#Got hyper focused on a couple fandoms
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idolsgf · 2 months ago
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wip wednesday
i was tagged by the lovely mo, @shivunin. tysm <333
sooooo I haven’t really been writing lately, stories have mostly just existed in my head (ie. a solavellan clair obscur au lol). The reason being I’ve been hyper focused on sewing and crafty things the last few weeks. I thought I’d share some of that progress — even if it’s not fandom related, it’s still a wip haha
tagging: @ell-vellan @greypetrel @ndostairlyrium @rosieofcorona and anyone else who wants to share <3
everything will be under cut
Quilting
I’ve been working on a pattern for the past couple of days and it’s a focus on Half Square Triangles — I wanted to make it pretty beginner friendly. I’ve finally started cutting into main fabric instead of just tester scraps so that’s exciting for me.
Here’s some of the smaller HSTs of the piece that I put together (they still have to be trimmed down):
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And here’s a sneak peek of what two finished blocks look like (this was fabric from my scrap bin when I was testing things so that’s why it looks different)
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Once I’m done with it I’ll share things like the name and such. It’s gonna be pretty cute when it’s all put together :3
If you got this far, thanks for reading. I know it’s not your typical WIP Wednesday, but it’s something I’m really excited about. I haven’t thought about quilting for a long time but I’m glad the spark came back. All it took was a boat load of medication xD
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variousqueerthings · 9 months ago
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For the Ask Thing, simply because we talked about it today, Cobra Kai please!
also @pigtailedgirl
oh how the mighty have fallen.......
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my favorite female character ok in cobra kai (vs miyagi-verse generally) my favourite female character is tory nichols. absolute shocker (generally it's kumiko). she's literally given a whole arc that is soooooooo deserving of better trappings, but i will take it! she shines in this whole affair, she's brash, she's angry, she's definitely a lesbian! i thank cobra kai for giving me tory nichols. honestly, i thank cobra kai for giving me many women i can gnaw on, even though it's all just scraps. it's fine, we'll take it from here!
my favorite male character i think it was as-of s5 i kinda went "alright shockingly i am more interested in the teenagers than the adults officially in this show" and then i got halfway through this sentence and remembered john kreese. unhinged mf'er, the worst man in the world, would be a fantastic exploration of every worst american nationalist hyper-masculine impulse with a fascinating queer undertone, and... that's what he is actually, don't even come at me (i say like i'm not in the unhinged old men fandom) but of the kids, miguel. miguel needs to be saved from this narrative. miguel has nothing good to learn from these people. miguel is daniel larusso's successor in that he's put in these fucking Situations because of other peoples fucking business, and he did have some beautiful growth in terms of almost almost being lured into all of it, but then he got himself out. literally do not think johnny has taught him a single valuable life lesson. not a one. miguel. i see you (if it were all of miyagi-verse, then miyagi!)
my favorite book/season/etc s1-3. you understand. (hon mention to every silver scene in s4 though, silver you keep me coming back and idk whether to hate you or love you for that)
my favorite episode (if its a tv show) lol, s4ep1. tsilver intro episode. also, finale s2, the last time i could accept these bonkers fights happening in the story
my favorite cast member my beautiful marty kooooooooooveeeeeeee (obvs) and mary mouser, every little punky Look of hers is Iconique
my favorite ship as a usually bringing an aroace vibe to the party that fandom doesn't appreciate, this is my big exception. everyone is gay and alloromantic and allosexual is2g (i kid, there are some absolutely Amazing aro and/or ace reads and fics out there!) gonna give this one to sam/tory and every girl they pulled into their Nonsense. also aisha/the girl in this one fic @mimsyaf wrote in which aisha is Out (as in Out of the karate drama and also Out as a lesbian and Out of the narrative having lesbian sex. this too could be you if you got Out). sam. i know you're butch. i know it. sam, pspspspspsss sam listen! hon mention to kreese/silver. most awful men in the world ❤
a character I’d die defending miguel! sam! daniel! listen, in this fandom, we're all defending someone aren't we, and i respect all of said defences. kenny and shawn payne deserve more screentime, esp in which they're not treated abominably, miguel deserves to have more focused narrative and not have his thematic identity as Literally The Next Karate Kid From Day One distorted, robby.... oh robby..... goodness gracious robby...... you know. if you're in this fandom, you know!!! and of course, the larussos, the eternally Wrong Gender Performers according to straight men across the world. i see you (i also See You 👀 in a gay way) and johnny... i know what the point was with you. i will fistfight the writers for that one. i know this isn't you johnny 😭😭😭
a character I just can’t sympathize with stingray. sry. the actor seemed lovely. and i did kinda like that he ended up slightly (slightly) more serious, but. it should have been a Warning when he was more than in a couple of episodes i also don't hate yasmin and moon, but i think everything interesting about them is fanon
a character I grew to love youknow, i really like the characters of this show? genuinely the thing that keeps me coming back is wanting better narrative for them, because they're actually Interesting (except for above) there's so much in all of the mains that deserves 10000 fics (esp fix-its) not because they're bad, but because things keep getting presented that are Interesting and then dropped immediately. so yeah. i was into them all pretty much from the start
my anti otp lol is there a straight pairing that works in this????? other than amanda/daniel (but you know how bisexual that is)
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pyro-yoshi · 2 years ago
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Pyro's emeto commissions
I've never done commissions before but I'd like to give it a shot. I got laid off last Thursday so I don't have a job anymore. Work in my home local is slow, so unless I travel out of state I'll likely be off for a couple months. I'm going to have a lot of time on my hands, so I figured I'd try doing emeto commissions.
Want to see your favorite character puking their guts out? Hit me up! I'm primarily focusing on fan art, but I'll also draw your OCs!
Since I've never done this before, here's my promise to you: Until I show you the finished product, you won't be charged a penny. Then we can negotiate prices depending on the complexity of the piece.
I won't charge that much since my art skills pale in comparison to a lot of other artists.
Here's an example of my emeto art (old pic, just a character, no background):
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Priority fandoms:
Saw (current hyper fixation)
Silent Hill
Resident Evil
Metalocalypse
The Walking Dead
Stranger Things
The Simpsons
Will also draw:
Characters from most other fandoms, your OCs (as long as you provide a picture or detailed description) anthro/furry/literal monster/non-human characters.
Male characters are preferred, but I'm willing to do female characters too.
I will NOT draw:
Underage/minor characters. I will NOT draw characters who are under 18. NO EXCEPTIONS.
Real people. Fictional characters/OCs only!
Scat
Certain fandoms (see below)
Characters that wear super complex outfits or armor (too hard to draw)
Fandoms I won't draw for:
Genshin Impact, or any other anime (I should probably apologize for this, but I simply don't care for anime. At all. Sorry guys)
Harry Potter
Family Guy (or any other show created by Seth McFarlane)
South Park
If you're interested or just want to chat, send me a message on my non-emeto account, @creepereyes. (That's the account I access via Tumblr app, I access this one via laptop and don't check it very often)
@creepereyes is me. You're more than welcome to message me on here too, but it'll take longer to get a response.
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maybeimamuppet · 2 years ago
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2, 5, 9, 11, 16 for the fic asks?
hello darling friend tysm for the ask!!
2, will you participate in any fandom exchanges or fic challenges, etc?
if i’m asked to absolutely!! i think they seem so fun but being in smaller fandoms i think they’re a lot harder to figure out. i’ve actually considered forming a few of my own for like halloween or the holidays and stuff but i’m kind of the only cadnis writer still somewhat consistently active and everyone else who writes for mean girls is into very different things (which is great we love to see it but it makes group stuff hard lol) and matilda i haven’t checked up on in so long i have no idea what’s going on in that little corner anymore whoops
5, which wip is first on your list to complete this year? will you post a snippet?
we are continuing my beloved series of ‘someone has to write all the cliche fics for this ship and by golly it might as well be me”! from the looks of things the first one to be finished will be a college au (professor/student) that i’m honestly really proud of. i’ve been hammering away at it for a while lol. but we also have a few more like that and obviously plenty more that aren’t that i’m not gonna spoil just yet but i’m very excited for them :)))
“As long as I’m your professor, this can’t happen, no matter how badly I want it to,” Cady says with a sniffle. She gently presses a kiss to the corner of Janis’ lips before she pulls away and takes a couple steps back. “I’m so sorry, Janis.”
Janis watches her go for a minute, barely feeling the frigid rain slamming against her face. Cady hunches in on herself and clicks off. “What about when you’re not my professor anymore?!”
Cady freezes and turns to look at her. “What?”
“Once I graduate,” Janis begs. “Can we be together then?”
“…Technically, yes, we could,” Cady says. “But-”
“Wait for me,” Janis says. “Please.”
Cady bites her lip, but she nods after a second. “Okay.”
“You will?” Janis asks, finally feeling hopeful enough to smile for the first time in what feels like years.
“I’ll wait,” Cady agrees. “If you’re willing to do the same. Come to me once you graduate, and… we’ll see what happens. Okay?”
“Okay,” Janis says, smiling around a sob. Cady does the same before she continues walking away.
unproofread snippet brought to you by maybeimamuppet :)
9, short term goals… what do you hope to complete this week or in january?
i’m really hoping to have that and the next chapter of pt done by the end of the month!! my third writing birthday is at the beginning of march and i’m really hoping to have a batch of fics ready to crank out by then :)) matilda is kind of wonky for the time being bc i have very few wips and i need time to sort through which requests i can actually do/want to do so they might be a while but focusing on my meanies for a while will be a nice change i think!
11, would you like to try any new fanfic genres or tropes this year?
i don’t think i do!! at least not in fics lol i’m good with my romance and family fluff sorta genres i’m in but i am trying to write a few publishable like real actual books that are a little different so we’ll see how that goes!
16, do you have one fanfic that you wrote a ton for, ages ago, but never posted? will this be the year come hell or high water that it WILL get finished and posted?
UHHHH honestly most of my wips are kinda like that lol. i hyper focus on one and then get bored with it and move on to a new one and herein lies the cycle of Big Issues. so i have a lot of like half-done oneshots (including requests i literally got in 2021 and am sobbing trying to get done i feel so bad). i do have an entire folder of ‘unpublishable fics’ that will never see the light of day. they’re mostly just writing exercises but some of them are just really embarrassing so most of them stay there lol. and i have a multi-chapter The Good Place au i started years ago and couldn’t figure out other than the title but i only wrote a couple scenes for it but that probably also won’t ever see the light of day. ce la vie ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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angeflrs · 2 years ago
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Flufftober — Day 07: Movie Night.
Pairing: Max Goof / Yakko Warner.
Fandoms: Animaniacs, A Goofy Movie (Disney).
Word Count: 1090.
Versión Español: https://archiveofourown.org/works/50488909/chapters/128042722#workskin
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Seeing how excited Max was about this movie night (especially the movie they picked) almost made Yakko feel bad for hoping to do more than just watch a movie about two plumbers who arrive in a magical world of mushrooms, such as kissing.
You can't blame him, he's watched too many Netflix memes this week to not develop expectations.
He arrived just in time at Max's apartment, and he greeted him with a bright smile and his tail wagging in anticipation, when he realized he was already leaning in to kiss Max in the hallway.
The kisses barely lasted, before Max broke away with a giggle and led him to the living room.
Yakko did a double take at the coffee table filled with candy and drinks, with a large bowl of popcorn in the center. It was adorable how much effort Max was putting into all of this, even if he was sure that Wakko would be the only one capable of eating all of this, much less the two of them.
Instead of sitting on the couch, they both gathered all the cushions and pillows and arranged them in a nest between the couch and the small table on the floor.
They got comfortable next to each other after turning off the lights and Max started the movie.
He had to admit, he was attentive for the first half hour, but his eyes kept darting to Max every few minutes, thinking about how to make a move.
First he leaned in and subtly bumped their shoulders, when that didn't work, he moved his hand up Max's leg, but just before he tried to move his fingers higher, he glanced at Max.
He was absolutely hooked.
Yakko knew, he recognized Max's hyper-focused look well enough to know that unless an earthquake started, nothing could distract him from the screen.
With a small, fond and resigned sigh, Yakko silently withdrew his hand and admitted defeat. Sure, he could forcefully get his attention (he certainly had a couple of naughty options) but it wouldn't feel right to do that.
Instead, he had another idea.
He carefully climbed into Max's lap, trying not to block his view of the screen. Whether automatically or consciously, Max leaned back slightly to give Yakko more room until she settled with a triumphant smile between Max's legs.
A second later, Max's arms automatically wrapped around him. Yakko leaned against Max's torso and took one of his hands in his.
Unlike Yakko and his siblings, Max rarely wore full gloves, only in winter or when playing extreme sports to protect his pads, instead he usually wore leather or mesh fingerless gloves, depending on his clothing or mood, and in his apartment, he would take them off to let the sensitive flesh of his hands breathe.
Yakko took off his own white gloves, revealing his own pink pads and the particular pattern of colors. He smiled, taking Max's hand again to feel the touch of skin to skin.
It's not like they didn't hold hands whenever they went out, but it wasn't the same with the cloth in the way.
And now that Max was being so docile, he wasn't going to waste this opportunity.
Letting his own excitement seep into the way his tail swished to the side between him and Max, he admired everything in Max's hands to his heart's content. One good thing about having a DNA cocktail was the night vision that allowed him to make out all the details in the darkness of the room.
For example, unlike Yakko's hands, which changed from black to white on his knuckles, Max's focused on the first section of his fingers and was a color more similar to beige or cream. The padding of his palms was almost the same, although Yakko was closer to a cat. The shade of pink was lighter on his hands, Max's were a little darker, especially on his fingers, where the sun had more opportunities to tan (was it something that could tan? Yakko wasn't sure). His fingers were also less soft than the palm.
Max's claws were visible all the time, unlike Yakko, who could only see them if you pressed the pads or encountered someone particularly rude. He turns Max's hand to get a better look at the mint green nail varnish that covered the trimmed and filed claws this week, he knew that if him wanted, could still scratch and even climb with them, yakko had seen it more than once and it was impressive.
He froze completely when Max let out a gasp of alarm, thinking he'd screwed him up, but luckily it was just a turning point in the movie.
