#and answer the rest of inbox asks tbh

[godnectar]

replaying re8 rn only to see my fav pretty ladies 🥹👌

[insert-cephalopod-joke]

Current #: 6/5 (answering a bonus ask ^_^)

Rook: 1

“Summer”: 2

Saturn: 1

Ember: 1

All: 1

[piningpercussionist]

would you say the music you make is pretty similar to music you enjoy?

(ooc: Welcome to a blast from the past! This answer was queued AGES back- I couldn't edit it from mobile without putting it back to my drafts, where it would've ended up some 300 posts back and vanished, never to be seen again. I debated trying to make another new answer, but I just don't have the time at the moment, unfortunately. Fingers crossed for fresher answers soon, though I hope this one was satisfactory nonetheless!)

Hm...

Yeah, you could say that, I guess. I mean, if I didn't like the music we made, I wouldn't be sticking with it, you know?

I guess I tend to like stuff that makes you want to move- whether it's just headbanging or full on thrashing. Or the kind of stuff you want to scream along with- lyrics you can really sink your teeth into.

I'll listen to almost anything, though, so long as it's good.

[sn0wgr4ve]

* i wonder what happened to cakekid. i hope they’re okay wherever they are

[bucketbueckers]

I'D RATHER PRETEND

extra 1: proposal ‘a few years had gone and come around...you looked at me, got down on one knee’

tags: @angryflowerwitch @avvwritesstufff @melpthatsme @rebecca-woso @bueckersg1rl @l0verl4ne @clouded-whispers @dolliest-thena @katemartinlvr @numberonepartyanth3m @glamourdaya @pbbucks @unadulteratedcyclepaper @paiges-1vur @thelightknight21 wc: 4.7k notes: based on this request 🫡 sorry this took forever, i took a break from writing for a bit (writing 80k+ words over the course of a month alters your brain chemistry tbh). i was gonna link the proposal and the wedding together but decided to split them just so i could get something out for y'all! soooo trust that the wedding oneshot will be in the works soon and other slice of life snippets. if there's anything you wanna see, feel free to request! i'll get around to it when i have the time & my inbox is always open for yaps 🙂‍↕️as always i hope y'all enjoy!! 🫶

NOVEMBER 13, 2028

The first week of their postseason vacation couldn’t have gone any better. After a successful last year with the Sparks and the Wings respectively, Tess and Paige needed the time out of the country, away from basketball and other people. For four years, they’d spend up to six months away from each other training, playing, or travelling – it wasn’t much different from what they were used to in college, but they were nearing their five year anniversary and if Tess was being honest, she loathed only having Paige for half of the year. They planned to spend the first two full weeks of the offseason in Naples, Italy, where Tess had grown up – completely alone with plenty of time to relax after a grueling championship contending season.

So the first week was amazing. They flew in on a Monday, ordered room service and promptly fell asleep after dinner, far too jet lagged and exhausted after hours of travelling. On Tuesday, Paige treated her to breakfast in bed: delicate pastries and fruits and savory meats, then they toured an art museum – the Sansevero Chapel Museum. Tess was pretty sure Paige spent more time staring at her than the actual art they’d paid to look at, but she wasn’t going to complain. She enjoyed Paige’s attention more than she liked to admit. On Wednesday, Tess showed her around the inner workings of the city and the street she grew up on. Paige even met some of her extended family, such as her paternal grandparents and some other cousins. Tess’s family welcomed Paige in with open arms and made sure they stayed for lunch. They spent the rest of the day walking around the city hand-in-hand with Tess sharing childhood stories as Paige listened intently. On Thursday, they visited the San Carlo Theatre – coincidentally enough, they were performing an opera of Romeo and Juliet, which endlessly amused the both of them. On Friday, Paige decided she wanted to try every pizza place that Naples had to offer, and Tess didn’t really have the heart to say no to her. The weekend was spent lounging around, walking around the city some more, and visiting the beach, although they quickly gave up on that endeavor because it was entirely too cold.

Then the second week rolled around and Paige’s entire demeanor changed. When Tess woke up on Monday morning, shirt and underwear haphazardly thrown on after a long night, Paige was lying silently next to her, hands folded over her stomach. She was staring at the ceiling fan like it held the answers for whatever existential question she’d been pondering. Paige and silent were two things that never ended well when they were mixed together. The last time Paige had been eerily quiet had been after New Year’s in 2024 – that was a month of dread and panic that Tess never wanted to go back to, so she rolls onto her side, gazing at Paige.

“Do you ever think the trees are trying to communicate with us but we’re too dumb to understand them?” she asks seriously, watching five different expressions cross Paige’s face before she settles on amusement, laughing quietly.

Paige finally cranes her head over, her face softening when she locks eyes with Tess. Her hair is unruly, a mess from the night before, mascara flaking and her skin littered with marks. Tess is certain she’s never seen anyone more beautiful than Paige and she’s certain she never will. Even after almost five years together, Paige still makes her heart beat like she’s a teenager with a crush. “What happened to ‘good morning?’” she jokes.

“Not a good morning when I wake up and you’re social distancing,” Tess grumbles indignantly, pointing at the space in between them. “What happened to, I don’t know, ‘loving your girlfriend?’”

“I’m so sorry, baby,” Paige croons, her tone teasing. She rolls Tess onto her other side, curling an arm around her abdomen, her fingers lacing together with Tess’s over her navel. She rests her chin just above the crown of Tess’s head, sinking into the pillow. “Better?”

Tess hums, content, her hair raising at the feel of Paige’s skin against hers. “You gonna tell me what’s wrong?” she asks.

Paige huffs out something akin to shocked laughter. “What makes you think something’s wrong?”

“Paige, we’ve been together for almost five years,” Tess states. “You think I don’t know when something’s on your mind?” She twists the ring on Paige’s thumb as the blonde falls silent, thinking. “I don’t want you to ice me out,” she admits. “We said we wouldn’t do that. If there’s something wrong –”

“Nothing’s wrong,” Paige says quickly. She squeezes Tess’s hand, craning her head to press a gentle kiss on her temple. “Nothing’s wrong. Believe me. Everything’s perfect. Just…a big moment for us right now.”

“Free agency?” Tess asks, turning around in Paige’s embrace to face her fully after adjusting her arms. Paige’s face looks torn, uncertain – free agency has to be what’s weighing on her now, right? They’ve had this conversation numerous times, especially late at night after rough games when they’re missing each other and the distance feels like a burden. They’ve done this before, which is what Tess clings onto – they’ve been hundreds of miles apart in college but it’s so different now that they’re in the league and that they know their future is with one another.

“Free agency is up there,” Paige confesses after a while, frowning. “We don’t gotta talk about it right now. This is our vacation.”

“We say that every time,” Tess says softly, trying to start a conversation, not an argument. That’s been one of the biggest points of growth with Paige over the past few years. Tess is often too quick to jump to a conclusion, to get into her head about a situation or however Paige must feel about something. They’ve had these growing pains discussions numerous times, learning to be patient and trust each other more and more. Tess searches Paige’s features. “You and I both want to play ball. You know I don’t mind competing against you, but…I don’t like the distance, either. So, what do you want from whatever team you’re interested in?”

Paige hesitates, but Tess stares at her imploringly. “A younger team,” she says. “Lots of people are retiring. Stewie, BG, Sloot, Natasha. I wanna go to a team that’s gonna be together for a while, be a championship contender. I wanna be closer to you, too.”

“Okay,” Tess says, feeling slightly relieved – she and Paige are in agreement on that much. She wants longevity, a team that’s reliable, where she can settle down. She’s been stubborn on keeping up her apartment lease in LA just because she didn’t want to purchase anything permanent that wouldn’t have both hers and Paige’s name on it. “Do you have a team in mind?”

“I’ve talked to some people, yeah,” Paige says. “Have you?”

Tess nods. Paige’s thumb finds her jaw, tracing the skin there absentmindedly. “Say it on three?”

“On three,” Paige confirms. “One.”

Tess swallows. “Two.”

Together, they both say “Three,” and then –

“Valkyries,” they say at the exact same time.

The tension melts from Paige’s shoulders immediately as Tess breaks into peals of laughter. Paige shakes her head fondly, tucking her chin into the crook of Tess’s neck to hide the blush on her cheeks. “Okay. So we’ll sign with the Valkyries if they reach out to us during free agency.”

“Don’t think there’s gonna be an ‘if,’” Paige says quietly. “I talked to Azzi and she said Natalie was very interested in us. They recently got some crazy salary cap increase so I think their plan was to splurge on us, make it hard to say no. Pretty sure they also got Kiki and Ayoka to resign, so me, you, Azzi, Kiki, and Ayoka? Playoffs, easily.”

