#in the meantime u get a little treat. which may or may not be a tasty one

[3vocatio]

i love how awful simeon is, not that it's attractive in any sense because it's horrendous how he rejects anything that will lead to confronting himself, but because it's interesting and it surprises me how it's not more spoken of. something so human and something that plays into the reason why solomon told diavolo that he doesn't fit into the storybook role of a perfect celestial realm angel back in season 2.

in his first birthday event, no one amongst the cast batted an eye when he tricked the brothers into practicing the virtues that they had as angels, nor did anyone notice how he mirrored them by indulging in their respective sins. no one questioned why he never spoke much about himself since season one. without a clear goal, the concept of kindness is simply the absence of cruelty for simeon. a passerby, a bystander, because that has been his role since the celestial war.

knowing this and that simeon is an author, it's curious how he seems to assign roles to everyone in his life, and adopt their traits to fill the places that he lacks. that way, he can find parts of himself in them, just as a creator does with their original characters.

but he cannot figure out what role solomon or barbatos play in his story, and it's why he is relentlessly frustrated and intimidated by what they have to say.

they haunt him, because they represent the reality.

[zhe-awesome-me-blog]

Itoshi Rin and Sae: a story in three parts

alternatively: how having a brother complex can ruin your life (but it's mostly that you both just have terrible personalities)

So in the midst of the world cup finals last week, I remembered—in a frenzy or some state like it—of the existence of the edgy soccer manga Blue Lock. And so I read it. And it sure was edgy.

One of the things that stood out to me were the Itoshi brothers, Rin and Sae, and how most of their relationship, its highs and its lows, were predicated on Rin simply having the world's biggest brother complex.

By the way: general spoiler warning for the manga up until about the VS Japan U-20 match (around ch 147).

Prologue

Before we get any sense of backstory for them, we're introduced to the Itoshi brothers on different occasions.

In ch 4, we first meet Itoshi Sae, a genius soccer player who considered to be the best in Japan. The first impression we get of him is that he has a terrible personality. and a foul mouth. He has no interest in entertaining the media or giving any serious to interviews, and he does not hold back on his arrogant demeanor, though in his case, it's actually justified by his ridiculous skill.

Rin is introduced much later than his brother, during the second selection arc, and is someone who is also incredibly skilled. While most of his motivations seem shrouded in mystery, we know that Rin is self sufficient and dislikes to rely on others.

Oh and I guess there's also his deal with his brother.

oh yeah rin-chan seems weirdly more on edge at the mention of his brother? haha i'm sure this means nothing

Rising Action

In ch 123, the curtain is pulled back.

Itoshi Rin loves his brother very much, loved his brother very much; he admired him above all else, and strove to become just like him in the future.

Even as a little kid, Sae has had his terrible personality: he already tells his interviewers to eat shit and doesn't hold back his arrogant attitude. Most importantly, however, is how, above everything else, he hates to lose.

A young Sae takes it personally when Rin is the one to get the lucky ice cream. i'm with him on this one i would also try to justify myself too much when my brother would get the lucky items. curse him.

But those things don't mean much at this stage, where Rin and Sae stick with each other, as close as two coats of paint. Sae obviously dotes on his younger brother and treats him nicely, which contrasts with his demeanor with others. So when they both notice that Rin also has the skills in soccer, instead of being mad at Rin for intervening during his game, Sae proposes that he plays with him.

how heartwarming. im sure these siblings will keep their close relationship in the future haha

And so they do.

For the few years to come, the Itoshi brothers are an unbeatable striker duo. They share a dream: to become the best strikers in the world, with Sae as the number 1 and Rin as the number 2.

They're quite close, and have trust in each other's skill. When Sae comments negatively on Rin's play, it feels more like constructive criticism (and even playful banter), rather than insult.

Sidenote, it's interesting to compare the brothers' different approaches to playing soccer.

For Rin, he mostly relies on his instincts. It's something I may have not mentionned earlier, but one of the defining aspects of Rin is that he's a character defined by his incredible luck. It's present in the lucky ice cream he kept getting, in the fact that he was born as the younger brother to the talented Itoshi Sae, and of course, in his way of playing soccer.

a frustrated Isagi asks Rin what he's missing (ch86)

Sae, on the other hand, doesn't have as much luck. He keeps getting the wrong ice cream and he plays in a much more methodical manner: Sae actively works hard to reach his goal, while Rin allows himself to be caught along his brother's current.

dependency

Regardless, Sae eventually gets scouted for his skill and goes away to Madrid.

In the meantime, Rin keeps holding onto the dream, the promise, he had with Sae. Though, even when he works hard for his dream, he does so by playing as Sae's replacement, in order to catch up to his brother. All the while, he keeps holding onto the idealized version of his brother that he has in his head.

Turning Point

After four long years, Sae suddenly comes back and,

He's exhausted. Rin points out how he lost some weight, but Sae also has prominent eye bags, and his face is sunken. Most importantly, he lacks the vigor he had when he left Japan.

It's also important to point out that Sae had come back earlier than expected, yet his first thought was to go see his little brother and inform him of the change in his dream. Because to him, it's important that Rin knows this; because that mutual dream of theirs is what matters the most to them.

And so he tells Rin of his newfound realization and decision. The world out there is huge, and there are plenty of more talented players out there, even better than the unbeatable Itoshi Sae, as strikers.

So, Sae decides that he's now striving to become the number 1 midfielder in the world, instead of the best striker.

And Rin...

He takes the news very badly.

Because, to Rin, all he's hearing is that his unbeatable brother, the one who hates to lose above everything else, has resigned himself from his dream of becoming no 1 striker, simply because there are others that are better than him.

To Rin, his brother had basically admitted that he's not actually the best.

Understandibly, it shatters Rin, as well as his idealized and out-of-date image of his beloved, talented, cool, older brother. He can't bring himself to accept what Sae is saying, so instead, he aggressively rejects this "new" Sae in front of him, and he refuses to ackowledge him anymore.

The thing is, though, not much has actually changed.

