#and i mean MAJOR it draws my interest INSTANTLY

[metiredlr]

The only ship dynamics that matter to me tbh

[ivoovu]

*cough*

Mic Tap

A PSA to all König/Krueger writers:

Hello, I‘m Voov, and I‘m a native German.

And let me just clarify that I do not mean any of this in a offensive matter, and that none of these things are 'annoying' or 'bothersome' to me as a German, which I‘m sure other Germans would agree with me. This isn‘t something that‘s making it impossible for us to read blurbs/fics/etc., however I do know that some writers want to write in foreign languages as accurately and realistically as possible, so this is for those. And for everyone else who‘s just interested, of course

🤍🍪

1 - What I often read is "Exemplary Sentence I can‘t think of something right now but it‘s in English, ja?"

We don’t end our sentences with "[…], ja?". Sometimes, yes, fair, sometimes we do so, but it’s on the rarer side in my opinion. Majority of the time we use this at the end of our sentences:

"[…], nicht?" = "[…], no?" (please don‘t use "[…], nein?" for this one)

or:

"[…], nh?" = honestly this one can be used for a lot of things, it can be used for "[…], no?", "[…], don‘t you think so?" or how the Brits use 'innit', like you‘re trying to prove a point.

(Translation for "[…], don‘t you think so?" = "[…], denkst du nicht auch so?")

I understand that when you type in a "[…], ja?" you‘re translating from the words' English equivalent which is "[…], yeah?", but again, it‘s more common to use "[…], nicht?" instead.

If you use a good mix of "[…], ja?", "[…], nicht?" and "[…], nh?" (and any other word you might want to add to the end of your sentence) instead of sticking to one throughout an entire fic, you‘ll make us Germans a bit happier.

🍙⌛️

2- If you‘re using longer sentences, and the sentences are directed at the Reader, you should clarify beforehand if the Reader is masc or fem. Why? Because a lot of words are gendered in German, so the way they’re conjugated tell us the Gender of the Person:

English: "My perfect Partner."

-> Gender neutral, the reader could be a Man, Woman, in between, on the outside, an Alien race, whatever

If you type this into google translate you get: "Mein perfekter Partner."

-> Masculine. It‘s an instant tell that the reader is a dude.

The female version would be: "Meine perfekte Partnerin."

-> Now we know instantly that this is feminine.

There is no gender neutral, German simply isn’t a language that works that way.

Can you write full sentences without using anything gendered, at all? Yes, absolutely, here‘s an example:

English: "Oh God I love you, I don‘t know what I would do without you. You‘re my everything, I‘ll do anything and everything for you."

German: "Oh Gott ich liebe dich, ich weiß nicht was ich ohne dich machen würde. Du bist mein ein und alles, ich würde alles für dich tun."

This is completely gender neutral because while typing I actively made sure to avoid using anything gendered. But I understand that this is a extremely difficult task to do so for those who don’t speak German, so if you can pull it off, you just earned my highest form of respect, but this isn’t something that us Germans expect of you as a Writer, this is just something I wanted to draw your attention to.

🐰🧳

My point is: If you do any of those two, we Germans aren’t crying about it. We won‘t stop reading the fic, we won‘t bitch about it or send you hate-mail.

We just notice it, correct the sentence in our mind, and some of us will type out the correct sentence as a comment.

I sadly don‘t have any websites that can help with the gendered words, and google translate sucks anyways, so I truly don‘t have any type of direction I could point you writers to, sorry :/

But I have said this before and I‘ll say it again, as many times as I have to: I am absolutely willing to help with the German parts, my dm‘s are always open, no I won’t think you’re annoying or abusing anything by asking me to check the German sentences you might‘ve used in your works, no I‘m not saying any of this out of courtesy, no I‘m not lying, no we don’t have to know each other, no you don’t have to deal with chit chat you can immediately hit me up with 'Hey how is this sentence?', yes I am being serious. In doubt, read this paragraph again and again.

🐚🪵

[yvesdot]

How To Get Roughly 50 Notes On An Original Writing Post And Possibly Net A Single Reader

I had someone ask today how I get people to click through and read my writing, and I'm realizing that I've never actually made a post all in one place of everything I do to get a new piece of short fiction off the ground... so here you go! How to get (some) eyes on your work, even if it is not published anywhere of interest and you don't have a marketing team behind you.

The #1 thing is presentation. You want to get people's attention, and once you have it, convince them to keep paying attention. Fortunately, people tend to be both reasonable and predictable, which means all you have to do is follow The Formula.

(original post link)

Here's the formula from the above post broken down:

[giant horizontal title card, preferably animated to catch the eye] OR [a few tasteful parallels, if you're good at parallel posts]

TITLE (linked to where you can read the piece) / wordcount

a quote that is representative of the tone, themes, prose style, and/or the "promise of the premise"

A longer pitch, featuring the overall subject of the piece (transsexual reality TV drama), any comp titles (Detransition, Baby), the main draw (in this case, watching trans people be awful to clueless cis people), major themes (performance), and any other promises you'd like to make (food romance and tigers). You can see that the quote I chose delivers on the promise of trans people intellectually outperforming cis people-- if I were a reader, I would be more likely to trust that the rest of the pitch was accurate based on that assurance.

If you have any positive reviews on your piece, say so. If it has won any awards or contests, say so. If your work has made people cry, Doja Cat - Say So. Always. Generally speaking, more personal and more detailed is better, but keep it to one or two people-- e.g. "when I gave this to my S/O to read he shot milk out of his nose so far I had to go clean under the couch" or "my favorite review of this piece is the reader who said they read it chapter-by-chapter under their covers because they wanted it all to themself." This should be one sentence.

Depending on where the story is published, what you usually promote, etc., it may be worthwhile saying the story is free. Use your judgment on whether the reader can tell.

I also like putting my links at the bottom so someone seeing this on a friend's dash can easily track me around the 'Net. They make me look more professional (I now include a link to my website) and they visually balance the post, in my opinion. This post also happened to have some additional links for bonus content.

This is not as high stakes as it seems. I'm not 100% happy with the pitch here, and I'm not 100% happy with the graphics I've used in other cases. These are some bones that help to sell the piece even when the details aren't as sharp.

REBLOGGING

When is the last time you read something the first time you saw it on your dash? I schedule reblogs of all important posts at least twice over the next 2-3 days, often three times so I can get the morning/afternoon/evening reblog. If your followers tend to be more active at certain times, go ahead and use those. In the past I've intentionally scheduled posts for times I knew more popular mutuals were active, and it has paid off!

I also schedule a reblog for a week and a month and sometimes even a full calendar year out, because I know there is going to be that person who tags the piece '#to read' and instantly forgets about it, only to get excited when they see it weeks later. I am very often that reader. The goal is to catch people when they're ready to read immediately, and this is a game of chance.

Every so often, I go through my entire #writing or #important writing updates or even just #popular tag(s) and queue two dozen posts before shuffling my queue to redistribute matters. This keeps my older work circulating, ensuring new readers get a chance to see older pieces and giving those older pieces another shot at dashboard space. (More on #popular later.) This sounds like a lot, which is why you have to space everything pretty far apart. Fortunately, this is the world's best site for cool things to reblog. I guarantee you that you can find something new you love to post in the meanwhile.

COPING WITH FAME

The post above is what I, a published author, consider "doing well" for a post about my writing on Tumblr. As of October 10th, 2024, over two years after its initial posting and over five years into my posting doggedly about my original fiction, it has 77 notes. More than half (43) are likes. Around half of the reblogs are me promoting my own work or the same very sweet person dutifully reblogging me every time I do so. Glancing through the reblogs now, I know of four people whom I can confirm have read it. Presumably, there are more who are completely silent and have never interacted with the post whatsoever. Genuinely: wahoo!! I am so grateful and happy for the attention and reception of my work.

This is the number one thing I suggest: focus on what you have, and not what you lack. Imagine your post from the perspective of an outsider: even one reblog means you convinced that one person to spread your art! How cool is that! This is also good advice because moping is simply not helpful; it will not get you more reads. (And no, neither will guilting others. Kill that vent post in your head!)

GETTING FOLLOWERS

I don't have that many followers. Of the followers I do have, people are very unpredictably active. When I hear about other people's follower counts I am consistently surprised, because people with half of mine will have fans and haters the likes of which I could not possibly dream of. I follow 500-follower folk who post "I ate a strawberry today" and get 6 asks ranging from "Wow I respect you so much for eating that strawberry" to "I'm going to come to your address at [REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED] and shove bananas down your throat for hating on my favorite fruit."

I point this out to establish three important things. 1) Be grateful for what you have (in my case, 0 anonymous hate asks about fruitpinions), 2) followers have far less impact on interaction than one might think, and 3) followers don't engage with the things you might like them to.

