#while everything else felt.. idk.. kinda flat?

[roots-symphony]

do you think the reason agatha’s trial felt weird is because she was the only one who did not actually buy into the mythos of the road since she knew the truth? like that was why no perspective change and all the other reasons why people thought it was a fake trial

[cradle-of-darkness]

hey!! I have lots of stuff I made for cfco (this thing!) that I really want to share and also just keep in one spot, so here's kind of a cfco """artbook""". LOTS of rambling about my ocs up ahead!!! you have been warned!!!!

old code foretold co-op art under cut ↓

first up is this little thumbnail of a mock up poster/book cover! this was made while cfco lived only in my imagination, before I actually started to seriously consider making it into something tangible. little did I know that I would eventually repurpose this design into the title art 😈

I realized this design wouldn't work vertically if i was gonna make cfco in google slides so I switched some stuff around and boom!!!! more detailed sketch!!!!!

here's a placeholder background I slapped together and used while testing out how I wanted things to look (textbox design, font, color palette, sprites). if you look closely at the background of jay and raziel's infocards you can see I used this for those since I didn't have the actual backgrounds drawn at that point. there were actually some earlier textbox designs with a little icon that was supposed to show the face of whichever character was speaking to make it more clear, but ended up cutting that since i thought it'd be unnecessary extra work for me

here's a thumbnail for what was supposed to be the final slide! I kinda wished I finished this but honestly I kinda forgot about it 😭 plus there wouldn't be a lot of room for the text in this design. I also think it's a little misleading because it implies evelyn is still In The Walls when she is not. she is elsewhere now. hopefully in therapy

some of the first iterations of jay my stupid clown son who I love oh so dearly. oh god where do I even start with him. well for starters these sketches are from OCTOBER!!!!! of LAST YEAR!!!!!! WILD!!!!!!!! anyway as you can see he's pretty different here. I can't talk about his design without saying that from the very beginning he was designed to be a foil to sylvie and I tried to get that across in just about anywhere I could. at first I just thought the idea of an "anti-sylvie" would be cool, but then that idea quickly evolved into a completely separate character.

I picked his epithet, "sunshine", to contrast "drowsy". I didn't wanna go for the exact opposite word to drowsy like "awake" or "energetic", but it got me thinking about night/day parallels and I figured I could do something with that, which made me land on "sunshine"

jay is a clown who dropped out of school and doesn't want to be taken seriously because he's exhausted from the restrictions his family put on him! meanwhile sylvie is a psychologist who graduated early and wants to be taken seriously because he craves respect and validation (possibly out of a lack of respect from his family). parallels!!! I could honestly go on and on about everything in jay's personality that foils sylvie's but I'll just stick to his design because idk if anyone else wants to hear all that 😭

so yeah uh back to his design. his mask used to cover his eyes! I changed it to cover his mouth since sylvie's glasses cover only his eyes, I thought it'd be more fitting if jay's mask covered whatever sylvie's glasses don't cover

he also had a star motif! I felt like this didn't line up with him being sun themed so I scrapped it

lots of jays!!! they're all squished together on one image because tumblr image limit

because his color palette is based off of an inverted version of sylvie's, I already knew I wanted his main colors to be blue, red/pink, black, and brown/bronze. I messed around with this palette a lot before I got it to look ok. there's some earlier versions of his design where he's more pink than red

his design here differs a little from what I ended up sticking with!!!

- the cuffs of his sleeves and his gloves got their colors switched around

- the clown nose on his mask became an actual separate piece instead of just a flat red spot

- the ruffles on his undershirt. gone

- slightly simplified bangs

- no more blue streaks in hair!!! I actually kinda wish I kept these :(

he was actually supposed to be much more outwardly malicious. like one of these characters who does whatever sounds the most fun at the moment regardless of the consequences or their morals. I thought it'd be cool if instead of the usual little shine I give characters on the side of their eyes, jay had a triangle shape towards the top of his eye that looked like a shine, but then when he gets serious and narrows his eyes, it's no longer visible and it makes his eyes look like there's no light in them

I gave him a subtle X motif because I thought it was like the opposite of a swirl. a swirl curls in on itself while an X sticks out sharply in different directions

near the top of the image is an idea for jay's "phoenix design". his powers aren't shown a lot in cfco, but I like to think that after he's defeated in a fight, he can revive himself for a short period of time... like how a phoenix is reborn 😱😱😱😱 anyway this design was supposed to be what he might look like after reviving. it needs some work but I like his hat

the bottom of this image is sketches for his sprites!!!!

and speaking of his sprites...... here's some quick sketches I made for some of his poses!!!!! I wanted his sprites to mirror the poses of some of sylvie's portraits, but with a contrasting emotion. when sylvie's angry he stands up straight and holds his arm out in an accusatory pose. when jay is happy he jolts up and reaches out his arm in delight. when sylvie is proud of himself he leans forward and gestures towards himself. when jay is nervous he jerks to one side and brings his hand to his collar out of uncertainty. can you tell how much I wanted jay to parallel sylvie

by the way while I'm on the topic I think it's worth mentioning: jay and sylvie are...... kinda maybe sorta oc x canon......... (LOUD BOOING SFX) I wrote them as friends and that's how they'll stay but I really love them together and I like imagining, in a scenario where they're both in better places mentally, they're in a qpr. ok. so what. sue me.

moving on from jay, here's one of raziel's first designs all the way from december of last year!!!! this was around when I started to roughly construct the plot of cfco in my brain. i really like how he looks here but I had to leave behind some elements of this design to prevent it from feeling too cluttered and to make them easier to redraw multiple times for their sprites. the design of their sleeves was actually based on a jacket I saw around this time that I thought looked cool

and finally here's evelyn! the first image is one of my first drawings of her along with an idea for what she would've looked like in the past. then the second is a sketch of her portrait compared to the final one. there's actually a lot I want to say about her and by extension cfco as a whole

in my head, cfco was a lot different. it just existed as little collections of scenes I would imagine that I thought I could string together and form a cohesive story out of. these little scenes started to evolve and become more complex, which made me realize I would not be able to make them into anything in that state.

cfco was going to have a much deeper plot centered around evelyn discovering a secret about how epithets function. this secret would have been a lot for one person to handle and being burdened with this knowledge would have caused her a great deal of stress, so she made a nearly impossible game which would reveal this secret to whoever wins it so that someone else can share this burden. I realized while writing the draft of cfco that at my current writing ability, I wouldn't be able to pull a story like this off, and also that whatever I made this secret would probably end up being not possible in the world of ee as more lore gets revealed, so I switched some stuff around and now it's not about that anymore, but I think a consequence of that was now the plot feels a little rushed and unpolished 😭 oh well

the mark on her chest was also originally a scar from something related to this version of the story. I wanted to keep that part of her design even though it's not a scar in the current version of her character, so it's a birthmark now

I thought the themes of "forbidden knowledge" accompanied by vague religious imagery were cool for the original idea and I had integrated these themes into the characters and story so much by that point that it'd be a waste to turn it back around so I figured I should just keep them in even if it makes less sense

raziel is very angel themed! the straps on the back of their jacket are supposed to look like angel wings. the circles all over their outfit is supposed to give the feeling of halos, or the many eyes of a seraphim. evelyn has a pomegranate shaped necklace and her hair is supposed to be shaped like a pomegranate. her surname even used to be plague-odd, pun on "play god" (which I ended up changing to a similar sounding name). raziel and evelyn also have angel numbers associated with them. raziel's is 111 (intuition) and it's present in his birthday, while evelyn's is 444 (protection) and is present in her age and birthday

that's about it!!! if you read this far thank you so much 🙏 even though it's not very good, I'm glad I made cfco after spending so long being scared to write something and share it online. not to be that guy who wants people to ask him about his ocs but if u wanna know anything else about these guys 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺 u can ask 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺 I love talking about them (especially jay. if you couldn't already tell he's the favorite child)

by the way here's all of jay and raziel's sprites. the links should hopefully work????

jay

raziel

[altocat]

Cheeeeeeezzzzeeeeee anon here…. With some unpopular/controversial opinions (do they even count as that? Are they actually very popular opinions?) because idgaf what strangers on the internet think about me 👍

Feel free to give yours too >:D

Yazoo and Loz are better than Kadaj. I just had to get that out there. I’m not sure why, but to me, they always will be.

Angeal is the best SOLDEIR 1st class. I adore Genesis and Seph, but I feel like Angeal upholds what it’s truly like to be a SOLDER while not forgetting his values and beliefs.

It’s better that we saw Babygeal before Young Genesis. Angeal and Sephiroth have such an interesting dynamic both in EC and in CC that I feel like Gen and Seph don’t in a way. Now, I love Gen and Seph’s friendship, but Angeal and Seph’s just feels more…. Natural and meaningful. It’s amazing that Square actually put Angeal there first because Miniroth probably wouldn’t have opened up to someone like Genesis.

Despite what I’ve said, Genesis is the best CC character. He’s the perfect “antagonist” (put in quotation marks because I don’t feel like he’s the actual antagonist, and instead ShinRa is) for that specific game. It would have felt flat if it was someone else, especially if it was Sephiroth or Angeal.

👏Aerith👏is👏not👏a👏flat👏or👏useless👏character👏who👏only👏serves👏as👏a👏plot👏point👏. Does anyone else besides my mother and a few friends of mine hate her? Idk.

Aerith and Zack need to stay dead. As much as I love them, their deaths are major in the story and if they’re alive, it messes up the whole story.

All of the bad things that happened? Hojo and Hollander’s fault. The Neibelheim incident wouldn’t have happened if Hojo hadn’t done what he did. Genesis wouldn’t degrade, which means that he wouldn’t have started to degrade and leave Shinra, taking most of SOLDIER with him, if he didn’t have JENOVA cells. Zack wouldn’t have died, because the Neibelheim incident wouldn’t have occurred. Cloud wouldn’t have messed up memories. Sephiroth would have lived a happy childhood, and so much more, if Hojo and Gast had a bit more common sense, and a lot less ‘crazy scientists’.

No matter what happened, Sephiroth was going to find out about his birth. It’s a major plot point in the story, even if it happened in a different way.

LAZARD👏DESERVES👏BETTER👏AND👏MORE👏RECOGNITION👏

EVERYTHING WAS SET IN MOTION BECAUSE OF GENESIS’S DESERTION, AND HE NEEDS THE RECOGNITION FOR THAT.

Remake is kinda boring. Please don’t yell at me 😭 I think I found it boring because I’m more used to open world games (BOTW/TOTK and HZD/HFW are two prime examples of that) and rouge likes (Hades 1/Hades 2). Rebirth fixed that problem, but it also feels too overwhelming at the same time.

SEPHIROTH IS A CAT-SNAKE HYBRID.

Genesis is the coolest character fr.

Incase you couldn’t tell, I’m just a very strange, Genesis, Seph and Angeal loving crazy person.

I agree with lots of these!!!

Best Bois. Best chars.

[cyandreamzaceattorney]

✧ Lunch hangout ✧

Yesterday I finished a marker drawing I have been working on on and off for a week because I felt like drawing a scene rather than characters posing in some ambiguous space XD.

I ended up drawing Kay, Ema, Franziska and Maya all hanging out because I really love the idea of these four being friends and just going to a takeaway restaurant together even though they're all very different from each other. I had a lot of fun drawing this, not only because I designed a fun takeaway space (cuz most takeaway chain restaurants look like sad generic hipster cafes if they've been updated/built in the last 15 years and I was not going to draw that!) but also because I do like how much story telling I was able to convey in this drawing and, I definitely want to try and draw more story telling art this year!

Only things I dislike about this drawing is Ema's outfit, though I think it's mostly the colours throwing me off because, I was avoiding giving her a green outfit, and also avoiding giving her a pink shirt (cuz Maya's shirt is pink) leading to it's current colour palette... maybe the pants bring brown would've saved it? Idk. Still like the design though (it's inspired by mid 2000s fashion because that definitely influenced her aa4 design imo).

But I really like everything else, with Maya putting chips on her burger being my favourite part. Because it's something I did when I used to enjoy fast food and, I definitely feel like Franziska is snobby enough to judge Maya for doing this XD. I also had a lot of fun designing all the outfits, especially Kay and Maya's because their outfits reference game lore relating to them both :3.

