#images are free to use and sourced from pexels pixabay and unsplash

[valdevia]

Hi, I love your works!! I was wondering where you find the original, unedited pictures you use for your art? Do you take them yourself or find them online?

Hey there! I get them from many different sources! Whenever I can I use my own, and sometimes my followers send me cool pics to use (or put them up in the Sacrificial Altar channel in my Discord), but I find most of what I use through public domain sources online!

For the online part, I put this little list together with some of the common resources I use! Feel free to share it around and copy it:

For an easier experience, I'll copy the relevant part below:

STOCK SITES

- Unsplash: Usually the best quality out of the free stock sites. They’ll try to sell you a subscription plan but you can ignore that.

- Adobe Stock: Select “Free” on the dropdown menu next to the search bar. The free image selection here is big and high-quality, though they feel more like stock pictures than natural photos. Note: They limit how many pictures you can download per account per day, but you can make several accounts to circumvent this if you use it a lot.

- Texturelabs: lots of free, very high-quality textures!

- Pexels: Similar to Unsplash, but it has more pictures with people. If you need a photo with models, this is usually the best place.

- Pixabay: Widest selection, but worst quality control. Go here if you haven’t found anything in other sites and don’t mind sifting through a bunch of garbage pics and occasional AI images.

PUBLIC DOMAIN SOURCES

- Wikimedia Commons: an enormous selection of CC and public domain pictures. Super useful, especially for the really specific images that you'd expect to find on a Wikipedia article. Always check the copyright conditions! To filter by license, search something and then click on the License dropdown under the search bar. Select “No restrictions” for public domain images.

- Picryl: A repository of public domain sources, ranging from ancient historical books and artifacts to fairly modern pictures. If you're looking for something old/historical, chances are it's here! This website is probably one of the most complicated ones to use, so here are three important tips before you use it:

This site added a paywall that appears after the 3rd page of search results. To remove it, install uBlock Origin, go to the “My Filters” page (clicking on the gear icon after opening the extension), and paste this filter: picryl.com##._9oJ0c2

After searching, use the timeline on the top right to narrow down the result by year.

It won’t let you download the full picture without paying, but it always has a link to the source site below the description. Click on that, then copy-paste the image’s name to find it in the original source. That way you can get it for free, and often in better quality than Picryl offers.

National Archives Catalog, The Library of Congress, NASA, and Europeana have wide selections, but they are included in Picryl so it’s usually better to search there and then download them in the source as mentioned above!

- Flickr Search: a ton of usable pictures with a generally more amateur feel, just remember to filter by license using the “Any license” dropdown menu. When you find an image, make sure to check its specific license (you can find it below the image, on the right side).

- Openverse: The official Creative Commons archive, has many sources! Includes other sites on this list, but has a lot of clutter if you don’t filter.

- iNaturalist: a repository of user-submitted images of animals, plants, and fungi. Look for a genus or species, then navigate to the photo list and filter by license.

MUSEUM COLLECTIONS

- The Met: An amazing selection of artifacts from all over the world, with top quality photographs of most of them (usually with several angles for each). You can filter images by material, location, and era.

- Getty Museum: Another smaller selection of museum pieces, but this one includes old photos as well as artifacts. You can also filter by dates, materials and cultures. Make sure you include the “Open Content” filter to only see public domain things!

- Smithsonian: Big selection of around 5 million museum pieces, with some 3D scans of museum pieces. Most pieces just have a single picture that can sometimes be low quality, but pieces with 3D models sometimes also include a lot of high quality photos from multiple angles. This collection also includes things from museums of natural history, so you can also use it to search for bones and specimens.

- Artvee: public domain classical art. They make you pay to download high-quality images.

If you guys got any others, please let me know and I'll add them to the collection!

[honeybeezgobzzzzz]

✎ Free Images for Commercial Use: Sources

For clarification!!

CC0 is the "no copyright reserved" option in the Creative Commons toolkit - it effectively means relinquishing all copyright and similar rights that you hold in a work and dedicating those rights to the public domain.

✏ Pixabay:

-All the contents are released under the Pixabay License, which makes them safe to use without asking for permission or giving credit to the creator.

✏ Unsplash:

-You get access to over a million photos under the Unsplash license, which makes them free to use as you want. Attribution usually required but a copy/paste attribution is supplied

✏ Pexels:

-Pexels provides thousands of high-quality free photos licensed under the Pexels license.

✏ Stocksnap.io:

-All the images fall under the Creative Common CC0 license that lets you do what you want with the photos, with no attribution required.

✏ Burst by Shopify:

-These images fall under Creative Common Zero (CC0) license, which means you can use these photos free for any purpose.

✏ Gratisography:

-Gratisography was started by photographer Ryan McGuire as an aid for people in need of pictures, for personal and commercial use, that they could download and use absolutely free of cost

✏ Free Images:

-Freeimages were started as an alternative for expensive stock photography. The idea behind this was to create a site where creative people could exchange their photos for inspiration or work.

✏ Free For Commercial Use:

-All the images are licensed with the Creative Commons license CC0, also called the Public Domain or Copyright Free.

✏ All The Free Stock:

-On AllTheFreestock you will find all the free stock images, videos, music, and icons in one location. These images are listed under the Creative Common Zero license, so you are free to use these images for commercial use also.

✏ Picjumbo:

-Picjumbo contains a collection of free pics from various categories ranging from technology, nature, and fashion that can be used either for your personal or commercial use.

✏ Freestocks.org:

-This collection of high-resolution photos are under CC0 license so you can use these royalty-free images for both personal and commercial use.

✏ Free Range Stock:

-Free Range Stock provides access to high-quality stock images from in-house photographers, as long as you register for free.

✏ Picography:

-All photos are CC0 licensed. You can use any of their free stock photos the way you want, with no attribution required.

✏ ImageFree:

-As a registered user, you have access to high-quality stock graphics and photos for free.

✏ Negative Space:

-The photos on this site are free to use under the Creative Commons CC0 license.

✏ Bigfoto:

-This site offers a free download of all the pictures from their massive and constantly growing photo gallery. All they ask is a link back to their website.

✏ FreePhotoBank:

-All the images of FreePhotoBank have a Creative Commons Attribution alone license.

✏ FOCA Stock:

-All the photos are released under Creative Commons CC0, you are free to use these photos for personal and commercial use.

✏ Large Photos:

-All the photos can be used free for commercial or non-commercial purposes. All the media published on the website are subject to Creative Common Zero license (Public Domain).

✏ Life of Pix:

-It offers free high-resolution photos without any copyright restrictions.

✏ LibreShot:

-All these photos are free to use commercially since they are licensed under Creative Commons CC0.

✏ Additional Sources:

You can also create your own images from sites like Canva, PicMonkey, Crello, or Ease.ly.

[theambitiouswoman]

Hi

How do you start a blog on a website of its own?

What to write in the about and what to publish as the first article?

1. First you pick a niche for your blog.

2. Choose a blogging platform. I recommend Wordpress.org / Wordpress.com. You can also use Blogger.

3. Choose a domain name for your blog and web hosting provider.

4. Download a blog template and design your layout. You can use Envato market place (I use this one but there are loads)

5. You want to start off with about 5 posts. Here are some things you can do to figure out what to write about:

a. Look at your audience. What are their pain points, concerns, and obsessions when it comes to your products?

b. Use sites like Quora where there are millions of people asking questions to get the best answers.

c. Use blog directories to search by topic.

d. Research competing blogs. Other blogs’ ideas for content in your niche can be a valuable source of inspiration.

e. Use Semrush’s Topic Research tool. With the Topic Research tool, you can enter any blog topic to get a list of related topics and questions that people are searching for.

f. Ask your readers. You can get feedback from your readers on what they want to read about by asking them directly or through surveys.

6. You can use your existing platforms, as well as Pinterest, or other social media platforms to promote your blog and drive traffic to it. It can be under your name or you can make an anonymous account.

7. There are several ways you can monetize your blog:

a. Sell a product or service. You can sell your own products or services on your blog, such as ebooks, courses, or coaching services.

b. Create gated content. You can create premium content that is only available to subscribers or members who pay a fee.

c. Promote external brands. You can promote other brands’ products or services on your blog and earn a commission for each sale made through your affiliate link.

d. Offer sponsored content opportunities to other brands. You can offer sponsored content opportunities to other brands that are relevant to your niche.

e. Provide coaching services. You can offer coaching services related to your niche.

f. Market your freelance writing skills. You can market your freelance writing skills and offer writing services to other blogs or websites.

g. Participate in affiliate marketing. You can participate in affiliate marketing programs and earn a commission for each sale made through your affiliate link.

8. You can use a free image website like: unsplash, pixabay, pexels or canva to create content.

hope this helps!

<3

[designnest]

Mastering Design: A Comprehensive Guide to Free Graphic Design Resources

Graphic design is a dynamic field that requires a keen eye for aesthetics, a mastery of various tools and techniques, and access to the right graphic design resources.

Whether you're a seasoned designer looking to expand your toolkit or a novice seeking to enhance your skills, having access to free graphic design resources can be invaluable.

In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore the top free resources available to designers, from high-quality images and fonts to versatile design software and tutorials.

By harnessing the power of these resources, you can elevate your designs, streamline your workflow, and unlock your full creative potential.

1. Unsplash:

Unsplash is a goldmine for high-resolution, royalty-free images that can breathe life into your designs. With a diverse collection spanning countless categories, from nature and architecture to technology and fashion, Unsplash offers designers an endless source of inspiration without any licensing fees.

2. Google Fonts:

Typography is a cornerstone of effective design, and Google Fonts provides a vast selection of free, open-source typefaces to choose from. Whether you're looking for classic serifs, modern sans-serifs, or decorative display fonts, Google Fonts offers something for every project, all accessible with a simple integration into your design software or website.

3. Canva:

Canva has democratized graphic design with its intuitive platform and extensive library of templates, graphics, and tools. While Canva offers premium features with a subscription, its free version still packs a punch, allowing users to create professional-looking designs for a variety of purposes, from social media graphics to business presentations.

4. Pexels:

Like Unsplash, Pexels offers a vast collection of high-quality stock photos and videos, all available for free download and use. Whether you need striking visuals for a website, blog post, or marketing campaign, Pexels provides designers with a treasure trove of visually stunning assets to enhance their projects.

5. Adobe Spark:

Adobe Spark offers a suite of design tools for creating graphics, web pages, and video stories, all accessible for free with a basic account. With its easy-to-use interface and customizable templates, Adobe Spark empowers designers to create eye-catching visuals and multimedia content without the need for advanced technical skills or expensive software.

6. Font Squirrel:

Font Squirrel is a valuable resource for designers seeking high-quality, commercially licensed fonts that won't break the bank. With its curated collection of free fonts, Font Squirrel offers designers a diverse range of typefaces to choose from, ensuring that every project has the perfect typography to make it stand out.

7. Pixabay:

Pixabay is a one-stop shop for free stock photos, illustrations, vectors, and videos, contributed by a global community of creators. With its extensive library and easy-to-use search functionality, Pixabay provides designers with a wealth of visual resources to enhance their projects, all available for free download and use.

8. Freepik:

Freepik offers a vast selection of free graphic resources, including vector graphics, illustrations, icons, and PSD files. Whether you're designing a website, brochure, or social media post, Freepik provides designers with a wealth of creative assets to choose from, all available for free with proper attribution.

9. Gravit Designer:

Gravit Designer is a powerful vector design tool that offers a free version with essential features for creating stunning graphics. With its intuitive interface and robust set of tools, Gravit Designer empowers designers to bring their creative visions to life with precision and ease, all without the need for expensive software.

10. Inkscape:

Inkscape is a free and open-source vector graphics editor that rivals premium software with its extensive features and flexibility. Whether you're a professional designer or a hobbyist, Inkscape provides a versatile platform for creating everything from logos and illustrations to diagrams and mockups, all without spending a dime.

In conclusion, mastering graphic design requires not only talent and skill but also access to the right resources. By leveraging the top free graphic design resources outlined in this guide, you can elevate your designs, streamline your workflow, and unlock your full creative potential without breaking the bank.

Whether you're in need of high-quality images, fonts, templates, or design software, the internet offers a wealth of free resources waiting to be explored.

So why wait? Start harnessing the power of these free graphic design resources today and take your designs to new heights!

[imdigitalvinod]

Easy Tips to Find the Perfect Images for Your Tumblr

Finding the right images for your Tumblr can make all the difference in creating a captivating blog that resonates with your audience. Whether you're a seasoned Tumblr user or just starting out, knowing where to find high-quality, relevant images can help elevate your content and keep your followers engaged. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you find the perfect images for your Tumblr posts.

1. Understand Your Aesthetic

Before diving into image sourcing, it’s crucial to understand your Tumblr’s aesthetic. What vibe are you going for? Are you into vintage, minimalism, grunge, or a more modern, clean look? Knowing your aesthetic helps you maintain a consistent theme, making your blog visually appealing and recognizable. Start by exploring popular Tumblr blogs that align with your interests to get inspiration and understand what works well.

2. Utilize Tumblr's Search Feature

Tumblr's built-in search feature is a goldmine for discovering images that align with your aesthetic. Simply type in keywords related to your blog’s theme (e.g., “vintage photography,” “pastel aesthetic,” “nature shots”) to find images already trending within the community. This method also allows you to see how other users curate their posts, providing a wealth of inspiration and potential content for reblogging.

3. Explore Free Image Resources

There are numerous websites that offer free, high-quality images that you can use on Tumblr without worrying about copyright issues. Websites like Unsplash, Pexels, and Pixabay have extensive libraries of photos covering a wide range of themes and styles. When using these resources, make sure to read the licensing agreements to ensure you are in compliance with their usage policies.

4. Get Creative with Editing Tools

Sometimes the perfect image is just a few edits away. Use photo editing tools like Canva, Adobe Lightroom, or VSCO to enhance images, add filters, or include text overlays that match your Tumblr’s vibe. Editing allows you to personalize images, giving them a unique touch that can set your blog apart from others. Plus, edited images can help you maintain a consistent look across your posts, enhancing your blog’s overall aesthetic.

5. Leverage Social Media Platforms

Other social media platforms like Instagram, Pinterest, and Flickr are treasure troves for finding inspiration and unique images. Search hashtags or join communities related to your Tumblr’s niche. Be mindful of copyright and always give credit if you decide to use someone else’s photo. Engaging with creators directly on these platforms can also lead to collaborations or permissions to use their work.

6. Join Tumblr Communities and Groups

Engaging with Tumblr communities and groups is a fantastic way to discover new content and get inspired by others. Many groups share specific types of content, from art and photography to memes and gifs. Participating in these communities allows you to connect with like-minded individuals, share your own content, and discover a vast array of images that could be perfect for your Tumblr.

7. Use GIFs to Add Dynamism

GIFs are a staple of Tumblr culture and can add a dynamic element to your posts. You can find a vast collection of GIFs on Tumblr itself or create your own using tools like GIPHY or EZGIF. When choosing GIFs, think about how they complement the static images on your blog and how they align with your theme and message.

