#ALSO WHAT DO YOU MEAN MELLY?????

[elizakai]

Spooky MellyBabbles badge >:3

BRO WHAT!?

THANK YOU SO MUCH HOLY SHIT???

WHAT

💥💥💗💗🌸🌸💓💓😭😭💞💞🫶🫶❤️‍🔥

BROOOOOOOOOO SOB

[othercrossee]

Will always be funny that all the diamond warden became iridas friend behind adamans back

[bittwitchy]

my gift is being annoying, see, i can hate myself and be so horrendously anxious that i think trying to make being alive easier for myself is somehow offensive to others bc thats how so many people online act like literally any accomodations not made by the doctors that dont care abt you at all are somehow unnecessary and ‘fishing for attention’ to the point i ruin myself and destroy my body avoiding accomodations bc i dont want to ‘seem like a bad person’ for quite literally needing help. but give me a tv show and 30 seconds with new information and i will either give you the most thought provoking theory or the most wildcard theory ever and always be correct.

[somewhereincairparavel]

just thinking about how Jason grace had his entire life molded from the day he was born, nothing in his life was authentic, even his own name was an offering to appease a goddess.

he also died being so distant from everyone he knew (don't get me wrong, I know he was friends with the 7, but If I'm being realistic here and go by canon, only Leo and Nico were actually "close" with Jason, and maybe Percy a bit) I mean, Annabeth took a long time to warm up to Jason and didn't trust him, Hazel never quite forgave jason for mistrusting nico (I'm still a lil bitter about this one lol bc she easily forgave Leo simply bc he's Sammy's great grandkid, and Leo's kinda the one who initiated the suspicion in the first place yet she got so mad at Jason for simply laying out the arguments and exerting caution?? Yeah I know she was upset that her brother was in danger but she never even gave Jason a chance even after nicos rescue, I'm not tryna blame Leo or anything but I think they BOTH should've been forgiven equally, esp since Jason's encouragement in house of hades fuelled nico to break out of his shell), Frank saw of Jason as more of a hero and looked up to him (still avenged his death tho so big W), Piper dumped him and canonically was outwardly bitchy/a little hostile to him after the breakup.

EVEN coach hedge and mellie were such jerks to him bc they assumed HE dumped Piper. Still wished Piper made it clear to them that the break up wasn't Jason's fault but ofc she didnt. TOA Piper is such an L

He never saw Leo again and never got to spend the summer with Nico in camp half blood like he planned to. His dad is a jackass and didn't shed a single tear at his death, his sister had her own life and he felt like she didn't need him anymore.

Reyna, Jason's childhood friend grew distant from him bc of her romantic feelings + the whole Venus mess (which is no fault of her's tho, mind you)

He never felt "at home" in camp Jupiter even after he got his memory back because all he did over there was military duties.

I don't think he got his full memory back properly either because, Percy had the gorgons blood but he didn't. I'm speculating this because he still felt very disconnected to Camp Jupiter and Rome.

He never got to do what he wanted, and even if he succeeded in defeating Caligula, jason STILL never would've gotten freedom, since he promised the minor gods that he'd build temples on their behalfs, and was Prontifex Maximus. He made a diorama and everything.

His Greek friends never made it to his funeral. They never got to say goodbye.

and as Apollo noted, he died with his fingers pointing, like he was still telling them all to escape without him. His chest was spewing out blood and jason still plucked up the energy to tell tempest to get Apollo and Piper to safety.

Jason Grace was born a Roman soldier, and died a Roman soldier, full circle. He never became a grandpa to his and piper's grandchildren like he wanted to.

[lucky-clover-gazette]

so i know the amandafiles sneasler rant went pretty viral on here, but the real highlights of her pokemon legends arceus playthrough were her unhinged volo-related rants. this one is probably my favorite but there were many and i will absolutely clip and transcribe (not by hand i'm not that insane) more of them if asked

transcript under the cut:

Yeah. So, um, I'm just kind of leaving the scene of the crime now. And hopefully Adaman is still interested. That's all I have to say. Yeah, that's my statement at this time. Thank you. Thank you! Yeah, mhm. Bye.

Like, what. Is Volo gonna fucking pop out at me from the shadows over here? Is anybody around to talk to me? Like, about what just happened?

(Sees Melli.) Not what I meant, but um, you know what? Fuck it, Melli, guess what just happened. So, you know that guy Volo? Basically, like, we were talking, right? It was actually going pretty well. You know, just like this nerd, and he was like, so cute and so, like, excited about history and stuff, and, like, I was really feeling that, you know, and I dunno, he was, like, my champion. He was there for me when no one else was. He, like, picked me up off the ground at my lowest point. He was always cheering me on. He was always, like, hyping me up to other people. Wouldn't that be awesome, Mellie, if like someone ever did that for you? Not that that would ever happen, of course, but, like, can you imagine, like, someone being out there being like, "yes, like, that's the one, like, that's my girl. She's been doing it like, she's working so hard." That was Volo for me.

Melli, imagine my surprise when I go up to the mountain there because—we did this whole thing. Basically, I'm an important person. You wouldn't really understand. I, like, collected all these artifacts. I thought we were going to, like, do this thing that was important to, like, the history of the world.

But turns out Volo was fucking insane. And, like, no, I truly mean that, like crazy and saying he was like, a totally different person. He had been cosplaying as a normie the entire time. He's really a serial killer, I think. He's like a lunatic, right? Like, a cringey one. He did his hair. So he, like, is obsessed with Arceus. Right. The god pokémon. And Arceus, like—have you ever seen a picture of him? I'll pull it up on my Arc Phone real quick. He's got these, like, horns that come back and stuff. Bitch, he did his HAIR like this. AHH! I know. I got, like, a little picture of it. Look at him! An entire bottle of American Crew.

He, like, totally thought he ate that, but, like, he didn't. It looked so bad, but, like, that was the least of it. He was—his eyes got crazy. He was wearing, like, bright green capris and gladiator sandals. AHH! Melli, I know. it was fucked up. You know, it's like how quickly they change when you find out, like, what they really were after and what they really want. It was stunning. Startling, Melli, it's really like—have you ever had, like, an experience like that before with a guy? Probably not, since you're so insufferable and, like, you probably have never had anyone show interest in you before, platonically or otherwise, but maybe, like, read a book or something where that happened. That happened to me. That happened to me today.

I really had a huge crush on this guy. Like, to the point where I thought he was the one, Melli, I really did. I was like, ready to leave this whole place with him. Travel the world, and I won't lie to you, um… if he had been like, "Hey, you want to be crazy together? You want to be crazy with me?" I might have done it. I might have also tried that lifestyle out for a minute. I would have tried, like, the villain arc thing out… but lucky for you, it didn't work out. Otherwise, you would have been right on the top of my list. But anyway, yeah, I ended up, like, totally embarrassing him. We did a pokémon battle and he just fucking violently lost.

And then he teamed up with, like, the satan pokémon? It was weird. And they tried their little thing. It was cute. It was very cute. You know, I have to give it—it was camp, It was cute, it was like rehearsed. There was some choreography. It was cute, but obviously they lost horribly. But anyway, yeah, that's, uh. That's how my Tuesday's going. And I'm going to stop you there, Melli, because I really don't care. This wasn't an open invitation for you to talk. I just wanted to let someone know what had just happened.

[lethalchiralium]

The Death of Peace of Mind | Happiness Series

a/n: i love u, have some escapism (also PLEASE roast the shit out of this like you’re in my creative writing class, thank u love u)

warnings: violence, blood

There’s a stark difference in the snow on the ground in this forest than the snow back home in Maine. When you were little, you used to sit on the stoop of your parents’ house, bundled to the nines and your little hand holding fistfuls of powdery snow. You could look around and see saplings for miles, ready to be chopped and loaded onto a truck that would merrily lead you back to the main city - needles greener than the grass in summer, full of life and dusted with the white snow. Your dad would gently pet your head before sauntering down the steps, getting ready to head to the markets for the day. You waved, snow decorating your hand as you’d watch the old truck hobble down the driveway and disappear into the grown trees.

You used to find the snow beautiful, something to look forward to seeing every year so your mom could decorate for Christmas with the colorful lights you always liked.

All these memories seemed to cling like maggots to rotting flesh, only coming to surface when it finds a new wound to sink its teeth into.

This snow is bitter here, clinging like cigarette smoke to the jacket you snatched from the floor. It danced on your lashes, made its home in your hair, settled softly on your daughter’s head. Your stomach felt like lead, legs ready to give out at any second as you kept going as fast as you could. You used to be able to run efficiently in the snow, but now, you struggled. You ran and dodged low limbs, tried not to tumble down small hills as fear held a tight grasp on your throat.

Lloyd would wake up soon, he would see you gone and raise the alarm. You only had so little time to find some sort of shelter that wasn’t the decrepit cabin you were held in, you had to find a phone that wasn’t busted, you had to just get as far from that fuck as you could. You couldn’t even spend any energy on what almost happened thirty minutes earlier, couldn’t think of anything but hurting your kidnapper; the only strength you had was to make sure Mellie would live. You glanced down at her, her little brown eyes looking up at you with a weak glare that could send you to your knees at home. But this wasn’t home, this was miles from it, and you and your child were only a few hundred yards escaped from death’s door - not under your comforter at home, nursing her high fever. You were desperate for your husband at that moment, begging God with every second breath to bring him to you. He would know what to do, he would take your daughter away from this place.

Snow crackled underneath your feet as you kept going, the brunt of the wind hit your face like a train but you kept going. Your arms were taut around Mellie, keeping the oversized jacket around her whimpering frame. The sky was a light shade of blue, the trees danced beneath its breath, the only shelter you could find was down the mountain. You already felt like you’ve scale half of it, but you were far from close - you coming up to a sloped edge now, your feet slowed so you could peer over the edge. It was steep but you could slide down, there was another ledge, then another stretch of snow covered hills as you descended. You had no idea where you were, but you knew this had to be hell.

