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flyiingsly · 5 months

Text

Secret Santa

Pairing : Hardcase x medic!reader

Warnings : Mention of injuries, death and war, two idiots in love with each other, a bit of angst and mutual pining, fluff

Wordcount : 5,7k

Summary : The 501st boys are organizing a little event for Life Day, but the night took an unexpected turn when you receive a very special gift from your favorite trooper.

A/N : Heeere we are, my submission for the @cloneficgiftexchange ! I was assigned to @melliejellybellybean and oh boy that one was so much fun to write ! (Telling a story about a Secret Santa event for a Secret Sant event, what a very cliché thing to do, I know, but I just couldn't resist it)

I'm soooo happy to be a part of this exchange ! Right after I've received your name, I immediately checked your blog to learn more about you, and then I discovered that you seem to be a very enthusiast Taylor Swift fan, and I was like OMG THAT’S SO COOL because I really love her music as well, and not gonna lie, it was that perfect excuse to listen to her songs like a maniac while writing this, it gave me a lot of inspiration and good vibes, that was amazing !

I really hope that you're gonna like it too 💜

Since you started to work as a medic for the 501st legion under the commands of General Skywalker, your days suddenly became more animated. But you couldn’t say that you weren’t enjoying it. In fact, it was quite the contrary : you loved working with them.

When you arrived at the GAR med bay, you were placed under the supervision of one of their best medics, Kix, who quickly became your best friend. Then, you were introduced to the rest of the company, and as you were getting to know them better, they soon adopted you as one of their own.

You were getting along with them very well, and they quickly became like your family more than just coworkers or patients. You were spending most of your time with them, whether on missions or on shore leaves.

Since you were following them on every battlefield they were sent to, going through the horrors of war together and saving their lives has created a very strong bond between you and them.

But fortunately, there wasn’t only bad stuff to share, and despite the fact that you were nervous and not very enthusiastic the first time they invited you to join them at the 79’, you were now used to it and really were enjoying those special and joyful moments spent together.

In addition of Kix, there was another person in the group you became particularly close to : Hardcase. He was one of your most recurrent patients, for he was admitted in the med bay every once in a while, for the most unexpected and silly reasons sometimes.

You used to worry for him the first couple of times you found him waiting in your examination room, covered in blood and bruises, but as the time passed by, you realized that his injuries were, in most cases, looking more serious and concerning than they actually were.

You both became attached to each other pretty quickly. You loved his sense of humor, his energy, and his adventurous temperament, and he grew very fond of your kindness, selflessness and thoughtfulness.

In fact, everyone who was at least a little close to him could easily notice that there was something more than just strong friendship and appreciation silently going on between you.

Hardcase wasn’t usually the kind of person to be shy or self-conscious, on the contrary, but with you, it was different.

He was often caught glancing and smiling dreamingly at you when you weren’t watching or found all flustered and blushing after talking to you or running unexpectedly into you in the GAR station’s corridors. Just the way he was talking about you was enough to anyone who was listening to him to catch a glimpse of his true feelings.

At some point, Kix even started to ask himself if his constant visits to the med bay weren’t an excuse to see you. He just couldn’t believe that someone could be that clumsy and careless without doing it on purpose. But you, on the other hand, as long as he wasn’t suffering too much, were always more than happy to see him pass the door.

He was making you laugh, and he was always finding a way to drag you along in his shenanigans and making you engage in silly and funny situations you would never have believed you’d be taking part of one day.

You were a steady and quiet person, and when he was near you, he seemed to become calmer and more relaxed too, like if your presence was soothing both his mind and his body.

To have you around was a true relief for his brothers sometimes, because his excess of energy could be a bit exhausting for them. It wasn’t a problem for you though, for you were never tired of him.

Each one of you seemed to be the perfect balance to the other, and everyone around was waiting for the moment when you will finally end up together.

So of course, when the company decided to put together a special little party to celebrate Life’s Day, you obviously were on top of the guest’s list. In fact, you were one of the first person to know about that idea, and they even asked you for help to plan the event.

The timing was perfect, for the exact day of the celebrations was coinciding with the day after returning from a mission, which meant that the company was, if everything went well, supposed to be on Coruscant for a several days shore leave at that time.

Commander Tano and General Skywalker were invited as well, and happily accepted to join. It was their idea to organize a Secret Santa at first. It apparently was a popular thing on various planets, and when they submitted it to the rest of the company, everyone enthusiastically agreed to give it a try.

When the time came to pick up a name in the basket, you got very lucky, for you immediately knew what would make that particular person happy.

What you didn’t know however, was that it was your beloved Hardcase who got you. But on top of that, what you both couldn’t imagined was that it wasn’t just fate who made him pick you up. In fact, it was mostly Jesse’s and Kix’s idea.

They knew how fond their brother was of you, so they decided to play a little trick on him, both to tease him, but also because they saw it as a perfect occasion to give him a little help to confess his feelings to you.

When he discovered your name written in capital letters, he got through a lot of different emotions in a couple of seconds. Fives and Echo, who volunteered to hand the names out, and who were flying around the GAR base with an upside-down helmet full a little piece of papers, tried their best not to sell themselves by laughing in front of him when they saw him froze on the spot, eyes wide, then smile excitedly with sparkling pupils, before an expression of pure shock and disbelieve pass on his face.

Little did he know that before reaching for him, the two ARCs took care of switching every remaining paper from the homemade basket with only covered in your name ones. He had absolutely no chances to escape it.

It took him several days of intense reflection to find something to offer to you. It seemed like an eternity to Kix, who had to answer numerous questions about whether or not you’ll appreciate his latest idea and who got asked for his opinion at the most unexpected times of the day. But seeing him that involved and entitled to make you happy was so adorable that he couldn’t really find it annoying.

But at last, he finally managed to find something special, really special and meaningful, something that you’ll be glad to receive, and that will, at the same time, perfectly embody how important you were for him.

I wasn’t going to be easy to make, but he knew it, he couldn’t have find a more perfect gift for you.

***

The event was taking place in one of the many GAR’s aircraft hangars, because of the open view its massive door and high level was offering on the city.

Lights were a very important and symbolic part of the Life Day, and the pick of the celebrations on Coruscant was the release of thousands of paper lanterns all around the planet. So being able to see the sky was very important for that night.

The evening started with a big feast.

You had worked for most of the day to prepare all of it with the boys, moving numerous tables and chairs from the mess hall, and placing them in a row between the ships resting in the hangar. It was a lot of organization, but it was more than worth it.

For the food, you had all voted for the simplest option : each guest ordered a meal of his choice from some delivery service, so everyone could eat exactly what they wanted. It wasn’t the most elaborate meal ever, nor the most traditional, but at least everyone was enjoying it, and the whole setting was still making it looks special and festive nonetheless.

The gifts from the Secret Santa were supposed to be exchanged at the end of the “banquet”, after the desert.

Just as they did with the names in the first place, it was Echo and Fives who were in charge of collecting the presents from the players in the morning, to make sure that nobody could see who was dropping which one off, and so they could be delivered all at the same time to their addressees.

But nobody was expecting them to enter the hangar the way they did, Fives wearing a full Santa costume, standing on top of a pallet truck next to a pile of colorful boxes, and carried around by a red nosed and covered in garlands Echo, both visibly very proud of their little show.

It was hilarious, and the fact that he was trying to make his voice even more deep than it already was added a layer of comic to the whole situation.

He then asked to everyone to stand up and come closer to the vehicle, and his request was soon followed by a big and noisy mess of swinging chair and people cheerfully gathering around them.

As they started to give out the gifts, picking them one by one and calling the names written on them, the atmosphere became electric, heavy with muffled cackles and whispers.

You were assigned to a bigger than expected wooden box, beautifully hand painted in blue and circled with a large white ribbon. It was very heavy, so heavy that Rex offered to help you carrying it for you.

Once every participant had been called, the twins enthusiastically started a countdown so all the boxes could be opened simultaneously. As soon as it hit zero, the sound of shredded paper filled the air, quickly followed by a concert of exclamations, laughs and surprised squeaks. You even caught a couple of “that’s exactly what I wanted !” and “I knew it !” in the middle of the various reactions.

Rex had settled the box on a corner of the table to make it easier for you to open it, and you were now examining it from every angle to figure out how to do so. It was that kind of ammunitions containers that could be found in every GAR armory, and that were usually requiring a special tool to unseal, but this one obviously had already been opened at least once.

You were so concentrated on it that you didn’t noticed the many pairs of eyes looking furtively at you, waiting for your reaction.

When you finally managed to open it, the first thing that you saw was styrofoam chips. You chuckled at the view, anticipating a prank and ready to find nothing but those in the box.

But as you dived your fingers inside, they quickly fell on a round, massive and cold shape.

“AHAH !” you exclaimed, grabbing the mysterious item with both hands and pulling it toward you in a burst of colorful little polystyrene bits.

But you weren’t expecting what you were about to find.

As soon as you saw and understood what it was, you immediately gasped, your eyes widening in surprise.

You were now holding a brand new and freshly painted armor cuirass, immaculately white.

“What the …” you mumbled, simultaneously confused and in awe.

You turned it between your fingers, examining every angle of it, admiring its curves and looking at it with glowing eyes.

You soon after put your hands back in, frantically searching for more parts, dying to know if there was something else in that box.

When you stumbled upon one, then two vambraces, you let out a squeak, and couldn’t help but immediately try them on on top of your medic long sleeved jacket.

“No way !!! you let out, when finding out that they were perfectly fitting to your forearms. You twirled and twisted your arms around several times, looking at them with eyes watery from excitement.

You never got the chance to have your own set of armor before, for as a nat born medic, you weren’t supposed to get exposed during conflicts. Only clone medics were usually taking part of the fights and following the troops in battles. You, on the other hand, were supposed to stay behind, keeping your distances with the front line and waiting for the soldiers to return to heal them.

Bu you weren’t following that guidelines most of the times. You were part of the 501st after all, and just like their General, you had your own and particular way of managing difficult situations. That’s how you find yourself running in the middle of the battlefield more than a couples of times, trying to rescue someone.

You even got injured once, not that severely, but still badly enough to frighten the hell out of Rex and get a full lecture from him. Needless to say that it didn’t stopped you from doing it again anyway. Everybody in the company perfectly knew that there was no way to prevent you from saving lives, even at the cost of your own safety.

Of course, you’ve already tried to borrow a spare one from the armory, but standard clone’s armors weren’t the right size for you, and the Jedi’s special lighter armors were way too expensive to equip a medic, so you just never really bother thinking much about it after that.

You kept exploring the depths of the box until there was nothing left inside but chips. You successively pulled out a pair of gauntlets, rerebraces, and elbows pieces, a plackart, and finally, a pair of spaulders. One of them was plastered with a bright red, perfectly hand traced medic emblem. It was absolutely gorgeous.