His older brother is the same victory-loving, defeat-hating Sae as he was before he played in Madrid; he's still the same Sae who dotes on his younger brother and wants to see him grow; he's still the same Sae who wants to become the best soccer player in the world.

All that has changed is that he saw that he plays better as midfield, so he changed positions.

To Rin, it doesn't make sense that his unbeatable older brother would change this part of his dream. To him, the very fact that Sae altered his plan is the same as giving up. He's still childish and has an all-or-nothing mindset.

But Sae, who is a bit older and who has now experienced the world, doesn't understand why Rin is so upset. After all, he still wants to be number one, and he still wants his brother by his side.

Rin retaliates.

as a way to deal with their argument, sae challenges rin

Admitedly, the stakes of their 1v1 are ridiculous, but a part of Sae wants to keep on believing in this childish dream of them becoming the best strikers. After all, it's his talented younger brother. Maybe there is a chance.

But there is none.

And it's when Rin becomes so desperate that Sae finally loses his patience and tries to knock some sense back to him. Because Sae is exhausted at this point, and his younger brother is spouting childish things. Sae wanted him to realize that, sometimes, what you're best at may not be what you initially believed it to be: something which Rin seemed incapable of accepting.

admitedly, he's being very mean about it. I guess he finally got over giving rin nice treatment just for being his little brother

He gets angry at Rin. He tells Rin to quit, because to Sae, this dream he has is something that he's been actively working for and advancing in. Meanwhile, Rin tells him that he was his sole reason for playing all this time. And it's not enough, because it's such a fickle reason.

The world is large and there are so many better players out there, that such a lukewarm reason meant that Rin was never serious to begin with.

So now, it's Sae's turn to reject his brother.

Outcome

All that their interaction in the snow had showed Sae was that his brother was not actually serious about football, after all. And because he's not serious, because he's so lukewarm, Rin will never reach Sae's level.

The thing is, Rin does outsmart his brother in one critical instant, though neither one of them meaningfully acknowledge it

The main problem with Rin is, well, his huge brother complex.

Okay, well, more seriously, Rin's biggest problem is that he bases his self-worth on his brother. Even when they officially separate, Rin's motivation for playing football is still centered on Sae. Actually, I don't think you can say that his initial reason changed that much.

As easily as Rin could pretend it, he can't think that his beloved brother being nice when they were younger was all just a lie. Because it wasn't. So now he's mad at Sae for turning his life upside down and leading down this path.

He claims he wants revenge against his brother.

ch 125

Rin says that he wants to break Sae "into pieces" and that he wants to destroy his dream, but what is the dream that he's talking about? is it the one about being the number one player, regardless of position? Or is it just that Rin wants to go back to those days they were playing together?

I don't think even Rin himself knows entirely.

His reason for playing has always been Sae. It hasn't changed: it's always been his brother. And truth be told, all Rin really wants is to gain back the affection of his brother.

To come back to the Japan U-20 match, Rin says that he wants to be his own person, that he doesn't want to be defined by his relationship to others. But he also holds onto any bit of affection he may get from Sae.

So much for a guy who claims that he hates his brother.

He allows his hostile exterior to break a bit after the match against the Japan U-20 team. For God's sake, he's so hopeful and wide eyed that Sae finally, finally sees how far he's come. That he'd compliment him for the first time in a lifetime,

but no.

rip rin-chan I hope one day he actually compliments you

Epilogue?

Besides the fact that Rin's resentment towards Isagi has grown tenfold now that the latter managed to snatch a compliment from his brother, there isn't more that has been added to their relationship after their match.

Honestly, despite all this meta that I wrote,

I'm still not over the fact that Rin's mysterious and tragic deal was that he simply has the world's biggest brocon and heavily depends on his brother's approval and love.

[greatwesternway]

what did the indoor exhibits think about the outdoor ones before they all came inside? did they even know there were other engines out there?

The indoor exhibits knew the outdoor exhibits existed, but they didn't really think about them much beyond the way one might think of the people who work at your job but on a different shift.

A thought occurs to me though that some of the older locomotives that were kept indoors might be a bit concerned for the ones outside, if they'd had any experience with being left to the elements. Aside from the Rocket replica, we've put off researching a lot of the other pieces of smaller equipment the MSI has since Pioneer doesn't need to know anything about the guys inside beyond what it would occur to him to ask for Pilot's benefit. You saw my stack of books; this is why we go back and edit the letters every time we update, so we can add in stuff we learned in the meantime.

Anyway, those guys might harbor a worry for the engines outside, but there's not much to be done about it. The exhibits outside are too big to be brought indoors. These little old engines simply wouldn't conceive a way that the bigger machines could be brought inside... until they dismantle that wall and haul 999 and 727 in. Sure, they had to cut off 727's wings to get her through the door, but they put her right to her new use and both of the girls were now safely indoors.

2903 coming inside didn't seem so farfetched now, but U-505 and Pioneer's train are surely too long to bring inside. They'd take up an entire gallery to themselves! Which was true. They were building the Henry Crown Space Center by then so the indoor exhibits probably assumed they'd build annexes for Pioneer and U-505.

That they started digging instead would have been a surprising turn of events. But they did and Pioneer and his train were indeed given their own gallery. They lowered them into their new parking garage exhibit and everyone agrees he's a fine ambassador for the museum.

But Pioneer is very light, as far as trains go. The idea that they could drop something as heavy as U-505 in a hole on the same kind of pulleys they used to lower Pioneer in? Iffy proposition, the small exhibits might have thought. 2903 by this time had been moved to the IRM, but had he still been here, they might have assumed this was why he hadn't been moved inside too. This is the reason given for why he was donated and it was true at the time. U-505 is much heavier than 2903 is, but he is also (not to disparage 2903) a much more valuable exhibit. They were already saying that Pioneer's exhibit was the model for how they wanted to treat U-505. So they sent 2903 off to his new home and began planning yet another logistically complicated move for U-505.

