the drabble challenge, “you can’t just hug me and think everything is okay.”
Rating: T
I woke up this morning and had an AOT dream that made me want to write. Spring always evokes Rivetra nostalgia since that’s when I wrote staring at the sun. This isn’t me coming back but wanting to share something that I wanted to get out of my head. Hope everyone is doing well ❤️
🌸🌸🌸
Levi never savored battle. His comrades knew this while civilians lauded him in the streets, whispering and marveling at how one man was worth fifty soldiers. Erwin played it up, using him to appeal to donors and those that believed in the cause, calling him the hope for humanity. In reality, he was a glorified street rat with a penchant for living.
Blood trickled down his body as the hot shower massaged his scalp. It wove its way down his legs, through his toes and down the drain, his mind numb. It wasn’t his blood, it rarely was. He scrubbed the stench of Titan out using a new floral soap he picked up from the market.
This was the routine, the adrenaline coursing from his body into the water and into the air. Breathe in and out, and live to fight another day.
The door slammed.
“HA! I told you he was here already!”
Internally, Levi groaned. While Special Ops got their own barrack, they still had a community bathroom among the five of them. There were two showers, separated by a wooden wall and it filtered into a single drain at the center of the two. Levi found the mechanism filthy and opted to take showers before the squad woke up. However, on expedition days, it was a race to who got the hot water and unoccupied showers first.
“Move aside, Eld. I called dibs after I saved your ass.”
Levi straightened by a hair as Petra’s voice floated into the steam.
Eld scoffed. “Yeah, sure, after Cap tripped two Titans that were about to devour you.”
Levi could practically hear Petra’s indignant pout. “Can we agree it was a group effort? Also,” she raised her voice a little louder so that it wasn’t a question Levi couldn’t hear hear, “Boots off. You know Captain Levi’s rule.”
Grumbling, Eld muttered under his breath that there was no rest, even on expedition days, and the blond could be heard knocking the dirt from his shoes.
Petra slipped into Levi’s shower stall with a somber gaze upon her face. Normally, he would be delighted at the fact she was naked, and even the crossing of her arms highlighting her cleavage did nothing to untie the knot in his stomach.
She faced the running water, taking the bar of soap in her hands to lather, and didn’t say a word to him. Levi sighed and in one swift motion, pulled her into a hug from behind, his chin balancing on her shoulder.
“I’m not sorry,” he whispered.
She tried to add bite to her next words, but it came out as a resigned sigh. *“You can’t just hug me and think everything’s okay.”*
He tightened his grip, but she slipped through his fingers from the water. “I would have done the same for any other soldier.”
Finally, she faced him with a sad smile. “I know.”
I dont think you understand what you did to me. you fkin broke my brain. i was unable to focus on anything and ended up folding laundry at half past ten on a wednesday evening when normally i would be mindlessly consuming my media of choice. i will remember you for this
(muttering: fkin fanfic authors, making me feel fkin feelings)
*changes tone* that aside, really really dont want to make you feel pressured or anything or under any obligation, but any chance for an update on 'everythings sunny in the survey corps'?
Tbh writing has been put on an indefinite pause! My life looks a lot different than when I first started writing for rivetra. The pandemic sucked but it gave time to write, and writing saved me more than I have words to express. If I do go back to a fic, it’d be that one because it’s light hearted and episodic!
just read your fic 'staring at the sun' and just. fuck you. fuck you. you are NOT allowed to mess with my feelings that way. you cannot fucking just DO THAT to me.
I'd like about ten more of the same please-
This is the kind of reaction I love eliciting 😆
heart like yours has some light angst if you’re looking for another fic!
What is AU-gust? It stands for Alternate Universe August, and it is a creative challenge for everyone. Writers, artists, fans; anyone can join! Be sure to check out our FAQ for more answers! Join us on Twitter, AO3, Discord and under the tags #au gust and #au gust 2023.
Special thanks to @yaoyorozoops for creating the wonderful graphics!
So this saucy little number made it out of my drafts:
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
Photographer Levi meets model Petra on a photoshoot and falls lens over heels for her charm. Unfortunately she’s already in the arms of an arrogant ape.
Fuckery ensues.
With any luck (and a lot of red bull) this will get finished
After an incident expels Levi from the Survey Corps, he returns to the depths of the underground. With no friends left, he forges his own path, hellbent on unfinished business.
As the stakes rise and the bitter war against titans wages on above, a lone soldier ventures down to bring him home. After all, she has a mission to do, and only he can complete it.
Fanfic writers really said "in any universe, in any scenario, despite any obstacle, these people would love each other" and I think that's very cool of us
I’ve been writing on tumblr for 3 years. Here’s the advice I would have given to myself.
I still stand by everything I said after my first year, so read that first!
You are more than a writer, more than a blogger, more than your tumblr.
It sounds cliché, but it is true. When you spend time on this website, even if it is just five minutes a day, it becomes part of your identity. At the same time, it is important that you don’t reduce your identity to only this. Otherwise, notes become lifeblood. Word counts represent your ability. The number of fics you produce is a figure of your productivity. When any of those are low, they can disproportionately affect your happiness.
When it feels too much, take a break, take a breath. Remember: this is all for free-time fun. Sometimes, this website may make you feel bad about yourself. Those times are the moments to remember that you make up tumblr, but it doesn’t make up you.
Life is short. Write what you want.
Who gives a fck if you’re the only one on earth who likes it? The fact remains: you like it! Be selfish. Write what you want. There will be someone - whether it is in the future, and whether it is actually future you - who adores it!
I have repeatedly made the mistake of delaying my multichapters to focus on fulfilling requests. This has led me to having multiple fics go 1-2 years without updates, and trust me, that’s not a fun place to be. YOUR blog/fic/writing/hobby is for YOU. Prioritize yourself and your happiness. This leads me to my next point…
If it’s agony, take a break. Come back and it’s still agony? Take a longer break.