That’s when you noticed it. The little card stuck on the inside of one of the shoulders. You took it off from the plastoid surface and unfolded it carefully.

The note was handwritten, and the lettering was a bit messy, but you could still feel how much attention and care have been poured into it to make it as readable and beautiful as possible.

“For the best Medic in the GAR ! (Don’t tell Kix about that or he’s going to be jealous ^^ )

You’re always watching upon us to make sure we’re safe, and because you’re one of the most important persons to me, I wanted to return you the favor, and offer you a way to stay safe as well.

Happy Life Day.

Ps : Despite the design on the spaulder, it’s all white so you could customize it as you liked, just like ours ! Enjoy !”

Excitement suddenly turned into pure emotion as your eyes became even more teary. It was the most wholesome words you’ve have ever read, and you could barely believe that someone wrote that to you. You were so moved that you had to read it a second, then a third time to make sure that you had understood it correctly, and that it wasn’t just your brain playing a trick on you.

You instinctively raised your head to look around you, feeling taken aback and curious at the same time, staring at everyone around and scanning the hangar with your eyes for an answer, like if it was going to help you find out from who it was coming from. But it didn’t, of course.

You only knew it wasn’t from Kix, for he had already told you who he picked, but you had no idea who else it could have been. You felt lost for a moment, these words weren’t sounding like a simple note written to accompany a Secret Santa present, and you had the feeling that the person who put them on paper had waited for the occasion to come since a long time already, making it even more special.

When your eyes fell back on the pieces of armor scattered on the table, tears were rolling down your cheeks. Someone found a way to make you a whole made to measure upper armor, just because you were so important to them that they wanted you safer on the battlefield, and it was one of the most touching ways that someone could have ever expressed his care for you.

On the other side of the hangar, Hardcase had been giving you little discreet side glances from a distance since the moment your name was called. He felt proud at first when he caught a glimpse of you enthusiastically searching the box. He needed to make sure that you were happy with what he got you before allowing himself to open and enjoy his own present.

But he was now too absorbed in talking with his brothers to notice your change of expression.

“Hey, I didn’t know that making her cry was part of the plan !” Fives suddenly interrupted him with a worried look, giving him a nudge to catch his attention, and gesturing his head toward you.

His joy immediately faded when he noticed your tears, and he instantly started to feel bad for you. He wasn’t expected that, it was the very contrary of the effect he wanted his gift to have on you, and he couldn’t help but feel guilty about it.

“(y/n), are you okay ?” you suddenly heard Ahsoka’s voice softly asking you.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine ….” You mumbled, weeping your eyes with the back of our hand and smiling reassuringly at her.

“I’m just … a bit moved … This is … a lot, actually … I just can’t express how lucky I feel right now … I mean, I know that building a made to measure armor is awfully expensive, and I feel so blessed that someone actually put so much effort and energy into doing that for me … I …” you sighed, the words had escaped your mouth so hastily that you had forgot to breath, and you were now seeing stars from the lack of oxygen.

“I’m sorry, I just can’t find my words right now !” you chuckled, a bit embarrassed for being that overwhelmed.

“Don’t worry, I understand what you mean.“ she answered, trying not to sound too satisfied.

“Do you know who did this ?” you hopefully asked her.

“Hmmm, maybe …” she cracked a mischievous smile, “but I promised him to not tell you anything … All I can say is that the person who gifted you this really, really care about you, like, a lot ! But don’t worry, I have the feeling that you will know who it is soon enough …”

“I hope so, I really need to thank him for that ….” You whispered, looking deeply at the spaulder, absent mindlessly tracing the medic emblem with the tips of your fingers.

Little do you know that she has been involved in the whole project from the beginning. That gift was so close to Hardcase’s heart that he didn’t hesitated to ask her and Anakin for some advice.

Of course, his General, too, had noticed how fond his trooper was of you. But most of all, he particularly understood how important the lives of his men were to you, for just like you, he was close to them, and every lost life was a hard thing to accept for him as well.

So when Hardcase exposed his plan to him, he immediately agreed to help, offering him to negotiate a free and special access to all the required resources he needed to successfully fulfill it.

Since you were close friend with his Padawan, she volunteered to give them a hand on a delicate part of the plan, but the most crucial one : collecting your measurements. It was, of course, easier and less suspect for her to enter the women’s locker room of the GAR med bay rather than sending any other male member of the company there to do it.

That’s how she found herself sneaking into your locker several days in a row with a measuring tape, scrupulously noting the sizes and lengths of your different outfits, to make sure that they had the right dimensions for the future armor. You didn’t even noticed a thing, never catching the way your clothes had moved from the moment you put them in and the moment you took them back after your shifts.

At this point, the entire battalion as well as their superiors knew about Hardcase’s gift, and several of its members helped him bringing it to life, in addition to all the persons who were involved in the fabrication of the armor itself.

The whole project had been a beautiful demonstration of solidarity and group work, and the amount of energy and care that had been poured into it was, indeed, very huge and even more consequent that you could have ever imagined.

It was probably one of the most interesting and funny spying mission the young togruta was sent on, and witnessing how big of an impact it had on you, feeling your emotion and your happiness, was the most beautiful reward she could have gotten for her participation.

You were still processing what had just happened, eyes still lost on what you were holding in your hands, when the voice of someone screaming from the hangar doorstep pulled you out of your thoughts.

“It’s beginning ! They’re releasing the lanterns !”

When you raised your head toward the origin of the scream, you just had enough time to see Tup excitedly weaving his arms, pointing at the sky and gesturing to his brothers to come nearer, before the entirety of the hangar’s lights suddenly shut down, leaving the vast space only bathed in the dimmed glow of the outside city lights.

The men quickly gathered on the edge of the wide entrance as you saw a couple of little glimmering flares ascending from the city below into the night sky.

One after the other, the biggest buildings around went dark as well, allowing a better look on the lanterns. It was the only day of the whole year when you could see the jedi temple and the senate completely plunge into darkness.

There were no more screams or laughs resonating through the air, only whisperings and muffled gasps of awe.

You couldn’t move at first, still stunned by the latest turn of events and mesmerized by what you were witnessing. Then you gently settled your spaulder on the nearest chair, before taking a few steps forwards as more and more lanterns were filling the sky, creating a big cloud of artificial stars.

You were a bit further back from the others, but still able to see everything from there, not missing a single bit of the show.

It was one of the most spectacular and mesmerizing thing that you have ever seen, and you were so focused on it that you didn’t hear the sound of approaching footsteps echoing against the durasteel floor.

“Hey …” a soft and familiar voice suddenly whispered on your left.

“Hey …” you whispered back, turning your head to face Hardcase, who was now standing right next to you as if he had appeared out of thin air.

There was enough light to clearly distinguish the blue lines of his tattoos, but not enough for you to notice the faint shade of red covering his cheeks.

“So, did you like your gift ?” you asked him with smile.

“Oh, yeah ! It was great ! Actually, I think that the person who offered it to me know a couple of things about me that I can’t remember telling anyone so far, so I guess I must have talked too much about some particular subjects the last time I was drunk, but yeah, I really appreciated it ! ” he lets out with an amused tone.

“Ahah, you’ll be surprised of all the things you’re saying when you’re drunk …” you teased him, as you felt the heat slowly raising to your face. You were so emotional right now that his very presence was enough to fluster you.

“Oh I know what you’re referring to, don’t get me started, you were as wasted as me that time !” he groaned, glaring at you with a falsely annoyed expression on his face.

His remark made you giggles, and your laugh must have been contagious, because he couldn’t help but start to chuckle as well.

Then, a silence fell between you, only disturbed by the distant buzzing of the city and the murmurs of your fellow troopers.

“Look, I’m sorry, I never meant to make you cry …” he breathed out after a moment.

You heart skipped a bit at his words, before starting to race faster when you understood what he was talking about, and you tried your best to keep your composure and refrain yourself from gasping in shock.

“So, it was you …”

“Yeah, it was me …” he awkwardly answered, “I know that we’re not supposed to tell the person we picked that … well, that we picked them, but … My gift seemed to have made you so sad, I just wanted to apology for that …”

“Sad ??!” you retorted, “No, it didn’t made me sad ! That wasn’t tears of sadness, it was the emotion, because your gift touched me ! Honestly, it’s the most meaningful thing someone ever gifted to me and … I just got overwhelmed ! I mean, I can’t imagine how much it must have costed you, that’s insane ! I’m so lucky to have been picked by you ! Thank you Hardcase, it means so much to me …”

You were stuttering, tripping over your words and feeling your eyes getting watery again.

The sparks of pure joy and gratitude that were making your pupils glimmer as you looked at him made him fondly smile at you, the faint blush on his cheeks becoming brighter.

“Oh well, not gonna lie, I got a lot of help on this one, but actually …“ his voice was laced with embarrassment, “I initially wanted to offer you the lower part as well, but we run out of time … But if you still like it that way, then that’s good enough I guess !”

“Of course I like it !” you let out in shock, astonished by what he had just said, “It’s absolutely perfect, I could never thank you enough for that, sincerely !”

You smiled back at him, your gaze meeting his. He instantly melts from the inside, trying his best not to look at your curled lips for too long, but still devouring you with his eyes.

You were so beautiful he couldn’t get them off of you. He could have admired you for the entire night if it was possible, and you both stayed like that for a moment, staring at each other in silence, the faint light of the sea of lantern reverberating on your faces, creating a very intimate atmosphere around you.

“Can I … Can I ask you a question ?” you shyly say after a moment.

“Yeah, whatever you want !”

“Do you … Do you really meant what you wrote on that card ?”

“Well …” he paused, quickly turn looking away from you, his eyes landing on the floor, “Yes …” he quietly muttered.

The next silence that fell between you was a heavy one. You felt paralyzed, there was so much things that you wanted to say to him right now, but they were stuck in your throat, you just couldn’t seem to find the courage to speak them out loud.

You were trying to gather yourself to, at least, try to answer something, when he broke the silence first.

“I’m sorry about that too … Maybe I shouldn’t have wrote that, maybe it was too much and inappropriate, maybe …”

“No,” you cut him, “it wasn’t … To be honest, I think that I was waiting for that … Actually, when I read this card, I was praying for you to be the one behind it …”

His eyes widened, you were, too, avoiding his gaze, but you still caught his surprised expression from the corner of your own eyes.

“Rea .. Really ?” he mumbled.

“Yes …” you answered, trying to prevent your voice from trembling too much “I just hoped that I got the message right …”.

You were shaking from head to toes now. You felt his eyes land on you once again and his whole body turning to face you, and, without a warning, his hand softly took yours.

It was your turn to look at him with surprise. You opened your mouth to say something, but no words escaped it. You thought that your heart couldn’t beat faster than it already was, but you were wrong. You never knew that someone could have that much effect on you.

