Well played. Or is it plaid?

 

I think it's plate.

#herpderp

 

Interestingly, "There is a lot of grammar peeves" is technically correct, and "There are a lot . . ." is not.

"lot" is a set of something. So, "a lot" is a single set. A lot of peeves. We've attached the idea of it meaning many. But it's still a collective singular.

At least, that's how I read it. Willing to be shown I'm wrong on it.

 

The term 'A lot' operates on a singular or plural basis dependent on the object of the verb; a lot of trouble... is singular whereas a lot of peeves... are plural.

 

I should have skipped school and just hung out here.

 

It's a matter of context, regional variation and personal preference whether to refer to groups of things as a singular group or a plural collection of individuals. Sports teams are the most obvious example:

Manchester United is warming up. (More common in the US)

Manchester United are warming up. (More common in Britain)

 

Best irony of the day- Taure chooses to make the point using Manchester United.

 

But, shouldn't that then be: "Lots of peeves . . . "? Seems "lots" is plural and "a lot" is singular, at least in true, formal English, idioms and vulgar speech aside, no?

And Taure,

Why should I trust a Brit when you all can't even find the "z" on the keyboard.

 

I honestly don't get subbing out s for z for some words in American English. First of all it looks ugly, second of all, you're not cutting down on anything like you are when you get rid of u (such as in colour), you're just replacing it with a similar looking letter.

Why even do that to begin with? (I'm sure there's actually some really interesting reason actually).

 

Wiki to the rescue

Translation:

Damn French confused you all on the island.

 

I have done this in real life. Want to know the outcome? Well, said young lady was rather obviously horny and hitting on me at the beginning of the night. After I was finished talking, I had completely shattered her buzz and joy for the evening.

I would do it again. Because I took pleasure in watching her face change like her mood, and the fact that she didn't haven't the common sense to try and escape me when my mouth was stuck in high gear motor. I enjoy torturing irl captive audiences.

 

Screwing with people is better than sex, you heard it here first.

 

She could, as is a person's right, always say no to sex. But she couldn't escape the Life Story Train. She just had to take it. It's rare for situations like that when it isn't family, but just someone you know, who you can subject to a mild life story or just Nerd Rants that they are unprepared for. Showing off your power level when nobody can escape is fun.

That may very well be the quick and dirty version Dumbledore used, since its specifically named "Dis"Apparition to prevent escape. At Hogwarts, you can't enter that way either.

Also, while fanon magic can get weird, I wouldn't be so keen on limiting HPverse so strictly just based on the absolute strictest interpretation. Because then their basically are only a handful of actual Dark Arts, not a extremeyl varying and possibly lethal mix and wild ass shit evil and crazy people throughout the millenia have created.

Personally, I view that as a man hitting his limits of just not giving a damn anymore about witnesses.

Blame Ron Weasley's influence and the Dursley's influence. The Dursley's for not wanting Harry to do better than Dudley, and Ron Weasley for being a fucking slacker who would either have learned to fucking study or had his grades be shit without Hermione. I mean damn, could you imagine a good fanfic where the simple premise is that Harry meets Hermione as his first friend and not Ron? Harry gets a few more EE's and O's. Ron gets told to stuff it for making fun of someone trying to help/tutor you.

Young Ron was an ass, and he took quite a while to grow out of it.

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/6284207/1/The-Boy-Who-died

 

Pretty much sums up my thoughts on it. We are the sum of our experiences, two major influences like that almost certainly shaped his study habits. He may have even been willing to study a bit more since it was magic and he was away from the Dursleys, but his desire to fit in with Ron (his first contact really) and not become an outcast (like Hermione) probably killed that.

 

He was already an outcast, he was used to that. No, he latched on to Ron because he wanted to be accepted.

Had he latched on to Hermione early on, he probably would have been just find, even if his friendship was more limited. A possible take on it, is that after meeting Hermione early on, he becomes involved in hunting for Trevor. And on the way to the castle, they discuss the Houses. And lets be honest here.

Hermione belonged to Ravenclaw. While no house has a monopoly on its stereotypical traits, they are supposed to select for traits they exemplify. And one good fanfic I snip read once pointed out that a beneficial part of the house system is to reduce personality conflicts by putting people with their own kind so to speak. Hermione really belonged to Ravenclaw. And she probably avoided it to avoid nerd boys. Can't blame her really.