It did take ten more years for them to get U-505 underground as well, but they did it. And that was truly a feat! It just goes to show how great their museum really is. Like, there's not a standard operating procedure for lowering a U-boat into a subterranean exhibit. The MSI not only presents science and industry as it happens, they make their own.

The exhibits themselves may not necessarily appreciate it on that level, but they do recognize the dedication of their museum to their care and maintenance that everyone was eventually brought in, even the most unwieldy of them and even if they had to send them to a new home to ensure they'd no longer be getting rained and snowed on.

[witchlingsandwyverns]

Commission FAQs

A little about me: I have a day job. I grew up drawing and it is still a happy creative space for me to explore, usually in the evenings. Until now, I have only done small D&D commissions. People have expressed an interest in regards to fanart, so why not? Here we are.

If that seems like the kind of thing you'd like, here's what I'd need to start:

D&D/OCs/FANART:

Character descriptions about each character (physical description, personality description, any relevant details like specific gear/weapons/armor. This can be as basic or detailed as you like, but the more info I have, the better I can help your characters shine)

Campaign description (this can be super brief but want to make sure I match the tone of the world/game)

What book series/characters 

Any particular moment from said series or AU/fanfic

If I have not read the series/know the characters, we can treat it like a D&D commission, but I will be very up front if that is the case

Type of commission you'd like from the list below

Deposit (half up front)

NO:

Underage art

Furry art* (*not a judgement thing, more a reflection of my (lack of) skill)

*Pricing and Payment - Which include a first rough draft of each character, up to 2 rounds of revisions/corrections, and a final hi res file of each character - let me know if you have a preferred format. Payment is easiest for me through Venmo/PayPal, but if that doesn't work just let me know.

Basic Lines (waist up): $50 each character

Basic Lines (waist up) + Color: $75 each character 

Full Body Lines: $75 each character 

Full Body Lines + Color: $100 character 

Backgrounds depending on complexity: $50-$100+

*Timeline - I can start as soon as I have the above info. I typically churn these sets out in ~2 weeks, often sooner depending on how happy you are with the initial direction of art and how quickly revision feedback is sent.***PLEASE NOTE*** I am not a professional, art is not my 9-5. I will do my best to respect your time and mine by communicating clearly if a project is not a good fit or hits delays for one reason or another. By commissioning me, you are agreeing that I am a person with a life first and an artist second - and as a person, I will be as flexible as I can. B U T . Please respect my time. If I don't hear from you after a week, I will consider the project scrapped, and payment up to that point forfeit.

*Process: You will get a first pass character draft which I send to you for revisions, and after I get that feedback I revise if necessary/clean up the line art/color if applicable. This point is the last call for feedback. After the art is confirmed, I send the finalized files upon receipt of 2nd half of payment. Reach out if you have any questions, again I'm pretty flexible.

I think that's it, sorry to throw so much info at you! Let me know if you are still interested at kize93art@gmail.com (with "tumblr commissions" in the title) or if you have questions but might want to take some time to think about it. As of right now there's not much I won't draw, though I reserve the right to pick and choose my projects. In the meantime, may all your hits be crits & happy reading!

Thanks,

~B.

[kasarian]

hemlo! was curious abt Akku's magic powerz! Cuz i remember reading abt his bioluminescence but u also drew himb with fire stuffs! what r his magics? :0

hewo! i saw this ask hours ago but i was attending my uni's local art exhibit (+ data shitty there jdfmnfdm), so sorry it's late </3

But this story has multiple sources of powers, which some certain species (?) have their own naturally attained powers, , others draw their power from their surroundings / from the planet itself, while some can use runes and other things (think glyphs!) as a mode of accessibility for those who do not/are not able to naturally use magic.

Akku, in the meantime, is a child of a sea dragon and an earth dragon, both who are of very powerful lineage; Him being able to influence his environment is just a taste of the rest of his powers!

A being's powers in this universe absolutely depends on how much they are able to hone their skills. This is true for all types of magic. So.. well, making a list for Akku can be a little hard to think about! And not all of things I'd list could end up canon so I'm a little hesitant but here we go

What I've got so far is:

- Complex shape shifting (this is different for every person in this universe, but for Akku, he has it down pat, since his skillset is more influenced by the control of liquids. eventually he gets there with the earth/rocks/land part of his skills)

- Is able to remember specific glyphs and spells, but runes baffle him.

- As for the fire, read above! + He learns an artificial light spell (aka Glow Spell) from Orbit as soon as he's informed that he can learn other elements (at age 10). He and Orbit's manifestation of light manifest differently; Orbit's level of mastery and love for creatures allow him to manifest this spell as a companion/familiar. Akku's manifestation of this spell is completely organically shaped (i.e. it can be anything he wants, but it mostly appears as fire-like, or he always adds it to other elements)

- Underwater breathing comes in later, after he reuinites with his parents as a child, and as soon as he decides that he can't be afraid of water forever (at age 12). He loves wading in water as a child, but his separation from his parents was traumatic enough for an 8~9 year old to try his best to avoid it as much as possible.

- Alon is able to dive deep in the ocean; Akku can only reach half that at the least, 3/4ths at best. (I have not done enough research for a number to be plausible to my collective. i feel like hadal zone may be too deep and implausible www)

- Akku is able to largely manipulate his environment (at age 18, then gets better with time); i mean that he's able to sense and move around large bodies of water and hurl boulders if needed.

... Not sure if this explains anything tbh, it's all very broad and vague, but I do think of magic like... as a mix of a lot of irl things. mostly skill & understanding the fundamentals of it. and i treat it how i treat the advancement of techniques in my own journey in art. but also this is a fantasy world where almost anything is possible if i want it to be HAHAH so a lot of changes can come and go. if you want any more specifics, please feel free to ask!

[braincoins]

About Me: Cancer Edition

I’ve gained some followers and not everyone knows the whole story. If nothing else, this will be an easy-to-link-to summary to catch old friends up to speed. There’s no need to read this if you’d rather skip it; I won’t hold it against you. I’d rather skip it, too, but I’m the one with the cancer, so I don’t have the option.