“Oh, so you think we’re starters?” Tess asks teasingly.

“You think they’re gonna drop a couple million on bench players?”

Tess shakes her head fondly, but presses her lips to Paige’s hairline, unable to keep the smile off her face. “I can’t believe we’ll be playing together next season,” she murmurs, feeling Paige tighten her arms around her waist. “After kicking your ass for nine straight years –”

“That is not what happened,” Paige interrupts, smushing her finger into Tess’s cheek. “2025? Ring a bell? UConn natty?”

“I recall a lot of things from that night but a natty was not one,” Tess states. “I remember you coming to my hotel room, and –”

Paige slides her hand across Tess’s mouth, shutting her up, but her eyes are slightly wide. “Don’t,” she says softly. The corner of her mouth twitches like she’s trying to hold back laughter. Tess rolls her eyes and she pushes Paige’s hand off of her. “Does this mean we gotta start apartment hunting now?”

Tess hums. “Maybe a house?” she suggests, watching Paige’s reaction carefully. As her words sink in, a smile grows unabashed on Paige’s face.

“You wanna buy a house with me?”

“Paige,” Tess says, a little indignant. “Duh?” Paige’s expression turns unbelievably tender, her smile softening. Tess quirks a grin of her own. “I’m thinking of something permanent, you know? Settle down, finally? Stay with the Valkyries until we’re, what – 40 something, Diana Taurasi style. Retire in the Bay. We’ll have our house, maybe four bed, couple baths. Us, maybe a kid or two, guest room for our friends. We’ll probably be coaching somewhere, collecting our rings when we’re old and washed up.” Tess swallows, realizing the gravity of what she’s just said. “I mean, if that’s something you’d be interested in.”

“Tess.”

“Hm?”

“Shut up.”

Before she can respond, Paige’s fingers are curling around her neck, pulling her in closer until their lips meet, and kissing her with a softness and a gentleness that hasn’t disappeared after so many years together. Tess can’t help but smile, feeling the promise, the agreement, that Paige presses against her. When she draws back, Paige’s smile is wide, her teeth showing and the corners of her eyes crinkling. “I want that with you,” Paige murmurs, just so that there’s absolutely no confusion. “Lemme put a ring on it before we start talking about kids, yeah?”

Tess narrows her eyes dramatically. “You need to hurry it up, then,” she says. “I won’t wait around forever.”

Paige lifts one of her hands, kissing her knuckles with a coy smile. “Trust me. Gonna make it worth your while, baby.”

Tess honestly should have known that she had another trick up her sleeve, but she was too lost in the moment to overthink her words. So she acquiesced, giving into the deep, lingering kiss that Paige pressed into her lips, letting herself sink further into their bed and reveling in the way Paige’s lips danced across her skin.

The rest of the week passed with little interruption or further weirdness. Paige did seem a little nervous at times, though the moment never lasted too long, so Tess didn’t think much of it. She and Paige continued to make the most of their time in Italy. They had a private couple’s painting event, where Paige, for whatever reason, painted the two of them as stick figures driving around in a basketball shaped car (she’s lucky that Tess is in love because otherwise…God help her). Paige booked them in with a renowned Italian chef who taught them how to make homemade pasta and various sauces, which went as well as one could expect – that is to say Tess was just endlessly distracted by the way the veins in Paige’s hands protruded as she kneaded the dough.

Then, on Friday the 17th – Tess’s birthday – Tess woke up to Paige’s lips on her face and an assortment of brunch food. They indulged for the better part of the morning, not leaving the bed until the afternoon until their spa appointment. Paige had declared that she “deserved to be pampered” and who was Tess to argue against that? The resort masseuse and the nail techs were incredible at their jobs and Tess left the appointment feeling incredibly refreshed. Her birthday dinner was at an upscale restaurant in the heart of the city and Paige gifted her another charm for her bracelet – this time in the shape of the Italian peninsula to remind her of their time here.

Saturday the 18th was different – there was a palpable shift in the air. She woke up a little past eleven in the morning, alone, which was concerning in and of itself because Paige is rarely awake before she is. Paige is a chore to get out of bed in the mornings and always has been. She’s the CEO of “five more minutes” or “come cuddle” which, Tess will admit, has only become more endearing over the years, but right now, all it does is worry Tess after the conversation they had earlier in the week about free agency.

She hardly has the time to overthink it too much because Paige is shuffling back into their room, sporting an insane case of bedhead and a slight smudge of toothpaste lingering on her bottom lip. The blonde grins at her, easing her nerves instantly, and she presses one knee into the bed as she leans over Tess’s body, planting a kiss onto her lips. “Good morning!” she chirps, which is the next indicator that something is up.

“Good morning,” Tess says, honestly a little confused. She wipes the foam off of Paige’s lip. “What’s gotten into you?” she asks suspiciously.

“What, I can’t be happy?” Paige raises a brow, leaning in to kiss her again. Tess stops her with a hand to her chest.

“Okay, now I know you’re being weird,” Tess states. “You woke up before me. You got out of bed and attempted to make yourself…somewhat presentable, when the first thing you do in the morning is beg to be the little spoon for a little while.” As she speaks, Tess smooths out the mess on Paige’s head, frowning slightly. “You’re too happy right now. And you keep trying to distract me. So, you’re plotting something. What’s going on?”

Paige huffs dramatically, leaning away from Tess. “Nothing’s wrong, ma, swear,” she vows. Tess narrows her eyes at her, studying her features closely, but all she can make out is an anxious earnestness and unequivocal love. Paige cups her cheek as she kisses her temple gently, moving her mouth to her ear to whisper, “Everything’s perfect right now. Trust me, okay? Just wanna make you happy.”

“You do,” Tess affirms. Paige’s words soften the tension in her shoulders. Maybe she is overthinking again, which isn’t unlike her. Paige has never given her any reason to doubt her words, not in the near five years they’ve been together. She owes it to Paige to have more faith in her, in them.

A smug look crosses across Paige’s features as she pokes Tess in the cheek obnoxiously. “I know.” Tess rolls her eyes fondly as Paige leaves the bed fully. “Now get dressed. This is our last day in Italy and we got shit to do. Can you do my hair?” Tess meets her eyes through the mirror, raising a brow slightly. “Please?” Paige adds.

“I’ll house train you one day,” Tess mumbles, though she knows Paige is basically a lost cause at this point. Her girlfriend smiles at her and all of her faux annoyance washes away in an instant as Tess presses a kiss to her cheek, beginning to work on her hair. Paige gives her free reign to work and Tess elects to leave Paige’s down in natural, loose waves. Then, they get dressed – Paige dons a baggy pair of black cargos with an oversized white sweater and matching white sneakers. She doesn’t forget her chain or the various rings on her fingers, which makes Tess contemplate telling her to cancel their reservations for wherever they’re going so they can spend the day in bed (again – but that’s no one’s business but their own). Tess herself dresses in white sneakers, a pair of light-wash blue jeans, and a patterned sweater that she’d stolen directly from Paige’s luggage – the very sweater that Tess claimed made Paige look like an art teacher.

Once they’re ready to go, Paige leads her hand-in-hand down the busy streets towards a restaurant. They indulge in a late lunch, cracking jokes, sharing stories and optimism for the future – Paige wants an outdoor court built at whatever house they’re buying (possibly the least surprising thing Tess has ever heard), and Tess’s only real complaint is that she doesn’t want to live in an obnoxiously huge mansion. As long as the house has what they need and they have their family, then there’s not much else that Tess wants.

After lunch, they arrive at a private pottery making class, which takes a good few hours out of their day. Paige looked absolutely silly with her sleeves rolled up to her elbows and covered in clay, and Tess is sure that the only thing that stopped them from initiating an all-out clay war was the elderly woman who was carefully instructing them. Eventually, their creations start taking shape – a vase for Tess and a lopsided mug for Paige, and while they get fired in the kiln, the instructor talks them through the history of Italian pottery and ceramics.

Tess had thought the pottery class was their last stop on the day, but Paige had something else planned. “It’s a secret,” she claimed, but she seemed a little more nervous than she was earlier that day, which did little to quell Tess’s sudden anxiety until Paige pressed her lips to her knuckles. “Trust me.”