Tree after tree, boulder after iced over creek, your exhaustion was catching up but there was no way you would stop. There is no stop. There is no slowing down. There is only your daughter’s escape, even if means you don’t make it out.

Stop it. Winnie and Simon need you too.

What little path you had began to narrow, your fingers felt even colder than before as you came to a split in the road. You went right, knowing any trick you could play now wouldn’t work out because of the damn snow. Breathing harder every second, your vision seemed to fade in and out - Keep going.

The sound of your name being screamed at the top of Lloyd’s lungs felt like a gunshot to the chest.

Every muscle in your body seemed to roar to life, even with the snow slowing you down, you kept pushing on. Mellie whined into your collarbone, your hands burned. There was barely any indication of where the road was, you couldn’t follow the asshole’s car path because they would have been able to catch up quickly. The path was running out of terrain as another edge appeared, this one seemed like a steep drop off. You skidded to a stop, looking to a thick pine tree nearby, looking down at your daughter and making a quick decision to hide her. Ripping off your jacket, you bundled her up, and moved into the tree - digging out a small hole in the small heap of pine needles, you kissed Mellie’s face and sat her there.

There was no way out, you knew that. You would have to fight your way out - the thought clawed at your stomach the same way betrayal felt. Because you were here alone, the promise your husband made left shards of glass in your face and hands.

You will stand your ground if it meant Lloyd couldn’t have your daughter.

“Princess, you need t’sit.”

Simon pushed your frantic body towards the park bench, his guiding hand seemed too warm against your lower back. Sobs kept escaping your lips, even as you were trying desperately to silence them. “I don’t- I don’t know what’s- what’s- happening-“

“Sit.” Following his lead, you found yourself hyperventilating on a park bench after dark with your husband. He tore off his face mask, his hand cupping your cheek to make you look at him. “You feel m’hand, yeah?”

You nodded, a hiccup left your hips before another sob escaped too, your eyes closed as you tried to stop these random tears.

“No, you need to look at me, I can’t help you if you don’t look at me, love.” His voice was calm, a nudge to help you, you opened your eyes with a quickness - lashes fluttering to fight the salty tears. “Good girl. Tell me somethin’ about m’face.”

“Wha-What?”

“Do it.”

You sniffled, trying to take a deeper breath but your chest only seemed to constrict itself. More tears fell as you whispered, “You- You have pretty eyes.”

“Tell me something about m’clothes.”

A glance down, leather jacket, black t-shirt, blue jeans. “Leather jacket.”

“Good girl. How does my hand feel?”

Warm. Comforting. Like if you’d let go, he’d still be there, keeping you afloat. More tears fell. “Like home.”

“What do you hear?”

Dogs howling down the street, the brakes of the tram you two were trying to catch, Simon’s voice.

“You.”

“Good.” His other hand took one of yours, squeezing it. “Doin’ so well f’me. Can you take a deep breath now?”

You followed his command, a sob rattled around your ribcage as you exhaled.

“You can cry, baby, but you need to calm down. Gotta think straight before we get you home, yeah?”

You wondered how Simon would feel, seeing you like this. Back rested on the forest floor, heaving, coughing up blood as your knuckles felt singed by fire - if only it was fire, but it was from beating your father-in-law off of you. The fall down the steep hill onto the plateau hurt a lot more now than it did ten seconds ago, and the man now clambering to get on top of you felt like the bringer of death. Claws made of your bloodied hands, scraping them against his face as he gripped your neck - it seized, pulling up from the snow as you hit and clawed more at him, his hands remained steadfast. Air escaped your body, and no breath could be taken in - panic began to buzz throughout your body as anger fueled it.

Heavy hands that felt like paws, that felt like boulders, that felt like God abandoning you.

Not yet.

You know what to do.

A swift kick from your knee made the bastard wheeze, loosen his grip, and it left only a moment’s notice to grasp the opportunity. You slammed your fist into his nose, feeling the sickening crack before he leaned backwards, you bucked your hips before punching again. He went backwards. Again. He went backwards. Again. He’s on his back. Again. Again. He’s screaming. Again. Again. Again. Again. Again.

It hasn’t even been twenty minutes since you escaped with Mellie, and now you find yourself pumped full of adrenaline, beating your captor’s face in for even daring to try and take your child.

Your hands felt blood. You couldn’t tell if he was dead yet. Make sure he will be.

Three days you spent in that basement. Two hours you spent carefully laying a plan, and one moment to swing that broken bookshelf into your father-in-law’s skull. And you were choosing to ignore the beating you had received when protecting your baby, the beating both of you took as you tossed each other down a steep hill. Brawling like mountain lions - a mother protecting her cub, the other looking to devour you whole.

A scream of pain escaped your lungs, another punch to the bloody face. Another. Another. Another, until you couldn’t tell the man beneath you was the monster who fucked up your husband.

Another hard punch for Simon.

Another for Mellie.

And five more for yourself.

A laceration on your head began to throb as you could finally feel your hand, turning off of the beaten man and onto your back and into the bloodied snow. Facing the sky felt like freedom, the pain in your hand felt like the flames in your fireplace back home, your ringing ears felt like knives inside your skull - but your heart beat without fail, through the agony, through the rage and fear.

A cough escaped your chest, blood leaving with it as you turned onto your one hand and knees, looking up the steep hill which would lead you back to Mellie. The tree peaked over the crest of the ledge, your hands - through excruciating pain - gripped the mud, snow, and ice as you began to push yourself up.

“Melody, Melody Ivy,” Her name groaned from your broken voice, every handful of ice and push from your foot made your head throb more, your balance growing weaker with every push. “Mama’s comin’, Mama’s on her way, fuck.” Your whining eardrums couldn’t hear her, fear and panic still rampant in your veins, your breathing barely escaping your lips without a wheeze.

What would he do if he saw you now? The thought felt bitter, the anger leaving your throat in decibels, a few more feet and you would have to pull yourself up and over. Hike your foot up, pull yourself up with your broken hand.

He wouldn’t be here. A growl escaped you. He would be here already if he cared, if he knew. Does he know?

Does he know where you are? Does he think you’re safe at home, under your favorite blanket with Winnie asleep on your lap, your show playing on the TV? Does he think König and Roach are standing guard, Laswell talking on her phone at the table?

Does he truly believe that?

Do you?

You didn’t even notice that you had fallen further down the hill to the bottom, past Lloyd’s body, into a bed of snow and ice. The sky, grey like the ashes in your childhood home’s fireplace, blocked the sun and blue sky above. Your hands were numb, spine tingled with every breath, and your chest roared as it expanded. Maybe you lost your footing, or your hand slipped, or God just believed it was funny to let you fall farther from your child. You were going to die here, Mellie too, and it hurt. It blossomed like a rose, decaying your chest with every brush of a petal, the waves washing ashore and flooding your body with angry salt water. Your body would be found here, bones picked clean by mountain lions or foxes, and she would be safe, nestled beside the tree.

There was no peace here. No mornings in snowsuits on the porch, watching Christmas trees be hauled down the lane, squealing because of the fresh snow. No afternoons sitting by the fire with your daughters, watching an animated movie as they both napped on your lap. No evenings with your husband, talking about some meaningless memory as he brushed your hair cautiously. There was only the sky, the blood that came from your head, chest, back, and hand, and the cries of a mother who can’t do more than cry for her child.

[petertingle-yipyip]

STRANGER (xi) - KAZ BREKKER

tags: @beekeepingageissome  @shadowzena43 @nikfigueiredo @mp-littlebit @starmansirius @hadesnumber1daughter @directioner5life @strvngestark @hostilityghost @ofmenanduhhhwellmen @justnerdystuffs @faeriepigeons // previously // next

Pairing: Kaz x Davina Rollins (enemies to lovers)

Word Count: 6,204

Summary: Friends become allies. Ghosts die again. War against her bloodline threatens more than her own Snakes. How much can the Dime Lions try to take before Davina truly breaks?

“I’m getting really tired of being here.” You complained and rested against the side of his desk. He stood across from you and ran a gloved hand through his hair. “We should meet in my office one of these days.”

“We should stop meeting like this in general.” He scolded and you frowned at him.

“I know you wouldn’t dare meet me under any other circumstance.”

Hurt flashed across his features and you regretted your words for a second. “Why are you here?” He asked instead.

“I just wanted to see your glowing smile, Kazzle.” You said sarcastically.

“Cute.” He rolled his eyes.

“I needed something from Haskell, and now I have it. Can I leave?”

“Haskell isn’t here.”

“Exactly.”

“So you stole it from his office?”

“Steal, borrow without permission. He won’t even notice. Who cares?” You shrugged. “It doesn’t involve you.”

“Everything that happens here involves me.”

“Does ‘here’ mean the Crow Club or Ketterdam?” You cocked your head. “Because when I asked you for help a few days ago, you said the Dregs weren’t yours. And if you mean Ketterdam, then what happened to Melli involves you too and you’re choosing to do nothing.”

Kaz tilted his face towards the ceiling and muttered a complaint before looking at you again. You straightened and raised your eyebrows expectantly, waiting for his response. He kept your gaze for a moment before his eyes dropped to your folded arms beneath your cloak.

You hugged the stolen bottle a little closer.

He made a small sound of satisfaction before he moved around you. You spun with his movements to keep him in front of you.

“What did you find out?” Kaz asked.

“What makes you think that?” You countered smoothly.

“You haven’t worn the cloak in weeks, Vina. Not since the night you came to the Slat.”

“I didn’t go to the Slat. I was near the Slat and you invited me in.” You corrected, as if it made that much of a difference.