Think about yourself. Are you more likely to reblog a photo of a cat in a pumpkin (alright, here) or something advertising fifteen minutes' worth of writing, which could be, for all you know, bad? Or, for that matter, by a person you should not like to support? Reblogs on generically interesting things are 'safer' (unfortunately) than reblogs on art, and it makes perfect sense that people are skittish around the latter. People don't often reblog things they haven't read, and nobody can reblog every artpost on their dash. Having someone else put it there, however, is incredibly powerful—someone's vetted this post as Worth a Reblog, after all. Having more followers allows for much more of this.

(Followers don't guarantee any one sort of interaction, but having more of them is rarely bad. Rarely.)

Across my most popular posts, one theme becomes very obvious: people like things that apply to them or their blog. I try to post writing advice/opinions/memes every so often, because I know I have a loyal base of writerfolk who like to see that from me, and it's "easier" to reblog than my writing. This is simply the nature of the universe. I used to pretty frequently go into the #writeblr tag and check out what was recently popular so I could figure out how to serve the same base, and from time to time it worked.

You're welcome to examine the list of #writing posts that made it to 100 notes, because each tends to have a notable reason behind its success: a reblog with an exceptionally good review, a contest win, a wordcount that lends itself to pasting the whole thing in one go.

(Posts about my book's release are a notable exception, in part due to Blaze and in part due to my absolutely relentless flogging of their reblog buttons during the ~year of promotion. Also in large part to a dedicated circle of friends who passed the post around nonstop! Thank you so much!!)

A lot of people will tell you to attempt covert reciprocal promotion. You know—reblog a lot of stuff, in the hopes that people will reblog yours. If I could change one thing on Tumblr, it would be this: the culture that quietly encourages disingenously interacting with other people with a secret True Goal in mind. (On the autism website.)

Please, for the love of all that is good and holy, do not do this. If you comment on other people's work, do it because you're happy to do so. When I released Paper Tigress, I went through everybody else who responded to the same prompt and read their work, because I had the day off and I was curious. This has led to Paper Tigress having more comments on Reedsy than one of my contest winners, and even outranking the shortlisted story in the same prompt category. However, this would have been a waste of my time if I did not genuinely enjoy reading the other stories. I read 80+ stories, taking several hours, and gained 30 comments from the venture (half my comments are my responses).

Crucially, I do not promote other writers' work on Tumblr in the hopes of them reading or boosting mine. This is the #1 tip I see thrown around that I viscerally disagree with. While, again, I am grateful for engagement with my work regardless of the context, I do not want people suffering through my work in the hopes that I will promote them. I work a full-time job, and my reading calendar is perpetually overbooked, including with work by my absolute best of friends. Even if it wasn't, I think it would be quite insulting if I were posting works in the hopes that someone would choke it down like medicine. I post what I think is good so that people can read and enjoy it. If you are not enjoying it, I do not want you to feel as though you have to read it. My aim is to give to others what my favorite authors have given me, which is most certainly not A Bad Time Spent Being Dishonest In The Hopes Of Getting Something Back. You have better things to do with your time. Please be honest.

CONCLUSION

Realistically, the readers I have, I gained through being a published author for five years promoting my behind off on Tumblr, the least forgiving social media for promotion. People like it when you have a book they can buy, especially if it has Goodreads reviews that make it look like you have been vetted for them. Many people who follow me have read only Something's Not Right and nothing else. (Many people who follow me have read everything but Something's Not Right.) I have posted dozens of pieces on Tumblr and Wattpad (and AO3). I gained a small number of readers writing and posting fanfiction for the Locked Tomb Tri(?)logy, even though I marketed it absolutely terribly.

Just keep writing. Keep writing, keep posting, and keep making sure everyone who follows you knows you write. And keep writing because you want to. There's no better advice than that.

[bluedolup]

Iwaizumi x Reader: That's Not Your Problem

“WAIT WHAT?!”, you exclaimed into your phone as you talked to your friend. You were heading to school as you were hand in hand with your boyfriend, Iwaiuzmi, and on the phone with one of your friends. Jailani was your best friend since junior high, you two informed each other on everything that you heard especially when you two went to two different schools. You went to Seijoh while she went to Karasuno, and the drama between the two schools was steaming hot. 

Now you would usually just be filled in on drama from Karasuno but this time, you were getting info that came from another school. “Is she insane? Cause I know for a fact that if she tried that she would be hospitalized” you said. Iwa would be with you most of the time these conversations happen and he would be lying if he said he wasn’t eavesdropping sometimes. 

“Put me on a talk show with her, I will be destroying her statement. But me and Haji are at the school, I’ll text you at lunch” you hung up and let out a stressed out high. “Lord give me strength, I swear some people aren’t supposed to be managers” you said to yourself. “What happened?” Iwa asked “we need to find the other three cause it’s a volleyball issue and I need all four of you to hear this” you said. 

“Ah shit” Iwa muttered. 

The two of you traveled to your homeroom where you found Oikawa, Maki, and Mattsu already there. You basically dragged Iwa towards them and sat at your desk, “woah, you got exciting news? You damn near flew over here” Mattsu said “I news, period. You guys know Jailani right?” you asked “you’re friend who decided to go with the enemy?” Oikawa asked “watch it, it’s too early for your one sided rivalry. She called me this morning with some interesting info from another school” you said.

The postures and attentions of the three boys instantly changed. “What school was it?” Maki asked “I think it was Johegey?” you said “you mean Johzenji?” Iwa asked “yes!” you said “what the fuck is a Johzenji?” Oikawa asked “not important, Jailani told me that their manager has this belief that all managers should break up fights between the players” you said. The four boys gave you confused and shocked looks, “no fucking way” Iwa said “yes fucking way, she said that as managers we should be able to control our players and help them figure out their anger problems because they have SO MUCH STRESS on their shoulders” you said. 

“Oh bullshit” Mattsu said “how much stress do you have to start boxing with people?” Maki asked “not enough, I mean I couldn’t think of anyone here who would do something like that, but if something like that were to happen no one better look at me” you said. “I’m curious, do you think you would be able to handle us during a fight?” Oikawa asked. 

Both you and Hajime looked at him as if he grew a second head. “Don’t piss me off Shittykawa” Iwa said “let me explain it to you as best I can, you guys train your arms, speed, core, and legs everyday for three years and even more if you started in like junior high. You guys range from the heights of 5 '10 to 6' 1 and your weight ranges around 150 to 160 pounds” you explained. “Damn, I’m kind of scared on how accurate she’s being” Maki said “I’m 5 '2, 170 pounds, I’m planning to paint and draw for a living so I’m sitting down for the majority of my life. I’m getting my shit rocked!” you said. 

Maki and Mattsu snorted, “Oikawa I have no idea why you even asked that question, it was so obvious” Maki said “she never got into that situation before too, the day you get into that kind of situation you call me and I’ll handle it” Iwa said. You sighed, “I wouldn’t have it any other way,” you said smiling up at him.

Their timing couldn’t be any better.

Today was the day that Kyotani came back from suspension. Oikawa had told you the minute you got to the gym and you planned on introducing yourself. You didn’t really know him, but the guys had told you he’s a character. You don’t know what you were expecting but it definitely wasn’t him barging in with an attitude. “Um, hello?” you asked, he gave you a nasty look as you approached him “um…I’m (y/n), I’m the manager. You’re Kyotani right?” you asked “yeah, and?” he asked. “I just wanted to introduce myself, the dressing rooms are through there and you can get changed for practice” you said. “I know where the damn dressing rooms are” he said “ok? You don’t have to be rude about it” you said. He rolled his eyes, “go cry about it sugar cube, just stay out of my way or you’ll get a volleyball to the head” he said.

“Kentaro!” Yahaba yelled at him from behind me causing us both to look at him “get back here and apologize” he said. The look on this guy's face was terrifying as he was getting called out, “why should I?” Kyotani asked “she’s our manager, you treat her with respect and nothing more. Get back over here and apologize” he said. He stood there for a moment, before a grin spread on his face and he approached Yahaba pushing me aside. 

“Or what? Whatcha gonna do Shigeru~” he said in a taunting tone “don’t fucking start” Yahaba said “nah, if you want to start something we can start something” he said “I’m not starting something, you treat your seniors with respect and apparently you aren’t able to do that” Yahaba said. You backed up a bit and reached for your phone, you had this sinking feeling that something was about to go down. You texted the person who volunteered to deal with something like this, as you sent the message you heard a loud thud. You quickly turned and saw Kyotani on the ground with Yahaba towering over him. 