If, while discussing the House's, Harry basically says he'll try to go with whatever house she goes with, because why not, well then you may well have a legitimate Ravenclaw Harry. This is potentially more awkward and frankly dangerous than Slytherin!Harry's done right, because Harry ends up completely out of the Gryffindor/Slytherin nigh-bloodfeud. And also because such a relationship may cement Harry's feelings as an outsider.

 

Maybe, but perhaps he thought that he could get a clean slate. Hell, if I was told I was going to a new world (of magic) where I was also famous I'm pretty sure I'd start to think "Hey, maybe I don't have to be an outcast any more!".

 

While I agree, in theory, I think most people in the US would actually be more likely to say, "Manchester United?" or possibly "Manchester United? That a new country or something? Why is it warming up, are we talking about climate change, again?"

--------
And, now, for Revenge of The Peeves!

People who add non-chapters to their story to let you know they might update... someday... eventually... but hopefully soon. I've said this before, but I have to wonder at the additional twist of a person doing this because they don't want people to "give up" on their story.

Let us examine this logically, authors.

I assume truly "giving up" on a story means the reader has removed it from their alert list. If that's the case, they won't be seeing your little message about possible future updates, so posting it was pointless and you should have just kept your thoughts to yourself!

If the reader hasn't "given up" on your story, then it is still on their alert list, and they'll eventually get an alert for a new chapter, regardless of how long you take to actually write it. That being the case, posting the message was pointless and you should have just kept your thoughts to yourself!

Therefore, if you cause your readers to get alerts for a new chapter, only for it to turn out that what's waiting for them is a bullshit non-chapter with you maundering about how you totally swear there's a REAL update coming in the near future, you've accomplished nothing beyond wasting your time and that of your readers, in addition to pissing them off.

You want to write another chapter of your long-dormant story? Fucking write it (please), and keep the promises and irritating false chapter notices to yourself (thank you).

That isn't even touching on the possibility that you won't be able to make good on delivering the update you've now announced/promised! Then you've pissed the readers off by being a cock-tease with the fake update, and because you didn't come through with the real thing on time. If you were worried about being removed from their alerts before, what do you think this will do?

Besides, I'm not sure the fear of an idle story being removed from an alert list is a terribly valid one. How many people really sit around thinking, "My alert list is so cluttered; I need to clean it up right now!"

I don't even remove stories that the authors have confirmed as abandoned. The only alerts I've ever deleted were because the story took a turn that I couldn't abide, like revealing a nausea-inducing main pairing; surprise slash; or just plain turning into complete and utter shark-jumping shit, without warning.

It's especially annoying when authors cause false alerts to go out for stories that haven't updated for two or more years. Look, if people haven't removed you and your story from their alerts by then, they're not going to do so in the next month or two. Don't do this infuriating horse shit!

Besides, if you want to get technical, posting a chapter that doesn't actually consist of story content...
IS AGAINST FFN'S GODDAMNED RRRRUUUUUUULLLLLLEEEESSS!
So, it shouldn't be an issue in the first fucking place. :fire
​

I appreciate your writing, but I don't appreciate getting jerked around. If a reader wants, badly enough, to know whether you've abandoned your story, they will check your profile to see if you've said anything there... or if your friends/relatives have left a message that you've sadly passed on. Write something about your update status on your profile or write a new chapter; otherwise, kindly keep it to yourself and out of my inbox: That shit's inconsiderate.

​

 

Oh thats perfectly natural when going to a new school, even in the real world. Like, I can sympathize and empathize with this. But its a real easy mental pattern to fall back into.

Exactly. And he jumped on the first offer of friendship that was offered. The first offer of belonging. Kinda the reason I share the heavy disappointment with "They Shook Hands" as of late. It was the fic that got me back into Harry Potter fanfic. But now it seems so shallow, especially the way the dialogue flows. I guess Prince of a Dark Kingdom spoiled me as far as world building, depth, and richness. Along with some others. Man, I have to say, reading a fanfic, especially a long one like Mizuni's, after a load of it is already written, is more fun than reading one in progress.

 

You know what I'm starting to really dislike (more than before). Flashbacks. I've always been irritated at them, but now I just want to skip right over them.

"He remembered that moment 2 years ago...."
50 line paragraph.

 

Flashbacks can serve a purpose sometimes, but I absolutely hate those that pop up in the middle of action or something generally exciting. I want to know what happens next, at this particular moment I don't care about that heart-breaking moment when the girl died in the protag's arms during the battle that absolutely has to described right now to provide some meaningless details that have no impact on anything whatsoever.