Oh and I drew Kay flat cuz I was talking to an aa fan online, and they hc Kay and non-binary and think Kay would totally enjoy being more aerodynamic post top surgery, and while I'm not sure what gender I personally hc Kay as, I do like the idea of Kay getting top surgery regardless of gender and enjoying being more aerodynamic as it makes being a great thief a lot easier! :D

Anyways I hope you all enjoy this drawing, I most likely won't post more stuff in near future, let alone aa fanart, as I have a big thing happening in my personal life next week (if all goes well!) that will unfortunately mean I'll probably not be able to draw much, if at all, over the following weeks.

Furthermore my aa hyperfixation is kinda going away, I think? Still love the franchise, just not as intensely as I have over the past few months so that may affect how often I feel like doing aa fan works. Hope you all understand :-)

[neobora]

Hey, so I don’t know how long I’ll continue to have this problem since I’ve just now recognized it, but over time of learning about this stuff, I’ve lost my sense of self. Whenever I say I, I feel as if I’m talking about no one, and that no one is there to listen. Like trying to walk with no ground beneath you. I’ve given the body my inner-voice. As if the voice I speak with inside belongs to the outer-man if that makes sense.

An example would be, imagine having a conversation with someone, and every thought about what I could say has the same level of authority as to when the physical body speaks. I’ve basically given the body my mind, instead of realizing that the inner-man is actually who even pondered on what the person said to even think of a response. People have put so much of an emphasis on the difference between the outer/inner man that it kinda made me look at them as completely separate from me, because it made me feel like I was separate from the voice you hear in your head aka the inner-man, which I know am never separate from, but felt as if I was.

It’s caused me to have a separation with myself that looks like [the body and the inner-voice] / [random voice speaking inside my mind(me)] instead of it kind of being a chain of command that looks like [imagination and the inner-man(me)] -> [the body’s reaction]. I’ve never seen anyone else have this issue (at least the way I’m wording it) but I’m glad I was able to catch it after so long of struggling. Even as I’m typing this, I’m thinking of ways to fix it, such as thinking of who thought to type this ask, I did.

You can skip to this honestly ⬇️

I’ve found an easy way to say my issue, I’ve separated myself from/convinced myself I am not the inner-man. Like, I was LOOKING for the inner-man, trying to figure out what that is. Saying “inner-man” is like speaking in third-person about yourself so it really messed me up. It feels like theres so much emphasis on the outer-man and the inner-man that makes me feel like I have to identify with the inner-man as if I’m able to be / was ever actually separate from him. I just kinda need anything you have to make me recognize who I am again, to regain my sense of self. Like what all is associated to the outer-man, and what all is associated to the inner-man? Just a flat out who’s who that I can refer to. Like is the outer-man just the physical body, or is it also the thoughts associated with it, idk. Just something very simple to calm the sea of confusion from all the information out there.

i’m really sorry it took me so long to get to this ask,,

no matter who you‘ve convinced yourself to be, there is only one you, which is infinite; consciousness.

consciousness is what is reading/being aware of these words. consciousness is what‘s there when you stare into space without any thoughts. you‘re simply the observer.

i know the whole thing with inner man/outer man can be confusing because they appear so separate, but these concepts are imaginary. it’s way less complicated than you think. there is only one you, awareness.

what people meant with the "outer man" was basically who you’ve convinced yourself to be, your human identity, the ego, the one who believes what he sees physically is the truth. the "inner man" is basically the infinite you, consciousness, which you ALWAYS are. you can never not be conscious of something. 'identifying with the inner man' means knowing you’re limitless, that infinite realities/outcomes exists RIGHT NOW, that you‘re the creator of your reality and that there‘s nothing else for you to do because everything ALREADY IS.

under all these identities you‘ve put on yourself, your name, age etc you are just awareness. infinite awareness that can become aware or ANYTHING through your imagination. the past and future are concepts, the only time is NOW.

i recommend these meditations, esp the edward art one really helped me while i was struggling and didn‘t know who i was or how i could become aware of being 'the creator'.

remember, you‘re infinite awareness. don‘t fool yourself into believing you’re this or that. there is one 'you' which is always aware, which means you can always become aware of literally anything you want :)

[elisedonut]

Hello hi hi it's the Percy/Sirius anon backk

I had to take a break from tumblr lol but I'm back now :)

Lately I haven't been writing much, feeling a little unmotivated for the ship rn ; - ; (totally have not been busy writing a James Potter/Percy Weasley fic with multiple POV's including Harry who is Not Happy with this asdfghj)

but anyway to your thing about omegaverse and control, for the purposes of the story it's not flat out sex pollen approach but yeah, pretty uncontrollable lol, which is fun to write sometimes :p

The most dubcon I think (I think) is the wedding night. So my approach is; Sirius has issues with control, with feeling like he has it, anxiety over losing it ect, but sex has always been the thing to make him feel calm, in his lane yk? So he kinda slips into his "role" during their wedding night while Percy is just there like "hello this is weird and I didn't know half this stuff existed why does this feel nice and why is everything so embarrassing literally kill me"

I'm trying to go for a Percy is very overwhelmed thing. Also! Idk if I've mentioned that they are in an arranged marriage because their ancestors had an agreement (before the Weasley's became known as blood traitors) that one Weasley omega was owed to a Black alpha (yeah, omegas really were treated like property back then haha) now originally I thought okay, percy would have to enter the agreement as soon as he's of age but I just. Ick. I just couldn't do it. It felt gross. I know it's not much better but Percy will be almost 19 at the time of his marriage instead because idk, consenting adult. Might bump it up to 20 tho. Thoughts?

On scents, I love the idea of scenting, as like a platonic or sexual thing. I just find it very intimate, very fun :) but I have no idea how to describe scents T^T like what does it smell like?? Can you describe someones scent as the scent of something else?? Maybe I'm overthinking lol

Also I only caught the typo on the snippet I sent as I sent it T^T "dragged a hard through his hair" lmaooo

Wb!!

also that is so valid I've been working on like seven things at once lately so i get you also neat rip Harry he really would hate that askdfjfads that's so fun

also hell yeah that sounds very fun for it a bit of a mid level of control nice nice

also Yeah Omega's being promised even before their birth is always an easy and fun set up

oh noo sdkjfklsd poor guys are just both suffering

overwhelmed Percy is always a vibe and rip Sirius his brain was like "this will relax you" but it was a lie he's now even more stressed

also yeah thats fair my thoughts are basic but i think you should do whatever makes you comfortable if you think you need to age him up you should age him up if you feel fine where he is you should leave him where he is

im so so not the best person to ask on that because ages in fiction just don't tend to ick me much and never have

like unless its really really outrageous i'm just like hmm alright this does not bother me in the slightest

like to me "of age" just is adult?

unless you mean like "of age" in a in-universe way where its the presentation age(in a lot of fics being like puberty age so early teens) in which case i can see what you mean about an expectation from those around them to jump into the relationship but also how you would be icked by it so yeah fair decision

but like i don't really think thats what you meant dkfjsdlf

IDK i'll be honest i just assumed it would be expected to happen as soon as Percy graduated so he'd be like 17 (since he only turns 17 a week or two before starting his 7th year)

But again you should do what makes you comfortable you can always hand wave anything with just "it being how things are done" or "Sirius was throwing a fit and was able to get it pushed back this much but he can't run forever"

for the whole scent thing

this might sound weird but i would just find a perfume/cologne you think works for the character and just steal the scent notes

like obv you can't say like

"She smelled so sweet, like Bath and Body Work Buttercups & Berry Bellini"

but you can just ignore the name and use the notes to just take and change as you see fit that makes it like sound pretty

like for that scent the notes are strawberry purée, buttercup flowers and bubbly prosecco

"She smelled so sweet, like a strawberry wine and freshly picked buttercups."

is that the same?

no but i think it works better then trying to make Prosecco fit if that makes sense

though you could always replace prosecco with like honeysuckle since according to google prosecco smells like honeysuckle

a more masc example is Like Freshwater - Italian bergamot, mountain spring water and oak moss

which again you can take and pick as you please but it gives an easy starting point maybe? and gives you a scent in your head if you have it with you

"He always smelled like the air after rainfall. With hints of bergamot from his tea and the oak of his wand it always made him feel like home."

or uh something like that idk

tbh most people only smell like person but in something like omegaverse you can be more creative with that like they don't have to just smell musky

I don't know how well this works in practice because i haven't really explained scents much in fic but it popped in my head when i read this so i think it could work as a method with some tweaking

[hospitalterrorizer]

diary249

5/23-24/2024

thursday - friday

sooo tired.

today was really nice, i worked on 2 songs, which is less than i wanted but.. idk. it's been a while since i've just sat around and felt pretty and felt normal i guess. even with the bugs. idk. maybe it's just because i had icecream today and was basically productive, i sent over that new poem to my friend for that one to maybe be published if the strange and long one does not do. and then i kind of just played vtmb for a while. which really makes me happy, so odd.

or not odd. it's just odd that certain atmospheres in things can do that to me, silent hill, dark souls (and all the soul games really), that game, some parts of nier automata, some parts of resonance of fate (the towns... i almost wish that game had a lot more town-related stuff in it somehow). just places to wander around, is maybe one of the biggest parts of this.

that makes me think, maybe i should play through some sh games since this computer is better than my last. i also should maybe not think so much about playing video games. but i will have more free time and maybe they'll help me not go crazy or something in roach house.

anyways...what else. listening to someone i know's album, so far it's really good. i am in a discord server with her, we have hardly interacted, we're just mildly around one another, but i tend to admire what she does musically.

in a weird way it reminds me of some of the neo-no-wave stuff i like, i think in the drum mixing especially. the mixing on the record is really interesting generally, everything feels rather spacious in an odd way, or there's a lot of distance, i think w/ my album being so uh,,, fried sounding i guess, is a way to put it, fried + compressed, this is much more delicate and shambling in a different way. i would hope my record is shambling but you know, i dunno. it's how i think of it.

listening to my record now, i think on a couple of these songs, i can hear the doubling i'm doing adding too much... idk, water-y-ness to some songs almost? it's weird. it almost gets like, to this death-surf-y thing kinda which i'm partially way into but also it gets in the way of some things, and sorta makes some sounds become too much of a, idk, it lends a mildly weird quality to the mids i think, something like, vacuous i guess. maybe that's an eq curve issue though. that's hard to figure out. these songs are all definitely closer to what i want though.

strangely very excited to continue working on songs, even though ableton is so fussy with these tracks off the old laptop (before, it really did feel much harder and more stressful) ...there is something rewarding i guess, especially at this point. the songs go from like feeling rather flat, i guess, not that i noticed them that way, to feeling way denser, and it's not because of anything other than some stuff i do to create a sense of space, which is rather nice.

anyway, i really must sleep now so,

byebye!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bolin-begs]

Took a trip today and here's our adventure!

- followed a dirt road some ways out into the desert(on foot) and saw some horse poop on the way and we came across some houses just kinda built out there with some teenagers in the front yard of one of them playing basketball.

- one of my favorite jokes these days is to call any teenager I(24 years old) see a hooligan. I shared with my brother that these hooligans were up to their tricks. My brother (32) told me that they're not hooligans just because they're teenagers :(

- we kinda circled around that dirt road a bit and then took a break in some shade. He told me I was getting really red. I told him I'm immune to the sun. He didn't believe me.

- we took a little side dirt road and saw some horse tracks. We decided to follow them to find the horse. They led us to the horse poop on the road we saw earlier.

- while walking back to the main road we saw a cloud peeking over the nearby mountain. Idk how else to describe it other than the cloud was giving it a hug.

- we decided to go down yet another dirt road, yet again in the middle of nowhere, and found this absolutely beautiful castle of a house on this dirt road in the middle of nowhere. It legit had a Romeo and bullet balcony and a beautiful driveway and it was just so gorgeous that we speculated on why anyone would build that out here.

- across the street from fairytale house was a mostly fenced off area with one entry in or out of it and a sign that said "sunset pond". It was neither sunset nor a pond because there was no water at all in it. It had rained before and the shrooms were starting to take affect so all of the plants around it looked extra green but we made fun of the "pond plants" for being in the wrong place.

- there were also benches inside the fencing area as well as a path around the "pond" and down into it too so we went to explore inside. Inside, I shit you not, was a place that had to be designated just for stoners, people tripping, and other hooligans because there was a breath taking rock formation that was definitely handmade next to an underground tunnel that was COVERED in graffiti. We decided to take a break there.

- while in there, the shrooms really started taking affect to the point that all the graffiti looked like it was melting away and every time I looked down I seemed to be covered in bugs that weren't there. I think this is the longest break we took the whole day and, at least in trip world, it felt like we were there for 300 years at least just watching the graffiti and the rocks and the desert around us.