“You also wouldn’t risk pissing off Haskell for nothing.” He tapped your hidden arms. “What do you need this for?”

You pushed off the desk and sat in the nearby chair. You kept one arm around the bottle and the other came free to flick some of the loose hair out of your face. Kaz watched you with vested interest and you couldn’t help but wonder what he was thinking. He watched your expression for something as he came and leaned on the desk beside you.

“Do you remember the cafe from when we were kids?” You asked. You attempted to sound casual but the context of the conversation gave your intentions away almost instantly.

Both you and Kaz knew it, though neither of you acknowledged it. He just nodded quietly.

“Well, I heard that Pekka has Melli there. I looked into it and the intel checked out. Two Lions I could see and at least four more inside.” You explained.

“Did you see Melli?”

“No…”

“And how did you come upon this information?”

“You remember Filip? Had the little wind-up dogs?”

He smirked slightly. “I killed him.”

You tilted your head quickly. You weren’t surprised in the slightest.

“That tracks.” You nodded. “Well, his son Vicente is a Lion and he told me.”

“You sought him out?” Kaz’s brows raised in accusation. “Could you be any stupider, Davina? Truly.”

“Thank you, for that.” You rolled your eyes. 

“What was it then? Just strolled by and he told you everything?”

“Absolutely not.” You laughed. “I didn’t even know he was still around, let alone with Pekka. He came to me, same as an interesting little demo expert.”

“Hmm. So that’s where Wylan ran off to.” He feigned disinterest.

“So it seems.” You shrugged with the same nonchalance. “Regardless, Wylan’s working on a couple things and I’ll make sure he’s fairly compensated. Trust that he won’t come back empty-handed.”

“I wasn’t worried about that.”

“So you admit you’re worried about something?” You teased and he half-smiled at you. “Does Dirtyhands have a conscience after all?”

“Not exactly… Vina, how do you know you can trust the Lion?”

“Kol asked me the same thing.” You confessed. “And honestly, Kaz, I don’t. But he can’t exactly waltz back into the Emerald Palace like nothing happened.”

“Why not?”

“I may or may not have carved off his tattoo.”

For a split second, he was surprised.

“It was his idea.” You defended. “He claims he wants to split for the Lions and head to Fjerda.”

“And if he’s lying to you, what will you do?”

“I don’t know.” You confessed. “I know I should kill him just to ensure he can’t double cross me, unless I keep his hostage until this is over.”

“That runs its own set of risks.”

“It’s possible he truly wants to leave, right?”

“He might.” Kaz nodded. “But it’s more likely that he was sent to the Rook to lure you to that cafe. Everything he said that checks out could just be a ruse.”

“I don’t have another choice. It’s the only lead I have and I’ve provoked my father enough. It’s a matter of time before he-“

Someone knocked hard on the door of Kaz’s office. You stood quickly, leaving the bottle of kvas in your chair. Kaz eyed the bottle for a second before looking back at the door. You drew the blade at your thigh and felt the dried blood crack against your palm as you spun it so the blade was parallel against your arm.

Another hard round of knocks and Kaz straightened. He took a step to be at your side just before the door slammed open. You felt a subtle hand at your back and you reached over to tap the back of your hand against his hip. 

You kicked the chair against the desk as two brawny men walked in.

Your grip tightened on your blade as they moved deeper into Kaz’s office. You barely registered Kaz putting himself in front of you, not until he reacted first. He slammed the top of his cane against the first man’s stomach and you sidestepped the altercation to take on the other man.

Immediately, you went for a slash. The blade cut a long, shallow line across the man’s chest and he staggered back. You immediately threw your shoulder against him and the force pushed him against the nearest wall. You moved closer but he reached out and got a hand around your throat. The action caused his sleeve to raise and you saw the edge of a tattoo.

Dime Lions.

You were slammed against the wall in his place. You gasped, feeling the man’s fingers digging into the sides of your neck. Daring a glance over his shoulder, you saw the other Lion slam Kaz’s head against his desk.

You wedged your knee between your bodies and the man simply chuckled. You smiled and flipped the grip of your knife.

The man threw a punch that made your head snap to the side. The taste of blood filled your mouth and your tongue ran along the spot on your cheek that you bit off.  When you raised your knife, the Lion’s free hand shot out and caught your wrist.

You smiled slightly as your other hand went under your cloak for the smaller blade. You freed it quickly before dragging it along the back of the hand around your throat.

He withdrew both hands and you stumbled to the side. You gasped for breaths, throat burning and head pounding. You could feel the warmth of blood flow returning to your head and you blinked away the dizziness. You felt his hand on your arm so you swung both blades wildly. The only indication that your blade made contact was his hiss, then he slammed both massive fists against your back and you fell to the ground behind Kaz’s desk.

You could hear Kaz struggling and your hands fumbled to recollect your blades. You sheathed the longer one at your thigh and clutched the smaller one tightly. You crept around the desk, readying an attack, when that damn voice froze you in place.

“Evening, Mr. Brekker.” Your father spoke and you crouched a little lower.

You used your free hand to tug your hood back into place. You spun carefully on your knee for a better view, strategically putting yourself behind Kaz. Both arms were pinned behind his back but you didn’t miss the subtle movement of his hands.

He was telling you to stay put. You glared at him for a moment, weighing your options. You could throw yourself into another fight, take on both Lions and potentially your father. But you recognized that that idea put Kaz at risk. He wasn’t exactly in a favorable position.

You could wait quietly, as Kaz instructed. It was safer for you both in theory. You saw it as Kaz being a sitting duck and a stubborn bastard. Then again, Kaz had been doing it longer than you had. He had a better mind for strategy.

So you obliged. You sunk down a little lower and listened carefully.

“Tell me what Davi’s planning and we’re even.” Pekka told Kaz.

“Not even close.” Kaz countered angrily. “And what makes you think I know anything?”

You heard a rustling of fabric. “The girl left a little gift in my office. And I know my daughter. Unless someone’s been putting ideas in her head. she’s not cruel enough for this. You, however…”

Vicente’s tattoo.

“Have you ever considered that you’re wrong? Maybe your precious princess isn’t so lovely anymore.”

Kaz groaned slightly and you peeked to see your father pressing the beak of Kaz’s cane against his throat. You tensed, considering your attack, but Kaz gave you the same gesture with a little more urgency.

Don’t. Move. 

“I’ll cave your head in with your own cane and dump your body in the Harbor.” Pekka threatened. “I know she turns to you. She thinks you can protect her.”

“I’d just as easily let her die as she would me.” Kaz spat.

Your stomach twisted at his words and you thought you understood why. Kaz was that little piece of your childhood you held on to, that minuscule tenderness that doesn’t exist in the Barrel. It was your assumption that Kaz held some sort of sentiment towards you, too. Hadn’t he told you so, or at least implied it?

In the moment, you weren’t sure, but it wasn’t the time to worry about it.

Pekka snorted in disbelief. “Tell me, boy. When was the time you saw her?”

“When did you?”

“I'm not playing games.”

“Clearly.”

“My men saw her come here a few nights ago. Why?”

“I. Don’t. Know.” Kaz emphasized each word. “I don’t answer her beck and call, nor do I keep tabs on Davina.”

“I do, and she seems to have a soft spot for this place.”

“I couldn’t care less about your daughter.”

A small commotion, another groan from Kaz, the faint metallic smell of blood. You leaned around to see and the Lion you were fighting earlier caught sight of you. You ducked immediately but it was too late.

You shot a mental apology to Kaz and acted.

You slammed your blade into the side of the incoming man’s knee. You twisted the knife and he shouted. You hooked the other arm around his leg and threw your body to the side so he fell to his back. You pinned your knee against his throat and met your father’s expectant stare.

“There she is.” He smiled.

You had unintentionally proved him right.

“What do you want, Pekka?” You spat, jamming your knee harder against the Lion’s throat.

“You.”

“And you knew I’d be here?”

“More of a hunch… Mellaney keeps asking for you.”

Your blood ran cold. You could feel Kaz’s eyes on you but you didn’t look away from your father. The Lion under your knee was limp so you stood. Your fingers twitched, itching for the other blade at your thigh, but you wanted to do it with your own hands.

You came around the desk and your father stood straight.

“Give me Melli and you can have Vicente back.” You offered flatly. It took everything to keep your rage buried.

“Is that who’s this was?” He nudged the bag at his feet. You glanced down and saw the bloodied skin that was Vicente’s. “This is war now, Davi.”

Your hands balled into tight fists. “No, it became war when I came to your Palace in good faith and you shot me. It became war when you came to the Exchange and bought Stadwatch to try and kill me. It became war when you ambushed me at Dryden’s to kill me again. When you took my lieutenant. It’s been war since I left your household.”

He scoffed slightly and crossed his arms. Kaz’s cane clattered between you two and you kicked it away, conveniently closer to Kaz.

“The only difference now is that I’m fighting back now.”

You threw the punch without thinking. Your fist connected with Pekka’s jaw and you heard Kaz engage in his own fight beside you. Your father was quick to throw a punch back and you barely dodged the heavy uppercut coming your way. You were just able to spin away.

When he righted, you threw your elbow back against his stomach. He doubled, allowing you to grab at the back fabric of his jacket. You held him in that position and drove your knee up once. Twice. Three times. On the fourth, he caught your leg and yanked so you fell to your back.

You coughed roughly as the air left your lungs. Your head turned to the side and you saw Kaz standing, blood soaking one of his sleeves. The second Lion was laying at his feet, rocking side to side in pain. Kaz and Pekka were staring each other down now.

“Soft.” Pekka taunted.

“Enough.” You rasped and pushed to your elbows. “He’s been less helpful to me through this than you have. Dirtyhands already told you he doesn’t care. It’s between you and me, Papa.”