And so she did, allowing Paige to lead her down the streets once more in the fading daylight. The sky was lined with streaks of pinks, oranges, and a dimming yellow. Tess knows she says it a lot, but in this light, Paige looks absolutely radiant – the sharp lines of her face softened by the gentleness of the sky, the blush on her cheeks heightened by the chill in the air. Her palm was warm against Tess’s, rough in some places and smooth in others, but Tess loves every inch of Paige just the same.

Finally, the two of them stop in front of an unassuming door, one that Tess had never seen growing up here. Paige’s nerves seem to return tenfold as she pauses. Tess watches her face contort as if she’s battling some internal decision. She squeezes their linked hands, feeling the relief that exudes from Paige’s body, and the blonde smiles tentatively. “You first,” she states, resting her free hand over the door knob. Tess gives a confused, yet trusting nod, as Paige opens the door and ushers her inside.

The breath is all but sucked from her lungs as soon as she’s indoors. The lighting in the room is dim, but Tess can see nearly everything. The rose petals creating a path for them, the flickering of candles strewn about, but the part that truly captures her attention are the polaroids that hang from the ceiling on thin twine strings. The one closest to the entrance are incredibly new, selfies of the two of them from the week before, a picture of Tess and Paige swept up with Tess’s extended family. There’s a solo shot of Tess grinning at the camera for Paige, dolled up in her birthday dress and holding a glass of wine.

Paige doesn’t say anything – she doesn’t have to. She rests her palms over Tess’s hips as she guides the both of them forward, allowing Tess the time to properly look at all of the pictures. As they walk through the room, which Tess figures was an art gallery given the abstract paintings on the wall, the pictures get older and older. There’s a photo of the two of them from the WNBA finals, confetti sticking to their sweat-slick bodies as they embraced in the middle of the court. There’s a photo of them at the Olympics holding up their matching gold medals. There’s countless shots of them sharing the basketball court, as rivals, and part of Tess can’t help but get choked up because they’re not going to be rivals on the court after this vacation is said and done. After nine years, she finally gets to play with Paige, as teammates, and she’s not sure if there’s anything in the world that could possibly top that feeling.

Their WNBA memories filter out, leading to their college ones. There’s one of the two of them from the national championship, displaying the two of them staring at each other – Tess on one side of an half-empty court, Paige on the other swarmed by her teammates. The pride reflected on Tess’s face is evident in the photo. There’s a bunch of other memories, their February game, holidays celebrated with each other, their summer of 2024 world tour, and photographs of them from when they were “pretending.” Tess spots herself perched on Paige’s lap during the first Thanksgiving she spent with the extended Bueckers family, arguing over Fortnite with Paige as Paige’s siblings watched on in amusement. There’s countless FaceTime screenshots, back when the two of them were truly getting to know each other, selfies from their Bose trip that changed everything, and finally, as they’re nearing the end, the photographs melt into their initial soft launch photos, that damned coffee shop and Paige’s less than subtle appearance. But the last photo isn’t like the others. The rose petal path has led them to the back end of the art gallery, still illuminated by the soft lighting. The last photo is framed. It’s of the two of them shaking hands after the first game they played against each other on February 8, 2021. That date has stuck with Tess for a while now. If you’d told her younger self in 2021 that she’d be here, now, with Paige Bueckers, she wouldn’t believe you. But now? She can’t think of anything more fitting, more obvious than her and Paige.

With tears brimming her eyes and wrought with nostalgia and gratefulness, Tess turns to meet Paige’s gaze, but she’s already looking at her. She always is. Paige looks extremely nervous, but there’s a spark of determination that Tess knows all too well.

“We met almost eight years ago,” Paige states, her voice soft as her shaky hands reach out for Tess’s. “In Gampel. We played against each other and I learned so much from you – I just didn’t have the courage to talk to you, and I regretted that for months. Then, two years after that, in May of 2023, God sent you to me again. It was awkward, and unconventional, and I thought you didn’t like me –” the two of them share a watery laugh, “–but I knew I had to make the most of it. Of us. I wasn’t gonna let you get away from me, not again. So we fake dated. I just wanted you in any way you’d have me. I was happy to just be your friend. But as time went by, I fell for you, and…” Paige smiles at her. “I was scared at first, but part of me knew it was gonna happen. You’re a competitor, you’re stubborn, and the most beautiful girl I’ve ever known. You get me, always have, and me falling in love with you was real. We’re real. I’m so thankful for what we have, for you, and knowing that we’ll be playing together next season is everything I’ve wanted for nearly eight years. I can’t wait to do this with you. I can’t wait to build a life with you. On New Year’s Eve in 2023, I told you my resolution was building something permanent. I’ve kept that promise, but I’m gonna amend that to say my resolution is to build something permanent with you.”

Paige releases her hands, exhaling, and Tess almost chokes on a sob when Paige carefully drops down to one knee, her hands reaching into her pocket to produce a small ring box. Her hands shake as she opens the top, revealing the gold engagement band and a stunning, sparkling diamond, minimalist yet beautiful in the way Tess prefers her jewelry. But the ring doesn’t hold her attention for too long. She gazes down at Paige, at the tears beading at her waterline, the clear anticipation and nervousness and unfiltered love in her eyes. Tess watches a soft smile spread across Paige’s face as she finally asks the question she’s been waiting to hear for years. “Tess Kennedy, will you make me the happiest woman in the world and marry me?”

Tess doesn’t even have to think about it. She sinks down across from Paige, throwing her arms around her neck and pulling her in for a bone-crushing hug. “Oh my fucking God,” she murmurs, not even feelingly slightly ashamed as she soaks Paige’s sweater with her tears. Paige wraps her arms around her middle, pulling her close tightly as she laughs.

“So is that a yes?”

“Yes, Paige,” she stresses, barely resisting an eye roll when Paige’s face lights up, simultaneously melting with relief. “I told you I wanted to marry you almost four years ago. You really thought my answer was gonna change?”

Paige huffs, amused, as she slides the ring onto Tess’s finger. The candlelight reflects beautifully off it. The ring is gorgeous but Tess can’t keep her eyes off of Paige, whose eyes shine with tears and gratitude. “Just wanted to hear you say it.” Her tone is gentle but also a little smug. “Tess Kennedy wants to marry me,” she sing-songs.

Tess rolls her eyes fully as she and Paige stand up. “You literally got down on one knee and asked, you jerk,” she retorts, reaching up to cup Paige’s cheek and brushing away one of her tears. Her voice is soft despite her words, which makes Paige laugh as she grabs Tess by her wrist and presses a kiss to her open palm, her smile bright and fully enamored. Then, a realization dawns on Tess and she groans, pressing her forehead into Paige’s shoulder. “Oh my God. Is this what you were so nervous about last week? Not free agency?”

Paige laughs, a sound straight from the belly as she wraps her arms around Tess’s shoulders. “I didn’t lie. I was a little nervous about free agency, but I was a lot more nervous for this. Knew you’d say yes – you’re in love with me and shit –”

“And shit?” Tess asks, shaking her head.

Paige nudges her. “Just wanted to make it perfect for you,” she admits, all teasing gone from her tone. “Told you I had to make it worth your while.”

“It was perfect,” Tess says honestly. “You could have asked me anywhere, anytime, and I would say yes. I love you. But I did really like the pictures.”

Paige pulls back to grin at her. “Thought you would,” she murmurs, leaning down to kiss her gently. “I love you, too. Is it too early to call you Mrs. Bueckers?”

Tess pushes her away with a hand to her chest, affronted. “For the record, we’re hyphenating,” she declares. “Mrs. and Mrs. Bueckers-Kennedy.”

“Might not fit on the jerseys,” Paige goads.

“We’re gonna win the Valkyries a couple of championships,” Tess says. “They’re going to have so much money they’ll figure out how to get our names together on the jerseys.”

Paige smiles again. “That works for me,” she says, softer this time. She presses her lips to Tess’s again, pulling her flush against her body, enveloping her in a warmth she’s content to feel for the rest of her life. Tess grins against her, but Paige responds with a smile of her own, not minding, only holding her tighter.

She doesn’t know how to explain it – this overwhelming happiness. She’s engaged – oh my God, she’s fucking engaged; her parents are going to lose their mind – and she has everything she’s ever wanted. That much was true years ago when she had her natty wins and her girlfriend, but now? She has her fiance and the promise of a future together, on the same team, in the same house in the Bay, and all she really knows is that she can’t wait to walk down that aisle whenever the time comes.

[sparklykat-hideoutenthusiast]

I've seen people doing an intro post so I suppose I should do the same right? I have no idea how to do this, I'm just winging it :3

INTRO POST TIME WOOO!!

