#the younger sibling of watching your older sibling implode and feeling of having your shit together as a result

[t1erradelfuego]

[sunsetcurve]

so...the last year has been rough. for everyone. but i’ve been lucky in a lot of ways, especially with the people in my life, and i wanted to take a second to thank some people on here. because genuinely, you guys mean so freaking much to me. i’ve had a lot of online friends in my life but none that feel so much like family. these are the people who have carried me through the last year, who’ve made me feel seen and heard and supported me in all my endeavors and just been wonderful to me all around. i love you guys, and happy new year <3

i’m about to get into it now. and i’ll try not to cry too much along the way.

@neshatriumphs​ nesha, when i say that you’re our fandom mom i mean that you’re my family, i mean that you’re my biggest supporter, my inspiration, my rock, the person who makes me want to be my best self, all the time. i can’t explain to you what your support has meant to me over the years. whether it’s leaving me incredibly kind notes on my fics that make me want to write more just for you, or sending me asks when you know i’m feeling down, or just making me laugh with your hilarious takes, you have always, always been there for me. you’re the toughest person i know and you make me want to keep pushing every day. you’re so incredibly talented; your ideas are just always stunning and inspired and despite being humble about it you’re amazing at everything you do. your art, your writing, your aesthetics, all of it. loeg and share-a-lair were just spectacular and such a show of how complex and original and smart your writing is. barring just your talent you’re also an inspiration in how passionate and kind and dedicated you are. you care for others everywhere you go. you come on here and constantly make me want to be a better person. it’s not just me, either—you’ve taken on the role of helping all of us in any way you can, and you just make us feel loved and supported and give us someone to always look up to. i love you. plain and simple, you’re my family, and i’m so, so grateful to have you in my life.

@juliesdahlias​ you know when you meet someone younger than you and you’re like how do they have this much talent in their body? and you can’t even be mad about it because you just want to root for them and you want good things for them and you think of them like a little sibling? that’s me around you all. the freaking. time. pearl, i’m constantly blown away by how smart and driven and passionate you are. you have so much talent to offer the world and i love seeing you thrive more than anything. you inspire me every freaking day; i mean, your tiara thief drabbles literally made me pull my fic out of my drafts for the first time in months. every time you post it’s something iconic and beautiful, whether its your fics or your edits or your headcanons. and not just that, but you’re so incredibly supportive of everything i put out there. like with ths, the way you latched on to it and are one of our biggest fans and made content for it literally as soon as we started!! that was amazing!! you’re just such an incredible person in every sense of the word; you’re talented and hilarious and kind and passionate and i love you so so much. i cannot wait to watch you do amazing things because i know you’re gonna be one of the greats. ily. 

@ciara-knightly i can’t even put this into words. i’m sitting here trying to say it right and every time i start i just turn into “!!!!!!!!” cause i love you so much. i know i’ve said this before, but shona, you’re honestly like my older sister. this whole year of just, really getting to talk to you beyond tumblr has shown me how honestly kind, passionate, smart, and supportive you are. talking to you is one of my favorite things in the world, whether it’s rambling about tiara thief, or discussing feminism in media, or just getting life advice. you always know what to say to lead me in the right direction and reassure me that things are gonna be okay. i look up to you more than i can tell you; i’m constantly inspired by your talent and your drive. you’re endlessly supportive and you make me laugh all the time, and i hold literally every convo we have close to my chest because it means so much to me to just be able to have them with you. i’ll never be over the fact that you basically discovered jatp, or us talking and making predictions for weeks before it aired, or us plotting out the whole dystopia novel together—which, even though it didn’t really pan out, was such an amazing experience because i got to do it with you. and i absolutely scroll back through our convos on a regular basis to scream over our tiara thief headcanons. everything i’ve done with you has been incredibly fun and meaningful, so what i’m trying to say in this very long winded way is that i’m so, so glad i know you, and i can never thank you enough for everything you’ve done for me. 

