0writes · 1 year

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Freshwater Fires; Stillwater Reflections 11.21.22 “Lovers all full hearty Love is all fool hardy Lovers all full hearted Weave the world to not be parted“

A baker’s bread tastes more divine When made for their darling dear The tender rolls made serpentine Prepared as though for Guineveire Halls are filled with somber songs The choir led by bardic longing muse When parted to join the throngs The melodies heard amuse The farmer’s stead a drafty warm Passed by with idle thought Patched with thatch for winter’s storm For milkmaid’s wife by lovestruck sot Why now with pomp and praise Do deeds betray such magnificence What gifts to cause amaze Gone are thoughts that guide all sense A flower may bloom by any such name But a poet’s heart is carried by birds To whom they find love, have no shame No gift may satisfy like their lover’s words Honeysuckle darling dearest mine For a poet’s word is a delicate petal Strung from a pen silver-tongued to enshrine Enduring beyond conquerors war-wearied mettle Pluck a page like a turning autumn leaf Burnt from the days and in need of the sun Where all lover’s look when in need of relief To their craft made for you, whom without is undone The writer’s lines wind like root-rife forest paths With purple prose and bawdy eloquence Action seen in voice and ink on epigraphs and epitaphs Weary warm begrudgingly, but always bereft of common sense Blindly reaching for the stars above Who else but fools, could pursue this love

@env0writes C.Buck Ko-Fi & Venmo: @Zenv0 Support Your Local Artist! Photo by @mynamemeanscloud

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goodreadsbetterfriendspod · 2 years

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Good Reads, Better Friends Episode 23 - The Sun Rises Under the Pillar of Your Tongue

Episode 23 was one of our favorites- to celebrate National Poetry Month, we invited some of our favorite local poets to read their work for our show! Our title for this episode is a quote from The Colossus and Other Poems by Sylvia Plath.

Ayesha reads Revenge Body and What Brings Me In Today by Rachel Wiley, Breaking Bread and Raised Glasses by Quiet Storm, and some of her own original work.

Morgan reads Temple by Ashley Haze and some of her own original work.

If you want to see videos of Morgan and Ayesha performing their poetry, catch the Dayton Poetry Slam’s YouTube Page here. This playlist features the evening that your lovely hosts got to host the Poetry Open Mic this summer.

Link reads his original poems February and The Denny’s Poem. Link does not have a personal instagram, but he runs the Dayton Poetry Slam insta, and that almost as good.

Zach performs his original poem, Heaven. You can follow Zach on instagram, and you can purchase an album of his spoken work poetry on Bandcamp

Polly reads her original poem, Fat. Follow Polly on instagram

Quiet Storm reads her original poem, Acceptance. Follow Quiet Storm on instagram and facebook.

Johnathon reads his original poem, String Music. He can be followed on instagram

Evan reads his original poems, I am the Very Model of a Tired Ass Millennia and Everything. Evan is one half of the Kind Well Done youtube show. He can also be found on Twitch

Ada reads her original poem, Who’s a Good Boy? Check out Ada on instagram!

Dr Seufert reads his original poem, Bronx Nocturne.

You can follow Good Reads, Better Friends on:

Instagram @goodreads_betterfriends

Twitter @gr_bfpod

Gmail: [email protected]

Ayesha is @eye_esh_ugh on all social media platforms

Morgan is @certified_morganic on Instagram

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amari765 · 1 year

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Business Name Generator- Your Source to Successful Business Names

Business name generators know the first thing prospects are going to learn about your business is your company name. Fortunately, professionals in the business know much more than that! The name of a business will have everything to do with how people perceive what you do and will affect decisions on whether or not they do business with your company. Making sure the name reflects the needs of your customers is what business name generators do. What do they need to know to help you choose the best name possible?

Business Name Generator Psychology

Like marketers and advertisers, business name generators have to know what makes people tick and what motivates them to engage in certain behavior. If you can predict how an average person will react to a name, you will be able to tell whether a business name has the potential to draw interest. Organizational psychology helps publish studies of what people respond to and how they react to business proposals. This knowledge is critical to understanding why people respond to your business name the way that they do free business name generator .