For the last half hour, Yakko simply held Max's hand in his as he watched the plot's outcome, which by the way was punching a giant fire-breathing turtle with rainbow powers. Maybe he should have paid attention.
Once the credits started rolling, the spell that trapped Max was broken. "That was incredible! The princess in her battle outfit was so cool! And Mario and Luigi's brother relationship was so-”
Yakko bit his cheek to keep from laughing the moment Max realized Yakko had moved into his lap. It was easy to see the gears turning behind those emerald eyes, and Yakko almost wanted to kiss him just for that.
“Did you say, HoneyKnees ?” Yakko said, in a playful tone.
Max blinked owlishly, his gaze darting from Yakko to his hands. “Oh.” He exclaimed smiling, as if nothing had happened he moved his hands to take Yakko's and intertwine their fingers… Geez, Yakko was practically indestructible, but this dog was going to be his death.
For the next few hours, Yakko listened with a loving smile to Max as he told him every little detail that caught his attention in the movie and his opinions about each character, every so often leaning in to steal kisses.
Maybe it wasn't as he expected, but Yakko wouldn't want it any other way.
“Oh, and the part where Luigi kisses Bowser to distract him!”
"Wait what!?"
Max's laughter and Ah-hyuck filled the room.
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ryker-writes · 5 months ago
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Okay okay okay since I’m a silly little man who forgot Jaxon’s birthday last month, I come to make amends to him by sharing some Jaxon information! (Most of this is outside the twst universe)
This is for my very delayed Jaxon celebration, so enjoy some fun facts about the Jaxon design process when I was making him, and fun little facts!
Jaxon is one of my oldest ocs who I’ve had for a long time, even before I started writing on Tumblr
I’ve sorta hyper focused on him a lot so he’s had many changes and developments over the years
In fact, the original Jaxon design wasn’t made for Twisted Wonderland at all!
The very first Jaxon design was made for the DC fandom (yes, like the Batman universe)
There’s actually many different versions of Jaxon across different fandoms/interests of mine! (There’s a DC Jaxon, a Genshin impact Jaxon, a Honkai Star Rail Jaxon, a dungeons and dragons Jaxon, a Zelda Jaxon, the list goes on)
I call all these different versions of Jaxon, the Jaxon-verse
In most of these universes, he has a love specific to each fandom (like Riddle)
But he actually has a sort of soulmate that he meets in most of them! His soulmate is an oc made by one of my friends and they’ve met in several universes, and as we say, will find each other again and again across universes
A lot of the different versions of Jaxon, he actually has a sister too! Only by a couple years, but she’s an oc of mine that I didn’t include in the twisted wonderland version of Jaxon
The original Jaxon design also looked different, with black hair (that eventually turned white) and blue eyes
The first Jaxon design also had a more…rugged personality. For those who have read his stuff and remember what he was slime as a first year, imagine that but 10 times more chaotic, out of control, and a menace to society. Compared to that design, the Jaxon of today is pretty calm
Why does Jaxon have a crow theme? Two reasons. One, it fits with Crowley being his dad. And two, it’s a trait he got from my own personality (I see shiny, I collect, and so does he)
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theconstitutionisgayculture · 6 months ago
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I think the reason why Yuri on Ice has allowed (maybe not totally conservative, but at least moderate) thinking in the fan base is because it’s diverse without any preachiness, which I’ve noticed a lot of leftists hate. I don’t know if you were super involved in the fan as when the creators announced YOI was set in a world without any homophobia, a lot of people were pissed. They wanted the show to turn into a big commentary on gay rights and have Victor and Yuuri fighting the good fight and have it be all angsty, and accused the creators of using “gay aesthetics” for easy money (even though the creators went on record stating that it was a fight with the network to be able to do what they did). But instead the couples biggest struggle was a moment of miscommunication and continuing to compete as skaters. It strictly remained a sports anime that happened to have a gay couple and not a “gay anime with sports”. I know a few people that left after the no homophobia thing. The show also had a whole cast of people with different races and ethnicities, and that’s never made into a big deal. There’s a bunch of white people among the main characters that I know for certain would be turned into either racist villains or Wendy White Guilts in any other big fandom. All these characters are friends and no one is singled out as a bad guy for their race. Not to mention two openly Christian characters who aren’t demonized at all. YOI did diversity in the 90s colorblind television way. And I know a whole bunch of leftists hate that.
I don't remember people being pissed at the world without homophobia but I do remember a lot of people being mad that The Kiss was hidden by Victor's arm. People were screaming about "queerbaiting" and all that crap, completely ignoring the fact that the main characters literally would not shut up about how much they loved each other, XD.
Japan is very conservative when it comes to sexuality and the fact that YOI was a sports anime that just happened to feature a m/m romance between the leads instead of being a yaoi was pretty revolutionary for 2016 in Japan. That it got made at all was a miracle. That it was as popular as it was both in Japan and out was a cultural milestone. But no, because you guys didn't get to see a kiss and because the show wasn't hyper focused on sexuality YOI is "homophobic" and "queerbaiting". Fuck right the fuck off with that. YOI is exactly how "rEpReSeNtaTiOn" should be done. Characters who are characters first, and whatever else second, or third, or even further back. God, I could go on forever about how rare it is to have a show with gay leads and a diverse cast that actually focuses on telling a good story over pandering and how that should be cherished.
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lowlywriter · 11 months ago
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i love Lost in Paradise so much!!!!!! The exchanges between characters is literally chef's kiss. It's so on point!!! It is definitely one of the main reasons I look forward to the weekends, definitely a huge recharge after the rocky week days. I do some of my own writing but I physically can not go on with the story I'm working on now, if it's ok, could u share some tips for writers block?
Hello!
Super glad to hear you like the fic! I'm so happy that it's become something that people look forward to reading! Probably the highest praise I can get :D Thank you for your support!
As for the writers block, the only thing I can really offer is to step back from it for a second.
Get up, walk around, grab a snack or something.
I hyper-focused on another fandom for a good while, working on another huge fic before coming to write for JJK, and when it just wasn't coming out right, I found that putting my attention on another idea for a while to helpful. I made one of my personal fav fics by procrastinating my main project :D Even just a quick oneshot or something that you can write out in a couple hours or something.
Just a bit of different as a refresher.
Not being able to make it happen the way I picture if frustrates me to no end, so when I could work with something else and get results I liked, it made it easier to come back to it with a better mindset.
Or, if I've got a plan in mind of what I want to happen in the chapter or fic but it's just not going anywhere word wise, I like to open a new document and start the chapter from scratch for a new perspective. I have a habit of writing myself into a hole, so it helps to change it up, but still be able to fall back on the first draft if I don't like the new version!
Of course it's different for everyone!
I wish I had more solid advice for you. Writers block is the absolute worst sometimes, especially when you're really motivated to keep going but can't find the right words, so I hope you can find your way out! There's always someone out there who'll appreciate whatever you put out into the world, so good luck!! :D
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zipzin · 2 years ago
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2023 Year In Review
Stats
The numbers in case anyone is curious :)
AO3 Total: 214,086
AO3 This Year: 78,253
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I can’t believe I wrote 100,000 more words this year than last year! I tracked all my writing again, so this is all spread across outlining, drafting, and editing, and these words definitely don’t translate to words that will be published. But it gets the vibe and I’m super proud that every month I contributed something.
November was a huge surprise because I was in a little bit of a slump and my only goal for Nano was to draft at least a sentence a day (which I completed except for Thanksgiving which I’m giving myself a pass on). I surprised myself by almost getting to 50,000! Which I haven’t done since I first started Nano as a freshman in High School.
The Same Recurring Questions
Looking back, did you write more fic than you thought you would this year or less than what you’d predicted?
I thought I wrote a lot last year, but I almost doubled that this year. I started to give myself a lot more permission to write what I’m interested in and ride the waves of creativity, but I want to continue to get better at that. I’m not a very forgiving person, especially of myself, and sometimes I get too hyper focused on banging my head against an arbitrary deadline on a story I just am not feeling. I want to work on those stories through some of that pain, but not so much it grinds my writing to a halt.
What pairing/genre/fandom did you write that you never would have predicted in January 2023?
While I haven’t posted any fics yet, Critical Role. I can’t really believe I started watching (which only happened because my own DnD group was taking a break for a couple weeks) and then I totally got sucked into Campaign 3. For actually posted fic, it’s Willow, just because I barely knew it existed (and now it’s not even officially posted anywhere anymore).
What’s your favorite story of the year? Not the most popular, but the one that makes you happiest.
I can’t pick between Morning Mist and The Law of Entropy. I’m really proud of Morning Mist, it's more literary (I guess? More serious might be better wording?) piece and I do want to explore mother daughter relationships more in my writing because I firmly believe that every mother daughter relationship is complicated and most of my favorite characters have a complicated relationship with their mother… We don’t need to read into that.
The Law of Entropy was a story I worked on and off for 6 years! That’s what I mean when I say I’m a very slow writer. To finally get it completed, well it makes me really happy and gives me hope for a lot of my other WIPs that I write a little bit here and there.
Do you have any fanfic goals for the New Year 2023?
Last year I wanted to post at least 12 stories and I finished the year with nine (technically I posted 13 on Ao3 but some of those had already been posted to tumblr so I’m not counting them), so I still want to get to 12. The other main goal is that I want to fully outline Act 2 of Boomerang. I vaguely know where it’s going, but I haven’t sat down and planned it as thoroughly as I’d like and I feel like it’s totally slowing me down from getting that completed. It haunts me, and I won’t ever abandon it, so it would be great to get a lot closer to finishing it.
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forever-fan · 2 years ago
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Update for my AO3 stuff
(TL;DR: I'm putting basically everything on hold until I stop hyper focusing on Five Nights at Freddy's)
Hi y'all. So, for the readers of any and all fanfics I have written, here is an update. The FNAF movie trailer has triggered a switch in my brain and I can't write. I have this issue where I gravitate from fandom to fandom. It's a little hard to explain, but here we go.
The best example I can give is a timeline of my writings on AO3 and where my head has been at during that journey.
I was obsessed with FNAF before getting AO3 and magically switching to My Hero Academia. From there it went to Harry Potter and then Marvel. After Marvel it went to Danny Phantom, but I didn't write any exclusively DP fics. I also recently got into DC and combined that with DP. And then the FNAF trailer came out and I am obsessing over it so much I can't think about any other fandom.
I am so sorry to anyone who reads my shit, but expect me to be on hiatus for basically everything until late December or early January. I'll hopefully remember to update y'all every couple of weeks. Sorry, again, for the inconvenience.
I recommend bookmarking, screenshotting, or otherwise saving any of my fics that you enjoy. This is like the third time I'm saying this, but it still remains true: I am so sorry.
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swordsxandxshadows · 3 years ago
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I swear I am not dead...just got pulled into other fandoms AND finally got my tablet to work, so been drawing a shit load >w>;;;
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floralovebot · 4 years ago
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i don't like flora and helia because their relationship doesn't really make sense to me? like helia was introduced in episode 8 and we rarely see either of them interact with each other prior to episode 23 when flora earns her charmix.
add that to the fact that i don't really find flora as interesting as the other winx and well... there's nothing that can save them.
that's totally valid! (saying this because ik i make a lot of florelia defense posts and i don't want it to sound like i'm mad when others don't find them interesting or think they're boring yknow).
but i'm gonna be honest, i genuinely don't think florelia interacted less than the other side couples (basically any couple besides skoom and rivusa) in their first season together. we do get a lot of good moments in s1 with the main couples however it follows that same vein of not being together and just crushing on each other (tecmy didn't start getting romantic till the very end yknow?). skoom and rivusa have always been the Main Couples and with bloom being the main character, it's obviously much more obvious when they get more scenes than others. but florelia's scenes in s2 compared to the other side couples scenes in s1 are not drastically different.
i think something that stands out about them (in a bad way for most fans) is that they liked each other from the beginning. with the other couples we got to see them slowly falling for each other (sans skoom), but with florelia they had their "oh. oh." moment literally within the first half of the season. but then they spent all of s2 dancing around each other and not actually confessing or having those lovey-dovey moments. which doesn't always seem great when the other couples are already established (even if they are still in the beginning stages). but i'm gonna be honest, i don't think them instantly falling in love was a bad or unnatural thing? like. that happens in real life? and them trying to get to know each other instead of immediately getting into a relationship despite liking each other is also completely natural.
i've said this a thousand times but please read the comics aljdgljadgh they have more moments in them algdlahgdlhgdl
#can't really say anything about you not finding flora as interesting cause like. i cant change that ajgdhjlga#but like anon im gonna be honest#and this isnt directed at you specifically#a lot of the 'florelia is boring and rarely interacted' happen specifically because of what season they met#if helia was there in s1 and they had the exact same amount of moments together this wouldn't be as big of an issue#because people would be looking at ALL of the couples not being together and getting to know each other#compared to florelia being surrounded by semi-established couples that already know each other in s2#aisha and nabu had an added advantage of a bigger plot and him dying#which automatically makes them more interesting despite meeting in s3 and becoming a couple at the very end#you see a lot of the same comments about aisha/roy or aisha/nex too#because they were established later and were surrounded by established couples#it seems like they dont have as many interactions and just jumped into a relationship#but like. i swear i dont mean this in a mean way. florelia are the complete opposite of what fanon says#they slowly got to know each other and it only seemed rushed because of their surroundings#adding on that helia was barely in s3 and you get a whole mix of 'hm. they seem boring?'#and like i said earlier (and again this isn't directed at you specifically)#its okay to say that you just don't find a character/couple interesting yknow?#but just because they arent interesting to you doesn't mean they don't make sense or that theyre boring in canon#ive said this before and ill say it again! fanon florelia is 100 times more boring than canon florelia will ever be#and the winx fandom hyper focuses on fanon so most fans will always ignore canon and as such wont find them interesting#answered#anonymous#like. theres a 'problem' in most fandoms where fans make up fanon and then hail it as canon and completely ignore actual canon#and sometimes thats good and sometimes thats bad#note: i wrote this in a bad mood so im sorry if it sounds meaner than usual 😭#winx club
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razorblade180 · 3 years ago
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You ever feel old and weary about RWBY and the fandom? Like so.e old hat sitting in a bar drinking his cynicism away?