[last updated: sat dec 7th at 7:18 PM 2024]

(I update this often, a reread of it every now and then would be greatly appreciated!)

Maybe every week/month depending on your time scale? ↑

Follow my other blog where I reblog a bunch of stuff and things for the full experience of my personality and interests! @eckos-reblogs :3

@everytime-i-reach-the-postlimit ←Exactly as the name entails

@nature-is-mystical ←is my other random blog that you can follow as well if you want.

that blog is just for reblogging nature stuff and posting nature stuff. (Occasionally rhymes come with it ig)

side blog for fanart!: @sonar-fanart-hall

I'm always working on making reference sheets for OCs ^^

Chill dude side blog: @cool-dudes-official

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I will continue to edit this, probably for the rest of time to get it right since I'm a slight perfectionist lol

Hello! I've been an artist for around 5 to 6 years, and I still kinda suck at it! I do traditional art normally but I've been branching out to digital art as well. I mostly draw animals, anthropomorphic creatures, creatures in general, whatever beautifully ugly faces I can come up with, and sometimes human faces!

I classify as a furry but do not reblog a ton of furry stuff nor do I have a fursuit. I just like drawing and seeing anthropomorphic animals :3

Furries, Therians, anyone of lgbtq+ community (including ace people cuz apparently there's a debate about that), weirdos (but NOT in the gross way), and more are welcome on my blog! :3 ❤️ (you're kinda automatically welcome if you're kind anyway lol but whatevs :3)

Tags and stuff! To help you find stuff in my blog better through search :)

#Ecko draws -exactly as is obvious, it will be for when I make art, digital or traditional.

#Echo Rambles -For posts of mine that include mainly me talking about random stuff

#Echo rants - for when I rant. Similar to #Echo rambles but different..

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#The Clowder seeks - For when you guys ask me stuff!

#Mama Change - For when I mention my mom. (Her name is change..or it's more of a nickname but no one calls her by her actual name except for professional/job people like a dentist or something)

#Echo asks - For when I ask questions :3 lol

#Eckos moots <3 - for interactions with moots, obviously 🙄 (I love y'all sm)

#Ecko irl - me irl

My main Media for traditional art is, pens, pencil, gel pens, paint markers (posca) and normal markers! I hope to soon branch out to ink! (Maybe one day you'll get to see some watercolor stuff from me. It's not that good of watercolor art and I don't enjoy painting too much tbh)

Anatomy You say? Don't know her 😔

If you are interested, I do art requests! It's not guaranteed to be good or to be done quickly but I will try my very best every time. You can even request multiple times if you'd like! Like a ton of times! I really don't mind!

You can also request art of fandoms I'm not in but make sure to give me a good reference or the drawing will look off :3

Art requests open until further notice.

If there's something I don't mention here that you're wondering if I can draw or not, give me an ask in my inbox and I'll let you know! (Pls, I'm friendly I swear)

You can also dm me if you'd like but I'd prefer the askbox instead (⁠´⁠-⁠﹏⁠-⁠`⁠；⁠)

I can't draw/don't want to draw: items, anatomy, bodies (unless you want the equivalent of a boxy stick figure), rendering, lighting, dragons (without a reference), romance/NSFW (no, just no.), hands, human legs (for the life of me 😭), +more

I can draw/like to draw: faces, animals (mostly cat related ones but you can request any animal and I'll at least try to draw it.), different hair styles (only with a reference), eye bags (I think they're pretty lol), dragons (only with a good reference), gore (not the best at it but I'll will try my best to make something nice and bloody for ya!), +more!

My name is Ecko and it's my preferred name but you can refer to me as Melleona (my OC) or by a nickname as well if you'd like! (just please ask me first if you want to use a nickname as I'm bad with setting boundaries.)

My pronouns are She/Her but feel free to refer to me as it/it's! :3

Speaking of which! This is my OC, Melleona:

She is 14 years old, she is introverted and blunt but also shy and insecure. She has anxiety, dealt with a bit of depression, and she's very casual as well as lazy (like me lol)

She's half Cat, she has greyish blue eyes (not visible in the drawing), slightly blueish black hair that's long enough to reach her ankles, she has a mushroom themed party hat, and some wicked whiskers!

If there's anything you'd like to ask me about her or ask her, go ahead and ask away! I love anons and normal asks! ❤️❤️❤️ (There is a slight filter on the drawing. I'll edit this later and put her color palette below ❤️)

I'm a minor! Mind your words, don't send me gross/weird asks or messages. (I've already had a few people message me asking for my age, a picture of me, and my sexuality. No, I will not be sharing my real appearance on here. my age? Minor, that's all you need to know. My sexuality? I don't know and you don't need to know either, respectfully ^^❤️)

IDC if I post something slightly suggestive or that says I know about 18+ themes. I posted it, not someone saying something to me of those themes. Sure, I understand the stuff but It really doesn't matter now does it? It just means I understand enough to know you shouldn't be saying that stuff to me. (Boundaries ✨)

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I do half-curse in posts from time to time. I do censor it a bit tho, like "f7ck" for example. Hope ya don't mind (⁠；⁠^⁠ω⁠^⁠）

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I'd appreciate it if people reblogged my art!

I don't appreciate reposting it however.

Just in case you don't know what the difference between reposting rather than reblogging: it's when you (typically) take a screenshot of the art, and then repost it on either Tumblr or a different app rather than hitting the reblog button!

While this has never happened to me personally, I do feel like it's worth mentioning.

Oh, and, don't under a circumstance feed my art to AI. I can forgive reposting my art. I put out there for people to see not to get fame from it but under no circumstances EVER will I allow feeding my art to AI. It is not human. It does not make art.

AI artists don't exist unless it's used ONLY to assist with a process that is still mostly YOUR OWN SKILLS THAT YOU'VE CULTIVATED OVER TIME. AI is NOT art but it can HELP with art.

ミ⁠●⁠﹏⁠☉⁠ミ-ミ⁠●⁠﹏⁠☉⁠ミ-ミ⁠●⁠﹏⁠☉⁠ミ-ミ⁠●⁠﹏⁠☉⁠ミ-ミ⁠●⁠﹏⁠☉⁠ミ

don't dm asking me to commission from you. like said before, I don't have money bc I'm a minor + I don't like being pestered for me commission you. talk to me like a person, not an ATM.

If I want to commission someone, I will dm them and even then, I'm most likely to commission art from a friend to support them.

I support the lgbtq+ community! And I don't discriminate against race. I really shouldn't have to say this. (˘⁠･⁠_⁠･⁠˘)

I will respond to money asks with "!!" And that's it. I don't have money and even if I did I don't got any money to spare. I'm broke and struggling too. Not to mention, I'm a minor and can't just go out and get the stuff. I hope you understand and I wish you all the best!❤️❤️❤️

Some games and shows and stuff I like:

Shows and stuff: Rick and Morty, adventure time, lost in space, bsd (never watched it but I've seen enough of it on the Internet to know a bit about it. Very interesting :3), Some of the Life Minecraft series, httyd, doctor who, and more!

Games/fandoms: Yonder(Yonder Cloud Catcher Chronicles.), Minecraft, the Stanley parable, tiny bit of South Park, cotl, MLP(childish I know but I don't care. I love them), creepypasta, SCPs, Trevor Henderson's creatures (mostly cartoon cat), plants vs zombies, fran bow, little misfortune, and more!

Stuff and things (hobbies?): Art, apparently I make rhymes now too??, rollerblading, climbing, Hiking (iffy), sleeping, being annoying+lazy, doom scrolling, interacting with people, and more!

(I'm not really in any fandoms really..kinda like on the edge of being in each and every fandom I come across..)

General facts about me! Yippee!

I think eye bags and wrinkles are pretty (odd, I know lol), I live in a bus (not decked out like you see on social media though. We just live in a bus lol), I live with my ma (my dad is my step dad and he and my mom just broke up psooo ye), I blank out a lot and just stare at people for no reason (which freaks them out), I have greyish blue eyes (a long with some, I'm pretty sure permanent eye bags lol), I get energy right before nighttime mostly (and then it disappears as soon as it reaches around 11 pm to 12 am), My favorite color is maroon (and any type of blue along with orange and yellow and forest green..mostly just comfy vibe colors tbh but maroon is a fixed piece), my favorite animal is a cat (although I have a dog. Muffin doesn't count as a dog, she's practically human. Apart of the family.), and more!