Business Name Generator Community Knowledge

Every community has a psychology or lifestyle all its own. From socio-economic expectations to local words, and phrases a good researcher knows how communities act and react to certain stimuli. You would not put a pub with a Jamaican name in the middle of an Irish neighborhood, and you would not design a name for a business that was in French, and put it in a lower economic area. Understanding communities helps business name generators match the name with its surroundings.

Business Name Generators Knowledge of State Laws

Every state has rules about the names of businesses. There are certain regulations about what kind of words can and cannot be used. They also have laws about what a business can be called that has a sole proprietor and specialized forms to be filed to register a trade name and make sure the business is following zoning issues. A good business name generator will guide the owner to the Small Business Association or guide them through a corporate image planning to see they obey all the laws as necessary.

Business Name Generator Business Procedures

If a business name generator is creating a name that will function as a trade name for your business, your professional will help make sure you trademark or service mark your name so no one else can use the name or run you out of business with similar logos, slogans or designs. It is hard to believe but very common for a business with a good name doing good business to have a competitor try to steal the name and the clientele. Your professional will advise you to make your name your property as soon as possible to keep your business unique and profitable.

Business Name Generator Knowledge of Current Trends

Consumer trend analysis the business name generator's bread and butter as they learn an understanding of how modern groups think and react to names. Sometimes old standards need to be let go so emerging thought can prevail. By studying what names are popular and why they are drawing such a crowd to their establishments, name designers can get a good feel for the best way to start a business for your target clientele. Obviously, a business targeting aging baby boomers is going to need a different name that one targeting young professionals. Keeping up with societal trends is vitally important.

Business Name Generator Word Symbol Usage

Every culture has words that carry with them another meaning. For example we think of owls as "smart" and we think of New York City as modern. By utilizing the assigned meanings for animals, places, foods and other words in our vocabulary a business name generator can make sure to add as much meaning as possible into your business name in a few short words. Word symbols are the way poets say so much in so few lines and an excellent to give your customer's an entire sales pitch just by hearing your company name.

When you tell somebody to come by your business, the first thing you are going to tell thin is its name. Make sure that you or the professional you work with knows enough about people and marketing to make a wise choice that will not only make you proud, but bring you business for years to come.

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magdatara · 2 years

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BeSimply...Rainbow Summer Foods {Mind You + Food} from OmToro Media on Vimeo.

Mind You + Food with Suzanne Toro  Summer Seasonal Focus: Rainbow Rolls Savory + Sweet. Bread. Toast. Tapenades. Eating the Rainbow. Listening to you. Zero Waste Meal Time.

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“Dare to love yourself as if you were a rainbow with gold at both ends.” ― Author-Poet Aberjhani

For the additional recipes mentioned in this show e-mail [email protected] in Subject: Summer Rainbow Food

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Music: 'BeAware' Cadre Scott cadrescott.com Alive Dante Marino dantemarino.com  Suzanne Toro   SuzanneToro  linktr.ee/omshetoro

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marvel-and-mischief · 2 years

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A Very Merry Christmas

This is my Secret Santa fic for the lovely @hopeamarsu ! Merry Christmas and I hope you enjoy!

Pairing: Pero Tovar x F!Reader Summary: there's a mix up with the last available room, but you and Pero can learn to share, can't you? Warnings: only one bed trope! Food, meat, alcohol consumption, grumpy Pero but he cheers up when he gets drunk, fluffy at the end because it's Christmas Words: 2000

Fic Masterlist

Pero was used to traveling by foot. He quickly became accustomed to the squelch of mud that had poured through the holes in his old boots and the wisp of icy wind that whipped at the uncovered skin at his shoulder. The hunch of his back and the aches in his legs were familiar as he trudged through yet another unwelcoming village that wouldn’t take him in for the night. His last hope of a good nights rest was a town that he was pointed in the direction of, which he could see as he crested over the hill. The sun had set long ago but the town emanated its own light. A bright star amongst the blackened landscape, Pero was almost excited to see what was on offer. Lights meant people, which usually meant revelry which sometimes afforded to generosity.

