#i’m not good at moodboards and aesthetics but hope you like it anyways

[lilyoffandoms]

Tobias x Casey for @jerzwriter

Day One of the @choicesfandomappreciation Kindness event. Thank you Elsa for being so supportive of us creators around here and for taking on the responsibility of hosting CFWC and sharing our creations with the fandom!

Warnings & A/N: None. Decided to include my Merida and @storyofmychoices Olivia in the quick little drabble.

“Nope. Stop. Not tonight,” Merida chuckled as Olivia pulled Casey down the hall away from Tobias and Merida stepped in front of Tobias

“Merida, darling, my favorite friend, you would not keep me from-“

“Oh yes, I would,” she laughed and stepped in front of his attempt to get around her. “And clearly you don’t know me all that well if you think I’d let you distract her. Again.”

“Mer,” he sighed with a grin.

“Nope. We are already late. She’s all your’s-“ His face lit up. “In three days,” she smirked and patted his cheek.

“Go torture Ethan. That should keep you occupied,” she chuckled with a wiggle of her fingers a wicked laugh as she joined Olivia and Casey holding the elevator for her.

“Bye, babe,” Casey grinned. “Try not to miss me too much.”

The elevator doors slid shut and Olivia cheered with a clap of her hands, “Yay! Girls weekend!”

[halfmoth-halfman]

i got an ask about advice for writing when you're discouraged, so i thought i'd make a post addressing some of the points because i think this is something that everyone has gone through and can relate to. most of this is just what's helped me/what i'd tell myself in the past, but if anyone has advice to add on please feel free! i hope this helps at least a little bit, anon!

"I’m not good at (dialogue/atmosphere/prose/etc)."

write it anyways! one of the best ways to build a skill is to keep doing it. even if you don't ever post it, or only share it with a few friends, or just read it to your pets, or whatever you choose to do, it's better to write something "badly" than to not write at all. or even asking for help on how to improve from other writers. i struggle a lot with atmosphere and scenery, and something that helped me a lot was talking to other writers whose fics i really enjoy and inspire me. i know it may seem intimidating, but there are plenty of writers on tumblr that would love to talk about how they compose their scenes, their dialogue, anything and everything if someone asks.

"I can’t make moodboards/headers/aesthetic posts."

the good news is, you don't have to! fics don't have to have anything other than the fic itself. i can't speak for everyone, but while aesthetics may get my attention, it's the person behind the blog that i stay for. if you want your blog or your fics to have a pretty aesthetic, it shouldn't be because you feel forced to but because you want to do it. if you don't find making moodboards or headers or aesthetic posts fun, then you don't have to do them. and if you want to, but don't know how, there are a ton of resources, links, and blogs dedicated to helping on tumblr.

"I’m not at (insert someone else)’s writing level."

and you might never be, and that's okay! every writer is different - they have different styles, write at different paces, perceive their skill differently. basing your progress on someone else's isn't going to help because you're not them. you have your own time, energy, ability, and ideas, you'll grow and improve at your own pace, just like they did. don't force yourself to try and follow the same timeline of someone else, and don't put yourself down because you're getting better - and you are getting better - at your own pace.

"I can’t find the motivation to write."

honestly same. i think it's a pretty universal experience to lose motivation for something you were excited about at one point. sometimes the vibes aren't it and the story doesn't want to story, but that's alright. it can be hard to stay motivated, and what gets someone inspired again is different everyone. i can't give advice for anything outside of what's helped me, but a few ways i've re-motivated myself to write something are: making a fic playlist, stepping away from the fic for a day or two, giving it to a friend to read, re-watching/reading the source material, doodling fic ideas, and skipping to a different part of the story.

"I can’t write fast enough."

unless it's for something like work where you have a fixed deadline, there is no "fast enough" in writing. don't let anyone tell you otherwise. when i first started writing, in the very early days of ao3 and tumblr, fic updates could takes months or even more than a year and that was fine! one of my favorite fics took a six year hiatus, and that didn't diminish any of the enjoyment i had when it came back. you are not a machine, you're a human being with needs outside of writing. it's always okay if you need to take a break, if there's a long wait between chapters, or if you want to stop a project altogether and come back to it six years later. if someone gives you grief because you can't write within their time-frame then they're not worth having as a reader - do not overwork yourself for the sake of finishing a fic.

"It’s hard to stick to one idea at a time."

then don't! write all the ideas. write every single one. working on a project and you have a drabble that you just keep thinking about? write it. you get a sudden idea for a one-shot in a different fandom? write it. woke up in the mood to start a new five-chapter fic? write it. you can start or stop writing about anything at any time. there is no rule that you have to stick to one idea and finish it before you can write anything else, don't make yourself stick to something if it's not what you want to write, and don't punish yourself if you need to take a break from your current project.

"Maybe I’m not made for writing on tumblr."

tumblr is a shitposting website that barely works at the best of times. half of my drafts get deleted every other week for no reason - there is no way to be "made for writing on tumblr"! but tumblr is huge, there's a bajillion communities on here that would be so excited to have another writer, and a ton that are solely dedicated to helping writers and providing different resources. i guarantee there is someone on this website that will love and adore your writing.

"The things I read are better than anything I can write/comparing myself to other writers."

i don't have the cake picture saved, but we all know the gist of it: the audience (generally) isn't going to care about how decorated your cake is compared to another, they're just happy to get two cakes. and that's really all it is. your fic might not be the same preferred flavor as the audience of other writers, but there is someone out there who's going to enjoy it. i won't tell you to just not compare yourself to others, i know that's not how it works, but what has helped me is changing the way i view other fics. instead of thinking "i wish i could write like this person", i look at like "this inspires me to improve my writing". and don't get me wrong, i still have moments of doubt about my writing compared to some of the people i read, i don't think that will ever really stop, but the best thing you can do is not let yourself give in to that feeling. try and stop that train of thought before it leaves the station. no one else can write the way you can. no one else can tell your stories the way you can. no one else has the same voice as you do. if everyone wrote the same way, everything would be boring. the heart of a fic is seeing the author's personality shine through it. if you see someone write a good fic, that doesn't mean yours won't be. you have to give yourself a chance even when you feel like your writing won't be as good as someone else's. you have to bake your cake anyway.

"How do I find joy in something I know I’ll never be good at?"

you won't. full stop. if you keep telling yourself you'll never be good at something, you'll never improve, there's no point in trying, then you'll never enjoy it. i know it's easier said than done, but you have to have some level of confidence in yourself and in your writing. not only will you not enjoy it, other people will see the lack of enjoyment, the "i wrote this and it sucks" comments, the self-degradation, and they won't enjoy it either - no one feels good about a fic the author clearly didn't want to write. and, if you try everything you possibly can and still can't find any joy in writing, then maybe writing isn't the hobby for you. and that's perfectly okay! i tried quilting and glassblowing several times before i realized i just didn't like it the same way i liked writing. you owe it to yourself to find something that's fun, that makes you smile, that you're excited to do. there's a million hobbies out there, i promise you'll find something that brings you joy.

[4mookiecookie20]

͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙

𝓶𝔂 𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓲𝓷𝓽𝓮𝓷𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷𝓼

i’ve been trying to figure out what I want this tumblr page to be. my roomies and I decided to get high put on a 2014 playlist and make tumblr accounts (yes it was the most magical experience) but anyway I think i exude this bubbly pink and green personality and style (per my instagram and pinterest) BUT i am a girl and i have girl thoughts and those girl thoughts while silly are also very dark. i think i want this page to just be full of shit that i think and need to get out as well as a plethora of silly memes and relatable things. i also will be plugging my spotify and pinterest all the time because i love it so much.

I’ve realized how many hyperfixations I have gone through and i can’t wait to post about them here because i also hyper fixate on characters from movies and tv shows sooooo much:) but also my hyperfixations last anyway from 3 days to 3 weeks to 3 months never years though. with bipolar 2 i can never really be interested in anything that deeply for more than a year, im not sure if that’s a symptom BUT it happens to me so yeah…

back to my main point this page will be whatever the fuck i want it to be when i want it to be. it may be a rant, a food review (@4mookiecookie20) on tik tok is where you’ll find my best reviews, aesthetic moodboard i like, my super dark inner thoughts, my silly happy thoughts, me talking about any hyperfixation, and fun girl memes. also DISCLAIMER i am so god awful at spelling but you will have to deal because i can’t be bothered to fix it😌

i hope you all enjoy this ride because it’s gonna be a fun one. guys i’m such an interesting person i’m a leo with a scorpio moon and rising like this page is gonna be so good ＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚

xoxo,

mookie cookie

°｡⋆𓋼𓍊☆𓍊𓋼⋆｡°

[starlightandetherealshadows]

CARTERS GOOD WITH HIS HANDS??? stop it i’m gonna have a heart attack

anyway hii how are you today?? i’m doing great 💗💗

Hi lovebug!

DKEMWFKEMFRKMF and bless his heart, Carter has no game. He been bitchless his whole life simply because he doesn't fathom that people find him attractive. Him and Zero bond over that.

I'm pretty okay, sweet one. I'm writing about 40 different essays for my medical school applications so I'm feeling pretty burnt out and exhausted.

Thank you so much for asking!!! I'm happy you're having a great day sunshine!!!

I'm making a lil aesthetic/moodboard collage for all of the RO's in contra spem spiro and I just love them all so much. They're turning out to be their own unique characters. I really hope you guys like them as much as I do!

I hope you have a very relaxing weekend, anon!!! You're a superstar ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

All my love,

Cheye

[moltara]

animal crossing tips from your favorite disaster adhd

i watched a TON of animal crossing videos while building this (and previous) islands and here’s what i can sum up from them:

lmk if this is like. helpful? in any way shape or form lol

work in small segments at a time, but don’t push yourself to work on an area you don’t want to.

a lot of the videos i watched emphasized not working the island as a whole, but instead dividing it into smaller, bite-sized chunks for you to hone and really develop.

instead of flattening your entire island and starting off with the daunting endeavor of terraforming the ENTIRE THING before you start decorating, only flatten a small portion you have an idea of a build for. and then you can really focus on decorating that small area.

also, much like when writing an essay, sometimes forcing yourself to work chronologically destroys your creativity and flow. feel free to jump around your island; don’t feel restricted to only working in areas that are connected or going from the front of your island to the back!

before you begin, save all the designs you want to use to a pinterest board! that makes it easy to see them side-by-side, and also to save them for future reference! (you can also easily make moodboards for your island this way!)

here’s the pinterest board i made for Oros! pinterest is an excellent way to gather resources you hope to use on your island, as well as any other images that spark your creativity!

once you gather the designs you want to use (be generous, you will probably end up scrapping some), you can make swatches on your island by placing them on the ground to see how they look ingame next to each other.

moodboards are an excellent way to figure out the general feeling and vision you have for your island! of course, don’t feel obligated to stick to it though if your journey leads you elsewhere as you’re decorating! but it’s a great jumping off point if you don’t know where to start :>

there are a TON of established “aesthetics” people use for islands. do not feel limited by them.

aesthetics are another good place to start when creating an island - it’s how many people in the community really establish a theme for their island’s decor and terraforming. But. don’t let them limit you! (some examples would be farmcore, cottagecore [unfortunately], castlecore, fairycore and kidcore)

if you’re like me and you cannot for the life of you settle on one singular aesthetic, then just don’t! you can always divide your island into different aesthetics if you can’t decide or you can create your own fusion of them or even just ditch aesthetics and do whatever the hell you want. it’s your game you make the rules!!!!!! at the end of the day, this island is for YOU!! play the game how you want to!

steal (sorta)

if you see a cool build there is nothing stopping you from copying it as long as you don’t profit off of it as Your Original Idea. anyways what i’m trying to say here is, there is nothing stopping you from drawing inspiration from other people’s builds ESP if you are a casual player

and finally,

TAKE BREAKS AND PLAY IN MODERATION OR YOU WILL GET BURNT OUT AND YOUR BODY WILL SUFFER.

please prioritize your own wellbeing over a video game and TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF ABOVE ALL ELSE

also thank you for reading all this if you did here’s my own tag for my acnh island if you wanna check it out ;) (winks but a duck sound happens)

[1tarot1with1k1o]

Hi, could I get some pictures for my future home?