It first showed up in late 2013, and it was pretty apparent immediately what it was. The dermatologist I went to in January of 2014 knew it as soon as he looked at it. He sent my biopsy results and information over to the University of Michigan because they’re one of the leaders in melanoma treatment.

Melanoma, if you don’t know, is the worst kind of skin cancer. My melanoma is a particular kind called “nodular melanoma”: instead of spreading out along the skin, it goes vertical, which means it not only raises up from the skin, it goes deep down into it as well. Nodular melanoma is the worst kind of melanoma (thus making it the worst kind of the worst kind of skin cancer). But if mine hadn’t been nodular, we might not have known it was there. Y’see, I had a mole growing on the back of my head, in my hair. I kept whackin’ it with my hairbrush. That’s how I knew it was there, and growing quickly. I couldn’t see it without mirror assistance.

A couple of surgeries followed: to get the rest of the “initial site” cleared (the dermatologist had known this was the sort of thing that would follow and deliberately didn’t take as much off as he could have, because taking more would have required a longer healing time before I could be treated and he wanted me treated ASAP), to test the local “sentinel” lymph nodes, then to clear out all the lymph nodes on the left side of my neck, because the cancer had already spread to there.

After that, we discussed options and decided to wait and watch. It meant scans twice a year at U of M (we lived all the way across the state, near Lake Michigan), but that wasn’t so bad. And so, for almost exactly five years, that’s what we did. And every time, the news was good. No Evidence of Disease (NED).

In February of 2019, my scans turned up something on my liver. We did a biopsy and, sure enough, The Cancer Was Back. Not only that, it had progressed to be farther away from its initial site (the back of my head). I had already been diagnosed at Stage IIIC before; now I was Stage IV.

Stages I, II, and III break down into As, Bs, and Cs (so you could be Stage IA, IB, IC; Stage IIA, IIB, IIC, etc.,or whatever, depending on the criteria). Stage IV is just Stage IV; it doesn’t break down into letters. There is no stage after IV.

I was - and am - officially at the worst stage of the worst kind of the worst kind of skin cancer. The cancer was on my liver, in a couple different spots, and on my spleen.

But I wasn’t worried, because I kept up with things and I knew about a great immunotherapy treatment for melanoma that was a combination of two drugs. And that was, indeed, what my oncologist at U of M wanted to start me on. I’d need to have treatments once a month. It would be the combo of both drugs at first, and then I’d move to just one of them.

We moved to Ann Arbor (where U of M is at), and I started the combo. Side effects weren’t bad in the short term, but I developed adrenal insufficiency during the course of the combo treatment. That complicated matters a bit, but I went to just the one drug and my side effects eased. We began to talk about surgery to cut out the liver tumors. The liver surgeon asked for an MRI instead of the usual CT I would have gotten.

The MRI showed a lot more liver spots. As well as an increase in the size of the spots we already knew about. Y’see, some of the tumors were so little that they just hadn’t shown up on the CT yet. The MRI is a more precise (and expensive) scan, and it caught the ones too small to show up on the CT.

My oncologist basically said he didn’t have anything else for me. Immunotherapy is the big dog in the melanoma world, and I had progressed (gotten worse) while on it. He suggested I go to this place called START where they do clinical trials and studies of new and upcoming drugs. It’s not in Ann Arbor though, it’s over in Grand Rapids.

So we moved to Grand Rapids.

I’ve been through one clinical trial but I progressed while on that, so I was taken off of it. We’ve run into the same problem here that we had in A2, really: most of the studies for melanoma are immunotherapy-based. It’s hard to find something that isn’t.

In the meantime, my liver is being literally replaced with cancer. My entire left lobe and a good portion of the right is just tumor now. My oncologist at START recommended me to an interventional radiologist who is going to pump my liver full of Yttrium 90 (Y90), which is a radioactive isotope that is administered via little beads so tiny that they’re 1/3rd the size of a human hair. This targets only the cancer and, over the course of months, should help shrink the tumor(s).

It’s a treatment, not a cure. But it will hopefully buy me time for START to find something that could cure me, or at least work better than the last study did for me. At some point, my spleen may be removed entirely, but that’s not a vital organ. The liver is the big concern.

I also have some melanoma on my scalp (and a spot in my freaking ear), but those are potentially useful for future studies. Anything I take for the cancer at this point - other than the Y90 which is specifically and only ever for the liver - has to be systemic: it has to fight the cancer EVERYWHERE. So if my little scalp spots start to shrink, that means the treatment is working. And it’s a lot easier to biopsy a bump on my scalp than it is my liver or spleen.

WHEW! That’s a lot, and it really is the quick version. I have times when it seems hopeless but I’m doing pretty good at staying positive, overall. Still, I’ve come to the conclusion that liver cancer is how I’m going to die (unless I get struck by lightning or hit by a bus or something random like that). It’s just a question of when. That’s what I’m fighting for: time.

Fingers crossed for another good, non-immunotherapy clinical trial to crop up that’ll take me. In the meantime, I just work on living my life. I’m still pretty good, all things considered; I can still do most of what I want to do, but I wear out quickly. I’ve got physical therapy to help me work on my stamina and strength. I haven’t given up. It’s way too soon for that.

[cwnahyoung]

one of the FOURTH TIER ROYAL candidates, KWAK AHYOUNG: a 22 YEAR OLD born on SEPTEMBER 28TH, 1998. some may know them already but with a face like that, it’s hard not to admit they look a little like JO HASEUL. curious to know more? apparently, these are words they live by: “she’s like a rose that’s forever in bloom.” intriguing, aren’t they? only time will tell if they’re suited for the throne or not.

