#native language really Swedish? I don’t believe you’

[vydumaj]

no it really is funny that in my hometown, where people know who my grandparents are and maybe even me from going to school with their relatives or one of my summer jobs or whatever, they expect me to be Just Like Them (aka super Swedish) but when I meet new people who don’t know the Swedish side of my family I can see their brains trying to figure out my ethnicity and how Swedish I am. My legal first name (the name I’m called by. I also a Thai name that’s also my legal first name) is actually super Swedish and somewhat popular, but apparently people don’t always know it, and I can tell their brains are going (“is she Indian? Chinese? Latina? Is Swedish her native language or not? How long has she lived here? Or does she have a Swedish parent? Is she adopted? From where??”) it’s so strange in a way . I kind of wish people could just… not wonder about my ethnicity at all… why I look Asian (but difficult to specify from where) is a second-conversation and not introductory conversation topic

#my name doesn’t sound Chinese tho. but two guys in my elementary school nicknamed me ‘the Chinese’ and almost only called me by that 🙄 #young me didn’t realize how racist that was bc I was like ‘oh yeah my grandma is Chinese I guess that’s what they’re seeing’ no they were #just racist #idk…these thoughts are unfinished …..not expressed well #but I do get the duality of people going ‘why don’t you eat pork???? omg??? wdym you’ve never been to gran canaria ???’ and ‘what? is your #native language really Swedish? I don’t believe you’ #(Chinese as in Sino-Thai) #also yeah i did for real meet a person who genuinely didn’t want to believe my native language was Swedish #I’m not sure how she mentally made that work for herself but

[misshoneyimhome]

Yes to sinning in the penalty box! 🙏🏻🌶️

Alright, so this one was a bit tricky, I must admit, as I didn't know how I wanted the exact order - However, in the end, I believe it came together quite nicely 😉

This particular piece was naturally accompanied by a couple of other fantastic requests: [The Penalty Box] [This sweet ass] and [Don’t you like when I do this?] and I genuinely hope I was able to bring your visions to life 🌺⚡️

And, no, I didn't anticipate it being quite this lengthy… but, you know, sometimes I just give up on myself 🙈

Nevertheless, I hope you find enjoyment in it! 🤍

Warnings; smut 18+; oral sex (f receiving), mention of oral sex (m receiving), mutual masturbation (twice), use of magic Wand, use of anal plug, is it cumshot when it's on yourself? penetrative sex (p in v) in semi-public spacing;

Word count; 8K

"Min vackra prinsessa..." = my beautiful princess

[Inexperienced!reader x Willy]

・✶ ｡ﾟ

All good boys go to heaven - But bad boys bring heaven to you pt XI I William Nylander 🖋️⚡️💦

The most challenging aspect of being in a relationship with an NHL player was undoubtedly the lengthy road trips. While you appreciated the occasional peace and the less chaotic routines of attending games and spending time with your boyfriend, William Nylander, whenever possible, being apart for seven days felt like an eternity.

Yet at times, you couldn't help but feel a bit silly for feeling this way, especially when you heard about your colleagues’ partners being away for two weeks at a time every now and then. However, your situation felt distinct to you.

Not only was William away on the road for a week, but even when he was home in Toronto, his schedule was anything but typical, unlike many of your colleagues' partners who had a straightforward 9-5, Monday to Friday routine. Instead, William had early morning skating sessions, workouts squeezed in between ice time and meals, physiotherapy sessions to maintain his peak physical condition, and then the essential recovery time like ice baths or simply resting at home.

To put it bluntly, being the girlfriend of a professional hockey player was far from straightforward.

You constantly had to adjust to his schedule, carving out time between your own work commitments and meeting him to spend time with your friends. And when things didn't align, it felt like your worlds collided. Not that you ever made a fuss about it, because you knew you would always find a way to make it work. Nevertheless, every now and then, you needed to have an honest conversation about the reality of the situation.

And fortunately, you had a supportive group of girlfriends to share your feelings with: The WAG’s of the Toronto Maple Leafs. 

The Swedish ladies had become some of your closest friends, as William spent a significant amount of time with his Swedish teammates. Which you didn't mind at all; it was enjoyable to see him bonding with his fellow countrymen. And despite the language barrier, they were all very welcoming and made an effort to include you in their conversations.

You even attempted to learn some Swedish to grasp what they were saying in their native language, but you weren't quite confident enough to reveal it yet. Only a select few of the girls who had been assisting you were aware, but you kept it from William, at least for the time being.

For now, you helped him pack his suitcase early on Monday morning before he departed for a week.

"Oh, pack the lilac suit, that's one of my favourites!" you suggested with a smile as the two of you rummaged through the wardrobe. "And the turquoise one, it really suits you."

"I thought all my suits looked good on me," William chuckled, laying out the suits on the bed that you had selected for him to bring along.

"Babe, they absolutely do," you smiled, gently caressing his back as you leaned against his warm body. "But I don’t need to tell you that, otherwise your already sky-high confidence would skyrocket even further," you playfully teased.

Helping William pack was always enjoyable for you. Not only because you knew all the tricks, but also because you loved seeing him in your favourite outfits. And as you stood together in your shared bedroom, admiring the choices he'd agreed to, you couldn't help but notice how effortlessly stylish he’d look in each one. His confidence and charm only enhanced his appeal, and you found yourself falling for him all over again with each passing moment.

"You know," William said, breaking the comfortable silence between you, "I don't know what I would do without you. You make everything so much easier, even when I'm on the road."

You smiled, feeling a surge of warmth in your chest at his words. "And I don't know what I would do without you," you replied softly, reaching up to tenderly cup his cheek.

William leaned into your touch, his eyes reflecting the depth of his affection for you. "I love you," he whispered, his voice filled with sincerity.

"I love you too," you whispered back, feeling your heart swell with emotion.

And almost in perfect sync, you both leaned in slowly, closing the gap between you.

As your lips met in a tender kiss, a rush of warmth flooded through you, enveloping you in a cocoon of love and passion. Time seemed to stand still as you melted into each other, savouring the sweetness of the moment.

Gently, William let his tongue press against your lips, and you eagerly welcomed him in, allowing his tongue to intertwine with yours. The kiss gradually grew more intense, your fingers almost digging into the back of his neck as you pulled him closer.

Likewise, his hands gripped your hips, holding you firmly as his mouth explored yours, conveying the depth of his emotions with fervent passion.

Then breaking the kiss, you both gasped for air. You knew William had to leave soon, but you couldn't bear to let him go, not just yet. You wanted to feel his body against you, to create a lasting memory to cherish until his return.

"Willy," you breathed out softly, signalling your desire for him, and he seemed to understand.

"Me too, baby," he murmured, pressing his body against yours, unwilling to part just yet.

And in a swift movement, he grasped you by the bottom, lifting you effortlessly and laying you down on the bed. Hovering over you, he let his lips find yours once again, and soon you were entangled in a passionate embrace, sharing every ounce of desire before the inevitable separation.

Your fingers instinctively threaded through his blonde locks, holding onto him as if unwilling to let him go. While your hips moved against his, craving his touch, his presence. But William had other intentions.

Seeking to ensure that his actions would leave an indelible mark, reminding you that there was no one else but him, William broke his lips away from yours and trailed them slowly down your jawline, settling on your neck.

His mouth possessed a magical quality, an enchantment that easily captivated you. And you willingly surrendered to it each time.

As his lips sucked and nipped at your sensitive skin, leaving marks in their wake, his large hands slid beneath your shirt, seeking the warmth of your bare skin. Lifting your shirt just above your breasts, he exposed your chest and hardened nipples, his mouth latching onto one and sucking lightly before shifting his attention to the other.

You couldn't suppress a soft moan as you parted your lips, sinking deeper into his spell. Releasing his hair, you reached for the pillow behind your head, closing your eyes gently and spreading your legs a little wider as William slowly trailed his mouth southward.

With a delicate touch, he slipped a couple of fingers beneath the hem of your shorts, gradually pulling them down along with your underwear, leaving you completely exposed to him. Then he knelt back, taking a moment to admire the sight before him.

"Min vackra prinsessa..." William softly breathed out, before leaning in to indulge in his first feast of the day. Gently, he peppered kisses along your inner thighs, occasionally biting down to leave colourful marks. Then, pulling away from your surrendered form, he firmly grasped your thighs and took you by surprise, flipping you over.

"Willy!" you gasped, opening your eyes as he positioned you on all fours, your buttocks fully on display for him.

"Don't worry, baby, you'll get what you want," he grinned seductively from behind you, leaving you intrigued, since he’d never eaten you out like this before.

Once again, you gripped the pillow tightly as you positioned yourself on your knees and elbows, patiently awaiting William's next move, while his palms tenderly caressed your cheeks as you rested your head against the pillow.

"Fuck, I'll never get over this sweet ass," he muttered to himself, grabbing hold of your cheeks, and spreading them slightly wider before allowing a trail of saliva to drip between them. A small shiver ran through your body as the liquid passed over your most intimate area, your anticipation causing your cunt to drip, your body pulsating with the need for further stimulation.

Fortunately, you didn't have to wait much longer. "Oh yes," you moaned as William's mouth made contact with your heat, his skilled tongue eagerly licking up your folds.

With a firm grip on your behind, he held you in place as you squirmed under his touch, whimpering with pleasure at every movement. "Fuck, Willy... it feels so good," you breathed out as he delved deeper, his mouth exploring your heat with expert precision, relishing the taste of your core as he teased your entrance with his tongue.

It was captivating. You closed your eyes once more as the sensation of orgasm slowly began to build within you, your mind spinning with each lick, suck, and talented action that William unleashed upon you. You felt his nose buried deep between your cheeks, his beard brushing against your sensitive skin as he hummed against your core.

William loved the taste of your pussy; it was his favourite meal at any given moment. And the moans he elicited from you were like sweet melodies to him, knowing that he was the one responsible for bringing you such intense pleasure.

And as your legs began to tremble under his touch, he sensed you were nearing climax.

Giving you a moment to catch your breath, he pulled back slightly, a string of your juices connecting his lips to your cunt. "Yeah? Do you like it when I eat your pussy?" he asked, his voice laced with desire.

"Mmm..." you nodded into the pillow, opening your eyes slightly to catch a glimpse of him behind you. "Willy, I need more," you moaned softly, your voice barely audibles above a whisper.

"I know, baby, I'm gonna take care of you," he assured you.

And with a confident smirk, William resumed his earlier actions, increasing the intensity as he sought to bring you to the long-awaited climax. His mouth remained firmly attached to your juicy folds as he slipped an arm between your legs, his fingers finding your clit and circling it skilfully.

"Oh fuck..." you gasped, your fingers clutching the pillow sheets tightly. "Willy..."

Your breath escaped you uncontrollably, knowing it wouldn’t be much longer with William's skilled ministrations. Lost in a blissful haze, you moaned loudly as the orgasm swept through your mind, body, and soul. And your legs shook as you reached the peak, your toes curling and your mouth falling open as the euphoric waves crashed over you.

Slowly descending from your high, you carefully opened your eyes, releasing your grip on the pillow before collapsing onto your stomach. Looking behind you, you met William's grin, the evidence of his efforts glistening in his beard.

"How the fuck are you so good at this?" you chuckled lightly, meeting William as he crawled up to hover over your body, laughter bubbling between you before he captured your lips in a passionate kiss.

"I just want to please you, baby," he chuckled darkly.

"And remind me that only you can do this, making sure I'll miss it while you're away," you added with a raised eyebrow, earning another laugh from the man above you.

"Yeah, maybe that too," he playfully agreed.

For a moment, you simply relished the closeness, savouring every second before you both rose and walked to the bathroom to shower. And there, you naturally took the opportunity to remind William that nobody gave blowjobs like you did; a skill you had mastered to perfection. You took him in fully, working his length with every inch of space you had to offer. And when he released his cum into your mouth, you happily swallowed every single drop, relishing the taste of his salty stickiness.

**

Initially, the idea of giving each other a proper orgasm before parting seemed like a good one, but it ended up making you both miss each other more than expected.

Already later in the evening, after the match against the St. Louis Blues, you had your first video call, satisfying the need to see and hear each other. You shared about your day, working from home to finish up a presentation, in between dog walks and cooking, before watching the match. Which fortunately had been a good one, with the Leafs securing their fourth straight win, they defeated the Blues 4-2.

During the call, William lounged on the bed in his hotel room, his face beaming with happiness as he talked about his goal and performance, while you listened eagerly.

And you had to remind yourself to be grateful for living in a time with smartphones and FaceTime, as William's cheerful face on the screen brightened your evening after a taxing day working on your presentation. And naturally, his smile widened even further when Pablo and Banksy briefly joined in during the video chat.

It was a tender and romantic moment, characterised by the simple longing of two people for each other. Or, as romantic as it could be when every other sentence was a dirty reference to how much you both desired each other. Yet, you kept the conversation sober.

Similarly, the call on the following night was brief. After a long day of travel and several hours of training, William was understandably drained of energy in the evening.

It wasn't until the next evening that things started to heat up, as the Maple Leafs faced off against the Coyotes. Not only did the Leafs emerge victorious, but Auston also made an attempt to score his 50th goal in his childhood state. It was a truly magnificent moment, watching the match alongside the Swedish girlfriends and wives, sharing cheers and joys as the game concluded with a resounding 6-3 victory for the Leafs.

However, despite the amazing result of the game, it wasn’t entirely flawless.

William received two penalties during the match, and there was a fair amount of fighting among the players, including your usually composed boyfriend. 

And as you watched your boyfriend assert his dominance on the ice, using his strength to push other players, you couldn't help but hold your breath. Among the other ladies, you discreetly clenched your thighs together, cursing under your breath as arousal stirred within you.

Watching William fight was undeniably hot.

While William sat in the penalty box, serving his time for his crime, your mind wandered to the ways you could "punish" him for being a bad boy.

The idea of having sex in the penalty box briefly crossed your mind, but you quickly dismissed it as the match continued.

Yet as soon as you returned home, you found yourself in a video call with William, both of you in bed. You praised him for scoring two goals, including one on a breakaway coming out of the penalty box. However, discussing the penalty reminded you of something else.

You recalled a time after a loss in Toronto when you had teased William about finishing late, joining him in the locker room post-game. You’d playfully joked about how he needed punishment for getting a penalty, which led to some rather intimate moments in the semi-public space.

Your cheeks flushed at the memory, but what made you blush even more was the recollection of Auston walking in on you, with William half in his gear and you straddling him, his cock buried deep inside you, both of you reaching climax.

Just thinking about those actions turned you on, but what got you even more excited was seeing William on the call wearing nothing but his boxers.

"You know, babe," you chuckled lightly. "You were a naughty boy today."

William simply flashed you a grin in response. "What can I say, sometimes I just need to let it out."

"And you definitely did – enough to earn you two penalties," you playfully reminded him.

"It was uncalled for," William tried to defend, though you both knew the truth.

"Oh, Willy, you deserved it, and you know it! Besides, seeing you in the penalty box was actually a bit of a turn on..."

"Yeah, you liked what you saw?" he spoke mischievously.

"Oh, you have no idea… watching you get angry like that was so hot!"

"You just liked to see me get punished, didn’t you?" he chuckled darkly.

And you had to admit, you did. "Maybe… at least how I recall it, we agreed that you should get punished for every time you got a penalty," you grinned with a sensual tone.

"I don’t remember agreeing on that, babe," William let out a deep breath, as he pondered how to express his true thoughts. "But… if you were to punish me right now, what would you do?"

Slightly taken aback by William’s naughty question, you offered him a cheeky smirk. Then, biting down on your lower lip, you considered your response.

"Well…" you softly began. "First, I’d tell you that I’m on our bed… in nothing but your t-shirt…"

"No panties?" he inquired curiously, prompting you to shake your head.