For you, future daily environment:

I got an image of a fancy brown pen on an otherwise relatively simple desk, the desk itself is flat and there's natural lighting in the space, a green rug on the ground nearby. I feel like you live in some sort of city, although there's a park you'll like that you might live right across from, and driving a bit out there's also some nice scenery.

The kitchen is mostly white, with brown cabinets, and it will be stocked with fruit.

There's also some sort of black/white spiral rug somewhere near there.

Also, there will be plants, I'm getting more outside than inside, maybe you live somewhere with trees or see that park like I said, or maybe you see your neighbor's windowbox with plants.

Not exactly what I saw, but I tried to get something close:

And also, you might see this stuff which could mean you might have a friend that comes by often that dresses like this (if it isn't you that dresses like this:

Also, the weather is pretty fair, it isn't always hot but there's usually fairly clear blue skies, the whole place feels pretty fresh.

Maybe the space when you first get it:

Hii~

Your description of my living space sounds very cool! I love the vibe you described for the place I’ll live in. It would be perfect for me. Like you said, even if the pictures might not be super accurate, the vibe is definitely there, and it’s fitting! Plants and everything. The rug detail is amazing because I have saved some minimalist rugs that resemble your description, so it’s super cool for you to pick up on that!! (Like this one, which seems close to the one you described).

I appreciated you incorporating the message about my friend, a lot. I think it’s a very cute little detail that I’m very happy to know about!

I’m one of those people who is very passionate about taking pictures of the sky, so knowing that I’ll live someplace where it’s visible, is very nice hahah.

You did a really good job!! Thank you so much!

Your moodboard:

Do you like painting? Because the first thing I saw is a person painting in the living room/studio. Take it as it resonates of course. I actually had quite a hard time pinpointing a specific aesthetic for the apartment. At some point I even felt like I started picking up on different apartments you’ll live in, so it became kind of a jumbled mess in my mind haha. But overall, I’d say that if you grab different elements from the pictures and put them together, you’ll get very close to what I channeled for your future apartment. It was a bit like mixing French, German, and American apartments style. I feel so bad that you were super specific, and I’m like “yeah put everything together and it might make sense at some point”. But truthfully, I wouldn’t know how else to describe it. If you actually do like painting, then I feel like you will be more focused on the creative aspect of your lifestyle and not so much on what the environment you create in looks like. Not that you won’t care at all and just get whatever, but more like it won’t be the main focus of your life. You might find more inspiration by going outside in nature or by observing people, so maybe your home aesthetic will have less importance in the long run. I really hope it makes sense to you.

Anyways haha, I hope you like the reading, and I hope you managed to get some info from this mess. Maybe you have a fast running mind, like a thousand ideas at the same time. It’s like I wanna write everything and nothing at the same time. If it’s not you then it’s just my brain that took a vacation today.

In any case, thank you so much for participating. If you dislike the reading or if doesn’t resonate at all, feel totally free to request another reading.

Thank you again!! Best wishes <333

[justsomeoneunordinary]

why do you make comisions for mood bords but not for fic? i think more people would comission for fic...

Many reasons:

1. I don’t want to write fics for money.

2. I don’t find my fics good enough to get paid for writing them. I mean, a commissioner who commissions me would be familiar with my work and therefore know my fics wouldn’t be anywhere near as qualitative as other authors’. But it would still feel weird for me. And I don’t have the same problem with moodboards—my boards are gorgeous, and if you pay me for one, I will deliver something worth the money.

3. I don’t know where my boundaries would be. There are so many things I don’t want to write, some are hard No’s and others are soft No’s, and it would be difficult to figure out which soft No’s would turn into a Yes if payment was involved. A list of what I will and what I won’t write would be too much of a hassle to figure out, and I just don’t really feel like breaking any of my principles just for money anyway. I don’t have the same problem with moodboards—I can do any kind of boards, even for fandoms I’m not in or even my NOTPs, that’s no problem for me because I don’t have to be emotionally invested in something I don’t like when I make an aesthetic for someone.

4. I’m a very, very, VERY slow writer. Always been one and now that I write in English rather than German, I’m even slower. It takes me three to four times as long to write 1k than most other writers. Which means a commissioner either pays me more money than a fic is worth, or they pay about as much as they’d pay another writer but I wouldn’t get properly compensated for the amount of time I put into it. Again, not a problem when it comes to moodboards—with the prices I have set I get properly compensated and you get something worth that money.

5. My Muse is a fucking bitch. I sometimes don’t even manage to write a fic I myself really, really want to see written; the Muse is not going to suddenly appear just because I got paid now, and that’s a problem. Again, not something I have to worry about when it comes to moodboards.

Most importantly, I only have moodboard commissions open because I’m really low on money but I don’t feel comfortable enough just getting money out of goodwill without giving something back. I know most people who’ve commissioned me only did it to support me and not for the board itself, but it still makes me feel better. (Altho, there has actually been one commission that was a gift for the commissioner’s friend, so there’s that.) There are some fandoms that are super into aesthetic stuff and who I’m sure would be willing to commission me but because I’m not into those fandoms, I can’t really reach them. I hoped my commission info post would be boosted enough to make the rounds, but it didn’t.

Lastly, I disagree with you—I don’t have nearly enough followers/subscribers who’re big enough fans of my fics that they’d commission me for them. But even if, I stand by my decision not to take money for fics.

[queenorphia]

script formatting <3

hello, it’s orphia again!

i think the big question is not to what to put in your script, but how to do that. 

i remember when i was getting into scripting, i would just save all these things I wanted to put in it but not know where or how to put it in. and that was really frustrating! there weren’t many formats for me to follow and I was basically winging it, not knowing if i was doing it right or not.

and let me let you in on a little secret:

there is no right way to do it. 

.⋆｡⋆˚｡⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆..⋆｡⋆˚｡⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆..⋆｡⋆˚｡⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆..⋆｡⋆˚｡⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆..⋆｡⋆˚｡⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆..⋆｡⋆˚｡

my favourite platforms to make my script:

google docs

google slides

canva

I usually make up a hybrid of the first two, but my favourite is to use google docs because i can section it and stuff.

if you want to go into detail because you’re wordy person, use google docs

if you prefer images and work better with something visual, use google slides

note: canva is also good for images, but for minimal writing, as the formatting is really trippy.

now, if you’re like me and like to keep things organised, i would definitely use google docs. but i do like having a hybrid of both, so i usually use google slides for the people, brief biographies and their aesthetics, or like wardrobe and dr visualisation. but most of my affirmations go into google docs. 

use paragraph separators/text dividers 

if you google that exact thing a bunch of links come up, but that’s my favourite source for cute things. btw, i didn’t get my current separator from there. i got it from a different link and i can’t find it rn but i will! i’m just copying and pasting from previous posts lmao. 

but anyway 

use tables to organise information relevant to the same topic

use different font sizes to differentiate between titles, sub titles and text.

i’m too private about my scripts, but i’ll give you an idea of what my front cover looks like and a small section on the bottom (scroll to the bottom)

and that’s on google docs!

i’ve also included an image from my google slides script for a different dr

there, i’ve collated a mini moodboard for one of my friends in my dr. next to it is a little personal history with them, including how i perceive them, how we met, etc. 

sometimes i even include a ‘resources’ page, where i link multiple of my favourite subliminals, my favourite motivational posts, pinterest boards or movies that get me into my dr mindset

also my name is not E.M Vellichor LOL i wouldn’t even have the guts to go out in public if that were my actual name in this reality

i’ll be frank with you-- your script might end up being more than like, two pages. mine is thirty pages long-

if you want to hand write it, same goes

 use highlighters so you don’t get bored of your script

scripting is not a chore! scripting is fun! it doesn’t have to be this aesthetic, i just like it organised. 

experiment, see what works for you. 

also, you know how you have a pinterest board (i mean if you don’t, that’s alright)? that also counts as a script

I hope this helpsssss

go and experience your dr!!! 

[eeveedel]

WIP Sunday

Hello all, I was tagged by to post a bit of my current WIP alongside some “art” -- I don’t have a current moodboard but I thought I would provide some general ~~aesthetic pics and another preview of the rancher harry fic -- this time an HL meet cute! I hope you all enjoy, and happy Sunday

Harry heard a rapping at the screen door, and he grunted, shifting his weight forward so he could sit up and hoist himself out of his armchair.

He took a step forward on his good leg while his bad one dragged behind him. After a bit of walking around, it usually woke up enough for him to put more weight on it, but for now, after his rest, it was a dead weight of pins and needles behind him. It took a bit of effort to get to the front door, but he got there eventually. He grabbed his cane that was leaning by the door, and then opened the wood door, revealing just the screen and what lay beyond it.

There was a man in mint green scrubs and a thick corduroy jacket on his porch, perfectly centered between the big American flag hanging beside Harry’s door and the pots of tulips lining the front gate. The man at the front door was young. He had some creases around his eyes and mouth but his freshly shaved face looked so youthful, along with his bright eyes behind his big, wire frame glasses.

“Howdy,” Harry drawled, lifting his thermos to his mouth, “You must be — “ His tongue worked in his mouth, trying to come up with the name Margaret had given him last week. It wasn’t something common around here, and yet it still evaded him.

“Shoot, I’m sorry,” he sighed, pushing up the brim of his hat with his thumb, “Help me out, what’s your name, son?”

“Oh, I’m Dr. Tomlinson, but you can call me Louis,” he said. “Dr. Baldwin caught me up on some of the animals you have here and their needs, sir,” he said. “I know you have a pregnant cow nearing the end of term and a newly pregnant mare that just needs a bit of a checkup as your main concerns. She also told me you had a few roosters and a chicken coop, is that correct?”

Harry cracked a smile and nodded.

“Well, that’s correct. Seems like you did your homework,” he said. “Cherry’s gonna have a baby now damn day now and I just found out about Goldie last month.”

He took a sip of his coffee, shuffling his feet and readjusting his cane as he did.

“You don’t need to worry too much about the chickens, they nearly take care of themselves. Got a few pigs but those are going to market in a couple months, but you can take a look at ‘em if you want to.”

He pushed at the screen door, moving out onto the porch to meet Louis directly. When he was in front of the man, he could see Louis looked even younger up close, and he was nearly a full head shorter than Harry.

“Can I get you something to drink or anything before we go out?” Harry asked, taking the briefest moment to look the young vet over.

“Um, maybe a glass of water after we finish up? It is a bit hot out today, even though it’s January,” Louis rambled. “I mean, I came from San Francisco, so it’s still hot there— anyways, sorry.”

He exhaled, his cheeks already pink.

“Could you show me to Cherry first, please?” Louis asked. “I want to make sure she and her calf are in tip top shape.”

Harry smiled gently. The young vet was eager, and looked a bit flustered. He tried not to let his gaze linger too much longer, although he already liked him.

“Sure thing. I’ll show you out the pasture. Cherry’s probably out gossiping with her friends.”

He walked to the edge of the porch, taking the small ramp that was easier to navigate with his cane.

“Tell me, they have a lot of cows out in California, Louis?” he asked as they trudged along the path, “Because if this is your first one, I’ll give you a fair warning. Cherry’s a sweet girl but a little sassy.”