                             ( PROFILE. ABOUT. CONNECTIONS. ) 

HELLO! what a delight it is to be here! i made sure to submit my app right before acceptance time and i’m so glad i made it before the clock and was able to get accepted with everyone else! as i like to believe, last is best! LOL IM JOKING

anyways, i’m clem (they/them, est, 20) and this is my baby ahyoung, a clover royal who refuses to go any tier higher (but she probably will because i want to work hard) because she wants to be a musician more than she wants to be a princess. think of her personality as a mix of ayaka kamisato, eleanor shellstrop, and a mix of both annaliese and erica from the princess and the pauper (i’ll give u bonus points if you recognize the references on her blog).

i’ll list a tl;dr on who she is under the cut!! in the meantime, if you would like to plot, leave a like and i’ll head my way over to your ims! i am also reachable on twitter (@/intro_crown) and discord (thomalovr#7170) if you prefer going over there for plots! 

biography! 

born into a family with a noble mother and a father who used to be a musician. has given up his musician dreams to follow his life into this life of nobility. also has a little sister who comes much later down the line! 

as a young kid, never wanted to be a princess. but her mom’s side of the family expect her to be a princess, so in turn her mother basically kept on trying to force her into that lifestyle. 

made a promise with her dad that when she gets older, they’ll travel the world as musicians. as a result of that promise, dad tried his best to stall mom from forcing ahyoung into a life of royalty so that he wouldn’t disappoint her. 

(TW DEATH) dad ended up dying because ahyoung and him got in a car accident! she survived, but was super distraught that he didn’t. (END TW)

after the funeral service, ahyoung’s mom basically looked at her daughter and said “ok well since your dad is dead, you have to be a princess now. make it up to him because he went through so much effort to try and convince me to not make you one.” 

and has been in the palace for about a few months to a year already. still wishes she was a musician. 

personality! 

(TW: SLIGHT ABUSE, NEGLECT) hates her mom has mommy issues. her mom seems to only see her as a way to get closer to the queen. basically doesn’t see her as a daughter besides that.

when ahri (her little sister) came into the picture, that’s when mom decided to switch up her behavior but solely for ahri. ahyoung still is treated like shit and forced to be a princess. (END TW) 

besides the fact that she fully intends to not be a princess, she is also the least princess-like person she knows. she’s clumsy, aggressive, loud, sloppy, and kind of messy. she also has a temper! i’d like to imagine she also snorts when she laughs. she’s basically “not like the other girls”. a bit of a fixer upper, if you will. 

despite that, she’s smart!! most of the time 

loves music! knows how to play the piano, which gives her points for elegancy. she also keeps a guitar pick around her neck and she refuses to remove it no matter what, as it is the one thing that keeps her dad with her. 

she will cry over her dad BUT SHE WILL NOT SHOW IT. 

loves sweets! if you give her any desserts, she will love you

despite being hot-tempered and easy to rile up, she is actually very sweet and friendly! the type to invite you to sit with her at lunch or make you a friendship bracelet (with your permission, of course) 

wants to travel the WORLDDD she wants to travel to jeju island for the fun of it. 

there’s probably more, but i’ll add them along the way. 

[littlemissdash]

in which socks are not a necessity | Alfonse x OC

words: 1818

description: the winter festival has grown too cold to weather a moment longer, and alice seeks peace and warmth in front of the fireplace. 

hi @avistella​, i was your pinch hitter for the @summonersecretsanta​ gift exchange! Thank you for being so patient with me in finishing your gift. i hope you enjoy! happy holidays!

It’s so cold. The Winter Festival is always a joyous occasion in Askr, but it’s evening now; the sun has long since set, and there’s a chill seeping into her bones. Alice has already spent the better part of the day entrenched in celebration – people pulling her this way and that, to play this game, to sing these carols, to thank her for guiding the Order of Heroes over and over again – and to be frank, she’s had all she can take for one day! She creaks out of her spot in front of the fire to add another log. As she stokes the flames, she muses that perhaps tomorrow she’ll treat herself by sleeping in. Surely, the castle will go on without its Summoner for an hour or two in the morning?

In fact, the thought of her warm bed is particularly appealing right now…. Once the fire has warmed her skin a little more, she’ll make her way there. In the meantime, she sets about thawing her toes by the heat of the flames.

“You know,” she hears from behind her, “most people would at least consider wearing socks in the winter-time.” There’s a smile in his voice, as though he already suspects what answer she’ll give him; and though she knows he’s only teasing, she can’t hold in a small huff.

“I’m fine without socks, thank you very much. I don’t see you hounding Sharena for wearing shorts in the winter.” She glances over her shoulder at her uninvited guest. The prince has shed his armor for the evening; dressed in a simple tunic and slacks, he nearly looks… ordinary. The thought that she is one of the few people who are lucky enough to see him like this makes her proud (though she’d never admit it out loud).

“No, perhaps not,” Alfonse replies from his place near the door. “But Sharena isn’t quite as sensitive to the cold as you are, and I’d hate for you to get frostbitten toes.” There’s a warm, shy smile on his face, the kind of smile that sparks something hot in her chest, and she turns her gaze back to the fire to hide the color in her cheeks. Alfonse clears his throat and speaks again. “May I… join you there? If I’m not interrupting you.”

Just a minute ago, Alice had been reveling in her solitude; but if it’s him, well… interacting doesn’t feel effortful. She pats the empty floor beside her. “Of course you can.” It’s difficult to resist his hopeful look – not that she tries particularly hard. She returns her attention to the flames, and for a long moment after he settles beside her, there’s nothing but the sound of the fire crackling.

There’s something… intimate about quietly sitting together like this. After the cacophony of war, the bustle of festivals, the arguments and debates of war councils… most days, Alice thinks she’d like to just crawl under her covers and stay there. It would be easier. It would certainly be more peaceful. But sitting together with Alfonse like this… it makes her glad she decided to get out of bed.

“Did you need—” “I wanted to—” They interrupt each other, flushing when they realize their mistake. Alice turns her face in embarrassment, and Alfonse coughs into his hand. “You first,” he insists.

“Did you need a break from all the celebrating?” she asks him.

Alfonse scratches the back of his head. “Well, not quite…” he clears his throat and starts again. “Celebrations like this are welcome. Seeing my people in high spirits… it reminds me why we go out and fight, every day. I am grateful for that.”