It wasn’t entirely a coincidence. Knowing you’d likely be incredibly turned on after talking to William, you had come prepared to indulge in some solo stimulation. However, now you were more than happy to let William join in the fun.

"Nope..."

"No bra?"

Again, you shook your head. "Just almost naked… just for me to enjoy."

William could feel himself growing firmer just by the mere thought of you naked, his hand gently cupping his crotch over his boxers.

"And then?" He inquired with a low tone of voice, encouraging you to continue.

"And then, I’d let you know that I’m gently touching my thighs… tracing over the marks you’ve left, making sure to remind me that I’m taken," you told him, maintaining a seductive tone as you caressed your skin softly. "And slowly, I’m moving my fingers closer to my pussy - my needy pussy that misses you so much…"

"Oh, I miss your pussy as well, baby," William let out a deep grunt, stroking his hardening member through the fabric as he envisioned touching your figure, recalling the warmth and the sweet taste of your honey.

You knew this wasn’t an actual punishment for William, yet you understood it held a small level of torture, knowing he was aroused, yet unable to touch you.

Meanwhile, you guided your fingers closer to your core, dreaming about William’s touch and how good he made you feel. Already more than wet and turned on after watching the match, you gently repositioned to recline entirely on your back, offering yourself better access with widespread legs, holding your phone above your head.

"She's so needy, Willy," you flashed him another smirk. "So wet and ready… she wishes you were here to take care of her…"

"Mmm, baby, I'd wish I was there too," William smoothly lowered his boxers, freeing his cock before giving it a few strokes. "Tell me what you're thinking about, baby. What's on your mind while you touch yourself?" His tone was low and husky, reminiscent of when he whispered sweet nothings to you.

"Mmm," you slowly began, recalling his actions from earlier, letting your fingers slide up and down your moist folds. "I'm thinking about you… on the ice… when you got into that fight," you hummed seductively, glancing at your screen to gauge his reaction. Admitting your desire made you feel a little embarrassed, but you knew there was no need to feel that way with William.

"Oh, you liked me being rough?" He inquired with a grin, his firm grip on his cock guiding his skin back and forth.

"Mmm… I'd want you to be rough with me… take me to the penalty box and punish me…" you admitted seductively as you circled your clit.

"Oh yeah, baby, you're such a bad girl… you need me to show you who's in charge…" William softly moaned along.

"Mmm… I'd want you to fuck me so hard and good that I'll forget my own name…"

It was almost too hot for both of you to continue speaking, your moans interrupting as you both stimulated yourselves.

"Yes, baby, I'd take you so good… fucking that tight little pussy of yours as you scream my name…"

You slowly increased the intensity of your fingers, feeling your orgasm slowly taking form and causing a pleasurable rush in your body. And William too increased the speed of his strokes, feeling the growing need to push himself closer to his release.

"Are you getting close, baby?" he asked huskily, earning a small nod from you. "Then make yourself come for me…"

His command turned you on even more, causing you to increase the speed of your fingers again, pushing yourself closer to the peak of an orgasm. "Yes… Willy, yes…" you breathed out, your heels digging into the mattress beneath you. 

"That’s it, baby… show me you’re a good girl and come for me…"

And with those words, you arched your back and surrendered to the rush of pleasure, losing yourself in the climax.

"Oh, fuck, baby, that was so hot…" William breathed out, increasing his own speed as he too felt his climax approaching. "Show me how good you feel…"

Still trying to catch your breath, you repositioned, moving the camera to put your dripping cunt on full display for him. Then, gently pulling your moist lips apart, you showed him the juices caused by your actions. "You like it when I do this?"

"Mmm, yes, that’s my pretty girl… now I want you to stick your fingers inside, baby," he commanded again, and you obliged with a satisfied smile. Easing your two fingers into your heat, you felt your muscles wrap around them, stimulating your walls as you pulled them in and out.

"Oh, Willy…" you let out a soft moan. "I wish it was your cock filling me up."

"Me too, baby… me too," William let out a deep grunt. "Fuck, I wish I could feel your tight cunt around my cock… it's so needy for you," he continued, his climax approaching as he stroked his length rapidly. "Mmm… I’m so close, baby… Shit, I wish I could come inside you…"

Still with your fingers pumping between your legs, you felt the need to hear him reach his peak. "Are you gonna come for me, Willy?"

“Yes, baby… I’m gonna-“ and with a deep grunt, William let his climax take over, shooting his cum onto his lower stomach as he reached his peak. And as a small final reward, you pulled out your fingers and guided them to your mouth, looking seductively into the camera as you licked them clean. 

"Fuck…" William spoke deeply, trying to catch his breath as he watched you. "I miss the taste of you…"

“I miss having your mouth on my cunt as well, baby,” you chuckled lightly, flashing him a satisfied smirk.

There was a short moment where you both just enjoyed the distant intimacy, though you also felt a deep longing for each other’s real touch. But then William broke the comfortable silence.

“I’m just gonna clean up quickly, baby… I’ll be right back.” And in just a few minutes, William returned with a grin plastered on his handsome face. “So, the penalty box huh?” he inquired with a chuckle. “A new fantasy of yours?”

Feeling your cheeks flush, you couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed about your confession. “Maybe…” you admitted softly. “I don’t know why… it was just from seeing the match tonight – it was so hot…”

“You don’t need to explain, baby,” William chuckled once more. “I just like it when you share your fantasies.”

“I know it might not be possible… but yeah, that’s probably something new that could be fun to try,” you admitted with a sweet smile, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear.

But William simply chuckled. “Never say never, älskling.”

And those words lingered in your mind all evening after you’d ended the call. You even had to take out your Magic Wand and stimulate yourself to another orgasm as you imagined the scenario in the penalty box. Letting out a loud moan as you reached your peak, you couldn’t help but smile a little as you saw the results. Snapping a quick photo, you sent it to William, showing him the wet patch of your juices soaking the sheets from the little evening session.

**

As day four of the road trip rolled around, you did your best to keep your mind occupied throughout the day, ensuring you wouldn’t be thinking about William every second. And luckily, the presentation at work seemed to do just the trick.

Though it was a busy day filled with meetings and presentations, it also seemed to fly by quickly. You enjoyed a lovely lunch with some of your co-workers, and before long, the day was over, and you were swiftly back at the condo, walking the dogs and settling in for the evening’s match in Vegas.

And what an incredible game it was. Goal after goal, the Leafs dominated the match, ultimately concluding with a score of 7-3 on the Golden Knights’ home turf.

Yet, what really had your mind spinning that night were the photos of William walking from the bus in his lilac suit. A suit you absolutely adored on him, paired with his loose white shirt, stylish trainers, and his effortlessly casual expression. You were almost envious of the water bottle in his hand, knowing the talents he held with those hands.

To your joy, the boys had the chance to stay the night in Vegas before their travel day to Colorado the next day. Though they all spent some ‘guy time’ to celebrate the win and the six-game winning streak after the match, William later made an effort to sneak off to call you. The very explicit photo you’d sent with the little diamond butt plug settled in your ass had him feeling a primal need for release. Besides, Calle had to have a phone call with the family anyway.

So, standing in the hotel room bathroom, one hand supporting himself on the counter, William stroked his length with firm motions. 

"That's it, baby, let me see your wet pussy..." he grunted deeply, sensing the climax building inside as you adjusted the camera to give him the best view of your core.

"Oh, Willy, yes..." you moaned loudly, pressing the vibrator against your clit, sending intense vibrations through your body, making you squirm as your orgasm approached.

It had been 7 minutes of pure pleasure, with drenched sheets and moans echoing through the phones. Your vision blurred as the butt plug stimulated you, combined with the intense sensations from the vibrator.

"Yes, baby, I want you to come... Mmm... I'm going to as well..." William let out a deep grunt, and as his request became your command, you let out a deep moan as you reached the peak, letting your juices squirt all over the mattress beneath you.

Meanwhile, William jerked himself to release his load, the force causing it to land on his torso, sticking in his lower chest hair.

It felt so dirty and thrilling at the same time. The way you and William could share such intimate moments amidst heartfelt conversations was truly remarkable. It embodied the perfect balance of what a healthy relationship should entail.

And after the intense mutual masturbation session, you found yourselves back to conversing.

"So, was it the penalty box thing again that had to be turned on?" William chuckled lightly as you’d both cleaned up after your post-orgasmic explorations.

"Actually... it was the suit today," you admitted with a sweet smile, snuggling up on his side of the bed. Partly because your side was still damp from your juices, but also so you could fully immerse yourself in his masculine scent that you had missed so much.

"Oh, I think I need to wear that suit more often then," he grinned, satisfaction evident in his smirk.

"Nah, don’t do that, Willy," you playfully objected. "I like that you don’t wear it too often – makes it special," you smiled. "Besides, I don’t know if my bum can handle so much of this."

"Oh, I think we both know your ass can handle a lot more than that, baby," William cocked an eyebrow.

"Hmm... you’re right, maybe I just need your assistance then," you offered a seductive wink, prompting William to let out a deep disappointed sigh.

"Shit, don’t talk about your ass like that... I’m getting hard here, and Calle could be back any moment..." 

"Well, in that case, I’ll just hang up and go back to pleasuring myself while you enjoy your night with the lads," you playfully teased.

"Oh, you’re in for it when I get back," William grinned darkly.

"Can’t wait."

And after a few more minutes, you both agreed to end the call.

**

Friday turned out to be another day that passed by quicker than expected. With the team's schedule filled with travel and training, you opted for a relaxed evening out with some colleagues. Over dinner and a few drinks, you shared genuine laughter, joked about everything and nothing, while catching up on all the gossip.

One of your colleagues, a few years your senior, was planning for baby number two, while another girl around your age was deep into planning her wedding, having been engaged for just over a year now and aiming for a summer ceremony. The third colleague, several years older and divorced, was embracing her single life phase.

The three of them had become your trusted confidantes for anything when you needed to escape from the hockey world, besides Emily, and they were more than happy to provide entertainment. However, occasionally they could be a bit nosy about your relationship, which you didn't mind. They were the only ones you'd share details about you and William with, knowing you could trust them completely.

"Oh, come on, y/n... this is girls' night, we need the gossip!"

"Yeah, spill the beans, how is he in bed?"

You had to bite your tongue to avoid spilling all the details, knowing you could easily share every little thought proudly. Yet, you kept it classy.

"Well, let’s just say that his performance on the ice... matches his skills in bed," you playfully remarked, eliciting screams and giggles from your friends.

It was refreshing to spend time away from the arena, although as much as you enjoyed sharing intimate moments with your boyfriend through video calls, it also meant being cautious in public. 

It was no secret that William could be a bit possessive and jealous when other men showed interest in you, so when a small group of guys suddenly tried to flirt with all of you, you did your best to politely decline their advances.

And fortunately, the situation didn't escalate into drama. However, the game against the Avalanches the following night did.

Colorado took the lead with two goals within the first 12 minutes of the first period. But with some birthday luck, Bertuzzi managed to claw one back, bringing the score to 2-1 by the end of the period.

And to everyone's relief, the Leafs dominated the second period, skating over the Avalanches and bringing the score back to 3-2, with Bertuzzi benefiting from some birthday luck and Mitchy weaving through players as if they weren't even there. And as the cherry on top, despite Colorado managing to score another goal within 5 minutes of the third period, Bert secured the final score of the match with a hat-trick.

It was an exhilarating game to watch, which you did alongside some of the other wives and girlfriends, a tradition you had established by now for Saturday games. These occasions meant girls' dinners and discussions about the highs and lows of being with the players.

However, what stood out the most was that despite the exciting win, William wasn't in the mood for much conversation that evening. At first, you couldn't understand why. He had seemed so happy during the game. Then you rationalised that despite his three assists, he was probably feeling a bit down about not scoring any goals himself.

And you knew better than to push him. William was usually calm and laid-back, and you understood that even though he never dwelled on such things, he sometimes just needed space and time with the boys to celebrate the positives.

Yet as Sunday rolled around and the boys were back in Toronto, your day didn't turn out quite as expected.

Around four AM, you heard William come home, quietly making his way to the bedroom, and slipping under the covers beside you. However, instead of his usual playful greeting after returning from a road trip, he simply drifted off to sleep within minutes.

You reasoned that he must have been exhausted from the journey, yet the next morning, after taking the dogs for a jog and grabbing something to eat, you returned home to find the apartment empty. The clock read 11:30, and you assumed William would still be in bed. However, a single text from him informed you that he was at the training rink with a few of the guys.

You couldn't help but feel a pang of hurt. It was unlike him, and truthfully, you had no idea why he was behaving this way. That is until you stepped out of a long, refreshing shower and saw the message from Stephanie.

It was a short online article from one of Toronto's best gossip sites: "Apparently, a hockey star just isn't enough!" Accompanied by a photo of one of the guys from the other night, leaning in to chat with you. It wasn't a revealing photo at all. It simply showed you smiling as you politely declined the man's offer. Yet, you had a sinking feeling that the headline might have triggered something in your boyfriend.

"Shit..." you muttered to yourself.

Of course, this had to happen. You couldn’t even go out for a drink and dinner with a few girlfriends without someone stirring up unnecessary drama. Despite the many conversations you'd had with William about it, it seemed like it could still cause issues.

"Hey, y/n... don’t worry about it... it's just a couple of jealous women who can't accept that Willy's in a happy relationship," Stephanie tried to comfort you over the phone as you drove to meet William by the rink.

You had waited a while to take any action, not wanting to escalate things, but when you hadn’t heard from him all day and saw snaps of the other boys at home, you knew you had to do something.

"I know, it's just... it's Willy, you know how he can be..."

"I know, y/n... and I wish people could just leave us alone and let us be happy. But Willy is a great hockey player, and he's been getting a lot of media attention lately, so I'm sorry this is happening to you..."

The girls were always incredibly supportive and sweet. Even those who knew they didn't face the same challenges, as not all players received the same level of media attention. Yet you couldn't shake off the feeling entirely.

William wasn’t even a proper celebrity, you reasoned with yourself as you ended the call and made your way through the streets. He was just a guy who played the sport he loved, and with skill and hard work, he'd managed to reach a level where he earned really good money. However, with the internet being what it is, it seemed like just about anyone could become famous.

Then upon reaching the rink, you took a deep breath before going in. As expected, William was the only one on the ice, taking shots at an empty net.

Lost in his own world, he didn’t even notice you arriving. Not until he took a particularly hard shot, missed the goal, and the puck rebounded, causing him to turn around in frustration. That's when he caught sight of your face.

There was a brief moment of silence as you slowly walked over to the boards, hands in your pockets as you watched William's actions. But he didn’t say anything. He simply skated slowly towards you, wearing a defeated expression.

"Hey," you said softly, breaking the silence.

"Hey," he replied curtly.

You had to wait a few more seconds before you could truly speak your mind, giving him some time to respond. But he remained silent.

"Willy, we can't keep going like this… you can't shut me out when something's wrong," you urged.

William understood your implication, but he didn't have a clever comeback ready.

"Talk to me, babe," you gently encouraged. "Tell me what's on your mind." But William remained silent, his eyes darting around, his mouth moving as if he were pondering. So, you decided to delve a little deeper. "Is it the article?"

And that seemed to open the floodgates.

"Yes… and no," William replied simply, releasing a deep sigh.

"Meaning…"

Taking a deep breath, William shifted his stance slightly as he faced you. "I just… I hate seeing you happy without me," he confessed, feeling the weight of his words.

"Oh… wait, what are you saying?" you asked, feeling a bit bewildered.

"Don't get me wrong… all I want is for you to be happy, but…" William sighed again. "Seeing you happy with other girls, not from the team… it just makes me afraid that you don't want this life," he admitted hastily, his words spilling out as you sensed his struggle to voice his thoughts.