“Well, I grew up in San Francisco, so no, we don’t have a lot of farms there,” Louis said. “But I studied with a bit of everything in veterinary school, and went to a lot of farms up north. So yeah, I’ve worked with cows.”

“Good, good,” Harry nodded.

He walked through along the dirt path that led from the house to the rest of the ranch. He led Louis past the chicken coop and the large horse barn, moving out to the back part of the property with the cattle barn and the large pasture. His leg was starting to wake up, making his gait a bit less strained.

“Where did you study?” he asked.

“UC Santa Barbara for undergrad and then vet school at UC Berkeley,” Louis said. “I just graduated last spring, actually.”

“Congratulations,” Harry said. “Before you look at my girls, you wanna tell me know if you were bottom of your class?”

Louis laughed a little, scratching the back of his neck.

“I was actually valedictorian.”

“Damn. Undergrad or vet school?”

“Uh,” Louis said, smiling sheepishly. “Both? And high school.”

“Jeez,” Harry chuckled. “Well. I didn’t even go to college, so you’ve already impressed me many times over.”

They arrived in front of the enormous cattle barn and the wide pasture beyond it. Harry smiled to himself, lifting the hand that wasn’t gripping his cane.

“Yep,” he smiled to himself, “There she is.”

He gestured to the pasture, and specifically pointed to one of the cows, a rich red brown and swollen at the belly, who was smack in the middle of a group of five other black and white cows.

“Gossiping, just like I thought,” Harry said. He reached for the gate, going to unlock it, “Well, come on, you can give me your expert opinion.”

“Wow, she’s beautiful,” Louis marveled.

“Don’t let her hear that, it’ll go straight to her head,” Harry said. He opened the gate fully, then opened the pasture and turned around, holding it open for Louis.

Once they were both inside, Harry approached Cherry, cooing and clicking his tongue as he walked. She looked up and stared at him, chewing slowly on a thick clump of grass, but when she was done, she let out a low moo and slowly but surely waddled towards him.

“Here she comes,” Harry smiled.

They both stood and watched her as she slowly came over, and when she did, she immediately gravitated to Harry.

“Hey, princess,” Harry said. He set his hand on her head and gently stroked her with his thumb, smiling to himself as she blinked at him with her big, milk chocolate eyes.

“Louis’s gonna take a look at you, pretty girl,” Harry said. “You be nice to him.”

Harry kept petting Cherry’s head and then looked over to Louis. The vet was kneeling on the ground, unlocking the briefcase he had brought. It was funny, seeing him with a shiny, clearly barely used case. Margaret had always just shoved her tools into her ancient Jansport backpack, which was covered in twenty years’ worth of coffee stains and held together with duct tape and spite.

Louis took out a pair of latex gloves and a stethoscope, then moved closer to the animal. He gave her a settle pat on her swollen side, then put the stethoscope’s earpieces in. He set the metal diaphragm on her side, and Cherry jolted a bit, but Louis cooed at her and kept petting her side as he listened. He closed his eyes and nodded a bit as he moved the cold metal over her stomach, humming softly to himself.

Harry watched Louis carefully touch and examine Cherry, the young man’s hands gentle but sure as he did his job. Harry had had his hesitations before Louis arrived. But he seemed at home, and like he really cared about doing a good job. Harry could appreciate that. He had spent years building up trust with Margaret to work with his animals, but, maybe he was just getting sentimental at his age, or Louis really did have a special touch, but he immediately felt just fine with the younger man taking care of his herd.

After a few minutes Louis opened his eyes and ducked his head down, examining Cherry’s udders and nether regions. Finally, he lifted his head and pulled himself up, taking the stethoscope out of his ears and draping it around his neck.

“Well, she looks great,” Louis said as he peeled off his gloves and shoved them into his jacket pocket. “The calf’s got a nice, strong heartbeat. She seems about a couple weeks away, but just keep an eye on her – “

“Early labor, yeah,” Harry said. “I always start preparing at least a couple weeks in advance of the due date, anyways. My girl Caroline went into labor a couple years ago, fuckin’ 16 days before she was due, and I was in Austin for the weekend. Only time I left the house in months, and she picked that weekend.”

One of the white cows in the pasture mooed loudly, and Harry looked over his shoulder and glared.

“Yeah, I’m talkin’ about you, fuckin’ drama queen,” he scoffed. “She’s a good girl. And a tough one. Had a delivery all by herself and nearly gave me a heart attack when I got home and there was a new baby toddling around.”

He turned back to Louis, offering an apologetic smile.

“Sorry, don’t mean to bore you with farm stories right off the bat.”

“It’s okay,” Louis said. “I love to hear animal stories.”

“Well, let me know in a few months if you’re sick of cow stories. That’s nearly the only kind of stories we have in this town.”

Louis just laughed and lifted his hand, shifting his glasses up his nose.

“Would you show me to Goldie, please? Just to see how her early stages are going.”

“Oh, yeah, of course,” Harry said. “Goldie’s in the small barn, come on.”

[fangirlovestuff]

littera scripta manet - steve rogers x reader

a/n - hey lovely people!! first of all, this is based on a moodboard by the amazing @cloudystevie​, which inspired this whole fic, thank you!! the picture above is how i imagined steve in this one, but you can imagine him however you want:) also, there’s a list of meanings of the flowers i mention at the end because i’m a sucker for the language of flowers (the flowers are in bold in the fic). i love the dark academia aesthetic and i hope i did it justice:) enjoy!!<3

title means ‘the written letter remains’

summary: unlike you, steve doesn’t have a problem admitting to himself he has feelings for his best friend. that’s what makes it so painful when it seems like you don’t.

word count: 7k (oops?)

warnings / tags: friends to lovers, Pining™ , angst with a happy ending, as slow burn as a one shot can be, an obnoxious amount of clichés but i’m not sorry, no plot just vibes (i mean there’s like,,, some plot i guess), the songs/quotes i used in this aren’t mine!!!

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You watched as the morning mist slowly faded, the sun showing it away. You watched as the curtains fluttered against the touch of a delicate wind. You watched as the sparks of dawn came to life under the sky's watchful eye. You watched the tree beneath your window in the glory of its blossom.

You turned your body in the other direction, the one facing not the east window but the bed. And there, beside you, you watched as he stirred hazily, his body still clad in yesterday's clothes, huffing out a quiet breath before his eyelashes fluttered open to reveal the pair of familiar blue eyes.

You watched, and his eyes told you the most amazing story – his look was disoriented, then bewildered, and then, well, the most gorgeous smile stretched onto his features, and it told the rest – love, and hope, and home.

That story is the one I will tell you today.

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The first day of school was always a straining one. All the way from elementary school to high school, it was a constant in your life.

There was, however, one more constant. Your best friend.

Steve Rogers was truly the most wonderful of boys.

You two met when you were very young, your mothers getting along well, so you had no choice but to do so as well. And you did get along, splendidly. You became fast friends, not stopping even when his other friends were telling him about 'girl germs' or when your other friends were constantly asking if you wanted him to be your boyfriend, or if he was. What you and Steve had transcended it, in a way.

You grew together, and you watched as Steve Rogers became the most wonderful of men. He was your best friend, and you loved him with your whole heart. Platonically, of course.

You smiled at him fondly as the both of you stepped into your new college, in through the big iron gates. As far as you looked there was grass, trees, flowers. The big cobblestone building stood tall in the distance, and if you listened carefully, you could hear the chatter of students above the sound of the wind that was gently ruffling your uniform skirt.  

"Excited?" Steve asked, smiling back at you.

"Nervous," you let out a quiet laugh.

"You shouldn't be," he answered, "look at this place!" he gestured around, "you fit right in here with all the-" he cut himself off, closing his mouth before continuing, "you fit right in!"

"Yeah, maybe. This place is just… dreamy," you smiled. "But that doesn't stop me from being nervous."

"Well, you have no reason to be," he took your hand in his and squeezed it reassuringly.

You hoped he was right. You never liked being far away from home, but this school was truly the school of your dreams, and well, with Steve by your side… you could never be that far away from home.

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Adjusting was… an experience, certainly. This school was like nothing you've known before, the uniform seemed a bit excessive, the school halls were so incredibly long, and the grounds so vast you could barely see the outside. And yet, it felt like something about this place was magical. Like it accepted you right in, it wanted you to be there. The library was huge, and you've already spent countless hours digging away for course related materials and, well, less course related materials. The vast grounds meant you could walk out every day in a different direction, if you wanted to, and find a new hidden treasure.

You shared your thoughts with Steve when you discovered one of these treasures together. It was fairly early evening, you two had just gotten out of class and were walking off the long day you've had, and you suddenly came across some high rose bushes. Steve tried to see what was on the other side of them, but it was too tall even for him, so you circled around and found a small, rusty gate. You went through it to discover a small fountain, with a marble statue of a mermaid in the center.

You gasped in delight, unable to contain yourself from running to kneel on the grass next to it, looking into the water curiously. Dipping your hand in tentatively, you shivered at the touch of the chilly water, and immediately took out your hand, massaging it in your other one to warm it up.

Steve laughed as he finally caught up with you, not running but walking calmly. He dipped his hand in the water as well, before raising his brow mischievously. Before you could ask him what's going on, he took his hand out of the water and sprayed the cold droplets of water right on your face.

"Steven Grant Rogers!" you said, shocked, "You did not just do that," you glared at him.

"You know what, you're right," he began shuffling away, "I didn't," he stood up with a cheeky smile as you continued to glare at him, "It was a happy accident."

"Oh I'll show you happy accident!" you couldn't contain your laughter anymore as you dipped your hand in the water again, getting up to chase him around the little garden. He managed to evade you for a bit, and then you finally caught up to him, placing your cold hand right on the back of his neck. He turned around, making him lose his balance and fall down onto the grass, which in turn made you topple over him, stopping your fall with your hands just when you were about to fall onto his chest.

"Alright, I surrender!" he lifted his hands up.

"Good," you smirked.

There was a moment where you just stared into each other's eyes, each sparkling with a smile. It was broken when Steve asked, "Well, can I, uh, get up now?"

You noticed you ended up straddling his hips, which you then fumbled to undo, standing back up hastily. You dusted your skirt a little awkwardly, avoiding Steve's eyes as he got up too. You didn't even know why you were feeling so awkward. You've had plenty of play fights with Steve, there was no reason for this one to be different.

But Steve just extended his arm to you, like he did on the first day you were here. You took it, and just like that, you were fine again.

"Do you know, Stevie, I think there's something magical about this school," you told him as you were walking.

"Really? Why do you think that?"

"Well, the library's huge a-"

Steve burst into laughter, and once it died down a little, he said, "I'm sorry, it's just so… like you to say a big room full of books is magical. It's true, don't get me wrong," he said before you could get annoyed, "but I feel like no one but you would have vocalized that truth."

"Well then, lucky I'm here," you smiled.

"Yeah," he said softly, "very lucky."

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About a month later it turned out the school holds a ball twice a year, at the start of winter and at the end of spring, right before the school year ends. At first you were a little shocked, but you quickly warmed up to the idea, given that it was very much on brand with everything else in the school.

You did obviously make more friends than just Steve, so you and your friends went to get dresses together. Roaming between the big expansive stores was fun, but after a while you all realized it wasn't very affordable, and not really your style. You wandered into a small, secluded second hand shop, where you found the perfect dress – fancy but not overly glamorous, a color that suited you beautifully, and not too bad of a price. It made you feel like a princess, the long skirts shuffling gently behind you as you stepped out of the fitting room to show it to your friends, who were just in love with it as you were and told you to buy it right away.

That night you went home with a dress in your hand and a smile in your heart.

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As the school year progressed, you started picking up and drying different flowers you found on the grounds, keeping them between pages of your notebooks. A bit of a messy hobby at times, but it made you happy.