When he speaks of his people, the look on his face changes… something between determination and fondness. He loves them dearly. She hopes, one day, she’ll learn to love them with the same fervor.

“They’re welcome, but…?” she probes gently.

“But…. I couldn’t find you,” he admits. Perhaps it’s the light from the fire… but his cheeks almost look a little pink. (It’s terribly endearing.) She can’t help the small smile peeking out on her face. “I have something I wanted to give you,” he adds hastily. It’s only now that she notices that he’s been hiding something behind his back all this time: a small, neatly wrapped gift.

“Huh? But... we already exchanged presents,” Alice protests, flustered by the sudden gift. Did she forget an agreement to exchange extra gifts? Or worse, has he done this out of the goodness of his heart, and she has nothing to repay him with?

“That we did. However, I wanted to give you my true gift in private.” He pauses for a moment, looking for the right words. “It is… selfish of me, perhaps, but I want to be… the only one to see your reaction.” His face is undeniably pink now, but he isn’t avoiding her gaze.

“I – well… alright,” she responds. Alfonse looks satisfied, and a moment later he sets the gift in her hand. “Should I open it now?”

“Please do,” he answers. He’s nervous, she realizes! Even though he’s speaking so boldly to her! What could have Alfonse practically wringing his hands in front of her? Now she’s becoming anxious…. Oh, but now he’s waiting for me to open it….

“The wrapping is very nice,” she says to break the nervous tension between them. “I almost feel sorry to rip it.” Alfonse smiles in response, but doesn’t say anything; she finally bites the bullet and pulls at the ribbon. The wrapping paper is torn off to reveal a small, white box.

She hesitates for just a moment before opening it. Alfonse is watching her eagerly, though she doesn’t know it – she’s too busy taking in the intricate necklace he’s presented her. It’s finely made, that much is clear. The gold metal shines in the light of the fire, delicately shaped and curved in swooping branches to cradle the stone in the center – a bright shade of blue that she recognizes on sight.

It takes a moment before she finds the words to speak, and she’s quieter than she means to be. “The stone…. It’s the same color as the one in Fólkvangr. Isn’t it?”

Alfonse smiles wider now; He had so hoped she would make the connection. “It is,” he says just as quietly. There’s an implication behind the connection of sharing the same stone, though neither of them is quite brave enough to give voice to it. “Do you like it?” he asks instead.

“I… I think it’s gorgeous,” she says truthfully, “and far too much to give me.”

“I commissioned it specifically to be made for you,” he replies evenly.

“That’s even worse!” she groans. The longer she looks at it, the more certain she is that she isn’t worthy of such a meaningful gift. “I don’t mean to scorn your gift, it really is beautiful, but this must have cost so much. I’m hardly worth spending that kind of money on!” Without really wanting to, she pushes it back to Alfonse. “It’s kind of you, really, but I don’t need or deserve this kind of gift.”

He catches her hand, and his smile shifts to a frown. “Alice, you must know I could never agree with that. I had this made because I wanted you to have it.”

Alice shakes her head, avoiding his eyes. “Alfonse, please… it’ll only make me feel guilty. I didn’t prepare you a gift in turn.”

He looks a little crestfallen now, and she regrets her rejection even more. “But you didn’t refuse the circlet when I gave you that. What’s so different about this?” Indeed, the circlet sits comfortably on her head as he speaks. He’s been proud to see her wear it almost daily since he gifted it to her.

She pauses for a moment. “It’s… well, it’s not, I suppose. It’s just that… isn’t this sort of gift… quite sentimental?” She’s almost nervous to look at him now – has she read his gift wrong? Oh, perhaps she should have gone straight to bed after all!

But no, he’s looking at her intently once again. “It is. That’s why I wanted to give it to you in private.” He chooses his words slowly once more. “I hope that you will look at it… and think of me, and know that you are ever on my mind.”

His voice is very nearly reverent, and her protests finally die in her throat. Alfonse makes this sound like – well, not quite a proposal, but almost… a declaration of intent.

She considers his words for a long moment. “If… I don’t accept… would you give this to someone else?” She asks quietly. Her heart is tinged with jealousy now, though she knows it shouldn’t be; if she is to refuse his gift, he ought to do what he pleases with it. Yet, now that she knows what significance this necklace holds… thinking of another woman wearing it leaves a bitter taste in her mouth.

“I will not,” he answers immediately. “If you refuse it now, I will hold onto it until the day that you do accept it.”

Her cheeks are burning hot and her heart is fluttering, jealousy soothed and slotted away for another time. She looks to his eyes for one last hint that he might be wavering, but he’s holding strong; in fact, he raises the necklace u. “May I?”

“…Yes, please,” she finally concedes, turning her back to him and lifting her hair off her neck. Alfonse’s breath hitches at the sight, though he quickly calms himself – the gesture is more intimate than she realizes. He carefully hangs the necklace around her neck. The metal is cold, but his fingers brushing against the nape of her neck are warm. He allows himself to appreciate her little shiver, and then pulls away.

Alice turns to face him. Bathed in the warm glow of the fireplace, cheeks flushed pink and an elusive smile on her face, the necklace – his necklace, nestled on her chest. Alfonse blinks, breath hitching once more, and commits this to memory.

Her voice breaks his reverie. “How do I look?”

He takes a second to find his voice. “Would you stay still a moment longer?” She tilts her head, brow furrowed slightly. “I want to remember you just like this. You look beautiful.” At this, Alice flushes a deep, deep red, and hides her face in her hands. “No, no, I mean it!” Alfonse laughs, leaning in towards her. All of a sudden, he finds that he’s feeling rather giddy. He gently pulls her hands from her face. “You look beautiful like this, too!”

“You’re flattering me,” she accuses, but she’s slowly starting to giggle along with him. And as he kisses her, sweet and slow, Alice prays that this warm feeling inside her will last a little longer.