8. Regularly Refresh Your Content

Keeping your Tumblr feed fresh and interesting means regularly updating your image sources. Make a habit of exploring new blogs, websites, and social media platforms for the latest trends and styles. Regularly refreshing your content ensures your blog stays current and engaging, helping you to attract new followers and keep existing ones interested.

9. Maintain Image Quality

No matter where you source your images from, always ensure they are of high quality. Blurry or pixelated images can detract from the professionalism of your blog and may turn followers away. When downloading or uploading images, choose the highest resolution available to maintain a clean, crisp look for your Tumblr.

10. Credit Creators Properly

Respecting the work of photographers and artists is crucial. Always credit the creator of the image if it’s not your own, and provide a link back to the source if possible. This practice not only shows professionalism and respect but also encourages more creators to share their work with you in the future.

Conclusion

Finding the perfect images for your Tumblr is a mix of creativity, resourcefulness, and respect for creators. By understanding your aesthetic, utilizing various image resources, and maintaining high standards of quality and originality, you can create a Tumblr blog that stands out and keeps your audience coming back for more.

[maribatserver]

Tag Team Tournament - Scoring Updates

Now, as anyone who played in the Tag Team Tournament in 2023 could tell you, some of our original scoring methods got pretty solidly exploited last year. What happened was that during our first year, we wanted to encourage artists to join the Tournament, which they did, and they were amazing! However, once we started getting more art, and more comics in particular, it became clear that our scores were broken.

So, after last year, we took some time to re-evaluate our scoring, and we made some changes to ensure that things were more fair and less susceptible to point grabbing. We also added a few new bonuses that we hope will help encourage creation and collaboration.

Those of you who read our Event Guide Document will already know about all of these changes, but just in case you missed it, or if you weren't sure which items changed from last year, all of our changes are below the cut.

Submission Scoring Changes

Visual Art:

Sketches will be awarded 5 points.

Line art will be awarded an additional 5 points, for a total of 10 points. 

Flat color will be awarded an additional 5 points, for a total of 15 points. 

Shading or rendering will be awarded an additional 5 points, for a total of 20 points. 

Visual Art must be clearly related to Maribat and to the characters on your team in order to be scored, and that connection must be able to stand on its own, even if it’s a companion piece to another Maribat work.

Comic: Visual Art score multiplied by two. This is a flat score, which will not be increased by adding panels. 

Incorrect Quote: 1 point

Headcanon: 3 points

Mood Board: 5 points

Note: All images included in a mood board must be sourced with permission of their original creators. Do not use other people’s art or photographs without their permission. If you use photographs, please check the license they were published under before using them. Comic panels or screenshots from DC or MLB can be used with sourcing.

Free Stock Photo Library Websites: Pexels, Unsplash, Pixabay. If you know of any other free stock photo websites feel free to share them with Mod Newsie.

Animated mood boards will earn 1 additional point.

Edit: 

Edits which are still flat images will earn 5 points.

Edits which use animated scenes will earn 10 points.

AMVs (animated music videos) will earn 15 points.

Bonus Point Changes

Prompt Bonus:

A prompt will be scheduled for every day throughout the event. If a creation fulfills the prompts on their assigned day (marked by 24 hour periods beginning and ending at midnight EST), it will be awarded 3 extra points. If it is used before or after the assigned day, it will earn 1 extra point. Prompts cannot be stacked for multiple bonuses until the final day of the tournament.

To fulfill a prompt, you must use the prompt phrase in your creation, have it make sense in the context of your creation, and the mods must be able to find it. 

You can add on to the phrase, either before or after, but if you want to add words within the phrase you may only break it up once. You may change certain aspects of the prompt to suit your creation: punctuation, pronouns, emphasis, plurality, and verb tense can all be changed. However, all words (or some form of them) must be used. 

If you are drawing, you may use the prompt in the description of your art instead of adding a speech bubble to the art itself, but it must be clearly tied into art itself as something the characters are saying or doing.

If your use of a prompt may not be immediately obvious, make sure to leave the mods a note about how to find it when you submit. (Ex: A poem where the first letter of each line spells out a prompt).

Teamwork Bonus:

Last year we noticed a lot of folks working together or creating based on what other players had made, and we loved seeing that! As such, we have a few new bonuses that you can earn when you work with others.

Companion Piece Bonus: If your creation is a companion to another Maribat work made by someone else, you will get 1 bonus point. If the other work is another submission for this year’s TTT, you will get 3 bonus points. Make sure that you add a link to the work that inspired you in your submission.

Collaborator Bonus: If you collaborate with another creator to make one submission, you will receive 5 bonus points. Make sure that both of your screen names are listed on the form when you submit.

Playlist Points:

This year, every team will have a playlist published on Spotify (and linked in the Teams section of this document). At the end of the event, our Mods will tally up the number of saves each playlist has. Every team except for whichever team is in first before these points are added will receive bonus points for every save. If the teams are tied, as happened in our 2022 Tournament, then all the tied teams will receive points for their saves. Our scores can get very close, so saving a team playlist could very well be the difference between first and second place.

Moderator’s Discretion:

Each mod has 35 points that can be awarded to submissions throughout the competition as a bonus. Each submission can only get a max of 5 extra points from a single mod.

Mods may be contacted at any time for clarification on scoring guidelines, either by messaging us in Discord or sending an ask to our blog here on tumblr.

[honestlydelicatepolice]

The Power of Happy Colors: Brightening Your Online World for Free

In the vast landscape of the internet, where words, images, and interactions meld together to create our digital experiences, colors play a significant role. They evoke emotions, set tones, and even influence decisions. Among the myriad of hues, there's a special category that stands out: happy colors. These vibrant, lively shades have the remarkable ability to uplift spirits, energize minds, and spread positivity. happy color online free without downloading

In a world where online interactions have become increasingly prevalent, infusing your digital spaces with happy colors can transform your online experience from mundane to joyful. The best part? You can harness the power of happy colors for free, enriching your online world with vibrancy and optimism.

The Science Behind Happy Colors

Colors have a profound impact on human psychology and emotions. Research in color psychology suggests that certain colors can evoke specific feelings and responses. Happy colors, such as bright yellows, cheerful oranges, vibrant greens, and lively blues, are known for their ability to create feelings of joy, optimism, and vitality.

These colors stimulate the brain, increase energy levels, and promote a sense of well-being. They can evoke memories of sunshine, blooming flowers, and clear blue skies, instantly lifting moods and dispelling gloom. In the digital realm, where interactions are often devoid of tangible sensations, the right choice of colors can recreate these positive experiences, fostering a more enjoyable online environment.

Infusing Your Digital Spaces with Happy Colors

Bringing happy colors into your online world doesn't have to be a daunting task. From social media profiles to websites and digital presentations, there are numerous opportunities to incorporate these cheerful hues:

Website Design: If you own a website or blog, consider integrating happy colors into your design scheme. Choose vibrant hues for backgrounds, buttons, and call-to-action elements to create an inviting and engaging user experience.

Social Media Presence: Update your social media profiles with colorful banners, vibrant profile pictures, and eye-catching graphics. Use cheerful colors in your posts and stories to capture attention and convey positivity to your audience.

Digital Presentations: Whether you're creating slides for work, school, or personal projects, incorporate happy colors into your presentations. Use colorful backgrounds, text overlays, and graphics to make your content visually appealing and memorable.

Email Marketing: If you're sending out newsletters or promotional emails, leverage happy colors to grab recipients' attention and convey a sense of enthusiasm and positivity.

Free Resources for Happy Colors

Fortunately, you don't need a hefty budget to infuse your digital spaces with happy colors. There are plenty of free resources available online that offer a wide range of vibrant hues:

Color Palette Generators: Websites like Coolors, Adobe Color, and Canva offer free tools for generating custom color palettes. Explore various combinations of happy colors and find the perfect palette for your digital projects.

Stock Photo Libraries: Many stock photo websites provide free collections of high-quality images featuring vibrant and cheerful colors. Unsplash, Pexels, and Pixabay are excellent resources for finding colorful visuals to enhance your online content.

Graphic Design Software: Platforms like Canva and GIMP offer free graphic design software with built-in tools for creating colorful graphics, social media posts, and digital artwork.

Open-Source Icons and Illustrations: Websites like Flaticon, Freepik, and OpenClipart offer vast collections of free icons and illustrations in a variety of styles and colors. Use these resources to add visual interest to your digital projects without breaking the bank.

Conclusion

In a digital landscape often characterized by noise and distraction, happy colors stand out as beacons of positivity and joy. By incorporating vibrant hues into your online world, you can create a more uplifting and engaging experience for yourself and those around you. happy color online free without downloading Whether you're designing a website, crafting social media content, or preparing a digital presentation, embracing happy colors is a simple yet powerful way to spread cheer and brighten your online journey. And the best part? It doesn't cost a thing. So why wait? Let the colors of happiness illuminate your digital realm today!

[rayhan1234567890]

How to get free content for my website

Getting free content for your website can be a cost-effective way to provide your website with valuable information and resources. Here are some strategies for getting free content for your website: User-generated content: Encourage visitors or users of your website to contribute content. This can be in the form of comments, reviews, forum posts, or even guest blog posts. Make sure you have a clear application process and instructions. Guest blogging: Invite guest bloggers to write articles for your site. Many bloggers and writers are willing to write articles in exchange for visibility and backlinks to their own websites. Make sure the content matches your site's quality standards and theme. Content management: Manage content from other sources, such as articles, blog posts, or videos. Always give appropriate attribution and provide value by adding your ideas, comments or context to curated content. Open source and public domain content: Find content available under open source or public domain licenses. You can find images, articles, videos and more that can be used for free. Just make sure to follow the licensing terms and give credit to the creator where necessary. Free Resources: Compile a list of free resources relevant to your niche on your website. This may include ebooks, templates, free tools, or other resources. Make sure you have permission to share these resources or that they are available for free use. Creative Commons content: Some creators license their content under a Creative Commons license, which allows others to use their work under certain conditions. Search platforms like Flickr, Wikimedia Commons or Creative Commons Search for images and media. Collaborate: Collaborate with other content creators or websites in your industry. You can collaborate on content projects, such as co-written articles, interviews, or podcasts. Both parties can share content, thus expanding reach. User reviews and testimonials: Encourage customers or users to leave reviews and testimonials. You can feature them on your website, providing both social proof and valuable content. Syndicated content: Ask content creators or providers for permission to republish their content on your site. Some blogs and media may be open for syndication. Community Contribution: If you have a community or forum on your site, encourage members to actively create content, answer questions, and interact with each other. This not only creates content but also fosters a sense of community. If you have any thoughts concerning the place and how to use https://boostarticles.com, you can contact us at our page. Content Aggregation: Use content aggregation tools or plugins to extract content from RSS feeds, news sources, or social media feeds. Pay attention to copyright and terms of use when doing this. Public domain images and videos: Sites like Pixabay, Pexels, and Unsplash offer high-quality, often free images and videos. Just be sure to check the specific licensing requirements for each resource. Free templates and tools: Share free templates, tools, or resources related to your industry. Make sure you have permission to share or distribute these materials. Remember, when using content from other sources, always respect copyright and licensing agreements. If in doubt, contact the content creator and ask for permission. Additionally, focus on providing value to your audience by ensuring that the content you collect or curate matches your site's purpose and quality standards.

[mechawaka]

Spring in Derdriu

A commission for @artsytardis​

Words: 11.7k

Fandom: Fire Emblem Three Houses

Pairing: Claude/Byleth

Rating: Teen

Mood music: Roses & Revolutions - Dancing in a Daydream

Summary: Five years after the war, Claude is the king of Almyra and Byleth is the queen of United Fodlan - but neither of them had the courage to propose at the Goddess Tower. When Byleth comes down with a sudden fever, they might have another chance.

---

They couldn’t possibly name Derdriu the new capital of United Fodlan, Lorenz had declared the very day after Byleth’s coronation. It would ‘imply things,’ he’d said, aghast that she would even suggest it.

Lo and behold, Ferdinand and Sylvain had expressed similar worries about Enbarr and Fhirdiad, respectively, and what ‘things’ their hosting would ‘imply.’

And Garreg Mach was also out of the question. Archbishop Seteth, recently crowned himself, wanted to keep the reformed Church of Seiros as far removed from political power as possible. Byleth couldn’t make her capital there, he’d insisted. The implications!

So which will it be? her newly appointed cabinet - four representatives from each geographical region, with twelve in total - had prodded, each sect adamant that theirs couldn’t possibly be the permanent home of the new government.

And Byleth, already exhausted despite only being in charge for a grand total of one moon, had replied:

All of them, then.

That day, United Fodlan’s migrating government, colloquially known as the Wandering Court, had been born. Byleth spent one season in each capital - spring in Derdriu, summer in Fhirdiad (on which she was insistent), and winter in Enbarr. In the fall, she and the entire cabinet gathered at neutral Garreg Mach to conduct any business which required everyone’s presence at once.

For five years, the system had worked perfectly. There had been some inevitable pushback at first, mostly from anti-Imperial factions who were upset that Byleth had adopted the old Empire’s ministerial structure, but they had gradually quieted down as the continental economy stabilized and flourished under its guidance.

Moreover, Byleth liked being on the road. She was raised in tents and on horseback, always moving between destinations, and the frequent travel helped soften long days of paperwork and political debate. 

It also let her document certain supply and infrastructure problems firsthand; to this day, Byleth fondly remembered a tiny village on the Rhodos Coast whose inhabitants had sent in an official request for a new bridge - and had been shocked senseless when the queen herself, in transit from Fhirdiad to Garreg Mach, had shown up to build it.

(Petra had put her personal stamp of approval on that one; you only rule what you can see and touch, she’d written of the event.)

Today, though - this season, this cursed spring - the system was not working.

Oh, it had started normally enough. Byleth, once settled in the palace at Derdriu, had taken up her usual duty of hearing the cases which had passed since her last time in residence and breaking any tied votes. 

It wasn’t until her ministers were tying up the season’s work that a heavy rain swelled the Airmid, causing flooding in four different territories and knocking out a siege-battered section of the Great Bridge of Myrddin. Suddenly, they were swamped with petitions: drowned fields, lost livestock, choked roads. All with less than a moon remaining before the court’s transition to Fhirdiad.

In short, Byleth hadn’t slept in almost forty-eight hours.

Her head was a splitting fissure of tectonic activity, rumbling in the background of every meeting, every hearing, and roaring to life at random intervals that left her gritting her teeth and glaring at Lorenz, wherever he was in the room.

Oh, we simply can’t stay in Derdriu permanently, she mocked him mentally as, again, a searing wave of pain spiked behind her drooping eyes. It would ruin everything, or whatever.

“- and with that in mind, the Merchants’ Association asked us to move the boundary twenty feet down the riverfront,” Marianne recited from an open ledger. She, like all the other ministers, was dressed in a smartly cut, floor-length robe of office that bore the seal of United Fodlan, with her hair gathered neatly at the back of her neck.