You were just writing a letter to your family, trying to figure out if and which flower you should attach to it, when you heard a knock on your dorm door.

"Just a second!" you called out before shutting the ink box, putting down the dip pen before getting up and opening your door. There, you found a flustered Steve, smiling at you with a few honeysuckle flowers in his hand.

"I, uh, brought these for you," he said timidly, "I know you collect flowers and I don't think you have some of these yet."

"I don't!" you smiled and took them from Steve's hand, "thank you!"

You ushered him in before putting the honeysuckles on your desk. "What's up?"

"Nothing much," he shrugged. He saw the letter and pen on your desk. "Oh, am I interrupting you? I'm sorry, I could come back later if y-"

"It's alright Stevie," you chuckled, "I was just writing home. Anything you'd want me to tell my family for you?"

"Ummm… hi?" he smiled bashfully and you both laughed.

"Well, that's just too long! I don't have any more place on the page for such eloquent greetings!" you teased.

"Alright, then no, I don't have anything to say to them. I wrote my family a few days ago already, so if you wanted to say anything to them, you'll just have to wait till next time."

"Anyways," you smiled, "did you need anything?"

"Not really," he shook his head, "I just, well, I don't really have a person to go with to, you know, the ball thing, so i-"

"So you want me to set you up?" you giggled. "Is it Ella? Or is it Kathrine?"

"No, let me finish," he half heartedly grumbled. "I was thinking, I wanted to ask you to come with me," he smiled timidly, averting his gaze. After you didn't say anything, he continued, "I mean, I didn't think you had anyone to go with either, and since we've been friends since forever, I thought-"

"No, yeah, that's a great idea!" you spoke up quickly, "Sorry, I just spaced for a moment, I think that'd be great, since no one really asked me and stuff," you shrugged and smiled.

"Great!" he smiled.

"Great," you nodded. You both chuckled, not really knowing what to say.

"I should leave you to get back to your letter," Steve said after a moment. "I'll, um, see you around."

You told him goodbye before shutting the door behind him and sitting back down at your desk. But you found you didn't have it in you to pick up your pen. No, your train of thought was lost, and was now racing a hundred miles per hour, because –

Because why would he ask you. Because he could've asked any other girl and they would've probably said yes, yet the thought of him going with another girl made your stomach drop in a peculiar way. The obvious answer was that it was just about his comfort zone, which you knew Steve was prone to staying in.

Yeah, that's it. It's just comfortable. Familiar.

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The night before the ball, you found yourself tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep. At around 2 am, you officially gave up and traded in your pajamas for some more presentable clothes in case someone is also awake, and made your way to the library.

Over the few months you've been here, the library has become somewhat of an escape for you. Sure, it was where you did a large amount of your schoolwork, but it was also the place that allowed you to 'travel' to several magnificent worlds.

You made your way as quietly as you could, picking up one of your favorite classics. It was an old, worn in version of Dumas' "The Count of Monte Cristo", a book which you vaguely remembered reading in your childhood and, when you stumbled upon it here, fell in love with all over again.

The place was dark, and you wanted to keep it like that, giving you less of a chance to be disturbed by others. You sat down and lit a candle, getting immersed in your book. So immersed, you didn't notice the sound of footsteps coming up behind you.

"I figured I'd find you here," Steve smiled, sitting down on the wooden chair next to yours.

"How come?" you smiled back and closed the book, not before putting a bookmark in it.

"I went up to your room to see if you were still awake because I wanted to show you something. When you didn't answer my knock, I guessed you were either in extremely deep sleep or you were here. And would you look at that, I was right," he smirked.

You chuckled. "What did you want to show me?"

"Come on," he stood up and extended his hand to you, "I can show you right now."

You smiled and followed him as he led you outside, into the chilly night. You shivered slightly as the cold air hit your face. "Steve," you complained, "I wasn't really planning on going outside. I don't have my jacket."

"Oh, right," he said, stopping in his tracks, "sorry. But you could just take mine," he said, while already shrugging it off.

"No, Steve, then you'll get-"

"Come on!" he smiled, wrapping the jacket around your shoulders, "let's go!"

You giggled at his excitement, adjusting his jacket a little before following him further away. He took you somewhere you had shockingly never been before, a small, secluded field of hydrangeas, peaceful in the moonlight. You looked around in awe.

"I knew you'd like it," he smiled. "And look," he gestured upwards, "it's far enough from the building so we can really see the stars."

You looked up and your breath caught in your throat at the sight. He was right. The stars never seemed so many or so bright to you than in the moment.

"See right there? That's Ursa Major, and that-"

You looked to him, and his words faded away in your mind, becoming a low stream of sounds. Everything seemed to become softer, distant, while he flooded your mind.

In that instant, it looked like Steve had the moon in him. Soft, and bright, and beautiful. His pale skin glistened under the moonlight, but when his eyes turned to meet yours, you thought you may have been wrong.

Because in them, you found the stars.

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And there it was, the big night, the night of the ball. You were nearly ready to put on your dress when you heard a knock at your door. You opened it to find Steve there, smiling.

"I just came to check in on you," he said, handing you a few hibiscus flowers. You smiled, taking them from him, your fingers brushing against his.

"Well, I'm doing quite well," you said, and wordlessly invited him in. He followed you inside and shut the door behind him.

"You look great," he said.

"I'm not even wearing my dress yet," you giggled. Squinting, you tried to figure out what about him seemed off to you. Then, when you realized it, you stepped up to him and brought up your hand to fix his shirt collar, which was partly stuffed under his tie. You then rested your hand next to his collarbone, above his heart.

"You look great too," you said softly, smiling a small smile up at him.

"Thanks," he breathed.

"Alright, I better get ready," you chuckled, stepping away from him. "I'll see you there."

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Steve didn't think of himself as a very sophisticated guy. Sure, he was smart enough, but he was no match to you, for example. He wasn't that big on words or analogies.

And yet, when he saw you step down the stairs into the ballroom, his first thought was that you looked like the sun, ethereal and radiant in your beauty, almost blindingly so; your hair was styled in a simple manner, your face stretched in a soft smile as your wonderous eyes roamed around the room. Your dress created an angelic sort of look, and as you gently walked down each step, your hand delicately gliding on the banister, he nearly couldn't believe you were real, that you were making your way to him.

The moment your eyes met his, your smile became bigger, your steps quickened, much like his heartbeat. When you arrived, he extended his arm to you, like he has a habit of doing, and greeted you a soft hello over the sounds of the dainty music.

The night went great, it really did. You two danced together, ate some of the fancy food, laughed. It was… magical. There was one point, when you were swaying together to a slow song, when he thought –

Well, it didn't matter what he thought, didn't it? Because at the end of the night, you didn't wait on him. No, you sneaked out with some guy in the year above you.

Steve wanted to be angry. He couldn't, not at you anyways.

Ever since a year ago, when you found out you were going to the same college, he knew. The relief that washed over him when he heard the news, the gratitude of being able to be by your side – he didn’t understand how he didn't see it sooner.

He assumed, sooner or later, you'd see in him what he sees in you. The sun. Happiness; bright, celestial, divine.

But maybe you can't see what's simply not there.

Steve went to his dorm. He went to sleep, but his nightmares awakened him again and again. Nightmares of losing you. So, without any other choice, at around 5 am he decided to give up and get up, maybe take a shower.

At the moment, it felt like real life wasn't any better than his nightmares. He hoped at some point, that would change.

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"Damien!" you laughed breathlessly as he pulled you through the endless corridors.  

"What?" he chuckled, stopping and turning back towards you, pulling you a little closer to him by your joint hands. You panted a little in an attempt to catch your breath before you spoke.

"Where are we going?"

"Oh, wherever you want to! Just away from that stuffy ballroom," he grinned.

"It wasn't stuffy, I thought it was very pretty!" you defended it with a smile.

"Not as pretty as you," he softly said, bringing his hand to cup your cheek. He's been complimenting you like that since you two met an hour ago at the ball, and well, you were a simple girl; you really wanted him to kiss you right now.

He took a step closer and his hand traveled to your chin, holding it and gently tilting your face up. Just as his lips touched yours, your eyes fluttered shut, allowing yourself to succumb to his embrace, your lips moving against his. You broke apart for air, and you opened your eyes when you remembered.

"Damien," you said, "I just remembered, I was with my friend at the ball and I didn't tell him I was going… can we go back for a second?"

He examined your face for a second before smiling and saying, "Sure. Just for a bit though," he winked.

You made your way back in silence, the sound of your footsteps muffled by the carpets below you. Looking at him from the corner of your eye, you found him looking ahead with a smile. Bashfully, you smiled too, slightly biting your lower lip. Soon enough, you arrived.

Staying close to the ballroom doors, Damien asked you, "Can you see him?"

"I don't think so," you said with a frown, scanning the dancing crowd with your eyes. Steve was tall, usually you were able to easily pick out his frame from any crowd, but you couldn't see him anywhere nearby.

"Well," you said after a couple more moments passed, "he probably realized it and went already," you shrugged.

"In that case," Damien gestured at the exit, "After you, madam."

You giggled and bowed a small bow before exiting, Damien on your heels. You spent the night walking the grounds, talking to each other over the sound of the wind. When it was getting late, he escorted you to your room and gave you a good night's kiss, a perfect gentleman, just like you read about in books.

That night you slept peacefully, no dreams, good or bad, plaguing your consciousness. The next morning you woke up refreshed, ready to take on the day.

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You and Steve were still friends, but something changed. You didn't really see it, too occupied with school and Damien to notice, but there was a shift, a distance that wasn't there before. You still talked, you still hung out from time to time, it just… wasn't the same.

One day, when you were in the library together, one cold February night, Steve asked you a peculiar question.

"What do you think is the best way to tell someone you love them?"

"Why, any Valentine's day plans?" you joked.

"Nothing in particular," he shrugged.

"Well, I think the best way to tell someone you love them is with words. Just… say it, or write it, you know?"

"Yeah, I guess that's nice," he smiled, returning to his book.

"So, who's the lucky lady, huh?" you nudged him with your elbow, "is it Kathrine? Because I'm telling you, I really think if you'd ask h-"

"It's not Kathrine, because it's no one," he cut you off with a chuckle. "It was just a general question."

You never bugged him about it again, quite honestly you forgot about the whole ordeal.

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The months of the winter passed, and lo and behold, the spring settled over you. The winds were less harsh, the flowers were blooming again, the sun was shining brightly. With only a few scattered days of still wintery weather, you mostly studied outside on the grass, maybe under a tree. You were making the best of it, inviting your friends of Damien to study with you too. You felt like bursting into song.

One day, when you and Damien were sitting on the grass, studying together, he picked a rhododendron, sticking it behind your ear. The large flower didn't hold on for long, and fell down after a couple of seconds. You laughed, and he chuckled. Picking it up, you tried to put it on once more, but it just wouldn't stay. Then, you took it again and this time, stuck it behind his ear. Somehow, it managed to stay on.

You laughed, "You look very pretty."

"I do?" he asked, fluttering his lashes playfully, "why thank you darling."

After a while, he took it off and pressed in between the pages of his notebook. "Like you always do," he smiled, showing off the closed notebook before putting it back into his bag.

"Be careful," you giggled, "if it falls out the entire bag will be full of petals, and even when you’d think you got them all out, you'd find a couple more a few days later."

"Are you speaking from experience?" he asked cheekily.

"Why of course not! I was born a professional," you stuck your nose up indignantly, making him laugh.

"Of course you were, how could I forget," he offered you his hand and helped you up.

As you walked together back to the school building, you had a feeling you forgot something, or like something was missing. You looked back at the place you were sitting in seconds ago, but there was nothing there.