It only took a second for Kyotani to lunge at him, you yelled and your legs froze. You leaned against a wall and watched in horror as the two boys threw punches and threw each other. In your mind it felt like an eternity when in reality, it was only three minutes until Hajime, Kindaichi, and Mattsu bursted in the gym. Kindaichi and Mattsu grabbed both boys as Hajime rushed to you, “Y/N! Hey are you alright? Are you hurt? Y/N, answer me!” he said. You were shaking a bit and your eyes watered a bit, the only thing you could muster up was a nod as you wrapped your arms around him to try and calm down. 

It was only a joke at first, you truly thought that if you were in some kind of situation that you had to resolve a fight between any of the guys that you were able to do so. Three years of being a manager and all you could do was yell and cry as two of the players that you are responsible for start hurting each other screamed cowardly to you. 

You wanted to give up your Seijoh jacket for good, as if you failed. 

Coach let you go home early but instead of going home you went to the art room at the school. It was empty, You took a canvas and put your headphone on as you started painting. It was the only thing that calms you down, that and being with Hajime but he wasn’t here at the mom-

“Hey”, your headphones were lifted as the voice traveled into your ears causing you to yelp. You turned around and saw Hajime, “babe, what are you doing here?” you asked “I had to know if you were ok after that” he said sitting next to you “what about practice?” you asked “they can deal with it, how are you?” he asked. You smiled slightly, “I couldn’t do anything, I felt so powerless” you said “hey, don’t start that. Your job as a manager is to take care of supplies, cleaning, and finances, not to be a ref for stupid fights that aren’t even supposed to happen” he said “I know, but I could’ve done something. I just froze and became mute. If I didn’t message you when I did, they both would’ve gotten seriously hurt” your voice broke a bit. 

You took your role in the club very seriously and even if Kyotani was an ass to you, he was still part of the team which meant that he mattered as much as any other of the guys. 

Hajime took your hand, “you messaging me was the best thing you could’ve done, it wasn’t your place to get involved because if you did, I would be talking to you in a hospital bed, if that was the case I would’ve killed someone” he said. You let out a chuckle, “now we wouldn’t want that, thanks for coming to check on me. I really didn’t want to worry anyone” you said. “You’re my girl, you think I was going to leave you alone?” he asked, pulling my seat closer to him. You smiled and leaned against him, “of course not, I wouldn’t want it any other way” you said.

[d3monicas]

im 90% sure you've alswered this before but I cant seem to find the post. Do you have any tips for hot to get people interested in your OCs? I mean im sure talent in drawing them and having interesting backstories plays a major role, but is that all, or are there things you can do to get more interest?

hi, my ocs arent like suuuper popular, but i guess here's what i notice do well:

strong design, memorable

strong chemistry between ocs

make them flawed, its endearing

give them a problem. e.g. social anxiety, addiction, anger issues etc

have a Brand for each oc. it helps to figure out their aesthetic and interests. when you look at them, you get the vibe instantly.

make individual oc profiles and personalize them to their vibe

[missbubblesoda]

early in the morning, especially when it rains, and a little before noon. (7)

erwin x fem!reader

chapters: (1) | (2) | (3) | (4) | (5) | (6) | (8) | (9) | (10) | (11) | (12) | (13) | (14) | (15) | (16) | (17) | (18) | (19) | (20) | (21) | (22) | (23) | (24) | (25) | (26) | (27) | (28) | (29)

summary: I basically took Isayama’s work, forced it into a romance story, and made Erwin the love interest. Commander meets cadet and they fall in love (not instantly though)

notes: very berry canonverse (but some events were modified to fit my narrative), wasn’t intended to be this long, but it all is in the details right?

content warnings: smut where it fits (or where I make it fit. Also, reader is NOT underage, so likewise, MINORS DO NOT INTERACT, please.) slow burn (I really mean it. I’m not olympic diving into any form of smut for the first chapters.) no angst. I dislike angst. I would never. I could never. (Although angst can be somewhat subjective so take it with a grain of salt?)

wc: 2.8k

You weren’t exactly sure why, but the sight of someone analyzing financial records in the middle of a late-summer afternoon was, all of a sudden, so interesting to you. Long, experienced fingers tapping on the desk, rolled-up sleeves revealing a pair of well-muscled forearms that were generously sprinkled with light brown hair, tense neck muscles occasionally drawing a circle in the air, and jungle-dense eyebrows temporarily locked in a slight frown. He had been sitting there since noon, hadn’t even paused for lunch. It seemed like he didn’t have eyes for anything or anyone else but that paper in front of him. And that annoyed you a little.

So much could have been said about his superhuman ability to focus or his equally remarkable jawline, but he looked up to stretch his neck and saw you. And you figured it was already too late to start pretending you had been busy with something other than staring, even though your ears felt impossibly hot and suggested otherwise. If he thought it was weird that his assistant had been creepily staring at him while he worked, he must have been too polite to tell you, because instead, he smiled softly.

“I will be done soon. Then we can go over the winter budget, as well as anything else you might need for the coming days.”

“When will you be back?” You really wanted to know, but as soon as the question left your mouth, you wished you had sounded more like an assistant and less like a wife.

“I should be back by Monday. Sorry to leave you alone with all of this.” He looked at the papers on his desk.

It’s not like you were taking his place, you were just going to keep his paperwork from piling up and make sure a demoralizing list of unfinished tasks wouldn’t be waiting for him when he returned. You didn’t know what he was off to, though, just that he would be going to Sina, and that he was taking Armin, Mikasa, and a few other soldiers with him. Given that those two were on the list, you wondered if this sudden excursion to the capital had something to do with Eren. Most likely. More like you wanted to think so. Because that, at least, would provide some much needed context.

In all honesty, you were a little hurt he hadn’t taken you with him, and that he was taking some of your former classmates instead. You had gotten so used to being on the receiving end of his polite requests and recurrent demands, that it was a little hard to accept the fact that he would be just fine without you. You had forgotten that, in fact, he had been just fine without you for the vast majority of his time as commander.

But on the other hand, a small part of you was actually grateful that he was leaving. Distance sounded like something that both you and your busy head could benefit from. It just felt like it would.

“It’s fine. When you come back, you’ll find everything exactly as you left it.” You smiled back, trying to reassure both him and yourself that you could handle his absence.

-

The moon had long claimed her spot in the sky when you were finally able to slip under the covers. One good thing about living in a big castle was that everyone got their own room. There weren’t many scouts to begin with, barely three hundred if you weren’t mistaken, and a lot of them weren’t even positioned in the headquarters. And it was after stressful and unnecessarily long days like this one, that you were particularly glad you had a room for yourself.

Your job wasn’t the problem. Yes, it was true that you were busier now that all of the commander’s paperwork went directly to you, and that his absence had unfortunately coincided with the beginning of the winter stockpiling process, which by the way, was proving to be significantly more challenging than you expected, given the limited resources available. But none of that was the problem. The problem was everything else.

It was the fact that Sasha, Reiner, Krista, Connie and the others had all been sent to another camp so they could be monitored by Squad Leader Miche, and that you didn’t know what they would need monitoring for, in the first place.

It was the fact that whoever was inside the female titan hadn’t been caught yet, and the possibility that there could be a spy living under the same roof as you.

It was the fact that it had been three nights since they had left for the capital, and you hadn’t heard from them at all.

It was the fact that every time you looked at his chair, it was still empty. And most importantly, the fact this made your heart weigh like a rock.

So, when your hand reached between your legs, you were certainly glad you had a room completely for yourself. Your fingers were always helpful on nights when you needed to decompress. So you tilted your head back, closed your eyes, and welcomed them in. But this time, when you felt their delicate touch caressing you through the fabric, you pictured fingers that didn’t belong to you. When they impatiently slipped under the cotton, you saw a smile that didn’t come from your lips. When they delightfully played with your clit and your breath quickened, you saw a face that had become as familiar as your reflection, but that looked nothing like yours. When they stretched you out exquisitely and your mouth opened wide to let out a silent moan, you heard a voice that didn’t sound like yours. And when they entered you repeatedly and you rolled your hips to match their delicious pace, you wanted to moan one name in particular. His name.

But you knew once his name left your lips, there would be no coming back. How were you supposed to look at him again after that? And most importantly, how were you supposed to keep fooling yourself after that?

-

Shameless. The way you practically ran down the stairs the moment you saw the convoy in the distance. Outrageous. The way your body forgot what a normal heart rate was supposed to be like the moment you caught sight of him. Completely unacceptable. The way your brain spent all that will power trying to stop you from throwing yourself into his arms, some part of you clearly struggling to understand that one is not supposed to hug one’s boss, no matter how long they had been gone for, or how good they smelled. And, most of all, extremely concerning. How the familiar sight of him sitting at his desk had been enough to melt your stress away, even though the winter stockpiling and the other problems you had been worrying about for the last few days were everything but solved.