“I think that you got it right, yes ...” he simply whispered, taking a step toward you, and pulling you closer to him until your two bodies where leaned against each other, his forehead gently settling on yours, and his other hand rising toward your face to carefully cup it.

You shivered at his touch, instinctively closing your eyes, your whole attention focused on the sensation of his skin against yours. You were so close to each other that you could feel his heart racing just as fast as yours.

“And I think that I have something else to tell you …” the sound of his voice was making your legs feel weak under your body, you nearly couldn’t believe that you were that close to him.

The whole scene seemed to happen in slow motion, suspended in time, like if the world has suddenly paused around you and time has stopped as you waited for his next words, praying for all of this to be real and not just a dream.

“I love you, (y/n), I fell for you since the moment I saw you and … I’ve waited for that moment for so long …” he breathed out, his nose brushing against yours.

He couldn’t resist anymore, and with a rush of courage striking at him, he closed the tiny remaining gaps between your mouths, his lips hesitantly meeting yours.

Your whole body felt like melting under his kiss, and it took you a few seconds to process what was happening before being able to answer it. You could have never expected how careful and soft his gestures were.

When you finally get your composure back, you slowly let go of his hand to wrap both of your arms around his neck. Your move gave him more confidence, and you felt his fingers slowly caressing your arm, passing over your still vambraces covered forearms until they reached your face, cupping it with his second hand too and deepening the kiss.

When your lips parted, you were both panting, and he was tightly clinging onto you, afraid that you could suddenly disappeared from his grasp.

You reopened your eyes to find him looking at you with a look of pure fascination, as if he was holding the most precious jewel of the galaxy between his hands.

“I … I love you too”, you murmured, once you had caught your breath, “and I have to confess, I’ve been waiting for that too, actually, I wish I could have told you before but … I guess I wasn’t brave enough. In fact … I was too frightened that you might not feel the same …” your face tensed up as you were opening your heart to him.

His eyes started to sparkle with emotion, like if all of the lanterns currently flying in the Coruscant’s sky have been gathered in his pupils, and he softly brushed the tip of your finger against your cheeks in a reassuringly.

“I can’t blame you for that, we were in the same boat on that point … But know that I’ve never ceased to love you, I don’t think that I can ever be tired of you, and now that I have found enough courage to tell it to you once, I will do it over and over again, and I hope that you will never doubt my words, because they truly are sincere.”

“I won’t, I promise.”

“You’re so beautiful …” he whispered contemplatively, unable resist the urge to pull you in for another kiss, more passionate, but just as soft as the first one.

“Aren’t you … afraid that … the other could see us ?” you questioned in when remembering that you weren’t alone in that very vast hangar.

“Don’t worry,” he grinned “nobody is looking at us right now, they’re too concentrated on the outside !”

It was enough of an argument for you, and you weren’t, in the end, paying that much attention about whatever the other members of the company could think about it, quickly forgetting about their presence again right after, too focused on the mesmerizing smile of the man standing in front of you.

Little do you knew that, even if nobody was actually looking at you, everybody was still very aware about what was happening behind their turned back, and that they were all discreetly sharing winks, high fives and looks of victory, happy to know that two of their close friends were finally taking the chance to be happy together.

***

“Can I ask you a favor ?” you let out a moment later, as you were both watching the last released lanterns getting lost in the darkness, “Could we paint my armor together, please ?”

“Of course I will ! Not gonna lie, I was planning on asking you if you’ll need some help … I can’t wait for that !” he enthusiastically answered, a warm smile growing on his face.

“Thank you“ you whispered, before resting your head on his shoulder.

“Hey, I nearly forgot to say it, but Happy Life Day, Hardcase !” you suddenly exclaimed.

He giggled at your realization, looking dreamingly at you, before tightening his embrace around your hips and placing a soft kiss on your forehead.

“Happy Life Day, Mesh’la.”

#vi writing #clone fic gift exchange #hardcase x reader #clone trooper hardcase x reader #clone trooper hardcase #the clone wars #the clone wars x reader #star wars #star wars x reader #hardcase #tcw hardcase

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mha-grievances · 2 years

Note

Honestly, after seeing the post on your other blog about characters appearing and disappearing after one set of chapters, it got to thinking that the best place for us to see so many of them again?

The Izuku Solo arc.

I honestly feel that we could have seen so many returning faces that help showcase just how much the actions of the first war has affected civilization and how different people are trying to adapt to it, instead of just disappearing in a puff of smoke.

A perfect example? The others schools like Shikestsu and where Ms.Joke teaches. Instead of U.A all of a sudden being this enormous fortress all by Nezu’s design, the various hero schools pool their resources together and help make it that way together. And one of the individuals helping Nezu make it happen? Saiko Intelli and her harem all female crew. And she also helps Nezu plan for likely attack spots and ways to assist with keeping civilians safe.

We also could see numerous combinations between various students saving lives and fighting crime. Sero, Ibara and Mora from Shiketsu (Guy that was covered in hair) entrapping multiple opponents. Camie and Monoma making illusions of themselves and those ninja students that went against Todoroki to completely confuse and intimidate villains into thinking there was a whole army of heroes. Heck, Todoroki and Yoarashi being a two man armada, as well as see how far their relationship has come.

And we don’t need to focus just on the heroes. We could also see just how Izuku himself has made a difference in people’s lives, hero, civilian or villain.

We could see Izuku running into Gentle Criminal and La Brava leading a resistance group against hordes of criminals and being successful and growing in size, simply trying to hold out till civilization is restored. And Gentle makes blogs trying to be inspirational and hopeful during these dark times. We could see students from Izuku’s middle school see him or hear about him and see how he’s become inspirational to them, and how they actually want him to succeed.

We could also see Rappa return and join in Izuku kicking ass. He doesn’t do it because he’s a good guy though. He’s just strolling through a lawless Japan just simply looking for the next best fight, and plenty of criminals are stupid enough to take his challenge. Rappa admits hearing about “Deku” and how criminals are crawling to take a shot at him, and taking out these thugs helps make sure Rappa gets that chance. But he also wants to make sure to pay a visit to Red Riot beforehand. I also think we could see Shia Hissikai trying to gain a foothold of some kind in the shadows, waiting for a victor of some kind before making their big move.

And what did we get for reoccurring characters?

The old man with the antennas in the very first episode, though that was a nice callback. And the two faced earthquake guy and his shallow girlfriend that were only their because of polls. Bah. Lame.

Sorry for the rant, but it really just got me to thinking that Hori has made a huge list of characters that he could’ve really utilized instead of just creating more one note characters and I feel that place in particular was the best to see ultimately how far the story has come and how Izuku actually made a difference, despite feeling he hasn’t done much or enough.

Do you have any idea about how Hori could have done something like this? I’m curious. And again sorry if this post is too long.

Nah, don’t worry. This was a great post that I completely agree with. I feel that the Izuku Solo Arc should’ve been much longer and split into 3. You have the actual Izuku solo adventure, you have the rest of the MHA cast preparing for war, and then you have 1-A and Izuku’s confrontation. Obviously I get that not every character is going to get development. Some simply exist as challenges (Saiko, Nighteye, etc.) while others are there to fill space/for world building purposes. But then you have characters like Lady Nagant, Gentle, and the like who are clearly meant to embody bigger themes yet get shoved to the sideline once their main plot ends. Gentle and La Brava could participate in this upcoming war, showcasing their reformed characters. Gentle’s a cunning man and La Brava’s a tech whiz. I’m pretty sure the heroes are desperate enough to offer them reduced jail time if they helped out. Lady Nagant and Hawks could’ve teamed up to fight AFO, showing that she was swayed by Izuku’s words, while Hawks showcases his willingness to break free from the HPSC by doing something they would’ve clearly been against (letting Nagant participate). Like you said, even Rappa could’ve made an appearance and helped Ejiro in this war with the mindset that “no one’s allowed to kill him except me” (though correct me if I’m wrong, but he’s in jail, unlike Nagant who was hospitalized before she’ll be thrown back in jail). Instead, Izuku kinda just punches Muscular, defeats Nagant, unlocks the other quirks cause Hori’s rushing to end the story, and then is found by 1-A in like the span of three days. If there was a time for world-building, this could’ve been the perfect time.

#bnha critical #mha critical

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kkolg · 11 months

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I happened across your blog and I am just obsessed with your art, especially your BATIM au. I wish I had writing skills so that I could write stories inspired by it, but alas, I do not 💀

I also am loving the Bendy x Alice content. I’ve shipped them since the first game came out! Question-although they’ve slept in the same bed, have they ever actually *slept* together slept together? If you know what I mean 👀

Anyway, I love what you’re creating, and I hope you carry on with it as long as you can!

Aww tysm!! Really the comments mean a lot :) Also yeah I have shipped them since the game too lol. I guess it’s both the dynamic of the toons version of them and their BATIM counterpart. As for your question it will be answered under the cut. Don’t worry, it’s mostly just a ramble about how I feel about these types of questions and how I’ll answer ‘em 👍 nothing graphic or anything

Short answer: yeah probably lol

I don’t put much time into that side mostly because

NSFW content really isn’t important in the story

I know most of the people who see my content are minors, which to clarify- it isn’t a creator’s duty to try and protect their audience if they are minors, the most they can do is set an age range for their content and hope for the best

But anyways, people are free to have headcannons for these fellas that involve suggestive themes I honestly don’t mind. Also this is a pretty good time to discuss asking sorta suggestive questions here:

I won’t answer them if they’re very graphic and I might block you, sorry but super graphic stuff like that with my characters makes me uncomfortable so I’d prefer if you keep that stuff to yourself

I will probably not do comics for said questions unless it’s like a dumb sex joke lol (I have baby humor I know)

I’ll answer questions that are basic like this one but don’t expect some long and graphic paragraph abt it, if anything I’ll probably be discussing topics like these with very basic answers or they’ll be discussed with a more psychological look on it lol

Sorry for the ramble but I felt like this was the perfect opportunity to discuss questions like this, thanks for the ask and not making it weird lol/pos

#batim #batim au #vigilante batim au #bendy #ink demon #ask #alice angel #bendy x alice #announcement #(Sorta-)#Idk what to tag these questions as-#cw: suggestive #ig that works for now #also annon I’m not mad or anything trust me lol #If anything you gave me the outlet to discuss this topic so thx

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reliand · 7 months

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Hi there *puts chocolate cookies on your desk*. I adore your art sooo much and am very happy to have found your blog. I enjoy painting, but haven't done it for a while - when I had an idea I didn't have time and the other way around. Do you have any recommendations/tips how to start painting again? I would be very grateful for an answer.

Thank you, thank you so much <3 I know this message is a few days old, but I wasn't ignoring you! I was just really flattered and also trying to figure out what I wanted to say

This message means a lot to me, and thank you for reaching out.