Pero wasn’t one for celebrating tradition but he couldn’t help the small quirk of his lip at the sight of dancing and singing in the town square. Young women were being spun around to the rhythm of drums, flute players were skipping around one another whilst poets made up lyrics on the spot. However, Pero was more interested in the feast on display along the courtyard walls; platters of juicy fruits from around the world, vegetables cooked in a variety of ways, sauces thickened with chunks of bread, a whole boars head was the centerpiece on one side of the courtyard, a swan roasted in its feathers the centrepiece on the other side. There were barrels of wine and mead scattered everywhere, some thrown on the raging fire in the middle once they were empty.

Any other time of year Pero would have turned back the way he came from, the whole scene looking like something straight out of a Bible verse warning about what to expect at the gates of hell. Instead, Pero allowed himself to relax and enjoy the merriment. This would be a good place to spend the night. He just had to find somewhere to stay.

Usually, at times like these, the inns would be full but on asking a few of the more sober locals, Pero found that the Lord had opened up his manor to travelers this holiday season and Pero was hoping to be one of the lucky few to take him up on the offer.

On arrival the door was already open, welcoming everyone in to indulge in the Lord and Lady’s generosity. The fireplace was decorated with a wreath of mistletoe and sprigs of holly. The room was warm despite the lack of people and Pero wondered if he had arrived at the wrong manor.

“Have you come to rest, young man?” An elderly gentleman clad in a shroud of blue cloth descended the staircase towards Pero. On realizing he was being spoken to, Pero lowered his head in respect and cleared his throat.

“I am, Sir. I was told you may have rooms available. I can pay,” Pero shook the pouch of coins at his hip but the Lord waved off the offer.

“It is Christmas, there will be no such payment necessary,” the Lord smiled kindly and pointed to the stairs as he stepped off them, “we have one room left on the third floor at the end of the corridor. It’s at the back of the house, so no fire but there are plenty of blankets.”

Pero couldn’t believe his luck. He smiled gratefully and before he could remember his place he took the Lord’s hand and shook it, hoping to express in that one action how thankful he was to have a warm bed to sleep in this night.

You had traveled for the holidays this year, with nothing but your bag on your back you had eventually found yourself in a small town along the river you’d been following for the past two days. You had always had a lust for adventure, your parents had tried to steer you away from a life on the road but hadn’t been successful. You believed there was so much more to life than being forced to settle down and be someone’s wife until you died. So, going against everyone’s expectations, you saved up enough coin to leave the village you’d grown up in to pave your own way in life.

You found a room to stay in for a couple of nights, given by the kind Lady of the manor who plied you with handfuls of blankets and made you promise to let her know if she could do anything else for you. You shivered as you unloaded the blankets onto the bed in the corner, immediately taking out your journal from your bag. You would need to write home and let your mother know you were safe. But before you could do that a strange man was barging into your room, muttering under his breath about a ‘warm bed’ and ‘feasting for days’.

“Excuse me,” you announced your presence, jumping from the bed where he nearly collided with you. He jumped back in surprise, face twisting into wide-eyed confusion and then anger as he regarded you suspiciously.

“Who are you?” he demanded rather than asked, looking you up and down as if he could determine exactly who you were by the clothes you were wearing.

“Who are you?” you shot back, increasingly alarmed that he wasn’t leaving you in peace. He looked back towards the door he came through before grunting his disapproval at you.

“This is the room at the end of the corridor?” He phrased it as a question but there was no mistake, this was the only room at the back of the third floor, it was the one the Lady had directed you to.

“Yes. I was given this room by the Lady of the manor,” you kept your emotions in check, despite wanting to shrink under the man’s gaze. He had a fiery look in his eyes, no longer directed at you but at the predicament he had found himself in.

“The Lord told me it was free,” he muttered, hands flexing and un-flexing at his side. It reminded you of the nervous gesture your mother would make when she was working out a problem, except this problem had only one solution: it was your room first, and you weren’t going to give it up so easily.