Except for one. The identity of the female titan had been revealed. Turns out that had been the sole purpose of their visit to Sina. You had never been particularly close with Annie, not that she was close with anyone for that matter, but still. To think that you had shared a room with her for three whole years sent chills down your spine. So you tried to avoid thinking about it.

And although the alleged spy living among you hadn’t been identified yet, catching the Female had been a complete morale booster for everyone at the headquarters, and as a result, the ale-induced singing was back in full swing, much to the dismay of your ears. You were certain that the ale rations wouldn’t last long. At that rate, they would have no booze left to warm them up during the cold months. And you had voiced these concerns to the commander. But he had just smiled reassuringly, as it was very much in character for him, and told you to let them have it.

“Occasions to celebrate are rare in this day and age, which reminds me,” he pulled a small tin box out of a drawer “I got you something.”

For me? Strange. You couldn’t remember having butterflies for lunch. But you tried to ignore them, and instead focused your efforts on helping your trembling fingers open the box.

And as soon as you saw what was inside, your eyes hurried to find him. Your mind suddenly flooded with memories that you realized were so distant now.

“But, commander, this costs an arm and a leg.” Your voice did nothing to contain the childlike joy you were experiencing. Figs were scarce, especially the ones that grew in the equally limited plots of land inside wall Sina. And this, the dried variety, was your favorite. It was not something people would indulge in often, however.

“Don’t worry about it. You told me it's been months since you last went home. Figured you must miss it.”

And there it was again. That excited flutter in your belly, as well as that problematic urge to jump into his arms. But you settled for an enthusiastic nod instead.

“Fig season, it was the time my father dreaded the most. I always came home from school with my bag full of fruit.” You reminisced aloud, longing present in every word. “It would always end up the same: my father complaining about me not understanding the value of money, all while munching on a fig himself.” You chuckled, and realized you actually wouldn’t mind getting scolded again. “But once he was done lecturing me, I would go to my room, lay them on the balcony, and wait for days. The scolding was agonizing but not as much as having to wait for the fruit to dry. I have never liked fresh figs that much really.” Your eyes drifted back to him just as you were about to start elaborating on the reason for that. “I’m sorry, you must have better things to do. But can I ask one last question?”

He nodded reassuringly, and you went ahead.

“How did you get them? I mean, didn’t Stohess get pretty damaged by Ann- the female titan?”

“I got them before that happened. As well as this.” He handed you a letter. The pretentious golden wax sealing it had already been broken, and upon closer inspection, you realized it was an invitation.

“A ball?” You asked him, voice thick with incredulity. Not only the city had been destroyed, but lots of lives had been lost during Eren and Annie’s clash. “Isn’t it a little… insensitive? I mean, holding an event like this, after what happened?”

“It is. Hange said the same thing. Everyone would rather not go, but we figured this will be a good opportunity to rub shoulders with potential contributors. I’m guessing what happened in Stohess wasn’t much of an issue for the organizers, since the event won’t be taking place there anyway.”

You eyed the invitation again. Mitras. In fact, it was not far from your house.

“You are from the capital, right? I was thinking you could take advantage of the opportunity and get to see your family.” A very pleasant warmth spread through your chest at the idea. You actually missed home quite a bit. “But you don’t have to attend if you don’t want to, so don’t feel pressured. Just think about it. Levi wished he had a choice.”

You couldn’t help letting out a chuckle. Dancing did sound very out of character for Captain Levi.

-

You eyed the small tin box on your desk, which was now missing more than half of its original content. You had already decided you were going to keep it even after the figs were all gone. It’s not like you were starting a collection or anything, but you enjoyed looking at the box. Something about it sent a tingling warmth down your limbs, and it happened to be the same kind of warmth you felt when staring at him. With the box, however, you didn’t risk getting caught. And that was a considerable advantage.

With that said, he seemed to be very busy now and, as far as you knew, a little staring never killed anyone. Good gracious. For someone reading a fat, dusty book about boring royal history, he was way too entertaining for the eyes. You liked observing him because, no matter how much you did it, there was always something new to look at, to notice, to tell your journal about. You had been wondering for a while, about his hair. It was always perfectly groomed, neatly parted on the left side. In fact, it was so obedient that you had never seen him tucking it behind his ear. He seemed to take such good care of it. No. Actually, not only his hair. Every aspect of his appearance was always so well-cared for.

It was a mystery, how someone with that many daily demands managed to keep a clean shave, impeccable hair, and smell that good at all times. You found the thought of him, taking a few minutes every morning to stand in front of a mirror and take care of himself, oddly comforting. It was nice to know there were at least small moments of normalcy in the life of the 13th Commander of the Survey Corps. You couldn’t stop yourself from wondering, however, how would his hair look disheveled and sticking to his sweaty forehead, and that tingling sensation in your lower stomach reminded you that it was probably time to look away.

So your eyes reluctantly traveled to the other side of the room, where they landed on the old chess board he kept by the fireplace. But even there, the question remained the same: When does he even play? Maybe sometimes, on very rare nights when there were no reports to write and no strategies to plan, he poured himself a glass of wine and sat by the fireplace to indulge in a rightfully deserved game of chess. But whether that happened or not, you realized it would, most likely, always remain a mystery to you. And you found yourself wishing your presence in his office wasn’t limited to official hours.

“It was my father’s.” The sound of his voice drew you away from your discontentment. “He said playing helped him think straight. More rationally.” He paused for a moment and then looked at you. “And less impulsively.” His eyes were all those glacial colors, but you swore sometimes they could burn so much.

“There’s nothing wrong with impulsive thoughts.” You held his gaze firmly as you spoke. “As long as we don’t act on them.”

The corners of his mouth twitched upwards. “Do you play?”

You shook your head lightly. “I never learned.” Which was weird, given the fact that chess was extremely popular back in Mitras and almost everyone played, even your parents. Whether they enjoyed it or not didn’t really matter, that was besides the point, because in the capital, chess wasn’t really played for entertainment purposes. “My mother tried to teach me when I was little. She insists it’s an important life skill. The game is somewhat of a status symbol where I live.”

He nodded in understanding. “The only thing my predecessor asked before appointing me was ‘are you good at chess?’ In the capital, the game is used as a tool to assess people and their value. If you perform well, they will believe everything you say, they will finance any project you propose, irrespective of the cost. But if your game is weak,”

“They won’t even listen to what you have to say.” You finished the thought. Despite having never seen him play, you were certain a man like him never struggled to be taken seriously. “How long have you been playing?”

“Since I was old enough to learn.”

“You must be very passionate.” You didn’t intend that sentence to come out in something similar to a whisper, but honestly you didn’t mind. And, if the way his lips curved was anything to go by, he didn’t seem to either.

“Or addicted. When sleep evades me, I play. When I need a fresh perspective, I play.” His demeanor slowly matured into something less playful as he spoke. “When I can’t make sense of what I’m feeling, I play.”

“And when you’re having impulsive thoughts?” You held his gaze boldly, even though it had never felt that heavy before. “Do you also play then?”

“Sometimes. There are some thoughts, however, that I don’t mind having.” His eyes bore into yours as the words left his mouth. “I’m starting to think I like them.”

-

next chapter

taglist: @elnyrae @angelaevangelion @depitaangeline @ynackerman9499 @afatalheat @pumpkin-toffee

[skitskatdacat63]

Tysm for the tags @monacobasedgirldad @schumigrace @fernandoalonzoo sry im a bit late getting to this lol

Are you named after anyone?

My great great grandmother(I think??), though she was named Katarzyna, and I was born Catherine, but go by Catie obviously(this lowkey annoys my mom lmao, especially bcs if I were to have a nickname, it was supposed to be Cate.)

When was the last time you cried?

Today, over classical music. I think I cry at least once a day 😭 I am very emotional

Do you have kids?

Nope :)

What sports did you play/have you played?

I played soccer when I was a kid. Also does marching band count?

Do you use sarcasm?

All the fucking time, literally constantly. And also we sarcastically bully each other in my family, so I have to pull myself back from accidentally insulting people 😭

What is the first thing you notice about people?

Hmmmm, I feel like ive done this tag game before bcs I remember writing this exact answer. But usually I notice if someone is a good conversationalist or not. Like do they like to lead the convo, do they like to listen to the other people, do they talk too much, too little, are they awkward about it? It's just very interesting to me, bcs I think that kinda thing really does instantly show you if you're going to be compatible with a person(as a friend or more etc.) Cause I talk a lot a lot, and I think it's difficult to get along w people who are untalkative but also people who talk an equal amnt if not more djkfkglg.

What is your eye color?

Just brown!

Scary movies or happy endings?