[glamopticon]

hey angel, my face is kinda dry, and super sensitive, so i dont use acid (i used differin and my skin was so sensitive even moisturising kinda hurt), but i get pimple :( do u have a suggestion? xxx

it sounds like your moisture barrier might be damaged :(( feeling sensitive and dry with skin that hurts to moisturize is potentially a sign that you overexfoliated with the differin. i’d take a look at your skincare routine and cut anything with alcohol, sulfates and only use really mild, moisturizing products for a month or so to heal your skin. then if your skin starts to feel a little less dry, tight and irritated you may be about to handle using a really really really mild acid, like the ordinary lactic acid 5% once every week or two, just to remove dead skin cells and help with breakouts

in the meantime to treat any pimples that pop up try using hydrocolloid patches instead of spot treatments! they wont irritate your skin and will soothe any breakouts maybe even better than bhas would if your skin is sensitive. if you get periods and notice you’re breaking out more often around then, then they may be hormonal and i’d recommend trying spearmint supplements which really really cut down on the number of breakouts i get

[alrodbenedict96]

How Do U Say Bruxism Blindsiding Tips

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Young Living Bruxism

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Tmj Nails

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Even if you've been dealing with teeth grinding before it gets worse over time this side becomes overworked and overused.A contemporary approach to helping remove some of the most common TMJ treatment is administered, a complete diagnostic evaluation is performed.Treatment for children to suffer in silence from TMJ is one of the treatments you might have different response to teeth grinding episodes.Children clench their teeth while they are able to cure TMJ disorders that are located on each side of the sufferer's job performance, relationships, and mental pressures are not fully open the mouth.We'll begin with some people, but most do not properly understood by mainstream dentistry.

[jo2ukes]

Hello! I’m hildahilda from tumblr and I saw you taking prompt requests for 50 ways to love your partner (which has become one of my fave dmileth fics). May I suggest... Dimitri and Byleth debating/arguing over political concerns or having long horse rides together? Just getting these ideas from their paired ending lol. Thank you!

HELLO LOVELY!!! Aaa your comments are always so sweet i always look forward to reading what you have to say slkdfjslkd  thank u for requesting smth ilysm~

I’m SO SORRY this took so long - I’ve been working on it off and on, but I slacked off too much at work last week so things kind of blew up and I’ve been living off of energy drinks. THAT BEING SAID, this is for YOU!!! I’m gonna upload to ao3 later as well, just not rn bc I’m at work lol :-)

spoilers for like. post game and blue lions stuff, though i tried to be pretty vague!

It was never typical for diplomatic meetings to go smoothly. Not that Dimitri is naïve enough to expect them to be easy. Even in times of peace, there are always areas for improvement. Dissatisfactions to be addressed. Relationships to maintain. Something about having his work cut out for him makes these meetings easier – though solving the issues are certainly more time consuming. Uniting Fódlan has been no small undertaking and he is grateful for all the assistance he receives from his friends. He is painfully aware that destruction is his forte – his hands and mind have only recently been converted to the goal of healing and restoration. To lead, you have to be able to both destroy and create, Byleth has told him. She’s right. United Fódlan and the relative peace they have now wouldn’t exist had he not destroyed Edelgarde and her dissenting Imperial forces. While the beast in him once relished in the idea of putting an end to El’s machinations, taking her life was one of the most painful trials he’s had to endure. The perspective motivates him. Encourages him to listen to his people and create a world where no destruction is needed, where no one is unjustly taken.

 He constantly reminds himself of this goal. It makes the sleepless nights worth it.

 The current roundtable has gone on for hours at least – Ferdinand, Lorenz, Byleth, Seteth and a handful of other nobles – mostly from former Faerghus territories – are in attendance. Unofficially, Ferdinand speaks for nobles of former Imperial territories, while Lorenz speaks for former Alliance territories. They’ve been instrumental in the restructuring efforts. While the three of them were not particularly close before, Dimitri counts them among his close friends now.

 “I hate to mention it on top of everything else,” Ferdinand bites his lip, “but there’s one last item I feel needs to be addressed before we adjourn. We’ve had trouble with the Western Church in the Aegir territory. We’ve repelled a few initial attacks. At first we thought it was bandits, but… well, we’ve confirmed the worst. Normally, my pride would never allow asking for assistance, but with our resources and attention spread out as it is, namely correcting my father’s corruption, I’m not sure this is a matter I can handle solely on my own. I don’t want to cause any more chaos in my territory than need be.”

 “You are correct to bring it up,” Dimitri says, furrowing his brow. “Aegir territory is a long way to go to cause trouble.”

 “If the Western Church is mobilizing again, it will certainly affect the trade routes we’ve established,” Lorenz observes. “The few merchants that can afford to travel certainly can’t afford losses to their inventory or company. Our trade routes are the most vulnerable. As former Imperial lands are in the most chaos, what with the complete restructuring needed post-war., it makes sense the Western Church, whatever their goals may be, would seek to cause disruptions there. If we truly seek to provide aid and maintain good relations with the nobles in the south, surely this conflict requires more attention. Wouldn’t you agree?” He looks back at Ferdinand.

 “Respectfully, yes,” Ferdinand nods solemnly. “Though, I understand the Central and Western Churches have their summit planned later this month, which surely makes matters precarious.”

 Eyes turn to Byleth and Seteth.

 “You are correct,” Seteth nods, addressing the nobles. “We are aware certain sects of the Western Church are mobilizing, though we had not heard of any activity in the Aegir territory. You can trust the matter will be dealt with. Her Grace has asked that I lead a fraction of the Knights of Seiros to investigate these disturbances while she attends the summit later this month. Ashe wrote to us several weeks ago, disclosing Western Church movements in the Gaspard territory once again. Since then, we’ve been keeping a watchful eye.”

 “How watchful, if they are mobilizing in areas you are not aware of?” Lorenz asks. “Your Grace, your Highness, I know the Church is quite busy with restructuring efforts, but perhaps it would be wise to focus more resources in this area.” He taps his upper lip thoughtfully. “Perhaps if we sent forces that were not affiliated with the Church it wouldn’t complicate things at the summit. The Western Church can feel safe in trusting the Central Church, and the people can feel safe that something is being done about these attacks.”