“You know what, Daughter, I’ll offer you a deal. Just this once.” He offered you a hand to help you up and you batted it away. You climbed to your feet on your own. “When you send Vicente back, I’ll take you to Mellaney.”

Your instinct was to look to Kaz for his opinion, but you knew that’d only feed your father’s notion of you being soft for him. Instead, you looked at the floor to think.

“The deal expires when I walk out this door.” Pekka warned. 

“And you drag your men with you.” You commented before lifting your eyes. “Is she unharmed?”

“Better shape than Vinny, I bet.”

“Difference is I have a Healer, so I can cut him into little ribbons and put him back together.”

“Then he can put your precious lieutenant back together, can’t he?”

The rage you were burying was now burning between your ribs. You dug your nails into your palms hard.

“Fine.” You breathed, defeated. “Take your Lions and the pound of flesh. Leave the Dregs out of this and you and I will settle this.”

“You brought them into this, dearie.” He tapped his finger under your chin and you jerked your head away from his touch.

“And now they’re out of it.” You glared at him. “From tonight, every time you involve them will be another finger Vinny loses… He only has ten after all.”

Pekka offered a half smile and chuckled to himself. He motioned for the conscious Lion to gather the bag and their comrade. He pulled your blade out and threw it at your feet before they left.

You finally looked to Kaz, who was suspiciously quiet throughout the encounter. Your eyes returned to his bloodied sleeve and you saw the slice across his bicep. You knelt for your blade.

“I didn’t realize I was followed.” You admitted as you stood. “I’m sorry.”

“Are you going to go through with the trade?” He asked.

“I don’t know…” You shook your head and moved to his side. You gently touched his arm, your hand staying on his sleeve while you turned his arm for a better look at the slice. “Can I help?”

You brought your eyes to his and he was already looking at you.

Of course he was. 

He nodded slightly and you stepped back so he could move to lean against the desk. You used the small blade to slice his sleeve the rest of the way around before tucking it safely away. You tore it into two strips, gently using one to clear the leaking blood. You ignored the way your fingertips brushed his skin.

“For what it’s worth, I tried to stay out the way.” You said idly.

You wondered if he’d say anything about the contact. It had to stir something in him judging by the way his arm was rigid. You kept your eyes on the long, shallow cut, but you felt his eyes on your face.

“Was he right?” He asked and you froze for a second. “About your feelings for this place.”

“It’s complicated.” You answered and returned to your task. “Did you mean it when you said you’d let me die?”

“You tell me.”

You dropped the soiled strip over the chair and grabbed the clean one. You looked for confirmation, hovering your empty hand a few inches from his arm. He nodded, gently pushing his arm into your hands. With gentle pressure, you held the fabric in place with one hand and wrapped it with the other. You ran your fingers over it, ensuring it was flat, before tucking the end and giving it a gentle pat.

“If I knew what you were thinking, Kazzle, my life would be a whole lot easier.” You laughed slightly. “What would you do, if you were in my shoes?”

“Do you truly believe I don’t care about you?” He asked instead.

“I think it’s complicated, you and me. For now, that’s all it needs to be.”

Kaz stood tall and you tilted your head back to look him in the eyes. His hand reached for you then hesitated. You mimicked his gesture from earlier and put your arm in his hand. He squeezed your limb slightly.

“Does he know anything that can hurt you?” He asked. You looked up from his hold on you and Kaz was already looking at you very intently.

“I don’t think so.”

“Perhaps letting him go is better. It could be safer for Melli.”

“If it isn’t…”

“You have your Heartrender. You have Wylan and his tricks. I’m sure you’d even have Jesper if you needed.”

“But I don’t have you.” You said quietly.

He pulled you a step closer.

“If it was the other way around and you needed to bring Jesper or Inej home, would you come to me?” You asked in hopes that he didn’t hear your last comment. If he did, you two would only get more complicated and you couldn’t afford that.

“Vina…”

“Kaz…”

There was something he wanted to say. You could see it in his eyes, that minuscule softness that you’d only noticed in private. You could feel it in the subtle way his grip on your arm had tightened. His breathing had begun to shake a bit and you wondered if the legendary composure of Kaz Brekker was faltering.

You reached your other hand up and carefully brushed his hair away from his forehead. His eyes closed and he let out a shuddering breath. You couldn’t help but smile slightly to yourself as you retracted your hand.

“I wouldn’t let you die. You do know that, right?” You asked gently.

He nodded, eyes still closed. You took a small step back before looping a finger under the chain around his neck. You freed it from his shirt to see your ring, safely hanging on the end. You had given that to him with the intention of getting it back but maybe you should let him keep it. A way of always having a connection.

“And I don’t think you’d let me either.” You said.

“It’s a dangerous game we’re playing, Vina.” He spoke lowly, like all his focus was on something else, as his eyes opened.

“I may be soft and stupid, but I’m not completely clueless… Wylan’s going to try and get the stimulant out of that kvas and make it a gas. We’ll use it against the Lions at the cafe first and, hopefully, get Melli out without a fight at all. Then we burn it down.”

He cracked a half smile. “Wylan’s idea?”

“Mine.” You shrugged. “But he did light up at the idea.”

“If you truly need me, Davina…” He began carefully. He was considering what he wa about to say, and you could tell by his hesitation that it was not something to be taken lightly. “You know I’ll be there.”

Little did he know just how much you needed him.

In another life, maybe.

“What about Haskell?” Your brows furrowed.

“I’ll handle it.” He nodded. “I wouldn’t let you die either.”

“I think we’ve both lost enough for a while.”

You patted his chest before turning away to recollect the bottle. You turned and offered Kaz a salute, which he shook his head in amusement at, before you practically skipped out the Crow Club.

When you got back to your office, Kol was keeping an eye on Vicente while Wylan worked. You placed the bottle near Wylan and he jumped. You stifled a giggle when his eyes met yours, solely because the way his goggles exaggerated the shape of his eyes.

“I don’t drink while I’m working.” He shook his head and you laughed.

“The hallucinogen.” You explained. “It’s in the kvas. Can you work with it?”

He made a noise of interest and examined the bottle, blindly handing you a list. You patted his shoulder as you accepted before moving to your desk, where Kol was leaning against.

“He give you anything else?” You asked and pulled your cloak from your shoulders. You winced slightly but ignored the ache in your back.

“He tried to say something about you, how you matured but I put him under. If I hadn’t, I probably would’ve knocked his teeth out.” Kol answered.

“Maybe you should’ve.” You laughed slightly

“You were gone a while. What happened?”

“Pekka.” You sighed and dropped into your chair. “Brekker caught me so we were chatting and dear old dad came to bully information out of him.”

“He say anything?”

“Kaz is the last person who’d tell Pekka anything. You don’t have to trust him, but trust that much.”

Kol shrugged before he turned to you. “You have a lot of faith in Dirtyhands.”

“Neither faith nor Dirtyhands are going to get us through this. Even when we have Melli, we’re going to be fighting the Dime Lions until someone runs his empire into the ground.”

“That someone being you?”

“Not on my own.” You shook your head. “And not anytime soon. Go home, get some rest. I’ll stay here with them.”

“You’re not alone in this, Davina. I hope you know that.”

“I know.” You smiled softly.

It took five days for Wylan to have his concoctions ready. It would’ve been sooner but you had to send Kol to Little Ravka for some of the components. You had asked Wylan to go to the Slat that day Kol was gone, just to check in and make sure the Dime Lions hadn’t tried anything.

You were glad to know Pekka was keeping to himself, at least for the time being. Wylan also came back and very cryptically explained he had a conversation with Kaz. What it was about, he wouldn’t say, so you didn’t know why he told you to begin with. He was also very excited to tell you that Jesper said hello.

When the night came, Kol kept Vicente close and you traveled with Wylan. You went with him to dose the perimeter with the accelerant and set the glass jars with the gas at the windows. You worked the locks and cracked them open, while Wylan snuck it inside and nestled it safely against the frame.

You met back with Kol and Vicente in the alley across from the cafe.

“What now?” Wylan asked.

You all had fabric across your mouths. It wouldn’t keep the gas out yet, not until you used the slings of water to soak it. Wylan rested a hand on the borrowed pistol at his hip. Kol was his weapon. You had two blades at your thigh and one under your cloak with a pistol at your back. Vicente was unarmed for the time being.

“I’ll take Vicente.” You and Kol switched positions. “Kol and Wylan, you two had around back. Break the first jar when you find her.”

Wylan nodded, determination in his eyes. “No mourners.”

“No funerals.” You answered and he smiled. “Blink last.”

“Die tomorrow.” Kol nodded before grabbing Wylan and disappearing into the shadows.

“I should have a weapon.” Vicente muttered as you dragged him with you.

You rolled your eyes. As you headed into the street, you noticed how empty it was. You looked around, realizing it wasn’t like that when you were working with Wylan. Before you could try and signal to Kol, Vicente slammed his elbow into your ribs. 

Your grip faltered and you staggered away from him. Immediately, you drew a blade. Vicente laughed, stalking around you like a predator.

“You know, Davi, I didn’t think you’d be this stupid.” He mocked and you straightened, turning in time with his steps to keep him in front of you. “I really thought you’d be smarter than this, but I guess your daddy was right.”

“I should’ve killed you.” You spat. “I will.”

“No, you won’t.” Condescension dripped off his words and your anger began to thump in your blood. “I used to have such a crush on you when we were kids, know that? Then you met those little farm kids.”

“Shut up.” You threatened. “What have you done?”

“That night you let me onto your gambling floor because ‘Someone will keep an eye on me’ -“ He mocked and you nearly threw the blade at him. “Your Snakes don’t pay as much attention as they should…”

“They were right.” You scoffed. “You didn’t just show up at the Rook. You were sent.”

He finally stopped walking and shrugged with a smile.

“Is she even in there?”