Scary movies definitely. I mean im not opposed to a happy ending obviously, but that's not really what im always looking for in a movie, I guess? Rn I'm trying to think of my top movies, and man, not a lot of them have happy endings 😭 But I literally just watched two horror movies the past wknd so! Even though they make me paranoid

Any talents?

I think I could go on a rant about anything if you gave me a bit of time. I really think I can just talk endlessly. Is that a skill? Or is it just annoying..? But yeah I'm not sure, but I think I'm pretty good at absorbing information and being able to go on and on about it.

Where were you born?

America rahhh 🦅🦅 I like my state a lot even though I feel like all my peers keep saying "ugh I don't want to be in [insert state] anymore" Smh how dare you

What are your hobbies?

Mostly drawing! I draw both F1 fanart(pretty much all selfmade AUs tho) and ocs. I like writing lore and worldbuilding and meta, but not really writing itself. I like reading fic and watching movies as well. And I think one of the main things I do these days tbh is read about history and keep up with politics. I get more and more involved with it as the days go by, but unlike drawing, I don't really have an outlet for it sigh sigh. So that's why a lot of AUs involve history and random other things, bcs its fun to involve my interests with each other!

Do you have any pets?

Yes I do! Two cats and two dogs. The cats are named Jin and Frank. Jin is basically me in cat form, he's so anxious 😭 and Frank is like my brother, he's such a little bastard who loves to hiss all the time. My dogs are named Maisie and Ruby. Maisie is a menace to society, but she is also the most beautiful dog ever, so I forgive her. Her name makes me laugh bcs she's named after this book character, Maisie Dobbs right? So her name tag says Maisie Doggs

How tall are you?

Around 5'4

Favorite subject at school?

Politics >:) But I'm pretty interested in philosophy as well rn. Unfortunately my love for foreign languages has been slipping in the semester or so, bcs my professors on that side kinda suck. So I've been putting more energy into my other major, and now all I can talk about is history, politics and philosophy, etc etc. It's just a lot of fun and very interesting to me!

Dream job?

Man, sometimes I wish I could just be a student forever, I just want to keep learning all about the world and other things. But I'd like a job that's not too static, something that pushes me out into the world a bit, maybe smth in the government or like a non-profit idk yet!

Ahhhh I'm doing this a bit late so I'm not sure who's done it yet, I feel like mostly everyone has :,) I tag anyone who's interested, like seriously I'd love to see people's answers who I haven't yet!!

[illogicalnordictales]

As promised, here’s the part 2 of the last post: y’know, the one about being a language major and how the “Drunk & Angry Swastika Language” was only halfway a joke. Yeah, that one.

I dunno man, I just work here.

So I’m a history nerd. Specifically military history. European military history.

And so things like the Great War, World War II, the Talvisota, things like that, interest me.

But not only that, I’ve got a dark sense of humor, and used to run an Instagram page based off military history memes.

And then it got banned.

And then I made a new one.

Anyway, so all of this made my high school life a concoction for rumors.

Started by this one girl. I don’t like her so we’re gonna use her real name: Brooklynne.

Anyway, she didn’t really like me. I didn’t like her. She was a jerk.

And also Jewish. (I promise, this has something to do with the story.)

So one day in my sophomore year in high school, I get into my Italian class, and I’m just keeping to myself, getting settled and ready for class to start. When I hear someone call my name.

So I glanced up, and I see Brooklynne and one of her friends standing a few feet away. And Brooklynne is looking nervous. And so once they got my attention, her friend asks me,

“Do you like Nazis?”

“…why?”

“Your laces.”

Now, mind you, she asked me this after I spend all year walking into class with a German military jacket (with the current flag, not the flag of the 3rd Reich, don’t worry), and made jokes about Communism. And she’s asking about my LACES? Bruh. Anyway, I wore these black combat boots to school (still do), but they had red laces on the (I don’t have them anymore, now it’s black on black). And for those who don’t know the shoelace code:

Red laces on black Doc Martens were code for “I am a Nazi” and/or “I support Nazis.”

I don’t have Docs. I don’t want docs. I’ll take my nice cheaper comfy combat booths over Docs any day, thank you.

But I’m also not a Nazi. So I replied to them with, “No, I just like the contrast in colors.”

And I thought that was the end of that.

It wasn’t. The next year, a rumor started floating around that I was a Nazi. I don’t know exactly who started it, but I’ve got a pretty good idea on who did.

It got to the point where even people who had never met me would go, “Oh Illogical? She’s a Nazi, right?”

One guy literally wouldn’t even associate with me because of it. It was crazy.

Thankfully, over the summer the rumor died out.

And then about 2 weeks ago, I get a text from my friend. Sending me a picture of the hood of his car, where someone had drawn a swastika on the hood. And he’s like, “What is this?”

And I’m like, “I didn’t do it. Plus, it’s not even the Nazi one. It’s the Hindu one. The Nazi one is on an angle, that one would need to be rotated 45° for it to be the Nazi one.”

Yeahhh, I betchu didn’t know there were TWO different types of swastikas.

Now you do.

Anyway, with that single piece of knowledge I cleared my name instantly, because very few people know that fact.

But then he was like, “So who did it?”

Like bruh I’unno, it wasn’t my turn to watch your car like a hawk and make sure no one drew a swastika on it.

And bro literally pulled the “You’re a language major” card.

And he was then like, “I thought you did it. Also, being a German major made it more likely you’d be a facist.”

HAH idiot. Nonono. Being a German major would mean I’m more careful about what I do to not give that vibe.

Like suuure, I like making jokes about the Holocaust. Suuure, I take in interest in European and German military history.

FACIST, SHE MUST BE A FACIST. SHE’S A FILTHY RIGHT WING SKINHEAD.

(Guys my ego is fragile and I’m not a Skinhead. Don’t send the liberals after me, I’m not one of them, they’ll draw and quarter me)

Like hah guys let’s be real here. If I was a facist, I wouldn’t be out loud and proud about it. That’s like going to Hot Topic at 10 P.M.

That’s how you die.

Anyway, little hint for later, if anyone ever accuses you of being a Nazi, there are many ways you can go about it:

1) Do literally nothing.

2) Say, “No I’m not.” (Extra points if you pull the “That’s the wrong swastika” card)

3) Stare them dead in the eye. Straighten your back, put your heels together, and raise your right arm about 45°. Then, yell, “HEIL HITLER!” (Extra points if you’re in college at a very liberal or left wing college.) Then, you go about life like nothing happened.

✨You’re welcome for this useless anecdote✨

Note: The last option is entirely satirical. Don’t attack me in the comments. If you do, you’re uninvited to my birthday party. If you do it, and you get shot, that’s not my fault, nor is it my problem.

[eleemosynecdoche]

Fornit doesn't exist, why?

*putting on my ceremonial mesh tights and sparkly capelet*

*ascending before the altar*

*clearing my throat*

Because it sucks!

Or, putting it longer and with more jargon- Fonrit is a part of Glorantha where the fantasy content is so heavily impregnated with sensationalistic depictions of slavery in North Africa from an older generation of adventure fiction, and tied in with a heavy dose of Orientalism. So, it's got a lot of racism in the basic premise before you get to the Vadeli (and hoo boy, the Vadeli)! But of course, Glorantha has been consistently racist to varying degrees in its content, and there are plenty of places where you have to cut away a lot of material and yet I still go there. (Caladraland featured heavily in the game I recently finished playing).

Fonrit is, I would say, worse, but not so much because of the specific details, but rather because of a deeper problem- there's not much playable content when you look at it.

I don't mean that we need a Fonrit book, or Fonrit adventures. Looking at other places in Pamaltela, the Kothar/Jolar border zone, which is also filled with racist content left over from old adventure fiction and has little published material, has some immediately playable content. You have the Kresh and Arbennan confederacies in tension, preparing for war, you have (sigh) monsters marching from out of the desert, you have the fire people from beyond the desert, you have the goblins of the marshes to the east- there's an explosive metasituation to explore and play with. Even Kimos, which is just a "wow, cool fantasy backdrop material, bro!" set of paragraphs, has a nascent situation with the Gorgers you could explore.

These would require a lot of work to make playable, I would say, because there isn't that much material to draw from, but you have something to build on. It's much more work than even Ralios or Seshnela or, for fuck's sake, Arolanit, would require. Incomparable to near-instantly playable places like Fronela, Dragon Pass, the Holy Country, or the Lunar Empire, or not-quite-places like the Arkat/Gbaji content.