- one notable hallucination during this time too was that while we were in the tunnel, we were staring at the clouds around the mountain(they were no longer hugging it). My brother was watching a flat cloud above everything else and swore it looked like a dragon ball z(?) Type fight in the air. Meanwhile I was looking at a line of clouds beneath that one that looked like a cartoony chase of an alligator, a hippo, a chipmunk, a squirrel, really just a bunch of animals chasing each other around.

-I also remember looking into the desert beyond and thinking if we had to run out of there for some reason, it would be like those nightmares where no matter how much you run you get nowhere. Idk why I thought this.

- we left the tunnel and followed the path the rest of the way out of there until we came to a closed gate(remember how I said the fence was only open on one side? This is why) and my brother, at the peak of his high, could not figure out why the gate wasn't open no matter how hard he stared at it.

- finally I pitched the idea to go the way we came. Half way through the pond, he decided to stop and make fun of the pond plants again.

- we went just a bit more past the fairytale house and we came to another house with a fake deer in its back yard. The fence to the back yard was completely see through so it spooked me and I asked him why someone would have it. He told me the backyard was where it grazed during the day. The back yard was filled with gravel and had no grass whatsoever.

- we came to another house with 2 horses outside. Success! We found out where the horses went.

- at a crossroads we decided to turn right. A plane flew over us, again idk if it was the drugs exaggerating things or what but it was super loud. We stared at it until it passed.

- we came across a very rotted old wooden realtor sign that said "1/2 acre lot- utilities". I started pretending we were archeologists discovering the ruins of an old city named "acrelottility"

- we came across another fenced off area with a bunch of small machines inside and a sign that said something about studying hydrology in the area. We later looked up what hydrology meant, it's something about studying water. Again, I can't stress this enough, this was the middle of the desert with no water.

- we came to an area with a bunch of hills and valleys. I assumed immediately that it was for local 4 wheelers. My brother did not. We made our way to the top of one of the hills and took a break again. I noticed broken glass on the ground and(safely) grabbed a piece and told him the ancient people used it as a digging tool. He started making a glass castle with the pieces, or as he called it, a glasstle.

- we sat there for 50 years shrooms time and all I can remember talking about is how terrible 9/11 would be to experience while tripping

-I know we were on an area for 4 wheelers but some asshole decided to ride super close to us and release all his exhaust fumes all over us so my brother finally made the connection that this is for 4 wheelers and not people so we got up to leave. On our way out I remember us talking about how that poor boy was a 4 wheeler/ human hybrid and how his mother cries herself to sleep every night because of how ugly he is.

- we also kept looking at the clouds on the mountain and they seemed to be rushing towards us with a big storm but also staying where they were at the same time.

- we decided to start going back home because we were both pretty hungry but we took an extended route around back to the main road. We passed by a house that looked like it had come from a small village in Germany or Switzerland and we nicknamed it "little Germany". We also talked about how little Germany was friends with Fairytale houses because weird out of place houses have to stick together

- while walking down the main road I remember thinking how we must have looked to anyone who saw us. We were both sweaty and covered in dirt and sunburned(turns out I'm not immune to sun) and my brother was playing pink Floyd with his speaker.

- also he was wearing a bandana, sunglasses, and a tank top, with this grime on him, with this trippy music and all I could think about was that this must have been how it felt in Nam. Like we had just survived a war.

- there was a sign on the road that said "hidden drive- 300 ft" so I told him "be careful, there's a hidden drive around here" and he said "AND it has 300 feet?!" Truly I wish I could have seen the faces on the people who were outside to hear this.

[justabigassnerd]

I think I kinda... you know

Pairing - TASM!Peter Parker x reader

Word count - 1,471

Warnings - one swear word, rest is fluff

Song - I Think I Kinda, You Know (Ricky's Version) by Joshua Bassett

Summary - you finally felt ready to say those big three words, you just didn't know how to say them

A/N - yes I'm using an hsmtmts song for fic inspiration. Yes, I'm using Josh's version of the song because I'm seeing him in concert in London and I'm fecking hyped. I also kinda wanna write something based on 'Just for a Moment' or maybe just a Joshua Bassett song (maybe 'Anyone Else'???) idk hit me up with ideas. Anyways I'll stop rambling, as per y'all, please send in requests, feedback and enjoy!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

You had been dating Peter for almost three months now and you knew with one hundred percent certainty that you loved him. He was the sweetest most genuine guy you had ever had the pleasure of dating and you knew you wanted to spend the rest of your life with him. You had been sure you loved Peter around the two-month mark in your relationship, you just held back from saying those three words because you had no idea where Peter stood on everything.

Peter, of course, loved you with every fibre of his being. He’d been sure of it pretty much the moment he laid eyes on you but being in a relationship with you and getting to know you better and better with each passing day made his love for you increase tenfold. He wanted to tell you he loved you a month into your relationship he just held back because he didn’t want to overwhelm you. He wanted to wait for a perfect moment and wanted to gauge when you might be comfortable with saying those words too.

You’d been planning the perfect time to say the words ‘I love you’ to Peter in recent days. You didn’t want to say it in a public place, it should be a moment shared just between the two of you. You also didn’t want to accidently say it when he left the flat for one of his morning classes or when you left the flat in a rush to get to one of your classes. You figured a good time would be when the two of you had a moment of quiet between the two of you. No classes, work, or patrols to worry about. Just the two of you. Nothing more. Nothing less.

That day that the two of you finally had an evening to yourselves came quicker than you had expected. You hadn’t actually had time to rehearse saying ‘I love you’ to him so you had no idea how to go about it, but you just knew you weren’t willing to back down now that you had the chance. You decided to spend your evening together with a takeaway and a movie. As always, you had ended up completely curled into Peter’s side with his arm around you and his hand mindlessly playing with your hair while keeping his focus on the movie. Playing with your hair was an unconscious habit Peter had picked up early in your relationship and you wouldn’t deny that you loved the feeling of him messing with your hair.

“You look deep in thought there. Is everything okay baby?” Peter’s voice breaks the comfortable silence as he adjusts himself so he can look you in the eye.

“Everything’s okay.” You say, smiling softly. Peter returned the smile with one of his own, but you could tell by his eyes that he didn’t quite believe you.

“Tell me what’s going on in that pretty head of yours.” Peter says gently, cupping your cheek in his hand. You instinctively lean into his touch, letting your eyes flutter closed and burying as much of your face as you could into his palm. Peter let you have a moment before leaning closer, pressing his lips to your nose, and quietly encouraging you to open your eyes.

“There you are. Why are you hiding from me, huh?” He says lightly, moving his hand slightly so he could see your full face and making you smile a bit wider at his words.

“I want to tell you something.” You say, sitting up a bit more and removing yourself from Peter’s embrace so you could face him properly. Peter didn’t reply, he only took your hand in his and rubbed a thumb over your knuckles. A silent encouragement for you to continue talking.

“It’s nothing bad I promise it’s just I… god I don’t know how to say it.” You continue, your brain running at a thousand miles an hour as you try to figure out how to say what you want to say to him.

“That’s okay. Take your time. It’s just me and you.” He says sweetly, lifting your hand to his lips and pressing kisses all over your knuckles.

“I want to tell you that I…” Your brain lets you down once more and stops you from saying those three precious words as Peter watches intently, his large doe eyes filled with nothing but patience and understanding.

“You…?” He presses gently, his eyes never leaving yours.

“I think I kinda… you know.” You say, a feeble attempt to get your point across but to no avail. After a second failed attempt you squeeze your eyes shut and huff, frustrated at yourself.

“You think you kinda what?” Peter says, an amused tone to his voice that had your eyes opening curiously and the first thing you noticed was his grin. His all-knowing grin. That fucker. He knew what you wanted to say. He knew and he was just going to play dumb until you actually said the words to him. You could tell that he knew you knew he was playing dumb, but he wasn’t willing to give in.

“Okay, I don’t think. I know that I…” You trail off once more and Peter simply raises an eyebrow and hums in acknowledgment, playing with your now interlocked fingers absentmindedly.

“I love you.” You finally blurt out, making Peter’s grin grow ten times wider as he releases your hand and cups your face with his hands, bringing you in for a deep and passionate kiss. The kiss slowly evolved into you just pressing your smiles into each other as you broke out into relieved giggles that you finally said the words that had been screaming to be released for almost a month now.

“I love you too.” Peter says the second he pulls away, pressing his forehead to yours, noses brushing up against each other.

“Happy now?” You ask, laughing as Peter nods joyfully.

“Very.” He replies, bringing you in for another kiss. This time he begins to lay back on the sofa, bringing you down with him so you’re lying on top of him.

“Do you want to say it one more time for me?” Peter then asks when you pull away from the second kiss, a cheeky smile on his face.

“I love you.” You say, giving into his smile and puppy dog eyes immediately, kissing the end of his nose lightly.

“I think I kinda you know.” Peter teases, making you grumble and bury your face in his chest, a blush spreading across your cheeks.

“You’re going to make this a thing, aren’t you?” You ask quietly, your words muffled in the soft material of his hoodie as you feel him nod against the side of your head.

“Absolutely I am, yes.” He agrees, chuckling and nuzzling his nose into your hair. Both of you smiling in each other’s embrace.

“I really mean it though Peter. I love you. And I’m sorry it took me so long to tell you.” You say, moving your head to look up at Peter as he shakes his head with a fond smile before pressing a kiss to the top of your head.

“Don’t apologise love. I held off saying it because I wanted to figure out when you might be comfortable with saying it and you beat me to it.” He says with a grin.

“I could tell from your face that you knew what I was trying to say. Why didn’t you say it first?” You ask, the question had been circling your head the moment you noticed his expression.

“You were brave enough to start the conversation, baby. I wasn’t about to steal your thunder.” Peter says sincerely, running a hand through your hair as you lean into the touch slightly.

“I love you so much, Pete.” You mumble into his chest happily, a lovesick grin covering your face. Now that you had said those three words to Peter, you felt like you could say them a thousand times over. You never wanted to stop saying them. All you wanted was for Peter to know how much you love him.

“I love you too sweetheart. More than you’ll ever know.” Peter whispers, his lips brushing against your ear as he speaks. You lay with your head on top of Peter’s steady beating heart, inviting your eyes to slip shut and for your brain to only focus on the steady thumping beneath your ear. You felt Peter’s hand massaging your scalp gently and felt him pressing light kisses to the top of your head. Those actions were enough to drive you towards sleep and you welcomed it happily, your mind swimming with thoughts about how lucky you were to have Peter Parker in your life.

[vvintwrs]

𝐌𝐲 𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥 ﹕ 𝐊𝐞𝐧𝐦𝐚 𝐱 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

Reader has social anxiety, and just struggles w communication n shit, their anxiety is worse then Kenmas .. ?!

She/her pronouns - this is all like bs idk what im doing, enjoy tho <3

it doesn't really involve kenma in this part, only mentions of Lev and Kuroo

i will make like 3 parts of this !!

. I think this gonna mostly be fluff? i think idk may get spicy

You've been struggling to make friends and talk to people all of your life, you've always been 'different' from the other kids you grew up around. They seemed to easily make friends and show their expressions much easier then you ever could, Your parents weren't much help either .. You'd always seem to get sick too, even if there was no reason for you to be sick. Your anxiety doubled back and got worse in your highschool years, as the teachers and students around you tried forcibly getting you to do things outside your comfort zone. There were plenty of times you ending up skipping and not showing up because of your classmates, You felt horrendously violated.

In your 4th year however, you saw a poster - directed to volleyball, if you had a passion for anything it was volleyball, You read it to fast taking a moment and seeing the volleyball team at your school needed a manager, heck yea! you've heard the guys aren't bad and are actually tolerable.. a bit too energetic though, shoving every voice that was telling you to just leave it to the back of your head, You told yourself you would go check it out, no matter how jitty and shaky you were, if you wanted to be apart of something it was this, you wanted to be known even if it'll only be for a little while.

Thursday, the day you were meant to go meet the team. You swear your legs just stopped in front of the gym, completely frozen second-thinking your choices, doubting every positive thought you had. "Oh hi! are you (f/n) (l/n)? to.. try out for manager?" you jerked looking behind yourself, it was Lev Haiba .. one of the middle blockers of the team? .. the self declared ace? You were so embarrassed, you swear you started shaking and stuttering even before you could open your mouth, nodding instead of making a fool out of yourself. "Don't talk much ey?" He beams a smile to you, nodding once again embarrassment hitting you once more, face completely pink. "Don't be shy (l/n) i promise you everyones great here :)" you look at him slightly, giving him a really wonky smile.. mouthing out a little "thank you".