“Ministers Victor and Goneril voted in favor of the merchants, while Minister Gloucester and I voted in favor of the fisheries. How do you rule?” Marianne looked up from her record and across their round discussion table. Her eyes were bright and serious at first, but they creased with worry upon taking in Byleth’s pinched expression. 

“Are you feeling ill, Your Majesty?”

This garnered the other ministers’ attention as well. Ignatz pushed his glasses up his nose to study her better, staring in that perceptive, sympathetic way that said he’d already identified all the faults in her appearance. 

Hilda, who’d been twirling a quill pen between her fingers, glanced up and gave Byleth a detachedly brutal once-over, indicating with an arched, sculpted eyebrow that she disliked her findings.

Lorenz, meanwhile, simply regarded his queen with a dry, ‘I told you so’ stare.

“No, no. I’m fine,” Byleth asserted, avoiding everyone’s concerned faces, and especially Lorenz’s. He had warned her against overworking only a week prior, and here she was zoning out like a bored student. She’d get an earful from him later, no doubt, about a ruler’s responsibility to their subjects extending to self-care and time management.

“My apologies. Minister Edmund, please recount the case again.” Byleth pushed herself up, ignoring the pounding rhythm inside her brain. She often paced the length of the room for difficult petitions, anyway, and maybe movement would help ease the pain - but she took one step and the world went sideways.

She swayed dangerously on her feet, catching herself on the edge of the throne. Her legs were soft and wobbly as a dessert jelly; her vision swam with blots of darkness and intense color at random. 

In a hushed, grave voice, she whispered, “Oh, that’s not good.”

“Quite,” Lorenz agreed curtly, having materialized at her elbow to aid in stabilization. He turned to the others, lips pursed and demeanor supremely unamused. “I believe Her Majesty is finished hearing cases for the day. All in agreement?”

Byleth barely registered the other ministers’ responses; her ears were suddenly full of cotton, dampening all incoming sound. Even Lorenz’s voice, so close at her side, was fuzzy and jumbled. She could only nod and follow him out of the throne room, vaguely aware that Marianne had joined them.

When had her headache gotten this bad? It must have been a slow progression, she reasoned as the trio headed toward her chambers, building in intensity during the meeting. She vaguely recalled an old medical lecture of Manuela’s about blood vessels in the brain, and how moving suddenly after a stationary period could cause...something. Something bad, probably.

Not for the first time, nor even for the hundredth, she wished she’d paid closer attention to the other teachers’ seminars back at Garreg Mach.

Lorenz politely turned around while Marianne helped Byleth out of her heavy court mantle and into her gigantic bed, busying himself by preparing a teapot at the dresser.

“I’ll be fine by tomorrow,” Byleth professed as she collapsed onto her mattress, allowing Marianne’s white magic to flow over her in a soothing current. “We can re-convene at first light.”

With his back still turned, Lorenz scoffed. “I highly doubt that.”

“I’m sorry, but he’s right,” Marianne corroborated, ceasing her spell and pressing the back of one hand to Byleth’s forehead. “You have harvest fever; you’ll need to rest for at least a week to let it run its course.”

“A week?” Byleth demanded, sitting straight up again. “But I leave for Fhirdiad in two!”

Lorenz brought the teapot over on a wheeled cart, putting his hands on either side and warming it magically. “Then perhaps you shouldn’t have taxed yourself to infirmity, hmm?”

At that, Byleth shot him an impotent - and, in all likelihood, given her state, pathetic - glare, but the mere action of tensing her forehead muscles worsened her headache and she fell back onto her pillows, defeated. He was right, damn him.

“Byleth,” he continued, exasperated, dropping all formality as he always did in the absence of prying ears. “Just rest. We designed this government to run in your absence - let us handle things from here.”

Marianne echoed the sentiment with a soft smile, pouring some strong-smelling medicinal tea from the pot. “We’ll see that Ordelia and Hrym are well cared for,” she said, holding out the teacup like a peace offering.

Byleth grudgingly took it.

---

Lorenz squinted down at Byleth’s sleeping form, sprawled and content amongst her blankets, and sighed. No one had ever prepared her for a life of leadership and politics, but she’d risen to the challenge admirably in the last five years. Perhaps too admirably, if situations like this were any judge.

Her problem, he’d decided long ago - and informed her whenever the chance presented itself - was moderation. Temperance. Byleth Eisner tackled every problem with a single-minded determination that, while remarkably efficient during the war, had tended to cause a variety of problems in peacetime.

In that regard, she was quite similar to him. To Claude. And speaking of Claude -

“We had two guards and a trio of footmen at our assembly today,” Marianne observed, keeping her eyes on the bed, but her message was clear.

“Indeed.” Lorenz tapped the heels of his polished boots restlessly against the floor. He could practically hear the wagging tongues from here; he could picture the story of their fainting monarch billowing out from the palace like blood in water, ripe for scenting - and there was one particular green-eyed shark always circling for a whiff.

He forced a long, resigned breath out through his nose, and said dismally, “I’ll direct the staff to prepare the guest wing at once.”

---

Thanks to whatever was in that tea, Byleth slept straight through the next few days. Even when she woke, she was groggy and mostly insensate to the world around her; she recalled Marianne’s visits to administer medicine or urge a few sips of water, but other than that - nothing. Only light and color and sound, all indistinct and running together.

The fever itself wasn’t so bad. She was being treated by the most studied healer in the region, and the rest was good for her, as much as she resisted the notion.

No, what had her itching for freedom, for an escape, had nothing to do with the sickness and everything to do with her own shoddy mental compartmentalization. Byleth had a single unbreakable rule, and it had kept her safe and stable for most of her life: don’t slow down.

Her friends - formerly students, and now United Fodlan’s new ministers - had always struggled to understand what went on in her head, and Byleth had to confess that it was often a confusing place for her, too. That was why she spent as little time there as possible. If she was solving governmental disputes or plotting a route through the Oghmas, she wasn’t thinking about her problems - and for someone that had attended the Jeralt Eisner school of “don’t confront your problems until they literally confront you first” coping strategy, that suited her just fine.

But these hours cooped up in her bedchamber were slow, and Lorenz had taken great strides to ensure that nary a tax report breached its threshold. And when there was no work to do, no roadblock for her mind to chew on, it drifted to contemplation, to nostalgia, and then, inevitably, to Claude.

What would he think of the stalemate between the merchants and the fisheries? That one was easy. He’d find a third option, something neither of the institutions had proposed but that benefited both, and dazzle them with its presentation. He’d find a way to spin the conflict so that it wasn’t about competing guilds, but about the betterment of the city as a whole.

She wondered if he looked different now compared to when she’d seen him last, at the Alliance Founding Day celebration the previous Horsebow. They only ever saw each other in formal wear these days, painted and decorated and utterly without privacy. Had he let his hair grow over the winter like she had? Was it curling near the base of his neck, thick and wild?

Oh, here we go, she thought, rolling her eyes and then squeezing them shut. This was why she kept herself preoccupied; any lapse in activity brought these sorts of ideas to the forefront, and they always turned to indulgent fantasy. Only Claude brought out that side of Byleth - and it made her so paradoxically angry, and afraid, and lonely.

Angry because she hadn’t intended to let him in; he was just there one day, snugly by her side, a few months after she’d joined the faculty at Garreg Mach (and she would always lament, at least a little, that Rhea hadn’t put her with the students instead). Even after he’d admitted his ulterior motives in getting close to her, Byleth never had the heart to be mad at him for it. He was so damn endearing.

Afraid because, as easily as he’d attached himself to her, he’d un-attached. Byleth could admit to herself, alone in her darkened bedroom, that most of her mental evasion strategies centered around one specific memory: that early morning conversation they’d had right before her coronation, in which Claude had spontaneously announced his departure from Fodlan.

(“There’s something I need to do,” he’d said up at the Goddess Tower, and she had been so sure he’d wanted to say more, but instead he’d just...left.)

Lonely because their friendship had never been the same after that. They were both so busy, now, and with so much responsibility - and she missed him. Missed their easy conversation and matching drive; missed the academic dissections of famous battles and the late nights spent comparing various cultures’ names for the constellations. 

Her remaining friends were certainly a balm, and she wouldn’t trade them for the world, but none of them were him. She’d never filled that spot at her side. Couldn’t fill it. Nothing and no one else fit there.

But she also couldn’t ask him back. He was the king of Almyra now, fulfilling everything he’d wanted and worked for and talked about with stars in his eyes - and Byleth could never begrudge him his lofty and admirable goals. Never. Instead, she’d had to accept the possibility that the grand arc of his ambitions no longer included her in its trajectory.

She sprawled out sideways on her bed, letting the warring emotions flood her body. Maybe this was good for her. Maybe, like the fever, she just needed to let them run their course. Maybe these were the natural consequences of escapism and denial.

And it wasn’t like she’d be able to get away from herself any time soon.

---

“Of all the - absolutely not,” Lorenz stated, planting himself in the center of the hall that led to Byleth’s bedroom. “There are procedures, Claude. Royal protocol. You know this!”

But Claude had already danced around him, utilizing that foot speed the mages never needed to master. “Come on, Lorenz, I’m not some Srengan diplomat - we’ve all seen each other covered in mud and guts. What’s a little illness between friends?”

To his credit, Lorenz didn’t ask how Claude had come by that knowledge. Nor were his protestations very vigorous, as if the man had foreseen this exact scenario - and for that, Claude was proud of him. 

That pride wouldn’t keep him from his goal, however. He’d saddled up his wyvern as soon as the words “queen” and “sick” had left his spymaster’s mouth.

“She’s not well. You’ll be interrupting her convalescence - Claude,” Lorenz said sternly, holding his friend by the elbow and fixing him with a soul-searching gaze. “She cannot receive visitors in this state. What’s gotten into you?”

For an instant, Claude’s happy-go-lucky mask slipped. He’d been too pushy, so much so that even Lorenz got a glimpse of the panic underneath - the cold terror that had driven him across the continent and still gripped his heart. He knew it wouldn’t let up until he could confirm Byleth’s condition.

But he was a consummate faker, and so the mask slotted deftly back into place. “Why don’t you go ask her, hmm? I’m sure she’ll be positively overjoyed.”

---

When Lorenz walked in, Byleth was still in the same position, all spread out and despondent. 

“How are you feeling, Your Majesty?” he asked pointedly, and his use of her title - coupled with his formal position near the door - should have clued her in to what he was really asking, but Byleth was far too addled for nuance.

She tilted her head in his direction and flatly, shamelessly said, “Fine.”

Lorenz’s disciplined expression soured a fraction. “Well, that is wonderful news -” his ironic lilt suggested that this news was anything but wonderful, “- because you have a visitor.”

He stepped back to clear the doorway, giving Byleth a look that said she deserved everything that was about to happen. “May I present King Khalid ibn Riegan of Almyra.”

Claude poked his head in much too casually for Lorenz’s theatrical introduction. “Byleth! I brought you some -”

He paused, staring at her depressed-starfish pose. Byleth, in the blink of an eye, sobered completely and experienced all the stages of grief in quick succession.

“- fruit,” Claude finished lamely. Behind him, Lorenz pinched the bridge of his nose.

---

“Claude,” Byleth intoned, dredging up her ‘serious teacher’ voice for the occasion. She’d bathed and changed her clothes since his impromptu arrival - Byleth had never possessed a single modest bone in her body, but, again, he just incomprehensibly brought it out in her - and now she sat on the edge of her bed while he occupied the bedside armchair.

“It was so nice of you to drop in,” she continued, folding her arms across her chest.

Claude laughed anxiously, holding a woven basket full of fruit in his lap half like a shield and half like an offering to an angry deity. “Okay, why do I get the feeling you’re mad at me?”

“I’m not mad at you,” Byleth said icily. It wasn’t a lie; it was more like she was mad around him - mad at the space surrounding his stupid, handsome head - mad that he’d shown up, as if summoned, right when she was feeling so sorry for herself about him.

But that was far too complicated to explain, so instead she asked, “What’s your business in the city?”

He brightened a bit, perhaps relieved to divert the topic. “Thought I’d tour the Goldroad - see what travel is really like there outside the official inspection dates.”

Byleth cocked her head to the side, staring out her west-facing window. He referred to the winding trade route that now spanned the Throat, starting at the Locket and ending at a similarly sized fort across the border in Almyra - but that was over a day’s travel from Derdriu.

Following the path of her eyes, Claude went on quickly, “And, you know, I was in the area, so why not visit my very best friend?”

She wasn’t sure she’d classify a seventeen hour wyvern flight as ‘in the area.’ Byleth narrowed her eyes, looking from his rigid smile, to his posture, to the basket he carried, then back to his face, waiting for the actual answer.

“- All right,” he confessed, exhaling deeply. “My spies said you were sick, so I came to check on you - how are you still so good at that?”

She smiled despite herself and pointed at the basket, which he promptly handed over. Popping a dried date into her mouth, she asked coyly, “At what?”

Claude laughed heartily, reaching over to get one for himself, and that simple action propelled them effortlessly into a comfortable, familiar rhythm, dispelling their outer veneers of royalty. 

They traded stories about travel, about new friends, about insufferable opposition; Claude told her about one of his subordinate satraps - which served a similar function to Byleth’s ministers, but with more concentrated local authority - who had threatened to raise an army in his territory over the price of grain, and then panicked when Claude had called his bluff and negotiated a lower price.

(“Did he even have an army?” she asked, completely absorbed in the story and eating sour cherries by the handful.

Claude, with a wide, gleeful grin, replied, “Not a chance.”)

In return, Byleth told him about last year’s failed rebellion in eastern Faerghus, in which a group of Blaiddyd royalists had tried to rally the region’s former aristocracy under the banner of House Fraldarius - and how Felix himself had ridden out to personally disband them.

(“Oof. Embarrassing,” Claude commented, making a face like someone had punched him in the gut. “What did he say to make them listen?”

Byleth snorted and modulated her voice to match the prickly swordsman’s. “‘This is not happening. Leave.’”)

As the afternoon wore on, servants brought in tea service and then dinner - and Byleth’s temporary surge in vitality upon seeing her dear friend started to fade, replaced by the fever-aches she’d come to know so well. Her movements grew slower and her answers shorter, overcast by brain fog.

Claude watched this change in her with considerable worry, helping her back under her blankets after they’d finished eating and re-situating the pillows around her head.

“Oh, stop it,” she chided, swatting away his hands. “I’m not completely helpless.”

He backed off, smiling easily, but stayed within range to aid her again if needed. “I don’t know about that,” he teased. “You know what they say about people who catch colds in the summer.”

“It’s spring,” she insisted, wrinkling her nose, but he didn’t laugh. In fact, there were no traces of mirth left anywhere on his face.

Byleth sat up straighter. “Claude, it’s only harvest fever. Marianne said it should clear up in a few days.”

He dropped back into his chair, resting his elbows on his knees so he could bridge part of the gap. “But what if it’s not, though?”