@bitchmilsky lizzie, i literally think of you like you’re my little sibling. my weird, crazy, hilarious, incredibly kind and supportive and creative and amazing little sibling. ever since i met you you’ve been nothing but fun and friendly and wonderful to me. your posts never fail to make me laugh and i love seeing whatever you’re up to, even if it’s video games that i understand nothing about. you have so many fun ideas and you’re so freely yourself, it’s honestly inspiring. the things you make are always adorable and every time we go live together and chat i always have so much fun, and talking and i just want to meet you in person so badly because i know we’d be an amazing, unstoppable duo and that you’d make me laugh until my sides hurt. i’m still waiting on that cross-country road trip. we could roll the windows down and belt our way through the entire hd musical soundtrack, and it would be epic. for real, though, you’re one of my favorite people ever, and i hope this year brings you nothing but fun and good things because that’s what you deserve. i’m sending you a million virtual hugs and also booty shorts that say poggers on the ass. i love you <3

@zackmartn i know i’m gonna start crying right now because i love you so much and i’m trying not to because i just did my makeup but dammit, nikki, i just love you so much. i remember when i first came on here and was afraid to talk to you because i was like “ohmygod she’s so cool she’s the king of this fandom she’s amazing” but i thank god that you reached out to me every day. i honestly can’t imagine my life without you; you’ve been such a presence in it for so long that you’re inseparable from it. even the times i’ve gone on hiatus i’ve been stalking your blog from a distance like “i just wanna know what she’s up to...”. you’re honestly like an older sister to me and you’re one of the people i admire the most; you’ve been through and continue to go through so much and yet every day you come on here and decide to be a freaking light to all of us, to make me smile, to support me literally endlessly. like, the amount of times you’ve driven me to near tears from your reviews of my writing is ridiculous. the freaking umana fan club?? the way ths is one of your top tags??? it’s just...insane and such a show of how boundless your support is. and that’s not even getting into how freaking talented you are!!! i stare at your gifsets all the time!! and your fics like....holy shit you literally created this whole universe that i’m so freaking invested in and is better than literally anything that canon could ever do, and i know i’m honestly terrible at responding to messages but i hope you know you never have to start holding back with me. most of the time when i get stuff you send i have to sit there and get my thoughts together and that takes forever, but i love love love reading it anyway. the way you get excited about the things you love is everything, it’s something that i really really love about you, and i hope you continue to keep that passion and love for everything. and i hope that this year brings you nothing but good things, because you deserve that more than anyone. i love you. 

@willexs eliza, babe, i know we joke all the time that we were put on opposite sides of the ocean because we’d be too powerful if we were together but i really think it’s true. imagine us meeting. the universe just wouldn’t be able to handle it; it would implode. listen, you’re literally like my twin, my other half. we have so much in common that it’s honestly ridiculous. we operate on the same brainwave, and every time we talk i’m blown away by how easy it is and i honestly love it so much because i could not have picked a more talented and creative and fun person to work with. writing ths with you has literally been like...one of my favorite writing experiences ever. i can’t believe that it started on such a whim because it’s such an important part of my life now and getting to have you next to me while we figure this whole thing out is honestly the best part. it’s not just all the characters and dynamics we’ve created, it’s the fact that i can send you incoherent ramblings at ungodly hours and you’ll pick them apart, it’s the 3-hour phone calls to make playlists, it’s you always making me feel heard and inspiring me. it’s this like...excitement of building towards something amazing with someone i love. you understand me on this crazy and fundamental level, and sometimes it blows my mind how similar we are and how well you know me without us having even met. i feel like we’re the embodiment of “nobody gets me like you”. and i know i’ve said this before, but i really do think you make me a better writer. i love how you make me laugh, i love that you always have the best takes and i love how talented you are with your incredible adorable art and your fics and your gorgeous edits and i love that we egg each other on and hype each other up. i love that, despite being on opposite sides of the ocean, we’re still best friends. and i love you <3

​@cactus-con lou!!!!!! i literally just...ahh i love you so much!! i know i’ve said this before but you were the first person i talked to in this fandom, and you made me feel so freaking welcome. and that has never changed. talking to you is so easy and natural, and you make me feel loved and heard all the time. i love getting to share stuff with you because you always always always hype me up. not just that but like...your talent?? literally unmatched!!! you’re amazing at everything you do it’s ridiculous. i love love love all your artwork, i could stare at it literally all day. you have so much talent and i literally cannot wait to watch you do such great things with it. i just...you’re such a wonderful person to everyone around you. you spread all this love and support and kindness and i think you’re one of the most genuine people i know and i’m so so glad i know you. i hope this year treats you so well because you deserve nothing but good things. i love you. <3

