#letters to the front

[wynilthyrii]

A letter to Zanrethan Sunforge - 5 September

The letter comes bearing a surprising number of seals across its seam—the Order, House Ilthyrii, and that of the Argent Crusade. It’s written on good parchment but is a bit creased at the edges, as if from the bag it was carried in, and entirely possible that the courier that brings it to his posting wears the colors of the Argent Crusade.

Zan,

I can only guess where you are, though my gut says that your unit was one of the ones immediately dispatched—likely before anyone truly knew what was going on. The official reports only started coming when I received your letter and actual word of anything happening has only reached the public in whispers and rumors.

Please tell me you were not in Dalaran when it fell from the sky. I’ve only seen two reports with any sort of depth of description and both left me sick to my stomach. The casualty lists contradict each other—no one seems to have a good accounting of the living or the missing or the dead.

They are asking for volunteers to go with the relief—some by portal, some with the fleet. The Magistry is reluctant to commit many mages to the cause at this point, given what’s happened and the number of unknowns, but the Kingdom sends troops to be certain. I have word that the Alliance does the same. Clearly, so do other organizations. I’m sure you’ve noticed the Argent seal on the letter. Their request for volunteers came even before the official ones were posted at the Hall. I think Tyr’s received a direct request but I doubt he’ll ship, not yet. There are things that must be done before he can think of it, but I deeply suspect that his unit—the 58th Argent Crusade—is already en route if they’re not already on-station.

My uncle and Lord Hawksong are coordinating the Farstrider volunteers and the reservists and retired rangers signing up for one more fight sourced from the Watch and the people of the Everlight. Hawksong is making noises about going himself but I’ve not heard what anyone thinks of that, least of all athair.

Ardus intends to go. That’s all I know right now.

I pray that wherever you are out there, you’re safe for now. If there’s anything you need that may be in my power to give, ask. I’ll do what I can.

Please, my brother, be safe.

Faithfully,

Wyn.

[ @zanrethan-sunforge ]

In response to

[fictionadventurer]

I love libraries.

I'm browsing the WWI shelves (as you do) and notice a very old book about the war. I glance at the first pages that talk about how one day the war will be over and we'll look at this place and not see any signs of the battlefield.

Then it hits me. And I check the publishing date.

This book was printed before the war's end. Not written. Printed. The physical object was created in 1918, while the war in question was raging and the end was as yet uncertain.

Now I'm standing on the other side of the apocalypse, with this physical link to that era in my hands. I'm living proof that the war did end and life did go on and we can all look at the end of the world as a long-ago memory.

Reading old books is cool enough, connecting our minds and hearts through the ideas of people who lived long ago, but there's something extra profound about holding a copy of the book that comes from the time that it was written. It's a physical link between the past and the present connecting me to those long-ago people. A piece of the past come into the future that gives me the chance to almost take the hand of some long-ago reader, to hold something they could have held, connecting not just mentally but physically to their era, a moment of connection across more than a century.

Excuse me while I go weep.

[muffinlance]

ORBSJB AGNI AS A TURTLE DUCK I'm sorry but LIKE HOW CUTE AND then it's like he's this turtleduck in the pond bc depending on how people treat animals, small ones that need help, that's how he knows if they're good and he blesses the ones that treat him kindly and then Zuko and I'm sorry of this sint coherent (I'm a long time fan of your content btw, all the his and the books and omg I wish I could've gotten some)

Azulon looked down. His grandson, along with the turtleduck in his arms, looked up.

“This is Agni,” the boy said. “He says you should stop now.”

QUACK, said the duck. It was a strange red-gold. It was glowing. It was staring at him, even through the flames of the throne.

“Stop what?” humored the Fire Lord.

“The war,” the boy said. “It’s killing too many firebenders. Also his sister has been yelling at him, so we should let the waterbenders go, too, and be nice to them from now on so he can get a good night’s sleep and not have her redirecting comets at him any more. Probably we should leave all the other benders alone too because he’s pretty sure it was the air spirits that made him a flightless duck. He says that’s their sense of humor.”

QUACK, said the turtleduck.

“…Guards,” said Azulon.

This proved to be an ill-advised action.

ALTERNATE TAKE THAT WENT NOWHERE AND ISN'T EDITED HAVE FUN WITH THAT:

There is a Fire Nation child in Hakoda's village. The child has a softly glowing turtleduck in his arms and a quietly oozing wound under his bandage. This is not how Hakoda thought his morning would go.

"What's with the turtleduck?" asks Hakoda's son, who is wrapped around Hakoda's arm and his spear in a way that makes it very hard to instinctively stab at red-clothed things. Hakoda... expected more of them. But the tiny sail boat the kid just ran into Sokka's lumpy watchtower seems to be empty, now that its single feverish passenger has stumbled over. With his duck.

"It's a turtleduck-phoenix," says the Fire Lord's heir, answering exactly none of Hakoda's actual questions. "...You remember?"

"That your hair is going to get worse before it gets better?" says Sokka. "Absolutely."

The Prince scowls. "Then where's Aang?"

"Katara's been looking for him. He's still in the iceberg."