“Well, I was here first, so…” you shrugged, breathing slowly through your nose as he shot you a thunderous glare.

“Clearly, idiota,” he pulled his bag higher up his shoulder and spun on his heels, leaving the room with nothing but a slam of the door behind him. You huffed out a breath of relief before collapsing on the bed. Hopefully, there would be no more surprises this night.

You couldn’t get him out of your mind. He was brisk and rude but you couldn’t help feeling bad for the man that simply wanted a room to rest his head for the night. It had you pacing across the bedroom, hands sore from where you’d absentmindedly scratched them in thought. You eventually paused in front of the large square window that overlooked the narrow path alongside the house where stragglers from the festivities in town were leaning heavily against tree trunks, uneasy on their feet after a day of drinking. That was when a particularly scruffy man caught your eye, sat atop an upturned bucket, a flagon of wine never far from his lips and a permanent scowl on his face.

You pried open the window with a small creak and offered a “psst” as though trying to catch the attention of an easily startled cat. He took another large swig from his drink but didn’t look up.

“Hey, you,” you whisper-shouted, suddenly aware that you didn’t know his name and trying not to catch the attention of anyone else. You side-eyed the drunks but they were unaware of your presence. It was on your fifth attempt that your stranger looked up at you with a murderous glare.

“You don’t give up, do you?”

You held back a gasp and swallowed your nerves. You were trying to be nice and you weren’t going to let him break your reserve.

“I’m sorry I took your room,” you began, and you think you saw his frown straighten but it was difficult to tell in the lack of sunlight.

“I am unbothered. I have spent many a night under the stars,” he grumbled. He stood, making to walk away before your urgent cry stopped him in his tracks.

“No, don’t leave. I feel bad and if you are willing, you can come up and sleep on the floor,” you closed your eyes as you spoke, not daring to see his reaction to your invitation. You heard nothing for a while, no answer but no footsteps running away either. You dared to peak through one eye to see him staring with a look of amusement. At least he isn’t angry, you thought.

“You are strange and possibly stupid…”

You raised an eyebrow, feeling your heart thudding faster in hope. “But you accept?”

He grunted something about inviting strangers into your room but you couldn’t quite hear, too busy watching on in confused shock as he took a run up to the house.

“What are you doing?” you leaned half your body through the window to see him pulling himself up by the vines that grew along the wall. As soon as he got within reaching distance you grabbed his hand and pulled him into the room, the two of you landing hard on the wooden floor.

You took a moment to catch your breaths. When you realized what he had done you poked him harshly in the ribs where he lay next to you.

“There are stairs you could have climbed,” you scolded.

“If anybody finds me in here with you there will be trouble,” he breathed, opening the flagon he’d secured to his hip and taking a messy swig. In that moment you realized what you’d done. Allowing an unruly, bad-mannered stranger into the room you were staying in. And you didn’t even know his name. You offered yours in the hopes he would tell you his.

“Pero,” he replied, offering you a drink which you accepted without hesitating. You would need it if you were going to get through this night.

It wasn’t long before the wine left you both loose-lipped and relaxed. You’d moved to the bed, sat cross legged and close to each other as you exchanged stories of your travels, of the troubles you had gotten yourselves in, of the close calls with authority that had you muffling your giggles into the blankets wrapped around you.

Pero surprisingly warmed up to you when he was full of drink. There was less scowling and muttering insults, and more of a twinkle in his eye. He offered stories that had you disbelieving, told tales of long lost friends, of family he wished to see again. You weren’t sure if any of it were true, or if he was simply finding solace in a harmless stranger. Whatever the case may be, you were entertained and felt the happiest you had been in your travels so far.

Before long you were growing tired, head becoming heavy from a long day on foot and an even longer evening drinking with Pero. He could see your eyes beginning to close and moved to leave you to the comfort of the bed. But the distance didn’t feel right and you refused to let go of the hold you had on his arm.