@owenjoyners where do i even start?? brooke, you’re like my other twin. i know i’ve said this before but it’s literally insane to me that we’ve known each other for less than a year because it feels like i’ve known you my whole life. you are such an incredible freaking person. you’re funny and you’re kind and you’re talented and you make me smile every damn day. i love getting post notifs from you because i swear to god i light up every time. your gifsets are always gorgeous, and i’ve watched you learn and improve and you’ve gotten so good, it makes me so happy every time. your art??? you say you’re just starting out but i can’t even tell you how much i love it. your fics!!! you’re good at everything and it’s honestly ridiculous. and it’s not even about your consistently amazing posts, i also just...i love talking to you more than anything, even if we’re just simping over owen together. you make me laugh all the time and you always hype me up; you’ve let me ramble about my fics and helped me get my ideas together, you’ve talked stupid life stuff like school and college with me, and you’ve given me someone to go to whenever i need it. i think of you as one of my best friends and i can’t get over how fast we clicked or how easy it is to talk to you. i need you to come visit me so i can give you so many hugs and we can have a sleepover and talk for literally hours on end. in the meantime, we need to call again sometime because that was honestly so much fun. i love you with all my heart. 

and some people i want to say thank you to, because even though we don’t talk as often as i’d like you’re still amazing, and you make me smile all the time, and i love seeing you on my dash or in my notes: @taylorswiftrulestheworld @onplanetmars @dr-rigatoni @swellviews-finest @symphonic-concert @molinasmercer

[rosettevaleria]

For The Win

The scritch-scratching of a quill against parchment was incredibly loud in the area that served both as a study and as an intimate gathering space. Rosette’s home was quaint, small...nothing like the house that she had grown up in, the Valeria estate sprawling in one of the larger plots of the Goblet’s wards. Truthfully, she preferred it this way as it provided a cozy atmosphere for when her ragtag family gathered together for a meal or to visit. 

The merchant dipped her quill into the ink and continued to elegantly scrawl notations on the documents and reports for her Syndicate patron, Lady Noni. The one benefit of having been so badly injured was that she had gained the ability to catch up on inventories, shipping manifests, a multitude of different contracts that demanded her attention, and some research into shipping companies that could move her product. Murdock, her retainer and right hand man for the newly minted Desert Rose Industries, was utterly indispensable when she was out and about with the Black Garden. The one-eyed, scarred redheaded Hyur and his chosen Elezen life partner, Richart, ran quite the tight ship on her behalf. Once she had been feeling better, she was immensely pleased that nothing was amiss and everything accounted for.

She didn’t look up as she heard footsteps across the floorboards above her head, continuing to focus on her notations and reviewing contracts. Nor did the sound of footfalls on her stairs break her trance. Murdock and Richart had continually been coming and going the last two or three days, bringing her updated inventories and offers from shipping companies that ventured to and from Doma and Kugane. She had a few ideas and had been up late the night before speaking with both of her associates in regards to branching out into supplies to help rebuild Doma and tempt some Goldsmiths and jewelers in Kugane--

“Well, dear sister, I do hope I’m not interrupting.”

The blood in her veins turned to ice as Alistair’s voice penetrated her thoughts as surely as that Black Mage’s familiar had. Her hand froze in it’s movements of writing and she lifted her eyes, taking slow breath and she forced her hand not to tremble. She met a set of eyes so similar in color to her own, it was uncanny.

The eldest Valeria offspring stood at ease before her, leaning on a decorative black cane with a carved ivory handle. His black hair was slicked back, streaks of gray standing out in it and he had an easy smile with a confident expression on his face. Tucked beneath his arm was a small package, one that had been similarly been brought to her doorstep a few weeks prior. He raised an eyebrow at her in question of her perusal. “Expecting someone else? Your retainers, perhaps? Or one of your friends?”

She just barely managed not to stiffen, mentally coaching herself to keep her posture relaxed and her breathing even. She delicately set the quill back into the inkwell, folding her hands against the desk and she gave an enigmatic smile to her brother. “What brings you here, Alistair?” She kept her tone patient and calm, her head tilting slightly with the question as her ebony hair tumbled over her shoulder. “I thought my last message to you was clear, via your retainer.”