“Oh, she’s in there.” He laughed, pointing to the building behind you. In the circling, the cafe ended up behind you. “Just not sure how intact she is.”

You felt it then. Your control snapped like a taut elastic in your chest. It vibrated around in your rib cage and guided your actions. You quickly drew your arm back and flung the knife.

It dug into his shoulder and your next attack was quick to follow. You slammed your fist against his face.l before jerking the knife out. He made a move to kick out your knee but you were able to raise your foot and knock the attempt away. You spun so your cloak wiped across his vision and you tried to dig the knife into his stomach.

He jumped away and caught your elbow. He bent your arm at an unnatural angle, causing a burning sensation to shoot through your shoulder. You winced and dropped your knife for your other hand. You jammed the knife up and it cut across his leg before his knee hit your chest. You coughed roughly before letting out a scream.

He had dislocated your shoulder.

You heard glass shattering in the cafe so you turned. Before you could figure anything out, Vicente’s arm came across your chest from behind and your own blade was against your neck. You jerked in his hold but all that did was move the knife against your skin. Hot blood began to leak out and down your shirt.

“Stupid.” Vicente hissed.

“I’m not the one who let me mutilate him.” You laughed while your eyes stayed locked on the door to the cafe.

Another glass, followed by gunshots.

“They’ll die. And it’s your fault.”

Your good arm moved to one of the knives at your thigh. Your fingers were closing around the hilt and you felt the knife tip trailing from your throat to the center of your chest.

“Saints save them.” You whispered and carefully pulled out the knife.

“What do you say, Davi? You wanna watch them die?” Vicente taunted in your ear and you jerked your head away.

You took a deep breath, gripped your knife firmly, and jammed it over your shoulder. His hold on you dropped and you spun away quickly. You saw your blade buried to the hilt in his eye socket.

Over your shoulder, another knife came flying in to slam into his chest. He gasped, sputtered for air, then fell to his knees. You pushed him to his back with a foot against his chest before you leant down to retrieve your blade. The weapon came back with his eye stuck to the edge.

You made a face and flicked it until it fell off with a wet thump. One last glance at Vicente told you he was dead.

Seeing him dead didn’t have the same feeling as it did the first time you killed a Lion. You decided it was because he deserved it.

You wiped a stream of blood from your neck before you spat on the ground.

“Are you alright?” A familiar came from your side. You turned your head and saw Inej beside you.

You nodded, ignoring the pain in your limp arm. “Dirtyhands send you?”

“No.” She collected her own blade. “He came with us.”

“Us?” Your brows raised.

“You didn’t think I’d skip on the fun, did you, Love?” Jesper came up to Inej’s side with a grin and his pistols ready. “Nina should be here soon, too.”

You sighed in relief.

Kaz appeared next, barely sparing Vicente’s body a glance. He went right to your other side and you shifted your body to try and keep your dislocated limb out of his sight.

“We can catch up on how you knew later.” You nodded, silently offering Kaz your thanks, before you unclipped your sling. You tilted your head back and soaked the fabric. “Wylan and Kol have already set off the gas. Once we’re all clear-“

“Trust me.” Jesper spun his revolvers around his fingers. “I know where to shoot.”

“Never had a doubt.” You winked then spared a moment to turn to Kaz. “Haskell?”

“Too drunk to notice we’re gone.” He nodded.

You returned the gesture, remembering Kaz saying he’d handle it if you needed him. It still left you wondering how he knew but you figured Wylan’s mysterious conversation was a ploy to get his trio of friends to show.

Before anything else could be said, another round of glass and gunshots. You ran into the cafe.

The front room was full of smoke and the smell of gunpowder was creeping through your mask. You tightened the grip on your blade and used the other hand to wave the smoke from your line of sight.

You wanted to yell for them but you had no idea what you were running into. Instead, you just trusted your feet and what little you could hear. You made it through the front to the kitchen and found a hallway just as the last glass shattered.

A new wave of gas came from the wall and you heard shouts of orders. You flattened against the wall before sticking your head through the doorway.

Five Lions were huddled at the far end of the hall. Other fallen bodies littered the path and you realized it was a worse trap than you thought. Your stomach sank at the thought of what you and your friends had walked into.  A hand on your shoulder made you jump.

You slammed your good shoulder against them so they hit the wall. As you faced them, you realized it was just Kaz. He gave you a small smirk and you rolled your eyes. You stepped away and pressed yourself back against the other side of the entry to the hall. You silently winced at the pressure on your shoulder and could practically feel Kaz’s questioning look.

You waited a moment before moving.

You crept into the hall, swatting the gas away. The Lions were all fallen, some twitching or muttering in their hallucinations. You stepped carefully over the bodies until you found Kol and Wylan.

Kol was kneeling over Melli, hands moving quickly. Wylan was kneeling beside them with his pistol aimed. Your hand went up in surrender and he quickly lowered his weapon. Tucking your knife, you hurried to Melli’s other side.

You couldn’t stop the tears in your eyes. She was alive. Her left eye was bruised, as was her jaw. There were various splits in her skin, likely from punches after she stayed silent, and you vaguely heard Kol mention broken bones. You brushed the loose hair away from her forehead and a relieved laugh fell from your lips as she stirred.

“We have to go, Davina.” Kaz said and his voice was all that snapped you back.

“Right.” You wiped your eyes. “Can you two get her up?” You looked between Wylan and Kol.

Together, they got her to her feet. She mumbled your name and your heart twisted. You sniffled slightly and Kaz took a gentle hold of your hand.

“This is my fault.” You whispered.

“She’s alive, Vina. That’s what matters.” He offered and you heard an unmistakable kindness in his voice. “This isn’t over.”

“Help me take him down.” You turned to him. You didn’t care to be cryptic. You didn’t care to be nonchalant. “I don’t care what it takes. I need you with me.”

His eyes scanned your face and softened a little more every second. Everything in you was aching, yearning, for him. You needed him by your side for more than just revenge. You needed him as your friend, as your first crush, as the only person you felt knew the deepest truths of who you were.

Kaz saw right through you, and you both knew how dangerous that was. To care for someone in the Barrel was a target on both of your backs. To need someone was a death sentence, easy leverage against you. It made you weak, vulnerable, soft and stupid. 

But that didn’t stop you from needing Kaz with everything in you. It didn’t stop that spark in your chest when you thought about him feeling the same way.

“Brick by brick.” He nodded, squeezing your hand.

You were so relieved you almost hugged him.

Instead, you squeezed his hand back and gently tugged him to follow you out.

All hell had broken loose outside.

Jesper and Inej were back to back, fighting off six Dime Lions. Nina had arrived and she was beside Kol, both blocking Melli’s barely conscious body. Wylan was watching for you to exit so he could spark the accelerant.

You drew your pistol and was about to enter the fight when Kaz grabbed your arm. You turned quickly and saw him point to the rifleman on the opposite roof. Their rifle was pointed directly at you and Kaz. You dared a step and a bullet hit the cobblestones at your feet.

The cafe ignited behind you, heat slamming against your backs.

“What do we do?” You asked Kaz.

Kaz whistled sharply. Jesper’s head turned to the roofs at the signal. You heard him laugh when he caught sight of

him before returning to his initial fight. You tilted your head in confusion before you watched him and Inej flawlessly switch positions for her to take the last Dime Lion. Jesper shot down the rifleman without so much as a glance.

Your mouth slightly fell open in shock. You knew he was good but you had no idea he was that good.

You turned to Kaz and he was staring at something across the way. You looked but saw nothing.

“Kaz?” You asked carefully.

Dread gripped your heart.

“Kaz.” You tried again, putting a hand on his arm.

He went for a step and fell against you. Immediately, you put your hand against him to help steady him. You bore as much of his weight as you could while your mind was reeling. You looked to your friends for help. Jesper was checking Inej and Nina was kneeling with Kol over Melli.

You looked and saw the blood seeping across his shirt.

Wylan was the first to notice.

“What happened?” He came running over and helped you get Kaz, who was in too much pain to argue, to the ground.

“The rifleman.” You realized. You didn’t even hear the second shot. You glanced at your hand and saw it was covered in his blood too.

“Kol!” You screamed desperately.

[em0zombie]

the emperor reversed

Onceler X F!reader

MAIN STORY MASTERLIST

(also posted on Wattpad: @-beachboy !)

1. Fresh Start

It was a quiet ride to truffula forest, "Sorry about my mother back there.." Onceler apologized for his mother's actions. You wanted to smack him in the face for apologizing for his mother's behaviors, but you couldn't do that. His mother never liked you either, maybe she was scared of her son getting all successful and you stealing it- like you'd ever steal anything. "It's fine, Isabella needs to grow up and see that we both hold success in our future!" you place an arm around his, right arm up in the air, "Thneeds and Candyality!" He certainly was glad someone had trust in him. "Yeah, exactly!" Onceler responds and you grab both of yours blueprints from the back to look over them.

...

     "Are we there yet?" You groan while laying in the back. No response, "Oncie- I asked are we there-" siting up straight you see the view that you're in. All of the trees with pink and orange hues sway in the wind, you couldn't believe your eyes. "They're all, something alright..." your crus- friend speaks aloud. "Yeah!" You get out of the wagon and so does he.

     "Good job, Mellie..." you hand the mule a carrot while your friend watches. "Why are you staring at me like that! He needs to be given another treat!" "You're gonna make him gain weight that he doesn't need!" Once yells from the back. You roll your eyes and feed the mule another carrot, he deserves it after having to deal with the two of y'all this whole trip.

...

The house was pulled out and held the two of you perfectly fine, until it came to the bed situation. There was only one.