"...The Ember Island Players' iceberg?"

"The Ember Island Players' extremely accurate and well-researched iceberg."

The Fire Prince stares at Hakoda's son. The Fire Prince stares at Hakoda. The Fire Prince flips his duck around to face himself, then starts shaking it. "Give me a less stupid reality."

QUACK, protests the duck, with a burst of accompanying immolation that does nothing to dissuade the prince.

"Sorry, buddy," soothes his son, "you were always in the stupid reality. Remember the frozen frogs?"

Quack, says the duck, as if in confirmation.

[misfitwashere]

@ykp-chk

instagram | growsgardens

[pastlivesandpurplepuppets]

10 April 1945 Dick wrote to DeEtta:

In his letter to DeEtta on the 16th September 1945 Dick apparently knew plenty about love, especially about being lovesick:

In his letters he wrote between April and Sept, Dick suddenly started talking a lot about Nix. At one point claiming how untrustworthy Nix is off duty. He also kept gently urging DeEtta to go find and marry someone.

[fizzytoo]

3 days and 2 nights in San Myshuno!

Thank you for accepting out invitation to showcase your work at our Gallery. The Airbnb we've set up for you and your family is in convenient walking distance of the Gallery and several local attractions! We can't wait to see you at the showcase.

-Casbah Gallery

[chirpsythismorning]

INTERESTING a storyline that ppl say would be impossible for Mike bc of x y z and yet here is Jack Mcphee in Dawson's Creek living his forced conforming lifestyle, dating a girl and denying his sexuality, having a mental breakdown in his nuclear family front hallway and everything...

[icarusbetide]

hamilton being needy in his letters to eliza

i tried to do a funny compilation of all the times he's needy in his courtship letters but holy shit it happens basically every two paragraphs so buckle up, it's long.

Exhibit A: Begging her to write more often

lmao "this is a threat. write more."

.

.

.

he's literally comparing the number of letters he sends, "three to one"

.

this is a trend, him going "why no letters?? text me back girl."

Exhibit B: Why he's writing so many letters

love the washington cameo as the cockblocker smh

.

double combo of "i saw a rival guy in my dreams :(" and "here's two more letters at once"

Exhibit C: Nooo I love you more. Vomit enducing.

my betsey. aw.

.

.

.

Exhibit D: Tell me the truth would you love me if i was a worm

"you know i'm broke right. tell me if you'll hate me for it."

not him spiraling imagining her saying "nope can't do it" the day before the wedding

[pygian-weapon]

DO NOT COMPARE CAESAR TO ELON MUSK HE DOESN'T DESERVE THAT we can come with a Bastille day tumblr celebration or smth, but Caesar was killed by a bunch of old rich men lmao (and his adopted son, et tu brute - cit. Jared Padalecki). this isn't exactly a win for the working people.

Yeah yeah he did war crimes and got too drunk on power, but at least he didn't have an hentai addiction is what I mean

[fishareglorious]

"I wish to hold your hand tightly. Your most loyal yet worst friend, Windsong." why are you like this. fruit

[alphaketoglutaricacid]

when toshiro got on laios ass for being inconsiderate and never thinking about how his actions affect others like he was mean abt it but hes not wrong. Thats a pretty major character flaw and a pattern of behavior for laios — w not choosing jobs that made money for namari who is in a pretty dire financial situation where she cant even get off the island and has to go adventuring in the dungeon to get out of debt, who even explicitly brought this up, eating marcilles familiar immediately even tho she was attached to it, kidnapping shuro into his party and putting him in life threatening situations without like really checking he wanted to be there…?, wanting to see if izutsumi has more than one set of nipples when dehumanization is a HUGE huge issue for her the list goes on and on and on. Like when a friend does this to you its just kinda annoying but when ur the leader u really should be checking if everyones needs r met without them telling u. Like the autism plays a factor for sure, his cultural upbringing plays a factor for sure, but as ppl regardless I think u gotta step up to meet the needs of ppl in the moment or realize u shouldnt be calling the shots. just bc its influenced by factors out of ur control does not make it not a serious character flaw. And its written as such in the story.

[https-furina]

“your order is complete!” this order is for @jingyuansbird:

“heyo heyo ✌🏾 congrats on 500! so, for my order, it'll be for alhaitham, size medium, with a cappuccino, soy milk, and foam please, and thank you!!!”

alhaitham x gn!reader | fluff, college!au + established relationship | 1.1k words notes. thank you so much !! i hope you enjoy your order (it should be mentioned that alhaitham despite being a previous main of mine is not one of my strong suits so i apologise if it's bad...) <3

thirsty? see our café menu before you order! | order receipts

with finals week drawing ever closer, it can sometimes feel like you're going insane with the repetitive revision and those god awful prep talks from your professors but adding onto that to make things worse, the most (seemingly) sane person in your circle really doesn't help the looming feeling of insanity. he seems to have no qualms with the endless academic revision thrown onto you for the sake of grades, his head always buried deep in a textbook that keeps him occupied whilst your friend circle do what they're best at… procrastinating.