A nearby Church of Seiros’s evening bells rang out across the palace grounds. The brassy sounds changed with each echo, reaching her bedchamber as ghostly distortions.

“What, you think Marianne got it wrong?” Byleth asked, pulling her blanket up subconsciously.

“No, just -” Claude ran a hand back through his hair, pushing it even further out of its usual style, “- what if it’s related to...whatever Sothis did to you after the siege?”

He’d spoken so quietly that Byleth had to lean forward and slow her own breath in order to hear it. The concern in his tone - the restraint in his clasped hands; the uncertainty in his eyes - made her take a second pass over everything.

She no longer saw a casual check-in made by a concerned friend. Claude had traveled here with speed and intent, and now she knew why; just like their parting words at Garreg Mach had stuck with her, her long and mysterious slumber had probably stuck with him.

(The realization, while illuminating, didn’t hit her as hard as it should have. She thought some version of that truth, formless and undefined, must have been swimming around in the back of her mind for a while. It explained so succinctly why Marianne had insisted on treating Byleth herself, and why Lorenz stood vigil so often outside her room, even though the two had comparably little free time.)

Now that she thought about it, the long-term consequences of merging with a goddess should probably be a bigger concern of hers, too.

“I haven’t heard Sothis’s voice, nor felt her presence, in six years,” Byleth explained calmly, striving for an affect that would put him at ease. “And I’ve been in perfect health, besides.”

Claude gave her a long, lingering look - one that took in not only her face, but her long, mint-green braid and her customary wardrobe, unchanged from her days at the monastery - as if he wanted to commit her current state to memory. Byleth returned it with a confused frown, ready to comment on the odd behavior, but then his usual smile returned in a flash.

“You’re right,” he acquiesced with a little shrug, standing and straightening his riding harness. “It’s probably nothing serious. A few days, you said?”

Byleth’s confusion skewed into suspicion. Claude never let anything go that easily. “Yeah,” she answered slowly, searching his face for signs of duplicity. “Marianne said I’m already over the worst of it.”

“That’s great,” Claude enthused in the exact manner he’d use to win over his enemies, and Byleth’s misgivings quadrupled. “You should get some rest. I’ll see you in the morning.”

He was out the door in a flourish of his royal half-cape, paying no mind to the official etiquette of departure. (Byleth didn’t care about such things, but Lorenz was surely fuming about it in the hall.)

She let herself fall, warily, back onto her bed, pondering what Claude could possibly be up to - because he was up to something. It was only after she’d started to drift off, her head nestled warmly in one of about a dozen pillows, that the implications of his parting words struck her.

---

Ignatz rushed down the administerial wing’s main corridor, clutching a stack of accounting ledgers in one arm and several sheaves of operational business licenses in the other. Sunlight was just starting to peek through the hall’s windows, painting slowly elongating bars of yellow on the opposite walls; nobody would be in their offices yet, but if he could deliver his cargo before breakfast, he’d be able to get a head start on his own day’s work -

Thus distracted, he pushed his slipping glasses back up the bridge of his nose - using an occupied hand. Fifty business licenses, previously sorted alphabetically and geographically, drifted to the ground in a fluttering cloud of failure.

“Oh, no,” Ignatz muttered, dropping to his knees and gathering up the papers as best as he could without dropping the ledgers. If he didn’t deliver his cargo before breakfast, that would delay all of his tasks by at least an hour, thereby pushing back tomorrow’s tasks as well, to say nothing of his meeting with the merchants’ guild - 

A head of shaggy brown hair and a pair of leather-gloved hands bent to organize the papers into a messy but holdable pile, then helped to situate it more snugly in Ignatz’s grasp.

In his haste and immeasurable relief, Ignatz threw a grateful, “Thanks, Claude!” over his shoulder as he resumed his flight down the corridor.

At the threshold of Hilda’s office, though, while balancing both stacks with one hand so he could turn the doorknob, he froze and shouted back the way he’d come, “Claude?!”

---

Instead of the usual morning sounds - like the rustling of Marianne’s skirts or the trundling of a breakfast cart - Byleth woke to singing. It originated somewhere to her right, winding and unhurried, and she knew this gentle melody; Claude had taught it to her during the war.

So he really was still here, then. He’d really stayed. 

She opened her eyes just a hair, hoping for a chance to observe him before he noticed that she was awake.

It was still early. All the curtains were tied back and the windows cracked, letting in pale, diffused light and a sea-salt breeze off the bay. Claude stood at her personal writing desk, which Marianne had turned into a makeshift apothecary, weighing a small pile of freshly ground coriander. He was dressed more casually today, having discarded his courtly attire and riding leathers in favor of a belted Almyran-style tunic; his hair was bound in a simple but flattering tie at the nape of his neck.

Byleth watched him work - watched him thoughtfully consider the ratio of coriander to ginger to water, his hand hovering over each as he deliberated. All the while he sang that soft tune, so beautifully laden with memory and affection. 

When he’d finally settled on a mixture, he reached into a pouch at his belt and uncorked a vial of honey, adding a spoonful to the mug. She tried her best to hold it in, but a tiny, breathless laugh escaped her; that rich wildflower honey was a signature of Claude’s home-brews - a sweetener to make his questionable concoctions more palatable.

He jumped and whirled at the sound, his cheeks darkening somewhat at being caught unawares, but Byleth just shook her head slowly, reassuringly, and hummed the next few bars of his song. At once, his embarrassment morphed into a wide, slanted smile, and he turned back to put the finishing touches on his creation.

“What are you still doing here?” Byleth asked, pushing herself up to a sitting position. Her hair must have been a mess, but she had to settle for a quick smooth-down.

Claude chuckled and sat on the edge of her bed, holding out the mug of steaming medicinal tea. “Really? No ‘Good morning, Claude, and thank you for taking such good care of me?’”

She took the cup and shot him a faux-scowl. “Who’s running your country, though?”

“Oh, it basically runs itself.” He waved a flippant hand, staring out a window in the direction of the Throat. “Our scholars say, ‘A king is a great ship’s rudder.’ It just so happens that my ‘great ship’ has a good heading right now.”

Byleth regarded him doubtfully. She knew this proverb, and its wisdom was definitely not intended to excuse literal flights of fancy.

“What?” he asked, rolling his head to the side playfully. “If anything happens, Nader knows where I am. Besides, aren’t you happy to see me?”

Her stern facade - only performative, anyway, since Claude never failed to disarm her - softened. “I’m always happy to see you,” she said quietly, hiding her vulnerability with a big sip from her mug. (It was delicious, of course, after being assembled so skillfully.)

The curious look he gave her in response lasted a little too long, probed a little too deep for comfort, so she followed it up with a nervous, “Where’s - where’s Marianne?”

Claude, ever-insightful, let the moment pass without remark. “She allowed me to perform her caretaking duties in exchange for a little, ah...discretion...on my part.”

That was easy to imagine. Her ministers had enough on their legislative plates without the obligatory fanfare that would accompany an ‘official’ royal visitation - so the last thing they needed was King Khalid, the former leader of the Alliance, showing his highly recognizable face all over Derdriu.

“We’re both locked up, then,” Byleth said plainly. That explained his wardrobe; a casual observer might think him no more than a member of the staff. As long as he didn’t linger in unfamiliar company, he could move freely about the palace.

“Yep.” Claude smiled contentedly, like he’d gotten the best possible end of this deal. (Byleth begged to disagree.)

In a comically professional, woefully unconvincing physician’s voice, he asked, “So, how are you feeling today, my liege?”

Byleth choked on a sip of her tea, cough-laughing and beating her chest to clear her airways. “Much better, doctor,” she spluttered, setting down her mug to prevent any spasm-related accidents. It was true; her head and body aches had been fading with each passing day, and the fever was low enough that she didn’t feel like a boiling crab leg anymore.

“Good, good,” he mused, looking far too pleased with himself. “Then what do you say to a bit of chess on the balcony?”

She gave her sternum a few more good thumps to really get all the spicy ginger out of her lungs, using the extra time to examine Claude more closely. He knew he couldn’t beat her at chess; what was this about? And was it related to - to whatever inscrutable scheme he was currently enacting?

“Sure,” she said, knowing he wouldn’t give up his plans if asked. (Not until the most dramatically poignant moment, anyway.) If she was going to figure it out on her own, she’d need more opportunities for candid observation, and chess should do nicely.

His face split into a grin immediately. “I saw a board in Lorenz’s office. Meet you back here after lunch?”

“Yeah, it’s a date,” she agreed lightly, and didn’t miss the way it tripped him up on the way out. 

---

“You’re still here,” Lorenz observed with the same sort of weary derision one might direct at a persistent rug stain. He stood in the doorway to his office, holding a tea tray and projecting an aura of disappointment.

Claude, who was currently inside said office and in the midst of burgling a marble chess board, hastily clicked all its pieces back down and clasped his hands behind his back. “I am! Very astute of you to notice.”

Lorenz’s eyes flicked pointedly from his uninvited guest to his now-askew board, then he calmly strode around both to reach his polished mahogany desk. “Well, then. Would you join me for tea, Your Majesty?”

The way he gestured to the opposite chair spoke clearly of interrogation, but Claude sat anyway. It wouldn’t be polite to steal a man’s gaming paraphernalia and refuse his company.

“Why, thank you, Minister,” he answered, exaggerating his friend’s formal air, “we are simply delighted by your invitation.”

Lorenz’s poker face had improved over the years, but Claude still caught the subtle tightening of a jaw and the slightest arch of a brow; dead giveaways that he’d still snap at a piece of bait like a Brigidian piranha. Good to know.

“All right,” Lorenz said, clipped, like he’d come to a decision at the end of a long internal debate. “What are you doing here, Claude?”

Claude blinked, taken aback by the suddenness of the question. “Uh, well, Marianne and I -”

“I quite understand the generous arrangement which Marianne has afforded you,” Lorenz cut in quickly, pouring out two cups of tea. He handed one over the desk with the gravitas of a commander handing down orders. “What, precisely, are you here to do?”

Faking affrontation would be a moot point here, Claude thought. Lorenz was chasing down a specific answer, and from the set of his brow, he’d probably figured out most of it.

And that was fair. Despite their rocky interactions, Lorenz was one of the few people that Claude would say he trusted, and he knew that Lorenz felt the same (even though he had a peculiar way of showing it).

However, while Lorenz looked confident in the answer to his question, Claude didn’t even know where to start. How could he sum up this whirlwind?

Should he begin with the primal fear of hearing that Byleth had collapsed? With the breakneck flight to Derdriu, imagining all the worst possibilities in his head? (The mild shock in her eyes as she toppled backward into the chasm; her ensuing five-year absence, silent and absolute.)

Or at the boundless relief - the sheer, joyful knowledge that she had not, in fact, been re-afflicted with Sothis’s ancient sleeping sickness?

Or, should he skip straight to the certainty that he wouldn’t survive another such scare, and the unwillingness to be apart from her for even a second more, political repercussions be damned? 

In the end, holding a steaming, fragrant cup of bergamot, Claude - in one of only a handful of occasions thus far in his life - couldn’t find the right words.

Luckily, Lorenz, who must have witnessed his friend’s rapid expression shifts, found one instead. Gently, and with more sympathy than expected, he asked, “Still?”

Ah, so he had figured it out.

Claude raised his teacup in a silent toast. “Still,” he confirmed, then downed it in one gulp.

“Hm.” Lorenz paused to serve out refills and scones, and Claude knew exactly what his friend was remembering.

(For five years during the war, Claude had periodically returned to Garreg Mach, even though everyone else had given up the search for Byleth. As the visits persisted in the face of increasing danger, one by one, and with varying levels of understanding and acceptance, his friends had all come to the same conclusion: their leader was in love with their former professor.)

“I can’t say that I’m surprised,” Lorenz said curtly, but not unkindly. “You have a plan, then? - Oh, what am I saying? Of course you do. The Master Tactician wouldn’t have shown up without a plan.”

Claude, who had been trying to decide if Lorenz was mocking him or not, visibly fumbled his cranberry scone at that final comment.

Instantaneously, Lorenz’s face went from invested concern to mortification. “Goddess above - you don’t have a plan.”

Claude didn’t have the heart to say that his “plans” often sprung from gut feelings like this; that, very often, he was building a bridge to his goals and walking it simultaneously, trusting that there would be another plank when he reached back for one.

In this particular instance, his bridge took the form of an impromptu and extended stay at the palace while he figured out the world’s most diplomatically sensitive marriage proposal. He wanted to tell Lorenz that, actually, he had several possible scaffolds in place, he just hadn’t chosen one yet - but Claude could see the foundational flaws in all of them, and still hovered at the juncture, unsure where to lay the next plank.

“- No, I don’t,” he finally admitted, steepling his fingers on the desk. “I’m taking suggestions, though, if you have any?”

Lorenz took a slow, calculated sip of his tea, giving Claude one of his patented ‘how did you manage to become the leader of anything’ looks. “Marianne assures me that Byleth will recover in a matter of days -”

“I know,” Claude interjected miserably. His timetable was tragically inadequate.

“- And, while your presence here is temporarily acceptable on the basis of friendship, it will become much harder to justify after the palace returns to its normal operations -”

“I know, Lorenz,” Claude said, letting his forehead fall onto the points of his fingers. The pain, he thought, was well-deserved. “Sheesh, you don’t have to rub my nose in it…”

Lorenz laughed softly. “Apologies. I’m simply savoring the moment; it isn’t often you need my strategic input.”

With his face downturned and concealed, Claude grimaced. He supposed he’d deserved that, too.

“But,” Lorenz went on, “I do have a suggestion. Given your limited available time and lack of direction, we should enlist outside support.”

Claude raised his head incredulously. “Your solution is to have more people laugh at me?”

“Yes. Hilda and Marianne, to be precise.” Lorenz smirked and crossed his legs. “And they won’t laugh - in fact, Hilda will be delighted.”

His tone of voice was too amused for the answer to be anything good, but Claude still asked cautiously, “Why?”

“Oh, because I owe her quite a bit of gold, naturally - I thought it would take you and Byleth far longer to act on your feelings, and my money was on her acting first.”

---

Byleth loved the balcony off her bedchamber. It was on the same side of the palace as the throne room, only higher, with a wider perspective of the canal below and a down-angle view of the opposite block. Sitting on it and looking out, with the stone railing acting as an artificial horizon, she really felt as if she were floating above Derdriu; the city sprawled off endlessly to her right, while its great network of canals spilled into the bay on her left, all set in miniature from this height.

A tangy sea breeze teased through her hair, rustling the many and vibrant plants - in pots, hanging from the roof, and mounted in window boxes - that scattered the area. They were in perfect health, she noticed, despite the rarity of her visits, and Byleth wondered if it was some palace staffer’s entire job to maintain luxurious spaces like these, even though some busy official might seldom use them. 

She privately resolved to appreciate the balcony more often.

It didn’t take long for Claude to come whistling through her chambers, bearing a chess board like a server delivering a high-end meal. He put it down on a small, circular table where Byleth’s own board was already set up, then carefully aligned their edges to create a double-long playing field.