“Stay,” you demanded, voice slow and groggy. Pero wondered if you knew what you were saying, or if he interpreted your comment correctly, but he was too tired and lonely to deny you your request. He shifted on the bed until he was lying down and pulled you half on top of him, your head resting in the crook of his neck, his arm secured around your waist to keep you at his side.

The sun was peaking over the hill, welcoming in a new day when you both fell asleep to the distant sounds of festive revelry, and Pero’s last thought was that he hoped you wouldn’t be gone when he woke up.

#ohnopoess21 #Secret Santa #pedro pascal #pero tovar #pero tovar x reader #the great wall #pero #tovar #pero x reader #tovar x reader

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dionysus-and-the-bacchantes · 4 years

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tips for classics majors

from a second-year classics major. i’ve acquired these tips from my seven years of being a latin student and one year of ancient greek.

this post can be helpful for classics majors or people interested in self-teaching the classics. my concentration within my major is language and literature, so my tips will revolve around latin and greek. but if you’re studying any other ancient or modern language, my tips may still apply to you :)

~ make word associations. this is a BIG one. there are many nuances to this tip, so to start, i’ll explain why associations are useful, and then i’ll give several examples with different variations to cover the nuances.

since many english words, prefixes, and suffixes are derived from both latin and greek, take the time to figure out one or two english words that come from each new word you learn - these can either be normal everyday english words or pop culture references. (also, latin is semi-derived from greek, so you can make associations between the two languages as well). if you learn any kind of word association, it will make remembering the word so much easier.

examples:

pop culture: pane, which means bread in latin, is related to The Hunger Game’s city of Panem (panem is the accusative singular of pane). food insecurity is a big theme in The Hunger Games, therefore Panem is an appropriate name for the city that the series takes place in.

latin/greek to english: in latin, vicina is an adjective meaning “close, neighboring,” and its english derivative is “vicinity.” in greek, παιδευω means “i teach” and its english derivative is “pedagogy” - aka “a method/practice of teaching.” κριτης means “judge” and its english derivatives are “critic, criticize” and “critical.”

greek to latin to greek: sometimes it’s tricky to find out which word came from which language first, but usually it’s greek to latin. example: dea (“goddess” in latin) comes from θεα in greek.

think of those word associations as you learn your ancient language vocab. it will make recalling a word’s meaning so much easier.

anD DON’T FORGET TO LEARN THE GENDER AND THE GENITIVE SINGULAR OF EACH NOUN YOU LEARN BECAUSE IT HELPS WHEN DECLINING THE NOUN AND MATCHING IT UP WITH ADJECTIVES LATER ON OH MY GOD thiS IS SO IMPORTANT

~ make a concentrated effort to remember lots of different sentence constructions. there are so many i literally don’t remember them all and i’ve been doing this for years. the major categories i can think of off the top of my head are subordinate clauses, conditionals, and indirect discourse, and, more generally, learn the difference between the primary and secondary verb tenses.

~ every so often, brush up on as much grammar and vocab as you can. i’m saying this because i’ve procrastinated reviewing greek all summer and i barely remember anything beyond the basics :/ pls don’t tell my professor.

~ learn authors’ common themes and literary/rhetorical devices. for example: in the elegies of propertius, a roman poet, he used emptiness and unfulfilled wishes as motifs. learning words associated with emptiness and learning how to recognize the introduction of a wish made translating faster. i’ll confess though that i never really brushed up on the use of the optative subjunctive (the device used in wish statements), so i couldn’t recognize how exactly to translate certain sentence constructions. if i did review, it would have made translating in class a breeze. but hey, it was my first semester in college and i had no idea what i was doing at that level. please learn from my mistake!