I understand the struggle. I completely fell away from drawing for years. 5 or 6 of them if I have the count correct. between moving and the pandemic, depression and lack of time, and finally being in a fandom that wasn't all that welcoming and wasn't actually making me happy...it was difficult to find any kind of joy out of creating something for it.

Stepping back into the drarry fandom after 15 years of being away, wasn't just a breath of fresh air, but an (embarrassingly) healing experience for me. Heal Thyself was funnily enough the first fic I read because I needed a hit of astolat and that was her latest posted work.

There was so much beautiful fic and art just overflowing from the drarry community that I was inspired for the first time in years. It definitely helped that they've all been kind and welcoming :D

I feel like my main tip is going to be horribly cliche, but I would say to find a work you feel passionate about and try to create something for it. I was in the middle of reading book 4 of The Mirror of Ecidyrue and the scene where Draco is showing off his magic for Harry at the quidditch world cup was so vivid for me that I was thinking about it for hours before I finally caved and pulled out my tablet. I spent a good week on that piece just relearning how to draw and falling in love with it again. I'm entirely self-taught so it doesn't come easy sometimes.

That fic in particular has painted very vivid pictures for me, but it's also been so nice to know that it wasn't just that story, because this fandom is so talented.

Having the time is fortunately a drawback that I don't have to worry about at the moment. I am unemployed right now, so I know I have more than most on my hands. But I guess a big thing I do is put on a tv show or movie or youtuber when I draw. It's usually something I've watched before, or something I don't have to be visually engaged with at all times. Often, my husband will have Critical Role or a Dimension20 campaign playing, which can be inspiring as well.

The background noise is helpful and I don't feel like I have to give it 100% of my attention while I work or sketch.

SKETCHING. the HPtober event that bosh put together has been so helpful. I don't do enough sketching, and this has really shown me that I should engage with it more. It doesn't have to be perfect, and I don't have to throw down 100 colors of paint and make the light in Draco's hair be perfect. Sometimes, keeping it simple is not only better, but it can help you get faster and help fix problems with form or lines just with repetition. Honestly, I'd say the sketching I've done this month has probably been the most helpful tip I've used all year. Drawing Harry's hair over and over and over, has made it easier, because I find his messy hair frustrating to draw.

I'm not sure if this list will be helpful. I know it's not comprehensive, and I can't really give proper tips because I wasn't formally trained and I'm not sure what a professor might have told me...but even if it's only a little bit, I hope something might be useful.

#art #anon ask #answered #asks #drawing

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realest8saint · 8 months

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Discover Spielbound: Omaha's Ultimate Winter Family Fun Spot

Winter is just around the corner, and if you're a parent like me, you're probably wondering how to keep your kids entertained during those cold, snowy days. Well, worry no more! In this weekly blog series, I'll be sharing unique and affordable winter experiences right here in Omaha that are perfect for families. Whether you're new to the city or a long-time resident, I hope to help you discover some fantastic places to create lasting memories with your loved ones. Today, let's dive into a place that my family absolutely LOVES... my first featured spot: Spielbound! Their mission statement, purpose and goals are directly from their website.

Spielbound: Where Fun and Games Meet

Mission statement:

We believe games inspire, motivate, and help us grow. In this positive space, we seek to provide all people the challenge, art, and fun unique to the world of board games.

Purpose:

Spielbound educates, engages, and creates community through board games.

Goals:

collect and maintain a comprehensive collection of board games from around the world;

provide a comfortable space for the community to come together and play board games;

encourage creativity through designing board games;

promote and reward positive gamesmanship;

spread joy and critical thinking through increased game playing by all.

Location: 3229 Harney Street, Omaha, NE

Overview: Spielbound is not your average hangout spot; it's the largest board game café in the entire United States! With games for sale, and a whopping collection of approximately 3000 playable games, this place offers endless hours of fun and entertainment for kids and adults alike. Plus, it's a family-friendly environment where everyone can enjoy quality time together.

More Than Just a Game Café

Spielbound goes beyond just being a board game café. It's also a nonprofit corporation with a heart for spreading the joy of gaming. They accept donated games in good condition, and you can even sign up to volunteer monthly to help catalog and repair these games. It's a wonderful way to give back to the community while sharing your love for board games.

Opening Hours and Contact Info

Spielbound is open to the public during these hours:

Sunday to Thursday: 9:00 AM to 11:00 PM

Friday and Saturday: 9:00 AM to 1:00 AM

Website: www.spielbound.com Phone: (402) 763-8444

Food and Drinks

While you and your family enjoy your gaming sessions, you can also indulge in some delicious treats. Spielbound offers a variety of options, including coffee drinks, craft beer, wine, and an excellent menu featuring really good pizza and other snacks. It's the perfect place to refuel and recharge during your gaming adventures.

The Spielbound Challenge

Don't forget to ask about the Spielbound challenge! It's a fun way to test your gaming skills and possibly win some exciting prizes. Challenge accepted, right?

In Conclusion:

If you're looking for a winter destination that promises fun, quality time with your family, and a wide selection of board games, Spielbound should be your next stop. Whether you're a board game enthusiast or just looking for a unique way to beat the winter blues, Spielbound has something for everyone. So, bundle up and head over to 3229 Harney Street to create unforgettable winter memories with your loved ones. My family and I hope to see you there!

#boardgamestore #omahawinterfun #familytime #realest8saint #bhhs #bhhsamb #omaharealtor #omahahomes #omaharealestate #homaha

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specialsnowflake7 · 2 years

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Cage The Elephant: Melophobia Review/Thoughts

Most popular song (according to Spotify): Cigarette Daydreams

My top 3: Cigarette Daydreams, Spiderhead, Telescope

Honorable mention: Come a Little Closer

Tracklist:

Spiderhead

Come a Little Closer

Telescope

It’s Just Forever

Take It or Leave It

Halo

Black Widow

Hypocrite

Teeth

Cigarette Daydreams

To start, I’d like to say that Melophobia is by no means a perfect album. It is still damn good though. I say this because I personally think we should be critical of the things we like, so with that being said, let's start with Melophobia faults.

Honestly, Halo, Black Widow, Hypocrite, and Teeth don’t really compare to giants like Come a Little Closer and Cigarette Daydreams. That doesn’t mean they’re bad songs. No, they simply aren’t as distinct or flavorful. They all feel the same to me. I feel like the album starts so strong then kinda lags in the middle until track 10. That being said, these songs still keep the same incredibly fast paced, energetic spirit that makes Melophobia so many Cage The Elephant fans favorite albums.

Moving on, let’s talk about Spiderhead. This song absolutely slaps. I love that this song is solid from start to finish. From the verses to the chorus to the bridge, Spiderhead is able to keep the same energy throughout. The melody is engaging and the music itself is fast paced and electric.

The lyrics themselves are pretty powerful and can either be interpreted as a toxic relationship, or lead singer Matt Shultz’s drug addiction. Hell, it could be about the toxic relationship between drugs and Matt Shultz. Whatever the meaning behind the lyrics, they are powerful and intriguing.

Next up, Come a Little Closer. This was one of the first CTE songs I’d ever heard, besides Ain’t no Rest for the Wicked. To this day it’s one of my favorites. Come a Little Closer is one of the only songs on this album that isn’t super super upbeat. There’s something sinister behind the bass riff that makes the track feel dark and hypnotic.

Matt Shultz says, “I wrote the verse at the airport, inspired by the thought of things appearing different at first then seeing them in a new light. We went to San Paulo, and I remember being in my hotel and looking out one morning at this makeshift city on the hill. There were tarps and scrap metal, all these little boxes with people inside of them. It made me think of an ant hill, but then I also thought, ‘No, wait, these are people living their lives.’ It made me want to look closer. That became the chorus.”

I have a soft spot for Telescope. There’s just something about the melancholy that the melody creates that makes me feel calm, sad, and content all at the same time. About the lyrics Matt Shultz said, “it has strong roots in that feeling of imminent doom.” My favorite lines are, “time is like a leaf in the wind, either it’s time well spent or time I’ve wasted. Don’t waste it.” I think I like those lyrics because I worry about wasting time and hoping that I’m spending my life well.

Last but not least everyone's (mostly) favorite, Cigarette Daydreams! Damn this song is good. I think it became popular on Tik Tok so it blew up. I would like to say I knew it before it was cool though. Jkjk no gatekeeping here. Anyways… I’m not really sure why I like this song so much. I think it’s becuase 1. It’s really catchy and 2. I have a strong memory attached to it. During softball trips my friend would always blast it over a speaker and I loved it instantly. Now it reminds me of those good times I had with my friends.

Melophobia is such a good album and I definitely recommend giving it a listen if you haven’t already. If you don’t want to listen to it all the way through, listen to tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, and 10.

This is my first ever post! I know it’s probably not super deep but it was fun writing it. I have so many ideas for posts and I hope I can share my thoughts on this blog. If you have any suggestions for reviews on music or anime or anything, let me know!

#cage the elephant #music #review #album review

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stampwithtami · 1 month

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BLOG HOP & VIDEO: Hummingbird Corner Flip Fold Cards [Series #1]

INTRODUCING THE CORNER FLIP FOLD SERIES Today is my Stamp It Demonstrator’s Group Blog Hop . We’re all really excited to unveil our projects, and announce a new contest giveaway. To continue on your journey through our projects, simply use the BLOG HOPPERS links belong. Welcome to my latest creative adventure – the Corner Flip Fold Card series! This new series is all about bringing a delightful surprise to your card-making projects. Each card features an exciting, interactive element that really makes opening them a magical experience. I'm thrilled to share these designs with you and guide you through making your own! About the SeriesThe Corner Flip Fold card is more than just a card; it's an experience. With an innovative fold that I've simplified using a handy template, these cards include a pop-up surprise that brings joy to anyone who opens them. In today's tutorial, I'll walk you through the steps to create this fold, ensuring you'll master it in no time. You'll be "flipping" out over how simple yet effective this technique is! Design InspirationFor the debut of this series, I've chosen to use the Thoughtful Expressions Stamp Set from Stampin' Up. The set's charming hummingbird and vibrant floral designs are perfect for showcasing your coloring skills. Plus, the heartfelt sentiments included are versatile for many occasions. Today’s design uses the gorgeous Flowering Zinnias Designer Series Paper, adding an elegant touch to the overall aesthetic. Occasions and CustomizationOriginally crafted as a sympathy card, the flexibility of the greeting makes it suitable for various occasions. Whether it's Mother's Day, a birthday, or just because, you can tailor the card’s message to fit perfectly. The ability to customize is what makes handmade cards so special, and this series embraces that wholeheartedly. Tutorial and ResourcesDon’t worry if you’re wondering how to start. Alongside the blog post, I’ve prepared a video tutorial where I demonstrate the creation of the Corner Flip Fold card and share tips on using Stampin’ Blends Markers for beautiful, blended coloring effects. The video makes it easy to follow along at your own pace. What's Next?This is just the beginning! There are more designs and tutorials in the Corner Flip Fold series coming soon. Each one will introduce new themes and techniques, ensuring there's always something fresh to inspire your creativity. I hope you are as excited as I am to dive into the world of Corner Flip Fold cards. These designs are not only fun to make but also a joy to give, offering a unique way to express your feelings and creativity. Stay tuned for more tutorials in this series, and happy crafting! Happy crafting! Tami VIDEO CLASS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8Kdj4-Jj1Y INSTRUCTIONS The guide provides detailed measurements and step by step instructions to create this card. Use the accompanying video for visual. DOWNLOAD PDF SUPPLIES I USED CORNER FLIP FOLD CARD SERIES Click the thumbnails below for more free tutorials in my series. STAMPIN' UP! CATALOGS CURRENT SPECIALS PHOTOS The front of the card features the Stampin Up Flowering Zinnias Designer Series Paper. I've chosen to use the Thoughtful Expressions Stamp Set from Stampin' Up. The set's charming hummingbird and vibrant floral designs are perfect for showcasing your coloring skills. This is a view of the card opened front and back. I added the top diagonal cut just for a little special something. I added the polka dot pattern from the Flowering Zinnias paper for the inside. Whether it's Mother's Day, a birthday, or just because, you can tailor the card’s message to fit perfectly. I've also created this Arrow Fold Card with the Thoughtful Expressions hummingbird. Click for the tutorial. Want to save these ideas for later? Pin them to your favorite Pinterest board. Have you tried these designs? I love to see your creations! Be sure to share them on #shareyourcrafts post every Saturday on my Facebook Page BLOG HOP Blog Hop Index BLOG HOP GIVEAWAY & WINNER Read the full article