(I'll update this as I go)

[I will block as I see fit]

Do not interact with my blog if: You're racist, you only or mostly have sexual themes on your own blog (I apologize but it makes me uncomfortable. Have some other interests and it might make me less uncomfortable ^^), if you in general just enjoy hating on people for no reason (I like to make my area a safe space for people) if you're a Zoophile (No explanation really needed but animals can't consent.) (more will be added later when I think of what to add)

Don't dm me unless you're a moot or you say your intentions within the first 1-3 messages. (moots that I've interacted with can send me a dm unprompted with stated intentions anytime they'd like. Special privileges ✨)

(Added a specific part of that bc a moot felt they were making me uncomfortable by having such themes on their blog. I didn't really realize at first but yes that does make slightly uncomfortable but I don't really care as long as you have other interests. If s3x is your only interest, it weirds me out to have those types of people interact with me. Just know you're all good moot, you're not the type of person I was aiming it at. There are other people that just don't think about anything else but $ex and relationships that creep me out and you are not one of them. ^^❤️)

Things about me, (random stuff): I am cringe from time to time, my fav colors are maroon and any kind of blue, orange is nice too though,

I appreciate any and all constructive criticism. IDC if it sounds rude and might hurt my feelings, TELL ME so I can help better myself and my blog! I'm dum and will most likely not notice I'm doing something weird or anything :P <3

•Send me asks! Wanna to hug one of my OCs, Want to slap the sh1t out of one of em, Want to introduce me to a new (or old) fandom I don't know of but you think I might be interested in, Want to say hi, Want to give a music suggestion, send an ask!

I LOVE interaction and if possible, I want to be busy with asks at all times so send a ton!

•Moots:

@theachskid @voidsweirdthoughts @burningbutter @rafrfr @rateater2000

@footlongdingledong @ender-the-insomniac @thistlebriar @rspoetry @virtualcroissantflapcolor

@jawdoesstuff @storythesilly @yourfavoritecuntist @chamber-of-voices @i-draw-things

@2oo7xddd @catsreblogging @silli-billy15 @totally-not-a-commie @khloethecatsworld

@1nd13gh0st @cur1os1tyk1lledme @nonbinaryriverclan @ilove-fanart-and-lore405 @hermitchild

@my-mom-named-me-duck @hermitchild

@williamsart12345 @lilytheaxoltollover @twobraincellsremaining @nn-the-doodle @emmajasonartz

@bugba-bugbee @railway323 @xho-the-scribble @asqadia-banthen @nasthesilly @ceaselessbackflips

@the-anxious-acrobat @justuravghazbin @callmekiyo24 @maybeyoullfindthissomeday

@sensehumor ♥️

+any future moots/one's I might have forgotten (I hope I wouldn't forget anyone 🥲)

If you don't like being tagged in tag games, let me know and I'll move your name over here cuz I copy paste the ones above for tagging in stuff: (nothing here yet!)

Moot side blogs: @thistlebriar-tags @my-dad-named-me-goose @mysterious-other-being @

Btw, moot/friend privileges: tagging me in whatever the heck you want, sending nonstop and possibly annoying asks, dming me and having a convo at random, +more! I love all y'all and am more than happy to interact ❤️

My art ↑

Yippee!! That's all for now folks! ❤️

I'll update this whole thing as I go, any questions, just send an ask and I'll update this with the answer as well as you know- replying in general lol :3

I seem incredibly childish in this intro post and my general posts but do know, I am over 12 years of age lmao 🤣

I'mma keep some notes here as well... mostly for tone stuffs cuz I can't remember these 😭

/lh = lighthearted

/j = joking

/hj = half joking

[elllisaaa]

Hiiiiiiiiiii!! I love your work, and I get so excited whenever i see one of your posts pop up 💗💗

Idk if you'll be able to do anything with this, but this was just a random thought I had after a very real experience at the gym but

What about reader getting intimidated by a member bc of their muscles/height? Like maybe they're friends or in a relationship, and it's just like a cute sweet little moment (i can see this with anyone in svt tbh, but obv gym line would be best)

It's okay if you don't wanna do this! I just thought I'd throw it out there lol

Anyways, I hope you have a great day/night!!!!! 💖

you're so cute anonie !! thank you so much for reading my works, and i'm so glad to bring you joy with my silly posts ! but i totally get what you're saying, whenever i go to the gym without my friends, i'm so intimidated by the big guys so i get you ! plus i looove it whenever someone comes in my inbox to let out some random thoughts like that, keep doing that please !!

and to this screams MINGYU, who is so tall and big, but sometimes forgets how impressive it can be for other people. he sees you struggling to reach the bar of one of the machines because you're too short, and he runs to you to help you pull it down. you shyly thank him, and he goes back to his workout, but he cannot help stealing glances at you whenever you're at the gym at the same time as him. and sometimes, he catches you also looking at him but you always turn your eyes away and he doesn't understand why.

but mingyu doesn't want to annoy you during your workout, so he doesn't say anything. except that one day he sees you preparing to squat and he comes by quickly and asks you if you need someone to spot you. he's so cute with his cheeks all red that you cannot say no.

from this moment on, the two of you keep talking and you become his gym crush immediately. he already thought that you were insanely pretty, but now he's also aware that you're the sweetest human on earth and he's smitten by you. some weeks after you grew closer and started to workout together, he will start to wonder why you didn't approach him sooner.

"do i look like a bad guy ?" you giggled at his little joke, shaking your head. "not, that's not it. but you're… well, you're quite impressive." mingyu seemed so surprised you couldn't help but laugh again at how dumbfounded he was. "impressive ? me ?" - "don't play dumb gyu, you're so tall and big, it's a little intimidating at first."

mingyu tries to process the information for a moment, as he didn't think he could've impressed you just because of his size. but for some reasons, it fuels his ego and it feels good to know that he must also look dependable because he wants you to ask for his help everytime you need it.

"do you still find me impressive ?" he questioned, honestly curious about your answer, but he also had other thoughts in mind. "physically ? yes, don't think i didn't count how much you can bench press. but i also know that you're very sweet, and cute, and you take good care of me, so how could i be intimidated ?"

a soft smile takes over mingyu's face as he leans in, getting closer to you until your lips are only inches away. "does this intimidate you ?" - "no… not at all." this time, you take it upon yourself to make a move and kiss him softly. you can feel his lips stretching in a big, gummy smile against yours. and you can't help the giggle you let out when he looks you in the eyes, his forehead resting against yours, his eyes letting you know everything you needed to.

[letstalkaboutfandomsbaby]

I’ve been thinking about Mo and I can’t get over the fact that

1. He’s always focused on what the reader wants to the point it seem like he’s not allowing himself to have wants (other than the physical aspect)

And 2. probably doesn’t have friends or really spends time with anyone but her

I just wanna hold his hand, ask him about movies he likes to watch, get him to branch out to other people in his life and express himself more (and considering how his parent situation was he’s probably touch starved and that’s most likely the reason he’s extra touchy with reader 🥲)

Anyways just had to rant about cutesy Mohammed as I’ve become more invested in his happiness as the story goes on

Omg!! Thank you so much for coming into my inbox and talking about Mohammed, it brings me so much joy!! And ik you didn't ask for the wordvomiting but I'm gonna give it to you anyways bc i love talking about him sksksk

When I first started writing 'Buff Guy', I didn't really develop a character. I knew that I wanted a big strong guy to fall in love with a chubby woman (reader), but that was pretty much the extent of it. I didn't have a personality set out bc I wanted him to be a generic guy that anyone could fall in love with. Tbh I think that might have been a blessing but also a curse bc now I'm developing him as the story goes and we don't know jack shit unless he tells reader something. But it's also kind of cool bc that's how real relationships work! You don't know somebody unless you ask questions and they give you honest answers, so maybe it's more realistic in that aspect

Anyways, when I first developed the story, he was just a guy, just some dude, but as I started developing him I came with a backstory:

Mohammed was born in a pretty wealthy family. Mom and Dad both have a background of money which only improved with their marriage. Mom was very independent and had a lot of aspirations, but then she got pregnant with Mo and didn't think she could properly raise him if she was working, so she dropped out of law school and became a stay at home mother. She tried to be as present as possible with Mohammed to give him a good, loving upbringing, but when he was 12 she was diagnosed with breast cancer. They tried treatment with chemotherapy and radiation, but the cancer came back and she declined quickly. Her death was very sudden but expected by the end, so she tried to help prepare Mo for that. With his mother gone, he didn't really have a loving figure in his life anymore. He had his father, who was always a distant man who sucked at relating to children, so he had to raise himself for the rest of his childhood. The workers his dad hired were there, and they were nice enough, but none of them ever stepped into the role of being a parent, so he was pretty much alone, and he determined that this was the new norm and stayed alone ever since.