"Wait... so it's not about the guy in the photo?" you asked, feeling a bit surprised by what he had revealed.

But William simply shook his head, furrowing his brow slightly. "Fuck no... Babe, I trust you, and I know no other man is as right for you as I am," he spoke with conviction, something he had come to realise after numerous fights stemming from jealousy.

"Then what is it? Because I don’t really understand how me being happy with my friends can piss you off like that."

"I just... I'm so fucking in love with you, and it terrifies me, because I've never felt like this with anyone before... And even though I know you wouldn't leave, I can't shake the thought that if you don't want this lifestyle or me anymore, you'd just walk away," he confessed, his voice heavy with emotion.

You had to hold your breath for a moment, completely stunned by his words, as he let out a deep breath, his eyes avoiding yours. Although it wasn’t the first time William had voiced his fears about you not wanting to be with him, you were always taken aback each time it surfaced.

"Hey..." you spoke softly, taking a step closer, gently cupping his sweaty jaw to make him look at you. "First of all, I would never leave you without a very, very good reason... and not just because I grew tired of the NHL lifestyle," you said firmly, locking eyes with his intense gaze. "Secondly, it's okay for you to feel this way," you tried to offer him a reassuring smile. "It's completely normal in a relationship, but you can't shut me out and avoid talking to me... You have to share things like this."

The moment was tender between you as you stood by the hockey rink, alone.

Letting out a sigh, William nodded gently. "I know... I'm just not very good at it," he timidly admitted, attempting a smile.

"Me neither..." you smiled back. "But we just have to practice, so we don't let each other down."

And with a half chuckle, William nodded again. "How are you so amazing?" he then tossed his stick and gloves over the board and reached around you to pull you close. Despite the lower level of the ice, William in his skates was still slightly taller than you. "Seriously, I panic, and you're all rational," he joked playfully.

"It's called balance, baby," you chuckled, wrapping your hands around his neck before pushing off his helmet to reveal his sweaty face. "I guess it's just how we complement each other – you're inexperienced in love, and I teach you about deep feelings, while you teach me about... sexual things," you explained cheekily, leaning in closer so you could almost feel his breath.

"Mmm... speaking of which..." William licked his lips as his eyes darkened slightly. "Now that I think about it, you still need to punish me for all those penalties I got on the road," he said seductively, his voice husky. "And if I'm not wrong, we're in a rink... with a penalty box, just over there... all by ourselves."

You were taken aback by his suggestion, yet you couldn't deny how turned on you suddenly felt. It was naughty. Yet so tempting.

"Willy, we really can’t... do that here," you whispered, but deep down, you knew you didn't want to listen to your own words.

"Well, why don't we find out?" he suggested with a mischievous grin. And with a light giggle, you bit your lower lip and nodded before he firmly held onto you, lifting you over the barrier prompting you to wrap your legs around him.

With a wide smile on his face, William turned on his skates and began to glide towards the penalty box, quickly confirming that there was still no one around. Upon entering, he settled you down, both of you giggling like teenagers about to experience something new.

But any lingering concerns vanished as William sat on the bench, pulling you into his lap and connecting your lips in a passionate kiss. Your hands eagerly found his hair to tug at it as you relished the taste of him, your tongues dancing in a heated embrace.

"Shit, I've missed you, baby," William murmured between breaths before pressing his lips against yours again, his hands firmly gripping your hips.

Despite the chill of the rink, you discarded your jacket and shirt, leaving you in your bra, with William's body pressed against yours to keep you warm.

"Fucking missed you too, Willy," you breathed out, feeling the air stolen from your lungs as you deepened the kiss. The hunger between you was palpable, and neither of you could wait any longer to feel each other's warmth.

Hands eagerly explored each other, and thankfully William hadn't donned full gear for the casual training session, leaving only a few items to remove to get closer to what you both desired most.

Still, it was somewhat clumsy and messy as you moved around in the box. You couldn't help but smile and chuckle whenever you broke apart to shed a piece of clothing. William fumbled with your jeans, and you had to help him pull them off. Meanwhile, William lowered his own sweats, leaving him still in skates and his training jersey – likely a peculiar sight.

But with a bit of manoeuvring, you eventually found yourselves in a comfortable position again, with you wearing nothing but your bra as you stroke William's hardening cock. Simultaneously, he buried two fingers inside you, stretching your entrance in anticipation.

Though you tried to stifle your noises, moans filled the space around you, echoing through the hall as you brought each other pleasure. "So wet for me, baby," William muttered under his breath. "I need to be inside you..."

William was impatient. He had longed for your body for too long, and finally, he was about to have you close again. So, without waiting for your response, he guided you to release his throbbing cock, positioning himself at your entrance. And with a controlled motion, you allowed yourself to sink down onto him, his shaft filling you up as you let out a satisfied moan.

"Oh, fuck..."

It felt like something straight out of your fantasies. Although William wasn't in the middle of a penalty because of a fight, the situation was still incredibly arousing.

With a steady rhythm, you rocked your hips, allowing his length to slide in and out of your wet heat, stimulating every inch of your walls.

"You feel so good around me," William moaned between sloppy kisses, his hands still firmly on your hips as he guided your movements.

And before long, the desire to speed up overwhelmed both of you. You couldn't even keep your lips attached to his as you increased your motions, passionately riding him as you felt the climax slowly approaching.

Then as he heard your small whimpers escaping, your breathing uncontrolled and your walls eagerly clenching, William knew you were nearing orgasm. So, he moved a hand to find your clit, circling it with forceful motions.

"Mmm, yes, Willy... feels so good," you cried out in a moan, slamming your hips against his as you pushed yourself closer to the edge with William's cock deep inside you.

"Come for me," William muttered encouragingly. "Be a good girl and come for me."

And as always, his words acted as a command to your body, causing you to arch your back, his name slipping off your lips as you tossed your head back, eyes shut tight and a loud moan escaping you.

It was an intense orgasm that coursed through every single cell in your body, your mind enveloped in a blissful haze as your body surrendered to the pleasure. Then slowly coming down from the high, you opened your eyes again to meet William's satisfied smirk.

"So hot," he simply muttered before he held onto your ass and rose from his seat. Taking a few steps forward, he pressed you up against the glass and began to thrust his cock inside you. His hands held you in place as he picked up a steady pace.

It was almost rough as William took charge, his pounding showing no mercy as the sounds echoed loudly through the rink.

You tried to contain your cries as your boyfriend fucked you senseless, just like you'd fantasised about. Yet the tears rolling down your cheeks were nothing but tears of pleasure. The way he overstimulated your walls with every hard thrust had you seeing stars, and you could barely even announce your next orgasm approaching. Your throat was rendered wordless by the heated sex, and you simply formed a smile on your lips as you moaned William's name.

"Fuck yes, baby," William moaned as he too felt his climax about to peak, increasing his speed and force, hitting the very back of your insides. Your hands firmly gripped onto his hair, and as you locked eyes in a passionate glance, he let out a deep grunt as he spilled his cum into you.

Standing still in the position, you both needed a moment to catch your breath. It was more than just hot. It was mind-blowingly sexy as you reached climax. And with smiles gracing your lips, you shared a heartfelt moment, still with William's cock buried inside your dripping cunt, you kissed him softly.

"I love you so much," you spoke timidly, your eyes locked onto his as you felt your core pulsating around his member.

"I love you too, älskling…"

Despite the rough sex, it was a soft and romantic moment. Yet as you both felt comfortable in the silence hanging between you, your heartfelt moment was suddenly interrupted by a voice from across the ice.

"Hey! What are you two doing?"

"Shit…" you both giggled as you swiftly disentangled yourselves, rushing to put on clothes. But you knew there was no way to deny what had just happened. With laughter and flushed cheeks, you managed to make your way back to the other side of the ice where you apologised to the maintenance worker before heading to the locker room, where William gathered his things.

"Let's go home, prinsessa," he simply spoke with a smirk, placing a soft kiss on your temple.

#18+ #Inexperienced!reader x Willy #SlutsforPresidentNylander #wn88 imagine #william nylander imagine #nhl smut #william nylander smut #nhl hockey imagine #toronto maple leafs imagine

[whentommymetalfie]

hey, your fics on ao3 are actually saving my life rn. i’m not doing amazingly atm and reading your “breathe again” and “home to you” fics about tommy struggling with mental health (admittedly in a slightly different way to me) is somehow making it all so much easier to cope with.

i’m so in love with the dynamic of alfie being completely head over heels for tommy, despite tommy feeling utterly broken and despising everything about himself - it really does give me hope that perhaps i’m not entirely hopeless and unlovable either, even if sometimes i’m about as mentally stable as tommy is.

but yeah, idk - i don’t think any of that made a lot of sense, but i just wanted you to know what a positive impact your writing has had upon me.

and seriously, fucking wow- you’re absolutely amazing at writing - i have never read better, more in-character tommy and alfie fics. the way you create the angst and attraction between them is just everything to me and i hope you keep writing this pairing forever!

also, i was wondering - how long did it take you to learn to write like this? did you study creative writing formally or are you self taught (if you don’t mind me asking)? your use of words is just mesmerising and i’d love to think that one day i could be able to write as beautifully as you do.

anyway, thank you for all that you have done for the tommy/alfie community. seriously, you should see the indirects you get on twitter (you’re like the ceo of this ship at this point)

Firstly: This was an absolutely wonderful message to receive, and made my whole week. Secondly: this reply is long so my apologies in advance! 

You make complete sense. And, not to get way to personal here, but I think it’s a very human and common feeling to be afraid that we’re unlovable when we’re at our lowest points and probably need it the most ❤️ One of the reasons I write is because it’s an escape and a comfort (and well, a huge struggle, but in the end the positives outweigh the negatives). And knowing someone else finds that through reading my fics is the biggest compliment I could ever receive, and reminds me why I do always slog through the more challenging parts of writing to finish things and put them out there for people to read.

Thank you for your kind words ❤️ I suppose I feel that my characterization isn’t spot on, but I’ve aimed for one that feels ’true’ within the setting and circumstances of the story, if that makes sense, and I’m so happy you like it. I’m wholly unable to cope with this incredible praise, but at least I can answer your question: I don’t have any formal education in creative writing. But I’ve always enjoyed reading and writing -though I mostly read in my native language (Swedish), I do try to define what I enjoy about my favorite writers’ works, and while I’m not skilled enough to always put that knowledge to use, I’d like to think that it’s helped me in some ways. As for how long it took me to learn how to write (though I definitely feel like I’m fumbling around in the dark from time to time and like I’ve learned nothing) I wrote and posted my first fanfic in English when I was 17 (a true blood fanfic I haven’t re-read since, and probably wouldn’t like to), wrote some more stuff that I never posted, and then began writing PB fic… six years ago or something? I’m 29 now, so I suppose you could say that I’ve got a few years of writing under my belt now. But I’d say that I’ve improved the most over those last PB years, simply because I’ve written so much over that period of time. And the more I write, the more critical my eye has become. And I still feel like I’m learning more every time I sit down to write. 

And I fully believe anyone can learn to write, especially in a setting like fanfic, because I’ve always felt it’s a very encouraging and ’free’ environment. At least that’s been the case in the corner I’ve been in. There’s always someone out there who’ll enjoy what you put out there. And I know it’s cliché, but the key really is to just keep at it, so a huge dose of enthusiasm and self indulgence is important. I’ve got heaps of stuff that I’ve written and never posted, just because I’ve had an idea I wanted to explore. And I’ve made my peace with the fact that I’ll never be quite as skilled at writing in English as in Swedish, and won’t always find the perfect words, because as long as I write something that excites me in some way, I know there’ll be at least one other person out there who’ll enjoy it too. I try to just make it as good as I can with the tools I’ve got. 

Again, thank you ❤️ ❤️ ❤️  I don’t know what else to say, but please know I’ll be back to re-read this message many times. And I hope you’ll be happy to hear there’s a new chapter coming tomorrow -please consider it a thank you gift! 

PS I’m not on twitter so I don’t know what goes on over there but now I’m dying because I need to see 👀 the indirects 👀 What are they saying?? 👀 the curiosity is killing me! 

#behold: a novel #asks #answered #anon #again: no tagging system #but I need to be able to find this again #this made me so happy you have no idea

[a-little-slice-of-fandom]

That's a pretty horrendous thing to say that immigrants shouldn't feel prideful of their culture or identity. I have friends who have never had the chance to know their culture. so when they find out they have irish ancestry, they aren't allowed to feel prideful or happy about that? Once a person immigrates, that's the end of their culture? how can you be diaspora but also not be allowed to leave your country and still be irish?

(Firstly I just want to clarify: I can only speak on Ireland and Irish issues, not issues relating to other cultures and other nationalities. I want to make that abundantly clear)

I never said that you can’t feel proud of your Irish heritage, in fact if you’d bothered to check my blog you’d see that I’ve said in other posts that I’m more than happy for people to look into their heritage. And even if you don’t have any Irish ancestory, you’re more than welcome to share in our culture and events! Irish culture is such a beautiful thing that was nearly killed off (the Irish language literally had to be revived) so I’m always super happy to see people celebrating Ireland.

But I think people (and I am so sorry but it’s usually Americans) don’t understand that there is a massive difference between having Irish ancestory and being interested in the history and the legacy that comes with that ancestory and heritage (which is totally fine and encouraged), and actively claiming that you are Irish because of a tenuous connection to Ireland at best.

If you immigrated from Ireland then you are totally Irish, no ifs ands or buts. And if you’re first, second or third generation Irish then no one is going to give you shit for saying that you’re Irish. In fact, go for it! You’re probably even entitled to an Irish passport which are like gold dust in today’s political climate. Immigration absolutely does not mean that you cut all ties with Ireland. I speak as someone who has family who live/lived in Australia.

However, that’s not what I was talking about. I was talking about the “Irish” folks in America who go around telling everyone that they’re Irish, just because they had one relative who immigrated due to the famine...which took place nearly 200 years ago. At that point, the cultural connection to Ireland (which is way more important than any blood nationalism crap that I’ve been seeing a lot of) is lost! And I’m being 100 percent honest, if you said to anyone living in Irish that you are Irish because of an incredibly strenuous connection...you would get laughed at! It’s literally a running joke in Ireland that Americans always find the smallest connection to being Irish and run with it. It’s a bit like if I found out that one of my great great great grandparents was from Sweden and started claiming I was descended from Viking blood. Now, the Vikings are an incredibly interesting bunch that I enjoy learning about immensely...but if I started saying I was Swedish or a Viking I’d probably get some strange looks.

And that actually links into a massive issue with these people who claim that they’re Irish through dubious connections, usually because they use these connections to justify systemic racism (usually under the guise of “we pulled ourselves up by the bootstraps” while completely ignoring all their anti-African American practices that they used to be accepted within the Anglo-American sphere of influence and the fact that Ireland as a county actually has a lot of ties to Native American tribes through shared hardship and the generosity of the native Americans during the Irish famine). There’s even been instances of Irish POC being told they’re somehow less Irish than white Americans...even though the former had lived in Ireland their entire lives and had grown up in the culture while the other just had great great great grandparents who had immigrated 200 years ago! And it’s also pretty concerning that a lot of these people who claim Irish blood and who are so proud of this Irish ancestors are also right wing neo-nazis, so much so that the Celtic cross, something incredibly important to Ireland, can be a dog whistle for these groups! So yeah, excuse me if the entirety of Ireland doesn’t want to be associated with that lot!

There’s also this horrendous article of an “Irish American” who said it was okay to culturally appropriate different cultures because isn’t Saint Patrick’s day cultural appropriation? It’s not by the way, it’s cultural appreciation. And also that author literally said he didn’t know where his Irish ancestory came from, he just had an Irish second name but still calls himself Irish...but his second name is actually Scottish. If you want to make your blood boil read this article.