You felt so intimidated, all these men and one of you. You didn't look at the guys properly rushing out your information, and everything that was required, hoping they wouldn't say too much and just eventually let you leave. It was tiresome, your social battery was already going flat it's only been 10 minutes into the interview, you shame yourself for turning out the way you did. It's okay 16 minutes in 4 minutes to go.

How the interview went:

Kuroo: "(f/n) (l/n) right?" You: *nods*

Kuroo: "why did you want to have this interview? what makes you think you will become our Manager?"

You: "I came today.. t-to um *looks down* i.. want- to t-try become your guys'.. m-manager." *slowly but ..eventually gives reasons why you think you'd be manager cus ur cool*

Kuroo: "I see *small smirk* , What do you know about volleyball? do you know what the team will acquire and seek from you as our manager?"

You: *says everything yk ab volleyball.. and yk more then him bwahah and like tell him what the team would acquire..*

Kuroo: *kinda baffled* "i see, i see.. thank you for your time (l/n) we'll let you know what we think of ya *grin* give us a couple of days.."

You: "o-okay." *bows to them and runs away*

It's been a week since you took that interview, doubting you'd got the position and that someone else had became manager. It didn't matter, you felt some sort of happiness that you at least tried.. out if you can even call it that. it was recess, you had chemistry homework the teacher asked you and your class to finish, not wanting to deal with it at home you used your time now to get it done, slightly frustrated because you hadn't learnt about half the things the teacher had gave out. sighing, huffing and puffing .. using all the brain you had left in you, you got it done to your absolute surprise "good enough" you mutter out, packing up your belongings to head to your next class.

You started walking to math, hoping the old bore of a teacher was once again absent, he does nothing but nag at the students. No where near a proper math teacher in your opinion, As long as your grades don't slip, it'll be okay you thought to yourself. You were smart, you had great grades in all your classes.. You tended to get your work done way before everyone else, this was carried on since young, sometimes teachers accused you of cheating. Never mind it, you were still thinking about the interview, wanting to know if someone did get accepted.. or if they were still thinking.

"i'll find out soon enough" you sigh to yourself.

get left on cliffhanger. Bwahahah >:)

[ftm-radio]

a plus-sized trans masc's review of various chest containment methods*

*as you can guess from the title, this post will be discussing the chest area, so if this subject & related terminology is discomforting to you, please skip this post & I hope you have a good day 👍🏻

Okay, so I have 4 methods that I bounce between for dealing with my chest and existing as a pre-op trans guy. I'm gonna write a bit about each one, and I have photos of how my chest looks with all four (clothed, ofc) that I will put under the cut for both self conscious reasons and to be considerate for those who'd rather not see them. idk.

oh & quick disclaimer, this post is absolutely not meant to bash any particular binding method or ppl who use those methods, or ppl who don't bind! no one method is superior, some just work better for one person than another bc everybody's different and all that. just tryna share my experiences to maybe help out other folks like me. ✌🏻

Sorry in advance, I'm sure this is gonna be a long post.

Method #1: No Containment

Pros—

easy

free

may be passable as moobs with enough layering ?

Cons—

underboob sweat at 100% strength

chafing

oh god they move so much, why, please don't, i hate this

Wearing just a shirt with nothing else under it is a great feeling at times, but that's generally short-lived and it's not very comfortable in the long run, especially if I'm being active and moving around. Feeling my chest wiggle and jiggle and move around is just so gross to me, so I usually avoid this method.

Method #2: Compression Top (Tomboy X)

Pros—

pretty comfy for everyday wear

prevents the worst of the wiggles

can exercise in it

could probably sleep in it if I wanted to

Cons—

basically just a sports bra tbh

mine is uh.. ~2 years old & pretty worn, probs doesn't "compress" much anymore 😅

heard that this particular company has done some yikes things?? so I'm not super keen on purchasing anything else from them (I don't have details & don't feel like looking them up rn, just mentioning it so you can look it up yourselves if you want)

This is my go-to method for when I'm just hangin out around the house (which is basically every day). just wake up, yank on the compression top, and then I don't have to think about it until the end of the day! I actually got this as a baby-step to using an actual binder bc I was a little anxious about it lol.

Method #3: Full Tank Binder (gc2b)

Pros—

flat chest

full tank contains everything better than a half tank

ngl I appreciate the fact that it kinda helps contain my stomach fat too bc I am ~☆~insecure~☆~ (but working on it)

Cons—

tbh I think my binder is too big specifically in the chest area so it doesn't compress & hold everything in place for very long, esp if im moving around, but I can't size down any smaller bc that's unsafe

the bottom edge of the binding panel makes it pretty uncomfortable to sit & just makes my stomach look weird

can't exercise or sleep in it

can only wear for 8 hours at a time, max

I loved my binders when I first got them, and wore them almost daily, even around the house, because I felt good & happy in them. after a while, though, the constant need to readjust my chest & having to keep checking to make sure it looked alright kinda wore me down and I got tired of it. going to the grocery store and feeling my chest shift around in my binder and being unable to fix it is just not a good time. :(

Method #4: Trans Tape

Pros—

comfortable! (long as you put it on right 😅)

my tiddies are SECURE they are not going ANYWHERE, I can bend over to pull the laundry out of the dryer with no problem, gravity cannot emotionally damage me anymore <3

I feel like I can move and do stuff and be confident w/o having to waste any time or energy thinking about my chest

my chest is approx a C-cup? (and I'm fat) so the tape definitely doesn't flatten me out but it masculinizes the shape of my chest in a way I'm happy & comfy with! yeah i have a chest but it def doesnt look like girl boobs!! I just look like a fat guy! which I am! so I'm cool with it!! hell yeah!

can wear for days at a time (recommended is 5)

can sleep, shower, & exercise in it

no worries about rib damage/breathing problems

when I hug my mom I actually feel it in the middle of my chest

Cons—

can't reuse tape so gotta buy more to keep using it (~20 bucks a roll with shipping iirc?)

there is a learning curve!! first couple times suck & it can be discouraging (I gave up a couple times) and I'm definitely still learning myself how to use this stuff

physically kinda difficult to put on, it's a bit of a workout for me

itchy (especially if you overstretch the tape, try not to do that)

what goes on must come off 🥲 and removal is kind of a pain in the ass because oil is messy and you really have to give it enough time to soak

need to be patient & careful so skin doesn't get damaged in removal

if you damage your skin you have to give it time to heal, no taping for a while

I am quite new to trans tape, literally this is only my third time wearing it as I write this. My first two attempts were pretty rough (application and removal) but I'm starting to get the hang of it and it's becoming less of an Ordeal as I get used to it. there are definitely some less than ideal factors to keep in mind with using this method, but I've found that for me, the positives vastly outweigh the negatives. when I get better at using this, I plan to make it my primary containment method. I know a lot of folks say that using trans tape just doesn't work at all for bigger folks & bigger-chested folks, but that's not necessarily true. I'm proof.

Alright, that's all I've got!

I dont wanna make this a horribly long post, so I'm sure I missed some things but idk this is the gist of it. If you read all of this, I hope you got something from it (or at least don't feel like it was a huge waste of time....) and I hope you have a good rest of your day!

It's totally okay to reblog/reply/interact with this post, just, y'know, have common sense and don't be a jerk!

As I said before, I have photos under the cut to give you a visual for how these different methods look on me & how they might look for you if you're anything like me. Please do not be rude or creepy or gross, alright? alright.

Method #1: No Containment

...........yeah this is what I'm working with, let's just move on and pretend we didn't see this, please & thanks

Method #2: Compression Top (Tomboy X)

comfy & fine for everyday use but I don't love the look. still looks and feels like a feminine chest shape.

Method #3: gc2b Full Tank Binder

flattest results, looks pretty good, but only lasts about five minutes before the tiddies start their constant migration and it gets uncomfy and I have to adjust everything :/

Method #4: Trans Tape

not as flat as I get with a binder, but the goal with trans tape is a more masculine shape to the chest, not flatness, and I think im starting to achieve that even as a noob! my results will probably get even better as I get more familiar with it, but this is already my fave method by far

bonus photo because wearing trans tape makes me happy and i was feelin good:

That's the end-end of the post, so I will once again request that you do not make any rude or nasty comments about me & my body. thanks!

[yuukei-yikes]

So anyways, what do you think about Marry Kozakura? I like her a lot, but her arc always falls kinda flat to me because while she supposedly "develops" out of her time looping, she never really...actually grew, at least in my eyes. Once, I heard someone say that even if Marry saw everyone else die due to immortality, she still wouldn't reset because of character growth, but I never felt said growth. I feel like an interesting remedy to this that would change nothing is having multiple previous timelines where they came very close to reaching a good end, but Marry chose to reset once more because she knew her own eternal youth would just cause her to go through it all over again in however many years time. This would make it way more meaningful when she DOES bring everyone back. Ahhh kinda nervous about sending this ask in you're very intimidating

HMMMMM thats an interesting one. i do like mary a lot, but i prefer ignoring the whole thing abt being immortal. for starters, to me she is the same age as mekatrio.. 100 year old looks and acts like a kid is a shit trope and i see NO REASON why shion couldnt live the 70s or something 😒 anyways that out of my way, i think mary ages normally. like she is just 25% medusa. if anything okay, she is immortal and can control how she looks as she ages more?? like if shes old she can make herself look younger ig?? but absolutely can age and is also the same age as the mekatrio. but also its sweet she doesn't know her age and has decided she's the same age as the trio. she probably ages mentally in the same way? idk

AS FOR UR ACTUAL QUESTION i guess i agree with u!! i mean i dont see mary living a life alone at all. i dont think that after everything she'd just take everyone's deaths just cuz oh they died of old age 💗 HEH im not a mary expert so sorry if i piss off mary fans in the crowd ur welcome to tell me ur thoughts

i think itd be interesting for mary to keep resetting whenever the last person dies. she keeps resetting and seeing everyone grow up together and die of old age over and over. she forgets that she reset it anyway so to reset again its like her form of passing away too ig. tho ofc there's to consider if anyone had kids, then she rly wouldn't be alone. shed be the immortal granny :3 but resetting is a more fun hc also maybe she does stay around for kids and grankids and grand grand kids and etc but eventually still resets anyway

insert fairly odd parents episode i never actually watched where timmy makes the secret wish to be 10 forever and when asked how many years ago did he make that wish he says something like UMM 78 YEARS AGO

shintaro remembering timelines: MARY HOW MANY TIMES HAVE U RESET

mary: *sweating*

[idc4whatever]

I absolutely love fics where Simon and Wille both want to leave Sweden, go somewhere no one knows them, I just really can't imagine them in the US, Simon also could never afford it, especially since movement within Europe is very common and easy to arrange.

What I picture instead, is Simon decided after highschool to move to Spain, it's still in Europe, he already speaks Spanish and he could actually afford university, especially since Spain is way cheaper to live in than Sweden. Also the chances of anyone his age group actually knowing anything about any monarchy besides the British one is super low. No one gives a shit anyone more about royal families.

Wille would start university in Stockholm but in the third year of his Bachelor would decide that even just for a while he'd like to leave Sweden behind. I imagine him starting to study Spanish with Duolingo during the Christmas break after the break up just to have something in common with Simon, to feel like he hasn't lost everything about, even though he never actually heard Simon speak Spanish. I for myself love distracting myself by learning a new language, it’s not meant to be used, just feel like a justified useful distraction. He ends up really liking the language and even his mother approves, since it looks good to speak more than just the Scandinavian languages and English. So, he's been studying Spanish semi-serious for a few years and while it probably wouldn't be good enough for following classes he could communicate enough on every day situations. Through Felice he hears that Simon is living in, idk maybe Sevilla, and can't resist to put it also down as his first choice on the Erasmus application. He decides that the city and university are big enough that maybe they wouldn't even meet, but if they did, maybe it was fate.

Wilhelm studies maybe sociology with a minor in politics and Simon studies environmental science and they do end up having a course like idk green city planning together.

At first it's a little awkward but Wille takes a deep breathe and after the lectures goes over to Simon and they talk. Simon did always understand why Wille didn't want to come out and all the anger and most of the pain faded away, there was only a little sadness left. So since Simon has already been living there for a while and Wille is completely new without really knowing anyone, Simon shows him around and kinda adopts him into his social group, they decide honestly to be friends and realize that they get along really well.