... Okay, that sounds inappropriate.
Stands on soap box
RWBY itself, not really. Much like My Hero, it’s the fandom that’s daunting. A bunch of cold takes and groups so hyper focused on one agenda that they ignore/excuse problems or aspects of the show to further it. It’s fine to have a favorite part of something but not at the expense of barely acknowledging everything else. At the point you’re not really liking the material and misrepresenting what you do like to a certain degree. Like I get being starving for a certain ship or dynamic but never to a point I’ll grab every scene I possibly can and find a way to loop it back to what I want. The show is called RWBY, of course the girls are going to stand next to each other in certain orders. The show isn’t giving me crumbs, it’s the battle formation lol.
Like I’ve definitely made a couple of weak posts but at least I’ll say when they were lame and how my opinion has changed. I’ve seen people die on the stupidest hills to die on and I’m like “Why!?” This fandom would easily be better if the vast majority could just admit there’s valid criticisms and points on opposing sides; and that this show’s writing has…problems. I don’t really dive into every opinion or problem because why would I, but anytime there’s a lot of hypocrisy or I feel like a bunch of people are ignoring the other side of a situation then I’ll say something just so I know it’s been said.
Quick example, some of this fandom yelled at RT claiming they were baiting Clover and Qrow, but say BlackSun shippers misinterpreted Blake and Sun’s scenes together. Despite one ship spanning years or interactions and scenes, while Clover has a collective 11 minutes on screen with half of it is him flexing his luck and the other half being split between “the general said” or him telling Qrow to not hate himself. People preach platonic relationship representation then make a hard right turn towards the shipping port because some value other representation more despite more substantial proof. Like let’s be honest, RT would’ve advertised Clover being gay first chance they got because that’s what they did with Ilia and May; they know we would eat it up and it’ll be good press. Instead we had tweets about how weird that there’s 5 ace ops when they always do teams of 4 but I digress.
I’ll admit though CRWBY shoots themselves in the foot a lot. It’s why I generally don’t take what most of them say as hard proof because they’re either wrong, start problems, or what they said never gets properly shown in the show so for average consumer’s, what they said just never existed.
Gets off soap box
So yeah, I get a little weary mainly when it looks like the fandom hasn’t learned anything over the years. At that point I just ignore them or write a prompt/fic that has things I like in it; which most likely means someone will tell me to burn because I dare imply Oz did a few things right.
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poisonousquinzel · 4 years ago
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look i get enjoying the tragic and dark history with Harley and Joker, I love angst and I have no issue with the fact that it's there and part of her story. But there is a huge difference between appreciating the darkness of their story and relationship and actively shipping them and making content portraying them, their relationship and Joker in a positive light. And some of y’all being grown ass adults should be able to see that.
Abuse victims are allowed to speak up and say that it makes us uncomfortable or is flat out triggering to see them without being shamed or told to “just ignore it” or "we’re taking it too seriously”. (News Flash, Abuse Is Serious.) 
Abuse victims are allowed to express their discomfort and disgust seeing glamorized shit about their relationship because sometimes they do stuff together and that's what people wanna hyper focus on. 
We’re allowed to put down our boundaries in our circle and request that you do not interact with us if you ship them and we shouldn’t be pressured by “Fandom Guidelines” to be all accepting and SALS because at the end of the day
Some Ships Are Just Fucked.
And I, personally at least, am not going to put aside my moral compass to accommodate to the subsections in fandoms that want to be allowed to freely glamorize and ship abuse, incest and pedophilia. 
It's disturbing and it’s not welcome here. 
And saying that you are fully aware they’re abusive and only like the tragic, dark aspect of their relationship frankly doesn't mean shit if you turn around saying that you wouldn't have minded if Harley never got emancipated. That's not enjoying a tragic origin. That’s being okay with a woman being permanently tied to her abuser because you enjoy their twisted, fucked dynamic.
Like I'm sorry, but if you'd be okay with them never letting her move on from Joker with their extensive history of abuse because you enjoy the dark toxic intrigue of their relationship, then you don't like Harley. You don’t care about Harley Quinn.
If you liked someone, you'd never want them to be trapped in an abusive relationship. 
I do not care that she's fictional. 
“oh, well I don’t get why everyone focuses on Joker being an abuser so much, I mean he kills people and is a bad guy, c’mon.”
Yes. We focus on him being an abuser and will continue to do so because there is a difference between a comic book supervillain doing Bad Guy things like robbing, killing and overall being bad and actively abusing their partner. 
Sorry, some of us have lines. He’s fucking crossed them, hell, he’s vaulted over them. 
Personally, I don’t think him murdering and torturing Harley is excusable or somehow “not that bad” because he’s killed other people. She was his love interest. She was his girlfriend. And He’s Murdered Her before. 
I shall quote that one dude from Wreck it Ralph 
"You are bad guy, but this does not mean you're a 'bad guy'".
What he’s done goes beyond Bad Guy things. It’s Domestic Abuse. It’s Domestic Violence. And yeah, that’s fucking hard for a Lot of people to just “get over”. It’s called having morals. 
“Oh who cares, let people ship what they want, it’s fiction. It’s not hurting anyone”
You either have to be naive or downright stupid to think that the cultural impact of Joker/Harley and the glamorization of their relationship by fans, the media and DC has not had real world effects. With Suicide Squad (2016) alone they blew up again and become a common "couple goals" ship for a lot of young, impressionable teens and adults who weren't able to see the toxicity of their relationship. 
I was one of those teens. I fucking loved them. 
And turning around and looking them up would do nothing but continue to press the narrative that it's an okay relationship. Nearly Everything that comes up is romanticized, no matter where you look it up, 90% of the content will be positive content about them. It ingrained in your mind that if your SO treats you like that, it's okay, it's just a dark twisted love story, like Joker and Harley. That you two are just both fucked up and made for each other. 
There's thousands of people in the comments on old, popular Joker/Harley videos relaying similar stories. That they used to ship these two and it warped their perception of relationships. That it led to them getting stuck in toxic, abusive relationships that took even more to get out of because they were already so use to seeing shit like that glamorized and brushed over. It was just yet another mental hurdle they had to overcome.
And if you genuinely cannot understand how the glamorization done by the media, fans and DC in regards to their relationship did and does have active, real world consequences, then I'm sorry you're not paying attention.
You can ship whatever the hell you want, but that doesn’t mean that people aren’t allowed to judge you for it. 
And Yeah,, If You’re Out Here Shipping A Domestically Abusive Relationship, I Am Going To Judge You Based On That.
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starstruckkittensweets · 3 years ago
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Chapter LIX (“AWWW”)
A/N: I’m so sorry this chapter is a week late! I took a few days off from writing because my family got sick, so I had to help them out while they focused on getting better. But now I’m back - and with an extra long chapter! (This one was only supposed to be around 8-9k long, but it turned into...this. Eh, I have no regrets! But I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! :)
Fandom: Attack on Titan  Pairing: Levi x Mia (OC) Words: 15.6k 
Warnings: 18+ only (minors please DNI), NSFW content, oral sex (female receiving), face-sitting, vaginal sex, very light breeding kink, possessiveness, dirty talk, scratching, and a little bit of...headboard breaking
Taglist: @omg-lexiloveyou, @ataraxia101, @super-peace-fangirl, @mr-robot-x, @unusversuscanicula, @cyborgnate, @saltypancakes 
If you want to be added to the taglist, just let me know and I’ll be happy to add you on! 
|LIX|
As the weeks passed, the days grew longer. The air grew warmer, the leaves sprouted a healthy green color. And before I knew it, we were halfway through June—the fifteenth, to be exact. And Hanji let me know the second I saw her in the morning, dragging myself out of my office and towards the mess hall:
“Happy birthday, Mia!” She threw an arm around my shoulders, pulling me into her chest in one swift yank. “You feel any older yet?”
“No more than I did yesterday,” my voice was muffled through the yellow fabric of her shirt, “but even if I did…is it a good idea to throw me around like that?”
“Aw, don’t tell me your bones are starting to ache! I’m gonna have to start calling you an old lady if you keep this up, ya know!”
“Hey, you’re the one who’s older than me! You’ll be whining in September about how your knees ache when you get up, I’m sure of it!”
The two of us were shoving each other back and forth, all the while giggling uncontrollably. Almost as though we were cadets again, twelve years old and full of stupid ideas, as Ben and Leyna watched us fool around from the sidelines.
The thought of my siblings made me smile. I’d sent a letter to Leyna in the past few days, making sure that it would arrive in Mitras before today. It was her birthday too, after all, as well as Ben’s. The three of us used to send letters back and forth before meeting up at home back in Shiganshina, where Ma would be waiting for us with a homemade cake, and maybe even a few muffins and cookies to take back with us if we were lucky. She always made sure to send us on our way with stuffed bellies and some extra food, as though we were children going to a friend’s house for a sleepover again.
And in the years Dad had still been alive, even though he wasn’t always in the best state of health, he always made an effort to prepare a gift for us, whether it was little trinkets from the market or handmade gifts he’d carved out of wood. He’d taken up a light hobby of woodcarving after retiring from the Scouts, just to keep his hands busy as he stayed within the house. One particular year he had made all three of us little carvings of wolves, with each of our initials engraved on the bottom.
I miss you. On instinct, I slid my hand around the little wolf charm that dangled from the cord around my neck. All of you.
The base was practically empty by the time Hanji and I left the castle. The soldiers were either still in bed or holed up in the mess hall, still blinking the sleep from their eyes. I was the same, more or less (the night owl to Hanji’s early bird)—which is why I nearly shrieked out loud when something slammed into me from behind.
“Oh, I’m sorry, captain!” Gretel’s hair was unusually messy, her eyes wild and her cheeks flushed red. “I didn’t see you there! But actually, I’ve been meaning to ask you something, now that you’re here…”
I could already feel my eyebrow inching up. Why is she so hyper today? It’s not even fully sunrise, so why is she so damn excited?
“What is it, Mayer?”
“Evan and I were talking a couple days ago, and Reggie and Emily are okay with it if you are—but we want to have a little celebration for Murphy’s birthday tonight!”
My jaw dropped; my eyes went as wide as they could go. Hanji was snickering beside me, although I couldn’t tell if it was because of me or what Gretel had said.
It’s Murphy’s birthday today? So soon?
And sure enough, I recalled glancing at his form in just the last couple weeks, stating that his birthday was coming up soon. At the time I’d smiled and thought nothing of it (none of the kids on my squad did anything special to celebrate their birthdays anyway)… But now I was starting to feel particularly stupid.
“What a small world!” Hanji’s arm was back around my shoulders, as she clapped Gretel on the back so hard the poor girl almost stumbled over. “It’s Mia’s birthday, too!”
“Wait, it is?! I didn’t know, captain! How—I mean, happy birthday!”
“Thanks,” I mumbled, sending a glare in Hanji’s direction. “I don’t really like to advertise it, but this one makes a point of letting everyone and their mother know about it.”
“Of course.” Hanji made no effort in concealing her smirk, as she mussed up my hair with a rough hand. “Actually, now that you mention it… Mayer, can I have a quick word for you?”
“Um… Okay, Section Commander. But why…?” She glanced from Hanji to me, and then back to Hanji—and suddenly she was nodding eagerly, her lips laced into a smile. “Oh, of course! When would you like to talk?”
“Right now, actually. The sooner the better, don’t you think?”
“Yeah, I couldn’t agree more!”
It was hard to ignore the churning feeling in the pit of my stomach, as I watched my best friend and my cadet huddle close together, their expressions already saying much more than words ever could. And as Hanji started to lead her away, she glanced at me from over her shoulder and smirked, “Don’t wait up for me, this might take a while!”
Of course it will. But all I could do was hope that Hanji wouldn’t go overboard with whatever she and Gretel had planned.
|~|
Breakfast had gone by rather smoothly. None of the other Squad Leaders made a fuss over my birthday—at least, not like Hanji had. Mike and Nanaba had kept it simple, wishing me a nice day as they stood up to refill their plates. Erwin had smiled and encouraged me to make some time for myself at the end of the day, to which Levi scoffed at from over the rim of his teacup. The two of us snickered to each other, avoiding eye contact as we sipped our tea, as Erwin quirked his eyebrow at us. Poor oblivious Commander…
Levi was already well aware of my plans for today, and once we were alone the two of us headed out to the stables. A comfortable silence settled over us as we saddled up our horses, with Mischa giving my hand a friendly nuzzle as I passed her stall.
As I took Edel’s reins and began to lead him out of the barn, a familiar tuft of reddish-brown hair caught my eye. Huddled in Misty’s stall was Murphy, whispering sweet nothings into her ear as he brushed her down. I smiled when I saw how her coat shone in the early morning sunlight; obviously Murphy took great pride in taking care of his steed.
“Good morning, Enns.” The boy smiled at me before turning back to his horse. “Oh, and happy birthday!”
Poor Murphy—the tips of his ears burned scarlet as he stumbled over his words, nearly dropping the brush and startling Misty in the process. He gave a nervous laugh, threading his fingers through his hair as he struggled to look me in the eyes.
“Ah, t-thank you, captain—but how did you…?”
“Mayer let it slip this morning.” I was careful not to mention the celebration she was planning with the rest of the squad. It was their secret to share, not mine. “I take it you’re like me and don’t make a big deal out of it, huh?”
“I…I guess so.” He kept his eyes on Misty, as she lowered her head to nibble on a bit of hay. “It’s just…easier that way.”
Yeah, it is. I knew the feeling all too well.
“I get it. Still, you have to make the best of it, alright? It only comes once a year, so enjoy it while you can!”
“…Yeah, you’re probably right. I’ll try to enjoy it, captain.” He reached over to brush Misty’s forelock out of her eyes. “Maybe we’ll practice some jumping today. What do you say, girl?”
And he was lost in his horse again, just the way I’d found him. With a gentle tug on his reins, I started to lead Edel towards the exit once more. The clopping sound of his hooves bounced off the walls of the barn, followed by the sound of Mischa’s hooves right behind us.
“Oh, and happy birthday to you too, captain! I hope you enjoy your day, too!”