     "It's fine we can share no big deal!" Once said as you tried to hold in your excitement. "Better than when then the bar-bo-loots tried attacking us..." you mumbled while bringing your luggage inside. "Wait what?" Once yelled out, no response. Sighing, you sit on the bed wishing he was right next to you. God that stupid crush of yours was something dumb, you didn't mean to have it- it just happened? Growing up with the guy you saw how tall he was compared to other kids and how he had a kind heart to...some people?

Outside you can hear Once cutting down a tree which means he's starting to make more thneeds. From one of the windows you can see him dragging the tree, damn was he strong. He turned to see you staring at him, sent a smile your way that you returned back. You got off of the bed and took out your plans for your idea, Candyality.

The idea was basically a candy brand; lollipops, marshmallows, chocolate you name it! Your sweet tooth showed which Onceler would crack a joke about sometimes.

As you're going through your plans you heard bickering outside, Oncie and another man? Standing up you start to see a part of the house falling inward which causes you to scream while running out the door.

...

"What the hell was that?" The Lorax asks, Once almost yells at him again. "That was Y/N!" You hear the two yelling at each other from the back and you walk around to see the commotion.

"That damn wall almost fell onto me! Once, I thought you tied the foundation down-" you're cut off by seeing the short orange figure. "Who's this?" You point in confusion, the figure is appalled by finger pointing. "He calls him self the Lorax, he speaks for the trees." Once mocks. You bend over to see the man, "What an interesting species..." "Why didn't you tell me you had your girlfriend in there! I would never hurt a woman!" Lorax points at you, your eyes in shock. "Woah woah woah!" The two of you say in sync, "We're just friends!" Once states placing a hand on your shoulder. You nodded replying yet the Lorax sees otherwise.

"This man right here tried hammering pipsqueak into the ground!" You look at Once with frowned eyebrows, he doesn't like the sense of judgment coming from you. "Woah woah! You tied him to it!" he defends himself, "I would never hit this little guy! You however, I would gladly pound you and your mustache into the ground!" You couldn't help but giggle, he could never hold his temper. "For shame..." Lorax states, the other animals agree with him. "Look here I'm gonna chop as many trees I need to and you can't stop me!" You realized how bad this may start to get, "And replant them to help the forest stay as it is!" You lean onto Once's side, "Yeah!- what?" He replies.

"Yes! If we cut down trees we have to replant the same amount to keep the balance, and cut only a certain amount each time!" The Lorax becomes skeptical of this idea, but at least he keeps his trees. "I've done research and truffula trees only take 10 years to grow compared to any other tree that takes about 20!" Once is confused, "Are you on his side or mine?" he points to the orange man with his hammer. "Both." you state placing a hand on his shoulder with a mocking smile, you walk over to the Lorax.

"Believe me, I'll help replant them, I can see how much they mean to you." He still seems hesitant, crossing his arms you stand up and drag Once inside to have a talk with him.

...

Closing the door as you're about to have serious discussion with him, he yelps. "Oh what is it now? A spider again- Woah!" You turn around to see Lorax on the desk. "You've left me no choice..." he falls onto the ground, "If you do not replant those trees, all the forces of nature will be released upon you!" Once seems scared yet you're just confused. "You have been warned..." finally ending his monologue. You grab the door to open it for him as he struggled. "You have been warned..." closing it you turned back to Once. "Pound him and his mustache into the ground, really?" He places his hands into the air, "What else was I gonna say?!" You let out a small laugh and go over to the fridge, "What do ya' wanna eat?" You ask leaning and grabbing some stuff out.

...

"It was one tree, Y/N," Once sits down on the bed with his food stuffed mouth, "One tree! Not like I'm gonna cause chaos..." That's what you were most worried about, if it all went down hill. "Don't worry, if I'm by your side nothing will go wrong." Sitting by his side you eat some spaghetti, "And if you help me with my project as well!" Giving him a soft punch on the arm he looks back at you, "I'm glad to have someone like you by my side, you keep all of that hope inside of me..." You chuckle and eat, "Okay no need to get all sappy now..".

___________________________________________

Hi! Sorry if this chapter was pretty short, I'm busy with graduation and college stuff right now so yea 💀 I'll make a new chapter soon!! - Val

[pokemenlovingmen]

Random selection of Pokeguys with this old classic:

Character: “I wasn’t that drunk last night!”

“You were flirting with S/O.”

Character: “So? He’s my boyfriend.”

“You asked him if he was single.”

“And then cried when he said he wasn’t.”

… you guys know the one I’m talking about right? A big fandom meme but I can’t find the og, if there even was a non fandom-affiliated og. This is probably really convoluted for a shitpost lmao I’m sorry, this is just silly goofiness to me while I wait for requests and the guys here were just kinda picked by who I thought would be the most fun to write.

Content warnings: alcohol consumption and drunkenness

Adaman

💎 — Emotionally devastated but trying so hard not to show it

💎 — Considering he was sloppy-ass drunk enough to ask you, HIS BOYFRIEND, if you were single that’s not really something he’s doing great at

💎 — “Oh nooo that’s so… I’m sorry… oh noooo you’re just so pretty :(“

💎 — He stares vacantly off into the distance, holding back tears while you stare at him and wonder how long it’s gonna take for him to realize.

💎 — It’s kinda pathetic so you give up the joke and tell him the truth, to which he ACTUALLY bursts into tears.

💎 — “Hweuuuhhh Mighty Dialga is truly gracious and kind to have blessed me with your love I’m so luckyyyyyyyyy”

💎 — Just leans against you and sobs for a while, while you pet his hair and try to console him and insist this is real life, and that you’re sorry about the trick. Mai and Irida, who are watching the whole thing, are NOT sorry you pulled this one because it’s fucking hysterical

Melli

💙 — WAILS

💙 — Cue incoherent sobbing into your shoulder about why Mighty Dialga hates him so much that it would torment him with the ethereal beauty that you are that he’s forbidden to have

💙 — If only they existed in Hisui, you might want to grab a velvet chaise for him to lay on and sob dramatically in a very theatrical pose

💙 — When you finally give up the joke and tell him that the person you’re dating is, in fact, him, it’s like you just clicked the off switch. I mean, the tears are definitely still flowing but he shuts up instantly and stares at you like you’ve grown a second head.

💙 — Then starts fanning his face, still clearly crying while trying to look all smug and confident.

💙 — “HMMMMMPH of course I knew that, only I would be worthy of your company anyway” (still visibly crying a river)

💙 — Clings to your side the entire night and also looks like a pathetic wet rat while he does it

Red

🔥 — :(

🔥 — visible despair

🔥 — sad shinji meme

🔥 — he just kind of. sulks. pouting very dramatically.

🔥 — I mean good for you and whoever you’re seeing but he’s very drunk and to him you’re like the hottest man on earth right now??

🔥 — Eventually you put your arm around him and hit him with the “Red honey, I was talking about you. You’re the other person I’m seeing.”

🔥 — …

🔥 — :,D

🔥 — prommy????

Ingo

⚫️ — INSTANT ugly crying but not for the reason you think actually.

⚫️ — “WAUUGH PLEASE FORGIVE MY RUDENESS I DIDN’T MEAN TO IMPOSE I AM SO IGNORANT PLEASE TELL YOUR SIGNIFICANT OTHER I’M SORRYYYYYY”

⚫️ — I mean yeah, he’s also upset you’re apparently not single but all he can think about is how much he must have offended you and AUGH you’re so handsome and sweet and he was so clueless please don’t take it personally he doesn’t really know what’s gotten into him!!!

⚫️ — Probably the one you have to drop the joke the fastest with because you were NOT expecting this reaction at all and between all the sobbing and shouting you’re starting to worry about when the last time he actually took a breath was.

⚫️ — You end up needing to rub his back and scream your own apologies to him because you were only joking, the person you were dating is HIM!

⚫️ — At this he’s now just crying for a different reason, because he’s so lucky and you’re so handsome and he doesn’t know what he did to deserve this.

⚫️ — He calms down pretty fast after that, but never mention that incident to him again

⚫️ — He already doesn’t drink much and remembering how dramatic and off kilter he was being that night just has him actually wanting to curl up in a hole and just. Live there.

Emmet

⚪️ — “Oh! Okay then!”

⚪️ — You’re a bit surprised by his unfazed reaction for being absolutely piss drunk, but after delivering that line he immediately pivots on his heel and speedwalks the hell away.

⚪️ — You call his name at first, and when he doesn’t respond and also looks DEAD SET on leaving whatever event you guys are at, you have to run after him calling his name all the while.

⚪️ — Drunk Emmet thought process: Dear lord, I’ve made a horrible mistake. I am extremely embarrassed. I’m going to immediately vacate the area and probably never come back.

⚪️ — You practically corner him because he is so, so fixated on leaving out of sheer embarrassment when you explain you were just messing with him and the person you’re already dating? That’s him.

⚪️ — By the look on his face, he practically needs one of those little buffering wheels above his head, because he is thinking HARD about this. His entire worldview has shattered. The earth has stopped turning. His wig is gone.

⚪️ — Eventually he just… climbs into your arms and lets you take him back to where you guys were. Both extremely embarrassed for a totally different reason now while simultaneously being in complete and total awe that sober him scored someone like you. Woah.

[oletus-writer]

hi! if you've got the time, could you maybe write some general relationship hcs [sfw and nsfw if you're willing] with luca balsa? thanks so much!

Of course!

General Relationship Headcannons with Luca Balsa

Warnings: includes nsfw

Luca Balsa

Sfw

While he’s a forgetful man, he’ll do his best to remember your favourite flowers, chocolates, and what presents to give. However, this has failed, so he has resorted to making a randomised machine that generates what presents (out of your favourites) to give to you for the occasion.

‘Y-you said you had some soreness after matches? I made you a-a little something that might help with it!’

He does his best to intricately plan out the dates, and, if you’ll let him, will ramble for hours on end about his sciences. He’ll get Melly to teach him about the meaning of flowers and get some recipes from Mary and Joseph, but forget to cook them - completely planned, a baking date. Don’t question his genius.