(They’d invented this game early on at Garreg Mach after discovering that neither of them felt challenged enough by the base rules. It had gone through several name changes before they’d agreed to just keep the original; after all, if either of them ever mentioned the game to the other, they both understood which (clearly superior) version was being referenced.)

“So, you managed to get Lorenz to part with it,” Byleth commented as he arranged his pieces and sat down opposite her. “What’d it cost you?”

Claude made a face like he’d just licked a lemon. “Oh, nothing much. Just my reputation and dignity.” He laughed it off, but there was a distinct, hollow ring of truth to his words. “Anyway. Sixty-point game?”

She cocked her head, intrigued. Their special rules allowed for custom “armies” to be built from the standard chess units, each with an individual point cost. Byleth personally liked to run an army without pawns - high risk, high reward (usually reward).

“Not forty?” she asked mildly, picking out her standard array plus an extra frontline of knights. Claude would regret handing her such an aggressive opener. “Are you trying out a new strategy?”

He grinned and laid out his own army, which seemed to focus around his sovereigns - and, as usual, contained a robust line-and-a-half of pawns. What he sacrificed in speed, he made up for in defensive surface area.

“I am. I think you’ll really like this one,” he said, playing his first (highly predictable) move. 

That was the thing about Claude, though. Byleth thought his move was predictable right now, at the beginning, but he was a highly intelligent improviser. The long field between armies meant that most of the game was based on ranged path speculation. 

Was a cluster of pieces actually heading toward her left flank, or would it divert to threaten other units at the last second? She’d have to put a metaphorical shield in place for the first possibility, and a sword for the other - and with Claude, it was impossible to tell ahead of time which he would actually pick. 

But, despite the chaos his playstyle caused, its spontaneity was also what made him such a compelling opponent. The tactical element never got stale.

“It’s bound to be more exciting than your rook phalanx idea,” Byleth teased, starting her knights off on their long journey.

Claude gasped like she’d just insulted his mother. “Hey, that was not my fault - it was a good attack pattern in theory!”

She made a tiny sound of agreement to humor him, but remained privately unconvinced.

As usual, they lapsed into silence for the first phase of the game, each trying to dissect the other’s overall strategy. Of course, at this stage, it was largely conjecture; there would be many, many reactive and counter-reactive moves before any two units actually engaged.

The quiet was nice, though. Ships’ bells echoed in from the piers, mingling with street noise rabble and the shrill cries of bay gulls. There was no one to demand her ear or her time - a rare commodity. She could tell Claude enjoyed it, too, by his easy smiles and relaxed posture.

Why had they ever stopped doing this? It dawned on Byleth that it had been years since their last game.

“- Hey, Claude,” she said at the thirty-turn mark.

He didn’t look up from his spread. “Hm?” “What in the world are you doing?”

His green eyes, which had been bouncing between forward pawns, flicked up to her face. “Setting up my midgame?” he half-asked, gesturing to his formation like the answer was obvious. “Why, what are you doing?”

Byleth narrowed her eyes at the board. He’d split his pawns into two staggered ranks with his sovereigns in the middle, like some sort of sandwiched convoy, and the outer ring of mid-tier pieces looked to be guards.

“Your brilliant new strategy is to hand-deliver your king to my army?” she contended, tracing his column’s trek down the board with her hands, then opening them wide, fingers hooked, to mime the pieces being eaten by a sharp-toothed monster.

Claude laughed confidently. “You’ll see. The king and queen together are unstoppable.”

It was certainly an unconventional approach. By virtue of its novelty, it tripped Byleth up several times in the early game - one might even say, around turn sixty, that her opponent had the advantage. But the sheer speed and maneuverability of her knightly vanguard eventually prevailed, and by turn ninety, she had his entire escort block surrounded. 

“Multi-point threat,” Byleth declared, moving in on his rear line. “This was an interesting idea, but I do believe your king is in mortal peril.”

Claude, who’d been standing for the last dozen turns, paced to the other side of the table. (He loved to do that - to see the situation from all angles, like he would in a real conflict. Unfortunately, that expanded perspective could do little for him here.)

“No, I think - listen - he still has his queen.”

Byleth examined the setup again. “Uh-huh, he sure does,” she drawled, trying to understand how that might change their fates.

“I’m just saying,” he went on, crouching so that he could view the board at eye level. “Look how far they’ve already come. Look at all they’ve been through together - it’s not like a little opposition could stop them now, right?”

She crossed her arms, a bewildered smile tugging at her mouth. “Are you seriously trying to Nemesis me right now? My bishops have them both in four.”

Claude gave a frustrated sigh. “No, this isn’t a scheme - well,” he amended, scratching pensively at his chin scruff, “okay, it is a scheme, but -”

I knew it, she thought, vindicated, and grinned accordingly.

“Ugh, forget it.” Claude toppled his king. “You’re right, it was an ill-fated venture that clearly needs outside support.”

Byleth frowned. “What? I didn’t say that.”

He waved his arms like he was dispelling the entire conversation. “Never mind. We’ve still got plenty of light - how about another game?”

---

Later that night, after Byleth and most of the palace had retired, Hilda’s raucous laughter rang out through the entire administerial wing.

“You tried to tell her with chess?!”

She, Claude, Marianne, and Lorenz all sat around a table in one of the meeting rooms, passing around a bottle of strong Faerghan whiskey.

“No wonder she didn’t get it,” Hilda continued, wiping tears from the corners of her eyes (in a delicate manner that spared her makeup). “You know how Byleth is!”

Lorenz refilled his glass, nodding emphatically. “Agreed. Subtlety will get you nowhere in that arena, my friend.”

“I thought it was sweet,” Marianne disclosed quietly.

Claude propped his feet up on an unused chair and dipped his chin gratefully. “Thank you. I also thought it would be sweet. And successful.”

He took a long swig straight from the bottle, much to Hilda’s amusement. “But you were right, Lorenz, okay? So -” he slapped the tabletop in invitation, “- go on. Advise me.”

Perhaps sensing that their friend was already punishing himself enough, no one pushed the teasing any further. Lorenz and Hilda shared a look - one that said they’d already discussed the matter privately - and then everyone got straight down to business.

“First of all, we should discuss the legal ramifications of your union,” Lorenz said, indicating the palace walls. “It’s true that anti-Almyran sentiment has died down greatly since the war, especially here in Leicester, but I fear widespread confusion - how much power would the king of Almyra suddenly have over their territories? Their livelihoods?”

Claude recoiled from the intensity. “Whoa! She hasn’t even said yes - aren’t we getting a little ahead of ourselves, here?”

(In truth, he had the same worries about his own homeland; it wasn’t like xenophobia was exclusive to Fodlan. His current plan - if she agreed - was to introduce her presence like he’d introduced his own: aggressively and unapologetically, with hopes that the Almyran public would regard it with the same eventual respect.)

The other three gave him bland looks.

“You really, honestly think she’ll turn you down?” Hilda asked in angry disbelief.

Claude gritted his teeth. “I don’t know - I mean, that’s Byleth’s whole deal, right? Unbeatable strategist? You never know what she’s thinking?”

“Oh, Claude,” Marianne said, patting him on the arm. “You should have more confidence in yourself.”

Hilda snorted into her tumbler.

“- Regardless, I don’t want to discuss the politics without her. If she says yes,” Claude emphasized with a stern glance around the table. “I have to get to the actual question first, okay? Lorenz. Ideas. Go.”

The man in question raised his eyebrows. “All right - well, Leonie proposed to me during a horseback ride. She’d painted all of her mounted archery targets with one word each, and in order they spelled out a question...oh, it was very romantic,” he said, his tone warming as he spoke. He then promptly cleared his throat. “But, ah, Byleth isn’t in a physical state for riding, hmm?”

Hilda propped her elbows up on the table and cradled her chin in her hands, recounting dreamily, “Marianne took me deep into the forest at night and professed her love under the light of the full moon. How could I have ever said no to that?”

Marianne hid behind her glass, her face beet-red. “I don’t, uhm, think there are any full moons coming up soon, though,” she managed to squeak out.

“Yeah, you have to do something quick.” Hilda pointed at him with her glass. “Let’s see - we already know it can’t involve winning something, so that’s out.”

Claude laughed sarcastically into the bottle.

“A grand display would not be diplomatically feasible, either,” Lorenz added.

Yeah, that made sense, Claude thought. A single plant in the throne room had brought word of Byleth’s illness to him in under three days - and he wasn’t the only one with eyes here. 

“You should do something that’s meaningful to both of you,” Marianne suggested, her face returning to its usual pallid shade. “Something simple but significant. Byleth would appreciate that, I think.”

Simple but significant.

Claude swirled the idea around in his head at the same time he swirled the contents of his bottle. Significant he could do - had been doing - but simple was another story. Maybe that was his problem; maybe he just needed to go back to the basics.

“And don’t get her a ring,” Hilda said. “I never see her wearing jewelry unless the tailors insist.”

He chewed on all of that, taking slow, measured sips of whiskey. Something meaningful to both him and to Byleth - something memorable, but uncomplicated. No rings, he added mentally. That was fine; as an archer, he disliked having obstructions around his hands, anyway. (And while they were out here breaking traditions, who cared if it was one or one hundred?)

“Hey,” he began, doing some quick calculations around wyverns’ seasonal nesting habits. “How quickly could I get something down the Goldroad?”

Lorenz’s brows knit together. “From the capital to here, I presume, and with the use of your royal seal? Within the week. Why? What do you need?”

Claude grinned, luxuriating in the rush of a good plan coming together. “All right, listen to this -”

---

If she could’ve had her way, Byleth would have chosen to remain in those last days of her fever forever. Her symptoms were mild and unobtrusive, she didn’t have to do any paperwork, and Claude was there; simply put, it was the ideal situation.

They spent four whole days together playing games, mixing various drinks, going for (short and supervised) walks around the garden, and reminiscing about old times - but Marianne’s medicines were effective and all things, even good things, must end.

On the morning of the fifth day, she knew she was cured. Her mind was clear and her body strong, if a little feeble from the bed rest. Everyone else must have been on the same page, too, because Marianne came to greet her after breakfast in Claude’s stead.

“So that’s the end of the arrangement, then?” Byleth asked, trying to keep her voice even and normal.

Marianne smiled softly and pressed the back of her hand to Byleth’s forehead. “Yes. Claude will be returning home this evening, as I’m sure he has many decisions waiting for him there.”

That makes two of us, Byleth thought dejectedly.

“Your temperature is perfectly normal,” Marianne reported. “Do you have any lingering fatigue? Dizziness?”

“Nope. Nothing,” Byleth said, heaving a reluctant sigh. “I suppose I should head down to the audience chambers.”

She really, truly hadn’t meant to sound like a pouting toddler bound for punishment, but that was exactly how it had come out.

Marianne laughed. “Yes, you should - tomorrow.” To answer Byleth’s questioning stare, she pointed across the room. “I think you’ll be too busy today.”

Right on cue, something large impacted outside the windows with a dull, cracking thud. Without thinking, Byleth whirled, ready for some sort of threat - (her sword belt was hanging next to her bed, easily accessible for such emergencies) - but it was only Claude on the balcony.

Rather, it was his massive white wyvern, Sahar. She’d perched on the railing, her sharp claws gouging long scrapes in the stone, and he was mounted on her back.

“Don’t worry, I’ll pay for that!” he called, cupping his hands around his mouth. “Good morning! Care for a ride?”

Byleth burst out in surprised laughter, too endeared to be mad about the property damage. She looked back, confused and curious, but Marianne just shook her head.

“Go,” she said, gesturing outward. “Have fun. You have my official medical clearance.”

That was all the permission Byleth needed to throw open the doors and run out, barefoot and grinning, to leap at Sahar’s saddle. The seaside wind blasted her hair back and Claude opened his arms for her arrival, bracing in his stirrups to absorb the impact.

They’d performed this maneuver many times during the war; since Byleth preferred to do her fighting on foot, Claude would often sweep down to reposition her more quickly. Even after five years without practice, they executed the pick-up without a hitch: she landed knees-first at the front of the saddle and Claude anchored her, wrapping both arms around her midsection.

In combat, the move had been utilitarian - the fastest way to mount up. Right now, though, it felt more intimate; with no armor, no weapons, and no urgency, they were basically just hugging on wyvern-back.

Byleth quickly turned herself around, hoping he hadn’t seen the blush rising up her neck. 

“That eager to get out of there, huh?” he teased, helping her get situated.

She rolled her eyes and cinched a pair of flight straps around her waist. The fit was snugly familiar, securing her to both the saddle and her fellow rider.

“You know the answer to that,” she replied, glancing down the tall outer walls of the palace. A few people in the canal-side gardens had looked up at the spectacle; they were too far away to see much detail, but this was clearly the queen’s bedchamber. “This isn’t the most discreet escape, is it?”

Claude scoffed, turning his mount skyward with a nudge. “Oh, it’s fine. Not many Fodlanese know about the white wyvern thing. Besides,” he said mischievously, testing the knots on her straps, “didn’t Marianne tell you? Our arrangement is done.”

With that, they were off. Sahar spread her massive wings - leathery and smooth, delicate and powerful all at once - to catch the current, pushing herself off into it and raining stone chips and dust in her wake.

Byleth yelped at the sudden lurch, falling back against Claude, who gladly supported her while they gained rapid altitude in the midday sky. Sahar’s rhythmic wing beats took them high above the notice of anyone in the city, down the palace’s canal and out into the bay.

She watched it all fall away as they climbed. The great trade ships shrank to the sizes of beetles in their lanes; the flocks of gulls that chased them, to mere specks. The ocean itself became an undulating cobalt tapestry, shot through with threads of white and gray.

When they leveled off and the wind died down in their ears, Claude spoke, “Remember when I taught you to fly?”

A series of images flashed in her mind: wrangling a saddle onto an impatient wyvern; losing straps and buckles under flapping wings; falling before she could even take off - so, so much falling.

“I remember when you tried to, sure,” she said, cringing at the memories. Even Leonie, who never gave up on anything, had declared Byleth’s flying skills unsalvageable. “Why?”

Claude laughed a little too hard, like he was recalling the very same foibles. “Nah. You just needed more time - we couldn’t spare any in the war. But now?”

“Are you suggesting,” Byleth said, throwing him a flat look over her shoulder, “that I fall on my ass repeatedly in front of the entire court? It was bad enough when it was just jeering students.”

“No, no, my point is -” Claude directed her attention back to their view of the bay, “- you could come out here whenever you wanted. Get away from it all.”

So he’d noticed her restlessness. Well, of course he did, Byleth admonished herself. He’s Claude.

“That would be...nice,” she admitted, giving him a half-smile. “It’s different, isn’t it? Leading during peacetime?”

He relaxed his hold on the reins and let Sahar go where she would in the open sky; she took full advantage of the freedom, floating into various air currents and skirting low, wispy clouds.