 “I agree,” Dimitri hums after a beat. “Very well. Seteth, I want you to take some of Fhirdiad’s knights with you. As things are a little more stable in the capital than anywhere else, it is less of a burden on our resources. Ingrid and her company should be available, I believe. I’ll send word they’re to accompany you back to the monastery. I’ll want to be kept in the loop, of course.”

 “With all due respect, your Majesty,” Byleth says, clearing her throat, and breaking her silence, “this is a Church affair. While I appreciate your offer for assistance, we must decline.”

 “On the contrary,” Dimitri shakes his head, “It stopped being a Church affair when it started threatening to plunge all of United Fódlan into another war, your Grace. These are not random attacks, they seem rather targeted.”

 “The Western Church simply does not have the resources or manpower to launch a full-scale war,” she shakes her head. “I do not believe that is their intention this time. They’re recovering just the same as the rest of Fódlan. If you’ll remember, the last time the Western Church created conflicts, there was a larger power at play. As relations with the Western Church are already delicate at best, I’d ask that you let us investigate internally first, at least until the summit has concluded. A month’s time, that’s all I’m asking.”

 “It is not that I distrust your ability to manage your own, I simply wish to prevent further harm to the already suffering villages.”

 “I understand your concern, your Highness. My wishes are the same,” she straightens her back, looking him square in the eye. She looks truly regal and imposing. For a moment Dimitri thinks it’s a shame the others get to observe her in her authoritative splendor, that it’s not a look only he can witness. But the thought only lasts a moment – he’s more than familiar with that determined glint in her eye. He’s in for a fight.

 “However,” she continues, “I cannot hope to restore faith in the Church if we are constantly shown to be unable to handle our own. Say what you will, but Edelgarde’s war has damaged the Church’s reputation, strengthened seeds of distrust. Whether that distrust was well-placed or not is of no consequence. The reputation of the Church must be restored. Through transparency, through rooting out corruption and self-serving officials, so be it, but it must be handled by the Church. We’ve only just concluded a war built on that same distrust – what message would it send if the King had to step in? How would that offer any reassurance to the people that things are different?”

 “You suggest, then, that the people will be more willing to accept the Church should be allowed to continue to govern its own?” he asks, folding his arms.

 “I’m suggesting we be given a chance to prove ourselves. If the leaders cannot trust the Church, the people cannot hope to hold the same faith.”

 “It is a risk,” Ferdinand interjects, “but I believe Her Grace has a point. Restoring faith in the Church should be a priority, and that task begins with our actions here.”

 Lorenz and Seteth both begin to speak, but whatever they start to say is lost to Dimitri and he focuses on his wife’s voice, rising above the others. When she and Dimitri disagree on topics, the others in the room cease to exist to the two of them. While they do not always agree, he trusts her above all else. He respects and values her opinion, as she has led him down the right path time and time again.

 “Rather than bandaging a severed limb,” Byleth continues, “We should treat the root of the problem. I believe this is not the Western Church, but some unnamed force. Without revealing too much of my own hand, I have reason to believe Edelgarde’s… unsavory allies may have resurfaced.”

 “Is this truly information that should be held by the Church alone?”

 “For the time being, yes,” Byleth nods. “As you said, we do not want to cause further damage to those that are already suffering. Mobilizing too early may do just that. Again, a month is all I ask.”

 “If Ingrid and her company were instead mobilized to the Aegir territory to assist in repelling potential attacks in the meantime, would that be sufficient?” Dimitri asks. It’s more of a thought than a command. He’s willing to let Byleth win this round as he can’t begin to fathom some of the complications that come with running the Church. He takes an interest, supporting her how he can. In private, she tells him of her duties and concerns – an odd topic of conversation for pillow talk, but he likes that she trusts him with some of her burdens and worries, as she’s helped him shoulder his own for so long.

 His main goal is to protect the people. Byleth has always been better at keeping her attention toward the future, while his attention is usually focused on the short term. Perhaps it’s one of the reasons their compromises work so well. Sending troops to assist Ferdinand would fulfill his intention of keeping the villagers safe, at least until the end of the summit. Not to mention, the increase in feelings of unity.

“I have no qualms with that solution,” Byleth says, a smile forming at the corners of her mouth.

 “We would be grateful for your assistance,” Ferdinand addresses Dimitri, giving a slight bow of his head. “I’m humbled, your Majesty.”

 “It’s settled then. I will pass word along to Ingrid,” he scribbles a note for himself. “In the meantime, perhaps we should adjourn for the evening?”

 A collective sigh of relief seems to spread throughout the hall. The various lords stand, bowing to Dimitri before exiting, ready to rest and enjoy the few hours of downtime they have before meetings resume again the next morning, servants coming to escort them to their various rooms. Ferdinand and Lorenz excuse themselves as well, familiar enough with the castle they feel comfortable roaming the halls without guidance.

 Once the room is empty, Dimitri turns to his wife who stands behind him.

 “I thought that went rather well,” he says, offering his hand. She takes it. “Though the Archbishop seems quite determined to give me a hard time,” he jokes. She squeezes his hand gently.

 “You’ll have to forgive her, your Majesty. I hear she’s rather stubborn,” she smiles up at him before standing on her tiptoes and placing a kiss on his cheek.

 “If that is official guidance from my Queen, I suppose I shall take it under advisement,” he laughs. The two of them walk hand in hand through the corridors. “You’re sure the investigation into the Western Church won’t be difficult for you, beloved? I worry about your safety.”

 “I can’t promise the investigation won’t come without dangers,” she replies truthfully, “but I will exercise caution. I have Seteth watching out for me.” She sighs, her mood immediately lightening, “At any rate, that’s enough talk of politics and official business. I asked Cyril to saddle the horses before sundown. If I haven’t been too stubborn, perhaps you’d like to join me?”

 “I’m quite fond of your stubbornness, you know,” he smiles, letting her lead the way to the stables.

 “I know,” she laughs.