‘Oh, they’re d-doing a tea party now… I’ve made you some pastries - ah, no, no, um… we’ll sh-show them how it’s really done! Yeah. W-we’ll show them.’

You’ll be responsible for inducing him to bed with cuddles, and get him to eat a bit by feeding him when he’s working on his inventions. If you’re ready to nag him about taking care of him, then the relationship should work out fine - after all, he’s got to be healthy to be able to help you out in matches.

Nsfw

He’s got a bit of an oral fixation, and will teasingly kiss your sex and slowly lick it, all the while maintaining eye contact. He’s pretty skilled, as he has had a few lovers before, and his sharp teeth, while not sharp enough to cut skin, is a new stimulus.

His hair is thick and glossy, and his pubic hair is pretty wild, no matter how hard he tries to keep it well-groomed. He’s got a shorter penis, but it’s pretty thick. He also gives of dick piercing vibes

Luca has a bit of a praise kink and won’t hesitate to call you mommy/daddy, if you’re into it. Kiss his eye and tell him how good he’s doing, and you’ve got him wrapped around your finger.

[dracoqueen22]

For Melly: Aerith/Tifa - against all odds

Tifa is exhausted. 

She’s covered in cuts and bruises. Her body aches. Her head’s spinning, and worst of all, her heart has taken a beating. She doesn’t understand Cloud. She doesn’t know Cloud. She wonders if she ever did. 

And she definitely isn’t sure what happened five years ago. Not anymore. 

Tifa’s exhausted, but she can’t sleep. Energy runs through her veins, adrenaline certain another battle might come bursting through that door. She can’t seem to calm down. 

It doesn’t seem like Aerith can sleep either. She’s been staring at the ceiling and fiddling with the buttons on her dress for as long as Tifa’s been fruitlessly counting chocobos. She’s up to 963. 

Tifa rolls on her side, facing Aerith, arm tucked under her cheek. “Can’t sleep either, huh?” 

“You’d think I’d be exhausted,” Aerith says. She turns to face Tifa, their bodies a pair of parentheses on opposite beds. Her shoulders are bare, but Tifa isn’t sure why she’s focusing on that fact. “I mean, I’m definitely tired, but I guess that’s not enough.” 

“Worried?” Tifa asks. “About your mom?” 

Aerith smiles, gentle and sweet all the way to her willowy bones. “No. She can take care of herself.” 

“Do you think we made the wrong choice?” Tifa blurts out, almost before Aerith can finish answering. It’s something Tifa’s gnawed on, over and over, especially after Cloud’s recitation of an event he can’t have seen. 

Is he wrong because he’s lying on purpose? Or is he actually remembering something he experienced because the choice they made, there on that highway, has fundamentally altered the course of their universe? Is he even her Cloud? Or is Tifa the one misremembering? 

Tifa doesn’t know. 

“It’s too soon to say.” Aerith draws nonsense on the mattress in front of her. That soft smile lingers. “It’s terrifying, but it’s also kind of exhilarating.” 

Tifa would chalk Aerith’s optimism up to naivete, but that’s far from the truth. Aerith’s life hasn’t been a picnic and that she can still be sweet is a testament to her strength. 

Tifa envies her for it. That strength that allows her to be weak. 

“How so?” she asks. 

“Well, I’ve never had a sleepover before,” Aerith says with the frankness that makes Tifa’s heart ache. “Or a girlfriend.” She pauses, cheeks going pink. “I mean, a woman who is a friend. Woman-friend? No, that just doesn’t have the same ring to it.” 

Tifa laughs quietly as Aerith’s face scrunches with genuine confusion. 

“It’s been a long time since I’ve had a girlfriend,” Tifa says. “Most of the kids my age were boys.” 

“Like Cloud?” 

Tifa’s too slow to stop the flinch. It’s hard to say if Aerith noticed. “Yeah,” she says quietly, but then the memory hits her, easing the sting. “Though he’s always been pretty enough.” 

“He sure is.” Aerith giggles and turns on her back, stretching her arms over her head with a hum. “But that’s what I mean. We made a choice and decided to fight, and now here I am, against all odds, on my first sleepover.” 

Tifa doesn’t tell her all the ways this doesn’t count. It’s a simple wish. A simple joy. She wants Aerith to have it. 

“Do you think we should have a pillow fight?” Aerith asks, but before Tifa can answer, she laughs and says, “Hmm. Maybe not. I think you’d win in one hit.” 

“I’d be gentle,” Tifa says. 

“I know you would.” Aerith’s grin makes Tifa’s heart go thump-thump-thump in a way it hasn’t before. 

Aerith abruptly sits up and looks around as if an idea has popped into her mind. “Hmm,” she says. “There’s not enough furniture to make a fort, and I don’t think that vending machine had any candy. I’m stumped on ideas.” 

“Aren’t we a little old for sleepovers anyway?” 

“Probably.” Aerith sighs, and there’s a wealth of disappointment in the small sound. “I guess we should be sleeping. We have a lot more walking ahead of us.” 

Aerith flops back, pulls the blanket up to her chin, and stares at the ceiling. She dutifully closes her eyes, and Tifa feels a bit like she’s kicked a bucket. Could it really hurt to entertain such an innocent joy? 

Tifa rolls off the bed, bringing her blanket with her, and flops down next to Aerith. “Tell me a secret,” she says as she squirms down to get comfortable. 

Aerith blinks at her. “What?” 

“It’s what you do at a sleepover.” At least, in Tifa’s experience, that what she thinks most young girls do. “You tell each other secrets.” 

“Oh.” Aerith’s cheeks turn a pretty pink. “I don’t think I have any that you don’t already know.” She presses her lips together, face scrunched in serious thought. 

“Nothing?” Tifa prompts as she tucks her arm under her head. “Not even an embarrassing story you don’t want anyone to know?” 

Aerith laughs and turns to face her, voice going softer like they are two young woman sharing a secret with no one else. “I have plenty of those stories. But what about you? Do you have any secrets?” 

“Too many,” Tifa sighs, and her thoughts wander again, to home, to Nibelheim, to five long, confusing years, and one stubborn, confusing blond the next room over. Maybe this is a bad idea after all. 

She shouldn’t spill all the troubles on her shoulders. Aerith shouldn’t have to help bear that load. She has enough problems without Tifa adding to her stress. Maybe this was a bad idea after all. 

Tifa shifts, intending to go back to her own bed, and back to chocobo number 964. But Aerith touches her arm, and that’s enough for Tifa to freeze. Surprised. 

“We don’t have to share secrets,” Aerith says, her resting hand curling into a gentle hold, “But we can share the bed. If you want, I mean.” 

Tifa’s heart throbs so loud, it thumps in her ears. Slowly, she settles back into place, arm tingling under the barely noticeable weight of Aerith’s hand. 

“That is one of the rules of sleepovers,” Tifa says, even though they’re both too old and bruised for such a thing. But they are also a lot alike. Tifa’s never had a “girlfriend” either. 

Aerith giggles and winks at her. “I won’t tell if you don’t. It can be our secret.” She holds out a hand, pinky crooked. “Promise?” 

Tifa’s face heats, almost like she’s blushing, but that would be ridiculous. No less ridiculous than hooking her finger with Aerith’s and saying, “Promise.” 

Lying there next to Aerith, Tifa doesn’t even get to chocobo number 965 before she’s fast asleep. 

***

[ikatakoirl]

We need to normalize criticizing our favorite works, pointing out shortcomings in representation while simultaneously celebrating how far that representation has come. I’ll go first.

The Riordanverse (Percy Jackson and its spin-offs) is hands-down one of the best examples of mainstream queer representation for kids. It was probably the biggest formative element of my early queer journey, and I am so grateful for everything Rick Riordan has done for the community. I will continue to support him and his works with all of my heart.

That being said, he has a problem with squeezing his representation into the very last pages of the book, confirmed but not explored. We have three confirmed queer relationships involving demigods:

Nico and Will, confirmed in the last chapter of the series

Piper and Shel, confirmed on the very last page of The Burning Maze.

Magnus and Alex, confirmed in the last chapter of the series (they did kiss a bit earlier)

P.S. I forgot about Lavinia until just before posting, but her entire lesbianism also is introduced and concluded in the span of about a page.

As you can see, it’s extremely consistent. Like I said, these are the only three examples of queer teenage relationships over Riordan’s five series, and they all happen right at the end. We also find that most of the straight pairings (Percy/Annabeth, Frank/Hazel, Jason/Piper, Tyson/Ella, and even things like Hedge/Mellie are confirmed in the middle of the series and given room to grow our at least be referenced back to.

It’s unclear whether this was a conscious or unconscious decision. Perhaps Riordan felt constrained by his publisher. Perhaps he was afraid that he didn’t have the proper background knowledge to accurately write the details of a queer relationship. Both of these are understandable and valid, if a bit disappointing, and I would much rather that he wrote them as he did than not at all.

However…

The good news is that it seems like he’s trying to fix it! He sprinkled in enough of Will and Nico in the first book of the sequel series Trials of Apollo for me to forgive him for their lackluster confirmation in Heroes of Olympus. But then he surprised us all by making Nico and Will two of the five main characters on the Trials of Apollo’s finale (The Tower of Nero), and I can tell you that the fandom ate it up!

But in case that wasn’t enough, soon after the release of The Tower of Nero, Riordan announced The Sun and the Star, now set for release this May! In this book, Nico and Will are the protagonist and deuteragonist, meaning the story will be entirely focused around them! And just to make sure Riordan absolutely knows what he’s doing, he’s decided to co-write it with a gay author Mark Oshiro to make sure they can represent the characters accurately!