"i'm really starting to think college isn't worth it," you mumble, highlighting another line in your notes - you're hoping the pretty colours will attract your attention more, "when am i ever going to use this in the 'real' world?"

your boyfriend makes an evidently amused noise from where he sits opposite you, his slim fingers working diligently at typing on his laptop; the one that you had snuck a cat meme sticker onto, much to his dismay but he is still yet to remove it. it is silent for a few moments save for the exceptionally fast clicking of laptop keys before your boyfriend presses the enter key, his turquoise eyes flickering up to meet your already staring gaze. you smile sheepishly and he rolls his eyes, a crack of a smile on the corners of his lips.

"we're almost finished and you're giving up now?" he mumbles back into the quiet of the library, almost filled to the brink with students and their numerous cups of coffee. you recognise that alhaitham has a point but all of this seems excessive when you glance around at all the dark circles under people's eyes, hair tied up in messy buns and stomachs full of leftover food because they're lacking time to cook. a frown adorns your face and alhaitham is quick to pick up on it, clearing his throat as he fixes his posture, sitting straight.

"it's all we've done for weeks now, haitham," you pout, jutting your lower lip out. without realising, you'd just made your boyfriend keen in a matter of seconds, his eyes quick to look away before he's caught slacking, "can we go for a walk? anywhere but… here."

alhaitham can't deny that the pair of you had locked yourselves away in the library for far too long to the point where his limbs have gone stiff and he's sure his knees might sound like he's aged beyond his years when he stands up. this means - much to his disliking - that he also cannot deny you, his darling partner, this walk you're requesting.

"alright, fine," he groans, slamming his laptop shut before he turns his body to slip the piece of technology into his worn leather satchel. he doesn't miss the way your face he adores so much lights up almost instantly, your eyes twinkling and wide, "but you have to promise to finish this chapter tonight."

you don't even reply to him under the premise that it'd be unwise for you to make a promise you may not be able to keep, not that it would be your fault. your friend group had tendencies to rope you into unwise things, to say the least. it could be any of them; kaveh, nilou, cyno, dehya… you have the inability to say no unless alhaitham is there to beat you to it. you're thankful for his input when it keeps you on the right track throughout college.

with your fingers laced with alhaitham's own, the two of you begin to make your way out of the jail that is the campus library. the spring sun beams down a hug of warmth on sumeru during these months, slightly sticky with humidity. alhaitham is always less than pleased about the heat, more so when he has tasks to do that require him leaving his accommodation. to quote your boyfriend, this weather in his eyes is good for nothing at all but here you was, removing him from the safe confides of an air conditioned building that was nonetheless silent - that's his idea of perfection! he bites back saying his complaints out loud, only because it's you.

"do we have a destination to this walk?" alhaitham breaks the silence first, slightly out of character for your boyfriend and it shows when you glance over at him in mild surprise, your eyebrows raised. he scoffs, looking away. you take this moment to trail your eyes over the beloved features of your partner from his silver locks and the pair of white bluetooth headphones that hang around his neck at all times. he never parted from them, almost like how he never parted from you.

you shake your head when you realise you never answered him, clicking your tongue to your teeth as you admire the bustle of the college campus - usually a little too crowded for your own liking but today it seemed to be just perfect, at least it lacked to feel like a sweaty tin of sardines, "nowhere in particular."

alhaitham appears to nod out of the corner of your eyes, his own gaze falling to a patch of empty grass on the green in the middle of campus. he squeezes your hand to catch your attention, beginning to lead you silently as you weave through the aforementioned crowds you'd been mindlessly watching prior. you didn't question his sudden change in directions, knowing alhaitham there was always a possibility the man had gotten overwhelmed in the current situation. he settles onto the lush grass first, pulling you down at his side due to your joined hands which only earns him a yelp of shock and a glare.

"that was unnecessary." you comment stubbornly and a small noise comes from your boyfriend as he watches you finally settle down, resting your head on his shoulder with a sigh.

"this walk was unnecessary." he retorts, earning him a slap on his leg that curls his lips as he looks away, squinting to watch other students.

"it's good to get outside and feel the fresh air, haitham," you muse as your eyelashes flutter shut, relaxing as you feel alhaitham's thumb brushing over your knuckles subconsciously - this is just one of his many habits he does without realising but you most definitely notice every single one, "y'know… photosynthesis."

alhaitham scoffs, suddenly turning his attention back to you as he glances over your face while your eyes are shut. he takes in the way you styled your hair today and the minor details of your face you think nobody notices. seconds pass with no more words said before alhaitham leans to press his lips to you, catching you off guard as your eyes widen. pleased with your reaction, he pulls away with the faintest of a smug expression on his face as he dares to utter a response to your earlier comment, "love, we're not plants."

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[theworldatwar]

A German soldier receives a letter from a loved one during the early stages of Operation Barbarossa - Eastern Front 1941

[cryptixotic]

Day 30 : Halloween

[meat-wentz]

some personal faves from my fob collection <3

[morsmortish]

what if... Chinese howlers that look like those money envelopes I get every new year. mic drop, slam door. bye bye

walburga sending hongbao to her children each week and it’s a toss up every time on whether it has their allowances or an angry rant about blood traitors inside