“Yeah, it is.” Claude’s tone was sober and diminished. He prodded gently, “How have you really been, Bee?”

The nickname brought unexpected tears to her eyes; he hadn’t used it since they parted at Garreg Mach five years ago. She’d forgotten how fond and welcoming it sounded - how warm - coming from his mouth.

Byleth faced straight ahead, glad he couldn’t see her expression. It must have been just as regretful and conflicted as her mind.

“I never expected to be here,” she murmured, and in her heart she finished the thought: without you. Her voice barely carried over the wind, but she knew Claude had heard it; he scooted closer to her in the saddle, whether consciously or not. “Everyone around me is so certain of their place, and I’m...not.”

Her thoughts strayed to Edelgard and Dimitri, to their twin drives that - even misguided and corrupted as they were - strove for a better world at their roots. Byleth, who held no grand vision for the future, couldn’t help but feel unfit for the mantles they’d left behind.

(Truthfully, that was one of many reasons why Derdriu was her favorite capital, and spring her favorite season. Fhirdiad’s and Enbarr’s thrones still felt like someone else’s seats to her - someone else’s dreams.)

“I don’t think anyone expected to be where they are now,” Claude said, matching her volume. When Byleth shot him another ‘quit your bullshit’ look, he chuckled and corrected himself, “Okay. Maybe I did, but nobody else did.”

“Lorenz thought he’d be leading the Alliance, hitched to some noble lady. Hilda didn’t think she’d be doing anything.” Claude put up one finger for each example. “Marianne wanted to keep her head down. Ignatz thought he’d be barred from his passions.”

He rested his chin on the top of Byleth’s head. “Expectations and reality don’t always match up. Are you unhappy with where you are, Your Majesty?”

I’m exceedingly happy where I am, she thought, easing herself back to rest against him. And that’s the problem.

“No,” she answered simply. “I’m not.”

Claude, perhaps sensing the dishonesty in her words, hummed doubtfully. The sound rumbled deep in her chest. “Well - if you ever were unhappy, you know I’d help, right? No matter what it was.”

“I know,” she said, tilting her head to smile up at him. “And - I think you’re right.”

He shifted to accommodate her better, crossing his arms over her lap to grip the saddlehorn. “Oh? About expectations?”

“No, about flying.” She settled into their pseudo-embrace, resolving to enjoy it while it lasted. “I should learn.”

Claude made a small, happy noise in his throat. “I’ll teach you. It’ll be great.”

They drifted down the Edmund coastline in a comfortable quiet after that. If not for the Throat looming in the distance - a constant reminder of the hourglass hanging over their flight - Byleth would’ve been perfectly content. The longer they went, the more she wished he would just keep flying straight over the mountains - but the sun continued on its inexorable path through the heavens, and all things, even good things, must end.

Still, though, when he wheeled them around and began the journey back, Byleth thought she detected a resonant note of hesitation in him.

By the time they’d reached the bay of Derdriu, the sun hung low and the sky had turned to vibrant oranges and indigos; the frothy crests of waves, the metal fixtures on ships’ masts, and even the scaly tips of Sahar’s wings shone golden in the rich evening light. 

The palace’s white marble exterior reflected sunset-colors onto the streets and canal below. In any other instance, she’d find it beautiful, but right now it was no different than the Throat: an ominous, prohibitive barrier.

Claude guided Sahar to the balcony again, wincing as her claws ground fresh holes into the railing.

“- I’ll pay for that,” he reiterated sheepishly, then hopped down to offer Byleth a hand.

She took it, letting him assume her weight while she scrambled much less gracefully to the ground. The stone tiles, quickly cooling with the onset of night, chilled her bare feet on contact; she shivered, looking back wistfully at the evening sky. 

When she turned around again, Claude was watching her intently. Unreadably. 

“Did you enjoy the ride?” he asked.

“I did. Thank you.” She tried to match his tone, to hide her sadness - to appreciate the time they’d had together instead of mourning its conclusion. “I suppose you need to get going, then?”

“Mm, not quite yet,” he replied with a secretive smile, wrapping Sahar’s reins around her saddlehorn. He muttered a phrase to her in Almyran, to which the great wyvern nuzzled into his hand and took off in the direction of the aviary.

“Let’s get you warmed up, first.” He strode past her to the open balcony doors, jerking his head toward it encouragingly when she didn’t immediately follow. “Come on, it’s okay - I have time.”

Byleth trailed after him, instantly suspicious. He was using his ‘false sense of security’ voice again, like he had on the first night. “Claude, what are you planning?” she called out warily, stepping into her darkened bedchamber.

A spark struck in the hearth, setting the tinder inside ablaze and silhouetting Claude in a red-orange halo. “Why do I have to be planning something?” he countered, overly defensive, as he stoked the fire. “- You looked cold, is all.”

She gave him a skeptical once-over, then turned to grab a cloak from her wardrobe - and there on her dresser, shining in the firelight, was a lacquered ebony box the length of her arm.

It was decorated with glittering gold leaf along its edges, clearly meant to hold something valuable. Byleth whipped around to fix Claude with an accusing glare, but he just shrugged innocently and motioned for her to open it.

He had a long history of bequeathing strange gifts to his friends, always seeming to enjoy the reactions a little too much. Byleth wasn’t aware of any current holidays, though, either in Fodlan or Almyra.

She sighed and lifted the lid. “I swear, if this is another apron -” 

The breath caught in her throat. It most definitely was not an apron.

Nestled in a bed of burgundy velvet, only slightly smaller than the box itself, laid a porcelain-white wyvern egg dotted with flecks of pearlescent ivory. 

This time when she glanced back, it was in affectionate curiosity. “So this is why you were pushing flight training,” she said, gingerly touching the warm shell. “But - aren’t white wyverns only given to members of the royal family?”

Claude moved to stand next to her, drained of all his earlier mirth and bravado. In its place was a tense energy she hadn’t sensed in him since they’d last met at the Goddess Tower.

“Well, yeah, that’s the idea,” he said with a nervous laugh. “I was hoping you’d, uh, well - I wanted to ask you, since -”

He stopped and grunted, looking disgusted with himself. “Let me start over.”

Byleth nodded, absolutely baffled. What in Sothis’s name was he trying to say?

Claude ran a hand back through his hair and took a deep, steadying breath. “We both didn’t have the best experiences with family growing up. I mean, you had Jeralt and I had my mom, and they were great, but other than that it was…”

“Lonely,” she offered. They’d discussed their respective childhoods many times before - commiserated in the shared wounds of alienation and neglect.

Delicately, he took her hand and squeezed it. “Yeah. Lonely. And if I’m reading this correctly, so were the last five years, right?”

Byleth swallowed a lump in her throat and nodded again.

“Yeah,” Claude repeated softly. “For me, too. So, I thought - maybe neither of us has to be lonely anymore.”

His meaning dawned on her like a sunrise, blooming heat high in her cheeks. Her embarrassment fueled his, in turn, and they were left staring at one another in stunned silence; from an outside perspective, they must have looked - fittingly - like a pair of panicked deer.

“Claude,” she pronounced thickly, needing to verify her theory, “are you asking me to…?”

“Mhm,” he confirmed, a portion of his usual confidence flickering back to life in his smile. He tipped her chin upward with his index finger. “I want to be your family. I want you to be my family.”

Byleth had spent the first part of her life without adequate modes of expression. Before meeting Claude, she’d gotten by on curt gestures and a flat affect - and now, in the face of overwhelming emotion, she regressed right back to that state.

All she could do to communicate her answer was to jump and reach for him, just like she was leaping onto his wyvern - and, predictably, protectively, his arms closed around her. Anchored her.

Like always, she thought. A perfect catch.

“Woah - I’ll take that as a yes, then?” Claude asked, tentatively hopeful, laughing and stepping backward from the unexpected force.

Byleth buried her face in his shoulder and nodded, unable to speak; hot tears spilled from her eyes, soaking into Claude’s tunic collar, and her wrists trembled where they were clasped at his neck. Her heart had never beat, yet now it was overflowing, filling her chest with something happy and potent and home that she’d never dared to covet before.

In the glow of the hearth, to the crackling of logs and the faint rush of a sea breeze outside, Claude rocked them back and forth at a measured, soothing pace. He kissed her forehead, her temple, her cheekbone, wiping away her tears with his thumb and whispering in a shaky voice, “It’s okay, Bee. We’re going to be so happy, I promise. I promise.”

---Epilogue---

Lorenz understood the severity of the Airmid flooding - really, he did - but he did not understand why it needed to translate into a six-in-the-morning assembly. Anything the ministers discussed there could be handled just as easily, and with more lucidity, during their regular working hours.

Still, he trudged diligently up the stairs to the meeting rooms. If there were emergency measures to enact, then, by the goddess, he’d see them enacted. The peoples of Hrym and Ordelia had already suffered enough for several lifetimes.

He was just inside the threshold, blinking and stifling a yawn, when he saw them: Byleth and Claude, seated side by side at the head of the meeting table, the former digging into a plate of food and the latter grinning like a madman.

Lorenz’s yawn cut off abruptly; his jaw snapped shut with a click.

“You’re still here,” he grumbled, sliding into a chair on an empty side. “Somehow I doubt this is about the floods.”

Hilda and Marianne, who were sitting opposite him, giggled quietly together, their hands clasped on the tabletop. (Frankly, it made him jealous. Leonie hadn’t wanted to touch the office of royal minister with a ten-foot lance.)

“Nope,” Byleth said, pointing at Claude with her fork. “This is about the legality of our marriage.”

Hilda clapped frantically with excitement. “Congratulations! Ooh, this is going to be the biggest wedding ever - can you imagine the guest list? We’ll be curating it for months.”

“I think I’ll exclude my paternal cousins,” Claude mused. “Just to watch them squirm.”

Marianne nodded. “They deserve it.”

“Wait. Hold.” Lorenz slapped his daily ledger down on the table like a judge calling for order, and it worked just the same. The rabble died down, all eyes turning to him. “First of all: congratulations, you two. You’ve made me a marginally poorer man.”

Hilda snickered triumphantly.

“Second: this is going to be a legislative nightmare - and don’t you tell me differently, Claude von Riegan,” he added, holding up a finger when it looked like Claude would cut in. 

“I’ll abdicate,” Byleth suggested, stabbing into a sausage.

“No -!” all three ministers shouted in unison - even Marianne, who’d also half-stood from her chair, hands braced on the table.

(Meanwhile, Claude simply watched his new fiancee with moon-eyed adoration; Lorenz was sure he’d humor anything she said right now.)

“That - that won’t be necessary,” Lorenz said, clearing his throat and smoothing down his ascot. “I only mean that it will take time and collaboration. Claude, I insist that you stay another week while we draft something for you to take home. I’ll write to Nader.”

Byleth let out a rare exuberant gasp; beside her, Claude glanced down the table and gave Lorenz a sly, conspiratorial wink. 

“- Oh, try to act professionally about this, would you?” he insisted, but an infectious smile was already spreading across his own face. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Author’s Notes

candidates for game names:

byleth: better chess (rejected - judgmental)

claude: long chess (rejected - misleading)

hilda: chess 2 (considered but ultimately rejected - legality)

lorenz: tactician’s chess (rejected - boring)

[vastthemes]

Sources for Aesthetic™ Images for your headers/icons/moodboards/Notion/pages/etc that aren't Pinterest

Because eeegh it's a pet peeve of mine whenever I see idk, content and stuff that just uses "credits to pinterest" or "credits to the original creators" without linking back to the actual source, so here are some places you can find images to use that you can find who to credit easily.

Note: some of these resources have specific terms, and not all of them can be used for moodboards/headers/notion/websites/icons/etc. Pls read them on their respective websites first and credit when necessary!!

Ghibli's released screencaps of their movies, for free!

Unsplash has a lot of good photos - just type in the keyword and you can also filter by orientation and color! There are also a bunch of user collections you can look through if you have a specific theme in mind

Some keywords you can use if you're lost on what specific things to look up: [rainy/foggy/sunny/etc] window view, messy desk, vintage, urban, vending machine, hands, grunge aesthetic, crystal/gemstone, skull, foggy/hazy, flower/pressed flower, knife, jewelry, neon, minimal, crown, fountain pen, pearls, pantone

Pexels is kinda similar to unsplash

Art images from museums and libraries

Creative commons

the #transparent png, #transparent tags here on tumblr - please be mindful though that some, if not most of these images don't have clear rules or boundaries for their use, so as a little tip use the ones crediting and adding the source, credit them yourself, and use for your personal use only - dont make stuff with them that you plan on selling!

Some blogs I've found in the tags above that do credit the image source of their pngs: @/strawberry4milk, @/neptunepngs, @/honeyrolls, @/mirai-e-jump, @/png-heaven, @/soapmermaid

Pixabay illustrations

thegraphicsfairy for vintage and antique looking graphics, art, and images

Free design resources (the site also has more than just graphics!)

Pixel Surplus too!

Country Daze Graphics - old webcore style graphics, for personal, non-commercial, credit-required use on webpages. You can read more about their terms of use on the site!

Another old webcore style graphics | 1 | 2 | 3

Old web buttons gifs (caution: full of flashing and eyestrain-y gifs)

Gifcities has those too (also content warning for flashing, sometimes inappropriate looking gifs that would get you ios banned yaknow)

Foxfable - pixel art, for personal use only and requires credit

Animation screencaps | Movie screencaps - for non-commercial, entertainment use

[purpleyin]

I really love your moodboards so much!!!! What advice do you have for making them?? Because I've ALWAYS wanted to make them but never known where to start!!

Hi. Thank you. 😊

Advice, hmm. I'd say figuring out what software/app you like using best is important. There's lots out there that can help making moodboards and it will also depend on if you're creating on desktop or on mobile. I settled on Canva which I mainly use on desktop, though their mobile app has improved lots in the last few years so I sometimes use that to make drafts/minor edits. Pic Collage is another popular one. Probably best to try several and see which you get on with.

For photos...Learning how to use Google image search options is very helpful, so you can find images that better fit what you're looking for, especially to set it to high quality. I mainly use that to find actor images, from interviews or promos or photoshoots. When I find an image I like I just right-click and save image as, but it's important to check it hasn't saved a smaller thumbnail version of the picture because that occasionally happens! Sometimes images save as a webp image rather than usual jpeg/png and not all software supports that - I think you can convert them to jpeg or png somehow, but I tend to just use Windows Snipping Tool to capture the image instead as it lets you drag a rectangle on screen to copy what you see in that area to a jpeg or png.

I have a lot of free stock photo websites bookmarked so that if I can't find something I like on one there's plenty more options - Pixabay, Pexels & unsplash are a few that come to mind. Some of them also have mobile apps available. I also pay for Canva Pro as that has a lot more stock images built in to Canva then, but Canva also has some free ones, as well as the ability to upload to your account any images you download from the web in your searches. You do have to get quite creative on search terms sometimes because stock photos aren't very well captioned. It also helps if you have the source material to take your own screenshots (I use the 'take a snapshot' feature in VLC media player with tv/films) but if you don't have access to the source material then finding a HQ screencaps website to use is good. Also, either Windows Snipping Tool or software like ShareX can be used to get screencaps from streaming sites if you're on desktop.