"Everything alright?" Damien asked.

"Yeah, everything's great," you answered, squeezing his hand that was clutched in yours.

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When the second ball was approaching, Damien had started to send you love letters. Every time you had gotten one, you felt your heart pick up its pace, a smile stretching on your face. Some of them were poems, some quotes, some just sentences, you didn't know which he wrote and which he read and thought of you. You took to the habit of saving them all in a small box in your room, going through them every couple of days.

I see you everywhere, in the stars, in the river, to me you're everything that exists, the reality of everything ~Virginia Woolf  

Every one of them was simply signed with three x's, signifying kisses. You smiled as you put the most recent one into your pocket, intent on putting it with the rest later.

Some days, you'd get small notes, and some days would be a rather large page. You loved both.

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight For the ends of being and ideal grace. I love thee to the level of every day's Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light. I love thee freely, as men strive for right. I love thee purely, as they turn from praise. I love thee with the passion put to use In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith. I love thee with a love I seemed to lose With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath, Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose, I shall but love thee better after death.

~Elizabeth Barrett Browning 

You resonated with the words, you've always loved poems. Weirdly, you've never talked to Damien about your love of them, but you guessed he just… knew. That's what made him so special.  

If I had a flower for every time I thought of you, I could walk in my garden forever. ~Alfred Lord Tennyson

That one made you stop in your tracks for a moment. It made you think of Steve. He didn't really bring you flowers anymore. Well, maybe he just didn't find any new ones.

Let me not to the marriage of true minds Admit impediments. Love is not love Which alters when it alteration finds, Or bends with the remover to remove: O, no! it is an ever-fixed mark, That looks on tempests and is never shaken; It is the star to every wandering bark, Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken. Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks Within his bending sickle's compass come; Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, But bears it out even to the edge of doom.      If this be error and upon me proved,      I never writ, nor no man ever loved.

~Shakespeare

You smiled brightly as you read the note. You were getting new ones every other day. Amongst the chaos of exams, it was nice, knowing that's the way he had to keep in touch with you. You were just done reading it when your friend came up behind your back, reading over your shoulder.

"Oh, did Damien bring you this?" she smiled. "You guys are so cute together."

Today it is heaped at your feet, it has found its end in you The love of all man’s days both past and forever: Universal joy, universal sorrow, universal life. The memories of all loves merging with this one love of ours – And the songs of every poet past and forever.

~ Rabindranath Tagore

That last one you found in the library copy of "The Count of Monte Cristo". You gravitated towards it every time you were anxious, or couldn't sleep, or both. It was a comfort. Finding the note there nearly made you cry; the long day you've had mixed with the love you felt bringing tears to your eyes. You blinked them away with a smile, stuffing the note in your pocket before starting to read the book.

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Steve saw you open the book and get the note. He smiled to himself.

He didn't know if this would work, or if you'd think your boyfriend wrote them. He just wanted to make you smile.

He also wanted to make you know, make you understand what he was feeling. But you weren't exactly emotionally available right now, so Steve did the best he could; he waited.

In the meantime, he went to search for another poetry book. He was surprised you hadn't recognized his handwriting yet. He did write it a bit more neatly than he usually did, with more careful attention.

Maybe she recognized it but didn't want to say anything. Maybe that was a pitying smile, whispered a voice in his head. He shook it off.

He knew you weren't his, but he couldn't give up hope. He could wait some more.

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The spring / end of the year ball was approaching in giant steps. You were done with your exams, and already had a dress, which you adamantly refused to show Damien despite his repeated pleas. Now, you were spending an afternoon outside, enjoying the fresh air picnicking with some of your friends, who were playing a card game you couldn't care to learn the rules of. You were taking photos instead, borrowing one of your friends' camera and taking some pictures of them playing, of the scenery.

"Has Damien asked you to the ball yet?" one of them asked.

"Oh, not yet," you shrugged, "I'm sure he will though. I mean, you've seen the notes he sent me," you giggled, "I don't see another option."

Just then, you saw a figure coming towards you from afar. In the other direction, you saw Damien approaching, and before you had a chance to wonder about the other person, he was there, planting a kiss on your cheek. You put the camera down on the blanket and smiled at him.

"Speaking of the devil," your friend chuckled.

"Only good things, I hope," he sat down next to you.

"Of course," you laughed and leaned away from him to snap his picture, "what else could we have said?"

"Well, that's great, because I was wondering," he took a breath, "do you want to see me do a card trick?"

"Yes, sure," you said, slightly confused but still smiling.

He held up a card. "Could you tell me what card this is?"

"A leaf ace," you said.

"Great," he flipped it around in his hands a couple of times, before pulling off a complicated hand movement you couldn't keep track of, and was now holding a small, card sized mirror. "Now, could you tell me what card this is?"

"It's… a mirror," you said, puzzled.

"Look closer," he encouraged.

"Still a mirror, Dames," you chuckled.

"No, it’s a queen of hearts!" he laughed, "my heart, more specifically," he leaned in closer and smiled. "Would you go to the ball with me?"

"Yes! Of course I will!" you laughed, wrapping your arms around his neck and pulling him into a kiss. Just then, you heard the shutter of the camera clicking, and broke apart from him, laughing.

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The night of the ball finally arrived. You were in Damien's room, getting ready, when you finally had the mind to say, "Oh, Damien, I don't think I ever thanked you for the notes," you smiled at him from the other corner of the room. He was standing in front of the mirror, tying his tie, while you were sitting on the bed, already in your dress, which you finally let him see.

"Oh, from last week's lecture? No problem love," he smiled at you, your eyes meeting through the mirror.

"No," you giggled, "I meant the notes you've been leaving me."

He looked at you, puzzled. "You know, the notes with the– oh come on, don’t play dumb," you scoffed playfully.

"I'm not," he said, "I genuinely have no idea what you're talking about." He finished the knot and came to stand in front of you, offering you his hand and helping you up. You stood in front of him, squinting.

"Okay," you said after a few moments. Smiling, you noticed his collar was partly stuffed under his tie, raising your hand to fix it and –

"Oh," you frowned softly.

You knew who wrote the notes. You knew all along. I mean, how couldn't you recognize the handwriting of the person you know the best? Who knows you better than anyone else?

The person you've been neglecting the past few months. And yet, he was sending you love letters. You felt like crying, because you should've known it was him. More than that, you should've realized; you love him too.  

You love him so much it nearly hurts. The man with flowers in his hand and stars in his eyes, the one who took you to every bookstore you ever wanted to visit, who gave you his jacket when you were cold, who knew not only what your favorite book was, but also what copy of it you would take.

As good as Damien was to you, he was never the one for you. He was charming, lovable for sure.

But he wasn't your Steve.

Your Steve who was probably going to the ball alone, or maybe not even going.

"Is everything okay?" Damien asked, a concerned frown on his features.

"No, I- look, Damien," you took a deep breath. "I owe you an explanation, and I swear, I will give it to you, but I just… I can't do this anymore."

"What do you mean can't do this anymore? Do you not want to go to the ball or-"

"No," you closed your eyes forcefully before opening them, "us. I don't think we should be together anymore."

"Where is this coming from? Love, is everything o-"

"It's not okay, Damien!" tears welled up in your eyes, "It's not fair to you, I know. But I just… I have to go," you stepped away from his embrace.

"Go where? You're not making any sense, please, can you just-"

"I'm sorry, I am so, so sorry, but I have to go. I promise I'll explain everything, just… not right now," you said shakily, fumbling to collect your things before leaving the dorm, and a stunned Damien in your wake.

You weren't sure where you were going, you just knew you had to find him.

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You roamed the corridors in a bit of a daze until you finally realized your legs were carrying you to the library, and shook your head, deciding to go there anyway since there was a decent chance Steve was there.

He wasn't. You knocked on his dorm room door, but he didn't answer it, so he probably wasn't there either. You went to sneak a look at the ball, but you didn't find him there too.

You were just about to give up when you looked out of one of the windows. There, you saw the small glass gazebo that was a little further away from the building. The light was on, and there was someone there. You couldn't tell if it was Steve, but you figured it wouldn't hurt to try.

You went down the stairs and outside. The night was surprisingly crisp, and the dress you were wearing had short sleeves, but you continued anyway. As you got closer, you could see the silhouette clearer; it was indeed Steve.

You stopped a few yards next to it. Now that you found him, you didn't know what to say. I'm sorry didn't feel like enough, and –

Your train of thought was cut off by Steve turning around, his eyes locking with yours through the large glass windows. You swallowed heavily.

He went outside, crossing the distance and standing in front of you. Both of you were quiet for a moment before he spoke up.

"Not going to the ball?" he asked.

"I could ask you the same thing."

"I feel like it's obvious I'm not going. Where's your boyfriend?"

"I don't know."

Silence settled between you for a couple of minutes, each one of you absorbed in your own thoughts. Eventually, you were the one to speak up this time.

"I know you wrote them, Steve."

He chuckled. "Okay. What do you want me to say?"

"That you meant them," your voice broke with emotion, not knowing how true the words were until your lips uttered them out loud.

"I did. I do. I can't say I'm sorry for that."

"You shouldn't be," you said, "I'm that one that should be sorry. I am sorry," you looked up at him, your eyes sincere. "I'm sorry I didn't realize it was you sooner. And I don't mean the notes, Steve," you stepped closer to him.

"Then what do you mean?"

You licked your lips hesitantly, bringing your face closer to his. You didn't know which one of you finally broke the distance, but suddenly his lips were on yours, and it's all you could think about. You were kissing Steve Rogers, and it was enchanting. You wrapped your hands around his neck as he wrapped his around your waist, pulling you impossibly closer. You melted into his touch as your hands tangled in the soft hair on the nape of his neck. One of his hands came up to cup your cheek gently, and suddenly you were both smiling so hard you broke apart, gasping for air. Your foreheads stayed connected, leaning on each other as you slowly opened your eyes.

"This," you whispered, "I mean this. I love you, Steve."

"I love you too," Steve laughed, "so much. I was afraid you will never say that. That I'd never get to hear you say that to me. I love you," he said again, his eyes looking into yours.

Just at that moment, it bizarrely started to rain. "Really?" you looked up at the sky, "it's spring! Hell, it's almost summer!"

"Maybe it's summer rain," Steve suggested with a smile.

"But it ruined our moment," you playfully pouted.

"We always have another one," he smiled, pulling you in for another kiss, not minding the rain that was now wetting your dress, his suit. You felt the raindrops fall on the top of your heads, but the sensation was a thin echo compared to Steve's lips on yours.

A thunder roared, and you broke apart once again.

"Maybe we should get inside," you suggested.

"Maybe we should," he grinned, "last one there is a rotten egg!"

He started running before you could even register what he said. Just like he did when you were kids.

"Wait!" you laughed, running after him, gathering your skirt in your hands, "Not fair! I have a dress!"

He stopped and ran back to you before picking you up with ease, carrying you bridal style to the entrance and putting you down right on the threshold.

"You're a rotten egg, Stevie," you giggled.

He looked down to see that indeed, your legs were technically inside while his weren't.

"Don't worry," you cupped his cheek and tilted it upwards so he'd meet your gaze, "you're my rotten egg."

You both laughed before you went inside. He offered you his arm and you wove yours through it, leaning your head on his shoulder.

Taking your time, you strolled through the corridors in comfortable silence until you reached your room. You came inside and turned on the heating, Steve right on your heels, hugging you from behind.

"I can't believe it's raining," you looked out of the window with a smile.

"I can't believe you're mine," he whispered into your neck.

You tilted your head back to kiss him softly before you involuntarily shivered. Wordlessly, Steve guided you to the bed, tucking you into the blanket. He was about to leave, but you opened your blanket and gestured for him to come cuddle you. He chuckled and climbed in next to you, wrapping his arms around you again.