Both decide not to go home over Christmas and they spend an entire day making kanelbullar in Willes flat, which Simon hasn't eaten in forever. While Simon doesn't really like cooking or baking, Wille discovered that he actually really loves it and it helps him immensely when he feels stressed or overwhelmed. On New Year they go out and party the entire night. Both never drinking anything stronger than beer.

Wille decides to add another semester to his Erasmus and stay in Spain until the summer. At that time they are best friends build on a foundation of trust, safety, and comfort. Maybe sometimes they both think they could be more but neither has the urge to take that step yet, friendship for the moment seems more important and if/when they get back together it should be on a completely impenetrable basis without any doubt or worry.

In April, during Easter break, they decide to go to North Spain and do a two week hiking trip along the Jakobsweg (don't know the English word) to Santiago de Compostela. So for two weeks they spend every minute together, sometimes they meet other people but never stay together for long.

Afterwards, they both feel a confidence in their relationship that has never been there before. Wille decides that it's finally time to talk. He invites Simon to his place, cooks for him and then he tells him that he loves him, has never felt surer about anything else in his live. He tells him that back then his mother told him that young love doesn't last and he felt to insecure, the relationship and feelings all to new, to have the courage it would have taken to be out, getting ripped apart by the press and the public. But now, there is no doubt left. Simon tells him that he also loved him, more than he could ever imagined. They kiss.

They don't hide the relationship but also don't announce it in front of their friend group but it is really obvious, most of them thought they already had been dating anyways. Wille also never told them that he is the Crown Prince of Sweden, while he wouldn't lie to them, it's not really something that comes up. Maybe some of them know but there never had been a conversation about it, which is just how Wilhelm likes it.

They also both tell their parents. Linda is happy for them. Kristina accepts it, knowing that this is final, not sure she would actually be against it, besides the unpreventable mess it would eventually make in the press.

Wille and her have in the last few years come to a kind of stable peace. She realized that pressuring wouldn't actually mold him into the person she wanted but make him crumble until there was nothing left which is not something she wants. She isn't really a good mother but still a half way okaish person. They decided together that Wille should do a Bachelor before taking on any duties, giving him a breather and a chance for normalcy while he agreed to actually try fulfilling his role as the Crown Prince. Abdication never discussed directly but both hearing it thorough the conversation, an option revised at a later date.

After Wille goes back to finish his degree in Stockholm, Simon stays in Sevilla until he is also finished. Long distance relationship something new for both of them, not without its challenges but their confidence in them doesn't waiver. Both don't feel the need to come out publicly, everyone who matters to them knows, it's no one else's business. They also want to be there for each other when they do make their relationship public, which isn’t ideal while living in different countries, so they wait.

After Simon comes back, he finds work in Stockholm. Wille tries doing his royal duties but public events still make him uncomfortable, speeches give him anxiety and he definitely doesn't want to spend his life like this. He discusses it with his mother, having had a lot of time to come to peace with it, she doesn't fight him over it. However, she is adamant that he announces his relationship before abdication so she can show her support for him loving who he loves and the press can't say, the Crown forced him to abdicate because he's queer. Simon and Wille discuss it but ultimately agree. At that time Wille has unofficially moved out of the palace, living with Simon in a small but cozy flat.

Most reactions of the public to the announcement are positive, not that other people opinions really matter, but they are both relieved anyways and welcome the support.

Wille abdicated sometime later in a lengthy interview where he talks about the pressure and the discomfort he had always felt. Using the opportunity to spread some light on mental health issues.

Well anyway, that got way out of hand but I think it is just very fitting.

[ackerfics]

so this is love — annie leonhart

— annie leonhart x female reader

— request by anon: I kinda have a request. How about royal au? Where 2 kingdoms are at war with each other, and reader is the heir of the throne of one kingdom (but they’re not the spoiled type of heir, more like the solider one?) and then the kingdoms decided a truce. Reader will have to marry the heir of the other kingdom which is Annie. Idk maybe those arranged marriages that they never get along at first? Kinda like they were enemies bc they never get along until some development of feelings happen along the way. Maybe Annie will realize that she has feelings when reader got injured since they’re a soldier

— warnings: mentions of war, slight angst if you squint, just two idiots falling in love with each other :))

— summary: you were sent off to another kingdom as a sign of a truce, promising to yourself that the engagement is close to death at how you got off on the wrong foot with your betrothed. it was hell at first but who knows? maybe, unbeknownst to you, the two of you are a match made by the gods.

— word count: 7.5k

— author’s notes: i am so sorry this came out so long :((( we just finished our exams and we have a case study to write as our midterm for a subject. i hope this will still quench your annie fic cravings. and by the way, i fashioned the kingdom of idylle to mondstadt because genshin impact is my stress reliever right now and a kingdom built upon freedom sounds like a gem. plus, the glass castle of the reader is based off of the castle of cinderella, which is the reason for the title hhhhhh happy reading !!!

so this didn’t appear in the tags so i reposted it :”(((

Corsets were abominations that needed to be burned.

The girl with your features staring at you from the mirror was someone you couldn’t recognize from all the preparations your chambermaid did on your figure. The make-up was appalling and thick that you could see a smear on the back of your hand when you tried rubbing your itching nose. Your hair was done in a half up-do with too many decorative pins sticking out, creating a makeshift crown of silver roses, one of the symbols of your kingdom. The dress your mother expected you in was straight-up ridiculous, you couldn’t move from the tightness of the corset and the heaviness of your skirts was hindering you from moving freely. You couldn’t even deny that it was a lovely gown but its inconvenience was irking you at the slightest turn or stretch.

Dressing up this lavishly was rare for you, the Crown Princess of the kingdom boring flags of silver and lilac. You very much preferred the heaviness of your armor and your title as one of your kingdom’s Commendatore rather than the ladylike image your mother has been forcing you on the past few weeks.

You were livid when your parents renounced from the ten-year war that was purging the continent with just a sign on a piece of paper — one that included your name and your honor. Everything was brutal, carnage dotting every town and village of the two kingdoms throwing spears and fire cannons, and you witnessed it all firsthand when you started being one of your kingdom’s soldiers four years ago — a sixteen-year-old girl throwing orders that gave you an advantage from your enemies wearing the crest of the kingdom that painted your lands a heart-wrenching red. Of all solutions that your parents and the other kingdom could come up with, it involved you in the most unacceptable way possible. Officially entering your twenties this year, your parents thought it necessary to offer you as a bride that signified peace to the warring nation right beyond the border. The idea made your vision red, an outburst coming out of your mouth mere seconds after the proposal was announced in the council meeting.

A soldier, a knight, a commander — that’s what you are.

Not some forsaken young woman ready to be shipped off to your rival nation because it was the only way out of this bloody mess.

You had no choice.

The only way for you to grasp the final moments in your kingdom was relishing the touches of the chambermaid and taking in the décor of your room — the small trinkets scattered on your nightstands, the books you escaped to, the jewelry that boasted the colors of your family, and the stuffed animals your nanny sewed for you when you were a toddler. You closed your eyes and let the feathery fingers of the people around you lull you into a prayer for the gods in their celestial thrones, asking for their blessing in this far travel. In the middle of reciting an ode dedicated to the goddess of divine bravery, you felt a cool pendant carefully slide over your collarbones.

Your mother’s face appeared beside the watery princess of the mirror, a forced smile pulling on the corners of her lips. Your distinctly colored irises flickered down on the necklace your mother placed upon the exposed parts of your body. It was a flower-pressed necklace, the gold plate carefully protecting the flower representing your birth. The golden chain holding the necklace together was so thin that you worried for a moment that the fragile piece of jewelry might break in less than an hour while you meet your partner-to-be. You met your mother’s gaze in the mirror — from a chivalrous princess of armor to a dignified queen ruling within a land of eternal spring.

“You look so beautiful,” your mother breathed your name, holding your arms tightly against her ring-adorned hands. Tears blossomed her eyes, trickling down her cheeks akin to the lavender flowers’ petals of the large white tree in your backyard. “You look like the queen you were supposed to be.”

You tried smiling but your wobbly lips made you falter. You can only purse your lips in a tight, flat smile as you face your mother, face set in a kind expression. “Please don’t cry, Mother,” you murmured, placing your palm on top of hers, squeezing it for reassurance. “They wouldn’t do anything to me.”

They, meaning the kingdom you were at war with, the nation that claimed they needed a bride for their Crown Heir. In your world, there was freedom even in marriage — with the kingdoms pairing their sons with the sons of their enemies all for the sake of a truce, especially if the two of them were firstborns. This is very much your situation at the moment. The kingdom of Idylle was a beautiful haven of songs dedicated to the god of the winds, very contrasting to their military power that could take down a good number of your soldiers. You heard stories from some villages in your nation that Idylle was a hoax, that they were bloodthirsty warmongers hungry for the spilled blood of the people of Glaieul, your kingdom. You couldn’t help but believe their words. That was the only addition to your knowledge of Idylle except for their battle tactics and placement of soldiers on the battlefield.

“We’ll pray to the deities that they will do just that,” your mother laughed a little despite the tears. “Or else your father will wage war if they so much scratched you.”

“He wouldn’t do that, Mother,” you shook your head with a slight smile. “You two have worked so hard for this peace treaty. If I ever scratched myself in Idyllic lands, trust me that it would most likely be my fault. Not theirs.”

Your mother’s laugh twinkled in the room, painting everything in a light that erased the heaviness shrouding in every corner of your chambers. “I suppose so. You and your love for your sword are unrivaled. I can still remember the time when you first got the weapon, you were so thrilled for a six-year-old that one would think you were born in the barracks. I have to admit, you looked adorable swinging your sword until the greeting of the night and its stars.” She wistfully sighed, looking down at the necklace she gave you. “Your father was so proud when you came back for dinner that night.”

“My sword has always been a lifelong companion. I will even bring it to their castle.”

Your mother placed a hand on top of her chest, over her heart. “I hope you don’t unsheathe it in front of their royal family.”

You breathed a laugh. “No promises.”

The two of you talk about all the things that happened in your childhood, your laughs echoing through the hallways. The maids and the butlers bade you goodbye and safe travels as you passed by, never forgetting to nod in their direction in acknowledgment. You will miss their company for they saw you grow up before you decided to partake in the war. Almost all of them fussed over the mess you made while practicing your swordplay, cleaning up the broken vases and the mud on the carpeted floors. Even one of the apprentices of the Keeper of Books residing in the palace, Armin, enthusiastically waved at you, his friends flanking him for a visit in the kitchens. You didn’t miss how Eren directed an incredulous stare towards the blonde man, with Mikasa looking shocked at how easily the apprentice interacted with you in a public setting since your times with them only happened behind prying eyes.

You gave the three of them a huge smile that gave their faces a pretty rose shade.

Upon reaching the foyer, your father stood at the foot of the stairs along with the soldiers you acquainted in your time on the battlefield, sending a wave of warmth through your chest. His silver coat lined with gold details was a beacon and his white breeches were tucked in a pair of knee-length boots. His chest was decorated with his sash full of medallions, the kingdom insignia of lilac gladioluses and silver roses pinned on top of his heart. The king of Glaieul softened his eyes, crinkles appearing at the corners, at the sight of you and your mother descending on the stairs.

“My little flower,” was his greeting to you when you reached him.

“Father,” you breathed, picking up your skirts to settle in the embrace of waiting arms. You buried your figure against him, inhaling his scent of pine and rosewater, creating the last memory you will have of him. The two of you pulled away for a moment, your eyes watering at the sad visage your father sported. You felt the lightest brush of his kiss on your forehead. 

“Now I’m becoming reluctant in sending you off,” he told you. “I felt guilty when I saw you fight against this during the council meeting. But it is what they offered and I have no say in the matter.”

“I know.”

“May the eternal spring never waver in your soul.”

You nodded before taking a step back, bowing with your knees on the marble floors. Your crown glinted against the light from the stained-glass windows, your hair forming a curtain around your face as you replied, “I will let it fester among the ballads and idylls they will offer. I will carry the name of Glaieul with faithfulness, honor, and grace.” You raised your head to meet your father’s eyes. “I promise to never deter the eternal spring.”