His dad always put the expectation on him to focus on his education, so he did. He focused on school, taking advanced classes, and stayed away from hanging out with friends and sports. He could easily have done those things, but he always thought that he would be better off working on his education than going out on the weekends and having fun. So he was kind of a shut in sksksk. He's never gone to a school football game or prom or anything normal for a teenager. He would do schoolwork and then if he had free time, he would play videogames at home. This went on until he graduated top of his class. His dad insists that he go to college, fully paid for, so he does. Same thing happens in college. He focuses on studying instead of making friends and partying or even joining clubs, because that's what he think makes a successful person. He was always a tall and big kid, but at this point he started using the university gym and gaining some muscle. He feels very accomplished doing this, so he continues it until he graduates with a business degree, on the Dean's list and honor roll.

He goes to work at a company for an internship. He continues to be an introvert. He doesn't really speak unless spoken to, so he doesn't really make friends. He continues to believe that hard work brings success, just like it did for his father, so he continues to pour himself into his work to prove himself. He does go to the gym a lot after work, and when he's not doing work or the gym, he's playing videogames at home. At some point, he wonders if working with videogames would make him happier, but he doesn't think he'd be as successful doing that, so he throws out that idea.

He applies for a job as a CEO. He has enough good experience that his company decides to give him a try, since they're new and need direction and the other options didn't have as good of grades, and Mo is really successful at it. He's good at being a leader and guiding people and making big decisions without letting his emotions get in the way, so he does really well with his company and they keep him on permanently.

So now he's at a point where he has nothing new to achieve. He's got the good job, he gets a nice apartment, he doesn't know what to do now. He's still introverted and a shut in, but he doesn't feel fulfilled like he should, so he calls up his dad to figure out what to do next. His dad encourages him to find a girlfriend and settle down now that he's worked so hard, so he decides to do that bc I think deep down he just wants his father's approval.

He starts dating on apps. He meets some women, most of them who just see the muscles and the money and think they're set for life and don't really care about Mo's personality (which is, tbh, a little dry and boring bc he's a homebody and never had proper relationships before). He tries dating, but he doesn't feel fulfilled. He tries sex, but the first few encounters, the women didn't want to deal with his monster cock so they ended that pretty quick. For the first time in his life, he feels like a failure. He can't even find a proper girlfriend, how is he going to succeed the rest of his life if he can't find someone who likes him. He starts feeling like his money and successful status isn't enough and it really brings him down.

He does have some successful relationships, only 2 tho, and they weren't exactly healthy. Both women only wanted him for his money, but they tolerated him with everything else. The first girl was the first he had penetrative sex with and he didn't even cum because he was so nervous. He lavished her with gifts and whatnot, but she met someone she liked better, so she broke up with him after a few months.

The second was a bit more successful. I was gonna keep this secret until later in the series, but he meets an influencer at the gym and they get along pretty well. They date, they have sex, he thinks he finally found someone he can spend the rest of his life with, but he still feels like something is missing. She's very self-absorbed and doesn't respect him much, so he's still very lonely. But he thinks that this is his best shot at meeting someone and spending the rest of his life with them, so he keeps it going. He proposes, and she's more interested in posting about the proposal on social media than celebrating with him.

He's lonely, he's depressed, but he thinks this is normal and that everyone goes through this. He thinks that love is this magical thing that doesn't really exist for him, so he just settles, but at some point the relationship feels like a chore. He keeps going on with it anyways.

Coffeeshop opens up closer to work. It's nothing special, something corporate that he thinks is decent enough. He goes there after his workout one day, expecting his regular drink before work.

He feels like he's blinded when he enters the coffeeshop. You greet him cheerfully and he feels like there's a glow about you that's making his eyes strain. He thinks you're nice. He thinks you're pretty. He likes the way you made his coffee. He goes back to the coffeeshop on his lunch break the same day and you're still there and you're so bright and cheerful and kind. You're asking him about his day, how's he doing. No one's ever really asked him that before, not even his new fiance, so his heart kinda goes crazy when this pretty stranger starts being so nice to him. I don't think he realizes that this is a part of your job, customer service, he just thinks you're treating him special.

He gets a little hopeful, a little obsessed. He goes to the coffeeshop every day, hoping to see you. He gets disappointed whenever you're not there, missing seeing you and your smile. He doesn't know how to feel about all the emotions inside him, but he knows that he likes it and that he wants to feel this way forever. He breaks off the engagement with his fiance, and he tries pursuing you.

That's when the gifts begin, and the series starts.

He still doesn't have any friends. He has people he talks to, but he doesn't consider them friends. You're probably the closest he's ever gotten to anyone.

He has likes, most of them being videogames and nerdy shit sksksk. He likes manga and anime and he collects things. I'll share more info in the series :)

Anyways that was a LOT sksksk thanks for listening have a good day :3

[bestanimal]

Yooooooooo, I’ve finally finished queuing up Round 2… well, kind of.

It’s taken me all month to queue up Arthropoda and Chordata. Mollusca and Round 2.5 (the redemption round for Cnidaria, Platyhelminthes, Tardigrada, and Ctenophora) have yet to receive their captions, which takes a lot more time than you’d think.

So, on November 1st, we will start with Arthropoda, and instead of having polls every 12 hours, they will be every 24 hours. Probably at 8am USA Eastern Standard Time. This should give me enough time to get the captions for Mollusca and the rest finished, though I will likely need a short break in between. After which, I may go back to having polls every 12 hours. We’ll see how things go. 🙃

As a side note and shameless self-promo, I’m also gearing up for this year’s Archovember. That is also taking up a considerable chunk of my free time. Archovember is an annual paleoart drawing challenge that I’ve been hosting every November since 2019. It focuses on dinosaurs, pterosaurs, pseudosuchians, and other archosauromorphs, giving less popular or lesser known species a chance to shine and get drawn. Paleoartists from beginners to professionals have joined in the past, and even if you don’t draw along it’s also fun to just learn about a new prehistoric reptile every day! It’s usually not that big on Tumblr tbh (oddly enough) but gets a lot of traction on Instagram. You can check it out on my paleo account here on Tumblr @saritapaleo, or on Instagram under the same username (you’re also likely to see a lot more people participating on Instagram.)

Anyway, shameless self promo aside, this is also a heads up that my attention will be divided between these two events in November, and I’m likely to prioritize Archovember. 🫠 I’ll still be here to answer asks and share propaganda, but everything will be a little more automated and I might not be as quick to respond!

Oh and on that note, I’m very sorry if you’ve sent an ask and I haven’t answered it. I wanted to save asks and spread them out over time but apparently Tumblr is eating them. At this moment it is telling me I have 6 asks in my inbox, but when I click on it it says “no message found.” ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

All that aside, I am looking forward to seeing how Round 2 goes, even if it will happen a bit slower. Stick around as we further narrow in on Tumblr’s favorite animal!

[lostcauses-noregrets]

Sometimes I'm still a bit confused about Levi's choice or rather with Isayama's philosophy about death. Like yes Levi let Erwin rest to preserve his humanity and free him from his guilt and suffering right? But that sounds like people that are broken never have a chance of healing, which kinda contradicts Levi's ending because Levi (seemingly) was able to atleast find peace, and also how him and Hange were talking about how Erwin would be excited and try to feed the car carrots and buy the whole ice cream cart. Sometimes it feels like Levi gave up on Erwin, because he clearly didn't believe Erwin is broken to the point he can't heal, am I wrong? Idk I just feel like it contradicts itself sometimes and I don't like this philosophy of death being the only way to heal/save someone especially when it contradicts itself with the ending. Like i realise Levi has a different personality and is stronger mentally but the way Isayama and co. talked about how much Erwin's death affected him and how much Levi loves Erwin and how Levi is Erwin's stronghold, and also that Isayama or Kamiya quote that goes something like "To Levi, as long as Erwin was okay and as long as he was by his side, everything will be ok" it's just kinda hard to believe that death was the only way to save Erwin especially because he didn't neccesarily wanna die? I hope you understand my question, I was kinda rambled a bit there my bad 😭

Anonymous asked

Levi letting Erwin rest feels a bit like he was beyond saving and sometimes I have a hard time accepting the philosophy, especially since Isayama contradicts that mindset in his own writing sometimes. I don't think Levi thinks Erwin was beyond saving, and if he did it seems like he gave up on Erwin kinda? Erwin didn't seem suicidal, he was just burdened with guilt but also Levi was his stronghold? It's hard making sense of Levi's choice sometimes tbh, he himself seems like he thinks life is worth living even if the world is shit, because there are some things worth living for, even though there will always be pain and something missing. I don't know if you get my point hahaha but maybe you can explain your view of this? Especially because Levi says he has no regrets makes me think doesn't he ever think of what could have been or if he did something different? I know he's the type of person to not look back because you can’t change it anyways, but he's still human and we know he thinks of Erwin like "If Erwin was here..." and he misses him. Help, I love eruri but i always had trouble with this.