More general advice would be, have a look at lots of moodboards/aesthetics and figure out what you like about them, what catches your eye visually, what formats you like (3x3 grid, 2x4 grid etc). But bear in mind everyone has their own style and you might not know what yours is like for a while. I really admire minimalist aesthetics - where it's 1 item centred per picture on a plain background - and I tried my hand at those when I started out but I never had much success doing those because it turns out my style is very much about colour most of the time. These days, I try to have a few key colours to tie the different pictures together and usually no more than 2 types of font. I also try to balance the pictures in terms of light/dark and spread of colours, to have some kind of symmetry but that's sort of hard to explain well without examples.

I possibly rambled on too long but I hope some of this was helpful. <3

[blogging-shark]

5 Best Sources of Free Stock Photos for Bloggers

After you've finished writing your blog article, you'll want to include some eye-catching photographs to help reinforce the content and make some money.

Finding free stock photographs for your site, on the other hand, is a simple process but sometimes can be challenging. Most professional agencies charge more than $20 for a single stock photo, which can add up quickly if you're posting fresh content every day. Amateur bloggers and authors frequently use Google to find photographs that have previously been used in other blogs, then copy and paste them into their own content. This is plagiarism, and people are unlikely to take your content seriously as a result. And not only that, if the other person/company finds out that you are using their copyrighted picture for your own use, they can sue you. Because technically, it is called stealing (I know it's hard to accept, but it is reality).

Now, where to find free stock images and avoid plagiarism and sue from other companies or individuals? Well, you are going to get the answer to the question in this article. Below are the five best sources of free stock photos for bloggers. You can edit the photographs, post them on your website regularly, and most importantly, they are absolutely FREE.

Pixabay

Source: Pixabay

Pixabay is a great place to find high-quality photographs. The site has over 780,000 free pictures, but don't worry, their website is highly user-friendly. Explore their photo collection, which includes cityscapes, nature, people, animals, and more. You may even filter your search by media type, orientation, color, and minimum size using the main search box. You can also select your image depending on sizing requirements when you download the photographs you desire. As a blogger, you can find almost every niche picture with high resolution. You don't need to sign up to download images; just go to Pixabay, choose your desired photo, and click the download option. In three steps, you got a fantastic picture for your content.

Unsplash:

Source: Unsplash

Unsplash is another best source for free stock photographs for bloggers. Every ten days, Unsplash uploads ten new pictures. This site is a little different from the rest in that it has more unique images. You will not find the typical cheesy stock photographs among their pics. Search for pictures using the site's search box, different collections, or even what's new. In addition to downloading stunning and unique photographs, every photo published on Unsplash can be copied, edited, distributed, and used without attribution or permission. Unsplash even has an iOS app that allows you to search for stock photos to use in your creative projects on your iPad or iPhone. It's not necessary to credit the photographer. Still, Unsplash suggests that as a favor, a simple credit with a link back to their profile is nice to add.

Adobe Stock Free Collection

Source: Adobe

Adobe offers over 70,000 free stock pictures, videos, illustrations, and templates for personal, business, and creative use. Artists are paid for their services, and the images are consistent of good quality. There's a significant number of filters to help you find the perfect stock photo, and you can even upload an existing image to see what's similar. Most images are protected under Adobe's basic licensing terms, which are super progressive and only restrict you from distributing the files themselves, developing goods whose value is tied to the photo, and transferring the license to multiple employers or clients.

Pexels:

Source: Pexels

If you're a blogger looking for high-quality varieties of photographs for your content, Pexels is the place you should look. It is one of the best sources for free stock images. Pexels stock photographs provide you with royalty-free stock images that you may use anywhere. All pictures are available for commercial use without attribution. This site offers a wide range of stock photographs that you may use in your business. They include a leaderboard page that allows you to see who has the most views on their images. You may also search by color, collections, and other criteria in addition to the leaderboard search option. This is a site worth visiting. It is an excellent choice for web and app designers. It has an extensive collection of device images that are perfect for showcasing interface mockups. A few images border on stock photo cheesiness things that are difficult to illustrate written out with scrabble tiles. Still, the vast majority are unique and creative.

Good Stock Photos

Source: GOODSTOCKPHOTOS

Another fantastic resource for finding free stock photographs for blog posts is Good Stock Photos. It's also worth noting that the pictures from Good Stock Photos can be used for a lot more than just that. You can use the photograph on your blog, app, software, social media, online advertisement, or even to promote a product or service. The site includes pictures of different niches, including technology, real estate, fashion, self-improvement, health, fitness, and many more. The site is updated daily, and Steve, the site's creator, takes all images. As a result, the photographs you get from Good Stock Photos are one-of-a-kind and suitable for your branding. Though it's generally a good habit for bloggers to identify their images' providers, the photos don't require any attribution.

Conclusion In short, the five best sources where you can find stock photographs free are Pixabay, Unsplash, Adobe Free Stock Collection, Pexels, and Good Stock Photos. These websites have high-quality pictures, with a lot of varieties for you to choose from. These free photographs will complete your unfinished content. Almost every image on these free stock sites is licensed under the Creative Commons Zero license. It implies you can copy, adapt, and distribute the photos without asking the author's permission, including for commercial purposes. To put it another way, you can do whatever you want with them. There is an increasing number of fantastic stock image options available for bloggers. Designers, marketers, and bloggers have significantly benefited from these websites and made money online. There's no need to use cheesy stock photos anymore for your content.

[katrinratto]

7 Outstanding (and Free!) Stock Photography Sites Your Marketing Team Should Know About

Businesses are pressured to produce more content every day.

Blogs, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter… the content monsters demand to be fed.

And, visual content has been shown to be the most popular with buyers – so it’s in the greatest demand for marketers. But, it can also be hard to create.

Most small businesses don’t have an on-staff photographer and graphic designer to take care of their visual content creation.

And if you’re starting a new business, you’re looking for ways to conserve your money to give yourself a better chance to succeed.

That’s where stock photography sites come in handy.

Stock photography sites can provide the raw images that you can creatively transform into valuable visual content. They can also supplement the written content you’re already creating.

But, not all stock photographs are licensed for commercial use. And some have strict requirements about attributions and restrictions on modifications.

So, how do you safely use stock photos without getting into legal trouble, spending a lot of money for licensing fees, or getting caught in a web of complex licensing rules?

We’ve found that by sticking with certain reputable stock photography sites, it can actually be pretty simple. To save you the hassle, we’ve assembled a collection of our favorite stock photos sources just for you.

Here are 7 of the most popular stock photography sites:

Pexels.com

Unsplash.com

Pixabay

ISO Republic

StockSnap

Reshot

PicJumbo

“Whoa, whoa, whoa…” I hear you saying. “But, don’t you advise against using stock?”

And, the answer is – yes.

We wholeheartedly believe that stock art and photography have no place in your core visual branding materials.

Stock art is available to everyone. And, for that reason, it can never be unique enough to create a differentiated visual brand. You’d just blend in with all the other businesses using that same stock art.

For the full details on why stock art is bad for your brand, just click that link above.

But, stock photography can play a role in creating massive quantities of visual content needed to keep the social media engine running. And, it can be used as supplemental visuals for blog content.

So, for example…

Should you use stock photography for your website homepage?  No.

Can you use stock photography for an image in a blog article?  Yes.

Should you use stock images or photo for your company logo? No.

Can you use a stock photo or image to create content for a Facebook post?  Sure!

Stock photography and art can’t be used to replace an authentic, consistent visual brand identity. But, stock photos can supplement an already established brand identity. Just choose photos that don’t contradict your existing brand.

So, now that we know the ground rules for when it’s okay to use stock photography, let’s take a look at the best sources for acquiring free, high-quality stock photos.

Pexels.com

The stock photography hub Pexels offers a wide selection of hand-curated photos from over 80,000 photographers. And, they add new photos regularly.

Pexels features a user-friendly interface that allows you to search for photos by keyword to find just what you’re looking for. And, they have a sizable assortment of business photos that come in handy for blog posts.

One of our favorite features is that you can download the images in your custom size specifications.

Trust me – this is a life-saver!

And, all of Pexel’s photos are free to use – even commercially.

Check out their license details here.

Unsplash.com

Unsplash claims to provide “photos for everyone.” With a vast collection of over 800,000 photos, they may be right.

It’s easy to search for photos using keywords. But, Unsplash also has a detailed category system including topics like Textures & Patterns, Nature, Business & Work, and Current Events. This offers a helpful way to find new photos you may not have considered.

Like Pexels, Unsplash encourages attribution but does not require it. Their licensing page states:

Unsplash grants you an irrevocable, nonexclusive, worldwide copyright license to download, copy, modify, distribute, perform, and use photos from Unsplash for free, including for commercial purposes, without permission from or attributing the photographer or Unsplash.

Read their full license details here.

Pixabay

Pixabay is unique in that it offers vector art, videos, and illustrations as well as stock photography. And, their collection is huge – more than a million images!

Like Pexels and Unsplash, it’s easy to search for photos and art using keywords. You can also filter your search by photography, illustration, vector or video.

Some of the art and photography on Pixabay can be a little… odd. I’ve found that if you’re having trouble finding what you need elsewhere, that you may have luck at Pixabay.

And, all of their art is completely, awesomely, free to use.

Check out Pixabay’s license details here. 

ISO Republic

ISO Republic’s collection is a bit smaller than Pexels, Unsplash, and Pixabay. But, they offer both beautiful high-res photos and videos for free.

You can search by keyword or category. And, you can also sign up to receive their latest stock photos straight to your inbox, providing you with a regular supply of new stock photos without even venturing onto the web.

ISO Republic has partnered with Adobe to offer 1 free month of Adobe Stock (a paid stock service). And, they’ve also recently launched a blog with photography and video tips and inspiration for photographers.

If their recent actions are any indication, this platform is looking to grow and worth keeping an eye on.

Learn more about their licensing details here.

StockSnap

StockSnap is a constantly-growing stock photography resource. They add hundreds of new high-quality images on a weekly basis. And, like all the other sites on our list, you can use their photos for absolutely free.

StockSnap’s photos are all tagged for content and concept. This allows them to offer a great search tool that delivers results for both literal content keywords and for broader concepts like “happy” or “serene.” And, you can browse by popular categories like food, design, nature, or (on Monday mornings) coffee.

StockSnap also can email their most popular photos every week.

Read StockSnap’s full licensing details here.

Reshot

Reshot considers itself the anti-stock stock photography site. They offer “handpicked, non-stocky images.” And, they have quite a collection to choose from.

They offer an easy keyword search interface, as well as offering pre-assembled concept “packs” for download. The packs feature concepts like “Everyday Technology” and “Diversity Matters.”

Reshot values quality over quantity and claims that “authenticity is everything”. If you’re looking for stock photos with a fresh perspective, then Reshot might be your jam.

Check out Reshot’s complete licensing info here.

PicJumbo

PicJumbo is an interesting stock photography site – they allow you to download individual free photos or their entire collection of free photos.

In addition to their free section, they offer a premium service with a deeper well of images. And, despite their paid service, PicJumbo doesn’t shirk on the number of free photos they offer.

As per usual, you can search using keywords or browse from their pre-set categories. And, if you actually like getting email, you can subscribe to their newsletter to get new free stock photos delivered regularly.

The site was founded by photographer and web designer Victor Hanacek. He explains,

I’m just a guy who shares his photos to the world. For free.

Get the full licensing details here.

Stock Answer

Good stock photography has its place in the world.

That place is not in your most important branding material – like your logo, website, or social media profiles. But, free stock photography is a great solution for harried content and social media marketers who are struggling daily to keep their content calendar full.

These 7 quality stock photo sites will help your marketing team deliver the visual content they need. They’re simple to use and they’re free.

If only everything in life was this convenient…

  from http://bit.ly/2uIpvvD

[fortheheavenssake]

Free photos

Source

If you’re a social media marketer, you know how difficult it can be to find the perfect image to accompany a post. We all know that photos are one of the most important components for boosting engagement, but unless you’re willing to pay for it, finding a great one can be seriously time-consuming.

That’s why we put together this handy collection of free stock photo websites. Bookmark it for quick reference.

Bonus: Download a free cheat sheet to quickly find the best image sizes for every social network and learn how you can use Hootsuite to easily add them to any post.

22 of the best sites for free stock photos

Every image site in the list below falls under Creative Commons—so you don’t need to worry about getting sued. If you’d like to learn more about how image copyright works on social media, check out our post Can I Use This Photo on Social Media? Understanding Image Copyright.

1. Adobe Stock

Not only does Adobe Stock have over 90 million high-quality creative assets you can use in your social campaigns, you can license them directly within the Hootsuite dashboard. That means once you’ve found the perfect image, you can download it, attach it to your posts, and share it across your social channels—all from one place.

social media images

2. Gratisography

Gratisography is one of the most interesting of the free stock photo sites due to the quirky style of photographer Ryan McGuire. All of the photos are high-resolution and royalty-free—ready for your use wherever you please. The photos are organized in a number of categories—animals, nature, objects, people, urban, and whimsical—and new ones are added every week, which McGuire shares on Twitter and Facebook.

3. IM Free

IM Free is a “curated collection of free web design resources, all for commercial use.” The royalty-free stock photos are organized by themes such as technology, education, and nature. On the site you’ll also find free templates, icons, button makers, and more.

4. Pixabay

Pixabay offers over 490,000 free images and videos for both personal and commercial use. All images on the site are royalty-free and covered under Creative Commons CC0, which means they can be modified and used commercially online and in print.

5. Burst

In an effort to combat the issue of diversity and inclusion within media and marketing, Shopify held internal photo shoots to create high quality images of a diverse group of ethnicities and genders in the workplace. That collection is now open and free for personal and commercial use on a new stock photo site called Burst.

6. Picjumbo

With over 5,427,891 downloads since it launched in 2013, Picjumbo is a popular free resource for social media images. Users can click through the different categories of over 600 free high resolution photos, or download a pack that includes all images as well as three Photoshop mockups (in exchange for a donation of $10 or more.)

7. Unsplash

Unsplash offers 10 new photos every 10 days via an email subscription and on their website. All photos are licensed under Creative Commons Zero, “which means you can copy, modify, distribute and use the photos for free, including commercial purposes, without asking permission from or providing attribution to the photographer or Unsplash.” You can navigate the site by viewing the photos in their larger versions, but when browsing I usually find it easier to switch to the grid format.

8. Morguefile

Morguefile was created in 1996 and offers photographs available free for the use in creative projects. The website does ask that photographers or artists are credited when using their free stock images as they aren’t in the public domain. This is a great resource for free social media images that can be used as backgrounds for text-based graphics.

9. Stockvault

Stockvault hosts over 35,000 royalty-free images, graphics, and designs from photographers, designers, and students around the world. As long as you stay on the “Free Stock Photos” rather than the “Premium Stock Photos” tab, you have access to a huge library of photos to use on social media.