Edel’s ears pricked forward at my gasp; I nearly tripped over my own two feet while getting him out the door of the barn. I could hear Levi snickering from behind me, and even Mischa was grunting and bobbing her head as though she were laughing.
Damn it! I guess word travels fast among the kids, huh?
“Thanks, Enns…”
I could hear him laughing from the barn as I swung myself up into Edel’s saddle. And as I gripped the reins, I gave Levi the fiercest glare I could muster—I was not enjoying the smug look on his face.
“Not one fucking word, captain.”
He remained silent, even as the two of us began to ride away from the base, but the smirk on his face said much more than any words could.
|~|
The road to Trost was long but familiar. The trodden paths through the forests, the little streams that dotted the outskirts of the town, and even the occasional rabbit that leapt out from the bushes, seemingly unaware of the two large horses in their line of sight. Neither of us said anything on the way there—not even when we headed towards the old hill at the edge of the district, far away from the rest of civilization.
Edel’s hooves were heavy against the grass. The reins were slick in my hands, my fingers cramped and sweating. I could feel my heart in my throat as I halted Edel just for a moment, only to swipe a small bunch of white flowers from the little grassy patch beside the trail.
They’re not edelweiss flowers, but they’ll do the job. I think he’ll like them all the same.
The cemetery was just over the hill, in the northwest direction of Trost District. There were countless cemeteries within the Walls, plenty of resting sites for both fallen soldiers and civilians alike. They were usually buried in separate sections, depending on the districts that watched over them, but after Wall Maria had been lost to the Titans about four years ago, they were now buried alongside each other: civilians, Scouts, and Garrison soldiers. Such was the case with this particular cemetery, with the soldiers’ headstones bearing the emblem of their branch.
Levi and I left Edel and Mischa at the edge of the cemetery, where they could graze in the meadow nearby. I held the bunch of flowers to my chest, twirling my fingers around the stems. Now that I could see them up close, I realized they were myosotis flowers, with the faintest splash of blue on the petals.
Forget-me-nots.
Something warm brushed against my hand. Levi kept his eyes forward as he pressed his palm to mine, sliding his fingers through my own.
“You alright?”
I swallowed hard. “I’ll be okay.”
Together, the two of us began to walk through the cemetery, careful not to disturb any headstones or gifts that had been laid out. We had visited cemeteries before, especially after the winter expedition of 847, to pay our respects for the soldiers we’d lost. But neither of us had been to this one in years—and especially not together like this.
The eastern side of the hill was dedicated to the Garrison soldiers lost throughout the years. Some who had lost their lives in the fall of Wall Maria, and some who had passed away countless years before that. But they were all the same in the end, just like us Scouts. They had all worn those twin roses on their backs with pride, just as we did with the Wings of Freedom sewn into our cloaks.
A familiar silver headstone came into view. On instinct I tightened my hand around Levi’s, and he gave my fingers a gentle squeeze.
I’m here. It’s okay.
It was the last one in the twelfth row on the hill. Faded and sprinkled with moss, with the roses of the Garrison carved into the surface. I knelt down to the headstone, well aware of Levi’s eyes on me, as I grazed my hand along the words written against the stone.
Benjamin Wolf, Sergeant of 18th Squad, Shiganshina District
June 15th, 821 – June 22nd, 845
The little white flowers looked so out of place next to the headstone, an odd splash of color against the mossy ground. I could feel my throat closing up as I pressed my palm to the surface of the stone, and the memories of my brother’s face flooded before my eyes.
The way the wind would tousle his messy brown hair. The way the sun would turn it a faint shade of red. The mischievous sparkle he would get in his eyes, the one he’d always had since he was a little boy. The warm bear hugs he would crush me with, the rough palm mussing up my hair as he laughed. The way he said my name, either in happiness, disappointment, or sheer disbelief. Despite our close bond as kids, even he couldn’t always defend me and every little thing I did. There would be times where I would come home practically dripping in mud, to my mother’s horror and my father’s disappointment (and my sister’s smug delight), and even Ben couldn’t find it in himself to speak in my defense. He would just shake his head and tell me later on, once we were all cleaned up and tucked into bed, “I thought you knew better than this.” And as usual, I would only roll my eyes and shrug him off. “Next time it won’t happen, I swear.”
I miss you. Even after all these years, I still miss you so much.
“Mia.” A gentle hand on my shoulder, bringing me back to the world around me. I gazed up at Levi, whose mouth was set in a hard, tight line. “You okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.” I gave him a smile, albeit a bit forced, and squeezed his fingers softly. “I just want to stay here for a bit.” Besides, if I didn’t want him to accompany me today, I wouldn’t have asked him in the first place.
He nodded once before taking a few steps back, allowing me a bit of privacy as he turned his gaze to the horses at the end of the hill. I cleared my throat and turned back to the headstone, touching my brother’s name once more.
“…I just wanted to say happy birthday, Ben.” The tips of my ears burned as I spoke; you would think after all my years of being a soldier, I would get used to talking to headstones in the cemetery. “I know I couldn’t visit you last year, and I’m sorry about that. I had some stuff going on in the capital—you know what that’s like, huh?”
It was just another thing the two of us could bond over: our personal distaste for the air of Mitras, and the interior of the Walls in general. Neither of us could see why or how Leyna loved it so much; to us, it was just a dingy, crowded place filled with nobles who would kiss up to you one minute and talk about you behind your back another.
“Anyway, I won’t stay for too long. The kids are supposedly planning something for Murphy’s birthday later tonight, so I have to be there for them. You’d like them all, I think. Evan has your brain, and Murphy looks just like you did when you were his age. And Reggie and Gretel are growing up to be such fine soldiers. And Emily—I haven’t told you about her yet, have I? She’s the newest member, I picked her out once she graduated earlier this year. She could be a fantastic medic with the right training, but I don’t know if she wants to be one. I’ll have to ask her about it later on…”
A soft breeze fluttered past the hill, knocking my hair off my shoulders. With a tight swallow, I kissed the tips of my fingers and pressed them to the surface of the stone, right above Ben’s engraved name.
“Happy birthday, Ben. I’ll come visit you soon, alright? I promise.”
I pushed myself off the ground, leaving the little white flowers beside the headstone. Levi was at my side at once, wrapping his hand around my own as he kissed my temple softly. He was silent as he began to lead me back down the hill, keeping his fingers laced through my own.
As we reached Edel and Mischa and began the trek home, a gust of wind flew by—and suddenly I heard it. Light and soft, but it was there. A familiar voice, carried by the wind, a promise of love and family. A gentle goodbye, a soft kiss on the cheek.
See you soon, Mia.
My brother’s voice echoed in my head the whole way home, filling me with a warmth I hadn’t known in years.
|~|
It was just past sunset when Gretel came knocking on my door. As per her meeting with Hanji earlier, she had refused to let me in on what she and the others were planning for Murphy’s birthday. So I was in the dark as much as he was, unfortunately.
“Meet us at the edge of the woods. And you’re not allowed to ask any questions! Section Commander Hanji’s orders, of course. Oh, and you don’t have to worry about bringing your horse. We’re not going too far, anyway.”
I could feel my eyebrows knitting together with every word she spoke. Hanji’s in on it now? That’s not a good sign… What in the world could those two be planning?
So I left my office as fast as I could, still in my uniform (minus the jacket) and the straps of my gear, with my cloak thrown over my shoulders. It was unusually breezy tonight, as the remnants of spring blew through the base. Tomorrow summer would officially begin, and the days would grow longer and hotter and borderline unbearable.
Might as well enjoy the cool air while it lasts, right?
Murphy was waiting at the edge of the forest, along with an impatient Evan and Gretel. The two of them smirked at each other before leading us towards the trees, with a tiny lantern swinging from Evan’s grasp.
“This way!”
The two of us followed them through the trees, dead twigs crunching beneath our boots. The path was one I knew all too well—the same one Edel and I rode whenever we wanted to get some extra practice in. Indeed, just ahead on the road was the fallen tree he had jumped over perfectly just a few weeks ago.
Gretel suddenly quickened her pace, with Evan right at her heels. Suddenly I knew why, and already I felt the urge to swaddle myself up into my cloak and disappear into the dirt below.
A small campfire had been built in the tiny clearing of the forest, the flames licking the bottom of a silver pot. Two brown horses were lingering beside a small wagon a few yards away, with a couple of crates resting in the back. (They must’ve wheeled it out here before someone let them loose to graze.) Hanji waved at me from her spot beside the fire, with Nanaba and Erwin sitting on either side of her. But they weren’t the only ones seated around the fire.
Oh no—there were so many more.
Reggie and Emily were talking to Nifa and Petra, as Oluo tried to listen in on their conversation in a not-so-subtle way from Petra’s side. Eld and Gunther turned and smiled over at Gretel and Evan, who practically raced to their spots between Reggie and Nanaba, with Evan dragging poor Murphy along by his wrist. Moblit gave me a somewhat apologetic smile, as Mike threw a smirk at me from over his shoulder. Even Levi was seated among them, in between Eld and Oluo as he sipped his tea. My face burned as he smirked at me from over the rim of his teacup.
“So glad you guys could make it!” Hanji was kneeling over the pot at the fire, swirling a spoon against the silver. “Why don’t you take a seat? The stew’s almost ready. I hope you’re hungry, because there’s a lot of it!”
As much as I wanted to sit by Levi, I knew it would only lead to more teasing from Hanji and Mike (and maybe even a few uncomfortable looks from our squads). So instead I slipped in between Nanaba and Murphy, who had not stopped blushing since we arrived at the little site.
“…What’s all this, anyway?”
“A little celebration,” Gretel was quick to answer, clearly sharing Hanji’s enthusiasm. “For both you and Murphy. Hanji decided we combine our little parties and celebrate them at the same time!”
“It’s nothing too fancy,” Nanaba said with a smile, “but at least it’ll give us some time to unwind. And you two deserve a break every now and then, right?”
Well, when you put it that way…
So that’s what Hanji and Gretel had been so excited about earlier. They were secretly plotting against our backs, fixing up this little get-together just to celebrate our birthdays. While neither of us cared for the extra attention, it was hard to stay mad at them for making such a sweet gesture.
Murphy was starting to loosen up as the night carried on, too involved in telling Evan and Reggie about what he’d accomplished in his extra training with Misty today. Gretel was huddling herself in her jacket in a desperate attempt to keep warm, as she listened to Nifa and Emily halfheartedly arguing about which one of them was going to ascend the ranks quicker. Petra was tugging on Oluo’s ear, chastising him for putting on a show just to try to impress the captain, as Gunther laughed and told her to ease up. Mike was starting to pass around a jug of water for everyone to fill their cups, while also subtly nudging a bottle of wine into Moblit’s side.
“Not with the kids around,” I growled, and Erwin chuckled behind his cup. I’ll be damned if any of them try to drink when the kids are here. No one needs to see Mike or Moblit when they’re drunk.
“Ever the responsible one,” Hanji sighed, as she began spooning the stew into the little bowls at her side. “You’re no fun, you know! You’ve always been like that, ever since we were kids.”
“And I’ll continue to be like that until we’re both old women.”
It wasn’t until I started passing the bowls down the line that I saw Evan’s eyes on me, a frown etched on his face.
“If you don’t mind me asking, captain… What was growing up as kids like Section Commander Hanji like?”
My fingers quivered around the next bowl. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t stop myself from smiling, from smirking as Hanji’s jaw clenched ever so slightly. This is my chance—payback’s a bitch, Zoë!
“You think she’s hyper now? Well, she was much worse back when we were kids! Couldn’t sit still for five minutes, even for a lecture. Remember how Duvalier was always yelling at us because we kept talking during training?”
“So what if I do? You never stopped me, you know!”
“Because every time I tried you would always drag me back into your silly antics!” By now Nanaba was trying so hard (and failing) to hide her laugh behind her palm as she sat between the two of us. “Should I tell them about the time you got your hair twisted in the ODM gear on the second day of training?”
“Don’t you dare!”
“Wait—Section Commander, you had long hair at one point?”
I nearly laughed out loud at the baffled expressions of Eld and Reggie, as they stared at Hanji with their jaws to the ground. Hanji was pouting with her cheeks puffed out, angrily swirling the spoon in the pot of stew in front of her.
“Yeah, she did. Ended up falling flat on her face with her hair caught in the wires!”
“You keep talking about that, and this stew’s gonna end up on your head!” Hanji threatened, waving the spoon back and forth in her fist. “Fine, then. Kids, wanna hear what your captain used to do when she was younger?”
My fingers clenched around the little bowl Nanaba had handed me. Oh, I can only imagine what she’s going to bring up!
“She used to sneak outside to sit on the roof of the barracks, so much so that Duvalier had to wait outside for you with a lantern, just to make sure you wouldn’t leave! And you think I was the only one to act up once in a while.”
“Once in a while? Do you wanna be the one wearing this stew, Hanji?”
“Alright, alright, not in front of the kids, you two.”
Nanaba was quick to hold out her arm in between us, although everyone around the campfire knew neither one of us would ever raise a hand to each other in malice. I couldn’t imagine ever going after my best friend like that, even if she annoyed me to no end sometimes.
Soon enough, and with Hanji sticking her tongue out at me in a final gesture of defiance, everyone began to fall silent as we dug into our dinner. The stew was surprisingly tasty, made of potatoes with some extra seasoning sprinkled in. Hanji didn’t really cook all that often, but the few meals she knew how to cook were always satisfying to both the eye and the stomach. Before I knew it, I was already halfway done with my bowl, and I could see Murphy and Gunther eyeing the pot for possible seconds. Even Levi seemed to be enjoying it, his shoulders sagging just a bit as he paused for yet another sip of his tea.
“There’s plenty more to go around, so have as much as you want!” To Hanji’s delight, both Gunther and Murphy (as well as Petra and Nifa) held out their bowls to her. When they were finished, I held out my own bowl to her, and she refilled it with a little prideful smirk.
“Thanks for putting this together, Han.” And for making such delicious stew. “You guys really didn’t have to do this, but thank you.”
“Yeah, thank you!” Murphy added, and his face went scarlet as he wiped his mouth of any leftover stew with his sleeve.