Fonrit then has the basal problem that there's just not that much playable content there. You have conflicts between two different moral abysses in the form of the slaver factions, and I just don't give a shit about that. You have the Pujaleg in Laskal, who are of course, denoted as evil within the fandom discourse, but even if you rightly discard that and kick it to the curb, it's just- what, a moral crusade with "grey moments" added in by force to make it feel less one-sided? Similarly, you have the Veldang, who are blue people racially oppressed by black people, and you could play a really grim situation about Veldang resistance and revolutionary efforts- turns out they're the descendants of the evil Artmali! And there's the Vadeli, still.

In order to make a playable situation, that is one with interesting and explosive tensions players and their characters can interact with, you have to essentially make your own Fonrit, or at least I would and I think the overwhelming majority of people would as well. Going back to the Vadeli, the Vadeli are extremely problematic as a part of Gloranthan content, because the extant material generally uses antisemitic stereotypes taken to cartoonish extremes- they're so blood-libel they eat their own children to stay immortal! They're so sexually perverse they use axolotl tanks from Dune!!

Now. When I said "problematic", I mean it very precisely, because when you dig down to the basal Vadeli content of Revealed Mythologies, you get a very different picture. And then pieces, for me, fell into place. Because knowing what I know about Greg Stafford, for him, at least for most of his life, Arkat's journey was modeled on a fantastical interpretation of his own life, coming from a repressed mainline Christian New England military family (horali from Brithos) and journeying through Hrestoli knighthood (reading Arthuriana at a young age) and then paganism (dropping out of Beloit College and becoming a hippie and self-professed shaman).

So perhaps, what we are meant to do by Stafford is read the Vadeli content in this way: the Vadeli are fantasy Jews, they are directly victimized by these antisemitic stereotypes applied to them by Malkioni fantasy Christians. Brithini dominion and Zzabur's genocide kept them reduced to the status of peasants who cannot defend themselves, with no soldiers ("horali") or priests ("wizards") and not even a general public memory of rulers ("talars").

This is problematic because this reading of the content, this interpretation, doesn't erase the antisemitic implications of the content, adds some more, and of course it doesn't carry an instantly playable situation in and of itself- what are the Vadeli doing that brings them into tension, with other people or with themselves? And beyond that, there are questions of who has a "right" to play such things in a roleplaying game, though I will be even more overly candid here than I've already been and note that I strongly believe that the concerns related to cultural appropriation in other media don't apply to roleplaying in the same way, and many don't apply at all.

(This is also a specific *possibility* or *option* for play, though I think it makes much more sense than making the Vadeli colonizers. Feel free to ask me about that, by the by, if you want a real rant on your hands.)

Anyways, I still don't have *that* much interest in doing the work necessary to finish the Vadeli to a playable state even given that. But I think that work is something I could see myself doing, in a more limited fashion, if the Vadeli entered into play on the outskirts, because I find some aspects of the Revealed Mythologies content affecting and interesting. And for Fonrit, I just think that there's so little interesting content in it that I have and would fireaxe it away in play (see the link for an explanation of that term) and just agree that it's not there. If anyone wants to go there in play... well, that's a subject for an actual game.

I have a similar but distinct set of thoughts about Prax and Kralorela, but I won't bloat this post up any further.

[mamamittens]

I know you answered before some what ifs about sweet child of mine y/n and if they were found by others. But did you do anything for kaido and if the beast pirates had found them first?. If not, what would have happened

Well, it's a funny story, but the first issue is that I know Jack shit about them, tbh

I'm... Definitely not at Wano. But! I can vibe check and we'll see how long I hold that opinion!

For child reader, anyone with animal traits will instantly like them. It's the hidden Rizz. I don't make the rules (it's why Marco is instantly invested before the devil fruit thing). And anyone with animal traits is instantly Super Cool and To Be Admired in child reader's eyes.

Something I'm sure their ego needs.

Kaido, at the very least, is going to be almost sadistically amused that the reader wasn't better protected. It wouldn't mean shit to him if he heard of them, but the total lack just confirms the Marines are dumb as shit. He will also be quite interested in keeping them out of curiosity. He hardly needs more power after all, but spreading the world will draw reckless idiots to his kingdom, meaning better fights.

He might even allow Yamato to care for them knowing his son hates his guts in the vague interest that reader will go out of their way to try and beat him as well. Or perhaps become a vassal to Yamato, with more control it would be quite useful for the future ruler of Wano.

The beast pirates are, in general, too controlled to get an ego from the boost, so thats not a major concern, tbh.

King might feel sorry for them, knowing what it's like to be hunted for things outside of his control.

As for anyone else I... Really don't know. Again, I only know about Wano from spoilers and everyone else hasn't had super big talk about them so I can't even begin to grasp their personalities over my lunch break lol

Hope this is what you were looking for, sorry 😬

[cafecourage]

I know I asked if I could just send in the prompts, but my suddenly burst of creativity for drawing shifted to writing and so you have Dragon au! Content that started off as normal content. It was supposed to be all Wild legend and warriors with the 2nd prompt but I got impatient and wanted to send it now.

“jealous? who, me? impossible” *is actually seething with rage & jealousy*

At first I thought both prompts would both be warriors, but after thinking it over I think this particular one would also fit Wild and Legend.

We saw how Wild reacted when Four told him that seeing Twilight (his long-term/only friend, albeit a dif version of him) would do more harm then good, who's to say how'd he react to seeing someone try to take his s/o away from him in front of his very eyes (esp if we're doing guide/Isekai! Reader).

Reader, one of the only people who were there for him when he woke up with only his name, Reader, who cheered for him and helped pick up the pieces of himself when everything seemed overwhelming and hopeless, Reader, who now seems bored to tears at the clearly unwanted advance.

Adding this on because I forgot we're doing dragon au for these. Adding onto the thoughts above, not only is Wild slightly possessive of things/people that are close to him, dragons are as well, so it's a habit that kinda feeds into itself in that aspect. Wild's instincts were left unchecked for too long, or maybe said 'checking' was forgotten alongside everything else over 100 years ago, so he acts more on his heart than his brain. As if that wasn't enough, Wild doesn't have anything grand to his name, so he feels the need to impress them in some way in order to make Reader stay (which is exemplified if the two aren't even together yet). Maybe that's why that person was even able to get to Reader from under his nose.

Either way, Wild is nothing if not a hero, and their hero in a dusty blue champions tunic comes to save Reader from a mildly inconvenient tragic fate. The poor soul who flirted with reader sees the same guy that just took down a stone talus in 5 minutes come marching straight towards them and boy does he look angry. Wild doesn't even make it to the two before the sap just takes off, leaving a very smug reader.

He denies even being jealous because he, again, doesn't want Reader to feel smothered and leave; but also because now, upon seeing the amused look on their face, he feels like a child along with still having feelings of jealousy.

With Legend a majority of it is just Legend himself, he has a pretty decent grasp on his instincts (not including the hoard) and would rather die than let you see him like that. However, Legend is also pretty insecure in himself and how others see him. Legend doesn't have many people close to him, and he's not too keen on gaining them in fear of it being a repeat of his uncle and Marin, his nearly impenetrable shell is both his blessing and his downfall.

Legend, even after everything that's happened, wants to be loved, he wants someone to come home to and while Ravio was nice, he too had to leave. Then reader comes in, in all their...weird and overly-optimistic glory, then suddenly Legend isn't alone anymore. While Legend wasted almost no time in claiming you much to the others' amusement and offense

("you mean to tell me that I had to spend weeks to get you to at the very least tolerate me. Only for them to show up and get a claim instantly?!" "I guess you aren't as great as you think you are" "...>:(")

He's still unsure that reader will even stay. He's aware that he's not the biggest dragon, or even the nicest. The only thing that he's got going is his massive pile of stuff in his eyes. He has powerful weapons, rupees, bracelets and glimmering jewels that'll make even the captain's head turn. But that works for dragons. Reader isn't a dragon. And while Reader was clearly honored that he trusted them enough to see it, their interest was only curiosity towards the stuff, not in relation to him. They don't see his hoard--no matter how massive and shiny--as a worthy reason to date him. And while he's glad they aren't superficial, he's cursing at the thought of being emotionally vulnerable enough to tell them.

'That's okay!' Legend tells himself. Even if his stuff didn't work, Legend knows he's doing something right because even after everything: they choose to stay by his side. Even when presented with 6 other heroes that Legend seems worthy, at the end of the day, Legend can look over his shoulder and know that Reader is right there next to him.

His confidence stirs however, when he sees you getting talked to like you're some floozy. Legend, for all his insecurities and bitterness, is also protective of the people close to him but especially of reader, who has never stepped foot into Hyrule before. Legend also doesn't take too kindly to random people with too much audacity barging in and trying to take what's his. So yeah, Legend tells off that rando, and he would do it again in a heartbeat.