The man stepped forward, dropping the packet of papers on her desk as his gaze turned icy. “Ah yes...how did you so eloquently put it, Rosette? Oh, I remember.” He leveled a glare at her, “You had her relay: ‘Go hang yourself with your own colon and suck on it as you die.’ Am I correct?”

That caused Rose to give a soft, amused chuckle and she grinned at him. “I’m certainly glad my message was relayed so well.” She waved her hand at the packet, “Since Annette clearly didn’t stutter, I would suggest you take your papers and leave. Your business isn’t wanted here, Alistair.”

“I gave you three chances, Rosette, to accept the offer. Should you reject it a fourth time, I’m afraid there may very well be consequences.” His gaze bore into her steadily, “That could make life very difficult for you and your ragtag little friends.”

Her brother leaned on the desk, his arms braced as he loomed over her and Rosette didn’t so much as twitch. Her heartbeat sped up with anxiety and she feel a trickle of sweat slip down her back, but she didn’t dare show a hint of fear. She raised her chin to look at him, her eyes narrowing.

“Since I can’t seem to beat the reason into you, mayhaps knowing your pigheadedness could cause your friends to suffer some rather interesting difficulties. Your blonde Conjurer? I’m sure her occupation could get very precarious if her shipments of herbs and medicinal supplies happened to go astray.” He gave her a dark look, his eyes narrowing as he watched her carefully neutral expression. “And your little Raen stray? What would happen should she not return from one of her little excursions?”

Rosette bristled a little, “Alistair...” Her voice held a low, but sharp warning.

He smirked in triumph at having drawn a reaction from his younger sibling. “Or of the Xaela? A Gladiator, formidable from what I have read in the Sands. I’ve been told he leaves the trips for hunting excursions often enough and accidents do happen...”

“Arik would kick anyone’s ass--”

“And then there is the Ala Mhigan. Oro’ete, was it?” He cut her off sharply and watched her go very still, “I’ve seen his name on the Adventurer’s roster at the Quicksand when looking to hire some thugs to protect my shipments. From what I can understand, he’s also a force to contend with...and yet not many know what he is capable of. The right word in someone’s ear and I’m sure his skills could be uncovered--”

“They have nothing to do with this!” Rosette snapped, rising and ignoring the ache in her midsection and shoulder. Her cool veneer slipped, her temper pounded behind her eyes and she clenched her jaw. She knew she slipped and had given him the thing he was looking for: leverage.

And the bastard fucking knew it, Rosette acknowledged as he slowly smiled. “Perhaps, perhaps not. I would urge you, sister, to reconsider the offer on the table.” He slid the contract packet to her, watching her gaze drop to it and he watched her shoulder slightly slump. “After all, you may care little for your blood family...but that is not exactly so with the oddities that tend to float around you. Think about their interests and welfare, since you seem heedless of your own. There won’t be a fifth offer.”

Rosette opened the packet and pulled out the top paper of the contract, staring at it, chewing the inside of her cheek. Faces flashed in her minds’ eye, the uncertain possibilities of their futures...and yet. Yet, she knew them well enough that they could handle themselves. Saphyra was savvy and strong, she could handle a hell of a lot more than any gave her credit for. Emeline was smart and rarely traveled anywhere alone and she also had connections to Gridania; there were ways around shipping blocks -- Rose knew that all too well.

Arik was intelligent and had versatility, the Xaela was built like a fucking brick shit house. She had never, not once, seen him falter. He wasn’t infallible, but he would be able to hold out until help arrived and had the ability to handle anything thrown at him. Mafrea...he’d rip the skeleton out of an attacker and make them dance with it. He would boil someone’s blood in their veins, then cause their heart to implode. Rosette would be frightened of him if she had any sense, but the way he made her feel--

She turned her focus back to the contract and to Alistair, reaching for the quill and withdrawing it from the ink well. At the bottom of the page, she wrote it out just below where she was to sign and handed it back to him. She waited with baited breath as he took the paper with a sickly smile to read her elegant script. Her heart slammed against her ribs and another trickle of sweat joined the first to go down her back. A risk; a reckless one but she saw no other recourse.

Alistair’s smile fell and his lips tightened, his gaze frigid as he looked to her and he sneered. “You will regret this, Rosette.” He tossed the paper down on the desk’s polished mahogany surface, her elegantly handwriting of ‘Fuck You’ plain as day.