“Ah, it’s no big deal!” Hanji waved us off with a smile and a twinkle in her eye. “You guys deserve to be spoiled a little bit. It’s not every day we get to celebrate two birthdays on the same day, you know! Besides, it’s not much out here, but at least it’s better than being inside a stuffy restaurant in Mitras, huh?”
She winced as soon as the words left her mouth. My spoon clanked against the side of the bowl, the only sound in the air besides the crackling fire. Someone cleared their throat softly; by the sound of it, it was either Oluo or Evan.
She didn’t mean it. No, of course she didn’t. She would never try to hurt me intentionally, that just wasn’t like her. It was an honest mistake, something that didn’t even have to be forgiven.
Still, no one had openly mentioned my current ban from the capital city in almost a year. And while I wasn’t angry at Hanji for accidentally bringing it up, I was angry at myself for even letting it happen—for letting it get that far in the first place.
“…Honestly, good riddance.” That was Reggie’s voice, as he leaned back in his seat with a sigh. “It’s not really that fun over there, anyway.”
“Yeah, it kinda sucks,” Gretel added with a shudder. “Bunch of old people with too much money on their hands. I’d be glad to be banned from that place—that means I wouldn’t have to go to those stupid meetings and gatherings every few months.”
Evan and Emily were nodding in agreement, with Murphy shrugging his shoulders in approval. And sure enough, the other kids were following their lead, looking much more relaxed than they had been before.
“Mitras is…a bit boring, I’ll admit,” Petra said with a laugh. “For something that’s so admired by everyone, I was expecting it to be at least a bit beautiful… Honestly it was far from beautiful when I went for the first time!”
“And it probably won’t change all that much in the next few years,” Eld replied, “so it’s not worth worrying over.”
“You’re right,” Nifa chimed in, taking another bite of her stew. “Why bother worrying about stuff we can’t change? We might as well make the best of it, right?”
My fingers trembled around the hilt of the spoon. I could feel my eyes growing warm, my vision suddenly getting blurry—but one quick swipe of my sleeve across my face, and I was smiling into my bowl of stew like an idiot.
Thank you, you guys.
Suddenly it was much easier to breathe, to look my fellow soldiers in the eye as they conversed all around me. As the hours crawled by, and the pot was licked clean of any stew left, we ended up laughing and talking just as always, with the crackling fire in between us.
And for a moment, I didn’t see them as my fellow soldiers. I didn’t see Reggie and Emily and the others as my kids. I didn’t see Hanji and Nanaba as my best friends, Mike as my fellow Squad Leader or Erwin as my Commander, or even Levi as my lover. Right now, under the moon’s glowing rays, and the summer air blowing through our hair…we were just people. Human beings with dreams, passions, goals, fears, and everything in between. We didn’t have titles or power over each other. We were simply seventeen people who were swept into the same lifestyle as our comrades, who were enjoying a well-earned night of peace after so many months of turmoil. And for the first time in months, maybe even years, I saw them all, both young and old, cadets and veterans, enjoying themselves with beautiful smiles on their faces.
Somehow we got on the topic of sharing childhood stories with each other, ranging from our lives back in our home districts to our first expeditions beyond the Walls. And before I knew it, most of us were doubled over laughing as Eld spilled the beans on his friends: that both Oluo and Petra had soiled themselves the first time they went beyond the Walls.
“You swore you’d never speak of it again!” It was hard to not laugh at the shrill tone of Petra’s voice, her amber eyes flaring with fury as her fingers twitched at her sides. If it weren’t for Oluo and Levi sitting between them, I would’ve put money down that she was going to strangle poor Eld.
“It’s alright, it happens to all of us at some point.” As always, Moblit was the supportive one, as he offered her a sweet smile from across the fire. “Nothing to be ashamed of, really!”
“You’re one to talk,” Mike chuckled, and immediately Moblit’s face began burning a bright red color. “Didn’t you have a similar accident when you were sixteen? I remember, you were in my squad when it happened!”
“Aw, cut it out, Mike!” Hanji was quick to defend her friend, despite her uncontrollable laughter. “Like you never had that happen to you…”
“As a matter of fact,” Erwin’s voice was cool and calm as he smirked at Mike, “I seem to recall you hurrying off to the barracks after our first expedition together. It really does happen to everyone, doesn’t it, Mike?”
The look on his face was absolutely priceless, the final nail in the coffin for everyone around the campfire. We were gasping for breath, some of us wiping tears from our eyes, clutching our sides as we struggled to breathe once more. In all the years I’d known them, I didn’t think I’d ever seen Murphy and Gunther, and even Nanaba and Hanji, laugh as hard as they did that night. And the rest were no exception—hell, even Levi of all people managed to crack a smile at that.
It was pure, unbridled bliss. Surely a night to remember.
But the moon was starting to wane, its rays growing weaker against the shadows of the trees. It was getting late, far too late for a handful of kids whom I knew had training the next day. But before I could even say anything on the matter, a firm but warm hand came to rest on the top of my head. I glanced up at Levi as he mussed up my hair, as well as Murphy’s from his place beside me.
“Might as well start heading back.” He was speaking more to mine and his squads, rather than our little group as a whole. “I don’t want any of you whining about not getting enough sleep tomorrow.”
Upon seeing the deflated faces of Evan, Emily, Eld, and the rest of the kids, I half-expected them to put up a fight, just as I would’ve done when I was their age. But none of them did. Instead, Reggie was the first to stand up, followed by Nifa and Emily, and then Gunther and Oluo.
“You’re right, captain. Do you want any help cleaning this up?” Reggie motioned to the pot in the center of the group, as well as the collection of dirty dishes stacked on top of it.
“We’ll take care of it. Just get yourselves to sleep, don’t wait up for us.”
One by one, the cadets began to disburse. Emily and Nifa were side by side, hands brushing one another’s as they trailed behind Eld and Gunther. Reggie took up the rear with Oluo and Petra, as Evan and Gretel went on ahead yawning loudly. Murphy was the last to leave, but before he turned away, he gave our group a thankful smile, his cheeks a beautiful rosy shade.
“Thank you for this. It was a lot of fun. …Oh, and Section Commander, you’re a really good cook!”
Hanji puffed out her chest and gave the kid a smirk. “Why, thank you! I’d be happy to make you some more home-cooked meals once in a while, if you’d like!”
Murphy nodded eagerly, his amber eyes shining beneath the moon’s rays—and then he was off, scurrying after his friends and squadmates.
A few moments of silence passed. Eventually their footsteps faded into the forest, leaving the rest of us completely alone. And wordlessly, the seven of us moved closer to the campfire, with Levi settling himself beside me in the grass.
“…Now can we start drinking?”
I rolled my eyes and held out my cup to Mike. “Fine, but pour me some while you’re at it!” No way am I letting you and Moblit keep it all to yourselves.
Mike slid the wine bottle from earlier out from under his jacket (he had made sure to keep it out of the kids’ line of sight after I’d scolded him for it) and began filling our cups one by one. I only wanted a little bit—alcohol still wasn’t my favorite, but this was a special occasion—and Levi refused it altogether, opting to stick with his tea instead.
“They’re good kids,” Mike suddenly said, catching me off guard. His face was unusually soft, his brown eyes warm behind his shaggy blond bangs. “You’re lucky to have ’em, you know.”
I thought of Emily’s calm and collected nature; of Reggie’s natural talent as a leader; of Evan’s incredible mind in the field; of Gretel’s snippy nature, as sharp as her blades; and finally of Murphy’s love for his comrades, and the beautiful glimmer of his eyes in the sunlight.
Would Rosalie and Emmett approve of them? No doubt about it, they would probably get along the moment they saw each other. Gretel would be too busy challenging Emmett to arm-wrestling matches and silly training games in the forest, just to see which one of them was stronger. Rosalie would be poring over books and battle strategies with Evan, but I could also see her training Emily with her horse, just as Murphy usually did. And Reggie would be the balance between them, keeping a watchful eye on all of them just to make sure there weren’t any accidents (or injuries), but being proud of his little family all the same.
No, our little family.
“…Thanks,” my voice was no more than a mumble as I sipped my drink, the taste of wine burning my throat. “I guess I am.”
The seven of us settled back in our seats, sipping our wine and gazing up at the moon between the clouds. Levi’s hand draped across my own on the grass, his warmth sending shivers down my spine. It was tempting to lean over and kiss him right on the mouth, or maybe even his cheek, but I was not going to deal with endless teasing from Hanji and Mike.
“So,” Moblit sighed and lowered his cup, “another year down. You feel any different?”
“Not yet. What am I, twenty-eight already? It’s kinda hard to keep track nowadays…”
Huh, twenty-eight years? Am I really that old right now?
It was nowhere near the age of some of the citizens within the Walls, especially those in the interior and Mitras. But it was an impressive feat for a member of the Survey Corps; most soldiers didn’t live to reach twenty-five. The numbers had been a little better in the last couple of years, but it was still a far cry from the rest of the population within the Walls.
That means Leyna’s twenty-eight, too. I wonder if she feels the same way? …Probably not. It’s so different over there in Wall Sina. She’s probably already planning the next ten years of her life over there.
“Ah, never mind all that stuff!” Hanji had that mischievous twinkle in her eye again, that smug smile that made my stomach flip over on itself. “Time for your presents!”
Wait, presents?! “Hanji, I don’t—”
“Hey, no arguing!” She was already rummaging around in the wagon with Moblit at her side, before giving the two horses nearby a quick pat on their necks. And I was horrified to see Mike and Nanaba, and even Erwin doing the same beside her. “It’s tradition, so you have to grin and bear it! So suck it up and deal with it, alright?”
I knew better than to argue with her on this. Hanji always came out on top in these spats, insisting on the importance of gift giving on one’s special day. I had no problem giving gifts to my fellow soldiers, but it was something entirely different when it came to myself. Especially when it happened to be my birthday.
At least Levi stayed nestled against my side, lacing his fingers through my own against the grass. At least he’s not working against me here. He merely shrugged his shoulders and took another sip of his tea, but not before clanking his cup against my own in a silent toast.
Nanaba was the first to hand me a gift, as she and Mike settled in the grass beside Levi. It was small enough, wrapped up in brown parchment and tied with a thin white string around the top. “From both of us,” she said with a smile, motioning to the smirking man at her side. “Hopefully you’ll be able to get some use out of it.”
I tore at the paper, eager to see what was inside. And when I finally did, I couldn’t help but smile at the two of them. Inside were a pair of gloves, made of rich leather that felt smooth to the touch. And when I slipped them on, I was surprised to see they were a perfect fit; most of the gloves they sold within the inner districts only came in sizes suitable for taller and bulkier soldiers like Mike and Erwin, not for petite ones like myself.
“You could wear them during training, so your hands don’t bleed from the blades.” I glanced up at Mike as he spoke, as he took another swig of his drink. “I have a pair myself and they seem to be working quite well so far.”
“Well, I’ll definitely try them out tomorrow during training. Thank you!”
It was sweet of them to not only get me a gift, but get me something I was sure to use in my everyday routine. Besides, after the lengthy breaks from training I’d taken, what with my injury and the whole mess at Mitras, my hands were no longer used to rigorous training with the ODM gear and the blades. I could use all the help I could get in order to get myself back to where I had been.
Moblit was the next to give me a gift, the tips of his ears burning a bit in the light of the fire. The paper crumpled at my feet as I ripped it apart, and I could feel my chest tighten as I held up the gift. It was a box set of three books from an author I knew all too well. A trilogy that I often caught my mother reading at the kitchen table, back in our little home in Shiganshina; she always told me I would be able to read them when she passed the books down to me and Leyna, and I was convinced they were lost back in the rubble of Wall Maria until we could find a way to reclaim it. But now I was holding it in my hands, all three books (in perfect condition), tracing my fingers across the title: Where Mom Lives.
“Thanks, Moblit. I’ll have to make time to read these later this week; they were some of my mother’s favorite books!” I hugged them to my chest, smiling as I watched his cheeks flush a dark pink color.
“No problem, Mia.”
I didn’t have much time before Erwin passed me his own gift: a brand new leather bridle with silver stitching embroidered in the reins, proudly spelling Edelweiss. My mouth fell open at the gentle leather, the gorgeous stitching, the sight of my horse’s name printed into the surface…
“And there’s a matching saddle in the barn, as well. I hope it’s the right size for him—not too tight or anything.”
“It’s perfect, Commander. Thank you so much!”
Erwin and I were always giving each other little horse-related gifts, for both our birthdays and Christmastime. While his own white horse was the largest one within the Survey Corps, Edel was a close second, which led to us both passing tack and equipment back and forth with each other. From curry brushes to blankets to even special shampoo to wash their manes and tails with—if it had to do with our horses, Erwin and I would be the first in line to know about it.
And I know Edel will absolutely love it. The bridle he’s wearing is already so worn out. Besides, he likes looking handsome whenever he goes out for a run!
Hanji was nearly bursting at the seams as she shoved her own gift into my arms, her eyes glimmering in the firelight. “Come on, open it already! Don’t keep me waiting!”
So I did. And just like with her gift for Levi’s birthday a couple years ago, she managed to catch me off guard, but in the best possible way.
She had gotten me a dress—not a heavy one, like the women in Mitras and Wall Sina wore on a daily basis, but not quite as long as the ones the girls in Trost and Shiganshina used to wear, either. It was small and light, reaching down to my knees with little ruffles around the edges. The collar crossed at a V-shape, with one flab of fabric folded over the other, and the sleeves cut off just above the elbow. And to top it off, the dress was a gorgeous light green color, with little bits of lace sewn into the sleeves.
I didn’t make a habit of wearing dresses all that often, especially as of late with all the training I had to make up, but looking at this little outfit made me want to save it for one of my rare days off, to let my hair down and feel the summer breeze blowing through the little ruffled skirt.
“It’s so pretty, Hanji! How did you know green was my favorite color?” I added with a little smirk.
She reached over to flick the collar of my shirt, just above the straps of my ODM gear. “Just a lucky guess. I’m glad you like it! Now you’re gonna have to wear it one of these days, I’m sure you’d look so cute in it!”