I’m going to answer both these asks together because I suspect they’re from the same person. The first one has been in my inbox for months now, so I apologise for taking so long to answer. 

So, this is an interesting one.  As Anon has said, there’s a perception among some fans that the reason Levi chose not to give Erwin the Titan serum, is that he had reached such chronic depths of despair and depression that the only way to save him was to let him die.  Some fans are understandably unhappy about this because it implies that people with depression are beyond recovery, or as Anon puts it, “people that are broken never have a chance of healing”.  However there’s a fundamental misunderstanding here about why Levi made the decision to let Erwin die.  It’s true that Erwin suffered from guilt and despair as he struggled to reconcile his desire to fulfil his dream with his duty to save humanity (despite the fact that both goals were entirely in line).  And it’s true that in chapter 80 he said that there were many times that he thought it would be easier to die, however to understand Levi’s decision you need to turn to chapter 84.  Levi’s initial decision is to use the Titan serum to revive Erwin, but there are two things that convince him to change his mind. The first is Floch’s insistence that Erwin is the devil who deserves to spend more time in hell because only the devil himself can destroy the Titans.  (Floch was right about that, but he was wrong about who the devil was.) This is what starts to turn the tide and change Levi’s mind.  Erwin had already become the devil because that’s what humanity demanded of him and Levi did not want to drag him back to hell and compound his torment by turning him into a literal monster. 

The second is his remembrance of Erwin’s pursuit of his dream, and Kenny’s parting words that “everyone is a slave to something”.  Levi knew that Erwin was enslaved by his dream and he understood the toll that had taken on him, but he was able to give Erwin his humanity back by absolving him of his guilt and setting him on the path he knew he had to take. This is why Erwin looks at peace when he thanks Levi, and this is why Levi makes his decision.  In death Erwin would finally be free from the hell of the world and his enslavement to his dream. 

Isayama makes this crystal clear in the Character Encyclopaedia. 

As to whether Levi regretted his decision, that’s a different question. It’s worth remembering that Levi’s no regrets philosophy isn’t that you should never regret your actions, it’s that you should try to take the course of action you’ll least regret, which is a bit different.  By letting Erwin die, Levi took the path he believed he would regret the least, and later in the manga he is unequivocal that he has no regrets about not choosing to revive Erwin.  This is hardly surprising given everything they have been through and the appalling odds they faced attempting to stop Eren’s catastrophic genocide. I don’t think that means he doesn’t miss Erwin though, it’s clear that Erwin, and the vow he swore to him are never far from his thoughts, right to the bitter end.

One thing I’m curious about is why this argument has sprung up in recent years. I don’t remember anyone interpreting Levi’s actions in this light when Midnight Sun was first published.  I suspect it’s partly due to lack of familiarity with the supplementary materials such as the Answers book and Character Guide, where Isayama spells out his intentions, and partly due to the benefit of hindsight. People see Levi living his best life with Gabi, Falco and Onyankopon and are sad that Erwin isn’t there, that he didn’t have the opportunity to live on with Levi after the war.  I understand that, I’m sad that Erwin didn’t live to see the end of the war too, but when I think about how much more of his humanity he would have had to sacrifice in order to get there, I can’t help thinking that Levi made the right decision. 

[gothushi]

my inbox is a bit buggy and some asks only give the option to post so😭gotta answer em like this.

anyway !

starting off with rob, i think he’d be the most respectful right off the bat. he’d be like … ‘did you mean to send that? i’m assuming not’ and calming u down whilst ur spamming his phone with apology texts and how ur so embarrassed. that doesn’t mean he wasn’t affected at all though. first glance had him double taking, and he’s ashamed to admit he stared for a good while before actually responding, too focused on how his cock throbbed whilst imagining the pretty lace under his palms. he does however send u back texts like ‘it’s okay i’m not upset’ ‘you look very beautiful, you don’t have to be embarrassed’ ‘y/n take a second and calm down .. i’d never be disgusted with you’ he soothes away ur embarrassed worries, and in the end compliments you once more ‘if you ever want to purposefully send some my way, i wouldn’t complain.’ overall, very respectful. though, once u guys start dating, he nvr lets u live it down

simon is probs pretty similar tbh. like, he’s surprised at first and he definitely feels his cheeks go red, his pants get a little tighter. but, he’s such a gentleman when it comes to u. same vibe as rob, reassures u it’s okay, u don’t have to be embarrassed, he knows it was an accident. even sends proof that he deleted the photos from ur chat. (he’s got them saved in his phone though.)

another one i see being totally respectful and sweet is seb. i mean, c’mon.. he totally drops his phone when he opens it, thinking it’s some meme or a cute photo, only to be met with u from the waist down in some cute new panties? he’s red in the face and stammering, wondering if u meant to send that to him. two seconds later and his phone keeps chiming with new messages, apologies and whatnot from ur anxious self. he deletes them upon ur request, and tells u ‘it’s totally okay u don’t have to be embarrassed’. later tht night though and for the rest of the week he gets off at least twice before bed with that image in his head

nikolai is … way different. u didn’t even realize u had sent smth by accident, having done so and put ur phone on the charger. he pops into ur place within the next ten minutes, cooing at u and getting all touchy. he fairly assumes u didn’t mean to do that, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t gonna tease. when u start getting all flustered and blushy, he croons something like ‘you weren’t all shy sending me that photo, mm?’ has u scrambling to check ur phone and he laughs at the red coloring ur face as u babble about how u don’t know how that happened, it was an accident and ur sorry. u may just be friends but he cradles ur cheeks and whispers a sweet little reassurance, ‘my sweet girl, i’m just playing with you, it’s alright. besides, i quite liked it’

luke …. he doesn’t even see it right away LOL. u realize what u had done when the image pops up instead of the dress u were asking his opinion on. he’s at practice so he had just set his phone down to return to the exercises. the next half hr of ur time is spent rushing to the field and watching them, wondering how u can get to his phone without seeming suspicious. ur just too late bc he’s grabbing his things to go shower, u try to offer holding his stuff but he insists his bag is inside so it’s fine, even tells u to wait so u can go get lunch together. before he gets into the bathrooms however is when he checks his notifications and ohhhh he goes red in the face… has to spend a couple extra minutes under the hot water before he comes out. it’s kinda awkward for a few minutes and ur worried bc he hasn’t said anything, maybe he didn’t check it yet? in the car ride u ask to use his phone to check the menu.. to see what time it is.. he gets what ur doing and ends up huffing and just blurting out that he seen it. it’s like dead silent for an entire minute before u both go to talk at once, some apology outta both of u. (ur both so hopeless w ur crushes on each other..) he gets himself together though and lets u know it’s okay, accidents happen. slides in a comment about how the color looked nice on u

i’m lumping quinten and ernst into the same description bc .. yeah. makes sense, right? they’re both different but the most similar outta the bunch. both of them wld be extremely flustered, especially knowing that’s you. chews on his lip so hard it almost bleeds. u end up calling him to apologize, saying it was meant to be this stupid photo of a dog in a tuxedo costume. he’d be breathy and trying to laugh it off like yeah… it’s alright, no problem.. but he’s throbbing in his boxers so hard it’s making him lightheaded. where they’re differing is i think quinten would be kinda moody afterwards, bc he’s frustrated that it wasn’t meant for him. his crush on u overtakes his emotions and has him being kinda sharp and pouty a lot. ernst will be flustered and blushy for at least a week after, which makes u feel bad until u talk it out

[alluraaaa]

Crashing into your inbox to say I saw the ask game you reblogged and got curious what your responses would be for questions 1, 2, 8, and 18 (for all paladins)

heheheh :3 (ask game here)