Also there’s the total misconception of what Irish culture even is by these groups of people. Despite what many like to believe...Irish culture is way more than just getting hammered on Saint Paddy’s day and dying a river green. Irish culture is actually really beautiful - particularly Irish mythology which is my main area of interest. It’s so much more than what people talk about and it’s actually super sad it gets misunderstood.

I’m going to be really honest...people living in Ireland actively distance themselves from these eejits because we hate how they completely go against what we would consider Irish values. If right wing, conservative Irish Americans heard the Irish presidents Saint Patrick’s day speech...they’d probably start foaming at the mouth because it was overwhelmingly socialist and pro immigration!

Again, that’s not to say that these people who have one relative who came over to American from the Irish famine can’t be proud of their heritage or take interest in the Irish culture. In fact, everyone, regardless of their ancestory, is welcome to take part in our culture and celebrations and to learn about Irish history. But actively saying that they are “Irish”, not just “Irish American” but fully “Irish” are eejits, and I refuse to sugarcoat that.

#being irish is my only personality trait #ask #ireland #ask answered #anon #anonymous #anon ask #anonyous ask #irish american

[gallavictorious]

I was delighted to be tagged by Our Lady of Words and Joy @howlinchickhowl Cheers, dear!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

Earlier today it was 40. Now it’s 39. WHAT GIVES? Did someone eat a story? Which one? I am so confused.

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

137 098. At least that hasn’t changed...

3. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Highs, and Your Lows (i will weather them)

This Time (We'll Be Fine)

Teenage Tales

To Keep Your Gentle Heart

Captive Look

Huh. Would you look at that. All Gallavich stuff!

4. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Eh. Well. Listen, I always want and mean to respond to comments, because as a commenter I always love a response from the author, but I am procrastinator supreme so a lot of the time I just... don't. Not for a great long while at least. Then, two years AFTER you left a comment, you might get an e-mail notification about me responding. It's horrible, really, because I keep the comments in my heart and treasure them so much and the lovely people taking the time to leave a few words on my silly stories really do deserve better.

5. What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

Life, Still to Come has the one main character Jim Moriarty killing himself and his lover Sebastian Moran after he's diagnosed with incurable brain cancer, so I guess that's pretty angsty? The tone of the fic, however, is... kinda soft and peaceful, really. It doesn't feel so very sad, I think.

For Gallavich, I've got Chapter 7 of my ficlet collection Highs, and Your Lows (i will weather them). It's an Wild West AU kind of deal, where Ian Gallagher is visited by the ghost of the young fiend Mickey Milkovich after his dad beats him to death. That one is sad, but there's the glimmer of a promise that they might meet again one day, in a better world.

6. What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

My fics mostly end on a happy note, and I have a hard time pinning down which is the happiest. Hm. I'm gonna say Pressure or possibly Foreign Country, if only because the happy endings there are offered in contrast to the otherwise angsty story and so seems all the happier for it.

7. Do you write crossovers? If so, what is the craziest one you’ve written?

I have, once. Well, started one, really. Notes Regarding the End of the World is a crossover between Sherlock BBC and Mark Lawrence's The Broken Empire trilogy. I still feel there's a bunch of potential there, but I'm very hesitant I'll ever finish it.

8. Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Not to my recollection, no. Back when I posted my SW fic on the Jedi Council forums you might receive critical comments at times, but no hate.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Not really, no. I'm not very interested in reading it, and so see very little point in writing it. There's been a few semi-explicit depictions of sexual acts – most notably in Claim – and I'm not averse to writing kink fic, even if they don't typically include actual sex when I do. For instance, I did The Ways We Bend and Break and Mend for X-Men, and the whole point was Charles first whipping Erik and then cuddling him – except in the end it turned into a character study with lots of emotions, and I think any attempts to write smut would be like that for me. Accidental character drama. XD

I might have a Gallavich thing for kinktober that is likely to be pretty explicit and kinda messed up. We'll see.

10. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I don't think so. There have been a few instances of stuff popping up bearing a strong resemblance to things I've written, but there's also been times when I realize that things I have written bear a (very much unintentional) strong resemblance to other stuff that predates them, so I really think that's the nature of the beast. In any big fandom, the same ideas are likely to occur to multiple people, and we are all, often unconsciously, inspired by the same things and by each other.

11. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yeah, to Chinese and Russian.

12. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yes! Pathoftheranger and I co-wrote (How to Break the) Alibi Armistice, which was fun!

13. What’s your all-time favorite ship?

I'm a creature of ever-changing affections, so I'm not so good with ”all-time favourite”  and to be honest, I mostly tend to have favourite characters and ship them with everything in sight... Currently it's all about Gallavich but pretty much all ships including Jim Moriarty is forever gold to me (though MorMor is The Best. Or is it Sheriarty? Or maybe Mormorlock? Or Moriadlock? Or Johmlock – notice the 'm'?). Cherik's a big one too!

Ask me again in six months and my answer might well have changed!

14. What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

The aforementioned Notes Regarding the End of the World. And I have this superlong Star Wars fic I started writing when I was 16 and wrote for years and years and then just... stopped writing, when I was maybe 20 pages from the end? It's currently at 180k words. This one I DO have some hope that I will go back and finish one day, although it's likely to be a jarring experience since I'm very much not 16 years old any more and my ideas about writing and the characters and everything have shifted quite a bit.

15. What are your writing strengths?

I do pretty well with the short format, I think. And with dialogue? Finding the voice of the characters (some more than others, certainly). Writing in my native Swedish, I think I'm pretty good at offering decent prose – I'd like to think I have a fairly developed ear for the flow of the text, and the melody of it? But when writing in English, that gets quite a bit harder. This really annoys me, because I'm rather preoccupied with the stylish elements of writing – though I've found that a lot of people seem happy enough to overlook clunky writing as long as they find the story otherwise engaging, which is a huge blessing for me. I believe I can build a decent plot, but since I can't write anyting longer than a few K these days there's no telling, is there?

16. What are your writing weaknesses?

Primarily getting any writing done at all. Mostly, I stare at a blank page and despair and then I give up. This is why I no longer write long fic. I also tend to reuse favorite phrases or themes far too often. And there are so many subclauses... Proofreading happens to other people (I'd like it to happen to me too, but I'm terrible with it). I'm not good at accepting constructive criticism, even when I ask for it. I will often favour style over efficiency, and I'll stubbornly refuse to admit that this can be a problem.

17. What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

This question makes me feel like I ought to have developed thoughts on this, but I don't so much... I don't mind it? I've used it. Uh. It's a good idea to do a bit of research and not just rely on Google translate for it? If you don't like it, don't use it. Those are my thoughts.

18. What was the first fandom you wrote for?

Star Wars. <3

19. What’s a fandom/ship you haven’t written for yet but want to?

Buffy/Angel/Spike. The Book of All Hours. Heroes. Maybe something based on The Coldfire Trilogy... ? Oh, and the Bible. I'm sure there are others.

20. What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

I really don't have one. There are a few I'm particularly happy with, but no one that truly stands out... That said, I was quite chuffed with how the first ficlet in Or Else Into the Light, my (tiny) collection of Anakin redemption one-shots, turned out. And Claim. I’m very pleased with Claim.

Tagging @dreamylyfe-x @fiona-fififi @pathoftheranger @abundanceofnots and @captainjowl

#tag games

[nyaheum]

My yearly list of Eurovision songs after the first impression (I mean, for like, half of them. I heard snippets of some songs.). Judged on music videos, because...if I only listen to the songs on Spotify, my eyes get bored. :’)

(oh, and don’t talk to me about iceland’s placement, I know this might be unpopular)

X. Belarus

Fuck Belarus, all my homies hate Belarus. Not even going to grace them with a rating.

Norway (TIX – Fallen Angel)

...no. :( And it’s not even because Keiino didn’t win, I just wholeheartetly hate this song. And I’m kinda sorry to TIX, because he seems like a cool dude and his stage outfit is absolutely hilarious, but oh my god do I hate this song with an absolute burning passion.

Poland (RAFAL – The Ride)

eye emoji mouth emoji eye emoji – well, this is a non-qualifier if I’ve ever seen one. Can we just...skip this?

Belgium (Hooverphonic – The Wrong Place)

Nap time! This song annoys me. I cannot explain it, but it gives me a headache and my whole body is revolting against this song. I am not kidding. Objectively, I don’t even hate it, but there’s just something about it...that makes me go...hnghgng…

North Macedonia (Vasil – Here I Stand)

eye emoji mouth emoji eye emoji ver. 2 – I am not trying to sound mean, but does North Macedonia do any music that is not dramatic power ballads? I’m serious. (And I don’t like it, sorry. :((...except for the high notes, I like them. When he can hit them live.)

Estonia (Uku Suviste – The Lucky One)

This (the music video)...is soft porn. I am slightly scared of Uku. I don’t know why. But, uh...this is better than last year’s song? Still, it wouldn’t qualify under my watch, whoops.

Georgia (Tornike Kipiani – You)

He stopped yelling angrily at the microphone. :((( Nah, but this isn’t my thing. It’s great that they are doing their own thing, it’s just not really my thing...it also reminds me of a song I know, damn.

Austria (Vincent Bueno - Amen)

He looks like a german youtuber. I don’t know hich one, but he looks like one. I also canot tell if he’s 18 or 38, lol. (For some reason he also reminds me of Alex Albon, which is even weirder.)...oh, uh, the song? Idk, I don’t care for I. It’s fine.

Spain (Blas Cantó – Voy A Querdarme)

Confession: I’m probably the only person who actually doesn’t like the sound of Spanish all that much. Whoops. Apart from that though, I’m not the biggest fan of this song. Can’t really say more about that. Meh.

The Netherlands (Jeangu Macrooy – Birth Of A New Age)

Listen: I really like the tone of this voice. It’s great. I am not a fan of the song. There’s something just very off about the loud percussions (?) in the background that make me go absolutely crazy when listening to this. My sensory-overload-prone ears hate it, and I’m sorry...the part before the last chorus on the other hand I love. The whole song could have sounded like that and I would have loved it. (...and I can’t unhear “You are my broccoli – You know my broccoli!” ;-;)

Azerbaijan (Efendi – Mata Hari) Whenever I see Efendi, my brain still goes “Cleopatrrrrra!”, oof. This song sounds like a song I know. Which...is super unprecice, but I genuinely don’t know which one. I do like that they kept the weird pre-chorus thing from Cleopatra (and reference the song later on), but I must say that I liked Cleopatra more...but it’s a party song, so I think it will be fun on stage!

Romania (ROXEN - Amnesia)

I didn’t like her song last year, I don’t enjoy this all too much and I’m kinda sorry but also...I don’t want to apologize for my taste in music, lmao. I want her hair though. Give me her hair.

Denkmark (Fyr & Flamme – Ove Os Pa Hinanden)

Ring ding ding, native language bonus. This is also way more fun than I thought it would be, hah. VERY retro, but I don’t hate that? :D (this and sweden really aren’t any different in terms of how much I like them)

Portugal (The Black Mama – Love Is On My Side)

I can appreciate this. I just wish it was in Portuguese, honestly. I don’t really know if I like the English for this song. That being said, I don’t know if you can make these very specific tones (you know what I mean) in portuguese without it sounding super off, so…

Ireland (Lesley Roy – Maps)

Okay, you do you Ireland. :D

Israel (Eden Alene – Set Me Free)

This exists. :D

Cyprus (Elena Tsagrinou – El Diablo)

Cyprus came to party, and I can’t be mad at that. I just don’t know why everybody in the YouTube comments loves this SO MUCH that they are sure that it will win if it gets the jury votes. I don’t think it’s as good as Fuego or She Got Me were, but maybe I just have no taste in party music. I don’t party. (Only if you got a 2000s playlist and some iced tea.)

France (Barbara Pravi – Voilà)

FRANCE sending a BALLAD? In MY Eurovision? It’s more likely than you think. It’s good, objectively. Personally, I don’t really care for it all that much and feel like I already know it.

United Kingdom (Embers – James Newman)

A good, modern song? In my british eurovision song? What happened on the Isles over quarantine? Are you guys okay? Did you find yourself? Have you taken your last breath (breath!) and looked at your past results? I’m impressed enough to put this relatively high, wow.

Serbia (Hurricane – LOCO LOCO)

*adore delano voice* party! Oh, and native language bonus...for a party song! I’m...impressed, actually. I cannot decide wheter I prefer this or Hasta La Vista, but I think it’s this one? The flows smoother, if that means literally anything.

Bulgaria (VICTORIA – Growing Up Is Getting Old)

*shrugs* I think a lot of people will like this. And I get that. I think I even understand it...yeah. I didn’t like her song last year either. It’s just personal preference, I think. I just want to have fun during Eurovision, hah.

Finland (Blind Channel – Dark Side)

Finland: FUCK YOU!!! Germany: Fuck you. <3

That’s all I’ll say, we know how the Finnish are, this is not surprising, lmao. (And I’m one of those children that grew up on Rammstein, so I legally cannot dislike this.)

Croatia (Albina - Tick-Tock)

Tick-tock, can you hear me go tick-tock? My heart is like a clock, I'm steady like a rock-...oh wait, wrong tick-tock! Still, really enjoy this song’s chorus – I actually enjoy it so much that it makes up for the utter loss of interest I experience once it’s over, chrm.

Sweden (Tusse – Voices)

I mean...let’s be honest, it’s a generic swedish pop song. It sounds like every other Swedish entry, and I think that bothers me. I know, that sounds kind of...weird, looking at my choices higher up in the list, but...meh. I think this will easily qualify for the Final and place high, and I am totally okay with that. It’s just not...what I wanted, I guess? :D (and i’m sorry but as a german-speaker I cannot get over the name “tusse”) (oh, and tusse seems to be super cool)

Albania (Anxhela Peristeri - Karma)

Oh, we’re going to war in 130 A.D.? Fine, let me just pack my spear and- oh, Albania has already sent a singer? Ah, well, might as well give up and just vibe.

Czech Republic (Benny Cristo - omaga)

This sounds fun. Not a winner or anything, but fun. I’ll probably still be on Twitter when he’s performing, whoops.

Slovenia (Ana Sklic - Amen)

Wait, there’s TWO songs called Amen? And why do I actually kinda like this? Oh well, might as well just accept it. (Her voice though...mhmmhmhm…yes please)

Iceland (Dadi og Gagnamagnid – 10 Years)

We just vibin’. I liked Think About Things more, but I’m very much biased here...because I’ve known that song for a year now. But this is still very good, and very on brand. (And I understand like...half of the lyrics, but I am okay with that.)

Australia (Montaigne - Technicolour)

not australia flexing at all of europe that they can hold big gatherings! D: oh, but I like this way more than last years song. I feel like Montaigne can show her GREAT voice way better in this song. (Even though her outfit and the sound of the song reminds me of the UK song that had...a dude run on the stage. I can’t think of the word for it right now.)

Malta (Destiny – Je Me Casse)

Destiny’s voice is just….wow. This is very different than All My Love, but it’s fun. The topic of the lyrics kinda remind me of Toy, and I like that…..I don’t really like the music video (especially the dancers in the colorful dresses? idk), but I’ll just ignore that.

Germany (I Don’t Feel Hate - Germany)

Confession time: I actually actively enjoy this song. Everybod is shitting on it, but it’s FUN and it has a good message, and Jendrik seems like the nicest dude ever and...it doesn’t deserve all the hate it’s getting? It’s completely self-produced and just fun. Stop being mean. :(

(...also someone on youtube said “pewdiepie” and I can’t unsee that now so fuck you >:((...no, no I don’t feel hate, just rethink your life choices)

Moldova (Natalia Gordienko - SUGAR)

What in the “Eis.de ist in der Kiste” is this music video? And I thought I would absolutely hate this song, but I actually don’t mind it all that much. It’s actually fun. Oh no, I’m splipping, someone catch me, aaaaaahhhhh….(and that poor cake dude. Is this song about cannibalism? Does she want to eat him?)