I hope so. And by the looks of it, Levi was thinking the same thing, as he unhooked the chest strap of his ODM gear.
Speaking of Levi…
“Alright Shorty, it’s your turn! Where’s your gift to your girlfriend, huh? What’re you planning on giving her?”
He scoffed and sipped his tea once more. “None of your business. That’s between me and her.”
Wait, don’t tell me he got something for me too!
“Aw, come on! Not even a little kiss? For the birthday girl?”
“Hanji, I swear to—”
Something light and warm twisted into my hair, bringing my head to the side. Before I knew it Levi’s lips were pressed against mine, his fingers keeping my head in place, the unbuckled ends of his chest strap brushing against my shoulder.
My cheeks were flushed, the light of the flames bouncing off my eyelids. I could feel everyone’s eyes on me, on Levi, watching us kiss, oh my God Hanji will never let me live this down—
Levi’s fingers were firm against my hair. A silent message: Don’t worry about them. It’s just you and me right now.
I raised my hand, fingers trembling against his cheek, as I eased myself against his body, savoring every bit of his sweet kiss.
He pulled away far too soon, his cheeks glowing in the firelight, his fingers still swirling in my hair. While he looked a bit bashful under the watchful eyes of our friends, he didn’t seem ashamed of what he’d done. Instead he inched closer to me in the grass, draping his arm across my shoulders as I snuggled into his side.
“Fuck off,” he snapped, before Hanji could even open her mouth. But she only leaned back and crossed her arms over her chest, a shit-eating grin plastered on her face.
Great, she’s going to hold this over my head forever…
The rest of the night carried on, with the seven of us making small talk and sipping our drinks. The air was getting cooler as the moon rose to its peak in the sky. I curled my cloak around myself, mindful of Levi’s arm stretched along my shoulders. With the others too busy talking amongst themselves, the two of us snuggled closer to each other and clanked our cups together, before Levi’s lips came to rest on the top of my head.
But the alcohol was starting to wear off, and we were starting to get a little sleepy. Nanaba barely managed to cover her yawn with her palm before she leaned into Mike’s side with a smile. Moblit’s eyelids were beginning to droop as he took another swig, and even Erwin was looking a little tired around the eyes. And before I could even say anything, I was yawning into the crook of Levi’s neck.
Time to go to bed.
Despite our offer to help, Hanji waved us off and assured us that she and the others could take care of the dirty dishes back at the base, as well as the horses that Moblit was starting to hitch up to the wagon.
“We’ll be fine, you guys go get some rest.” But one quick wink from my friend told me that she suspected the two of us were going to do anything but resting once we got back to our room.
But we weren’t about to argue with her. So I tucked the three books Moblit had given me under my arm and slung Edel’s new bridle across my shoulder, and began the short trek back to the castle. Levi followed close behind as he carried the summer dress and leather gloves as well, holding them at bay as I snuck into the barn to hang the bridle on the edge of Edel’s stall. I’ll have to have him try it out tomorrow.
A soft light from the window of the mess hall caught my eye; when I peeked inside, I couldn’t help the warm glow that pooled in the pit of my chest. The kids hadn’t gone to bed at all—instead they were sprawled out across the floor and benches of the mess hall, fast asleep, still in their training uniforms. Reggie and Petra were the only ones sleeping semi-normally, with their heads in their arms as they sat at one of the tables. Eld was leaning against one of the benches with his head slung back, with Evan’s head resting in his lap, and Gretel’s arm stretched across his chest. Murphy was curled up in the center of the floor, his leg sprawled out across Emily’s waist, as she slept peacefully with her arm brushing against Nifa’s. And Gunther and Oluo were lying flat against the floor, with a thin line of drool slipping from Oluo’s open mouth.
I pointed to them, and Levi scoffed. “Dumb brats.”
Silly kids.
On the way to Levi’s room, I made a quick detour into my office, to drop off the gifts in my arms. I placed the trilogy of books from Moblit in the empty space on the top row of the bookshelf, and the leather gloves from Mike and Nanaba next to my father’s journal on the desk. I took one more longing look at the dress Hanji had given me, at the gorgeous floral pattern and soft colors, before dipping it into the laundry basket in the corner of the room. I’d have to wash it later, before I wore it—
Wait, what’s that?
There was another small box resting on the chair of my desk, wrapped up in brown parchment with a note stuck to the top. Two names were written below, and I grimaced as I took off the top to peek inside.
Just a little something for your special night. Hope you like it!
Love, Hanji and Nanaba
I made sure to hide it from Levi’s sight, keeping the box close to my chest. Inside was a lacy set of lingerie—of fucking course Hanji and Nanaba would get me something like that. A pair of panties and a matching bra, both a beautiful shade of light red with bits of lace sewn into the sides. I shivered at the thought of wearing them—it must be so fucking cold…
Oh well, might as well get some use out of it, right?
Levi was already at the door, his hand twisted around the knob. “Ready?”
With a smile, I hid the red set into my cloak and pulled it against my chest. “Whenever you are, captain.”
His fingers were warm against my own, as he led me down the shadowy hall towards his office. The moonlight was soft in the windows, spilling against the floor and bouncing off his midnight hair. The urge to kiss him was bubbling in my throat, flooding from the top of my head all the way down to the tips of my toes. My stomach flipped, my hand squeezed around his own.
Fuck, why does he always have to look so handsome?!
The two of us stepped inside, with Levi locking the door shut behind us. As I slid my cloak off my shoulders (with the red lingerie set wrapped up inside), I began to head for his bedroom—but he was standing there in front of me, his arms outstretched, a leather folder placed delicately in his hands.
“For you,” his voice was no more than a mumble, and I could already see the flush of pink across his cheeks. “For your special day, birthday girl.”
I snickered and took the folder from him, but not before pressing a kiss to his heated cheek. “Thank you, Levi. You didn’t have to do this…but I’m glad you did.” He only shrugged, hands clenching together at his sides, his eyes dropping to the floor below.
I thought back to the last present he’d given me for a special date like this: the sketch of myself and Edel in the snowy lands beyond Utopia District. He’d given it to me as a Christmas present, and from the looks of the folder, I could only assume this was a similar drawing. Maybe that’s why he looks so nervous.
I opened the folder—and all of a sudden, the world froze around me.
Instead of looking at a sketch of myself and my horse, or even myself and Levi…I was looking at my family. All five of them (including myself): my father, my mother, my sister, and my brother.
Dad was sitting in his special chair, the one with the wheels on the bottom, with a brown blanket thrown over his lap. He was looking up with a smile, his hands resting across my mother’s hands over his shoulders. Ma was standing behind him, a sweet smile on her face, with her hair pulled up in her usual messy ponytail. Both of them looked just as how I remembered them: Dad’s little freckles across his face, the little scrunch in Ma’s nose, the wear of my father’s hands, and the softness in my mother’s eyes. For a moment, I thought I was actually looking at them in real life, as though Levi had somehow taken a memory of mine and plastered it on paper.
And my siblings were no different. Leyna was standing beside my parents, her arms crossed over her chest, her long blond braid falling over her left shoulder. She was glancing off to the side, smirking at me and my brother, who was mussing up my hair with a smile. I was startled at how much the drawing looked like Ben; everything about him was on point, from his reddish-brown hair, the quirk of his lips, to the stray piece of hair that always stuck up on the left side of his head. For someone who always liked to tease me about my messy hair, he sure wasn’t that big on keeping up on his own.
But the thing that struck me, besides the beautiful illustrations and vibrant colors, was the fact that Leyna, Ben and I were all the same age. We weren’t kids, we weren’t teenagers. We were adults, happy and smiling with our parents. Our parents, our father, who had never seen us fully grown up like this. Our mother, who had probably never smiled like that since Dad passed away in our little home in Shiganshina. And our brother, my Ben, who had barely scraped twenty-four years of age when he died. Here we were, all happy and content with our lives, and finally together again.
Something small and warm splashed onto the corner of the page. I shrieked and held it away from me, just in time to avoid more droplets from getting onto the parchment.
“Levi,” I was sobbing right now, struggling to smile through the veil of tears in my eyes, “Levi—fuck, how in the… I mean, how did you…?”
I could feel him slip the parchment through my fingers, placing it gently on the desk before taking me into his arms. His lips were gentle against my forehead; even through the sobs, I could feel him smirking against my skin.
“Why do you always burst into tears whenever I give you a drawing?” But there was no malice in his voice, only softness. “It’s starting to mess with my confidence, brat.”
“B-but—” I was blubbering like a child, staining the collar of his shirt with my tears. “…How? I mean—it’s gorgeous!”
How could he create something so beautiful? I knew of his talents as an artist, of the beautiful things he could bring to life with a stroke of his pen. He proved it time and time again with his drawings of myself and Hanji, and even Furlan and Isabel, if he was in the right mindset to draw them. But how could he draw my family so accurately—when he had never met any of them other than my sister?
I peeked over his shoulder at the drawing on the desk. His fingers were tangled in my hair, his lips still lingering on my forehead.
“Your sister helped me out. Told me what they looked like, and all that shit. Kept sending sketches back and forth to make sure they looked how she remembered them. So did Hanji and Erwin; Moblit helped me out with it, too.”
Oh, of course.
Erwin had been a cadet when my father was still active in the Survey Corps, so he knew what his face looked like. Hanji had visited my parents countless times over the years, snickering behind Leyna’s back when she scrutinized us for being a little strange during our time together, and laughing along with Ben as they both teased me about my height and messy hair. And of course Moblit, being the best artist within the Survey Corps, would chip in to help Levi. No doubt he wanted this gift to be absolutely perfect, so he probably wanted all the help he could get.
And to think, he did it all for you, Wolf.
Another tear slid down my cheek. “Did Leyna get to see…did she get to see that before you gave it to me?”
“Not this one—I sent her another one a couple weeks ago, when I finally finished it.”
Knowing my sister, she would be absolutely enamored by the drawing, even if it did come from Levi. While she wasn’t as vocal about it, it was clear she had a deep love for me and the rest of our family. At least she had a similar drawing back in Mitras to look back on whenever she wanted. And Levi was sweet enough to make one for her… Just thinking about it made me want to cry again.
“So,” he cleared his throat, pulling away and tilting my chin up with his fingers, “you like it?”
“I… I absolutely love it.” I leaned up to kiss him, smiling through the salt of my tears on his lips. “Thank you so much, Levi. I’m going to keep it right here—right in that drawer, with Dad’s journal. I just…I can’t thank you enough for making it—”
“Don’t worry about it,” he mumbled against my mouth. “I can spoil you a bit for your special day, sweetheart. I’m just glad you like it.”
The way he said it, with a slight sigh and tired smile, had me wondering if he had been truly scared I wouldn’t love whatever he’d drawn me. As though I would have a problem with him and his artwork, or any of the beautiful sketches he’d created just for me.
“Of course I do. And I’ll always love whatever you draw, no matter what.”
I kissed him again, pressing my palms to his flushed cheeks, sighing as he wrapped his arms around me. His body was warm and firm, so familiar and comforting and suddenly I knew—I knew I was completely safe. I always would be, as long as I had him at my side.
I wiped my sleeves across my face, catching the tears that fell before leaning in for another kiss. This time his hands lingered at my forehead, brushing stray pieces of hair from my face, curling them together at the nape of my neck. A burst of heat exploded in my chest; suddenly I could feel my stomach churning, the tips of my fingers flooding with energy, the rush of adrenaline in my veins.
I wanted him. And I wanted him now.
So I shoved myself into his chest, nearly knocking him into the door of his bedroom. But he caught himself quickly and opened the door, before slamming it behind him with his foot.
There was nothing outside these four walls. No Titans, no humans, not even a world beyond the Walls. It was just me and Levi, lost in our own little world. Our home, the one we had made together, safe and sound from everybody else. Nothing could ever hurt us again, as long as we were in each other’s arms.
“Mia,” my name was a lullaby on his tongue, as he took a seat on the edge of the bed, still pawing at my hips as I propped a knee on the mattress beside him, “are you sure you want this?”
“Of course I do.” I leaned up to kiss his cheek, before pressing my mouth to his ear. “Do you want this?”
He groaned, tugging me into his lap—and already I could feel the outline of his cock pressing against my thigh.
“Shit, sweetheart—fuck, you know I want this.” Another kiss to my lips, his fingers carding through my hair. “Wanna take the lead tonight?”
“For a little bit. Let’s see how it goes first, okay?”
“Fine by me.”
The two of us were relentless, moaning and kissing and ripping at each other’s clothes. I thought back to the lacy red lingerie waiting for me on the chair back in his office, and how much better I would look with it instead of my plain white bra and panties. But I was too desperate to stop and go change. I finally had him in the palm of my hand, a surge of confidence flooding my body, and I wasn’t going to let this opportunity slip through my fingers.
The straps of the harness were always the toughest to get off; my fingers trembled around the buckles, leather slipping through metal with a groan, before the heavy backplate finally clattered against the floor. As Levi kicked off his boots and shoved his harness to the floor, I slid my hand around the back of his head and pulled him in for one more kiss. My face was burning, my thighs quivering as I took a seat on his lap, slowly moving my hips back and forth. He cursed under his breath, panting against my mouth as I felt his cock harden against my thigh.
“Fuck, sweetheart, come here—” Suddenly I was on top of him, cradling his head in my arms as he flopped against the mattress. “I want you to sit on my face. Let me taste that pretty pussy. Think you can do that for me?”
The two of us moaned as I brought my hips down on his again; already I could feel my panties starting to stick to my skin. With one hand propped on the mattress to hold myself up, I slid my other down my pants and into my panties—and I gasped when I felt the slick dribbling from my folds, my clit burning with need.
Fuck, I haven’t been this wet in months.
It was a good sign, at least. I wasn’t shying away from him or inching away from every touch. Instead I relished in the warmth of his body, his skin and sweat and beautiful burning eyes. That had to count for something, right?