"Tell me a story," you said as you laid your head on his chest.

"Once upon a time," he started, "there was a very beautiful princess. And she chose a normal boy. No one knew why she did it. They asked her, 'why not a prince?' and sh-"

"And she said she didn't like princes, but she loved the boy more than anything else," you smiled.

"Wow, more than big libraries?" he chuckled.

"Yes, even more than big libraries," you giggled. Humming contently, you snuggled even closer to him, the rise and fall of his chest lulling you into a peaceful sleep.

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Which brings us to where we started this story, the next morning.

The story Steve's eyes told you that morning was better than any other story you've ever heard. It was a love story that you would tell your children, and your grandchildren.

And every time Steve heard you telling it, he sat and listened with a smile.

You once asked him why he always listens to that story, it's not like he didn't know it, he lived it.

"I did live it," he answered, "but I still live it, every single day. And it gets better with each day," he leaned down to kiss you.

Steve Rogers was the most wonderful of men, and over the years he grew to be the most wonderful of husbands, of fathers and of grandfathers.

You both grew, but there was one thing that stayed the same – his heart was yours, and your heart was his; forever.

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flower meanings:

Rose – love.

Honeysuckle - pure happiness, sweet love, devoted affection.

Hydrangea - gratitude, grace, beauty, abundance. some colors also symbolize bad luck.

Hibiscus - variously symbolizes health, delicacy, beauty, respect and hospitality.

Rhododendron – beware.  

p.s. - the meanings are based on my limited searches, also there are some flowers with more than one meaning:)

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i’d love it if you’d want to tell me your thoughts!! if you’ve stuck through this entire thing - thank you!!!<3

Taglist:  @horny-nd-bored​ @shannon124 @perfectlyharolds​ @wintersoldierslut​ @iceebabies​  @sleepingpapermouse @steverogerswasalwaysworthy @holtzkinnon @angelicl-y @stydia-4-ever @thatoneperson5000 @fangirlfree​ @kaitcordx25 @bequeening​ @steve-barry-damon-logan​ @itscrazycherryblossomcollection​ @hollandxmarvel​ @stargazingfangirl18 @readsreblogsfics @onetwo3000 @beritmetal @harrystylesholland @jazbot2000 @anobscurename @xxxtwilightaxelxxx @peggycarter-steverogers @evansphnx12 @starlightcrystalline @procrastinatingsapphictrash

if you wanna join / be removed from a taglist, comment/message me! much love <3

[harpidiem]

Hi, you and I seem to have very similar tastes in art and in other things and as a begging artist I would like to know your art journey and any resources you used such as books and things or where you get inspiration from, thanks in advance

Hello! I'd be happy to!

I've been drawing since I was a kid, but I only started drawing seriously when I was about 12 (I wanted to become an animator, I didnt know that jobs like illustration on concept art were a thing). I never took a formal art class, expect for one that was on acrylic painting, and I didnt really learn that much there, and it was only for 4 weeks. (Maybe I'll learn to love acrylic someday, but not today).

For inspiration, I write down favorite memories of mine, and sometimes unimportant ones (memories of sitting at a gas station on a hot summer day, waiting on my dad to buy some sodas so we can get going on our trip; walking under football bleachers at night), and most times I'm a little too scared to post these because they're personal, but im working myself up to it.

I collect moodboards on interest, just whatever catches my eye, even if the aesthetics don't match. When I'm out, I take pictures of places I would like to draw later (abandoned farmhouses, old mill houses, a lighthouse far off in the water alone, a stretch of road completely covered in graffiti).

Books! Ok so I have a lot of art books but few that have actually been beneficial, so I'll post those here.

Color And Light by James Gurney: A Guide For The Realist Painter; I cannot reccomend this book more!! This book is excellent, it talks about how to paint different light conditions, and how it effects light scientifically. Very easy to understand, and Gurney is a master painter.

Adorning The Dark by Andrew Peterson. Another excellent book, and one I don't think I'll ever be over. While this is a book from a Christian standpoint, and I don't know your opinions on religion, this book for me was unputdownable. I read it cover to cover in a day, and did the same thing the next day. Reflections on self and the creative process that takes place in the mind and spiritually, and how we effect others. A simply wonderful book. Id go as far as to say life-changing.

Any Ghibli art book (I own Howl's Moving Castle, and Spirited Away.) These are excellent if youre wanting to look into illustration or character design. It doesnt give much advice, but I find myself inspired every time I open the ghibli books I have.

Sketching From The Imagination: Characters by 3d Total Publishing; this book has many MANY artists of various art styles, and they give their process and advice! Little nuggets of "Oh! Yea that makes sense." are scattered throughout the book, at least for me.

As for fiction books, I read a wide range of genres, so I can't really make a HUGE list of books I reccomend, but I can give a few that I feel have been important to me personally the last few years.

Jeff Vandermeer's Southern Reach Trilogy, and Borne Trilogy. Rick Bragg's All Over But The Shout'n, and Ava's Man, Flannery O' Connor's A Good Man Is Hard To Find, C. S Lewis's A Space Trilogy, and Madeline D'Engle's A Wrinkle In Time. Comics like Batman: The Long Halloween, Calvin and Hobbes, and Minna Sundberg's Stand Still Stay Silent have been great to read as well!

Movies and TV shows are HUGE inspirations for me, but as a general guide, I adore movies like Alien, Fury Road, Pan's Labyrinth, Lord of The Rings, Oh Brother Where Art Thou?, and TV shows like Stranger Things, Over The Garden Wall, and The Twilight Zone. Video games are important as well, like Resident Evil, Silent Hill, Kentucky Route Zero, and Death Stranding.

Anyway, heres what I have to say: Use everything. Dont be afraid to deviate from your "aesthetics". Yes, you'll feel a bit lost at times, like you have no identity, but thats a good thing for growth. When I was 12, I was dead set that my thing was extremely cartoon art styles, pokemon, and drawing dragons. While these are still great and huge inpirations, if I didn't branch out, I would be stuck in a rut.

It is not important to have a set aesthetic. Youre not an aesthetic Instagram page at heart! Find what you are drawn to, what imagery catches your eye, what symbols have meaning to you. I will change throughout my life, but my core values are still there. And I think its important to understand that, to loosely quote Andrew Peterson, that self expression is an endless, and often fruitless chase. You gotta shift your direction outward, and you'll discover things about you, good and bad.

Wow, this post is getting very very long. Apologies. Anyway, one more note. Just explore. Collect things, look for details! Note that swirl in the sand, a wrinkle next to an eye, get a feel for a place or thing. I have dozens of books that make no sense together (2 books on sharks, 1 on specifically waterplants, 5 on animal species, 2 on surgery, 1 on the history of medicine, 1 on car mechanics, 1 on martial arts, 3 cookbooks, and a book on the history of wood working.) Yes, I tend to hoard books. Get a book from the library on a subject you know nothing about once a week. Glance through it, take at least 20 minutes hopping page to page, even randomly. You'll find something! Just keep your eyes open, dont stop learning! I encourage wiki rabbit holes 100%.

And please, please dont be afraid to post new things. In the end it doesn't matter if your followers are unused to the new thing you like! As long as you are conveying meaning behind what you create, you'll find your way. Im uh, still learning this. People latch onto concepts more than skill, I've found.

So yea, thats just what I have to say. Sorry for the long, LONG post. I hope this helped!!

[freelancearsonist]

Scavenger Hunt

Richard Alonso-Muñoz x fem!Reader

Rated R for an orgasm at the very beginning and then pure fluff the rest of the way

2,468 words

A/N: This is a not-so-surprise birthday gift for the love of my life @pascal-isaac​ 🥺 thank you for helping me with all the small details for this, ilysm and I really hope you enjoy 🥺💛 (I know this moodboard looks hella confusing but I promise it’ll make sense when you read the fic 😂)

You awaken with a start... and a finish.

It’s a beautiful morning—the sun is shining and you can hear birds chirping outside the window, but you can’t register any of that immediately because you can feel a familiar thick mustache scraping lightly against your clit and everything in your body is clenching as your orgasm tears through you, accompanied by a loud whine of your undoer’s name.

Richard grins up at you triumphantly as his tongue gently works you through your high—he’s even more in tune with your body than you are, and he pulls away just before his ministrations become too much for your sensitive cunt to handle.

“Good morning,” he hums as he plants gentle kisses along your thighs.

“It definitely is,” you pant, letting out a breathless chuckle before reaching for him and dragging him up for a kiss. He moans into your mouth—he does every time you kiss him, and it’s one of your favorite sounds.

“Happy birthday,” he mumbles against your lips. He tastes of you—it makes you feel as if you’ve claimed his mouth. You love it.

“Thank you,” you smile softly as you pull him in for another kiss.

“I’m sorry I can’t spend the day with you,” he smiles sadly. “I tried to take it off, but since there’s no one else in communications at the moment—“

“It’s okay,” you reassure him, gently silencing him with a kiss. “You know I don’t like to make a big deal out of my birthday, anyway.”

He smiles at that—you’ve been telling him for weeks not to bother with gifts or anything out of the ordinary. All you want is a normal day.

“Okay.” He dips to kiss you one more time before standing up—already dressed and ready for work in his uniform. He looks so good in it; you always want to tear it off of him. “I love you. I’ll be home for dinner. We can order in if you want?”

“Sounds good,” you affirm with a soft hum. “I love you, babe.”

“I know you didn’t want gifts, but... I couldn’t do nothing,” he chuckles softly before turning your attention to the nightstand next to you. He made your favorite breakfast and your favorite tea, arranged in a surprisingly aesthetic fashion on a small tray.

“Baby—“

“Don’t be upset, it’s already done,” he chuckles softly. “I know you don’t normally eat breakfast, but it’s the most important meal of the day. It’s the bare minimum I could do.”

That’s pretty fair, and you love him all the more for respecting your wishes of not doing anything over-the-top expensive.

“Have a good day, mi amor,” he whispers and dips to kiss your forehead. “I’ll see you tonight. Te amo.”

“Te quiero mucho,” you reply, tugging him in for one more proper kiss before he has to leave.

You take your breakfast into the bathroom and draw a bath—dropping in one of your favorite vanilla-scented bath bombs because it’s a good day to treat yourself. You settle your breakfast onto the bath tray—another gift from Richard, from a Christmas a few years back—and soak pleasantly in the water for as long as you can until you’ve finished eating.

You notice something strange in your mug once you’ve gone through your tea—writing on the bottom of the ceramic surface.

Check under the bed :)

For a moment you’re a little upset, worried that he got you a gift after all. It’s not that you don’t like getting gifts—quite the opposite actually—but birthday gifts aren’t your forte. You’ve never really liked celebrating the fact that you’re a year older because you already feel old enough.

Regardless, you decide that if he’s gotten you something, it would be rude not to go after it.

You soak in the warm bath water for a few minutes longer before you drain the tub and towel off, throwing on your favorite sweatpants and one of Richard’s large flannels.

There’s a small box under the bed with a note taped to the top.

Happy birthday, my love. I know you didn’t want anything, but I didn’t want you to be bored without me all day ;) in case you haven’t figured it out already, this is a scavenger hunt :) put the puzzle together to find the location of your next clue ♡

Sure enough, the box is full of puzzle pieces that you spread out on the bedroom floor and start piecing together.

You can’t help smiling at how sweet and thoughtful it was of your boyfriend to put this together for you. It doesn’t really feel like a gift even though it technically is—but the fact that he put so much thought into it doesn’t make you feel bad. It’s the kind of gift that you’re sure he had as much—if not more—fun planning than you will unraveling it.

You’re surprised, as the picture starts to become more and more clear piece by piece, that the final image appears to be a shot of your favorite store.