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bam-stroker · 6 months

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hi!! i'm a huge fan of all your works, and i was wondering if i could bother you for a little advice!

i've been trying to post my own writing, and while i'm decently confident in my work, i tend to overthink a Lot when it comes to actually posting on the internet. i usually get super anxious and delete it within a couple hours. have you ever dealt with nerves like that? do you have any advice on how to get through it?

you seem super nice and your work really inspired me so i thought i'd ask :3 ☀️🫶

O wow! Thank you for the kind words!

I have 2 things that really helped me out with finally putting stuff out there on ye old internet

Perfection is IMPOSSIBLE

You can edit and edit and EDIT forever! And then you'll just edit your head out of ever accepting the story as it is. Heck you'll start to look at the words on the page and maybe even start hating your voice as a writer. A dangerous path of self destruction and sadness! For me - I know for a fact grammar is my weakness. Have always struggled with the rules/restrictions. So for me, I accept it! Just like if you played sports you might know, hmmm I might not be super fast but I sure can throw that ball SO FAR.

I understand my limit - and to some that might be a put off. And that's alright! For the stuff I put out there for funsies I shrug and let myself not care as much about the grammar stuff. Now for the work I eventually sell - I'll tag someone else in for grammar if I feel it's important for that project.

At the end of the day I write FOR FUN. I do this to not think about my day job stuff. So fun is the only goal I have! Perfection is a shiny thing far off in the distance that tbh is not real. And giving yourself something attainable as a motivator will do far more for your nerves. Do it for fun! Do it because you wanna talk to friends about it! Do it just to see how you grow!

Perfection can be holding a mirror up and saying "Well why am I not like x?" You're you - the story you have to tell is yours. Inspiration can come from many places but beware the itching thought in the back of the mind of someone else's work = perfection. Even that other artist is not perfect.

Follow your motivator and when perfection creeps up - go take a walk outside and come back when you're well rested and well fed.

Make an account just for writing

So if you take a glance around my ye old blog - I made this one entirely for the sake of writing. TBH this was the biggest thing to allow me freedom to just write and not worry too much.

It allows for a space where the people who want to engage with my writing can do so. Or if anything it keeps my easily distracted mind in my best attempt of a chaos containment zone haha.

I've always written a bunch of things just for me, but I've also always wanted to engage more with other people through writing. I want to talk about my little blorbos! I personally think of my pen name as akin to a drag name. If having a buffer between your personal identity and the writing helps - go for that! That certainly was the thing that let me finally let loose and not be as in my head.

At the end of the day making art can be an incredibly personal thing. Writing in particular - because it can feel like your voice on full display! If the fear stems from a place of being afraid of people not liking it, it can feel incredibly personal.

For me, following my motivator of fun and creating the buffer of my silly little skeleton was enough to finally let me relax and enjoy sharing with others. I've been writing 20ish years... but now I can finally say I'm having a blast with it in ways I never could have imagined before! I wish joy for you in your sharing process, and hope my little thoughts were helpful 💞✨

#ask spooky #writing process #writeblr

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browkayak52 · 2 years

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Sweet Pea Stamps Review

A new card idea was born and used Sweet Pea Stamps ' new blending brush to create a beautiful background for my Sweet Pea image. I was inspired by the colors on the Fine Art Floral Designer Series Paper. I used the same technique to create the background of my card. Once I finished the design, I added a handle to hold my paper. And because the ink is replaced with black ink, I don't have to worry about it running out. In the beginning, this blog was just a website. But now, it's a real business that has a thriving customer base. Its products are inspirational and include clear stamps and steel dies perfect for your future craft projects. I love using this brand's products because of the variety of designs and prices. The stamps and dies are very versatile and can be used for any occasion. You can even make your own personalized stamps to give to a friend. Originally, the company started as a blog, but has expanded to become a legitimate business. The website offers inspiration and products. They sell steel dies and clear stamps. They have an extensive line of stamps and dies and I highly recommend it! It's the perfect place to get all of your craft supplies, too. The price range is excellent, and the quality is second to none. This is a great option for beginners and experienced crafters alike. After you've finished your Sweet Pea Stamps purchase, you can start creating your new projects. Don't forget to get your coordinating dies and stamp pads. These are the essential pieces for crafting. They'll help you create the perfect papercrafting project! It's easy to find something that suits your style and your budget. You'll find some wonderful designs on the Pinky Pink Posh website. Just remember to have fun and happy crafting! Pinky Pink Posh was originally a blog and has grown into a full-fledged business. Whether you're looking for inspiration or products for your future crafting projects, this site is a must-see. These stamps feature images that have been hand-painted, which make them even more unique. Once you've chosen the one that best suits your needs, you can start creating! You'll be amazed at how quickly these stamps turn out! From a simple stamp to a beautiful card, this company has a wide range of stamps and dies. Its products include stamps, clear plates, and steel dies. These are also great for future crafting projects. You can also choose to buy a set for a gift. You can even use it as a keepsake. This will be a unique piece of art. Afterwards, you can give it as a gift or keep it for yourself. Since this company started as a blog, the company has grown into a thriving business. With its inspiring designs and a wide selection of products, you'll have endless options for crafting and will never run out of ideas. With the right stamps and dies, you'll have plenty of options for your next crafting project. You can find them at any craft store or online. You can also order them by mail, or use them for personal use. The company started as a blog, but now has expanded into a successful business. The company offers inspiration and products for the crafter. The company offers clear stamps and steel dies, which are useful for future crafting projects. All of its products have a lovely, whimsical look. Despite their name, the products from this company are not limited to paper crafts. You can also use them for scrapbooking. So, whatever you prefer, I hope you enjoy Sweet Pea Stamps! A blog or business can be created for a variety of purposes. While many people use their blogs to share their creativity with others, you can use them to create your own beautiful crafts. If you're looking for a unique stamp, the Pinky Pink Posh blog offers a wide variety of clear stamps and steel dies for your crafting projects. A great way to inspire your craft projects is to visit the company's website and browse through the products.

#Sweet Pea Stamps #sweetpeastamps.com #Learn More

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prof-peach · 2 years

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(ooc) I just wanna say that I really appreciate all the work and effort you put into this blog to create a tangible and believable world and then let us interact with it! The sheer amount of world building you do almost constantly is super inspiring and makes me want to start working harder on my own world building! I hope you have a good day and that whatever you have planned for today goes smoothly!

I see you often liking a lot of stuff, recognise the icon, i'm really glad you're enjoying it so far!

It's a tough job, makes just, JUST enough money to get by by the skin of my teeth, but boy the payoff is huge. Seems this whole blog thing brings a lot of joy, not just to me but to you and so many others. Makes me very happy to see people engaging and partaking in it all.

I hope you go on to make lots of cool stuff, enjoy what you create, its all about making stuff you want to see, so don't worry about others, and don't worry about being "perfect" just start somewhere! It's the best and first real step. My day is all about producing cool content for you and everyone else, so heres hoping I can do that today! This comic won't write itself haha...though I wish it would some days :') thanks for the love, feelin' it, needin' it!

#means the world my dude #hope you can feel inspired to worldbuild and create some crazy cool stuff!#ooc

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tinygameroom · 3 years

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Interactive Fiction to Look Out For On Itch.io

itch.io is a trove of interactive fiction games, visual novels, and kinetic novels of all types, and I’ve run into a good handful that I think are worth highlighting (and playing again myself!)

Many of these I haven’t finished yet due to the sheer amount of content or because I went for the ending I wanted straight away, but I’d love to finish them thoroughly and perhaps review some of them in the future.

A couple notes! First, it’s been a while since I’ve played some of these games, and some of them I haven’t seen all of the paths. I try to give warnings where needed, but my warnings might not be complete as I don’t know absolutely everything in each game. Please check the games’ pages and look after yourself!

Secondly, many of these are available free, and some are for sale at a low minimum price, but I encourage you to supporter the writers, artists, composers and developers in any way you can, whether that’s giving them a follow, donating, or just leaving a nice comment. Supporting indie creators is a huge part of what this blog is about so give back to those who create things you love! Now let’s get into the list!

Visual Novels:

Hikeback is a horror visual novel about hitchhiking, time loops, and murder. It gives a lot of incentive to keep playing and replaying, as the story advances almost every time you start again, with new choices and details being revealed as it all unravels. This game is incredibly engaging and beautifully written, and lives up to the promise of time loops and meta game mechanics. I recommend this for anyone who wants a good spooky, existential story. Be warned of loud noises, jumpscares, glitch effects, blood and violence, abuse, and themes of self harm, suicide, and depression. The itch.io pge has a list of content warnings as well as a full spoilery breakdown of warnings if you need them. You can find Hikeback on itch.io here!

Nothing to Say is a Visual Novel dating sim where you go on a date with Zoe, a girl you really like. The only problem is you’re very, very nervous. In this smart little game, you’ll be limited in how many letters you can use to express yourself, and you’ll have to unlock further dialogue options by getting to know Zoe, being honest with her, and being cute together. You’ll only earn letters from dialogue options once, encouraging you to explore more dialogue each playthrough until you get all the options to fully tell Zoe how you feel. Nothing to Say is playable here on itch.io!