“I want you to.” I was panting hard as I slid my hand from my panties, my fingertips coated with slick. And when Levi opened his mouth to taste them, I could feel my head start to spin. “I want to ride your face, captain. I want to cum on your tongue—please, make me cum on your tongue…”
He palmed at my ass through my pants, dragging my hips against his, sweat dotting along his brow. Fingertips ghosted over the hem of my shirt, and without missing a beat I straightened myself up and pulled my shirt up and over my head. His hands were everywhere at once—my stomach, my breasts, and finally the back of my neck, as he pulled me down to nibble on the shell of my ear. I whimpered against the crook of his neck, head spinning and face burning and chest heaving and—fuck, I was loving this.
“Get rid of these pants, sweetheart,” he murmured, tugging the waistband of my pants down ever so slightly, “and you can ride my face as long as you want. As hard as you want.”
So I did. Within moments my pants and panties were strewn across the floor, and Levi was bringing me down to sit on his face. My fingers quivered against the wooden bars of the headboard; my clit was practically throbbing, begging to be touched and toyed with. But Levi was a tease—he only brushed his nose over it, before sliding his tongue through my soaked folds.
A mewl danced off my tongue at the first lick. Soft and light, I thought I’d imagined it at first. I rocked my hips back and forth on his face, searching for any bit of friction I could find, just to ease the burning ache in my clit.
But then he was pushing me back down, keeping my thighs locked around his head, lapping at my sex like a starved man.
I was gasping for breath, leaning over the headboard, clawing at the wood with all my might. Eyes squeezed shut, heart pounding hard, I moaned out his name into the darkness, completely helpless to the way he was rocking me on his face.
“Levi!” My fingers fisted into his hair, and he groaned against my clit. When he wrapped his lips around it I could’ve sworn I saw stars. “Levi! Please, I can’t—ah!”
That familiar coil I knew all too well was starting to spiral in my stomach. With every lick, every suck, every light nibble on my clit, he was driving me closer and closer to my peak. And all I could do was sit there and take it.
Suddenly he was lifting me off his face, his lips stained with my juices, his eyes as dark as the night sky above. I fought to catch my breath as I smoothed out his hair on the pillow below.
“Tastes so good, sweetheart.” He pressed a kiss to my clit and smirked when I let out a whine. “Fucking beautiful. You like that, huh? You like when I play with your pussy?”
He reached up, dipping the pads of his fingers into the slick, moaning at the way I clenched above his face.
“What would you say if I did this?”
Suddenly his middle finger was inside of me—I could feel myself clenching around it, throbbing lightly at the stretch. At first I winced—I forgot how long and thick his fingers actually are—but it only took me a few seconds to ease up. And once I did, I was rocking myself back and forth on his finger, whimpering and whining and begging for more.
“Again,” my voice was borderline raspy as I clutched at his hair, “again. Another one, please—”
“Tch, so fucking greedy, aren’t you?”
But he obliged, sliding a second finger inside me, followed closely by a third. My hips were frantic at this point, nails digging into his scalp as he sucked at my clit, letting me ride his fingers and face until I was screaming his name so loud I was sure everyone in the Walls could hear me.
“Fuck! Captain, I wanna—please, I wanna cum! Make me cum!” Tears were leaking out of my eyes as the coil wound itself tighter and tighter. “Levi! I want you to make me cum!”
He flicked his wrist hard and fast, curling his fingers into me as he kept his lips around my clit. Once or twice he would pull away, tongue darting out to lick at my clit.
“Good girl, cum for me.” His other hand grasped my ass, keeping me balanced while also bringing me down hard on his fingers and face. “Such a good girl. Ride me all you want, sweetheart—I’m all yours.”
I tore at his hair, clenched my eyes shut, and suddenly I was screaming his name into the darkness, gushing all around his fingers and down his face. He was quick to lap up the remains, his tongue catching every last drop I could offer. It was only when I whimpered from his nose against my oversensitive clit that he began to lift me off his face, settling me down against the mattress below.
I’m all yours. All yours.
The words kept spiraling around in my head as I laid there on the bed, with Levi panting beside me. It was a simple phrase, commonly uttered in the heat of the moment. Plenty of women had heard it from men in their lives, especially those they had dedicated their hearts and souls to.
But this was Levi, who wouldn’t say anything unless he was absolutely sure he meant it, even during sex.
He’s mine. And I’m his, forever and ever.
“Until the day we die.”
“What?” He cocked his head in my direction, the back of his hand splayed out along his forehead. “What’re you talking about, kid?”
I glanced up at him—and suddenly, I knew. Even with the scent of sex in the air between us, the messy bedsheets beneath us and the crumpled clothes strewn along the floor, it all became so clear to me.
He was the one I wanted to die with. He was the one I wanted to grow old with, to settle down with and have children with. He was the one I wanted to slide a pretty ring on my finger when this war was over. He was the one I pledged my heart to, my body and soul, my entire life to. And in return, I knew he would do the same to me.
Not anyone else. Not Mike or Moblit, or Erwin or Blaise, or any of the other men I knew in my life. The only one I wanted was him, and for better or worse, the two of us were stuck together for the rest of our lives.
His eyes went wide as I climbed back over him, straddling his lap and fiddling with the buckle of his belt. My thighs were already aching, but I didn’t care. My attention was focused on Levi, who was still fully dressed, save for the cravat that was currently resting on the nightstand beside the bed. I can fix that in no time.
“Mia.”
His voice held a warning in it, although he didn’t stop me as I dragged his pants and boxers down to his ankles. Not even when I wrapped my fingers around his aching cock, thumbing over the flushed tip.
“Are you sure you want this?”
It was like I was a virgin all over again.
I smiled and gave him a kiss on his forehead. “Absolutely. What about you?”
His hands came to rest on either side of my face, nose brushing against mine, lips dancing over my own.
“Absolutely.”
He made quick work of his shirt, practically tearing the buttons apart before throwing it off to the side of the room. Now the two of us were completely bare, holding each other in our arms. I dragged my fingers along the planes of his chest, just as he began to massage the skin of my hips.
His hands were there, ready to catch me if I fell too far, to keep me safe and bring me back to him. I reached over to kiss his lips again, taking his cock in my hand. Little droplets of precum were already sliding down the tip; he groaned when I smeared it along the head and gave it a few slow strokes.
Fuck, I’ve missed his cock. I’ve missed holding it in my hands like this.
Another kiss, a silent nod, and his fingers were laced through mine, as I sank myself down on his cock.
I shuddered at the stretch, at the burn between my thighs as I clenched around his cock, struggling to adjust to his size. But before I could reach down to play with my clit, Levi was already reaching for it, stroking his thumb across the little bundle of nerves. I gave him a lazy smile, already too far gone for words.
He didn’t make a sound as I stayed there, his cock buried to the hilt inside of me, as I tried to ease up around him. No teasing, no begs to go faster—he was just staring up at me, his silver eyes tinted with lust. Lust and love.
I love you. Fuck, I love you so much, captain… You’re mine, as much as I’m yours. And I’ll love you until I take my last breath in this hellish world.
I took his hands in mine, pressing them to the mattress beside his head, as I lifted myself off his cock. As steadily as I could, I began to ride him, savoring every inch he had to offer—every bit of warmth his body gave me. My mouth fell open, my fingers tightened around his, and suddenly that coil returned to the pit of my stomach, begging me to go faster, to ride him and make him feel good, to make up for lost time.
“I missed having you inside of me.” My voice was no more than a whine, strained and desperate in my throat. I could see his jaw clenching, his chest heaving as I began to pick up the pace. “Levi—captain, oh fuck… I missed this so fucking much…”
How many nights had I gone to bed unsatisfied, too afraid to take that next step with him? How many nights had I belittled myself for acting like such a whiny little virgin, even though I told myself to just get over it already? How many nights had I laid beside Levi as he slept, fisting my shirt into my mouth, driving my fingers into myself, hoping that the scent of his clothes and shampoo would somehow be enough to get me off? How many nights had he offered to guide me through a round of sex, only for me to brush him off with a nervous laugh?
The last few months had been torturous, for both myself and for Levi. Too many tears, too many nights screaming ourselves awake at memories that grew foggier with every passing day. Too many scars that held terrifying stories, both on our bodies and in our minds.
But we’d picked up the pieces and carried on. We took care of each other, just as we always had. We held each other and kissed each other, let one another cry on our shoulders or into our chests, nestled into each other’s sides as we tried to sleep the nights away. We were slowly getting better. Slowly, but surely.
And now I could hold myself over him like this, fully aware that I was with someone I loved with all my heart. I could trust him with my body and my heart and never regret giving them to him in the first place. I could trust him to keep me safe, even in the darkest of times—and in return, he could trust me to keep him safe, as well.
I gasped when his cock brushed against that special spot deep inside of me—the one that made my vision blacken with stars and my fingertips tingle with pleasure. My jaw dropped, my head fell back as I scooped my hips into his again, and I moaned a little louder when I felt him hit that spot again.
“Mia,” Levi’s voice was husky, his fingers dancing along the underside of my breast, “I want you to ride me. Give me everything you’ve got.”
My eyes shot open. “E-everything?”
“Yes. Now ride me.”
I didn’t waste a single moment. My captain had given me an order, and I did my damned hardest to follow it.
I was gasping for breath, moaning his name over and over as I slid myself up and down on his cock. Every thrust of my hips sent another bolt of bliss coursing through my veins. Every moan from his lips, every hiss between his teeth gave me another reason to pick up the pace. And suddenly I was bouncing myself on his cock as hard as I could, moaning and whining and drunk on him—his scent, his touch, his kiss, and everything in between.
Levi, my precious captain, the one who holds my heart—
“C-captain!” My nails sank into the planes of his chest, keeping me grounded as I rocked myself back and forth on his cock as hard as I could. “Levi! Levi, Levi—”
You are my one and only, the one I want to live with. The one I want to marry. The one I want to have kids with. The one I want to die with.
“Mine!” The word was out of my mouth before I could stop it—but I was too lightheaded and drunk on pleasure to correct myself. “You’re mine! My Levi, mine…”
My hips stuttered against his; I was getting tired, still worn out from coming on his face earlier, from riding his tongue and fingers as though my life depended on it. But just as I started to slow down, Levi’s hands were grasping at my hips, lifting me up and down on his cock at his own pace, and suddenly I was screaming out his name again.
“Yours, huh? Fucking right,” he growled deep in his throat, and a shiver trickled down my spine. “I’m yours—and you’re mine. My Mia. You’re my good girl, aren’t you?”
I called out his name as he punctuated each of his words with a thrust, hard and deep inside of me.
“Yeah, you are. My good—fucking—girl.”
I couldn’t get enough air, my chest felt as though it were about to burst. I leaned down to Levi, brushing his sweaty bangs out of his eyes, smiling lazily at him as he pounded into me with everything he had.
“Tired…take over, please?”
He flipped us over on the mattress in the blink of an eye, sliding his hand against my thigh, wrapping my leg around his waist. I could only lean back and watch as he began to thrust into me, and the coil in my stomach only wound tighter and tighter.
I arched my back off the mattress, fists curling into the sheets below, as Levi peppered my breasts with sloppy kisses. He was relentless with his thrusts, set on making me scream his name over and over until everyone in the castle knew that Captain Levi was the one fucking me, the only one who could ever hope to make me feel this fucking good.
His name danced along my tongue, between moans and breathless whines, against the salt of his skin and the warmth of his tongue. He moaned into my mouth, whispering the word “Mia” over and over again, his cock brushing against that special spot deep inside of me.
My hands curled around his shoulders, nails digging into the muscles of his back. At the same time he stretched his arms toward the headboard, nipping at my bottom lip as he gave a particularly harsh thrust.
I gasped his name—��Levi!”—and suddenly my whole body was on fire.
Snap!
My nails dug into Levi’s shoulders, raking down the soft planes of skin below, just as the headboard fell apart in his hands. Some of the wood fell onto the pillow beside me, but Levi was quick to sweep it off with a wave of his hand. A part of me wanted to stop and check his palms for any splinters, but his weight kept me pinned to the mattress, his hips slamming into mine at a ruthless pace.
I was babbling at this point, kissing every inch of his face I could reach, pulling him closer as he drove me to my peak. And from the looks of his face—his sweaty brow, slack jaw and glazed eyes—his own release was close behind.
“Levi—oh fuck, Levi! Levi!”
I screamed his name into his mouth as I tumbled over the edge, clenching my thighs around his hips, locking my ankles around his lower back. Fuck finishing on my stomach—I want him inside of me.
Levi groaned, gritting his teeth, throwing his head back as he continued to thrust into me. Soft moans were slipping through his lips; he was breathing hard through his nose, cursing under his breath with every thrust. He was getting sloppy with his pace, desperate and needy as he leaned over me and cradled my head in his arms.
“Mia—I want you—fuck, so bad—” Another moan, and I could feel his cock twitching inside of me. My nails scraped against his shoulders once more, and suddenly his hips still against my own. “S-shit, oh fuck—Mia!”
He growled into the crook of my neck as he spilled himself inside of me. I held his trembling body against mine, carding my fingers through his sweaty hair, tasting every bit of salt on his skin. I winced as he started thrusting into me again, at a much slower pace this time, and he was quick to give me a soft kiss on my mouth.
“Mia,” he moaned against my lips, as his cum trickled out of me, “I fucking missed this.”
I smiled at him, wrapping my hands around the back of his neck. “I missed this, too.”
The two of us held each other, skin slick with sweat and grime, as he lazily thrusted into me. I kept my ankles around his lower back, keeping him in place as he moved against my body. And although I knew I was up to date with all my pills—Lina had made sure I had been kept on my regular schedule over the past year or so—a part of me wished I wasn’t.
A part of me wished for a different life, where the two of us could be safe and happy and blissfully in love, as my stomach grew swollen with our child.
“Levi, I want—” The words were already pouring out of my mouth. “I want a baby…”
I winced as soon as I realized what I’d said. What a way to ruin the mood. And while he’s still fucking you, no less. Nice going, Wolf—you fucking idiot.
But he only smirked at me, chest rumbling with a soft chuckle, as he brushed my hair away from my face. Perhaps it was the post-sex hormones, or the lingering bliss of being together, but he didn’t seem worried about what I’d said in the slightest.
“Not now, but someday.” He pressed a kiss to my forehead just as he scooped his hips, and suddenly I was clawing at his back again. “Fuck—I’ll get you pregnant someday, I promise. Would you like that, sweetheart?”