~ learn the political, cultural, and historical context of each piece of literature you read. it will make the experience richer. if you know the context of a fiction piece, whether its poetry or prose, you will understand so much more about it. for example: the aeneid, vergil’s masterpiece (and arguably one of the best works in latin literature), is an ode to augustus. augustus commissioned vergil to write the aeneid and to make comparisons between himself and the protagonist aeneas. he wanted people to see him like they saw aeneas - kind, pious, loyal, determined, and in charge. knowing that bit of information makes many parts of the aeneid clearer. you can apply this tip to any piece of literature, no matter the language.

this is also important in terms of non-fiction writing. i took a class on roman letter writers and i would’ve been completely lost if my professor didn’t share anything historical with us. these letter writers typically vaguely referenced local gossip because messengers often read letters that were meant only for the recipient’s eyes. my professor filled in a lot of what was missing from the letters themselves.

~ have fun with it. learning languages is supposed to be fun!! of course languages enrich your mind and bring you into close contact with other cultures and ways of life, but it is supposed to be fun too. example: propertius once wrote a whole poem about knocking on his lover Cynthia’s closed door while she sat inside... and the door was a metaphor for her vagina.... which means propertius was h0rny on main!! and he published that in a poem!!1! for people all over rome to read!!!!

in terms of plays, my friend read one in latin by plautus about a prostitute who subverts the traditional roles associated with customer-prostitute relationships. he absolutely loved it bc the main character was a bad b!tch... and bc it was a comedic play.

there are lots of metaphors and jokes written within latin and greek literature, so don’t be afraid to laugh :) it makes learning that much more enjoyable

~ when reading a work of literature, ask yourself what this reveals about the author’s culture. (suicide tw: mentions of su*cide as a plot point in tragedy) this tip is kinda related to the cultural context one, but different in that it looks for culture within literature, rather than looking at literature as a product of culture. and like the previous tip, you can apply this to any piece of literature no matter the language it is in. it’s important to think deeply a piece of literature as well as enjoy it for what it is. example: i’ve read most of sophocles’ plays and i can tell you that the greeks were very comfortable with suicide as a plot point. while murder is also common, suicide is much more common no matter the tragedy. the fact that this theme occurs throughout so many plays tells me that greeks viewed suicide as a tragic occurrence that affects people deeply, but also as a common way to die. it raises questions: what percentage of deaths were attributed to suicide in ancient greece? was it viewed as honorable or shameful? etc.

and going back to vergil yet again (he’s my homeboy fr), when writing about dido and her people building the city of carthage, he specifically mentions that they are building the theaters first before almost any other building - and these few lines implicitly state that the arts were very important to carthage’s culture as a whole.

~ to sum it up: as a classics major, if you are intentional about learning the languages and truly engaged with the literature, the process will be that much more fun and you will gain that much more out of it. (<- and that sentence has a future-more-vivid construction by the way hehe)

#dark academia #classics #college #tips #study tips #language tips #latin #Greek #college advice #language advice #latin tips #greek tips #literature

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cowperviolet · 3 years

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A GUIDE TO MEDIEVAL TOURNAMENTS

Do you have a dynastic wedding to celebrate? A diplomatic visit to spice up? An axe to grind with a neighbour whose pageantry is eclipsing yours? Organize a tournament. It’s always the answer. A tournament of the greatest knights of the realm cannot go wrong.

Of course, it’s also a great and complex undertaking; but, thankfully, this step-by-step handbook should guide you through the process with only minimal pain and no injury

Obtain permission.

In England in France at least, organizing tourneys had become mostly a royal and ducal prerogative after 1340 – if you are not lucky enough to belong to one of those miniscule categories of the population, you would have to seek a special license. Obtaining it shouldn’t be a problem… unless, of course, there is a war on. In that case, you’d better check the latest royal proclamations – it’s more than possible that one of them contains a temporary ban on all tournaments while men of fighting age might have to risk their lives and limbs against an actual enemy. If this is true, it would be prudent of you to postpone your plans for a few months (or years, depending on how the war is going) – you wouldn’t want to content yourself with the kind of furtive affair that was the Le Hem tournament of 1278. It was hastily staged in direct violation of Louis IX ’s prohibition of tournaments because of the ongoing war, and as a result had to even dispense with the mêlée on the third day.

(If you think the prohibition overbearing and unfair, plenty of people would agree with you – and not just the kind of people who can afford swords and horses. The poet Sarrasin criticized the king in his Le Roman du Hem for bankrupting the heralds, armourers, saddlers and provisioners of France with his tournament ban).