Text-Interactive:

The Three-Body Problem is a queer romance interactive fiction about celestial witches living in a dark, magical wood when they encounter a young stranger. It features a nonbinary character, a potential polyamorous relationship, and healthy dom/sub dynamics. I found this story sweet and charming, with likable characters and pretty, easy to follow story writing. The Three-Body Problem deals with themes of abuse in a compassionate manner, and is in large part about healing and finding people with whom you are safe. I recommend it for anyone wanting a nice queer romance read with fantasy elements. Watch out for themes of abuse and sexual themes. You can purchase The Three-Body Problem on itch.io here for $5 or play a free mobile version from Wattpad!

Raik is a deeply Scottish fantasy melded with reality. You play as a young woman dealing with anxiety and stress trying to make it through her day, while a fantasy world unravels around her. This story has layers, and all of it is beautiful. The portrayal of anxiety is poignant and real, and the writing is gorgeous. I don’t want to say anything else to spoil it, but this game is fantastic. I recommend for anyone who likes to daydream. Please be warned of themes of anxiety, stress, and panic attacks as well as some fantasy violence. You can buy Raik here on itch.io for 3 GDP (or more! Please support the author!)

Space Frog! (I saw a lunar eclipse) is a story of a frog in space. He’s a frog and he’s in space! This is a cute, short interactive fiction with low stakes, no worries, just cute adventures of a frog in space. You can direct frog as he travels and learn more about him. It has adorable illustrations and clickable text that reveals extra flavor information. I recommend to anybody looking for a smile. You can play Space Frog here on itch.io and also download a zine of the game for $2 or more!

Floor is a text-interactive game about lying on the floor. You can lie on the floor, and you can get off the floor. What you do next is up to you! This is a short game with no real stakes, just real life boredom and activities. It may evoke feelings of loneliness or disappointment, but you can also just have some hummus. Floor can be played here on itch.io!

Apple Spice Pancakes is another short game about making pancakes with your sweetie! It’s entirely wholesome and adorable. The game text is all dialogue - the dialogue you read is from your partner, and your choices are your real-time responses to them. You can help them design your perfect breakfast while being disgustingly cute. Apple Spice Pancakes is available here on itch.io!

A Witch’s Word is a romantic text game where you have made a deal with a witch, offering her your firstborn. The only problem is you don’t have a child. Or a partner. The witch is here to help. Explore three potential relationships as your witch continues to introduce you to new sweethearts, trying to find someone who you are willing to love and who is willing to give up your child. And if you don’t want any of these people the witch offers you... maybe play the game anyway. See what can happen. A Witch’s Word is available here on itch.io!

Other:

Novena is an interactive poem! It’s a pixel art game that you navigate around, interacting with parts of the environment to read through the poem, which is about the ocean, and wishes, and expectations. And compassion. It has absolutely stunning visuals and music, and the poem makes me cry each time. Be warned of some really heavy feelings, but it will do its best to comfort you. The poem takes about five minutes to read and is here on itch.io waiting for you.

I hope a few of these games are of interest to you and that I’ve inspired you to support these great indie developers! If you wanna support me and see more articles and reviews on indie games, or encourage me as I learn to make my own, you can follow me here and on itch.io and support me with donations on ko-fi! Please reblog if you like this article, since tumblr will make it very hard to find with all these links. Have a great day and play some good games!

#indie games #interactive fiction #visual novels #game recs #itchio #itch.io #interactive text games #interactive games #interactive text #indie game dev #horror games #romance games #dating sims #gaming #video games

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nictofobia-phobos · 3 years

Note

Hello new writing blog I hope you are well! Could I request a little something (headcanon, drabble, whatever you’d like) for yandere Zagreus from the game Hades?

Salutations dear Anon!~

Thanks for your wishes, I had actually a pretty tough week, but I'm doing now pretty well!

So for this at first I was just going to do some head canons... But I got inspired to make a little story... I'm thinking of even make this into a full fic... I got heavily inspired from the tale of Hades and Persephone.... And well... I hope you really like it....

Written with love, Phobos~

Warnings: Yandere behaviour, stalking, m*rder

Minors please do not interact!

Meant to be

Yandere Zagreus x reader

From the first moment that his gaze rested on you your destiny was sealed... You turned into another of his reasons to fight with fierceness against the minions of the underworld, all in order to see you... And his mother of course...

You were so different from those he knew, different even from his Olympian relatives, unlike them you looked so vibrant, so joyful... So full of life... Unreal would be a way he could describe you, as if you were just an illusion created by his delusional mind... When he returned to the underworld, the memory of your appearance was completely etched in his mind, he was overwhelmed to the point of lying down in his comfortable bed taking with some force his chest clinging to your memory, he was eager to see you again...

In each of his visits he could not do more than dedicate himself to observe you, every small detail... How the sun caressed your delicate skin and made your hair shine, your rosy lips that at times he could see curling into a little smile, that laugh that he felt so honored to hear, the way your clothes embraced your body... That delicate and fragile body that with only a little of it's strength could be annihilated without a problem... You were just perfect...

But it got to the point where just seeing you wasn't enough, he couldn't be satisfied with just that, he needed to hear your voice, he needed to have your eyes on him... So he planned an encounter that would make it all look like a mere accident; after another brutal battle with his father, in which he made sure he didn't leave without a bruise, he walked to your little cabin, rejoicing to see you once again out of it, clearing the snow from your porch, he quickly changed his behavior, his footsteps became heavy dragging the snow a little with them, His posture became weaker, bending over, leading his left hand towards one of his wounds while raising the other in sign of help, almost collapsing in front of you, oh you were prettier up close...

A little smile was present on his face as he saw your worried expression approaching quickly to where he had been lying seeking to help him with his wounds, oh, your hands were so warm, so soft and delicate unlike his, and your voice... Your voice was the most beautiful thing he had ever heard... More beautiful than any melody that Orpheus could ever play... However his time in that place ran out too soon, the stygia finally claimed him by pulling him out of your arms...

From that meeting something became clear to Zagreus, you were made for each other, he was completely sure that you had felt the same... Otherwise you wouldn't have held his body so lovingly, or treated his wounds so delicately... He definitely had to see you again, to hear your voice again... To be close to you again...

From that meeting he began to approach you taking some gifts as a way of thanking you for having helped him that time, and in each of his visits he would try to talk to you, ignoring that expression of confusion on your face when he came back after having seen him die several times, he just wanted to be able to hear you speak without caring about the subject of conversation.

But on one of his visits something changed, you were not alone this time, who was that person who dared to talk so casually with you? Who did they thought they were so as to be able to take the liberty of touching you? You were his, you were made for him, he was the love of your life, couldn't that person see it?... But when he was finally going to approach and put a stop to that scene before his eyes, the underworld claimed him again.

That day he understood that he could not spend another moment apart from you, he needed to be with you, he needed to listen to your voice, to feel your touch in his body... And for that he would take you with him to the underworld, to his home... Even if he had to kill you for that...

This time he fought harder than before, making his way mercilessly from the dead, defeating his father, in his mind you were the only one, he made sure to remember that it was necessary, killing you was the only way you could finally be together, as he had dreamed so much... When he arrived at your house he took the time to observe you once again, that beautiful face, that smile full of life, that skin caressed by the sun and that hair shining... Everything that captivated him... And that life that reflected in your eyes... The snow melted with every step he took, his heart pounding with force in his chest and for a moment the grip of his spear weakened when he saw your look on him and that smile you possessed when you greeted him, for a few moments he doubted what he was about to do... However it was for the sake of your relationship...

The grip of his spear was strengthened, his gaze became more determined and without thinking twice, he attacked your chest... For a moment everything seemed to slow down... The expression of terror on your face as he snatches your life with his spear and how life faded from your eyes would be one he would never forget... For a moment he regretted what he had just done by seeing your inherent body tinting with red the snow underneath you... He pulled the spear from your chest kneeling quickly at your side to be able to lift your lifeless body and hug it with force against his chest feeling as once again the underworld claimed him, this time it would be you who he would see when leaving the river stygia, he had to remember it was for the sake of your relationship... For your future...

Finally you could be together for eternity, in the underworld, there would no longer be anyone to stand in the way, it was just as you wanted, it was just as he wanted. Finally the both of you would be happy...

..... But then... Why did it hurt so much?...

#yandere+zagreus+x+reader #zagreus x reader #hades game #yandere zagreus x reader

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aotimagines · 3 years

Note

Hey! I love everything you guys write. I’ve been following since like 2016? 2017? Lol, and I never get sick of it. Your character writing is just so on-point! :) I wanted to ask for headcannons or a scenario (whichever you feel more inspired to write!) for Eren and his s/o. What would their relationship look like transitioning from the early Survey Corp years to now? It also breaks my heart seeing how he’s changed, but I’d love to hear your thoughts on this and how it’d play out :,)

Wow, anon! I’m speechless, tbh. Mod Spookzz and I created this blog back in 2016. It was a time when a lot of snk blogs weren’t active with the exception of two or three. To know that you’ve stuck with us for this long really means a lot. Thank-you so much! I’ve...thought about this, a lot. Like, a lot. There may be some projecting in here based on my own OC, but this is genuinely what I think would happen. I hope you enjoy! Happy Valentine’s Day, btw! My gift to everyone is...angst. Again. I’m sorry, lmao. MANGA SPOILERS BELOW THE CUT. Also, fun fact, but this post is our 666th post, lmao.

CANON RELATIONSHIP HEADCANONS:

✩ I know the recent fandom interpretation of Eren is that he’s some charming, charismatic fuckboi, but that is...not him. At all. Not that there’s anything wrong with fanon interpretation, ofc, but Eren is...lmao.

☾ Eren doesn’t know anything about romance, period. He canonically ignores Reiner, Jean, and Armin when they are praising girls and shows zero romantic interest in just about everyone.

✩ He’s preoccupied with other things, you know? His mind doesn’t really wander to romance often, so his s/o probably started out as his friend.

☾ Like, it’s hard not to fall for Eren’s idealism. He’s a super passionate speaker and has some really inspiring thoughts and ideas. He’s not stupid--not by a long shot--and this magnetism draws his s/o to him like a moth to a flame.

✩ His s/o probably realizes that their friendship and admiration for Eren has shifted into something romantic with all the ensuing drama that happens during their first trial expedition in the Survey Corps. The fear of losing Eren again really hits home and they are at a complete loss.

☾ They wouldn’t want to ruin their friendship, so they would keep the feelings locked away for a long time.

✩ Truthfully speaking, I can’t see Eren and any s/o getting together until the events between the four-year time skip.

☾ Yes, Eren is worried about what he saw the day he touched Historia’s hand and often wonders about whether or not the future he peeked into is set-in-stone.

✩ It changes his disposition. The bright, energetic, blunt boy that his s/o once knew is gone. Eren is quiet and often lost in his own thoughts; it’s not like him. So, they would cling to his side, trying to figure out what was wrong with him and what was bothering him.