San Marino (Senhit – Adrenalina)

Catch me hum the chorus of this song at least once a day...but honestly, without any malicious intent: what the actual FUCK san marino? This is so much better than Freaky, and even though I do not believe for one second that this will win, the simple outragiousness of bringing Flo Rida to Eurovision deserves attention. (Bringing someone like Flo Rida to ESC sounds more like Scandinavia/Bulgaria, doesn’t it?)

Russia (Manizha – Russian Woman)

Not gonna lie, I miss Little Big, but at least they are sending something that’s at least as weird. I love that. Russian Rap is cool as fuck anyway, so I’m fully here for this...but I’m glas this song doesn’t have a music video, this just has to be a live performance. (Oh, and another strong woman!)

Ukraine (Go_A – SHUM)

I’m SO glad Go_A are back. But, let me be completely honest: I know why they had to change the lyrics, but I still liked the first version better. BUT I feel like the new one will grow and me and it will climb one or two places, because the Instrumental just slaps SO HARD. (Makes me feel like putting on a Cybergoth outfit and start dancing at a German industrial park, lmao.)

Latvia (Samanta Tina – The Moon Is Rising)

Does this count as my guilty pleasure this year? I loved her song last year, and this sounds similar, so...I like this too. It sounds modern as fuck (well, for Europe, you know) and I can definitely...”vibe” with that. I genuinely really enjoy this, and I don’t know why. (Even though I prefer last years drop.) A lot of “strong, independent women”-songs this year, and I’m not complaining.

Switzerland (Gjon’s Tears – Tout l’Univers)

Just so we’re clear, this and Italy share the exact same spot. I just cannot compare them at all. Gjon’s voice just takes me hostage throughout this whole song and won’t let me go. And everything that isn’t english/is in the countries offical language immediately gets plus points from me. As if this song needed them anyway.

Lithuania (The Roop – Discoteque)

Aaaaaand...dance break! Good, I just love them so much, it’s not even funny anymore. And I’ve been singing this song randomly since it came out. I can’t stop. It has burned itself into my brain. Let’s dis-co-teque right at my home! *waves arms around with no sign of coordination*

(and does anyone else feel like he’s serhat, just with a different alignment? Like, they are both chaotic, but serhat is chaotic neutral and he’s either chaotic good or chaotic bad, it really depends on the way he looks at the camera)

Italy (Maneskin – Zitti E Buoni)

Italy delivers, as they do every year. Not only do I really like this song (it is very much my genre), THIS is an aesthetic I can get behind! Knowing Eurovision, I doubt it will win, but damn if it won’t be super fun! (I am so glad this won Sanremo, hah.)

#eurovision #esc #eurovision song contest #esc 2021 #eurovision 2021 #rotterdam 2021

[jockrightsnow]

omg I would love to hear you talk more about your tags on that last post—how you research syntax/speech patterns for non-native English speakers’ dialogue. this is something I struggle with a lot in writing fic (esp writing Russian players!) and I’d love some advice on how to get better at it.

god this got long! i just care about this! i will put under a cut for the 99% who will be like u little pedantic bitch.

so my answer is probably not AS helpful for Russian players because i have not written at any length with Russian characters and their language is SO different, so i find it is trickier! but the process is likely the same. i am not an expert at this by any means (only know/have taught spanish <--> english), but i do think it gives you more believable voices and also tends to help you understand the perspective. some people are better at english than others! some are less good! some have been in english classes for a while, some haven’t! there’s variation! you don’t have to do this to write well, but i think about it.

some things i think about:

1. sentence structure/syntax--more than vocabulary, sentence structure is the thing that gives most english language learners trouble and tends to give them away. in order to figure out common mistakes along these lines, it is helpful to look up how sentences are typically structured in someone’s native language. very often, people learning english will rely on those structures. this is actually why swedish is very easy to learn for english speakers--the sentence structure is most often subj, verb, object. but there are tricks: in complex declarative sentences, the verb will always be second, even if there is an adverb or object in the first position instead of the subject, in sentences with subordinate clauses, the independent clause inverts verb and subject. stuff like that does tend to give a sentence a different feel, and it absolutely very commonly almost-always sticks with someone. it’s foundational to how people construct their thoughts, it can be hard to change.

2. pronunciation--i don’t love to see heavy dialect written phonetically and i think many people don’t, but there are ways to consider it and certain ways to write it well. certain languages have different stresses or tone ranges or pitches, which can give off a certain Vibe if you’re used to english, which is on the more expressive end of the scale in tone and pitch (obviously i don’t think that’s better, but it is different and it does affect how people hear a speaker’s voice). certain sounds straight-up do not exist in other languages, certain letters are always pronounced a different way. it leads to predictable mispronunciation. for this, resources like this are very interesting.

3. actual cultural language differences! this is in part about what turns of phrase are common, what’s the cultural (or often, can be regional) “cat who got the cream”-type idioms, what is colloquial that you don’t realize is colloquial, etc, but it can also be about how you talk about concepts on a larger scale. 

the recent sidney crosby engaged fiasco is a good example of this--in russian, “girlfriend/boyfriend” has a very casual connotation, so for longer-term relationships, a russian person might say “fiancee” instead. there are certain languages where you talk about love using different words if a relationship is more casual. these are fun, i think, because i do think that kind of thing can be meaningful. 

there was some book or study i read about how maybe the way we learn language impacts how we think. i think parts of it were debunked (eg not having a word for something like ‘crush’ doesn’t mean you don’t feel it, that’s silly), but parts of it are certainly true, right? like, if you have a different way of talking about spatial awareness or time, your ability to translate those concepts will be affected because your thoughts are often structured along those lines. 

4. vocabulary--less important than you’d think, but still interesting to think about what words someone would have learned. i expect hockey players to know virtually every hockey-related word in english, and even in the KHL, there is some coaching done in english because plenty of non-russian players play there and never learn the language (it is very hard). pretty much everywhere, you’re going to know the english words for many hockey-related terms. but you might not know other complex words, because you might not ever have a reason to or a context where you would’ve learned it or been corrected on it.

i often have to examine or cross-examine spanish speakers, and you actually don’t want to correct every single thing they say--you only want to correct things which might lead to a misunderstanding, because you don’t want to seem pedantic to a judge or condescending to a witness. 

this is also true in a lot of social settings. so i do see some things which tend to go uncorrected because they don’t lead to any wrongness. for example, videoS plural in Swedish is video klipp. it’s the same, it’s really the same. but i notice sometimes that plural S is dropped by Swedish speakers or a word like “klipp” that’s so similar in meaning and context to the english word will come it. there’s one video where petey says ‘eller’ instead of ‘or’--it’s close, it’s a word that doesn’t matter, you wouldn’t correct it, it’s normal, you get the point. there are plenty of words that are so similar they might just have a different inflection, or which are entirely the same in different languages. these will not get corrected in daily conversation for the most part.

but there are also false cognates which you DO need to correct (eg in spanish embarazada = pregnant, i do need to correct it every single time because it has a huge impact on proceedings if someone’s pregnant) and being aware of those is also helpful! 

there are also some crutch words which differ from person to person (this is also true for native english speakers). when people use those and in what way can be important. there are certain things a specific person gets wrong only when nervous or not thinking or whatever (i personally find the “person realizes they’ve been speaking in a different language while having sex because it was so good” trope. exhausting, to say the least. but it is true that in higher-stress moments, someone might not have the capacity or desire to do internal translation, or might feel frustrated by it.)

i really do think all of this is Very interesting, and mostly my advice on doing it for languages you don’t know is:

1) be thoughtful about stuff, be believable. contrary to what it seems like from this whole dissertation, not every sentence needs to have errors in it, especially for people who are Growing/Learning/Actually Very Good at english. don’t be condescending about it. being at an intermediate stage in english learning might make someone choose a simpler sentence that’s still correct. it might lead to an actual relevant misunderstanding or tonal shift. it might not. it might enhance someone’s understanding of a situation! it’s not all about just fucking shit up--it’s a hard thing to learn another language. you gotta respect people who are doing it!

2) hear people talk, preferably the people in question if available but doesn’t have to be (for characters i care about less, i will often wholesale map a sentence and then copy the structure exactly. i did this for pasta because i didn’t care about actually figuring out so much about him emotionally--i just listened to his ep of sp*ttin ch*clets as i wrote and copied several sentence structures exactly with my own Content and then, as you may be able to tell, gave up on that venture to movie-montage the rest because i am Lazy.) 

it’s interesting to hear someone talk both in their native language and in english--you get a feel for the tone and pitch differences, and also i love to see native language interviews because i tend to think they’re more reflective of someone’s actual thought processes when they’re not trying to come up with words or modifying their sentences to be simpler. petey’s swedish interviews, for ex, are far more reflective and eloquent and funny. but again, he is getting better very quickly, in part because swedish and english are more similar than they appear. progress is often slower for russians, because there’s a lot more ground between the two languages and a whole diff alphabet and also strong cultural affinity to where a good number of russians living in america almost exclusively hang out with other russians living in america. (see ex alex ovechkin, nikita zadorov--both have very russian-heavy social circles if Instant Gram is to be believed)

3) actually look up stuff like “common english mistakes for [x group]”--there are plenty of good language learning resources which will show you the mistakes people tend to make, the pronunciation errors, things like that. these are invaluable.

4) google translate stuff if you’re going to have a touching language-teaching moment. once read something where someone was contemplating how to say something, which they wouldn’t have done in reality, because how you say it was Exactly the same in the person’s native language. i also think it’s fun to read google-translated articles and see which things jump out at me as Weirdly translated, because those are often things which are going to be different! but that’s not gospel, it’s something you can look into. sometimes google translate is just bad.

[darklydeliciousdesires]

In The Blood - Chapter Sixteen.

Thanks for those of you who are reading. I’d love to hear your feedback in the shape of comments, I cannot lie! Please do reach out to me if you’re enjoying what you are reading :) 

Tag list - @modernscarlett @sadiemaeve @aarfyie @helenasmirkedno @jasmindaughteroftheworld​ @minaofmayhem @brittanyshea25 @suckedintothesupermassive @bhairston @carolina-thiell​ @criminalyetminimal​

(To be added to or removed from the list, please DM at any time)

Previous Chapters - One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine Ten Eleven Twelve Thirteen Fourteen Fifteen

Tyra's POV.

That's twice now. Twice in as many weeks that Eric has made me cry. I hadn't cried in over two years before this either. Fuck him for turning me into an emotional sap!

That night he turned up at my house after the Deicide gig and I agreed to go back to work for him, what was I thinking? Why did I open myself up to all of this, enjoying a flirtation with the big, bad vampire, letting my resolution over not sleeping with him get twisted, let myself get twisted by him? I let it happen. I did. I let him in and now look at me, my heart all bruised and my pride battered to death because of Eric fucking Northman.

I'm a fucking moron for having let myself be played like this, to feel this upset, to be sitting here in a puddle of fabric that is the big, old white crochet blanket I've wrapped myself in for comfort (since it was made by my biological mom) crying my eyes out because I don't want to believe that some of what we shared was not real.

I can’t face acknowledging that it didn't mean anything to him when for a while, it did mean something to me. Very much so. Lafayette was right when he described him as one of the most evil, conniving, dangerous and devious vampires around. He was absolutely right.

It's not like I'm in love with him or anything. That’s the truth, too, not something I'm trying to convince myself of. No matter what temporary leave of my normal level headed absence I may have taken, I do not fall in love quickly. I know this for sure. However, when we were together, it felt perfect. I felt content on a whole different level to anything I'd experienced before. Clichéd but true.

What I really enjoyed the most, though? The fact he's Swedish. Before I left him for the last time, we slipped into our home language and spoke nothing but it for hours. It was lovely. I miss my native tongue, I often talk to myself in it when I'm alone in the house. It was nice having someone there to actually speak it with though, really nice.

Another reason for my tears are my complete and all out confusion and shock about the fact I've been linked to Eric way longer than I ever expected, through Godric. I mean, what on earth are the chances?

Now I understand why he never aged a day, why he was pale and cold, also why I never saw him in the daytime. He was a vampire, of course, such a lovely one, too. He was way less abrasive than Eric, gentle almost, but with much strength you could always feel coming from him through his powerful aura.

I can't even begin to try and work out why, why he visited me, why he gave me that key and why Eric snatched it away after grilling me over who gave it to me. Suddenly, a memory comes back to me, of when Eric thrust a small box in front of me recently that he couldn’t get into, asking for my help in order to pick the lock. I remember seeing the same urgency in his eyes then as I noticed when he was staring at my necklace. So somehow, this was all connected, orchestrated by Godric.

Now I think back further, that familiar voice I heard on the phone asking me for my bookkeeping services back in early January could only have been him. He hasn't visited me since I was sixteen, but I tell you right now I'd do anything to see him at my front door, so I could ask him what the hell is going on. When I go and answer a knock at the door a little while later, I am sad that the vampire standing on the other side of it isn't him. I can’t will him to appear, it would seem. Sadly, the one I’d rather never see again has shown up.

“Eric, I've had enough of you playing with me like I'm a goddamned puppet. Just go,” I sigh, weary yet angry, attempting to close the door again only for him to reach out and grab the edge, preventing me from doing so. “I take back my invitation for you to enter my home, so now you can't even barge your way in. Fuck off.” I then add coldly, glaring at him as he reaches into his jacket pocket.

“I have a lot to be sorry for, Tyra. I want you to read these first before we can hopefully discuss that. I'll wait until the sun comes up if I have to, for I understand my face is perhaps the last in the world you want to see right now, let alone listening to anything I have to say.” This is all he speaks, in the sincerest tone I've ever heard him use as he passes me a long scroll of tightly wound paper and an envelope with my name on it.

Moving back, he turns to seat himself on the edge of my porch, his back to me. Pausing by the front door after I close it again, I look down at the items in my hand and almost wonder what to do with them. This all became very strange all of a sudden.

I take them back over to the couch with me, putting the letter down beside a sleeping Poon and then unwinding the first part of the scroll, seeing my name, my birth parents names and then those of their parents. It looks like my family tree.

This is further confirmed as I continue to scan, seeing my mothers' side of the tree break off at my grandparents, Albert and Claudia Roggman, unfold the scroll to read what essentially is a very neatly detailed copy of what is indeed family tree on the Boden side, what I assume to have been amongst the contents of that box Eric had. This is getting stranger by the moment.

Continuing studying it, I carefully unwind the parchment at one end, keeping it tidy as I go by rolling it back up again at the other, astounded by how far back this is stretching. Someone went to truly meticulous detail here, the Boden’s of the 1700's listed, the 1500's, the 1300's and the 1100's. It extends to 100AD and beyond, back to Henrick Boden, his father Alias Boden and his grandfather Thomas Boden. Thomas had a sister, I see, Astrid Boden, who was married to Ulfrik Northman. They had three children, Astrid, Felix and their eldest, Eric Northman.

I just dropped the scroll onto the floor in total shock.

I'm related to Eric? Okay so not so much related, it’s more a case of me being his last living descendant, since the Boden line ends with me, but still. The vampire I now loathe so much for his meddling in my life, nearly killing me too, is the only thing close to family I'll ever have.

You've got to be kidding me. This is the stuff stories are made of, not real life in Louisiana, 2009. Jesus! I just can't believe this, I cannot fathom it at all, the cryptic nature of this whole situation that's suddenly unfolding before me. Remembering the letter, I tear it open eagerly in haste and begin to read, hoping it holds a little more information to pacify the unrest within my mind.

My dearest Tyra,

I hope this letter finds you well. I want to take this opportunity to let you know that even though we haven't seen each other in twelve years, since soon after your sixteenth birthday when I gave to you the necklace, I never left you.