2. Consider the time and place.

Most tourneys run from Monday to Sunday, with Friday being the rest day. You would need a spacious marketplace to divide into lists, too.

A lot depends on what kind of tournament you want to host. A general mêlée whose absence so disappointed the spectators in Le Hem would need more space than a contained joust; on the other hand, mêlée combat has been steadily losing its popularity as of late in favour of one-on-one jousts.

Of course, some people grumble that the old days when horsemen smashing into enemy in massed formations were the fixture of any tournament where the days when men were still men. But we are modern, fifteenth-century people, and we understand the importance of ensuring safety both for the participants and the spectators – hence the barriers down the centre of each list to prevent the knights from actually colliding with each other, and fenced enclosures to keep the audience strictly away from the danger. Which brings us to…

3. Decide on the rules.

The traditional rules of joust are the following: the knights are divided into two teams, those ‘within’ and those ‘without’ – or, in other words, the ‘defenders’ and the ‘attackers’. The space is, in turn, divided into three lists, each separated from the other by high barriers. The courses – the charges by two opposing knights – are going to be run down each, towards the spectacular splintering of lances. Each day, a prize, usually in the form of a small jewel or a golden chain, should be given to the best-performing knight and squire from each team.

You can, however, add or tweak a few details in order to make the sport safer for the participants – or more exhilarating for the audience. For example, you could take a page out of Maximillian I’s book and provide the knights with special spring-loaded shields that would flow apart if struck in the right place. You could also follow King Edward of England’s example and model your tournament after the béhourd he sponsored in Windsor in 1278: he specified, among other things, that the participants would have to wear cuir bouilli – a type of leather boiled until it was almost as hard as metal – and use wooden shields and whalebone swords.

If you scoff at the lightweight kind of tourneys popular these days, and especially if you care little for pageantry, then a different kind of joust might be more up your alley. The so-called passage of arms, or pas d’armes, is an undertaking to defend a certain place (usually a bridge or a gate) from all comers. It was inspired by various episodes from Arthurian romances, such as the Romance of Yvain by Chrétien de Troyes. In fiction, the knights undertook the defend a bridge, a gate, or a ford in single combat, and, if they were defeated, the winner took their place. Naturally, a real passage of arms plays out somewhat differently – for one thing, the defense only lasts a specified period of time (rarely longer than two weeks), and one defeat in a particular joust does not mean surrender. The most famous example of any knights attempting this kind of endeavor is probably the pas d’armes that Suero de Quinones organized at the Orbigo Bridge in northern Spain for two weeks until the St. James’ Day of 1434. They claimed a plan of breaking 300 lances in total – if they failed, the organizers promised, they would remain there for a further fortnight. They fulfilled that promise, and ended up withdrawing only on the 9th of August – but even with that extra time, they’ve only managed to break 178 lances in total. It’s no mean result, of course – plenty of minor conventional tourneys end in mighty disappointment for the spectators with not a single lance ending up broken at all.

It must be said that, although a passage of arms is a grandiose undertaking, jousting proper usually only takes a couple of hours a day there – in other words, the spectators are likely to be disappointed anyway. Your fellow knights, however, are going to be delighted by the concept – if, of course, they are true connoisseurs of tourneys just like you.

4. Think of the logistics.

The matter might begin with the rules of fighting itself, but it doesn’t end there. If you are in a position to organize a tournament out of your own purse in the first place, you must be the master of the lands where it’s going to be held, so make sure your subjects don’t suffer as a result of the soaring prices that usually accompany such events, not to mention the influx of professional warriors. Fix the prices firmly for the duration of the tournament, especially the prices on bread, fish, and meat; stipulate that no spectators or unarmed persons are to mix with the participants; make sure each gate of the city is manned by about twelve armed men, and station at least five hundred guards around the setting of the tournament itself.