☾ How no one else doesn’t notice the change in Eren is beyond me. I’d imagine that his s/o is so aware of it that it becomes almost painful to see how withdrawn Eren has become.

✩ Eren almost comes clean to them numerous times, but doesn’t want to put that burden on their shoulders. By the time he’s around eighteen, he realizes that he’s in love with his s/o. They are a constant in his life--always helping him and trying to distract him by taking his mind off things. It’s the only time Eren feels normal and he comes to crave their attention just as much as they do his.

☾ He confesses to his s/o beneath the stars on a night where they half-dragged him out of bed to see a meteor shower. When he finally gets to kiss them, Eren feels alive for the first time in almost three years. Everything seems perfect and he becomes scared to let go of their hand in fear that his happiness he’s found could slip between the cracks of his fingers at any moment.

✩ Which is what happens. No matter how happy Eren is to simply be by his s/o’s side, the realization that the future he saw would come true no matter what he did makes Eren realize that being with him would only hurt his s/o down the line.

☾ As much as it kills him on the inside, he’d break up with them. They’d be in tears and ask why and the only thing Eren can think to say is that he isn’t in love with them, anymore. They are both broken hearted, but Eren knows this decision would save their life. He would never fathom asking them to go along with the Rumbling idea and loves them too much to be selfish.

✩ The next few months are painful. It’s obvious to just about everyone, Eren’s s/o included, that he broke up with them for some unknown reason. Despite being broken up, Eren and his s/o still meet up and spend time with one another. Even though he broke up with them, Eren can’t stay away.

☾ When Eren escapes to Marley, his s/o is crushed and wants answers so bad. Even though they trust Eren, his actions become hard to justify when he kills innocent people just to keep Paradis safe.

✩ In canon, Eren and his s/o wouldn’t have a happy ending. It makes me so sad to think about, but...maybe in another life, they’d have a chance at happiness.

#eren jaeger headcanons #eren x reader #eren yeager x reader #eren jaeger x reader #eren jaeger scenario #snk x reader #snk headcanons #aotimagines #mod elle #happy valentine's y'all!!!#sorry for giving you angst AGAIN

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mattsvn · 3 years

Text

Nostalgia.

Iwaizumi Hajime x fem!reader

Summary: A summer after graduation finds Iwaizumi Hajime halfway across the globe, sitting in a lecture hall and staring at a golden dome that reminds him of the world and his place in it. Or, the lack thereof.

Genre: Slight angst to fluff. Character introspection, self discovery!

Word count: 4.4k

Warnings: none.

A/N: Guess who’s crying :smiley: Okay, so I got inspired by this tik tok, check it out, show the artist some love, and adding to another idea I had this came up, I hope you guys like it! ALSO, that beautiful summary was suggested by @meliorist-midoriya !!! Repost from my old blog, this is on my favorite fics ever written hehe

There is something distinctive about the traces left by people in the places they inhabited. Whether intentional or not, to enter a house that was once occupied is to step into an unknown life, where all that remains are the lines drawn on the wall frames, with random dates, leaving a record of someone’s growth.

A part of the wall with a lighter color, where photographs once hung and the trace of old drawings on the wall could be seen even if you paid close attention. Seeing the home you had lived in for years empty, lifeless or without its distinctive smell caused an ache in your chest that you couldn’t describe, how was that atmosphere created again, with spotless walls, perfect floors and the lack of human warmth?

You weren’t afraid of living alone, you were afraid of having a lonely life.

It was frightening to think that the apartment you had just bought might feel like it was inhabited by a ghost, with no trace that anyone had ever been there. One way or another you wanted to make that space, with only two rooms and one bathroom, feel like your home, even if it was just you, even if you would only live there for a few months.

So, amidst the worry about establishing a home and hundreds of paperwork, came the first day of college, one more step to adapt to, the breaking of a routine you had just begun to create.

There was no better way to start that school year than by being on time, so, at least for the first week, you tried to be there early enough. It gave you time to get through the school buildings, and to finish your coffee just before the first class started.

Thursday arrived, with the first class being Medieval Art, not usually a subject that caught the attention of many, so it was common to see empty seats. Still, as usual, you were planning on choosing the seat right next to the window, where the sunlight illuminated your notes, but that day, it seemed that someone already occupied that place.

You sat next to him, there was no reason not to share the table, didn’t pay attention to him, it seemed that the boy was taking a nap a few minutes before class, probably he had a class before that one, or he was just tired. The teacher settled into her seat, and you glanced sideways, only to see that the boy was still asleep, not moving.

“One day, the architect, Frank Gehry said: architecture should speak of its time and place, but yearn for timelessness” she began, while behind her appeared the image of a building you had heard too much about. “I think one of the best representations of this is Hagia Sofia” she continued, showing the image of that beautiful golden dome behind her, she kept talking.

As the guy next to you opened his eyes, sleepily he took a deep breath, concentrating on the image in front of him, with some concern he took the supplies from his backpack to take notes for the class, he seemed lost, confused and, in general, tired, like he was there by mistake, or, against his will.

Iwaizumi was not usually like this. Before moving to the United States, he had never been late for a class, he was the type of person who kept everything in order, always punctual, with notes in order and an impeccable grade. A role model in every sense of the word, student, athlete and perfect son.

But as soon as he arrived from his flight, tired to the bone and affected by jet lag, he slept as much as he could, only to wake up in the early morning, stunned by the different time zone he could not fall asleep at the right time, he still couldn’t get used to the food offered there, and he was unable to find the ingredients he would commonly use in Miyagi to eat.

People drove on the left seat, and the road was on the right side, they used to eat on the street without any concern, or on the way to their jobs and schools, nor did there seem to be manners in public transportation, at least no the ones he knew. There were words that confused him, and the symbols on the streets made his head spin.

People did not have the same habits he knew, and he noticed that after only a couple of days after moving in. By the time school started, Iwaizum was still trying to sleep at the time he was used to and didn’t make it until two or three in the morning, so, it resulted in waking up late and sleeping in between classes, he still wasn’t used to having his notes in English, so his handwriting looked weird, the teachers spoke too fast for him to understand, therefore, his notes were all over the place

Not to mention how unpunctual they were, he found himself a couple of times arriving late to class, only to find out that the teacher wasn’t there, and that it would probably take them twenty minutes more to arrive, and sometimes, they would cancel the class when you were already there, just because.

Even in the classes he looked forward the most, he found himself tired, bored, easily distracted, and he expected the same from this one, a subject he had taken only to complete his units. But, when he opened his eyes, he swore he had never seen anything as beautiful as that. A gorgeous dome of gleaming gold, with light streaming in through the windows and the distinctive marks of history on its walls.

It took him a few seconds to listen to the professor properly, as he was still impressed with what he saw on the projector, there was nothing that did not interest him, from the columns to that painting of the Virgin Mary, an impeccable marble floor, and, the mixture of both religions on its walls was perhaps what left him most curious of all that he had seen.

There was nothing like that in Japan, or at least not that he remembered. Byzantine architecture had that distinctive feature in which it left you mesmerized for a moment, he was so enraptured by it that he didn’t notice that there was someone sitting next to him, taking notes of the things the teacher was saying, with a slightly frown, concentrating, and different pens scattered around the table. The teacher continued talking, still detailing how a building created almost fifteen hundred years ago remained one of the finest constructions in human history.

Hagia Sofia, she read from the blackboard. He wrote down the title in a slightly disorganized way, along with the rest of the words on the board.

Hagia Sofia, meaning: holy wisdom. Constantinople, now Istanbul.

“Long before what we now know, the Byzantine Empire took place in what is now Istanbul, the capital of this empire is perhaps one of the most important historical and architectural sites of the Medieval Era, this was the largest known church for about a thousand years. It has been used as a church, a mosque and now serves as a museum.” She explained, showing the various images of the building. ”There were two later constructions after this, one destroyed in a fire and the second in the Niká riots, then, in the year 532 construction began on what we now know as Hagia Sofia.“

"Wow” Iwazumi sighed, absently sketching the shape of the building.

“I won’t tell you much about this building, at least not for now,” said the teacher, pausing for a moment to look at the picture. “I want an essay on this topic, and I would like you to gather in pairs for it.” she asked them. “I just want your opinions and analysis on the things that are most important to you about the place and what you think is meant to be represented by these, either imagery or architecture. Your partner will be the person who is closest to you, starting with the two of you, at the bottom.”

You looked at Iwaizumi out of the corner of your eye, having to work with people you didn’t know was always a problem, but, you hoped it wouldn’t be like that this time. He also looked at you, a little relieved thinking that you would surely know something about Medieval Architecture, not like him, who felt totally lost in that new subject. Even so, he returned his gaze to the front, memorizing every detail of that dome in his mind.

The class continued, with the teacher talking about historical processes in the fifth century and the topics that would be taken throughout the course, Hajime could not help but see the excitement that certain topics caused you, especially with the mention of some gothic buildings. And so, in the blink of an eye, the class was over, and before he realized it, you were already grabbing your things to leave.

“My next class is Historical Theory, what’s yours? We can organize on the way” you said, looking at him for a second while you closed your backpack. Iwaizumi tried to put his belongings away as quickly as possible, but failed a bit with his clumsy movements. “What’s your major?"

"Oh, Sports Science,” he replied. Your reaction was as expected: confusion, what was a sports science major doing in a medieval art class? “All the other classes were busy and I needed some extra units.”

“Oh, I see” you nodded, walking out of the classroom with him walking beside you.

“What’s your major?” he asked, feeling somewhat embarrassed that he hadn’t asked that before.

“Art History” you replied, with a smile. “By the way, my name is y/n” you said, extending your hand, he received it, still not used to the way people introduced themselves there, but little by little he was starting to adjust to it.

“Iwaizumi Hajime” he cleared his throat, here they speak by first names, not last names, you idiot, he said to himself in his mind. “Hajime.”

“So, Hajime, you didn’t organize your classes on time, you take naps before class, and you don’t know anything about Medieval Art” you jokingly commented. “We have quite a bit to learn, don’t you think?”

“Uh… y-yes” he nodded, stopping when you did, not even realizing how far he had walked. “I won’t let you do all the work, if that’s what you’re worried about” he assured, it seemed they were in front of the door to your next class the moment you stopped and looked at the door, Iwaizumi didn’t want to take up your time, but he had no idea what to say either.

“Well, how about we meet in the library later this week? You can give me your number so we can schedule the day” you hoped the professor wouldn’t come to the classroom while you were talking to Iwaizumi, as he seemed like a very nice person, despite how nervous he was.

“Sure, I have the whole afternoon off tomorrow, is that okay?” you nodded, extending your phone to him so he could write down his number and name, to your luck, he returned it just in time.

“Sounds perfect to me, I’ll text you as soon as my class is over” you said, saying goodbye and entering just before the teacher, who closed the door behind himself.

