#Hange's dealing with stress

[quillsandblades]

A Minute of Rest

Based on the art by @shunkani

Dancing candle flames and the muted glow of the lanterns swam before her eyes. Hange Zoe would swap tedious hours of paperwork with titan or—as these days demanded—technological research any time. The mechanisms of a rail engine or the complex arrangements and workings of gears and wires were certainly more suited for her exhausted brain than planning the next steps of their alliance with Hizuru.

Nevertheless, it wasn’t like she had much of a choice. With a sigh, she adjusted her glasses and pulled another sheet towards herself. Yellow parchment, embedded with small black text. Shadows flickered around the words. Her brain caught fragments of them.

Diplomatic relations with Hizuru date back to more than a century ago . . .

The unique characteristics of the Iceburst stone enable . . .

Potential reason of interest . . .

. . . cornered nation . . . no other country tolerates Eld . . .

She hunched over the table, squinting at the document, willing her mind to turn the words over and whip out a solution. There was a throbbing in her temples, and her back was stiff. But no, they had to plan their next moves; Hizuru had extended a hand of friendship and provided Paradis with ample resources for research about the outer world. She had to go through it all, understand the stance and motives of as many countries as she could. She wasn’t going to consider Hizuru as a reliable ally though, they were more concerned with Mikasa and the Iceburst stone rather than a good future for Paradis.

Hange slumped over her desk, face hidden in her arms. She was so tired of dealing with hate and mistrust and selfish, close-minded people. So tired.

A door opened behind her; quiet, measured footsteps sounded.

Levi.

A scraping sound on her desk followed by the weight of a hand on her shoulder.

‘Hange,’ his voice was low and made something warm and soothing unfurl in her stomach.

‘Mmm?’

‘Get your ass in bed if you’re so tired.’

She lifted her head. Levi was standing beside her, shadows playing upon his face; there was a cup of steaming tea on her desk. She sighed, pulling another paper towards herself, ‘Can’t.’

‘Your brain won’t understand shit in this state. Get some rest, a few hours won’t hurt.’

Oh yes they would. She squeezed her eyes shut. Time was precious, if she slept now who knows how many seconds, how many minutes would trickle through her fingers like water, and then she’d wake up, regretting it, because she could have done more research, maybe she’d have found answers, but then it would be morning and everyone would be awake and bustling about, and her presence would be demanded everywhere, and there’d be meetings where Zackly and Pixis and Lady Azumabito would stare at her, asking for their next moves, and whether she’d figured out something or not, but she’d just sit there with a blank face because she was so damn exhausted that she slept and there wouldn’t be time to do anything at all then, because she jus—

Fingers pressed into the back of her shoulders, kneading her stiff muscles, cutting out her thoughts.

Her surprised exhale crumbled into a weary one. Levi’s hands gradually moved to her shoulder blades, thumbs digging into the sore, knotted parts of her back. Warmth rippled through her body at his touches, easing out a tension she wasn’t aware of until now.

‘This feels so fucking good,’ she mumbled heavily. ‘I didn’t even know I needed this.’

‘With that shitty posture, of course you needed this,’ he said, pushing her back and straightening her spine. ‘If you sit in that position for hours, it’ll definitely make your muscles go all tense.’

‘You’re starting to sound like Moblit,’ Hange chuckled. ‘Ever the worrywart.’

‘Someone has to look out for your clumsy ass.’

‘So you’ve decided to take full responsibility then, Captain?’ she grinned.

‘Never got the liberty of deciding in the first place,’ he droned out.

She laughed softly, somehow feeling lighter than she had in hours, days. His hands were still pressing upon her shoulders, lifting the invisible weight, induced by stress. She hummed softly and leaned back, so that she was pressing against Levi’s chest. His hands stilled, curling around the curves of her shoulders.

‘Oi . . .’ he said softly.