10. Negative Space

This site adds new free CC0 stock photos every week. These images are searchable by category, position, and color. Follow Negative Space on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for updates on when new images are added.

11. Kaboompics

KaboomPics offers free, high-quality images that are available for personal and commercial use. The images you’ll find here are bright, modern, and aesthetically pleasing. And each comes with a helpful color palette so you can plan your visuals accordingly.

12. FancyCrave

Instead of tired old stock photos, FancyCrave aims to provide “emotionally driven images that tell a story.” The easy-to-navigate website releases two new images from professional photographers everyday. When looking for free social media images, the colorful and vibrant nature of FancyCrave’s photos are especially eye-catching, which might make your social posts more engaging and shareable.

13. RawPixel

RawPixel prides itself on having the most diverse collection of stock photos around. The online resource is trying to change the face of stock photography and has started the (one) world face project with the ultimate goal of photographing people from every nation in the world. In addition to this excellent initiative, RawPixel provides a dynamic collection of free stock imagery that’s sure to fit your next campaign.

Bonus: Download a free cheat sheet to quickly find the best image sizes for every social network and learn how you can use Hootsuite to easily add them to any post.

14. StockSnap

When researching resources for free social media images, I was told by more than one socially-savvy person that StockSnap was their favorite site. The free images here can be filtered by date, what’s trending, number of views or downloads, as well as the amount of keyword searches.

15. Startup Stock Photos

Startup Stock Photos is all about free stock images for “startups, bloggers, publishers, websites, designers, developers, creators, and everyone else.” The photos are especially great when you are sharing links to content such as a professional blog post—where the most fitting visual is of someone on a computer or in a casual business setting.

16. Splitshire

Web designer Daniel Nanescu created Splitshire as a collection of stunning, easy-to-browse images and video. The photos are sorted into helpful categories such as “abstract,” “still life,” and “technology.” Nanescu’s photos which previously lived “on a hard drive gathering dust” are now—for good reason—used books, magazines, and websites like The Huffington Post and CNN.

17. Life of Pix

Life of Pix is a collection of free high resolution stock images donated to the public domain by the Leeroy Advertising Agency in Montreal. With no copyright restrictions, the beautiful photos are free for personal and commercial use. If you need social media images of the moving variety, their sister site Life of Vids offers royalty-free videos, clips, and loops for you to use to your heart’s content.

18. Pexels

The free stock images on Pexels are curated from sites such as Gratisography, Unsplash, and Little Visuals. All of the photos on the site are licensed under the Creative Commons Zero, so you can use any of the photos for personal or commercial purposes. The collection currently includes over 3,800 high resolution photos, with at least 70 new ones added every week.

19. Jay Mantri

Jay Mantri’s photographs are nothing short of breathtaking. While beautiful to scroll through in their large form, if you are needing to quickly find an image for your content or social media posting, I suggest changing to the archive view for an easier browsing experience.

20. ISO Republic

ISO Republic’s main mission is “to provide high-quality images to be used by designers, developers, bloggers, marketers and social media teams.” The categories these free social media images are sorted into, include architecture, nature, people, textures, urban, and everyone’s favorite, “various”.

21. New Old Stock

New Old Stock provide the ultimate “Throwback Thursday” content with hundreds of vintage photos from public archives. The photos are fascinating and would be a compelling addition to any social media campaign. Offering hundreds of royalty-free stock photos, New Old Stock’s collection showcases a wide variety of situations and subjects.

22. Free Refe

Free Refe has a collection of images known for their clarity, quality, and diverse subject matter. Although there is an emphasis on photos showing “real life,” the images are anything but mundane. As their website states, “using great imagery helps portray emotions, increase sales, and conversions,” the free photos here are a must-bookmark resource.

Bonus: Download a free cheat sheet to quickly find the best image sizes for every social network and learn how you can use Hootsuite to easily add them to any post.

Easily find and edit free stock photos with Hootsuite

Hootsuite makes sourcing, adding, and editing photos for social media even easier. Here’s how.

Hootsuite Enhance

A free mobile app for social media images that will help you:

Boost productivity. Instantly crop images based on recommended sizes for Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and other social networks

Find more content. Source relevant photos directly in the app from a large database of stock images, or the users’ library

Maximize engagement. Make your photos stand out with special effects, stickers, borders, and filters

Build brand awareness. Easily add logos and text to photos. Choose from 30 different fonts to fit your brand’s unique style.

Be more responsive. Share edited images directly from the Hootsuite Enhance app for effortless posting

Download it for free.

[joshuabrecht3d]

The Power of Storytelling in Content Creation

In a world where we are bombarded with content 24/7, it can be hard to break through the noise and grab people's attention. That's where storytelling comes in. When done well, storytelling can be a powerful tool for content creators.

A good story has the ability to transport us to another place, make us feel empathy for the characters, and stay with us long after we've finished reading or watching. That's because stories Appeals to our emotions which are a fundamental part of who we are as human beings.

Think about some of your favorite pieces of content (films, TV shows, articles, etc.). Chances are, they all had one thing in common: they told a story. In this blog post, we're going to explore the power of storytelling in content creation.

Why Storytelling is Important

As we mentioned before, humans are emotional creatures. And when it comes to decision-making, emotions play a big role. In fact, according to neuromarketing research, up to 95% of our buying decisions are emotionally driven (source).

That's why it's so important for content creators to understand the power of emotion and how to use it in their favor. After all, if you can make your audience feel something, you're more likely to get them to take action—whether that's clicking on your latest blog post or making a purchase from your online store.

Here are some additional benefits of using storytelling in your content:

It builds rapport and trust with your audience

It makes complex information easier to understand and remember

It sets you apart from your competitors

It helps people connect with your brand on a deeper level tips for Using Storytelling in Your Content Now that we've established why storytelling is so important, let's look at some tips for using it effectively in your content.

Know Your Audience

The first step is understanding who you're creating content for. Who are they? What do they like? What do they want? Once you have a good understanding of your target audience, you'll be able to create stories that resonate with them on a deeper level. Keep in mind that different audiences will respond to different types of stories.

Keep it Simple

When it comes to storytelling, less is definitely more. You don't need overly complex storylines or long-winded dialogue to make an impact—in fact, doing so can actually have the opposite effect by turning people off from your content altogether. Instead, focus on creating simple yet powerful stories that efficiently deliver your message. Think about what you want people to remember after consuming your content, and make sure every element serves that purpose.

Use Imagery Throughout Your Content Imagery

This is a key component of any good story—after all, a picture is worth a thousand words! When used effectively, images can help set the scene, convey emotion, and add another layer of depth to your story. Be sure to use high-quality images that complement the tone of your story and help bring it to life. If you're not a professional photographer (or don't have the budget to hire one), there are plenty of free stock photo websites you can turn to for help finding the perfect images for your needs, such as Unsplash, Pexels, and Pixabay.

Make It Interactive. This could mean incorporating videos, infographics, polls, quizzes, or anything else that allows people to engage with your story on a deeper level. Not only will this make your content more enjoyable for people to consume, but it will also help ensure they remember it long after they've finished consuming it.

Stories have the power to transport us away from our everyday lives, make us feel empathy for others, and stay with us long after we've finished reading or watching them. As content creators, it's important that we understand the power of emotion and how effective storytelling can be at driving results.

By keeping our stories simple, using imagery throughout our content, and making it interactive whenever possible, we can create truly compelling pieces that resonate with our audience on a deeper level.

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24+ Sites to Find Free Images You Would Actually Use for Your Marketing

Here at Buffer, we think a lot about visual content.

We’ve shared our own study on the importance of images in Twitter posts for more social sharing. We’ve explored tools that help anyone create visual content. Our social media management tool incorporates image posting because we know how important that element is to engage your followers and fans.

But there’s one question we get asked quite often: Where can you find free images that are high quality and cleared to use for your blog posts or social media content?

It’s a question with a lot of different answers and caveats. Nearly every image created in the last 30 years is still protected by copyright—a protection that gives virtually every author the exclusive right to use or reproduce their work. But you can find a public domain photo, use a Creative Commons image that might need attribution, or even create your own image from scratch.

In this post, we’ll share more than 20 different sources and tools for free images, covering searchable image sites, create-your-own-image tools, and more.

(Related: If you are interested in learning how to pick and use such images, you might like our complete guide to using stock images in your marketing.)

Understand these terms before using any free images

A few things to know before we get started. The following terms will come up often as we discuss free image sources. Read over the terms and conditions of each site you try so you know exactly when and what type of attribution is required.

What is Creative Commons?

Creative Commons is a nonprofit organization that enables the sharing and use of creativity and knowledge through free legal tools. There are various types of Creative Commons licenses that range from allowing any type of use with no attribution to allowing only certain uses and no changes.

What is public domain?

Works in the public domain are those whose copyrights have expired, have been forfeited, or are inapplicable. Finding something on the internet does not mean it is in the public domain.

What is royalty free?

Royalty-free images aren’t necessarily free. In most cases, you’ll have to pay a one-time fee to obtain the rights to use the image. Then you can use it as many times as you like. The “free” in “royalty-free” only means that you do not have to pay royalties to the owner of the image every time you use it. For a comprehensive read on royalty-free images, check out this guide by Amos Struck.

24+ websites to find free images for your marketing

To better help you evaluate these sites, I performed the same search, if possible, on each using the term “happy people.”

1. Unsplash

Unsplash has its own license, which essentially lets you use the images for free, in any way you like, except for using them to create a competing website. (We are huge fans of Unsplash here at Buffer!)

2. Burst (by Shopify)

Burst is a free stock photo platform for entrepreneurs by Shopify. The images are both free and royalty-free. (Burst has a cool section of business ideas, with tips and high-resolution images for getting your business started.)

3. Pexels

Pexels also has its own license, which states what you can and cannot do with the images. You can use and modify the images for free for both commercial and personal use without attribution.

4. Pixabay

Images on Pixabay are licensed under Creative Commons Zero (CC0), which means you can use the images without asking for permission or giving credit to the artist (though it’s always appreciated). Pixabay provides a gentle reminder to check that the content depicted in the images doesn’t infringe any rights.

5. Free Images

Free Images provides over 300,000 free stock images under its own license. The license allows a very broad range of uses, though it does list several restricted use cases (which are quite common for most free images sites).

6. Kaboompics

Kaboompics uses its own license, which is similar to Creative Commons Zero except that you cannot redistribute its photos. There are two things that I love about Kaboompics: one, it allows me to search by color, and two, it provides a complementary palette of colors in the photo.

7. Stocksnap.io

Stocksnap uses the Creative Commons CC0 license so its photos are free to download, edit, and use for both commercial and non-commercial projects.

8. Canva

Canva is an online graphic design tool that also offers free stock photos. One advantage of using Canva is that you can quickly turn an image into a custom graphic to use on social media or your blog.

9. Life of Pix

Life of Pix lists free high-resolution photographs and partners with Adobe Stock for more (paid) stock photographs.

10. Gratisography

Gratisography also has its own free photo license, which lets you do “almost anything you can think of”. While they have a��rather limited number of images now, many are high-quality images that I would use.

11. Flickr

Flickr is an image hosting platform where you can find images that can be used and modified for commercial purposes. Select “Commercial use & mods allowed” under the “Any license” filter to find those images, and remember to check the license for each image as they vary.

12. The Jopwell Collection (by Jopwell)

The Jopwell Collection contains several albums with hundreds of images featuring people in the Jopwell community. The images are free to be downloaded and used as long as you visibly attribute Jopwell. (You can read the story behind this collection here.)

13. WOCinTech

This is an album of photos of women of color in tech, started by Christina and Stephanie, the founders of #WOCinTech Chat. The images can be used as long as you attribute #WOCinTech Chat or wocintechchat.com. (While the team isn’t updating the album anymore, there are over 500 images to choose from!)

14. CreateHER Stock

CreateHER Stock’s team has manually curated more than 200 high-quality images of women of color, which might be used for personal use only. (Do check out their license here.) You can also receive new free images every month when you sign up to their newsletter.

15. Death to Stock

Unlike most websites mentioned in this post, Death to Stock doesn’t have a gallery of images. It sends you 20 new photos every month when you sign up for its newsletter.

16. Getty Images

This might come as a surprise to you (as it was to me). You can use images from Getty Images on your non-commercial websites for free by embedding them. Downloading an image and uploading it to your website is still a no-no—you’ve got to embed it. An embed is slightly more intrusive than simply adding a photo into your post – the embed keeps its own frame, share buttons, and branding. Still, for many blogs, it’s an option worth looking into.

17. PicJumbo

PicJumbo offers a variety of free images for any kind of use—free of charge with no registration required. You can also get new free images by subscribing to their newsletter. (If you have the budget to spare, do check out their premium photo collections such as this, which looks amazing to me! It even has vertical images for Stories content.)

18. Crello

Similar to Canva, Crello is a free graphic design tool by Depositphotos, which has many free images for you to use.

19. Depositphotos

Depositphoto offers a sample of free images, vectors, editorial content, and footages, which is updated every week. You can also sign up for an account to get the free stock files every week.

20. iStock

iStock releases a new batch of free stock files every week when you sign up for a free membership.

21. New Old Stock

New Old Stock is a collection of vintage photos from the public archives, free of known copyright restrictions.

22. Superfamous

Superfamous houses the work of Dutch interaction designer Folkert Gorter, whose photography is available under the conditions of a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. This means that you can use the work for your own purposes — including commercial use — as long as credit is provided.

23. Google Advanced Image Search

Google Advanced Image Search is a method of finding free-to-use images through Google’s own search tools. Here’s a quick guide.

24+. Facebook posts, Instagram posts, tweets, and more

It’s also worth noting that you can embed Facebook posts, Instagram posts, tweets, YouTube videos and even Slideshare decks to your blog post.

Pinterest boards are a little trickier to embed, but it can be done by using its widget builder and copying and pasting the code into your blog post. (For WordPress users, I noticed that I have to publish the blog post while in the “Text” editor mode after pasting the code for this to work.)

  Often, readers can engage with embedded posts more deeply than static content by following users, liking, or commenting on the posts.

Consider replacing screenshots with embedded posts so that readers can engage with your examples.

Schedule your images with Buffer

Thanks so much for reading all the way to the end of the blog post. As a thank you, I would love to share a nifty feature that we have built into Buffer to help you share your images as quickly as possible.

Whenever you share your blog posts or marketing websites with Buffer (either through your dashboard or the browser extension), we will automatically pick up images from those websites and suggest them to you for your social media posts. You just have to click on your favorite image to add it to your social media post.

(Note: When sharing images from others’ websites, it’s always advisable to check with the owner of the website or image first.)

Over to you

What free image sites did I miss? What tools do you like the most to find or create images? I’d love to keep the list growing in the comments!

P.s. If you are looking for background music for your videos, you might like our collection here.

https://growinsta.xyz/24-sites-to-find-free-images-you-would-actually-use-for-your-marketing/