You weren’t really planning to leave the house today, but now it appears that you’re going to have to. You throw on some sneakers and grab your keys—it’s a short drive to the store, one that you drag Richard to for hours at a time every opportunity that you get. He’s always so patient and wears a soft smile as you pick clothes off of nearly every rack and try them all on, nitpicking the small details of how they fit on your body. He has never-ending compliments for you then never fail to lift your spirits when something doesn’t fit exactly like you want it to.

You don’t recognize the bright-haired employee at the counter, but she apparently recognizes you. She calls your name, and when you respond she hands you an opaque garment bag and a piece of paper before returning to her work like nothing even happened.

The page is a crossword puzzle, with certain boxes highlighted, and there’s a note from Richard scrawled across the top of the page in his neat handwriting.

Don’t look inside the bag until you get home :) fill out this crossword puzzle and unscramble the letters in the highlighted boxes to find the location of the next clue ♡

You’re baffled once again by the time and effort he’s put into this, but you decide not to waste any time. You carefully lay the bag down in the backseat—although the urge to peek inside is overwhelming, you can be a good girl when Richard depends on you to be.

You grab a pen from your glovebox and get to work. All of the words are snippets from your relationship with Richard—how many dates you went on before he finally worked up the courage to kiss you (three), how long it took him to win over your parents’ approval (a year and a half), the name of the beach where you gave him his first public blowjob—you can’t help but laugh at the fact that he included that last one.

This puzzle is a little more difficult than the last, but when you finally unscramble the letters, you immediately recognize the name of the restaurant where he took you for your very first date together.

It’s only a short drive to the restaurant, and you smile when you see a note from him taped to the door.

Take a photo of this cipher and solve it while you enjoy lunch ♡

There’s a collection of random numbers underneath his handwriting, and you take a quick picture of the note with your phone before going inside.

It’s been a while since you’ve come to this restaurant, but it brings back so many good memories—of your first date, and also of the handful of dates since that’ve happened here, too.

For nostalgia’s sake you decide to order the same thing you ate on your first date—a generously-sized steak that Richard now says contributed to him falling in love with you on the first date. Why eating a giant slab of meat makes you worthy of his affections, you’re not entirely sure... but you’ll forever be grateful for it.

It takes you a little while to solve this cipher—you’re starting to realize that the clues get harder as you go. Your boyfriend really is a genius, and you can’t wait to see him tonight and properly thank him for this adventure.

It’s a simple number substitution cipher that spells out the name of the movie theatre when Richard finally kissed you—in the dark during one of the most boring movies you’ve ever seen—on your third date.

You’re surprised to find that your meal is already paid for when you ask for the bill—Richard really put a lot of thought into this. Your heart swells with love for him yet again as you get into your car and type the movie theatre into the maps app on your phone.

Your jaw physically drops when you literally see your name in lights on the marquee sign outside of the movie theatre, accompanied by instructions to “pick up your favorite snack inside”.

At the concession stand, another person that you don’t recognize calls your name, and this time the employee hands you a small container of popcorn and a box of your favorite candy.

To your surprise, there’s no note attached to the containers you were given. You almost wonder if you have to eat your snacks to find your next clue before you notice the sign behind the counter.

Go to the ticket booth for most recent showings Exact change appreciated Let us know how to make you feel at home :)

It seems normal besides the fact that there are four words in red while the rest are plain white letters.

Go change at home

The message is clear, and you leave with a smile, excited to finally find out what’s in the garment bag that you’ve had with you all day.

Your smile is constant almost all the way home, and it only grows when you see what’s inside the bag.

It’s the softest white sweatshirt you’ve ever felt in your life and a black corduroy dress—two items that you’ve had your eye on for months but have always ultimately decided weren’t necessities. Again, your heart swells at how attentive and in tune your boyfriend is.

They’re perfectly your size when you slip them on, and infinitely comfortable—if he had to get you a gift, you’re glad it was these.

As you finish changing, you notice a note on the bed—something that definitely wasn’t there this morning. How did he manage to put it there? Isn’t he at work?

There’s no puzzle on this note—just an address that you don’t recognize. You change into some more outfit-appropriate shoes before typing the address into your phone. This one is a longer drive—a little more than half an hour. You’re a bit worried because it’s starting to get late and you want to be home when Richard gets off work, but you’re eager to finish the scavenger hunt that he’s set up for you.

Your GPS guides you to the edge of town, and you recognize the building when you arrive. It’s a small villa on the lake—the place where you took your first vacation together. And there’s another note on the door.

I’m in the back ♡

Your heart beats with anticipation—does this mean Richard’s waiting for you? Did you arrive too early?

There’s a small enclosed patio on the backside of the house—you have to go through the house and down the stairs to access it.

The sight that meets you when you jog down the steps brings instant tears to your eyes.

Richard looks handsome as ever, curls gently slicked back and forearms exposed underneath the rolled up sleeves of the white button-up shirt that he wears tucked into a pair of gray slacks. You would almost feel underdressed if you didn’t know that he picked your outfit out specifically so you would feel comfortable.

As handsome as he looks, that isn’t what brings you to tears. The fact that he’s down on one knee with a small velvet box in his hands is what causes your breath to catch in your throat.

“Richard—“

“Hold on, let me give my speech,” he chuckles brightly, grinning at the way you nod as your hand comes up to cover your mouth.

“Mi amor, I feel as if I’ve been in love with you since the moment we met. Every day since I finally convinced you to be mine has gotten better and better. Even when we fight, they are some of the best days of my life because I’m with you.” He chuckles tearily as he looks up with you. “You found your way into my heart for life faster than you found all the clues today. And I don’t want to waste anymore time not knowing that you’ll be mine until the day I die.” He flicks the box open—the sizable diamond inside brings a fresh wave of tears to your eyes. “Will you marry me?”

You drop to your knees before he’s even done asking the question, a sob wracking through your body and your face burning from how wide you smile as you tackle him and press your lips to his. He moans and immediately wraps his free arm around you, drawing you tightly against his chest.

You stay in each other’s arms on your knees like this until you’re both completely breathless, and he chuckles softly when he pulls back for air.

“So... is that a yes?”

“Yes!” You practically squeal as you tackle him again. “Yes, I wanna marry you so bad.”

He grins as he slides the ring on your finger—he gives you a moment to admire it before he gently pulls you to your feet.

He wraps you in his arms and slowly starts swaying with you, to music coming from a speaker on the picnic table that you hadn’t even noticed until now.

“I know you didn’t want anything for your birthday, but it just felt like the right time,” he whispers as he leans his forehead against yours.

You can’t help the soft laughter that bubbles from your diaphragm at that. “I could never be mad at you for this. I love you so much, baby.”

“I love you more.”

You continue swaying together as the sun sets on the lake, wondering how you got so lucky to be with this perfect man.

THE END

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[dinosaurtsukki]

BSD x university au hc’s | pt. 2

part 2 of the university au hc’s !! i am obviously a slut for chuuya and fyodor so don’t mind me. i hope you guys like this !!

check out pt. 1 here

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Akutagawa Ryuunosuke:

i love akutagawa ryuunosuke my angst child but i’m just like ‘hmmmmmmm’ when it comes to what his course would probably be

after extensive research aka reading his character page on wiki i feel like maybe he’d be a history major because,,,, he likes antiques?

well his clothes do seem very dark academia-esque and i can see him liking something as cool as history

akutagawa’s probably into something like war history but he’s not weird about it he just finds it really cool how different strategies work or analyzing what exactly makes the winners win

he absolutely HATES the fact that he keeps having to read the Iliad for class

he’s also that classmate who INTENSIVELY DEFENDS achilles for being a bit of a little bitch (but he fully agrees that patroclus and achilles were gay af ok this was random moving on)

akutagawa has practically no social life. he doesn’t go to parties, he doesn’t talk to his roommate, he doesn’t even like to eat in the dining hall

BUT he absolutely loves being in debate team because WINNING

he’s such a nightmare to work with though but he just delivers so well when it’s time for him to speak. like, if he’s on a negative and it’s time to hash out rebuttals, just prepare to get MURDERED

other debaters: “esteemed scholars and adjudicators...”

akutagawa: “you, sir, have no idea how wrong you are.”

that is until dazai decided to randomly show up at a debate tournament all ‘la di da da’ like and completely crushed akutagawa along with his ego

from then on he started stalking dazai and just SOMEHOW managed to end up in his circle of friends

even though he’s antisocial in real life, akutagawa 100% runs a dark academia aesthetic blog on tumblr i’m right and i don’t accept criticism

it’s actually really good he has a ton of followers and even does requests for moodboards if someone asks nicely

atsushi was the one who actually found out about it but he’s nice so he didn’t tell akutagawa about it

kunikida probably follows that blog

Chuuya Nakahara:

if this part sounds like i’m just thirsting for chuuya then you’re absolutely right i love wine man

don’t get mad at me but i can ABSOLUTELY SEE HIM MAJORING IN FASHION DESIGN I MEAN LOOK AT HIM

he’s just always had such a good eye for fashion and he’s veryyy meticulous when it comes to snipping and putting together clothes

chuuya also carries a sketchbook full of designs and his drawings look amazing and he isn’t afraid to just show them off

that said he doesn’t dress like a tired uni student at all, like he just always looks so on-point and unbothered by his five million deadlines

dazai: chuuya, i said this was a CASUAL LUNCH

chuuya, dressed in what looks like silk pajamas: THIS IS CASUAL

tbh if he just wore a white t-shirt and jeans i would die maybe he’s actually saving us from this ordeal

he has so much talent though as a designer he’s probably had several internships with design companies all throughout his years at uni

i feel like chuuya’s also really active in extracurriculars and has been in leadership positions in some of them (he probably runs the student org for fashion design)

chuuya in a student band though oh my gosh i can’t breathe i can’t breathe him as a VOCALIST?? and wearing torn jeans and eyeliner and that same hat in concerts ican’t brEATHE

okay in all honesty he would thrive being in a band chuuya loves the attention and the creativity of being able to design their whole look and write songs

tbh i don’t know if he’d have a roommate chuuya’s probably the type who’d rather have one of those single rooms or just rent a flat for him to stay in even after graduation

because his social life is super vibrant, he does have a lot of friends and he does make an effort to get to know all of them individually 

but he’s more open around those who he’s been friends with for a really long time and as much as he’d like to say dazai isn’t one of them, he is

also chuuya is definitely the type to party hard during the weekends and has more than once crashed in someone’s house after drinking too much (dazai drew on his face on more than one occasion)

Oda Sakunosuke:

i love this man SO MUCH you guys have no idea i would literally die for him

100% this guy majors in creative writing because this is supported by FACTS and not just me wanting to be coursemates with him in this fictional world

super serious and diligent with his work especially since he’s passionate about writing. he loves to read in his spare time and is such a fan of classic novels about social realism or philosophy

oda spends 99% of his time in second-hand bookshops that the owner probably knows him by name at this point

he’s super old school when it comes to writing though, like he still keeps and writes in a notebook before typing it up on a laptop and no matter how many times dazai tells him its impractical, oda just keeps doing it

lmao whenever workshops come around he’s super nice with his critique. i bet a lot of his fellow classmates like sending their writing drafts to him

he draws smiley faces and always adds ‘nice work’ on people’s drafts omg i love odasaku

he’s such an old soul, he probably doesn’t do a whole lot of partying but he likes more quiet, private social events like drinking with close friends or just hanging out and talking at other people’s houses

he and dazai probably met when dazai decided to take an intro to creative writing class and wrote a long poem about double suicide on his first day that kind of put off everyone in the class from wanting to sit with him

odasaku was the only one who wasn’t exactly bothered but he did give dazai some comments to help him with his poetry and dazai instantly wanted to be his friend

in terms of extracurricular life, i can definitely see odasaku joining a writing organization and even the campus newspaper. he does find joy in interviewing students for newspaper articles

he’s also pretty into photography and uses a really old, second-hand camera that he bought at an antique store and fixed himself. at one point he won a prize in a contest

odasaku would be the best roommate. he’s super sensitive to when you have a bad day and will invite you to sit on his bed and hug his pillow and talk about your problems

scratch that, everyone talks to odasaku about their problems and now your room is like a therapist’s office