Now, it was Rosette’s turn to smirk. “No, I don’t think I will. Now...if you’ll kindly get the fuck out of my house...” She gestured to the stairwell, “You saw yourself in and you can see yourself out.” She eased back into her chair, grinning at him like a madwoman.

The older merchant turned, his rage palpable and she could almost see him seething as he ascended the staircase without another word. Would there be consequences in the future? Rosette had little doubt that he would cause further trouble. However, she counted this among her ‘Wins’ and she was damn near giddy with the feeling. She leaned back in her chair as she heard the slamming of her front door and started to chuckle.

Yes. That was definitely a win.

mentions: @saphyra-tsuki / @healeremeline / @oroete / @arik (he’s a butt and doesn’t have a Tumblr)

[lalka-laski]

Are you disrespectful to a lot of people? Not at all. In fact, I often give respect to people who don’t deserve it.  When was the last time someone called you pretty? Yesterday  Do you like the color pink? Do you know me?!  Are you in your pajamas at the moment? I wish. But sadly, I’m at work. On Facebook, do you have people listed as your siblings who aren’t really your siblings? Glenn’s sister, who will be my sister-in-law in a few years anyways so it’s not far-fetched 

Doesn’t it annoy you when couples post things to each other’s wall on Facebook that are all mushy and gross and NO ONE CARES? I don’t know many couples at my age who still do that. But even if I did, I can’t imagine I’d spend that much energy caring.  Does your cell phone have a case on it? What color? Mhm. It’s floral and clear, so you can see the rose gold color of my phone  So what do you think about Chris Brown now? He can eat shit. That man doesn’t deserve peace, let alone a fucking career.  What was the last song you had on repeat? Mmm... honestly I’m not sure. Something from Imploding the Mirage I’m sure.  Ever kissed someone your parents hated? Not hated, but disliked I’m sure.  What do you think about your cousins? I have three actual first cousins and I’ve always wished I was closer to them. I know I could take initiative but it requires a mutual effort.  Do you think the name Sage is for boys or girls? I guess it could be gender-neutral. ANY name could be, actually.  Do you have a favorite radio station? I haven’t listened to the radio in AGES Do you ever save things as a draft or a note in your phone so you can remember them later? I have WAY too many random notes in my phone. But I can’t bring myself to delete most of them. They’re memories, no matter how strange!  Do you use Sharpies often? Hardly What didn’t you get for Christmas that you asked for? I don’t ask for anything for Christmas anymore  Any weird fears? People always think my fear of ladybugs is weird? I don’t understand how other people don’t find them disgusting!  Would you say that you’ve become more of a slut or less of a slut since a year ago? I was in a committed relationship then and I’m in a committed relationship now.  Are you older or younger than most of your friends? Mmm.. most of us are within a year of each other, so I don’t really count that as an age difference.  Does anyone you know exaggerate a lot? Myself, but Glenn might have me beat on that. Him and his entire family are kinda notorious for that.  What are your plans for your next birthday? My birthday was a few months ago so I have a loooong time to plan for that How are your nails? I just got them done two days ago so they’re great. I went for an autumnal mauve.  Your most recent ex says he/she hates you, you say? On what grounds?  How is life going for you right now? It’s pretty great. I’ve come to a few key realizations lately that I think are necessary for moving myself forward. I’m happy about them.  Are you keeping a secret from someone who needs to know the truth? I don’t think so. Have you met anyone new lately? Besides clients at work. nope  What color are your eyes? Green Look to your right what do you see? A box of tissues and a bottle of hand sanitizer  Are you drifting away from your best friend? No way  Would you feel hurt if your last ex was in a relationship? Not at all. He’s irrelevant to me but I’d still wish him the best.  If someone you wanted before came back now, would you take them? That’s happened to me countless times before and it’s never as gratifying as I hope. If it happened now, I obviously wouldn’t since I’m dating my soulmate.  If given the chance, go back to fix a past regret or take a million dollars? I’m happy with where I am in life and all the lessons I’ve learned that brought me here. Plus I could REALLY use some money so hand it over!!