I knew that my presence had caused conflict in your life, what with the psychiatrists visits and the stress your adoptive mother and father went through, all you faced because of it (do you remember when we buried all of your medication at the bottom of your parents garden?) so I decided it was best to watch over you from afar.

It was always my duty to keep you safe, for more than one reason, too. Please do not think I ever abandoned you though, for I didn't. I've watched over you since you were a baby, saw you grow into a curious, intelligent and strong child, upholding the same values when you became the wonderful, successful woman you are today. You've made me very proud.

Now, to answer some questions you no doubt have lingering. Firstly, I wish I could be there with you to explain all of this to you, so you could sit and ask unlimited questions I would of course answer as best I could, but sadly this cannot be. In January, I met my true death, walking into the last sunrise I would ever see. I am so sorry that you had to discover this through written word, I did want to come and tell you myself of my decision, but it was just too risky. You will discover why in due course.

I have followed your family line for centuries, guarding your forefathers and then you, with every moral fibre left in me. It was my duty to do this, as well as my wish. The main reason of this I just cannot reveal to you, there can be no written evidence of what you are, for you are not entirely human, Tyra. You are a supernatural of sorts and a rare one at that. This is why I cannot tell you, I'm afraid. It is something I wish for you and Eric to work together in discovering. Believe me, you will learn of your incredible heritage soon enough.

Now, I've mentioned Eric here, which leads me on to the next part of what I wish to explain, not that it shouldn't be pretty self-explanatory by now anyway. Of course, you are where the Boden line ends and he is where the Northman line ends. You have seen from your family tree you are his last living descendant, you are both all the other has left in the world now, family of sorts, if you will. Although, I am not naive to the fact Eric will have seen you as something quite different, as ever he is steered by his loins when it comes to women as beautiful as yourself! I doubt this has changed.

He has lost me, but you, you my brave child, you lost everything and at such a tender age. Because of this I set the wheels in motion for you to find each other after I had met my true death. I didn't want either of you to be alone any longer without blood kin, no matter how very, very distant.

I actually think you'd make quite the pair, as I stated in a letter to Eric I consider you to both be as steadfast, beautiful and intelligent as each other. I will leave you now with the same words I left him with, which is to look after one another.

You will need each other more than you realise right now. Please, Tyra, even though I trust Eric and his insightful decisions implicitly, keep an eye on him for me.

Godric.

By the time I'm done reading the above, I'm in tears all over again. Reading that he is no longer here was hard, for I always hoped that one day I might see him again. It hurts very much to deal with the fact that I won't, as well as the fact I cannot thank him for looking after me, for whatever the secretive reason, it must have been very important to him. I must have been very important to him.

He said I'd made him proud, something which has only stirred my emotions further, knowing the one constant in my life was so proud of me. His words do throw me further into the realms of confusion though, having him state to me that I am not entirely human.

How would you feel to hear that? To know you're not what you thought you were, yet still not have your 'species' (if that's the correct term) identified to you? Also, compound that with the fact that I know have to work all this out with Eric and what do you get? Tyra Boden, pissed off, confused and upset. That’s what you get.

I can't even bear to look at him right now, let alone invite him in, Hell, I doubt he's even still out there. It's been half an hour already, even though it feels like just a few minutes since I shut the door on him.

When I get up and head into the kitchen, taking my emergency bottle of brandy (I have to say Lafayette has given me a taste for it) from the cupboard and pouring a large measure, I can still see Eric through the window sitting on the porch step, waiting for me. I don't even think I'd know what to say to him if I did let him come in right now, my head is spinning truly, my emotions all over the place.

Time for brandy number two, which I throw down my throat at speed, taking the glass and the bottle back into the lounge and curling up on the couch again, picking up the family tree scroll I dropped upon the floor and putting it on the small table at the side of the couch. I then take Godric's letter to me and read it through over and over, sipping my third brandy at a steady pace rather than knocking it back like I did with the previous glasses.

All the while as I sit here, I can feel that Eric is still outside, while I remain indoors, petting a sleepy Poon and sipping brandy, wondering what the hell to do. Should I let him in, hear what he has to say and then discuss this with him? Or shall I just leave him out there in the rain that I can hear has begun to heavily fall?

I'm really stuck between a rock and a hard place here, out there is the only, even though so very distant, family I will ever have, but he just so happens to be the most devious, calculating, mean tempered man I've ever met. What kills me most is the fact that I know he’s capable of being anything but. I’ve seen it, felt it. He’s capable of being wonderful, yet so far he’s chosen not to be, unless under the influence of my blood.

Another hour of decision making follows, before sometime close to 11pm I finally go and open the door, seeing him stand up from the porch absolutely soaked to the skin, walking back to the door slowly.

“You've got a hell of a lot of explaining to do,” I state, watching him nod curtly, dropping his head and looking at the floor for a few moments.

“I realise that. It’s what I came here to do,” he speaks quietly. Looking back up, his gorgeous eyes meet mine as I watch raindrops trickle from his eyebrows and land on his long, blonde lashes. It makes my heart skip a beat just to see that, much to my annoyance.

“Come in.” Swinging the door back and allowing him to enter my home, I watch him walk in and then just stand there, looking big, wet and awkward. I’m glad he has the good grace to look fucking ashamed of himself. So he damn well should, too.

“You're not sitting on my couch in those wet clothes, Go into the bathroom and get yourself dry while I find you some jeans. My ex was close to your height and he left a few pairs here, I'll see what I can dig out.” I then add, watching him nod again while he follows me through my house. I point to the bathroom before continuing to the linen cupboard, searching behind the towels where I know I stashed some of Harrison’s clothes.

“I'm sure I do not deserve to be treated so cordially. Thank you for being so hospitable,” he replies when I return, taking off the long sleeved, black v neck sweater he's wearing and wringing it out in the bathtub. I hand him the deep, indigo blue jeans before turning and leaving him to it. He joins me in the lounge after a few moments, holding his water sodden clothes.

“Where do you want me to put these?” He asks.  

'Here, I'll put them through the wash,” I say, taking them from him and heading into the kitchen and through to the tiny utility room, feeling him behind me the whole time as I load the machine, put the detergent and softener in and start the cycle.

“I'm sorry, Tyra. I honestly am. No more games, no more messing your life around, no more hurting you, either mentally or physically. I'm ashamed of myself for becoming violent towards you, I truly am. You're all I have left and I've treated you terribly, perhaps even as badly as I'd treat my worst enemy. All because I didn't want to get too close to you,” he tells me, reaching out and resting his hands on my shoulders, his head nearing mine, eventually resting against my forehead.

I feel myself cave to the moment, putting my arms around him and resting my head against his bare chest. “I’m so, so sorry.” He then affirms once more, kissing my hair as he pulls me into a hug that I don’t fight. I don't know how, but it’s different now. I know he really, truly means it this time.

“You're not forgiven, not by a hell of a long shot. I can understand almost everything else you did, explain it away by your nature and what you are, but making me purposefully fall down a flight of stairs like that? It was beyond cruel of you to put me through that kind of pain, to put me in mortal danger.

“What if I'd had fallen to the floor and broken my neck instantly, had no traceable heartbeat when you got to me to feed me your blood? What if you couldn't have saved my life and I'd have died there in the cellar? All just to give me your blood to keep tabs on me. It was vile and cowardly, Eric,” I tell him strongly, yet I don’t raise my voice at all, not even once. I'm too tired, too weary with all of this to shout.

“I know, I was so reckless with your safety, with your life. I know how much I've deeply hurt you, too. You didn't even need to tell me that, I can feel it. Your energy, it feels different to m. I can physically feel how much distress I've caused you,” he states, while beginning to stroke my hair. I feel like bursting into tears all over again.

I hold it back, though, holding the sob tightly in my throat with everything I have, swallowing hard and letting go of him before we walk back into the lounge and sit down on the couch, Poon providing a nice little buffer between us.

“Okay, you told me you wanted to explain your actions. I think right now would be a good time to begin.” I state, reaching for my glass of brandy and taking a small sip, wrapping my feet in the crochet blanket I previously had around my shoulders.

He’s about to begin when suddenly, Poon awakes, Eric surprising me by stroking her head, then even more so by allowing her to climb into his lap and curl up, kitty croissant style, his fingers tickling behind her ears. She's such an attention whore, she really doesn't care who you are or how long you've been in her home, she'll come and curl up with you if you let her. She isn't aloof like a lot of cats can be.

“I concur, so I'll start from the beginning. It would be an exercise in futility, I think, if I left anything out. You're my family Tyra, my blood. No matter how extremely distantly we’re related, barely related at all, in fact, since you’re my descendant, you still deserve not to be kept in the dark. From this moment forth I will never hide anything from you again because of that.

“A week before you began working for me, I was in Dallas because a cult religious group had captured Godric and I of course was duty bound to rescue him, to find out how a vampire of his strength and integrity had been assailed by this group of brainwashed ignoramuses such as the Fellowship of the Sun.

“As it turns out, he wasn't. He willingly let himself be captured, thinking it would all be for the greater good to let his true death be upheld by them. Little did I know, but he did want to die anyway, regardless of whom brought it about. He'd grown too old to want to carry on at almost two thousand, two hundred years old.

“It was terrible to lose him. I never imagined I could feel pain like I did when I pleaded with him not to leave me. When I returned home, I discovered he’d left me this letter,” he begins, somewhat at length, walking over to where he took off his leather jacket when he came in and hung it up to dry on the back of a chair, taking a piece of paper and giving it to me while I read the letter from Godric.

It explains that he had hired me as Fangtasia's new bookkeeper, that Eric should not let me leave, that I’m perfect for him and that he also has no idea how valuable I am, or will be.

“Of course, then you came along to take the bar on as one of your accounts and immediately I felt like I knew you already. Of course, it was my own blood I was sensing, the ancient family tie we have to each other. Also there was your energy, too. I've never, ever felt an energy like yours before and that combined with Godric's cryptic message to me made me even more determined to find out what you were and why he'd sent you to me.

“I acted ruthlessly in my pursuit of that knowledge, I know this. All the while I could feel myself developing a fondness for you, one that I didn't want to admit to myself and if I'm honest, I still struggle with. Vampires don't deal with having their emotions stirred very easily, as I'm sure you've been able to attain for yourself. Which then brings me on to when I drank your blood, when I made you fall down the stairs, I drank of you too then and what I felt was frighteningly real.

“I felt close to you in a way that I've never shared with any other woman bar Ida, there was something in your blood that made me loyal to you totally, not wanting to leave you. It was then that I felt remorse for what I'd done, I was honestly ashamed at myself at that time. With each time that I've drank your blood since, I've felt closer to you, felt a bond forming that I’ve tried to break, yet deep down I knew I couldn't and actually didn't want to do it.

“To counteract that, I told myself I could not have a weakness, could not and should not let myself open up to you like that way again. When I set it up for you to find Deborah and myself together, only half of me wanted to do it. The other half craved for it to be you in my arms, but I was too afraid to admit that to myself. Too afraid to let myself feel how I did again about a woman as I felt...” he trails off, looking away from me and down at his bare feet for a few second.

“About Ida, because you don't want to lose someone you care about all over again,” I finish for him, hoping my simple guess is not too far off the mark. I realise it isn't when he begins to nod.

“Yes, but also I know I could never feel again for another woman what I felt for her, I could never promise that kind of emotional investment. I'm simply not capable. Or rather, I do not feel capable, but I suppose I won’t know until I try.

“I have thought about it, believe me I have thought long and hard. I’ll I can conclude is that if I have a true weakness, it's not being brave enough to let myself do what I so desire,” he replies, shifting a little in his seat and making Poon get up from her resting place in his lap and hop down to the floor.

“What is it that you desire to do?” I ask tentatively.

“To prove I am worthy enough for you to keep me in your life firstly, secondly to get to know you better. Everything else, whatever it is, will just have to follow that. Also, to stop acting like the gutless asshole I have become. Pam was right when she chided me, told me I was above such behaviour. I am, this I shall prove to you,” he tells me assertively.

“I can handle that. Just so we’re clear, are you saying to me that you want to, I don't know, have a relationship of sorts with me?” I broach, nervous as to what his answer may be.

“I'd like to discover whether it's something I'm capable of. I cannot promise you I would be, though. The only thing I've committed myself to for the last thousand years has been vampirism. Applying commitment to just one person would be very difficult for me to get used to, no matter how much I do genuinely enjoy your company. As I said, though, I want to try.”

I have to be honest, what he's said so far is very fair. Honest, too, this time. Don't ask me why, but I just know he isn't lying to me. For that, I reward him, just a smidgen, despite the fact he’s not out of the woods with me yet.

“What was that for?” He asks, after I've moved closer and kissed his cheek softly.

“A thank you, for being so honest with me. No matter how brutal that honesty may have been in parts, I very much appreciate it,” I say, watching a small smile curl his lips.

“I'd also like to add here, I'll need considerable time as well. You can't get back on the right side of me that easily. It'll take time for me to decide whether you are really what I want, or whether the aggravation you've caused me so far has damaged that idea beyond repair,” I then state. It isn't all dependant on what he feels, or if he thinks he can cope. I do and will have a voice in this.

“Then let’s agree to just see how things go.” If there's only one thing I know I can firmly agree upon tonight, it's to simply see how things go. After so much confusion, so much revelation, simplicity is nothing but a welcome thought at present.

#eric northman #Eric Northman smut #Eric Northman fanfic #Eric Northman fanfiction #Eric Northman fic #inthebloodchaptersixteen #eric northman true blood #tru blood #true blood #Trueblood #True Blood fanfic #True Blood fanfiction #True Blood fic #True Blood smut #alexander skarsgard #alexander skarsgard fanfiction #alexander skarsgard smut #alexander skarsgard fanfic #alexander skarsgard fanfic #lafayette reynolds #pamela swynford de beaufort #sookie stackhouse

[pyrovilian]

hi they’re all so interesting do u mind if i ask all 30 of the questions from that country ask game!!!! if that’s too much just 1-15!!!! 💜💗💖❤️🥰 (i hope you’re having a lovely day!!!) ((i’m so sorry for taking forever to reply to your last message!!! exams have made me very no thoughts head empty!!!😭 I’ll get to u soon though!!!))

Bestie I love this and I’ll answer them all<33!! And don’t worry bout answering it’s no stress! You’ll get to it when u get to it<333!

1. favourite place in your country?

Stockholm (the capitol) or like the west coast I love being by the sea<33!

2. do you prefer spending your holidays in your country or travel abroad?

I’ve previously mainly spent my holidays abroad but this year I’m focusing on small road trips I just wanna drive a little car and listen to music.

3. does your country have access to sea?

Plenty!!!

4. favourite dish specific for your country?

HA ehhh idk like any dishes exclusive to Sweden but I will have to say I’m very fond of Swedish waffles (the only good kind)

5. favourite song in your native language?

Shhshsvbgg hmmm maybe Monica’s Vals<3

6. most hated song in your native language?

Juletid by Christer and Carola completely damaged by work they played this nonstop last Christmas at the mall where I’m working if I close my eyes I can still hear it I hate it so much.

7. three words from your native language that you like the most?

Why are these so hard sjdhshkk I pass

8. do you get confused with other nationalities? if so, which ones and by whom?

Americans idk what ur doing so many things are super strange and I feel so bad for u ur country is in such a bad state

9. which of your neighbouring countries would you like to visit most/know best?

Maybe Finland maybe Denmark I have no interest in Norway sorry

10. most enjoyable swear word in your native language?

Fitta

11. favourite native writer/poet?

Do not know! Astrid Lindgren my beloved probably

12. what do you think about English translations of your favourite native prose/poem?

Haven’t read any so sorry

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

Don’t know? Maybe midsommar or Lucia?