Iwaizumi stared at the door for a few seconds, letting out a sigh,then, he walked to his next class. It felt awfully strange to walk around campus alone, with no one by his side. Maybe he had gotten too used to spending his free time with the rest of his friends in highschool, and, at times like these, where he was waiting for a message from a cute girl, he couldn’t help but think about how much he missed them.

He was alone, and that was terrifying.

Iwaizumi looked at his phone for the third time in an hour, the class, food chemistry, was just short of making him fall asleep, yet he couldn’t help but look at his phone and wonder at what point the cute girl in the Medieval Art class would send him a message.

She didn’t until almost four hours later, just as Iwaizumi had recently returned to his apartment and was working on a long assignment for the rest of the week. Ignoring the sound of a message at first, thinking it was probably Oikawa bugging him about some new thing he learned in Argentina, so, he didn’t look at his phone until a couple of minutes later, when a second message came through.

“Hi! Sorry I didn’t talk to you sooner, I’ve been a little busy, but this is my number!”

“My last class ends at 2:00 p.m., do you mind if I meet you at that time in the library?”

He answered almost immediately, regretting later for doing it so quickly, you look like a desperate idiot, he thought. To his luck, as soon as he locked the phone, the screen lit up again with the reply.

It seemed that after that things flowed perfectly, even though before he met her they would have seemed like inconveniences to him, now they looked as an opportunity. The professor for tomorrow’s class informed them that he was out of town, so his classes would start until the following week, which gave Iwaizumi a chance to continue with his homework calmly, and, to get ready to see the pretty girl the next day, maybe even sleep properly that night.

However, nothing went as he planned.

Again, he found himself staring at the ceiling at midnight, without any possibility of being able to fall asleep, no matter how hard he tried, nothing seemed to work. That wasn’t his bed, nor his sheets or his favorite pillow, it wasn’t his wall or the window overlooking his backyard. As he stared at the empty, flat ceiling, he wondered why he couldn’t at least see a golden dome so he would have something to think about while he tried to sleep.

And so he woke up quite late, much later than he was used to. Maybe his body took the opportunity to recover all his lost energy, he had no idea. The only thing he knew was that he woke up thirty minutes before the agreed time with the pretty girl, and, it took fifteen minutes to get to the library from where he was.

He sent as many messages as he could while getting dressed and trying to look as presentable as possible. At least it wasn’t strange to see people running around campus, although it was in the first few weeks of school, where no one was really worried about anything.

“I told you I could wait a while” you mentioned, Iwaizumi was standing in front of her, trying to control his breathing, visibly agitated for having run all the way to the library. “Tell me you at least ate something” you murmured, in a way to accept his apology, then he sat on the free seat in front of you, trying to avoid that questioning.

“I can eat something later, sorry I was late” he apologized, again, he expected you to be upset, but you weren’t, instead, the first thing he saw was a reassuring smile, you hadn’t been more than ten minutes late, so, there was really no problem. “Again, I’m sorry, I was…”

“You don’t have to apologize, Iwaizumi. You were only ten minutes late, I’ve known people who take an hour to show up” the boy looked at the table for the first time, it was almost like the mess she had in yesterday’s class, only now it had several open books around it. “My class ended early so I went ahead to research an assignment I had, don’t you want to go get something to eat before we start?”

“I’d rather do this and then I can eat something, I wouldn’t want to waste your time even more” he replied, it was too obvious that he still didn’t quite master English, or maybe he did but he was quite embarrassed about how it was that he pronounced things. “I’ve never had this happen to me before, I’m sorry, I’m not usually like this.”

“How many times do I have to tell you it’s okay? Seriously, but why are you late? If you say it doesn’t usually happen to you” Iwaizumi looked towards the window with a frown, he felt like he would spend an embarrassment for that, because, sleeping late was not a good excuse, actually, nothing was a good excuse for his lateness, but still, he sighed. “Don’t tell me you’re coming in with a hangover?”

“No, no, not at all. It’s just… I’m still not used to the time change here and I’m used to sleeping at a totally different time” he said, though there was more to it.

The insomnia was only a collateral result of how he felt, and perhaps what kept him most irritable. Perhaps he had chosen that change too quickly, or the feeling was probably something that would fade with time. But he couldn’t help but feel like he wasn’t quite connected to reality, like he was living a strange dream. The routine he had worked on for years that kept him safe was gone, and was now out of his reach.

He missed going out every Tuesday for lunch with Oikawa, Makki and Mattsun. He missed walking to school and greeting his neighbors, or the way Oikawa’s older sister squeezed his cheeks, even though he said how much he detested it, he missed the karaoke he went to once a month and his mother’s food, hell, he even missed Oikawa’s obnoxious nephew.

“So, where are you from? Moving is hard enough, I can’t imagine doing it from another country” he looked at her, realizing she was genuinely concerned and curious, she meant it. The sincerity brought him calm, enough to say what he felt.

“Japan, I just got here a couple of weeks ago, I still don’t understand much and my English isn’t the best so I’m not having the best time” he pointed out, as he picked up his notebook, watching as she jotted something down on the computer, adding a document to start the essay. “Not to be rude, but your culture is really weird.”

“You don’t have to tell me, it is. But you end up getting used to it, don’t you? I find people’s behavior patterns depending on their culture interesting” Iwaizumi hadn’t even noticed that there was already a book on Byzantine architecture on the table, which showed a picture of Hagia Sophia from the outside. “Besides, it’s normal to miss your hometown, don’t you think, what did you most like to do there?”

“Playing volleyball with my friends” he answered without hesitation, for it was true. He missed every detail of it, from the practices, to the coach yelling at his teammates to the games, even the ones he lost.

“Oh, were they on a team together?” she put the computer aside, devoting her full attention to him. Iwaizumi nodded, ready to talk about all the amazing things his team had. “Were you guys good?”

“Well, yes. At least within reason, we were. We never made it to nationals, but within our prefecture we were very good” he nodded, still feeling the bitter taste of defeat on the tip of his tongue as if it had happened yesterday, his last chance to go to nationals ended before it even started.

“And what position did you play?” he questioned, Iwaizumi picked up the book on the table solely to have something to distract himself with.

“Uh, wing spiker. I was the ‘ace’ of the school, but of course, I couldn’t be any of it without Oikawa."

"Oikawa?”

The conversation did not stop since then, between readings, corrections and stories about his high school, Iwaizumi did not even realize that almost three hours had passed, three hours in which he could not believe what he saw in images, despite all the fear he had, all the nostalgia that accumulated inside him, seeing that building in Constantinople brought him a peace that he could not manage to understand, no matter how much he wondered what was going on.

Although it didn’t compare to how the pretty girl explained things, he should probably stop referring to her as the pretty girl and start calling her by her name, as he ended up forgetting it, and every time she said his name, he blamed himself for not remembering hers. He learned everything he wanted to know in one afternoon, thanks to her, the semi domes, the atrium, every detail, structural and artistic there, he memorized it with her voice, melodious, calm, safe.

After making a couple of questions, he lost his fear of asking what he was seeing, because, as she told him, “no one knows everything, there will always be someone who knows something you don’t”. So, he ended up engaged in a conversation about the wonders of medieval architecture and no more than ten minutes later, the conversation drifted to the karaoke that his friends loved, or the park where he and Oikawa learned to play volleyball.

Life at the university became more bearable thanks to her, Iwaizumi heard the story of how she had just moved out of her parents’ house, how they also moved out of their house and the pain it caused her to leave the home she loved empty. She enjoyed knitting, watching movies and listening to new music all the time. In a couple of weeks, he discovered her favorite food, and the kind of clothes she liked best, the movies that made her cry and the ones that made her die laughing, and with each thing he learned, she asked him the same questions. Even though he wasn’t entirely sure how he was supposed to answer, or what people used to say, it made him wonder if he seemed like a nice person or someone who would be interesting to spend time with.

Tuesdays of going out to eat became Tuesdays of organized movies in the dorms, once-a-month karaokes became visits to museums instead of his neighbors, now he was greeting his roommates every morning, now the cute girl in Medieval Art class was the one squeezing his cheeks, it seemed that, little by little, everything was starting to be as he knew it.

Or at least that’s what he thought

“But what do you like, Iwaizumi?” she asked him on a sunny afternoon where sunlight illuminated her room and there was a random movie on TV as the background noise, around her a lot of snacks and fried food, that’s what Saturdays were like, relaxed and sunny. “I almost feel like I know Oikawa like you do, but you don’t tell me much about yourself.”

“Huh?” he asked, doubtful, hadn’t he been talking about himself all that time, or had he only thought he was? “I don’t know what you want to know about me.”

“I want to know who you are, beyond all your friends and the people in your life.I know what Oikawa likes and how many fans he had or the perfect settings he did, but I want to know about you.” she told him.

She didn’t know if it was because the girl was an art enthusiast, or if she just hadn’t met someone who wanted to know more about him for her own pleasure, for what she felt was inexplicable.

“Well, well… with my team” he began, stopping the moment he saw the look on the girl’s face, who could only thus make him feel as if he were a scolded child. He sighed, running his hand through his hair, confused as to what it was he should say.

“Who are you, Iwaizumi, what do you like, what song do you like the most? I don’t want to know about other people, I want to know about you, about what makes you who you are.” She began, the moment only seemed more special with the way the sun was shining on her skin and her smile seemed to shine even brighter than it always did. “I know you’re a good teammate, a good son, a good friend, but who are you, what are the qualities that you have?”

He looked into her eyes, how many times hadn’t he stopped to look into those beautiful eyes that stole his breath, or those lips that said the cutest yet most painful things?“

"Iwaizumi. I want you to tell me the story that you have, like Hagia Sophia, do you remember all the marks that it has? the mix of everything that lies in you? There is so much history in who you are beyond your friends, I want to know if you are happy or if you like ice cream, how you react to things. I hope you understand me, it’s okay to like things that your friends do or showed you, but I don’t think it should be all that you are, so, who are you?”

Still not taking his eyes off her, he remembered every detail of the building he studied for weeks, the religious motifs and art on its walls, the history even in the broken parts of the floor, or those portions where the paint was completely gone. And, with tears in his eyes, he replied:

“I don’t know.” He murmured, his voice trembling.

And he really didn’t know, he had lived so long being a friend, son, teammate and neighbor that, little by little, without realizing it, he stopped prioritizing the things that to him and only to him made him happy.

“Well, there’s only one thing to do about it” she murmured in the same way, very close to him as if she were telling him a secret. “Find out who you are.”

And just like that, the first picture of the two of you decorated your wall, along with some paint smudges from a sunny afternoon, a canvas, and some brushes, and a volleyball mark at first. Two wrongs can make a right, your mother would say. You, in search of rebuilding your space, and he, in search of himself.

You couldn’t have picked a better time than that, or a better life than that.

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