1. Canon I outright reject

lmao most of it for all characters tbh. mostly everything past season 3 and definitely everything past season 6. i hate how. all of the characters’ arcs ended. to me voltron is two and a half seasons and the rest is a collaborative fever dream we all had that i choose to ignore because dreams are just random neuron lapses <3

okay rest under the cut because this got long

2. A canon or headcanon hill I will die on

i have endless headcanons that i’ll die for lmaooo but if i had to pick one for each character it’d beeee

shiro: he was just like lance at that age. he was silly and goofy and fun but then responsibility and trauma made him be more serious. but once he’s more comfortable with the paladins he lets loose and learns to be responsible AND have fun :^)

keith: he’s native :^) headcanon by arbor @treesbian but it’s canon to me. cherokeeith supremacy!!!

pidge: she’s transfem and autistic and that’s just canon idc. like the writers didn’t intend to write her as such but they definitely did. lmao. autistic transfems are inevitable ^_^

lance: middle child middle child middle child middle child middle child middle child middle child middle child

hunk: he’s canonically petty and nosy and that’s a good thing!! he’s not just a two dimensional sunshine character. it’s one of few canon things that i refuse to let go of

allura: she’s a kid!!! she’s silly and does circus routines with her mice and careens down hallways in fancy floating chairs. i hate the space mom fanon she’s a teenager with too much on her shoulders let her have funnnnnn :( my baby…

8. Unpopular opinion about them

(idk what’s popular or not but i’ll try lmao)

shiro: instead of the weird floaty arm he got in later seasons he should’ve had the black bayard be his new arm. dunno if that’s unpopular but it’s uncommon i think? idk lol

keith: he’s not black paladin material. so sorry black paladin keith enjoyers but i disagree </3

pidge: i think she gets into botany. because of the green lion’s “defender of nature” thing. she still is very tech focused but she mixes it up occasionally with learning about plants and shit <3

lance: tgirl lance supremacy 4ever 5ever 6ever

hunk: he knows exactly how amazing he is and settles for nothing less than what he deserves

allura: she’s underrated she’s under-appreciated she’s underestimated she’s amazing she’s my everything <333333 idc if it’s popular or not that’s my opinion ^_^ but i guess my least popular opinion is that she’s not fucking racist?? lmao???

18. What they’d go to see a therapist about

i actually already answered this! it was a while ago but tbh my answer hasn’t changed :^)

[m1ckeyb3rry]

okay so basically my life has been changed and I need to know how tf you write so well Waht is your process and are you writing anything else currently……..

HEYYY KIRA omg your comments on the instrument/the compass fr had me giggling KFHDJS i’m glad you liked reading them!! i have a tag (#m’s writing advice) where i’ve answered a couple of asks about how i write but i’ll link the two most relevant ones here!! hehe i’m so flattered by this though i really am giggling and kicking my feet etc etc

this is like my mega post in terms of how i go about writing fics and sums up my process in more words than necessary tbh 😭 i wrote it with long fics in mind (pre-bllk almost every fic i wrote was at or above 100k words) but i think it’s applicable to one shots too!!

this is how i approached writing kaiser in the instrument keep in mind i wrote the first part of the instrument in like june and this post is from july 4th so a LOT of info we know about him now wasn’t even out then!! that said i think it holds up pretty well…this does predate the second part of the instrument which was written much later but i kinda did the same thing there as i did in the first part so it works 😭 not QUITE as applicable to my one fic where he’s a (literal) angel because as a specific au there were adjustments that needed to be made but at the end of the day kaiser is kaiser so yeah (also ignore the part at the end where i say he’s growing on me that was a lie i still don’t fw him)

err as for current writing…i’m finishing up with a silly crack piece that’s a spinoff of another one of my more lighthearted fics so i’m hoping to have that out soon 🤔 and then i have a carnivorous pegasi racing au one shot for sae that i’ve been working on for my 1k event as well as a few other requests that have been rotting in my inbox which i should probs get to (as well as the rest of the stuff for my 1k event 😭)…not sure what will be out next but i’m hoping SOMETHING 😫 i haven’t posted any writing since november with my nagi-found-by-aiku au and any xreader stuff since my kaiser angel au request for my 1k event which was back in mid october 😰

[skgtp-vn]

(I think Tumblr ate my ask... again) Oh my… I should have expected this tbh. WELP -grabs vix face- In compensation for being so adorably oblivious, we must cuddle. -starts dragging him away- and ima shove my cold af hands up your shirt to keep them warm :> (only directness works T-T, hella cold ehehe)

(Ah- sorry, I did get your ask, I just haven’t rlly had the mental power to think abt this blog much since college started ^^” I have a bunch of other asks sitting in my inbox that I feel a lil bad abt not answering. I’m sorry everyone 😭Ghosty’s been a lil stressed lately)

Vix: “A-aaa??? Wait-“

Vix is super flustered and absolutely down for the cuddles, though he would die a little inside if you shoved anything cold into his shirt (perfectly reasonable response imo, I’m imagining that weird prank where someone puts an ice cube in someone’s shirt). He’d try is hardest not to shiver or protest or anything, but it’s a struggle lol. Aaaand rest assured, his face is as red as his shirt :>

[bimbocreature]

I’ll be up under your skirt so fast I’ll break the sound barrier. I’ve been told I’m very skilled with my mouth and I want to show off. I’m gonna get more than a mouthful of Mommy :P

Also your belly and tits look so good…I’ve gone back and watched the clip again several times >\\\< I would do just about anything to worship you tbh…

I might get drunk later so apologies if I flood your inbox with drunk horny messages you have me in a Mood

🦪anon

Really now~? Colour me interested sweetheart, tho i'll be perfectly honest there ain't much more than a mouthful there these days, HRT may've given me a mom bod but it didn't keep my cock intact xD Awww, thanks cutie 💖. I've been keeping my belly nice & full today, so rest assured there'll be even more of that & my tits in future. Mom's gotta have the softness, of course~ ;3 💋💋 That's perfectly okay, let loose ya drunk self 💖😘😘. If i'm still awake by then i'll answer, tho it's nearly midnight over here and i've had a busy ol' day. Don't let that stop you from sending drunk asks tho, i'll answer in the morning 💋💋 Thanks for the ask darling 😘😘

[doomednarrative]

What do you think of Geats ending that you feel doesn't stick the landing?

I'm going to answer this with the assumption that you are asking me in good faith and not looking to start a fight, and I feel the need to say that considering how people acted in my inbox last time I gave any longer thoughts reguarding Geats. If that's the case then I'm more than happy to talk about my critiques.

(Though bear in mind that it's been almost a year since I watched the series now so I might be a lil spotty on details.)

I think the thing with the ending that bothered me most now that I've had time to sit on it is that making Ace into an Actual God makes him feel more distant as a protagonist. Why did he struggle so much through so many lives if he doesnt Also get to rest and enjoy finally seeing those efforts thru with the first friends hes managed to make during all that time yknow? And I know he makes a point to say that like it's Not his fight anymore, he's passing it off to Neon Michinaga and Keiwa, but like. I still don't enjoy that tbh.

The thing that kills me is that like, after watching Ex Aid especially (which I overall enjoyed much more and has become my favorite of the Riders I have seen, and can compare since it's also Takahashi's work with similar tropes), is that I don't feel like we had the same problem with the likes of Emu even tho he's supremely overpowered compared to everyone else. In that show, it does become a Combined effort to end things. Emu couldn't have done it without Parad as his copilot to properly make Muteki work, and Muteki wouldn't even exist had Kuroto not made the gashat in the first place, that one couldn't be manifested like lv 99 could. Emu very much retains his humanity even with being very different to everyone else, and I really wish that could have been the same for Ace for Geats as well.

That's the Main thing that I wasn't as happy with about Geats ending. It wasn't my favorite, but I could at least accept it cause it still sorta works at the end of the day. The problem is that it's not the only thing in the last 10 episode stretch that I disliked, which made it feel like the icing on a cake that started really strong and turned out disappointing the more you ate.

I also disliked:

The entire set up with Keiwa's dark arc, especially how he was complicit in made Tsumuri suffer for the power he gained (I'm tired of seeing woman specifically suffering in Takahashi shows to forward the men's stories and just in rider in general.)

Neon both only getting a half suit final form in comparison to the guy's full suit upgrades, and the added idiocy of her arc conclusion coming from her fuckin father of all things when her entire story to that point had been finding love from the people who didn't abuse her her entire life. It felt shitty coming from someone who was also struggling with the same family issues at the time of watching, and I Know there are cultural differences at play here so I can't fully critique that like a Japanese fan could, but it personally soured my viewing of the show and for Neon's story in particular.

All in all, Geats is a show that I still enjoy for my own reasons (mainly Michinaga and Ziin) but has fallen in my rankings after seeing better shows in the franchise. If other people feel differently then that's fine and to each their own. This is solely my own personal opinions on it all.