He won't, however, admit to ever being jealous. Nope, not in the slightest, Reader just looked like they needed help, and Legend was the closest one around (why was that? He doesn't answer, and starts towards the inn, not giving you a chance to continue on). Still though, in order to seemingly reassure himself, Legend turns his head around, and Reader is right there looking back at him, even if they are laughing at him being jealous.

I love reading these but also I have 0 idea what this is referring to. But hey! more dragon au content!!!

[autopotion]

I'm playing a slightly modified version of the challenge run I wanted to do in fall '22, i.e. I have to recruit almost all of my units with Invitation and I can't change them out of the job I recruited them with, and it's an absolutely fascinating way to play FFT for a couple of reasons.

It might not seem like it, but switching just one unit to your side can turn the tide of battle in a major way. I invited the most useless character in the Slums of Dorter fight (the archer who is not equipped with any weapons at all) and was kicking myself for it, except he instantly drew most enemy fire away from my more important units (Ramza & Tia, my mediator). Life-saving.

I'm actually paying attention to Zodiac compatibility so I have higher success rates, meaning I don't waste as much time with misses (for the most part). The downside of this is my roster is going to be filled with fire signs LMAO.

The times I pay less attention to Zodiac compatibility are when there are female generics on the field, which is a noticeably rare occurrence. Like, it was always a fun treat to face them in battle in the average playthrough, but now that my options are limited & the naturally occurring women are so few, I find I'm planning battles around recruiting a particular female generic. I failed to nab one of Miluda's priests, but I grabbed her time mage in the second fight. I've started compiling a list of every battle which features female generics and in which Jobs.

Some units start to feel kind of... expendable. Example: I recruited a Bomb in Sweegy Woods and promptly remembered that Bombs suck. I used that Bomb in Dorter as bait and didn't bother to waste a turn resurrecting it when it died. This is a perma-loss run as well (save for Ramza & Tia), so I can't restart when I lose a unit, but I found I cared much less about keeping the Bomb alive vs. the linchpins of my playthrough. I'm also not quite as cavalier about units with rare jobs, especially if they're women (like that time mage), but male knights you can practically pick up off the ground. Like my dude knight, Stone. There's definitely a hierarchy of unit worth (not the least because I only have sixteen slots, thanks PSX). Which is HILARIOUS considering Ramza's arc is about the inherent worth of all life, not just the ones society deem important. It seems more merciful to recruit units in battle instead of just killing them all, but the fate of a recruited unit is less certain--will I strip them of their equipment and kick them out on the street? Will I use them as a diversion to draw fire away from my central characters, or as bait to capture a more valuable unit? I feel kind of evil lol.

The circumstances under which I invite units into my party also create interesting little stories. Like that time mage I yoinked from Miluda, Silky (which is SUCH a cute name, half the reason I went for her). Silky was the only other unit left alive, my mediator cornered her until she agreed to join us, and then we killed Miluda. How would Miluda have felt in that moment, watching her last ally betray simultaneously her and their cause, by crossing the floor and joining up with this snot-nosed noble boy? That's crazy dude. I'm kind of obsessed with Silky now.

[tonberry-yoda]

Hey there! I already sent in the match request but I’d like to update it if that’s ok? Just ignore the first one. For some reason tumblr would only let me do a limited message 🥲🥲

Fandom: Haikyuu

Ok so I’m cis hetero (she/her).

I‘m 5‘3 and slim. Also pretty athletic. Red hair to my shoulders, wavy and grey/light blue eyes. Freckles on my nose and rather light skin.

I like to wear jeans and shirts, but also dark academia style and prefer earthy colors or black and white.

Personality: ENTJ-A

I’m almost always happy or at least in a good mood. I smile a lot and like to make jokes. I’m outgoing and extroverted. I do get along with extroverts and introverts alike though. I like adventures and I’m very curious. I can be super sarcastic and get very protective about people I love. Can be very mean, I feel the need to protect someone. Otherwise I don’t care what others do or say. Especially if it’s about me. It’s almost impossible to upset me personally or insult me. I’m very loyal and that kind of person you can call at any time and I’ll travel the whole country just to get to you if you need it. I’m a hard worker, but very aware of my limits and take care of myself. I get along with strangers almost instantly and find it easy to talk to people and to get them to open up to me.

Hobbies: videogames, books, drawing, rollerskating, hiking, trying new things such as sports, chilling at home, cooking, anime and manga

Likes: honesty, loyalty, cuddly people (even a little clingy is ok. I like to be needed), cats, Harry Potter, long talks, acoustic music/pop/musicals

Dislikes: misogyny, racism, homophobia, emotional manipulators, lies (just be honest with me. Will find a Solution.) ppl that won’t talk about their problems, drama

Love language: I love touch and acts of service. But I can provide every other Love language too

It’s important for me to have someone I can talk with and be on the same level. I don’t mind if they are being weak sometimes. I can usually carry us both but they need to be willing to work on themselves. I like someone that makes me laugh and can be there for me, if needed.

Thank you 💓🌻

oh my goodness hello!! im so glad i get to do a matchup for you!! (also, super wacky, but we both have red hair lmaooo). this actually took me a minute, but I think I have a good choice for you!

the character I chose for you is...

KUROO!!!

he's so fine omg

dark academia he would find so pretty frrrr

like he would be so into it

you always cheer him up. like when you show up, you get this man smiling

you are both so sarcastic it's adorable tbh

like just sarcastic quips back and forth are the majority of your conversations lmaooo

be protective over him and he'll get all flustered

since he is kinda the mom friend, having someone that wants to protect him makes him blush

since you have this amazing vow of being a very loyal person to those you love, he makes the same vow

i mean tbh he will only ever have eyes for you

you mean the world to him and he wouldnt have it any other way

he's super loyal and will never make you feel bad and if he does, he will ask what he did wrong and try to fix it

he loves that you can take care of yourself and be an amazing individual, it makes him more confident in the two of you and your relationship

he thinks it's adorable that you're so willing to make friends with anyone

if you're talking to a group of people and he is nearby, expect his arm to go around you. not because he's jealous or wants to show that you're his and that bs, just because he does it subconsciously

he will 150% play videogames with you when he's not playing volleyball

please play volleyball or just play sports with him, he loves that you're athletic so he can have someone to goof off with

tell him about the books you're reading. he doesnt read much, so if you read to him or told him about your books, he would love it. plus he's just interested

cook him food and he will marry you on the spot. sorry, that's just how it has to be

he will cuddle you ALL THE TIME

if you go to practice with him, he will literally get off of the court mid practice just to cuddle in your arms for a few seconds. who cares if he's a little sweaty??

cuddle him after a long game

just know that his arm will be around you at all times as his way of cuddling you in public lol

gives you kisses all over your freckles

you two will always have really deep talks, which really deepens your relationship

this man is always honest with you. lying is the worst, and he wants to keep you, so just know that he will always be honest

everyone has their weak moments, so sometimes he'll need you, but just know that if you ever need help, he's got your back :)

this man loves you a crazy amount, so be there for him and he will do the same

and per your request, here is a mini fic :)

MINI FIC

"I'm tired." Kuroo nearly fell on top of you as he walked out of volleyball practice, finding you on a bench outside, reading a book.

You set down the book and wrapped your arms around Kuroo, the golden sun making his hair look even darker somehow. "Not too tired to go get food, right?"

"Oh, of course not. Just... leave me here for a moment, okay?" He cuddled more onto your lap with a smile on his lips.

You just picked up your book and continued to read, subconsciously running your available hand through Kuroo's jet black hair.

You got a few chapters in before realizing something was off.

"Kuroo?" You poked him with your bookmark and no response. "Kuroo, babe, are you okay?"

You cupped both sides of his face to find him fast asleep on your lap with the biggest smile on his face.

"I thought you said you weren't too tired to get food." You whispered softly, placing a little kiss on his lips before getting him in a more comfortable position to resume your reading.

He would be up soon, but for now just leave him be.