What’s more important, your pride or your life? My life I guess? I’m not sure how to answer this. Would the last person who texted you hurt you? Not intentionally Your ex is sitting next to you with their new partner, what do you do? Why so many ex-related questions? Anyways, I wouldn’t bat an eye. Do you have a reason to smile right now? Many!  Have you ever had to choose between two people? Yes  Last thing you drank was? Coffee  What did you do last night? I chilled on the couch until it was time to relocate to chilling in bed ‘till I fell asleep. It was a WILD night, lemme tell ya Where is your mother? At home, I believe. Or out running errands. She’s probably at HomeGoods... ha  Have you had sex today? Nope. Not only have I been at work since 6:45 am, but I’m on my period. So that activity will not be in today’s itinerary.  Are you afraid of losing a boyfriend/girlfriend? The thought terrifies me but Glenn assures me it will never happen  Do you have siblings? 2 sisters who are more like my best friends Last person, you talked to in person? The mail lady  Do you think someone’s thinking about you? Possibly What made you the happiest today? My coffee has been delicious. Also the fact that it’s Saturday has me in good spirits!  What is your hair looking like right now? It’s clipped up, but it looks pretty decent I guess Is tomorrow gonna be a good day? Yes! Glenn & I are gonna have an ice-cream date, then come home and spend the day cozy watching Sunday football!  Are you currently wanting any piercings? Never Are you looking forward to something as of right now? I’m gonna have a pretty fun & relaxed weekend beginning in roughly 2.5 hours so... yes!  Do you swallow gum when you’re done with it? Sometimes

[unaduessa]

School lunch always either has no salt at all or too much so you can’t eat it. Pizza is served every Friday and it’s pretty much cardboard with sugary tomato paste and melted plastic “cheese”. Don’t eat it if you can help it. They serve salad to make you feel better but it’s disgusting and wilted and just bad.

Yeah, bus rides are boring and loud. Not a lot of bullying that I’ve ever seen because you’re either minding your own damn business of talking to one or two other people. Unless you’re those kids who sit in the emergency seat and swear at each other loudly as you play Pokémon. Man I hated those kids. Usually the older kids sit in the back of the bus and the younger in the front, kind of like a rite of passage, but mostly cause different age groups just don’t associate. Sit as far from siblings as possible.

SATs are standardized tests so that colleges can compare you to other students no matter where you’re from. Exams are different in every state, so the SAT gives schools an idea of how you stack up. They’re scored out of 1600, you can score up to 800 in the math and English portions. They suck, but the higher you score the better your chances at getting into college. Colleges usually tell hopeful high school students what their average SAT score is for accepted students so they have a score to shoot for. The ACT is practically the same thing, but the questions are easier, there’s almost twice as many questions, and it’s scored out of 36 with English, math, and science.

Spelling bees are a real thing and they’re entertaining as fuck to participate in because we can make literally anything competitive. Boring as hell to watch, but being in them is fun if you’re a nerd like me.

I’ve never seen anyone ever paint a parking spot, but I’ve seen lockers covered in masking tape or sometimes construction paper for birthdays. It’s ripped off by the end of the day without fail.

Three floors, graduating class of roughly 130 so 520 students ish and maybe 50 or 60 faculty?

Drama program is small but fuckin loud. A play in the fall and a musical in the spring, and it’s always a blast. We’re pretty terrible, but it’s fun for the people involved when we’re not imploding with the stress of balancing rehearsal with sports practice and homework and family and jobs and having a life.

Mine does, not sure about every school in America. We have one security officer, equipped with a gun and a taser, as well as local police who do random walkthroughs every few weeks or stand in the front lobby for an hour or two during lunch periods. I live in a shit town though, so I might not be a good example.

I’m happy to tell you anything else you wanna know, but I can’t think of anything off the top of my head besides the fact that if you ever heard that football and basketball takes priority over everything, even academics, is wrong. It’s football, basketball, and lacrosse. The world revolves around them as far as the board gives a damn.

@my American followers

please tell me about

-School lunches and just lunch in general

-bus rides (do people actually get bullied on them)

-your weird SATs u have to take… Why¿

-spelling bees (IS THIS A LEGIT CONTEST KIDS HAVE)

-can u actually paint your own parking spot?

-how many floors and people are usually in your school

-does your drama program exist

-does every school have security guards

-and just about everything else

Please tell me about school in America because it is so confusing to me