It would be that way until your last years in that kingdom. And as you rode the carriage with the soldiers you fought with guarding the vehicle with their lives on the line, you could only sigh and offer another round of prayers that this swerves in a more positive direction than what you were expecting. After a hefty journey across the bustling capital (people stopped by and waved your carriage goodbye, offering you flowers that one of the captains of the fleet, Levi, scowled at — you coaxed him that it was alright, though) to the hectares of meadows in the countryside, the sight of flowers mixed with emerald turned into a sea of teal as you entered the outskirts of Idylle, your betrothed’s home. Everything was bathed with the endemic species of grass solely blessed by the god of the winds on Idylle — legends say that it was because He wanted the kingdom that worshipped him to look different than the rest. No matter how much you deny it, it was beautiful.

“How are you faring, princess?”

Your daze was interrupted by a baritone voice, deep enough to alert some of the men around the carriage. His gray eyes provided you support during the war. You couldn’t help but smile at the onyx-haired man riding by your right window. “Hello, Captain Levi.”

“Tch. Drop the title, brat. You and I both know that the war made us friends somewhat.”

You let out a small laugh. “Well, Levi, to answer your question, I��m quite fine even though my parents just sold me to gain peace.”

Levi rose an eyebrow at the remark. “I am not one to have the capabilities to comfort someone but think of this as a way for you to help the kingdom without sacrificing your life for once. A nation without its heir is just like losing its king. I’ve seen you train when you’re starting as a squire and to the point when you got the position you deserve. This would be like a small walk in the gardens of your mother.” He fixated his stare on you, eyes dull yet determined to get his point across. “You have a role in every part of your life and this time, this is what the gods crafted for you. Do not fret, princess, you have more chances of being on the battlefield again.”

The words Levi spoke settled in you until you reached the capital of Idylle, a small island in the middle of a clear azure lake with walls resembling a huge castle. The bridge leading to the gates was lined with guards bearing the kingdom’s crest, all of them standing under the flapping flags bearing the symbol and colors of the royal family they serve — a harp surrounded by the colors of gold and blue. Their eyes warily followed the series of carriages, postures becoming stiff in the realization that the entourage holds the visitor their rivaling country sent. That was still the scenario when the series of carriages and horses passed by the marketplace, the vicinity on the lowest part of the walled capital, as if the wind even ceased to let the people gawk at the brightly-colored entourage making its way to the highest tier depicting mansions and the main plaza where their patron god stood tall and proud in front of the palace’s gates.

Everything looked magnificent.

It was a breath of fresh air from the glass castle you grew up in. Whereas your kingdom built a white, blinding home that withstood for hundreds of years, Idylle’s palace blended with the brick walls with its leveled mansard roofs and turrets. The gates were made of gold, welcoming you into a huge square of maze-like hedges, a fountain sitting in the middle of the labyrinth. Some gardeners stopped their daily chores to greet the carriages with a wave of their hat, seeing as you were going to be an addition to the royal family after the wedding in a few months. The steps leading to the main doors loomed in front of you with only a few servants waiting for you to step out of the carriage.

You took in a deep breath, nodding at Levi to open the door. When it swung open, you placed your hand on top of Levi’s as he guided you down the propped steps on the side of the carriage.

“Well,” Levi hummed from behind you, making you glance at him with a curious eye. “May the eternal spring never waver in your soul, Your Highness.” He bowed in front of you, only a dip of his head, a firm hand on his heart, and yet that was enough for you to reciprocate it with a kind smile.  

“Safe travels back, Captain Levi. May the gods protect you.”

The servant boys standing on top of the stairs jumped an inch in the air, going down in fleeting steps to get your luggage when they realized they were staring too long at you. You smiled at them in gratitude before stepping inside the palace as the guards opened the huge, gilded double doors in front of you.

The inside was just elegant as the exterior appearance of the entire capital. Everything was bathed in gold that seemed to rival the Sun and it made you look away for a moment. The grand hall followed the kingdom’s colors, from the turquoise carpets leading towards two winding staircases to the golden ceilings decorated with paintings of cherubs and the story of how their god of the winds came to be. One of the servant boys slightly cleared his throat, snapping you out of your curiosity of the myths laid on the ceiling. You turned to him with raised eyebrows, spurring him to whisper a faint, “Follow us, Your Highness.” They led you through hallways hung with tapestries and paintings, drawing rooms where the queen hosted her tea parties (Levi would have loved it), and ballrooms that have the same aesthetic as the foyer. Finally, you stopped in front of one of the apartments in the palace, the servant boy who told you to follow them brightened at the guard stationed there.

“Reiner!”

You waited patiently and let your eyes roam across the hallway.

“Hello, Falco, Udo.” The man, Reiner, smiled at the young boys before turning to you. He placed a hand on his heart and bowed. “Welcome to Gale, the capital of Idylle, Your Highness.”

“Thank you for the welcome,” you replied, motioning for him that it was quite alright to straighten his posture. “The palace looks lovely.”

“Indeed, it is.” Reiner opened the doors of your room and once again bowed with an outstretched hand towards the room. “Here are your chambers and I will be your guard for the entirety of your stay here in the palace, Your Highness.” You muttered a faint ‘thank you’ as you entered a drawing room with a door to the private chambers on the left and the bathrooms to the right. There was a table fit for two people, armchairs, and drawers with vases on top. A huge floor-to-ceiling window illuminated the room, your feet carrying you there to open them, and letting the wind caress the curtains as they danced in the breeze. “If you ever need anything, you can call for my name and I will be here in an instant. Your chambermaid will be up here in a moment to help you prepare for the family dinner. For now, rest well, Your Highness.”

“Thank you, Reiner, Falco, Udo,” you smiled, retreating towards the private chambers.

You let out a sigh and stared at nothing for a few moments. It came down to this. To think that you were in enemy lands and was treated so well without any degradation came as a shock to you. The people so far that radiated negativity at your arrival were the guards stationed at the bridge and some of the townsfolk and nobles parading in the streets. As you think about the servant boys and Reiner’s calmness in receiving you in the palace, you immediately thought that it would be better than you expected.

You took off your heels under your dress, mind racing that this wouldn’t be so bad, and plopped on top of your canopied bed, its baby blue curtains protecting you from unknown disturbances and drowning you in a rapid of dreams.

-

The dinner didn’t go so well as you expected.

You donned a more suitable dress for indoor use, something that doesn’t include forcing your figure in a tight corset and yet presentable enough to be shown in the family dinner. You even placed a circlet of silver flowers on your head to compensate for the dull dress you chose, the description fitting after one of the chambermaids expressed their perplexity at how simple regarding design your dress has. Your light blue skirts fanned out around you as you made your way to one of the grand dining rooms reserved for family use. The choice of the color of the dress should be enough to express that you are willing to be on good terms with the family of the person you will marry.

But your first meeting with Annie Leonhart was interestingly disappointing.

Before departing from your kingdom, you learned the royal family and even Idylle’s customs. You learned how they always valued freedom and expression above all else, compared to your home that valued their ties with the gods more than the idea of getting rid of the shackles placed by your deities. You learned how they have this festival dedicated to celebrating the love they share with their patron god and how it spanned for half a month.

Finally, you learned about the indifferent Crown Heir of Idylle, the young woman with the piercing blue oceanic eyes sitting in front of you at the dinner table. She was known for building up walls that discouraged some of her engagements with other royalties across the continent. She was so closed off that she didn’t even glance in your direction for one second. Her hair was done in an elaborate bun wrapping around her head in a braid, her small, thin diadem resting against her golden hair. Annie kept her gaze on her plate, even playing with her food mindlessly for a couple of minutes before sighing and taking a bite of the chicken the maids served. No conversation was exchanged and the dinner ultimately became one of the most awkward meals you had. The king even tried to engage his daughter for casual talk but Annie dismissed them with a hum.

The queen had to apologize to you several times after the dinner, with Annie huffing at the back and eager to get out of the room. Despite how much she was against this engagement, you still bowed at her before you retreated to your room.

Now dressed in your nightgown, you stared at the canopy of your bed, already missing your home the more you fixed your attention on the bundled-up curtains. You badly needed to hit a straw dummy with your sword to let out your frustrations. Of all the royalties present in your continent, why did it have to be you that was shipped to this measly forced marriage? There were still so many solutions that could lead to a peace treaty but why was this the only one the kings and queens could present to their courts? A sigh escaped your chest once again at the thought of actually getting to know Annie. You laid on your side, curling your legs towards your chest and prayed that the god of dreams will visit you sooner than expected.

A knock reverberated through your chambers, the sound making you sit up.

You went to the receiving room and opened the door. You kept the small hitch of your breath in your chest at the sight of Annie and her half-lidded eyes. There was no one in the hallways. You figured that she sent Reiner away for some privacy, meeting the blue irises you likened to brilliant sapphires. 

“What brings you here, Your Highness?” you asked, opening the door wider.

“Annie.” She saw how your eyebrows raised in surprise. “Call me Annie, we’re betrothed after all.”

“Of course.” You smiled. “Annie,” you tested her name softly, missing the way she inhaled too sharply at your voice. 

Annie reciprocated the gesture by saying your name. The two of you stared at each other and it felt like an eternity before she looked away to focus on the receiving room behind you. She noticed how your eyes held kindness underneath the star-like shine even though she showed hostility during your first dinner with her family. Your hair was disheveled and it didn’t take her a minute to realize she might have woken you up from a good night’s rest. The journey from Glaieul to Idylle was a long one. You deserve all the rest you can get, “I apologize if I woke you up but I feel like I should do this before dragging it out.” You once again raised an eyebrow so she took out a leather box, opening it to reveal a ring with a holographic gem showing teal and pink in the middle. The Leonhart family ring. “Here.”

“Oh.”

You were gawking at the beautiful piece of jewelry, with Annie taking the matter in her own hands. She took the ring out of the box and pocketed the container. Her hand reached out to hold your palm against hers, sliding the ring in your ring finger. Your hand still hovered in front of you after Annie retracted hers to find their place by her side. She continued to eye your mesmerized visage with a half-lidded gaze, clearing her throat to catch your attention. You turned to her with a small apology for spacing out.

“It’s fine,” Annie waved off. “It’s yours starting today.” She turned away from you and went down the hallways but not before saying a “Good night, [Name].”

-

The entire week of your stay in Idylle was uneventful, to say the least.

Annie kept her distance from you after that night she gave you their family ring. It left you thinking that you should also gift her the [Last Name] ring your family treasured for centuries. The ring was placed in a small cushioned jewelry box that you opened and propped on one of your night tables. Your conscience was telling you to give it to her but there wasn’t exactly any moment alone with her let alone just passing by her in the hallways. The blonde princess made it her mission to never let your fates meet the more time you spent in the capital. You then decided that she probably didn’t want this engagement to happen.

But she gave you the ring. Wasn’t that a strong signal that Annie accepted you as her betrothed, unlike the others before you?

You shook that thought as you focused on giving consecutive hits on the dummy in front of you. Two days before, you proposed to the king to let you have a moment alone in the training grounds for about two hours or so to keep you in shape. He reluctantly agreed, but not without a side stare at the queen. They heard of your glorious feats during the war, how you managed to become one of the Commanders of a battalion of soldiers tasked with being in the frontlines and how you won constant ambushes against Idylle’s numbers. Two hours of training became three until here you are, still not stopping as you finished every single dummy in the private training grounds. With your day spent outside, you thought it would be nice to have a nice dip in the bathtub before dinner.

In your walk towards your chambers, you spotted Annie in one of the drawing rooms, sitting in the window seats with a book of war tactics in hand. You recognized the author as one of the revolutionaries mentioned to you by your tutor. 

“That’s a nice book,” you couldn’t help but mention. Annie turned to you unfazed by your interruption though there was a glint of interest in her eyes. “The book mostly describes battle formations but I think the author likened it to every situation on the battlefield. For instance, the phalanx was native to the empire of Great Findara and it was great for preventing casualties until it was overpowered by the infantry tactic of the city nation of Khisfire where every man has a role and a weapon depending on their group. The latter was more on the long-range yet melee way of taking back the territory.”

Annie hummed. “Do royal tutors of Glaieul teach this to their students?”

“Oh, no. I learned it while taking on the role of a squire.”

She once again hummed. “It completely slipped my mind that you are one of the Commanders in your military. You were ruthless as the folks in the noble plaza say, blood tainting your hands from doing raids in the border villages of Idylle.” Her tone was like a jab to your side, like an arrow tearing through your skin. “I know it was a time of war and desperate times call for desperate measures but our people didn’t deserve to experience the massacres.”

“They were far from being massacres,” you gritted your teeth.