14. do you enjoy your country’s cinema and/or TV?

I don’t really watch any of it. Some shows are good though.

15. a saying, joke, or hermetic meme that only people from your country will get?

Knugen

16. which stereotype about your country you hate the most and which one you somewhat agree with?

Don’t hate any specifically! Don’t really think there are many about sweden, maybe just were all cold and not so social but that’s kinda true

17. are you interested in your country’s history?

I think it’s important that we know it and I do like history but I’m not very interested no

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

No I’m from Stockholm our dialect is the right one (🤣)

19. do you like your country’s flag and/or emblem? what about the national anthem?

I don’t know our national anthem and I guess our flags alright

20. which sport is The Sport in your country?

Probs soccer or hockey

21. if you could send two things from your country into space, what would they be?

Idk man a semla? Maybe some cool Swedish art

22. what makes you proud about your country? what makes you ashamed?

Ashamed! Our superiority complex when it comes to fascism, rasism, homophobia and such things, so many swedes believe we are immune to those things which we are NOT, and maybe proud of our choir music it’s super beautiful

23. which alcoholic beverage is the favoured one in your country?

Beer (unfortunately) but we’re also big on cider (cider with good tastes mmm elderflower cider my beloved<33)

24. what other nation is joked about most often in your country?

Denmark and Norway

25. would you like to come from another place, be born in another country?

No I’m pretty happy where I am

26. does your nationality get portrayed in Hollywood/American media? what do you think about the portrayal?

It doesn’t really? Biggest representation would be Stellan Skarsgård in Mamma Mia and that’s pretty accurate

27. favourite national celebrity?

Helen Sjöholm my beloved<33

28. does your country have a lot of lakes, mountains, rivers? do you have favourites?

We have some of them all but I don’t have a favourite

29. does your region/city have a beef with another place in your country?

The rest of the country has a beef with my city and they’re all WRONG Stockholm supremacy bitches we’re practically perfect in every way (🤣)

30. do you have people of different nationalities in your family?

No we’re all plain old swedes here

[russianwave]

As someone that frequents a variety of language learning communities, a common question that I see come up is someone asking if they should learn an ‘easy’ language before going on to the ‘harder’ language that they actually want to study. As someone who has also attempted to study an ‘easy’ language before studying the language I want, and subsequently failing on numerous occasions, I thought I should write on this topic.

The first thing we should do is define what an ‘easy’ language is. Whilst I don’t agree with the idea that there are ‘easy’ languages, typically when people ask this they are referring to languages that the FSI ranks as Category 1 or 2. Languages that fall into these categories are ones like French, German, Dutch, Swedish, and so on [For a more complete list, please check here]. It is also important to note that this categorisation assumes you are a native English speaker.

Typically, when someone refers to a more difficult language they are talking about Japanese and Korean, but languages such as Russian, Polish, Finnish, and some others can fall into this ‘difficult’ language category. I think it’s important to note that I’m not doubting that these languages are difficult to learn and may present more of a challenge to someone learning a lower classified language. Nor is this to undermine the difficulties and struggles of those that are studying an ‘easy’ language.

The point is, that classifying study isn’t straight forward. If five people were to study the same language they wouldn’t all reach fluency at the same time, they wouldn’t find the same things difficult, they wouldn’t even end up with the same vocabulary at the end. Interest also plays a huge role in how people can study a language. If you are genuinely really passionate about developing in a specific language then chances are your tolerance of setbacks is going to be much higher than a language you have no interest in and feel forced to study.

I studied French for years at school, which the FSI would class as one of the easiest languages for native English speakers to learn. Yet, I found it next to impossible. I was constantly failing tests and even now I know just a handful of words. This is because French was compulsory for me at school, and I had to study it despite having no interest in it. I then had to continue studying it long after I became to hate the language as a result of not enjoying learning it in school. 

During my time at high school, and extended periods after, I really did want to learn Russian. So I looked to language learning resources to try and find the way I could do this. One of the pieces of advice I kept coming across was to learn an ‘easy’ language first before I should even attempt to learn Russian. To push Russian to a distant corner of my mind until I learnt something like Dutch to fluency.

The argument was pretty compelling. Essentially, you learn an easy language to train your brain to learn languages. Because it’s an easy language you can quickly develop an understanding of another language’s vocabulary and grammar constructions which act as a stepping stone to going on to harder content. You get to experiment with learning styles and see what works best for you, which means by the time you go on to study your preferred language you already have a structured framework for how to study it. 

Whilst I’m sure for some people they may gain some benefit from this, especially if the languages have a lot of the same grammar and vocabulary, I can’t help but feel this guidance is very misguided. Whilst having a better understanding of grammar certainly can’t go amiss, this very advice set me back for years. What learning methods work for one language certainly isn’t going to work for another language. Languages have different resources available, you’ll have to learn about new grammatical concepts or throw away old ones you hold dear. 

I didn’t want to learn Dutch, or Swedish, or revisit French, and whatever other languages I tried to act as a stepping stone to Russian. I would just become so demotivated and frustrated, which led to me believing that I wasn’t smart enough to learn any language. I saw the problem as lying solely with my intelligence and not the advice I was trying to follow. Interest plays such a huge role in language learning that for me it’s the foundation of language learning as a whole. The number one answer I give to people asking what language they want to study will always be “what language are you interested in?”

The truth is, I would have been in a much better position with Russian if I had just tried to learn Russian from the start. Learning some vocabulary in other languages never helped much when it came to Russian, and it certainly didn’t help me wrap my head around the case system. So my advice to anyone asking themselves a similar question is this, just study the language you actually want to do. In fact, I know much more Russian now than I ever did studying years of French despite the fact I’ve not spent much time with Russian and it’s a much more ‘difficult’ language. I’ve also more importantly had fun with it, I look forward to my study sessions and enjoy working with it.

It might be difficult, but it’ll be so much more rewarding for you. You’ll get to study something you actually care about, and you’ll have a much better way of diving deeper into a culture that interests you. You don’t have to keep forcing yourself through grammar drills or vocabulary memorisation of a language you don’t care about. You’ll make a lot more progress than you think. The time you spend on another language is time you could spend with the language you want to develop fluency in, and in more difficult languages those hours really count. 

You will mess up. At times you’ll feel like your whole mind has wiped clean and you’ve entirely forgotten the language. But there’s so much fun and reward to be had by studying what you care about, rather than what others are telling you to care about to sell you courses.

#langblr #lingblr #studyblr #languages #language learning

[shinymooncolor]

1-30 for the nonamerican asks

1. favourite place in your country?

My home - Northern Jutland - beautiful nature and oceans on all sides. 

2. do you prefer spending your holidays in your country or travel abroad?

Well, as I live abroad, I spend a lot of holidays going back home to Denmark. But I do love to travel as well! 

3. does your country have access to sea?

Hah, yeah - Denmark has oceans on both sides and we have easy access as we’re a teeny tiny country of little islands with Fjords running in between. 

4. favourite dish specific for your country?

Ohhhh... I’m going to do a meal and a dessert

Main meal: Frikadeller (danish meatballs) with red cabbage and rye bread 

Dessert: real Danish pastries - we do an amazing cinnamon swirl!!!

Also check out PROPER danish Rye bread. IT will change your LIFE! 

5. favourite song in your native language?

ohhhh... “Han har tænkt” by Allan Olsen. Incredible lyrics describing my home and amazing music as well... 

6. most hated song in your native language?

HAh I don’t even know. Some of the new stuff which is just stupid and misogynistic 

7. three words from your native language that you like the most?

HAHA okay. so. I'm gonna do the three words that all non-native speakers are challenged to say heh

“Rødgrød med fløde”

8. do you get confused with other nationalities? if so, which ones and by whom?

Language wise people ask if I'm from Sweden, Norway or for some unfathomable reason Holland (The Netherlands) 

Also “Is Denmark the capital of Scandinavia?” is a classic?

9. which of your neighbouring countries would you like to visit most/know best?

Germany is the only country that we neighbour physically but we’ve got Sweden and Norway just across the ocean. I love all three countries to be honest. We used to take day trips to Sweden when I was younger - the Danish Krone is a lot stronger than the Swedish so we saved a lot of money. I've been to all three a bunch of times but still have a lot to discover and explore!!! 

10. most enjoyable swear word in your native language?

Well. Bae is actually danish for poo. I know it's not a swear word but it's hilarious. You're calling your s/o a poo ;)

11. favourite native writer/poet?

H. C. Andersen

12. what do you think about English translations of your favourite native prose/poem?

Ohhh. Well H. C. Andersen was Danish and I think the translations are fairly successful.  

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

oh I guess we do? First of all, we do Christmas on Christmas Eve 24/12. 

We also have a “Confirmation” when we're 14 which is technically a confirmation of our Christian Fatih but now it's just an excuse for friends and family to give you money and presents. 

14. do you enjoy your country’s cinema and/or TV?

Honestly, I think Danish tv is sometimes a bit cringey to listen to. Hah, I love my country and we have some hilarious films and tv shows but I honestly don’t get the whole hype of danish tv shows like the killing or Borgen

15. a saying, joke, or hermetic meme that only people from your country will get?

“Rosinen i pølseenden” 

translation: “the raisin at the end of the sausage” - or being the very last one in whatever situation you're in

16. which stereotype about your country you hate the most and which one you somewhat agree with?

that vikings had horns on their helmets. That's all Hollywood. Also Vikings might have been a bit barbaric but they were also ahead of their time with a lot of societal issues such as equality, cleanliness and other stuff - also we were hella good sailors and boat builders. We went to Canada and North America WAAAYYYYY before Columbus and the other guys 

17. are you interested in your country’s history?

Very much. My mom and dad are both really interested in history - my mom is a part time historian and my dad, while not formally educated in history, writes historical books in his spare time.

We are very interesting in history in general and love to learn more and I've definitely inherited that curiosity.

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

YES. hahahaha. I'm from the very north of Denmark and thus I’ve got a very “flat” northern accent heh. 

19. do you like your country’s flag and/or emblem? what about the national anthem?

I like the red and white flag. and our lion (the royal crest I believe). It’s very pretty. And yes I do enjoy the Danish national anthem. 

fun fact: in 2009, Alberto Contador won the Tour de France but they accidentally played the Danish national anthem instead of the Spanish. 

20. which sport is The Sport in your country?

MENS soccer. zzzzz. even though we’re not very good. The women are much better and we’ve got so many other cool sports where we are so much better - yet football is where the money goes :( 

21. if you could send two things from your country into space, what would they be?

A lego set (YES IT IS DANISH) and one of the royal sausage dogs probably. 

22. what makes you proud about your country? what makes you ashamed?

we're small but we’re still doing really well

Ashamed: how we treated (treat) our former colonies (Greenland and the Faroe Islands) it's awful, exploitative and we still haven't seen a lot of apologies there.

23. which alcoholic beverage is the favoured one in your country?

SNAPS. HAHA. and of course Beer (Carlsberg)

24. what other nation is joked about most often in your country?

Sweden. Germany or even the US. heh.

Scandinavian countries love to hate on each other - but if anyone else comes for one of us - be certain that the other two will come to defend. 

25. would you like to come from another place, be born in another country?

I don't think so. Honestly. I've gotten a lot of opportunities and security by being a Danish citizen and you don't find that in a lot of other countries. 

26. does your nationality get portrayed in Hollywood/American media? what do you think about the portrayal?

Yes it does. I think it's mostly favourable? however, I will say: The utopia that Denmark is the proof that socialism works is wrong: we have our own issues people. Don't fall for it. 

27. favourite national celebrity?

The Queen. What a lady!!!! 

28. does your country have a lot of lakes, mountains, rivers? do you have favourites?

Hehe. We have some lakes. but no mountains or rivers. We have some gorgeous nature though - but we’re small, flat and green. 

29. does your region/city have a beef with another place in your country?

oh yeah so I'm the furthest away from Copenhagen so there's always the Capital vs rest of the country... Copenhagen sucks anyways, it's basically a Swedish province ;) 

30. do you have people of different nationalities in your family?

Well, my family is partly Faroese, we've got some English aunties and my pony is German. heh

[werevulvi]

What are some things you love about your country? Then what are some things you abhor?

Things I love about Sweden: - The healthcare system. Honestly. It's not perfect but it's MUCH better than the US and many other European countries. If I'd move to another country and could only bring one thing, it'd be the healthcare system.

- That many people here are very tolerant and polite, even if they might think nasty things about others, Swedes aren't particularly likely to be outright mean, harass, violent, etc. At least not in the countryside and smaller cities. Sure, crimes happen even in my small village, but it's very rare and 99% of them are drug related.

- The nature is really nice. Lots of forest and a rich wildlife. I grew up around a really old forest with huge trees that had been growing for hundreds of years. I could see the Northern Lights on the sky just above the house. Lots of greens, fields of flowers, etc. On this island I live now there are wild horses and wild bunnies. Swedish nature can be the stuff of fairytales, almost, and I think that's really beautiful and mesmerising.

- Is mostly neutral when it comes to wars and hasn't been in a war (officially/directly) since like the 1600's. (Still makes and sells weaponry to war torn countries, but still.)

- The words "lagom" and "orka" are priceless, but unfortunately not translatable. "Lagom" roughly means "just enough" or like "perfect" but un-enthusiastically. "Orka" refers to lacking energy, willpower, or both, for doing something or caring about something. Both these words can also get really funny when used in humour, etc.

- Very much personal opinion, but I really like the rich viking history that my country has. The old runestones that have been found all over, ancient jewellery, clothing, weaponry, tools, etc. My dad used to be an archeologist so I heard about it already from early childhood. I've also been fascinated by the Old Norse Religion (Asatro) and the mythology surrounding it ever since I was a kid. My new name that I'm changing to officially (meaning my actual irl name) comes from it: Sigvard. I mean, I just always really liked that that's the history my ancestors come from! (Too bad Christianity came and ruined it all.)

- Speaking of religion, I also really like that Sweden separates the state from the Church and thus is politically atheist. We still have religious freedom, but religion is not allowed to interfere with politics. However, politics (meaning political parties/government) are allowed to interfere with religion. I think statistically, most Swedes are atheistic Christians. Which means they're just members of the church and celebrate Christmas but don't believe in God or the Bible or anything.

- Very area specific, but the city closest to me is mostly still preserved medieval buildings, etc. So it's very beautiful, unique, withering a bit, and slightly dangerous to run around in due to very steep hills and gnarly alleys. The whole island I live on is a bit special like that and is basically a huge tourist trap. (I love what the place looks like, but I hate the tourists!)

- Having Swedish as one's native language makes it much easier to learn other languages and to not have a particularly strong accent or mis-pronounciations. This is because of how the Swedish language is built, in terms of pronounciation, melody, etc.

- It's generally very LGBT friendly, was one of the first (7th) countries to allow gay marriage (2009) and one of the first to allow gender transitions (back in 1973) which is good in general, despite it's deeply soaked in libfem.

- We had Astrid Lindgren, Alfred Nobel, Anders Celsius, Gustav Vasa, and many other interesting people that made history. Also ABBA and Ace of Base!

Things I abhor about Sweden: - Expect yearly vitamin D deficieny, from October to March.

- The immigration policy is bad. In like... all possible ways it can be bad. Kick out the law-abiding decent immigrants who try their hardest to make life better - and let the criminals who can't be fucked to care stay. Take in more immigrants than there are resources to help. We're totally out of housing, healthcare resources, jobs, space in education, etc, and going over our limits increasingly by the day. I can't move to Stockholm or anywhere off this island because of this and it SUCKS ass. It's NOT the fault of the immigrants, it's the fault of the government making shitty choices to avoid a financial collapse by trying to replace the elderly with younger immigrants (to work to increase the economy,) basically. The European Union is also to blame, because it's pushing the countries to take in more immigrants than there are resources to accommodate for. It's a mess and I'm morbidly curious how that all is gonna end. Probably not well.