5. Send out invitations.

Sending letters of invite seems to be the most logical course – however, it is also the most excruciating one, given the number of noblemen of fighting age who would be eligible for participation. In your situation, it would be better to contact the organizer of the tourney closest to yours and ask him to have your upcoming event announced there.

You would also do well to contact the tournament societies in your region – if you live in Germany, it’s going to be particularly easy: the whole concept, after all, originated in Bavaria. Tournament societies are essentially permanent tournament teams from different regions. Instead of laboriously summoning individual knights, one could simply issue a challenge from one society to another. Moreover, some societies’ rules even specify that the members have to meet annually at a tournament -it might as well be yours!

6. Think of the theme.

Of course, you don’t have to have a theme – you might want your tournament to simply be a bit of rough, honest fun it used to be in William Marshall’s days. We don’t live in William Marshall’s days anymore, though, and I suspect you wouldn’t want to be outdone by your neighbours.

The most go-to theme are Arthurian legends. It’s the kind of oldie-but-goldie you cannot go wrong with. The fashion was arguably started by Edward I of England, who set out a round table and acted out a number of Arthurian romances with the other noblemen at the feast after the tournament in honour of his daughter’s wedding. That was a far cry from the spectacular Arthurian festival arranged across the Channel by the lords Longueval and Bazentin in Picardy: they had the tournament presided over by ‘Queen Guinevere’, and stipulated that all the attendant knights had to bring a damsel with them. Another member of the theatricals was named as Chevalier au Lyon, who supposedly ‘rescued’ the ladies in ‘Guinevere’s retinue, and even had a real lion with him.

If this is all a bit too out there for you (or, the other way around, too pedestrian – everyone does the Round Table these days!), you could organize the pageantry of the tournament around your heroic ancestor or your sigil – possibly both. For example, the joust that Adolf of Cleves staged in Lille had been inspired by the story of the Cleves’ progenitor, a knight who was miraculously led along the Rhine by a swan and ended up marrying the local princess. During the joust, the ‘Knight of the Swan’ was to take on all challengers.

The procession, to quote the words of a contemporary, included

‘…drummers; and after them a pursuivant of arms dressed in a coat of arms full of swans; after him came a large swan, marvellously and skilfully made, with a crown of gold around its neck, from which hung a shield of the full arms of Cleves; and from this crown hung a golden chain on which, from one end, there hung the shield of the knight; and this swan was flanked by two very well made centaurs who had bows and arrows in their hands, and made as though to shoot at anyone who tried to approach the swan’.

7. Plan the banquet.

Nothing can sour the impression of a great tourney as a meagre banquet afterwards. The need for a generous display of food is self-explanatory – roebucks, suckling pigs, silvered eels, gilded bread, almond soup, kid goats, and the like – however, this is sadly not enough. You also have to think about the entremets.

What are the entremets? To put it simply, everything that is a part of the banquet, but is not edible. I’m not simply talking about straightforward entertainments like music, theatre pieces, or juggling. Entremets can also be elaborate installations for your guests to admire, such as a mini-carrack, exquisitely executed up to the last rope and laden with goods, or a mechanical forest full of strange, if thankfully unmoving, beasts. Even vessels sometimes count – you could have the sweets be contained in little chariots decorated with gold and azure. If you prefer to walk on the wild side, take a page out of Taillevent’s book (quite literally – it’s called Viandier) and construct a fake lion equipped to spout flame: ‘make it with a brass-lined mouth and a thin brass tongue, and with paper teeth glued in the mouth; and put camphor and a little cotton in the mouth and, when it is about to be served before the lords, set fire to this’.

Just don’t do what they did for the Feast of the Pheasant when they’ve made a statue of a naked woman in a large hat who spouted sweetened wine from her breasts for the duration of the dinner. Please.

Sources:

Normore, Christina. A Feast for the Eyes.

Andrew Brown and Graeme Small, Court and Civic Society in the Burgundian Low Countries c. 1420–1530.

Kelcey Wilson-Lee, Daughters of Chivalry: The Forgotten Children of Edward I.

#medieval history #medieval #Middle Ages #history #history geek #writing reference #writing resources #writing ref

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