Edgar Allan Poe:

i swear this was the only gif i could find other than actual edgar allan poe

ANOTHER CREATIVE WRITING BUDDY AHHH I WOULD LOVE TO BE BESTIES WITH HIM AHHH

well actually i feel like since he’s super ambitious and already has a fixed idea on the stuff he likes to write, he’d probably double major in something like forensic science because he’d use it to write his mystery novels

omg that’s where he meets ranpo and now pretty much every main character poe writes is slightly based on on ranpo

it’s a problem. his professor brings it up more than once during his classes but it’s poe’s Thing now

he also has such an unending passion for gothic literature and he wears those white, long-sleeved blouses and waistcoats on a REGULAR BASIS

chuuya probably saw him once and was like ‘hmm, i could pull that off’

poe’s daily route is just going to the library and to class and then go home and that’s about it

he ended up working as a student assistant at the library because he’s just super familiar with the book collections and it’s a job that’s peaceful and quiet 

more than once though, he’d just be really in-deep with his writing to the point that he doesn’t even notice that the library has closed or that he hasn’t eaten the entire day

that’s alright though because ranpo always passes by the library at night to check on his friend and (reluctantly) give him some snacks

also since poe’s pretty much a recluse, he doesn’t go to any social event UNLESS it’s a halloween-themed one

he loves going all out with his costumes because he’s a Drama Queen like that but the problem is he keeps dressing up as gothic novel characters and nobody gets it

dazai, trying to guess his costume: umm,, Two-Face from Batman?

poe: IT’S DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE

there was this one time when poe took it upon himself to host the halloween party and it was EPIC

he basically designed it as a murder mystery night wherein everyone who came pretended to be guests at a house and then a murder happened

the only problem was that ranpo was conspiring with poe and it was pretty much unfair

except for the fact that ranpo was frustrated at how bad everyone was at deducing that he ended up solving the mystery for them

Fyodor Dostoevsky:

one of my favorite scenes of him in s3 was of fyodor playing the cello because god damn that is beautiful and therefore i am hc-ing him as a music major and you can’t tell me otherwise

fyodor is an absolute music genius and he was definitely scouted by the university’s music program and then he was granted a scholarship (because in this ideal university, the arts are valued)

he purposely decided to go to a university rather than a music conservatory because he’s also interested in learning a bunch of other things

aside from his music classes, he ventures into comparative literature and philosophy, even a bit of computer science at some point

people always assume that since he’s a music major he probably wouldn’t do well in other subjects but SURPRISE BITCH

anyway, fyodor’s a genius because god clearly has favorites

aside from attending class, he’s even part of an official orchestra and has even landed a few solos 

that said, he’s quite busy and very preoccupied in his own work to actually have a social life either

you’ll often find him rehearsing by himself in an empty classroom for hours and hours on end (someone pls bring him food he’s also the type to forget to eat or even drink water)

if you are able to catch him perform at an orchestra or just practice by himself, it’s quite a mesmerizing sight. his eyes are often closed so he could focus on the sound alone and his fingers move so elegantly along the neck of the cello

(sorry i just love people who play any form of stringed instrument)

fyodor also takes such good care of his cello. also he would probably kill you on the spot if you touched his bow

he has a fairly small group of friends and they like playing chess together (even though fyodor is better than all of them) and just talk about um,, idk philosophy and stuff (whatever it is smart people do idk i’m not one of them)

i have a feeling he actually follows akutagawa’s dark academia blog and loves his content, even to the point of requesting ‘cello player moodboards’

also because he’s a cello player he needs to take care of his fingers so he wears gloves a lot (idk why i find this hot)

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taglist (check out my post for details on being part of my taglist): @waitforitillwritemywayout @tpwkatsumu @laure-chan

[celestialblushxoxo]

Hi hope you are doing well. May I participate in the fs game?

Pronouns she/ her/ hers

I’m straight

Thank you!

CJ

Hey love, hope you're having a lovely day as well🖤 here's your reading, hope you enjoy it🦋✨

Ok I'm scared of him lol. Just kidding or am I? As I'm typing I hear this dramatic opera music lol I love how it's syncing. Anyways they come from a place of power, someone from old money possibly, could be new money as well but more so old money. They have this presence you know. They are authorative, powerful, mature, stoic sorta, people at first may think they are egotistical or rude but actually they aren't. Like you guys may have a significant age gap and they could be 5+ years age gap. But like there is a difference in experience as well. When they were young possibly they were boastful and had pride about their background, may have been rude towards people who were underprivileged but their family is very respectful and taught them how it is wrong to do so hence as they grew up they realise this and they maybe a philontrophist or may donate in charities. They may have a dominating personality, not in a toxic way, they just demand respect without actually saying it. Their aura is very strong. Gives the vibe of mafias in a Wattpad story lol. They are the kind to forgive (not always) but not forget. Very very well established and high in their career. Maybe a boss or something. Owner possibly. All I can see is $$$ honestly lol. Very hardworking tho and family oriented. They'd do anything for their loved ones. Very protective. May have the tendency to be possesive as well. But they are open to constrictive criticism. May love to tease you just to get a reaction from you. Admirers may look at them and think "Zaddy spotted" this is so funny omg like damn sis who tis😂 but yeah look wise really built, may be regular at gym, medium to above average height, could be latina, Italian decent is also popping up, fair to tan skin, beard, loves sunglasses, love the colour jet black, loves helicopters!? Very intense eyes, dark brown, dark hair, maybe hairy, love suits and formal clothing, very ambitious and hardworking. Nice @$$ is also what came through lmao. Very well groomed and his beard is also well kept, may have short hair. Financially very very stable. They love hard once they fall for someone tbh. Like they'd want to give you the world. Like they'd shower you with gifts lol. Like literally. You may have to make efforts to get past their rock hard exterior. Others/close ones would describe them as well established, planner, exotic!? Detail oriented, particular, good time management, hardworker, extravagant, someone who gives respect when they gain respect, well recognised. Right now they are moving on from some situation and are almost on the way to reach their goals and healing etc. Overall they'll love you a lot, they may not express in words but through actions and gifts you will definitely know🦋✨

Possible placements: Capricorn, scorpio, leo, strong 10th house, Major earth and fire placements

Possible fashion aesthetic:

They may possibly change their style a lot but this one popped up more:

Thank you so much for your patience and hope it resonates to some extent. Hope you also like the reading and moodboard, do let me know if you liked it or not, it helps me improvise! Have a lovely day/night ahead love🖤✨

[you-can-mork-me-in-your-heart]

NCT ot23 as your moots

Oh oh this is going to be very hard 😖

I'll do moots from my main account @ashfire295 but I think most are common here anyway

Also if I messed up someone's pronouns I'm really sorry cos I couldn't remember or find everyone's. If anything's wrong, you can text me and I'll edit it

I had to do more than one member for most moots as I couldn't find 23 sksjdsdkj

Taeil, Jeno- @dolphin-chenle really sweet and cute, says the nicest things

Yuta, Johnny- @bangchan-has-felixs-egg best stories, really interesting life and gives great advice, like I think johnny would. Also a really good listener ( there's so much i love about her but aa I can't find the right neo)

Taeyong, Kun- @sinpiesinpie cos she's very sweet, caring and like- mature (also I really look up to her and her writing so that's like kun and bubu- the looking up to part) and the talent 🙌

Doyoung, renjun- While I've not really spoken to @trashlord-007 I imagine them as the cool wine aunt who travels the world and I don't know why. These two members also give me similar elegant and aesthetic vibes, also very creative.

Jaehyun, Winwin- @yukheis-lips both very hype and very calm at the same time, I think. Also very supportive and hyping

Jungwoo, Shotaro- @fullofsunshine66 despite her love of haechan, I think her personality is like these two since she's so soft and sends the most adorable messages (I need more pics of her bunnies-) 🤧

Lucas- I don't really know @daech-witless too well but his loud messages and constant hyping remind me of lucas, also he sounds really positive I don't know 😅

Mark,Ten- @jakeycore I mean we're anyway eloping and moving with mork to canada ,but I do see them as similar. They're aesthetic, hardworking,caring and confused but they've got the spirit 😅 also she texts how I think mark would text. Ten is because of the artistic nature and creativity cos her moodboards are *chef's kiss*

Chenle,Yangyang- @soft-jaem very random and chaotic, their posts are honestly a rollercoaster to read and their personality seems super hype and chaotic like these two

Xiaojun,Hendery- @fedupgaybutactuallybi they're quiet around new people but really fun with friends, also highkey weird but owns it.

Haechan, Jaemin- @m-e-t-anoi-a I'm not sure if juju even checks tumblr anymore but she's my first tumblr bestie 🥺 and I literally love her. I gave haechan cos the sass is impeccable, also loud in texts and excited easily. Jaemin too cos she's sooo caring and also lowkey weird 😌 (dem hands)

Sungchan, jisung - @vantaengelic babie but long, you know? Jk jk but honestly, girl's tallll. Also sungchan cos he lowkey a math genius and she's smort

I hope I didn't miss anyone and hope you like this annonie 😌😅

[flintt]

Zemo Moodboard/Theme Songs you won’t use… unless? 🤭😳

Part 2/3: The Musicians (The broadest one, I had a lot of different ideas/instruments I wanted to do so here it is!)

Part 1 // Part 3

First up we have a purple punk rock (vaporwave?) bass guitar moodboard! (thats was a mouth full-) anyways, another Zemo signature color one (WHY DOES IT GIVE ME OLIVIA RODRIGO VIBES I-) I love the deep sound bass guitars give in songs and I like the thought of Y/n playing a strong and powerful instrument. (Edit from after I finished this but before I posted it: MOTHER MOTHER VIBES?? HAYLOFT?? “My daddy’s got a gun.” I-))

Piano Y/n (or Zemo?) Well… theres your fire. Three photos.. just couldn’t contain my pyromania tendencies (this is a joke, I don’t have pyromania) Pianos are such an elegant instrument, so emotional. I just hope there isn’t too much angst if this is chosen. Went for a more dark academic aesthetic and I think it ended up pretty good.

(I’m going to have a good cry while listening to these two ^^)

Singer AU, thats truly angelic- Singing and songwriting is such a “nostalgic” (?) way to show emotions, we always find a way to relate to it, through memories or through little stories we create in our head. Many songs have brought us tears, happiness, nostalgia and other emotions that sometimes others can’t bring us… wait. Didn’t mean to get so philosophical… maybe I’m just trying to keep fanfic ideas very open and vague.. (you wouldn’t blame me, I just want creators to have as much creative freedom as I did just with the idea-) Sunrise/Sunset vibes, maybe a spice of angelcore/dreamcore in there!

Now my personal favorite! (instrument. guys the instrument.) Violins! I play the violin, and I’ve learned so much (RIP my fingers though..) The violin, a graceful, beautiful instrument. One of the most recognizable instruments in the orchestra and 3rd most popular instrument to play! I love this instrument and light academia moodboard and hope you do too!

Thats it folks! The street art (Artist AU) moodboards are coming soon and I hope you enjoy them!

(The only ones I could find when searching them up where graffiti and spraypaintings so I don’t know what you’re talking about, sorry 😓)

@mymagicsuitcase