Annie scoffed. “Then what were they? Because that’s what it looks like to me. I can still remember the story two years ago of a young girl wearing her lilac cape in the bloodbath, eyes so dull that you can see your reflection on it. What’s to say that this engagement is a hoax plotted by your parents to assassinate my family for you to win a territory you greatly needed because of the resources?” She closed her book with too much force, bitterly spitting out the next words, “The apple doesn’t fall from the tree as the saying goes.”

“If you question my being here then why did you give me your family ring, Annie?” you asked, your body now facing the tense young woman by the window. You cursed at how the light made her look angelic like the girl the god of the winds sacrificed his life to before he ascended to the heavens. “This peace treaty is everything my family wanted even though hundreds of our soldiers died in vain for not meeting the ends of what they fought for. If you’re saying that my parents placed me in an undercover predicament to add to the weight of deaths on my shoulders, I suggest you tell your father to put a stop to our betrothal. Because I don’t even want to be here, Your Highness, and it would do me such a huge honor. I would rather spend my time out with my fellow soldiers than pretending I’m some dainty princess my family sheltered when in fact, I was anything but that.

“Have a good day and I hope you enjoy the rest of the book. Chapter ten was a personal favorite of mine,” you dismissed, turning towards the direction of the apartments.

Once you reached your door, Reiner straightened his posture, faltering for a second when he noticed the cross look on your face. He chose not to say anything as he opened the door for you. You took off your boots right beside one of the armchairs of the receiving room and immediately went inside your private chambers. The glint of the ring on your night table mocked you. You stomped over the furniture and forcefully closed the small jewelry box, throwing the container inside one of the drawers.

Maybe sleep will be much kinder to you, the sheets enveloping you in an embrace you wish your mother can only give in this time of need.

-

You were radiant under the harsh heat of the Sun.

Annie was scheduled to have a free slot in her timetable after being included in one of the court meetings regarding the resiliency plan of some of the villages in the borders that managed to survive the Glaieulian raids. She suggested that the villages should be moved to one of the more remote villages nearer the capital, where the terrain is suitable for growing crops and starting small farms. There wouldn’t be an issue with overpopulation because the recommended village was home to the elderly and children. The newly situated families will also aid the old people as they go about their mundane activities. It was a sound suggestion and her father was also considering it. Annie hoped that would be the case as she scribbled a small note on a piece of paper. After the meeting, she stopped by one of the windows overlooking the training grounds, and there you are.

Your small argument that happened a few days before stirred some guilt in Annie’s stomach. 

You weren’t even part of the raids she was talking about. They were led by a commander by the name of Erwin Smith. The stories about you that she heard were from Idyllic soldiers that suffered a lot during the war, not from the people of the villages Erwin raided. Annie couldn’t deny it but she did step out of the line by accusing you of being an assassin. That was too far-fetched. She was just stuck in her suspicions when she was supposed to be getting to know you.

All she knew about you was that you were adept with a sword and can name any tactic written in books about wars.

Annie saw a maid cleaning one of the vases in the hallway. “Miranda.”

The maid turned around, curtsying in a haste before patting her uniform. “What can I do for you, Your Highness?”

“Can you prepare a tray of iced apple juice and some cakes?”

“Of course, Your Highness.”

Annie nodded. “And can you place this note on the tray and deliver it to [Name]’s room?”

The maid was taken aback. “Well, it would be my pleasure, Princess.”

“Thank you.” With that, Annie walked away without a glance back.

Curious eyes followed the princess’ form, the maid finding herself looking at your figure sparring with Reiner and a smile instantly greeted her face. This could be a turning point in the betrothal because she could’ve sworn Annie had a small blush on her cheeks at the mention of the other princess. 

After your training, a tray of sweets and a pitcher with glasses of apple juice awaited you in your receiving room. You wanted to ask Reiner if he asked some of the chambermaids to prepare the afternoon snack but a folded note caught your eye. With one hand gripping the towel around your shoulders, you read the note, your face warming up at the short yet endearing sentence.

Indulge in these, they taste better after a good training session.

Maybe this wasn’t so bad after all, you thought as you munched on a sprinkled cookie.

-

Her eyes kept following a trail of gold tulle, silks, and laces, never looking away the moment her blue eyes laid themselves upon a beauty that rivaled the goddess of oneiric realms, the most ethereal goddess of the heavens. You were dressed in an off-shoulder gown with loose sleeves reaching your elbow, the bodice carefully wrapping around your torso in the most flattering way possible, and skirts adorned with silver gems. In a sea of aristocrats with fabulous dresses, you were a sight to behold in this ball dedicated to commemorate the truce between Glaieul and Idylle as well as announce the engagement between the two countries. You were starlight personified, shining in Annie’s eyes under the lights of tens of chandeliers in the ballroom. 

You were on the other side of the ballroom, laughing with your friends from your home kingdom. There was a tall brunette that seemed to be star-struck because of you just like Annie, a black-haired young woman who was smiling slightly, and a blonde who was engaged in an animated conversation with you. Your smiles were refreshing, to say the least, Annie seeing it for the first time since you came to their palace. Your laughs are genuine and it came out of you so easily when in the company of your friends.

Annie visibly stiffened when you turned around and smiled at her, gesturing for her to come to join the small huddle. Your three friends tensed noticeably at her half-lidded stare, with you reassuring them that she’s not that indifferent all the time. 

As if sensing Annie’s hesitance, Reiner chuckled behind her. “You know, it wouldn’t hurt to introduce yourself to them, Your Highness.”

“I’m getting to that, Reiner.”

A laugh came from the blonde man. “She’s good for you. That much I can tell. The kindest soul I’ve ever met in my life.”

Again, guilt pooled in Annie’s chest. Those words are the opposite of what she spewed out to you the last time you talked. She called you a power-hungry monster who ravaged the war with no care on your shoulders. She didn’t even apologize yet. Annie sighed, “I know.” Then, she pulled up her skirts, navigated the ballroom, and stopped directly beside you. Her blue eyes scrutinized the three people you grew up with, with the brunette and black-haired woman stepping a small step forward to assert their dominance while the blonde pinched their backs to warn them not to step out of line in another kingdom. “Hello.” She transferred her eyes on you afterward, placing a gentle hand on the small of your back and rubbing it in a comforting motion. “I hope you enjoyed the ball so far.” Those words were directed to you.

You only nodded with a smile. “Annie, this is Eren, Mikasa, and Armin. They’re my friends when I was growing up in the glass castle.” Annie nodded. “Everyone, this is Annie, my fiancé.”

“We know,” Eren, the long-haired man in a low ponytail murmured with his arms crossed over his broad chest.

“Eren,” Armin reprimanded. He smiled at a stone-faced Annie. “Thank you for making [Name] happy! I can sense that she has a different air around her while we talked. It must be because of you.”

Annie stayed quiet, her hand coming into a still on the small of your back. It was a good thing her left hand was hidden away because they would immediately think that you didn’t accept the engagement. She glanced at the ring nestling in your finger, a perfect match against the golden train of your dress. Realizing that she created an awkward stretch of silence, Annie could only nod wordlessly before shifting her attention to you again. It seems like you’re the only one who can calm her nerves down inside the vast ballroom. She never took her gaze on you even as you continued the conversation between your friends.

Her mind was fogged with thoughts of only you throughout the ball.

The two of you excused yourself from the trio when Annie’s father called for everyone’s attention from the front of the huge chambers. “Everyone, kind souls and pure-hearted people of the continent, since tonight is all for enjoyment, the waltz of the ball will now commence.” His blue eyes went to his daughter, standing at the side of his throne. “The moment everyone is waiting for — the first waltz.”

She rehearsed this too many times for when a proper betrothal comes into play but why is her hand shaking when she outstretched it in front of you? You must have felt it because you flashed a comforting smile her way. The two of you went to the middle of the ballroom, the guests staring expectantly at the birth of a romance. They were wrong because you hate her and she hates you. Right? Her hatred for you will never waver for killing her people even though you look like a descended goddess with the lights of the chandeliers raining on you. Hatred must be fueling her heart to beat faster than ever, why she seemed to trip over her skirts and how her words stumbled in her tongue. That must be it.

The dance slowly made its way to the part where she struggled, dipping you as gracefully as she can. Before it happened, you whispered to her, “Please don’t make me fall.”

Annie’s voice was soft, for your ears only. “I promise, my princess.”

It truly was a birth of a romance, the two of you unaware of it all.

-

“Come on, Reiner!” You shouted at him from across the training field. “Come at me with all you’ve got.”

The blonde man hesitantly shifted into position as he eyed you. “Are you sure, princess? I wouldn’t want to hurt you.” He remembered the threatening look he received from Annie before this training session and he would like all of his limbs intact, thank you very much. “I just don’t want your chambermaid to nag me again after last time.” He managed a cut on your arm your previous session and you had to wear a long-sleeved dress in such stifling weather.

You scoffed lightheartedly. “I can handle it, Reiner. You don’t have to worry about it. Plus, I can dress my wounds perfectly.”

Reiner didn’t believe that. Your skills in covering up your wounds were lacking despite being a soldier. The most you could do was apply some salve on your bruises, that was it. He had no choice because the past month he spent his days with you, you were like a persistent little child that reminded him of his younger cousin. He hoped that you two wouldn’t meet. “Alright, here I go, Your Highness.”

Parry after parry could be heard in the private training field. You were doing fine in deflecting Reiner’s sword but your ankle immediately ached after shifting your body, leaning back to avoid the sharp edge of the knight’s weapon. You let out a huff as you dropped on the ground, jolting when Reiner called for you to stay alert. Seeing the glint of his sword, you rolled away and the pain on your ankle flared, even more, traveling through your calf. It also didn’t help that you received a cut on the side of your bandaged arm. You picked yourself up despite the throbbing pain on your ankle and arm, now being on the defensive as Reiner continuously struck you with his sword. He then circled his weapon around yours, throwing your sword on the side and pushing you to the ground with the tip of his weapon. That was the time where your ankle finally twisted into a sprain.

“Ah!”

“Princess?” Reiner’s tone became alarmed, dropping to your level and taking off your boots in an instant. His hands ghosted around your swollen ankle, not knowing what to do. “Gods, Annie’s going to kill me!”

“Annie?” You asked between pants. “What does this have to do with her?”

He only shook his head, carrying you in his arms and into the palace. His steps were hurried and the maids gasped at the sight of your red ankle. “Please prepare a bucket of ice and bring it to Princess [Name]’s private chambers.” He turned to you. “Hang on for a moment, Your Highness, we’re nearing your room. Just a little bit more.” Reiner entered your room and gently placed you on your bed. “I’m going to be taking off your other shoe, Your Highness.”

“Reiner, I think I’ll take it from here.”

Reiner stiffened, slowly turning his head to the entrance of your private chambers. Annie was impatiently standing with a bucket of ice in both hands, eyes glacially set on the blonde man kneeling on the floor in front of your confused form. She didn’t care if Reiner trembled in front of her. She vividly remembered telling the knight to never hurt you (she didn’t see the cut you had last training session because Annie was in another court meeting involving the incoming tax collection of various villages). Annie glanced at your ankle, barely grimacing at the state of it before gesturing for Reiner to get out of the room. The large blonde man took his leave, bowing at the two of your hastily and closing the doors with finality.

Annie mimicked Reiner’s position, kneeling in one knee to place your injured foot on her thigh. She didn’t wear any dresses for the day and it made her look dashing. The image implanted itself in your brain. Her hands are gentle against your skin, your cheeks flaring at the contact. Her features were contorted in a downturned one that showed how bothered she was. 

“How did this happen?”

Your eyes settled on the top drawer of your nightstand. “I dodged Reiner’s blow and I twisted my ankle in the process.”

“You should be more careful.”

“I’m always careful.”

Annie scoffed. “That’s clearly obvious.” She said nothing more while dipping your foot in the ice bath. She lifted her head too fast when you winced at the coldness of the water. “Deal with it. We wouldn’t want this to be worse than it already is.”

“Thanks for the concern,” you dryly mentioned.

“What makes you think that my being worried is all fake?” You’re silent, Annie choosing the moment to continue the words she didn’t have any control over. “When the maids prepared this bucket of ice in the kitchens, I was out of the council meeting. When I saw then bringing this up to your chambers, I was alarmed and my mind was a mess of thoughts concerning what happened to you.” At each word, her face held a multitude of emotions that you never saw on her. Her lips became pursed whilst you wordlessly stared at her. “I am not pretending to care for you. How could I pretend when I’m already feeling foreign emotions when it comes to you? It’s my first time feeling this way so I don’t know if I can categorize this as falling in love. But it feels like it. So, for the love of the gods, can’t you see that I’m rambling because of you?”