The thought of carrying his child within me, our child, and feeling his arms around my swollen stomach as he leaned down to kiss it and whisper sweet nothings to our unborn baby—it was enough to drive me wild. I was nodding frantically, panting his name over and over again as he brought me to the edge one more time.
“Yes! I want your baby, Levi—I want our baby—”
And suddenly I was whining again, throwing my head against the pillow as I reached my peak once more. My clit was throbbing at this point, painful but oh so pleasurable all the same.
Levi kissed me again, and one, two, three more thrusts and he was filling me up again. His hands were warm beneath my thighs, his cum hot and sticky as it dribbled onto the sheets below.
The heavy weight of exhaustion was starting to settle in my bones; even as Levi began to untangle us from each other, I found myself fighting to keep my eyes open. Something warm and pleasant pressed against my forehead, and the soft scent of mint brushed along my nose.
“Shower first,” he reminded me in a raspy voice. “Then sleep.”
So I forced my eyes open and sat up on the bed. I glanced over my shoulder at the ruined headboard and—holy fucking shit. He had fucking obliterated that poor headboard, tearing a chunk of wood right from the bars. A few splinters were gathered at the top of the pillow, and even more were starting to spill onto the floorboards.
“W-what did you do?” I glanced at his palms, searching for any open wounds in the skin. Luckily I found none—just a few bruises from the wood.
“You should talk, brat. My back hurts like a fucking bitch.”
He turned his body halfway, and my mouth fell open at the sight of bright red marks embedded in his skin. Thin trails of blood were starting to well, stretching from his shoulders all the way down to his back. Immediately I grabbed a corner of the sheets and began dabbing at the scratches as gently as I could.
“I’ll wash them off when we get in the shower. Fuck, Levi, I’m so sorry—I didn’t realize—”
“It’s fine,” he mumbled, a smug smile on his face. “It’s just that strange power you told me about back then, right?”
Suddenly I remembered: the warm spring night before the first expedition I’d ever attended with my brand new squad. Levi and I had spent the night training with our ODM gear, as he instructed me on how to effectively use my speed and newfound strength to my advantage to bring down a slew of wooden Titans in the forest.
I’d mentioned my weird adrenaline rush to him after some prompting, when he pointed out the similarities between our fighting styles in the fields. The raw and choppy movements, the wild look in our eyes, the sudden understanding of everything around us, and knowing exactly what had to be done and how to do it. The two of us had experienced similar rushes, despite coming from completely different parts of the Walls.
That had been the last time we’d mentioned it out loud. I can’t believe he still remembers that…
“Then that means yours must’ve kicked in, too.” I nodded over to the ruined headboard with a laugh. “So I guess I’m not the only one with a strange power, huh?”
“…No, I guess not.”
Whatever it was, it was beyond our comprehension. At least, for now. But we could worry about that all in the morning; right now, the two of us were in dire need of a shower, a fresh set of sheets, and some well-earned sleep.
With shaky legs, I followed Levi to the bathroom and settled into the tub with him. I slid myself behind him and began to wash out the cuts on his back. I couldn’t help but wince at the angry red marks on his skin, a clear sign of the rough, almost primal sex the two of us had just experienced.
“Quit staring at them, sweetheart.” He gave me a tiny smile from over his shoulder as I rinsed them out with water. “If I didn’t like it, I wouldn’t have let you do it in the first place.”
Yeah, maybe you’re right…
Once the wounds had been cleaned out, the two of us began to wash each other. His fingers were light and soft against my hair, down my breasts and finally between my thighs. In return I smoothed some soap over the marks on his neck, against the planes of his chest, before leaning in to kiss him on the lips.
It wasn’t until we were out of the tub, all rinsed off and drying ourselves with a pair of towels, that I finally found the courage to speak again:
“…Did you mean it, out there? About…having a baby with me?”
Perhaps it was just something spewed out in the moment. Perhaps it was what men promised their lovers in the spur of sex, hot and blissful and almost mind-numbing. Perhaps Levi was regretting it now, as he glanced down at the floor rather than my eyes.
The two of us had never discussed the subject of children with each other, especially concerning this little relationship of ours. The topic had always been forbidden, what with our lives as soldiers and the promise of death lingering over our heads. This was no place to raise a child, not with the Titans currently scratching at the stone of Wall Rose. Not with the weight of our soldiers’ lives on our shoulders, both past and present.
For the last few years, I’d told myself that bearing children of my own wasn’t an option. At least, not until the Titans could be eradicated from this world altogether. But they were always hiding in the deepest, darkest corners of my mind, waiting for me to think about them once again. My own children, a son or a daughter, looking like myself or maybe Ben and Leyna, or even my future husband.
I still wanted them so fucking badly—and I wanted them to look like myself and Levi.
He cleared his throat, swiping the towel through his messy wet hair. Finally his eyes were on my own, as he wrapped the towel around his shoulders and began to make his way towards me.
“Someday. If you want a baby, we’ll have a baby. But…not right now.”
His hands came to rest against my cheeks, his lips ghosting over my forehead as he spoke. I quivered beneath his touch, swallowing hard before wrapping my arms around his waist in a tight hug.
“Someday,” I agreed, burying my face in his chest. “It doesn’t have to be now. But someday.”
“Right, brat. Someday.”
That was enough to tie me over for the time being. Besides, the two of us weren’t ready for such a heavy conversation like that. Not with everything else going on in our lives.
I could wait until he was ready. Until we were both ready to talk about it.
As I brushed out my hair, I watched Levi change the sheets on the bed, and I giggled as he grimaced at the broken headboard above. The wood splinters had been scooped up and tossed away, with the huge chunk of wood thrown on top of the pile in the wastebasket. But just to be safe, Levi propped an extra pillow against the headboard, to prevent any stray splinters from falling on us in the middle of the night.
“I’ll mention a replacement to Erwin in the morning.”
“You think he’ll be wondering how you managed to break it in the first place?”
He glared at me, and I only shrugged my shoulders with a smile. “As if I give a fuck. Bed was fucking old, anyway.”
Uh-huh, sure it was. “Maybe we should invest in a metal headboard, just to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
He huffed in agreement as the two of us climbed beneath the covers. I tucked my head under his chin at once, sighing in relief as I felt his arms coil around my waist.
“Although I have to admit…it was kinda hot seeing you break it like that.”
He scoffed as I snuggled deeper into his chest, drumming my fingers along his shoulders. “Don’t get used to it; it was a one-time thing. I’ll get us a new one as soon as I can. Now go to sleep.”
“…Next time, we should try breaking the whole bed.”
“Tch, be careful what you wish for, brat.”
He leaned down and pressed a kiss to my lips, soft and sweet and warm. And finally, with my limbs heavy from exhaustion and my face pressed against Levi’s chest, I closed my eyes and allowed myself to relax against his body.
But before I dozed off, I could hear his voice against the shell of my ear: “Sleep well, birthday girl.”
Thank you, Levi. But I was out like a light before I could even respond.
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flying-elliska · 4 years ago
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Headcanons for ADHD characters Masterlist
I was asked for this a while ago and I feel this is a good discussion subject because the canon representation for ADHD is kind of abysmal and is often a caricature or a joke.
usual disclaimer, I'm not a therapist, this is not a diagnosis tool, just for fun, etc etc...basing this on my own experience/knowledge with ADHD and meeting a lot of ADHD people IRL. I'm going off the main symptoms first (inattention and/or hyperactivity, restlessness, impulsivity, problems with emotional/focus regulation, daydreaming, messiness, hyper-focus, fidgeting etc) and then looking at character traits that are not a necessary symptom but often associated (substance abuse and addiction, need to please, sensitivity to rejection, compassionate and creative, thrill seeking, very imaginative, charming and witty or withdrawn and shy or angry and irritable, whimsical and fun and a bit child-like, out of the box thinker, self esteem issues, unstable life, comorbidity with anxiety and depression, very intense feelings, functions better with adrenaline/in an emergency, disregard for rules and problems with authority OR extreme compliance, codependency, perceived as weird, clever in an atypical way, problems in school, extremely good at one specific thing, etc)
Also I found this list with actual canonical representation
BOOKS :
The 'fits to a T so I'm seeing it as my personal canon' list :
note : doesn't mean that the authors actually meant to create representation but it's very likely they at least got inspired by people who did have ADHD (even when the diagnosis itself did not exist) and explained it with 'it's just their personality' OR the story happens in a setting where the label doesn't exist as such. also not meant to be exhaustive.
- Helen Burns (from Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë) One of Jane's school friends from the start of the novel, fits the inattentive type to a T : she can't seem to focus or learn her lessons, is constantly daydreaming, describes herself as messy and careless, forgets rules, and is easily distracted. She talks constantly about her own 'defective nature' and seems very sensitive to criticism but incapable of changing. She doesn't defend herself against the nuns' harsh punishments as she thinks she deserves them. She's presented as kind-hearted and compassionate, almost too good for this world, and hyperfocuses on her faith. Apparently sb even wrote an academic article on this. She dies so it's not super fun representation but it is interesting to see in an older book, to push back against the idea that ADHD was invented yesterday by Big Pharma lol.
- Grantaire (from Les Miserables, Victor Hugo) Part of the student revolutionary group Les Amis de l'ABC and resident skeptic, does not believe in the cause but is fixated on the group's idealistic leader (and yeah it sounds very gay, they die holding hands, there is a lot of Symbolism). He spends his time ranting about things that are only vaguely connected, is described as brilliant but incapable of sticking to any one profession or hobby, is an alcoholic, has a creative streak (was a painter at some point), likes wandering around the city, has massive self-esteem issues and is a general mess but does seem to care about his friends. This is not a very flattering portrayal as Grantaire is described as morally deficient but again, interesting in an old book. ADHD!Grantaire is a popular take in the modern fandom (i was in it before I was diagnosed it brought up a lot of Things) and it's very cathartic to see him get actual therapy in fic lmao.
- Luna Lovegood (from the Harry Potter series) JKR sucks but this is probably the most high profile case of a possible inattentive ADHD character so I didn't want to leave it out. She's a daydreamer, she is a big space cadet and seems to live in her own world, she has a very out of the ordinary sense of style, she's bullied for being weird, but she's also very kind and perceptive and cares a lot about her friends, and good at coming up with out of the box solutions. I wouldn't call it good representation, she's described as a wacko whom a lot of characters find cringeworthy but she's also pretty heroic, so. And she does seem to hyperfocus on magical creatures. Plus her father could also have it (and it runs in families).
- Jasper Fahey (from Six of Crows duology, Leigh Bardugo) Part of a young group of thieves with a heart of gold, he's a charmer and a compulsive gambler who quits college and incurs debts so massive he stops talking to his father out of shame. He's also an extremely talented sharpshooter and the scenes where he describes how the whole world slows and the rush of adrenaline when he is shooting sound like hyperfocus to a T. He's a loyal friend but also quite dependent on Kaz, the leader of the group, to keep him in line. He's witty, messy and he likes danger. His boyfriend later in the series, Wylan, is dyslexic and the way they learn to accommodate each other's issues honestly makes them one of my favorite couples ever. I need to reread these books and I am so stoked for the series I hope they do Jasper justice.
- Julian Diaz (from Cemetary Boys, Aiden Thomas) Love interest of the book, introduced as the 'high school resident bad boy', energetic motormouth who can't sit still and actually very endearing, has issues in school and gets bored easily, main problem is that he's a ghost...sort of. The whole thing was very cute and I love that Julian's personality is described as fun and attractive instead of annoying (which is, if you haven't noticed already, a pattern).
- Evie O'Neill (from the Diviners series, Libba Bray) She's a flapper in 1920s New York who ran away from her boring little town to make a life for herself ; she's a party girl and an impulsive thrill-seeker who hates standing still and is always looking for excitement to 'fill the void'. She craves fame and attention and pretty things, she can be a loyal friend but is also frequently self-centered and forgetful, she's street smart, resourceful and very charming and witty. She's also grieving, drinks too much and is definitely depressed. She's obviously meant as an archetype of the era, caught between trauma and excess, but it does come over as very hyperactive ADHD as well. Her powers to read objects also really pinged me as a good metaphor for the ADHD tendency to be overwhelmed by details.
The 'bit more of a reach but there's a vibe' list :
- Emma Woodhouse (from Emma, Jane Austen) Frequently cited as a character with ADHD, I didn't come up with this one but she fits. She's daydreaming, easily bored, has flights of fancy and hyper-focuses on matchmaking, is a bit impulsive and thrill seeking, clever in an unconventional way, described as a bit immature, mix of caring and self-centered.
- Ronan Lynch (from the Raven Cycle, Maggie Stiefvater) Ronan just has Neuroatypical Vibes, even though it's not entirely clear what, and I've seen people label him all sorts of things which is very valid. As for ADHD, he's restless, impulsive, likes to Go Fast and do street racing, he has very strong emotions he doesn't know what to do with, and big self esteem issues esp. at the start, is very all or nothing with people, snarky, drops out of school to be a magic farmer, problems with authority, looks like a scary mean goth but is actually a big softie (but like, with a few people), pulls shit out of his dreams. Is kind of dependent on his best friend at the start too.
- Sherlock Holmes (from the eponymous series by Arthur Conan Doyle) Again a character who has been diagnosed with all sorts of things. The biggest ADHD vibe for me is 'my mind rebels at stagnation' and the way he needs drugs to function outside of the thrill of a case, and the way he hyper-focuses on information he needs to be a detective while completely ignoring common knowledge. Also sort of dependent on his best friend Watson and isn't great at social interactions. Doesn't care much about upholding social conventions either. The RDJ adaptation is the one that has the most ADHD vibes to me.
- Harley Quinn (DC Comics/Movies) Big codependency issues (that's arguably the thing she's most known for) and sadly people with ADHD are often prone to getting into abusive relationships. It depends on the story too but she's very energetic, zany, impulsive, she likes shiny things and bright clothes, she's fun and chaotic and likes to break the rules, she's a criminal but she does seem to have a heart, she's also frequently immature and rash, etc.
What are your headcanons ? I would love to hear if you have some so I can add them to the list. I'll make a TV/Movies list soon.
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