The back of her head came to rest against his neck. She inhaled deeply, a clean woody scent invaded her nose, making her eyes flutter shut and her breaths slow down. It felt good, having Levi so close, feeling his warmth all around.

‘Hange,’ he called her again.

‘Can we just . . . stay like this . . . for a while?’ she whispered.

Yeah, just for a while. Because she still had work to do, so she couldn’t give in to the heavy pull of sleep yet. She’d rest for a minute, with Levi right beside her. Then she’d start again.

‘Okay,’ he said quietly.

‘Just . . . don’t let me sleep. I still have . . .’ her words dissolved into exhausted breaths, ‘so much to do.’

‘Sure, don’t worry.’

So late in that night, when the golden hues of the candle flames splashed against wood and stone, and the barracks lay under the heavy spell of sleep, a tired Commander rested against her faithful Captain, knowing he would pull her out of the velvety folds of slumber and get her back to work soon.

But for now, she had a minute. A minute of rest.

[popfizzles]

Yarrow didn't really consider himself ready to be a father. Didn't even know how to hold a baby, you know?

But, he did what he could, and he did his best.

[skyloftian-nutcase]

These kids are gonna give Ganondorf a heart attack

Transcript:

Hemisi: You can change your appearance? That’s amazing! Can you show me?

Link: Sure :)

Ganondorf, entering the room, distracted: Hemisi, have you seen my—

Ganondorf: !?

Link, disguised as Ganondorf with Sheikah magic: 😶

Ganondorf, with his back to the POV: 😳

Hemisi:….Hi Dad

[sqrkyclean]

yeah thats. what i thought. traumadumping i guess in the tags abt it.

[forestgreenlesbian]

wedding this weekend

[squeakadeeks]

moodboard for this past week ❤️

[miodiodavinci]

(face in hands) (again) men will simply feel the walls closing in around them

[thevioletcaptain]

whoever stole my account information in order to spend $127 on [checks notes] roku purchases, i hope you have incurable hangnails on every finger and toe for the rest of your shitty life.

[spade-club]

Ugh. She literally. Is upset that I dont always like her. Like she hasn't. Given me. Two different kinds of trauma. Across many instances. And has not changed that behavior significantly.

Like. I told her not to drink. Because she gets even worse with boundaries when she drinks. And she responded with. Saying its weird that I dont like her. Like. I havent just. Told you. Why.

And I respond with saying. That its not like I dont like her. Its just that I dont want her to drink around me. Thats all.

She also has told me. To my face. That she hates me <3 so

[choccymilkblehhh]

some doodles while i suffer from eepiness (“sorry i fell aeep”)

[kihteyu]

Sorry if I’m not online as much lately. I’ve had a hell of an October and we’re only 6 days into it

[honeydjarin]

I know we all talk about daydreaming about our blorbos and our ocs, or plots that may or may not one day be written, but does anyone else daydream about just like living in a house?

I have a very nice home in my mind that I visit when I don’t feel like focusing on my main daydream plots or my various comfort scenes

[klbzplb]

honestly still the biggest personal tragedy of session 5 is that when grian joined gem in the tower building. in gems episode, there were almost a solid 10 minutes of just that. them hanging out, calm, peaceful, no danger, away from people that could hurt them . and guess what ? grian left LESS THAN 3 MINUTES OF THAT IN HIS EPISODE dbjksffejw

[hangmanssunnies]

Thinking about House We Share and being in a bathtub with Jake in order to keep myself together right now.

[darlinimamess]

HELLO I HATE WHEN PEOPLE CHANGE PLANS LAST MINUTE OKAY BYE

[stabbingandorbeingstabbed]

frantically googling how to train my six year old dog to be perfectly well behaved and obedient in one month or less while also working full time during the evenings bc we will be moving in with friends that have two cats and bean is uhm. she doesn't know about cats <3 all she knows is jump on people be rambunctious bark forever ignore commands eat baby carrot and sleep in a little ball