You didn’t reply, instead, you reached out to the drawer where you kept that ring.

“What are you doing? You should be still right now.”

You pulled out the jewelry box and flipped it open, showing the blonde the ring fashioned in a vine, the centerpiece being a group of small gladiolus flowers with diamonds in their centers. 

Annie’s cheeks reddened, flustered at the pretty jewelry. “What?”

Words never came out of you as you took Annie’s left hand. The ring looked pretty on her, the two of you admiring it after you slid the engagement jewelry in her ring finger.

“I now accept you as my fiancé, my future lover, and holder of my heart. Annie Leonhart, may our eternal spring bloom for centuries, and may your god of the winds bless us with his idyllic ballads.” Annie’s eyes were wide and you can see your reflection on them, along with constellations that lit up her irises. You placed your forehead against hers, looking straight into her flushed face. “They were right, this is the birth of a romance.”

And as you two kissed for the first time, the gods were rejoicing in their thrones, each of your prayers answered — your love finally etched in a whimsical melody. 

[kirishimaswife2819]

Emergency Request: Hi Danielle :/ First, I just want to apologize for sending in an emergency request. I honestly thought that I’d never need to send one in. I know how many requests you already have piling up and now you’re going to have even more with your new prompts. I also know you’re having a hard time finding the motivation to write requests so sorry for giving you more work. I’m honestly just feeling really horrible at the moment. It’s my birthday today and only one of my friends remembered. (Idk maybe I’m just weird about this but receiving that 12am message from friends just makes me so happy and makes me feel important and appreciated) but this year only one of my friends remembered and I’m just feeling really unimportant—if that makes sense. Also my aunt who was like a mother to me passed away last month and it’s on days like these when I really just remember her and miss her so much. I’ve been crying for the past few hours and the tears just WONT STOP. MY GOSH. anyway, I was wondering if you could write something for me with Bakugou regarding this? Comfort and fluff please. It’s okay if you can’t tho! I completely understand, you’re busy and everything. I won’t be mad 🥺💖 I just thought I’d give it a try. As rude and loud Bakugou is, he’s my comfort character so I thought maybe he could help me 💖.

How They Comfort Their S/o When Their Friends Forget Their Birthday || Bakugou

Masterlist 1 || Masterlist 2

↠Author’s Note: Don’t apologize, it’s alright! Happy (probably late) birthday!! I’m sorry that happened :( I hope you feel better soon/now! Ty for requesting! I hope these help!! -Danielle <3

↠Characters: Katsuki Bakugou x Reader

↠Summary: Katsuki’s reaction when he walks in on you crying, on your birthday, because your friends forgot

↠Genre: Comfort/fluff

↠Word Count: 900

↠Warnings: Kinda toxic friends, ig?

↠Notes: None

This man is going to be absolutely pissed that everybody besides him, some of the 1-A students, and like one of your other friends forgot your birthday

Most of the students of the class didn’t know it was your birthday, only a few that paid good attention did and they all wished you a happy birthday and then everybody else did as well, since they heard the others doing it

But you had school that day, so Bakugou couldn’t really take you anywhere special, but he did buy you a gift and take you out for dinner that night

Yet, when you came home, you came to the realization that barely anybody remembered your birthday, including your friends outside of U.A., and you knew that you shouldn’t really care, considering how the members of class 1-A remembered

But it still kind of hurt when you came to realization that only one of your friends remembered

The same friend stopped by early in the morning to give you a gift, since they also had to get to school, but they promised that they’d hang out with you when they got the chance to

It also didn’t help that you had remembered all of your friends birthdays, but they hadn’t remembered yours

For about ten minutes, you sat there, trying to convince yourself that they just had a bad memory, or that they just didn’t look at the date that day, but the more you thought about it, the more convinced you got that they simply didn’t care

For example, if you couldn’t remember a birthday of someone you cared about, then you put it in your phone and put a reminder a few days ahead so you would remember to get them a gift (I do this, it took my friends about ten times of telling me their birthdays before I finally remembered them but even then I don’t pay attention to dates so I put them in my phone)

Anyway, so when Bakugou came into the room to give you a late birthday gift, and you were sobbing while hugging your stuffed animal, at first he was super concerned but after you told him the reason why you were upset he was concerned and absolutely pissed

Like it took every bone in his body for him not to get up to go yell at (and beat up) some dumb ‘extras’ for upsetting you on your birthday

And then when you explained that you were extra upset because of your aunt passing about a month ago, he got even more pissed off at them for forgetting

He still remembered the day that your aunt passed away (and the days that followed), you didn’t want to leave your room and you didn’t want to let anybody in, until finally Bakugou convinced you to let him in so that he could help you, and then he spent the rest of that night comforting you and making sure that you felt better

Anyway, back to the main subject, he literally had to take a minute to step out of your room so he didn’t blow up on you, when he was supposed to be comforting you

He took a few minutes to calm himself, before stepping back into the room and approaching you again

He didn’t say anything and instead pulled you into his arms, letting you sob into his chest until you got it all out, while either gently rubbing your arms, back, or head

Finally, after you cried it all out, he started talking

He hadn’t wanted to talk while you were crying because 1. If you started to say something, he didn’t want to talk over you, and 2. He wanted to give you all the time that you needed to cry, before he gave you his opinion and thoughts on the situation

“Look, babe, they’re just a bunch of dumb, useless extras,” Katsuki started

“Katsuki, don’t talk about them like that, they-”

“Don’t interrupt me, it’s true. Anybody who doesn’t care enough to remember the day that you were born is a useless extra,” Bakugou said, “And don’t you dare go and beat yourself up because they’re a bunch of jerks.”

You didn’t reply, and Katsuki didn’t say anymore and instead a comfortable silence filled the room and you allowed Katsuki to continue holding you

But the silence was broken about ten minutes later, by Katsuki

“I got you a gift,” he said, and you sat up, starting at him, waiting for him to give it to you

He gestured forward, and then you noticed the nearly flat, but tall and wide item that was wrapped in blue paper

You reached forward, and felt the paper, and you could tell that it was obviously a photo frame

After tearing the paper off, you got a good look at the photo, it was actually from the two of you that same day, when you two were eating dessert at the restaurant he took you to

“Thank you,” you said, smiling and setting it on your nightstand, so that you could hang it up tomorrow. Then you threw yourself back into his arms, cuddling into his chest, “Love you, Katsu.”

“Love you too, baby,” he replied, as you started to fall asleep, “Happy birthday.”

[antiloreolympus]

10 Anti LO Asks

1. you know whats also bad about the red eyes? not only do they look awful on persephone's pink color, they're not even a unique feature? like we've seen hades' eyes go red, we've seen eros' eyes go red, and ares' eyes are ALWAYS red, so even this idea its her "unique queenly trait" doesnt even hold up?? because we've seen it on other characters before?like at least the blue glowing eyes looked unique and even gave her a possessed, otherworldly look, something with the red eyes just dont have.

2. The faces in the latest ep (not fastpass).... Ew

3. I saw someone praise lore olympus art, specifically the ones where Apollo is playing his lyre and Daphne is covering her ears while her hair is split in two (yuck! Bad decision looks awful) so we can see Apollo, the one where she transforms into her hibernation state (weird perspective, chin and neck, I think, also what the hell was that supposed to be?) and the last one before cutting to Thanatos (which, I admit looks a little better that the other but I still got distracted Apollo's arm among other things).

Now, Rachel is a professional artist like 15-25 years older than me (I dunno her age) drawing one of the most liked webtoons.

I feel like I'm nitpicking or being too harsh or crazy because I think it is a little terrible and this person thinks it's amazing and I know art is subjective and all but like the difference of opinion is jarring. I am by no means a professional and my art leaves a lot to be desired and I guess I don't have incredibly high standards (or do I? I'm second guessing). Is it really that good?

Because I know that Smythe commits more than a few anatomy atrocities. I wanted to redraw a few panels two years ago and I noticed a few things that Don't Work Like That.

4. ok but that other anon is right. we shouldnt have to go off old tumblr asks or random tweets to understand what's going on and who the characters are. rachel doesnt realize you have to actually write whats going on, not putting the readers on a scavenger hunt trying to figure out what they're even reading.

5. im honestly surprised LO hasnt ruined more mother figures at this point. maybe maia will be next and depicted as neglectful and hermes is only the way he is because hes acting out to be noticed by her, maybe dione will slut shame aphrodite, who knows, the possibilities are endless when its about ruining every mother figure to prop persephone and hera up and to avoid giving the characters actual personalities that isnt dependent on mommy/daddy issues.

6. I hate the clothing choice for Daphne in run for your life. It felt like she was drawn in a sexualized manner when she shouldn’t have been because she was running away from a r*pist. Like she almost had a nip slip, we almost got her ass, it was like Rachel was trying to fit her butt and chest in a lot of the frames like some video game with the token woman character. Like if a different dress was choosen or how she made Daphne tie the dress, I just feel like Rachel can’t draw outside of pinup sexy that well. Like sexy is fine for sexy scenes but running away from a r*pist is not sexy. (I probably sounded really lame, but the way Rachel presents the story in a feminist way but can only draw one way in not even the same style is annoying)

7. Things I think would have been better for the story instead of focusing so much on HXP

-Expanding on Minthe’s and Hades beginning of their relationship (he couldn’t of fallen for her since she didn’t laugh at him and when she yelled at him said it’s not your fault but you have the hat I think that would have added to his character more to see him more than a 40 year old who hits on barely legal)

-Leto’s kidnapping of Demeter. Both we/are close with Hera, and probably know or each other or may have been friends. Like I wanna know how Leto kidnapped her but also how are they interacting since they probably know each other and Demeter probably had Hera’s back when Hera ended their friendship.

-Ares return to Aphrodite. We don’t get to see much of her character but we know this is something she’s wanted, but they way it was handled was so flat, We assume Aphrodite told Ares that his gf slept with his father to save their son but we don’t actual read any words between the couple. And then they’re living together. I wanna see how they actually interact and stay together like their better moments. Like how well did he settle in, did they talk about how long he left for or is he mad like come on that’s something interesting but I feel like RS can’t write outside of HXP

-the deal with Echo. Why do people think Echo could possibly be Hera’s gf if she’s her assistant. Yeah they do dirty work together BUT I didn’t get a wiff or sexual tension or anything. Was it that she was there with the doctor? It just seems like Hera is that CEO trope who has the assistant always by her now.

-a little more of Pysche and Aphrodite friendship. Like Pysche says Aphrodite is lonely (and we can assume a part of that is Ares) but also because she “doesn’t have many friends” so why not a solo scene of just the two of them being actual friends. Like what did Aphrodite say when she brought back a purple nymph that was gonna help them with their work.

-Hermes not talking about Persephone. I feel like that 99% of what his character is and then just a little bit of himbo. 

-Maybe Thantos and Minthe started flirting/hooking up. We’re they friends first or flirts first? Was it after Hades and Minthe got into a fight or something else? What did Thantos like about Minthe and what does she like about him? Why did she stay with Hades with Thantos was there (it’s not like she wanted to be queen of the underworld) How did Thantoas and Thetis meet and become friends? Idk if I was seeing two guys and one of them actually liked my friend I might consider leaving Hades for him. But again hades did have the power to control everything in Minthe’s life (job, home, everything) I do like Daphne and Thantos But I feel like the transition could have been better if we knew more, but again RS can only focus on one thing and that’s HXP.

------FP Spoiler/Mention------

8. FP SPOILERS— I’m done. I’m really done. We called it. We FKN called it. They got married behind the readers back, Demeter didn’t respond to the question as she actively avoided it and time was up, Apollo is somehow involved in the trial- THIS WHOLE THING IS A MESS AND IM TIRED OF HOPING THAT IT GETS BETTER. Four FKN years of this??? I’m done with this Webtoon even though I’m FKN stuck in it. I’m so FKN done.

9. Fast Pass spoiler (kinda) OH MY GOD, I JUST REALIZED THE POMEGRANATE PIN IS JUST PASTED ON EVERY FRAME, NOT EVEN RE DRAWN FOR PERSPECTIVE, NO, JUST COPIED AND PASTED, REGARDLESS THE OUTFIT ANGLE AND LIGHTING, IT'S HILARIOUS!!!I mean, I knew the art was decaying, but this just made me laugh out loud of how bad it looked.

10. persephone’s pomegranate pin just looks like a giant fly that landed on her and won’t leave LMAO