<3 I hope you enjoy!!! :)

~~~~~

matchup rules --- pinned post

@tonberry-yoda

[skulljackxiii]

Dramaronpa: Star Struck-Lindsay

*stares awkwardly with bright lit face*

"......."

"..........."

"................"

*continues staring* "....mmmmm"

*girl slightly tilts head in confusion, but gives off a warm gentle smile*

*whispers to self*..."Come on, COME ON!!! Think of something to say"

"........................."

*whispers to self* "I can't do it, especially her without staring and having to slightly bend over to hide something from showing."

(I mean can anyone, honest to GOD, blame me from doing that. I am a healthy young man with needs after all. But...then again if we're talking about this girl, I'm sure everyone can understand what I'm going through and show me empathy rather than pity. I mean she has the assets given by God to draw attention and be showered with love. I'm living proof of that since I have a lot of her merch....for research purposes for my videos of course.)

(Lindsay, the girl that set the standards when it came to beauty. She had the body that most influencers and models nowadays could either only dreamed of having or get when they try turning themselves into life-sized Frankenstein Barbie Dolls.)

(Obviously with her body alone, she gathered a massive army of fans that gawked and howled at every action she did. Interesting enough, though it was her figure that drew them in at the start, but what made them stay and became loyal to her was her positive energy that radiated from her.)

(Her massive fanbase at the start just lusted for her, like any other model or porn-star, but something came out that made them more sincerely supportive the longer they watched her. In strong contrast of her body, she had a face of a saint that radiated such innocence and purity that brought bliss to everyone and her upbeat attitude illuminated such fun and child-like energy that it summoned the fanbase's inner protective nature to shield her from any harm.)

(When you think about it, it's truly amazing she could accomplish what she did and she definitely deserves to be called an Ultimate. She moved and lived in Japan most of her life and a occupation of a Gravure Idol should only be limited to that area, but she was able to branch out  to other countries and now has a loyal fanbase across the world. All her magazines, photos, and DVDs would fly off the shelves instantly and millions would be made in profit.)

(Though there was a time where I found it suspicious that she had so many different connections and that she had enough financial backing that allowed her to do so much that she did.)

(I remember in the past, there were a couple videos that I did that covered a lot of her sales and some suspicious intel behind them. But as soon as I tried uploading them, it would be instantly taken down for some bullshit reason. It wasn't just me but all other content creator and news sites had their content removed.)

(It looked like that any kind of criticism or negative outlook towards her would be immediately removed before reaching the masses. After finding the patterns, I became more invested and tried to dive deeper, so I had my sources look into her past to discover something new. But that didn't happen...)

(It wasn't like that there wasn't anything to find, but it was more like that I couldn't. My sources told me that any record of Lindsay's life before becoming famous, was either hidden or blocked off. The only things that I could go off of was her interviews and how she talked bits about her previous life on tv.)

(She said herself in those interviews that she looked nothing like she did now. In her words, she said that from her early childhood up until middle school, she was never seen in the beauty category, in fact she was someone that the majority would vote for having a face that would fade in the background. But she did have the ability to still draw in people due to her radiant personality. She was someone who didn't really care about how she looked, all she ever cared about was having fun with her BFF. But one day, due to some circumstances, she  needed to change herself so she could stay by her best friend's side.)

(When I heard this, I couldn't believe the story of a plain Jane transforming into a National level Beauty, some part of me thought that the PR team made that shit up so she could appear more relatable. Though due to who I am I had to take it as face value. But the one thing that intrigued me that could give me the answers that I was looking for would be looking into this so called "BFF" of hers.)

(When I went digging there wasn't much to find either, until I got a name. The name alone connected everything that was related to Lindsay and explained all the suspicious activities surrounding her career.)

(Her BFF was a fellow Ultimate on this island that holds a very high position in the World. I scrapped everything that had anything to do with her because going against her friend would mean that my personal, private, professional, financial, etc. life would be eviscerated with a snap of her fingers.)

(Just thinking her name sent such strong shivers down my spine that I need a chiropractor to fix my back for years to come. in the end, I hardly got anything from all the time I spent researching, but there was some good news that came from this. I at least know that Lindsay is the sexy/innocent soul that she appears to be.)

"................"

*whispers to self*"I hate myself so much T_T."

*innocent girl continues to smile and stare*

*innocent girl sees him being uncomfortable and started asking him about his interests and thoughts*

*both started to talk slowly, yet comfortably*

"Really?! I didn't know that...mmmm. I'll give it a try."

"That sounds awesome! But isn't that kinda shitty what he did?"

*both started to talk faster and more excitedly*

"Wait, WHAT!! Why?! Whyy did they die, there's just no way!!"

"Mmmm, now that's sexy, I'd love to see that~!"

"Hell Yeah!! That's the only way to do it!!"

*after talking awhile, both felt happy and waved at each other goodbye*

"Hehe~"

(That was awesome! You're the FUCKING MANN!! I got close to someone like her and establish a good relationship. I wonder....Is this what it means to be popular?!...Man, Cody you truly grew up~)

(....Buutttt I was kinda surprised of what she was like in person. She is very upbeat and bright like she appears to be. But I honestly thought that she'd be someone more delicate and sophisticated given how well-kept her looks are...)

(...But I didn't know that she'd be such a massive Weeb.)

(This entire time we talked about all sorts of manga and anime that was currently and previously circulating  around that world and the impact the field holds now.)

(I wasn't someone that knew a lot about comics or graphic novels since I was only ever focused on gossip and my viewership, so I obviously didn't know shit about anything related to anime or manga.)

(But when I did, she started to recommended me stuff  like crazy and tried to entice to get more into it. She even started doing poses and screaming special moves from famous manga to give me a better experience.)

(It was totally weird, but seeing her be more tomboyish and having fun doing it, I became really invested.)

(Mmmmm, I wonder if I should include more stuff like this to increase my audience?)

(Well, whatever...I got a good thing going on with her and I'm sure we're gonna be good friends on the island. I mean, hell...she even gave me some nicknames too~)

(But I do wonder though...)

(What does Shota or Chibi mean?)

(.........)

(Whatever, it must mean something significant. Maybe it means someone cool or awesome like that....Yeah~ it has to be it!)

[phant0m-l0rd]

I got inspired by @blueofthesun to make my own personal post about Dir En Grey's album openers and how I'd personally rank my favourites~

Just a heads up, with the majority of Diru songs I'm not 100% familiar with all the song lyrics so my preferences rely more so on the musical aspects of the songs rather than their meanings necessarily.

My top 5 is under the cut~

5. 鬼眼-kigan-

I feel like this was the perfect track to start off the Kisou album because, right from the opening notes, it sets the tone for what will be an unsettling, eerie, and dark album that tackles a range of controversial topics in an overt manner.

The slow build-up of the creepy atmosphere transitions into a more chaotic segment, which also gives the listener a preview of what the rest of the album will be like; hectic, unpredictable, yet somehow cohesive.

4. audience KILLER LOOP

I remember the very first time I checked out the Vulgar album- I was on public transport on my commute to my internship sometime last year. And I remember being grateful I was wearing a mask because I was just smiling giddily at how much I was enjoying the opening track. It instantly made me so excited for the rest of the album that was to come.

It opens with a bang, instantly drawing you in and piquing your interest, only to get more melodious as it progresses. It feels refined and the sound feels mature, with lots of little intricacies you only pick up upon further listens. And, for all those reasons, it feels perfect as the opening to this album. It encapsulates and gives a preview of the powerful and dynamic (to borrow @blueofthesun's phrasing) journey you're about to embark on.

3. Sa Bir

I was also tempted to lump Deity and Sa Bir together in my ranking, but I'll keep them separate because I do have a slight preference for Deity as an opening.

Sa Bir is such a good opening for Uroboros because it takes its time to set the mood, yet it doesn't feel in the least bit boring. I've always found that it reminded me of a Pink Floyd track due to the usage of ticking clocks, and I agree with @blueofthesun once more that it overall feels very hypnotic. To me, it serves its purpose at pulling you in, making you intrigued and willing to venture into the unknown.

2. Deity

This is legitimately one of my favourite Diru songs, period, and the only reason it's not number one in this ranking is because I'm ranking these not necessarily based on my preferences for them as songs but mostly for their effectiveness at being album openers.

The reason this one works so well, to me, for opening Macabre is because it's atmospheric, hypnotic, and ominous, much like the rest of the album. As I've mentioned with others, to me a good album opener is one that sets the tone for the rest of the album and also draws you in and leaves you wanting more. I love the way this song starts off slow, then the tension keeps building especially once the rhythm section kicks in. The layers keep getting added and when the vocals finally come in, the stage has been perfectly set for the rest of the album to then unfold.

1. Kyoukotsu No Nari (狂骨の鳴り)

I will not lie, I'm very biased towards this song as an album opening track because, to me, it was not just the opening track to Dum Spiro Spero but also the opening track to my Dir En Grey musical journey, essentially. After I'd heard a 10sec snippet of another song off DSS on YouTube, DSS was subsequently the first Diru album I wanted to check out and this was the first full song I heard by them.

And I don't think a better song exists to set the stage for not only DSS, but for Dir En Grey as a whole. It's chilling, unsettling, terrifying even. It feels like it belongs in a horror movie soundtrack and, as such, is the perfect track to start off the dark and sinister album that is DSS. It's a haunting opening track, and I remember my first impression upon hearing it was that I'd never heard anything quite like it in my entire life, and I was almost wondering what I'd just walked myself into. For that, I think it's perfect.

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