- Speaking of the government, it is useless, retarded and even the "conservative" parties are hopelessly libfem.

- News media is almost all (libfem) biased, and most people don't get that they're being sold half-lies en masse. Hence the sad result of governemt and why people keep voting for them, many people are “woke” and why I'm so despondent about it all. Send halp plz.

- The country is handling the corona situation VERY badly. Like really, really badly. No one wears masks, people don't give a shit about social distancing, schools were never closed off when the pandemic hit, and the government refused to react to it in a decent enough time. Testing for corona pretty much doesn't even happen. Many, MANY old people die from it and are refused hospital care, etc. I've heard so many horrible stories it hurts my heart. Elderly people being mistreated on a state level is just beyond awful. They worked for my country to be what it is today (please see the list of what I love about Sweden) and do NOT deserve such a horrible fate.

- Speaking of old people, the elderly care is worse than how people in prison are treated here. LITERALLY. I wish I was joking. Their health care, hygiene, food, etc, is at a much lower quality than that of incarcerated people. If I ever get Alzheimer I'm gonna just shoot myself, rather than end up in a retirement home. (To clarify I'm NOT planning suicide, this is a JOKE. But it's also an important reflection on the sad reality of Swedish retirement homes.) And let's not even talk about my parents and their future prospects.

- Dentistry is not included in the good health care system. So you have to pay for it out of pocket as soon as you turn 18, basically, and it's not cheap.

- Streets/railroads are not getting properly cleared from snow in the winters and every, I mean EVERY god damn year traffic collapses nationwide because snow happened. As if it was a surprise that snow would happen. As if other snow-ridden countries don't know how to handle the snow... *

Okay I should probably stop this list now, lol, it's getting out of hand! I hope it was entertaining, interesting, shocking, or something of value!

[xenrotic]

Character Sheet: Ysabeau

Name:

Previously known:  Runa Hildr Svendsdatter Storstrand Currently known:  Ysabeau Madeleine Allaire

Gender: Cisgender female

Age: 568 (D.O.B.: 17th February, 1452)

Height: 168cm // 5′5

Weight: 48kg // 105.8lbs

Body type: 

Ectomorphic. She is quite thin and typically doesn’t gain weight too easily from either fat or muscle. I imagine her to have kind of a rectangular body shape, maybe leaning a little to being pear shaped? Ysabeau lives in an area where sunlight is scarce due to the long and dark winters, so her skin is quite pale. As a result of this, she burns easily if exposed to sunlight for extended periods of time

Eyes: 

Either tapered upturned or almond shaped? A deeper kind of light blue colour. Ysabeau's eyebrows are semi-thick. They're also relatively light coloured, though they are darker than her hair colour; say a dark blonde, they're dark enough that you can still see them.

Hair: 

A very pale blonde. It nearly looks white if you look at it in the sun. It’s nearly pin straight and she finds it easy to work with, but it does get oily fast if she’s been a little busy. She has a round/rectangular type of hair line. It’s longer than average, maybe reaching near her hips? She doesn’t style it unless she’s going out somewhere, or reading (in which case, she’ll wear it up and out of her eyes)

Race: Human/Elven hybrid (Honestly, I might retcon this detail in the future)

Nationality: Norwegian/Scandinavian. Born in Norway and probably lives somewhere in Scandinavia currently

Other physical traits:

A large burn scar that spreads from the back of her neck to the back-middle (?) of her right arm. A smaller scar from a cut on her upper left cheek. This can easily be covered with makeup. Often will have small scrapes on her hands, but these heal fairly fast She has pretty nice teeth, maybe a slight overbite? She has a chip in one of her canines (haven’t decided which one or how she got it) and will accidently cut her mouth with it on occasion

Preferred outfits:

Turtlenecks are some of her favourite attire, since it covers the scar on her neck. She also takes a liking to large, puffy jumpers and jackets paired with insulated jeans if she is in colder climates. In warmer climates she will generally wear shorter pants or skirts and short sleeved, loose tops; however, she insists upon wearing something that covers her neck, regardless of where she is In a more formal setting, she will wear the appropriate clothing; a dress perhaps, coupled with fine jewelry that she's collected and kept in good conditions over the years and light makeup Her clothing is neither bright and colourful or dark, but instead holds a middle ground. She chooses colours like grey and white, for example, occasionally she'll integrate in a light blue somewhere if she wants to add some soft colour into her outfits. Ysabeau's clothing is also modest, as she doesn't believe it proper to show too much skin; though she will not externally harp on others for doing so, but she will inwardly disapprove of them

Family background: hmm I am thinking

General history: I am still thinking

Talents and Skills: 

Very diplomatic. She’s able to negotiate with people easily and often observes people before speaking with them as a means of gauging what sets them off, what doesn’t and what they’re privy to. High dexterity. Ysabeau is pretty good with her hands. She can play piano with ease and learns new rhythms quite quickly. She’s handy with other instruments as well and could be considered as somewhat of a prodigy (if you skip over the fact that she has around 6 centuries of practice lol). She’s dominant with her right hand, but has no problem using her left hand (she just prefers not to smudge her writing). Multilingual. Is this considered a talent? Her native language is Norwegian (maybe Old Norse, but I need to do more research), but she can also understand Swedish and Danish. She can also speak French and English fluently. She can speak a tourist’s amount of Dutch and Flemish, but I wouldn’t count on her being able to hold a conversation for very long.

Intelligence: She has a pretty base understanding of Mathematics and several Sciences, but no interest to learn them in depth. So I suppose you couldn’t really call her ‘book smart’, but she is very well read in terms of fictional literature. Most of her intelligence comes from years of experience

MBTI: I’m really not great at typing my own characters, because then I kind of have to roleplay them according to a standard and I just don’t like that. If I had to make a guess though, I suppose she could be typed as an ISFJ or ISTJ?

Maturity: Pretty mature. Given how long she’s been around and what she has to be careful of, I can’t really see her as the type of person to do something reckless or really make jokes too often

Sexual Orientation: I think she might swing both ways, but would lean much more towards men. She doesn’t really have any interest in dating given her circumstances though. One night stands probably happen every now and then as long as she’s certain she won’t ever have to see the person again

Philosophy/Values: Ysabeau definitely values privacy and security above all else. She’s not above dropping everything and everyone if it means she’s out of danger and she has done so in the past. This makes her pretty wary around people and she holds a couple of fake IDs to make sure she can’t really be traced. She’s thankful for TOR and VPNs in recent years

#oc #original character #fantasy character #fictional character #own character #roleplay #rp

[matkomakto]

When and why did I choose the languages I learn?

As a break from my thesis, I want to describe my life-long adventure with foreign languages. All this started when I was 9 or 10, it was a boring summer holiday. I had nothing to do, so I rewatched all the Barbie movies. I knew them by heart, so to change something I watched them in all the languages possible. However, each language has a different story, so I’ll describe them separately.

English: I started English when I was 6, I loved it from the very beginning. In the primary schools I always scored A’s and B’s, I frequented additional classes till the age of 11. It got worsen in secondary school, I don’t know if I didn’t like the teacher or the teacher didn’t like me, somehow my grades were much worse than before. However, on the finals I scored 100% and 88%. In the high school I felt my love for this language again. I can say without doubt I was the best student in my group, even though I didn’t get engaged into competitions etc. I simply didn’t want to, but that’s a different story. When I realised I made a mistake having chosen a science class, I decided to take up a preparing course to the extended matura exam, which I managed to pass with 82% result. Then, I chose to study English at uni, and I must admit, it has been a 3-year holiday.

German: In the secondary school I had to choose a second language. My choice was German. When I struggled with English, it was German which still gave me the happiness. Actually, it was my first German teacher who noticed my talent for languages. She took care of me, engaged me into several competitions. After one year of additional lessons with her I knew as much as after 3 years of secondary school. Though, I really regret that I chose German in high school. I wasted 3 years during which I could have continued the study on my own and not repeating the basics each year. Now it’s been 9 years as I’m struggling with this hella boi. Even if I’m not as advanced as I would like to be, I enjoy learning it.

Spanish: I’m not sure if I can say that I have ever studied it. I’d rather say that I acquired it. Since I remember, I’ve been watching various Mexican telenovelas and somehow I managed to acquire it without officially learning it. I remember that once I was desperately looking for episodes of one of these telenovelas, but the only version was without subtitles or anything. However, when I started watching I realised that I can understand almost everything. After 6 months (and matura exams) I decided to buy some textbooks and start the official study. In 3 years I’m nearly fluent.

Italian: Honestly, I have no idea when my desire to learn Italian started. Maybe it was when I was 13, or when my cousin started learning it in high school. I started studying it in 2017, one month after I had taken up Spanish. In the first two years my progress wasn’t huge, it all changed when I became a fangirl of Il Volo and when I decided to go to Italy the following year. Believe me, I wanted to give it up several times seeing that I wasn’t progressing as fast as with Spanish. Now I can say that my Italian is only a bit worse than Spanish.

Norwegian: I wanted to learn a language of one of the Scandinavian countries. I lowkey neglected it now, but I’m still able to understand short texts and it enabled me to understand also Swedish and Danish.

Czech: C'mon, I’m Polish. I love the sweet sound of this language, it makes me laugh sometimes. If you ever asked yourself how Slavic languages sound for the speakers of another Slavic lang, for me Czech sounds like children’s speech. And this feeling keeps me very interested in it. A few months ago I managed to hold my first short conversation in Czech.

Hungarian: It looks so surreal. Also, Hungarian natives are very helpful people and they often learn Polish. Polak, Węgier — dwa bratanki —  együtt harcol s issza borát. Unfortunately, there are very few resources for this wonderful language and Hungarian Duolingo course is the least helpful thing.

Russian/Ukrainian: I joined them together since they have quite similar stories. I fell in love with their soft sounds and a bit hard accents and also made my Ukrainian uni friends into checking my exercises XD. I took up Russian when I finished Ukrainian, sometimes I mix both of them. For example, in Naples I had a conversation with one Ukrainian woman and we used Ukrainian, mixed with Russian, mixed with Polish and Italian (we can register it as  a conlang, I swear). 

Portuguese: I never really planned it. It was an impulse, when speaking with my friend Heloísa. She said that the next language I should pick up should be Portuguese. Here we go!

Greek: It’s my #1 on my to-learn list. The love for this language is dated back for the Barbie movies era. For now, I’m able to read short captions even though I don’t understand what they say. And I always criticised my Maths and Physics teachers’ handwriting, the most horrible thing I have ever seen.

#language #languagelearning #languagelover #langblr

[organizedstudy]

Hi, sorry to bother you with this probably dumb ask but I hope to one day study in Sweden and cannot figure out the equivalent for the Swedish grades required to do medicine I believe Swedish 3 is equivalent to B2 but I was wondering if this is true? Do you have any equivalents you can compare to biology 2, physics 2, chemistry 2 and maths 4 Or possibly explain what these are as I don't know if I have the required grades. You don't have to do this but thank you in advance if you can help.

Hi! So I don’t know where you’re from or how things work there so I’m just going to explain Swedish high school as well as possible haha. 

So, “Svenska 3″ isn’t equivalent to any CEFR level, it just means you have studied Swedish for 3 years in high school (as a native speaker) which I believe is mandatory for everyone who does hs here. 

Here you have to chose a direction for your hs studies which is going to prepare you for different types of university studies by giving you a different set of mandatory courses. Since I did humanities/languages I haven’t done any of the courses necessary for going into medicine for example. If I wanted to do that I’d have to go to komvux. But if you did some kind of natural sciences/STEM hs program you’re probably going to be (mostly) fine. 

Idk how good your Swedish is but on this site you can see what is included in the different courses. The higher the number the more advanced the course is and you have to do chemistry 1 to be able to do chemistry 2 (you can’t skip one just because you already know it basically). 

For math there are also different letters depending on what program you do. So I have only done math2b (which was more than I had to do) which was one math course per year but friends of mine who did natural sciences or technology had like math 4 (5??) at a quicker pace (so like 1-2 courses per year) I believe? So math 2a, 2b, and 2c are marginally different probably because as a humanities student it’s not very likely to do that much math and you don’t have to cram as much into it. Idrk how it works tbh. 

For actual grades I don’t really know how it works for foreigners but you should probably get your grades professionally translated. There are a few different groups you can fall into when applying for university depending on what system you got your grades in (I got EA but the generation before me got G-MVG and my parents got 1-5 so there have been a few different ones) but there’s also an exam you can take (högskoleprovet) and if you do well on that but your grades aren’t that good you can still get in basically. But you still have to have taken the necessary courses. No one will look at your individual grades for different subjects, it’s just the average that matters. Like for my Italian degree I could’ve literally gotten an E in Italian but if I had a high average I would still get in over someone who would’ve gotten an A in Italian but had a lower average.

Idk if this was of any help but I wish you all the luck!

[alltingfinns]

4, 7, 14, 16 for the ask game

favourite dish specific for your country?

I kind of really like sliced and fried falukorv, preferably with a side of creamed cauliflower and some potatoes.

Falukorv is a big and thick sausage that is only really cooked whole if you’re making oven cooked falukorv where you make some slits in it to put in some cheese, mustard, onions and possibly apple slices or tomato wedges depending on preference. Commonly it’s sliced up and fried in a pan or cut into little pieces for sausage stroganoff, a Swedish version that has preciously little in common with the original Russian dish.

three words from your native language that you like the most?

Orka - verb for having enough energy/stamina for something. Using it just on its own is usually shorthand for “vem orkar med det här egentligen?” = “who has the energy to care?”

Tiga - verb for not saying anything. Famously used in the wartime slogan “en svensk tiger” with the double meaning of “a Swede keeps silent”/“a Swedish tiger”. Accompanied with a drawing of a tiger with blue and yellow stripes.

Särbo - a long term partner you don’t share address with. The term “sambo” is probably better known, and can be translated as cohab/cohabitant if English wants to loan it without the bad connotations of its original form. “Bo” literally mean to live (somewhere)/to inhabit, while “sam” means “together/joint” and “sär” means “separate/apart”.

I just really like that we have a term for a serious relationship that doesn’t require living together or having a certificate.

do you enjoy your country’s cinema and/or TV?

Generally we’ve had some pretty good films. The ones I most recently enjoyed were “En man som heter Ove” (a man by the name Ove, was Oscar nominated), “Hundraåringen som försvann ut genom ett fönster” (the hundred year old that disappeared out of a window) and its sequel “Hundraettåringen som smet ifrån notan” (the hundred and one year old that ran out on the bill)

I kind of also like all the movies we did based on the works of Astrid Lindgren. (Btw if you ever need a movie to link Christopher Lee and Christian Bale, they were both in the Swedish-English-German coproduction “Mio, my son” about an orphan boy finding out he’s really a fantasy prince.)

which stereotype about your country you hate the most and which one you somewhat agree with?

I generally don’t hate any stereotypes about us, though I find some confusing. I was super confused by B99’s “The Swedes” episode because it was based on the idea that Swedes are casually super intimate with one another which is opposite from our own view. (That the contrast was the stoic US Americans made it worse, because Americans seem generally far more huggy and kissy.) Guessing this is one of those cultural connotations to nudity and sex, the idea that if we’re so open about those things then clearly we also casually hold hands (!) with our coworkers (!!).

They were spot on with the “know-it-all” “less-problematic-than-thou” attitude though. Few things us Swedes like to do more than preach at Americans about how we’re better at the whole freedom and democracy deal. It’s little wonder that so many Americans have come to believe that Sweden is a socialist paradise on Earth. (Obviously reality is more complicated, in part because we don’t really understand the US and are only commenting on the more sensationalistic stuff we hear about like school shootings, medical poverty and Republicans.)

#sweden #personal #ask meme