And… and the best part… Riordan has done his fair share of novellas and short stories, and ever since the announcement I had assumed that that’s what this was, but no! It’s a full-length book with 480 pages! To compare, that’s strangely enough the exact same page count as The Tower of Nero! I’m so blown away by how much Riordan has gone above and beyond with this book, and I’m insanely excited for it. Sorry this turned into The Sun and the Star propoganda, I didn’t know that the publication date was so close or how long it was until just now.

Anyway, where I’m going with this is that I have extreme respect for a creator who’s willing to listen to feedback from the kinds of people he is writing about and constantly grow from those mistakes! He’s still by far my favorite author of all time. Love you, Uncle Rick!

[axl-ion]

OK, time to talk one of the ships I would call my favourite before I drop a completely unrelated thing to you.

So for the sake of clarity:

My age headcannons for Melli and Ingo is that Ingo's 39 going on 40 and just... Looks like he does and Melli is 35 + these headcannons apply for some time after PLA in my little thing (basically just a soft rewrite where both Akari (faller) and Rei are protagonists and there isn't just 1 ancient dinosaur going Origin forme but TWO... Yeah...). The reason I do it because:

1. Love having fun by manipulating the cannon using headcannos

2. Love the idea of a man in his 30s beefing with a 15 year old for no other reason that "Hey, MAYBE getting saved by 2 teens is a BAD IDEA." (Love the mean person that's actually really concerned trope... Ingo hates that idea too but feels like he has no choice so just tries to get the protag as prepared as he can and almost swings a chair at Kamado)

So one thing I headcannon when it comes to their relationship is that they kinda just... Complement (compliment???) eachother in funky ways because of how they are (1 is an autistic man playing confident person the other is even more autistic man who... Let's face it, probably is fathering a bunch of weasels so he let's loose of his mask and embraces being chaotic)...

By that I mean that if Melli gets too baffled to say the mean thing, Ingo steps in (very rare event).

If Ingo needs to get some intel on who has birthday and what to get them, Melli knows (through Arezu probably).

Melli's the yapper, Ingo's all ears, but they can switch occasionally.

Also they probably do be unmasking when together, but tbf, I need to study the specifics of autistic masking even tho I am autistic, just very freshly diagnosed.

[atopvisenyashill]

genuinely, what do you think happened to daena the defiant after the birth of her son? as much as it sucks that grrm likes writing women off of the page once they gave birth to historically significant people, I think that if he was planning to include her in the build-up to the blackfyre rebellions as a sort of alicent hightower figure, her involvement would've been mentioned in twoiaf.

and even though i'm pretty sure a rebellious girl like her would've been pissed off that she got passed over in favor of her uncle, the fact that she didn't announce daemon's parentage after viserys ii died and aegon iv ascended makes me think she wasn't actually trying to crown her son to vicariously live through him.

so my current theory is that daena died before aegon claimed daemon and that aegon specifically ordered a secret hit on daena (probably a "hunting accident") so that he could claim her son as a potential heir (whether or not daemon is actually his, it doesn't matter as long as he has an alternative to daeron).

Interesting theory!

I more or less agree - I think Daena died before Aegon claimed Daemon Blackfyre and I think Aegon only claimed Daemon after she died because she didn't want him to be claimed by Aegon. I tend to lean towards Daena feeling so scorned after not getting to be Baelor's queen, being locked up for a decade, and finally being passed over that she didn't want Daemon to have anything to do with the crown. Not dissimilar to Rhaenys Velaryon, in that she's just resigned herself to the fact that she's never going to get it. BUT. Unlike Rhaenys, I think Daena was likely happy to be a menace, a sort of living ghost in King's Landing reminding everyone that her claim was set aside despite it being better under normal circumstances than Viserys' (and Aegon's). It's not that she wants the crown, nor does she want to put Daemon in danger, it's that she's just like, deeply pissed off and bitter. If her pissy attitude makes Daeron nervous about her intentions, well, that's his fucking problem as far as she's concerned.

I also think - this is part of my Daemon Ballfyre theory but it works even if Daemon is Aegon's - that Aegon at least marginally respected Daena's choice to keep Daemon out of everything. I'm not trying to blorboify him here, but my read on them has always been that like...Daena is the only relative he's ever respected. She's wild and untamed and rebellious and bitter as fuck, and he's always been enchanted by that part of her, especially surrounded by the very religious and dour Aemon, Baelor, and Naerys. So while he's scheming to overthrow his own son, instead of claiming Daemon, he tries to make his own bastard heir and switches from random women as his mistresses to noble born virgins; I think this is partially a power and control thing, he likes the fact that he's the king and he can bed a noble virgin and no one can stop him. BUT. I think it's because he knows he needs a noble born mother for his bastard heir. Except things with the Brackens blow up quickly, so Aegor is out. Melly gives him an albino ~freak of nature and two girls, so she's out. I think he might have wanted to try with the Butterwells, but they're not quite noble enough, they have all girls, so he gives Lord Butterwell a dragon egg for his troubles and he's out. He's getting old, he's getting unhealthy, Daeron is out here having sons and making friends, so when Daena dies, he seizes the opportunity and just...claims Daemon. Similar to him not implying Daeron was illegitimate until after Naerys and Aemon are both dead, I think Daena would never have allowed this - but now she's dead.

Is he capable of killing her? I mean, it's not unlikely, he's actively trying to get his own son killed, he rapes his sister to death, he potentially poisoned his own father, so sure why not. I will definitely be interested to see what their relationship looks like when F&B part 2 comes out.

[warden-melli]

So we know how big Melli is right? Well that just means that he has to eat either more or equal to what his stuntank eats. Also I think that Melli has burn scars/current burns due to working with things that will explode any minute and a ball of electricity that will shock him at any given moment that he disappoints it. Electric burn scars/fresh ones and straight(not in Melli's case) up burn scars from the explosions. I think that he hides them so that no one will see, which is why he's always covering up.

I’ve often thought about how expensive Melli would be to feed lol, especially in a place where food isn’t as easy to acquire and prepare like in modern times

And yes! Love this headcanon! I have very similar one actually. I think it would be pretty easy to look at a character like Melli and come to the conclusion that he’d be the type of person who wouldn’t like to get his hands dirty or put himself in any danger, but I disagree. He may appear foppish, but there’s many canon details that let us know that he’s not afraid of danger or physical exertion

To even perform his duties as warden, Melli must first frequently climb Mt Coronet, an extremely large and dangerous mountain, populated by extremely powerful and aggressive wild pokemon. Then after finally arriving at the hollow he has arguably the most dangerous job of any warden, taking care of Lord Electrode. Like you pointed out, out of all of the noble pokemon, Electrode is by far the most volatile. It’s also not alone up there, as we know it lives with a colony of voltorb too, so (again like you said) I think it would be extremely unlikely for him NOT to be scarred or burned in some capacity, wether that’s from just living in a wild place like Hisui, travelling up the mountain to perform his duties, or taking care of Lord Electrode itself, among other things. We also know he’s not scared of physical confrontation (he overpowered the security corps to get into the meeting) and he doesn’t shy away from battles either, choosing to investigate the mass outbreaks on his own. Melli seems to be in situations frequently where injuries seem extremely likely. I also think due to the frequent mountain climbing and the physically demanding job that is looking after lord Electrode, that Melli is likely more muscular and physically fit than most people would give him credit for, especially given his slim build and aesthetic.

I think the idea of him covering up to hide scars is an interesting one, but I’m not too sure Melli isn’t just freezing cold from working high up on a snow capped mountain lol. Apart from wearing his hood (which we do get to see down in the offical art book) he’s no more covered than most other wardens, and Hisui overall has quite a cool climate. It’s an interesting idea to explore though! I personally think it would be very interesting in that situation for him to hide scars not necessarily because he doesn’t like the look of them aesthetically, but because he’s worried that someone may see the scars and interpret that as a sign of a past failure, something that would be unbearable for someone who’s main goal in life is to be useful to his clan and it’s leader. Like, how great must the great Melli truly be if he allowed himself to become so carelessly injured in the line of duty? In reality I think it would be an irrational anxiety, and that they (scars) wouldn’t reflect poorly on his performance as warden at all, instead being a sign that he was actively engaging in his duties. To an insecure character like Melli whose image is an extremely curated defence used to mask his true shy/timid nature, any perceived threat to that persona would be very hard to manage, and I could see him going to the lengths of hiding his injuries in order to maintain his image. It’s a super interesting headcanon to think about, so thank you so much for sharing!

Oh btw have you ever heard of a Lichtenberg scar (caused after being struck by lightning)? Irl these don’t tend to be permanent, but I could absolutely see him having these after so much time working with dangerous electric type pokemon

(pic under the cut. It’s not graphic at all, just wanted to be safe)

[sweet-hearts-and-destiny-knots]

Hi! I’ve been following you for a while now (since before you started working on sisterhood). I love the concept you have for Sisterhood a lot. I’m just curious about what shippings you like since I feel like I know some of them but not all of them (and I know how shipping can change over time). If you feel like talking about them, I would love to hear about them!

I've accumulated a vast assortment of pairings the past several years, particularly due to being a multishipper (but not a polyshipper-). However, for each protagonist there is usually what a friend of mine refers to as an "endgame" love interest: the one who I feel resonates with her personality most.

For example, the pairings related to Leaf are Conflictingshipping (Green/Blue x Leaf) and LeafStoneshipping (Brock x Leaf). The former is the "endgame" pairing for her. As for the latter, I actually concocted the name myself.

(There are a number of pairings I've been left with the solemn duty of bestowing a name upon, in actuality-).

An additional detail to keep in mind is, for anyone else who may be reading; the ages of several characters are altered in the universe of Sisterhood, meaning everyone involved, including the female protagonists, is a young adult.

Kotone, her "endgame" pairing is SoulSilvershipping (Silver x Kotone). Silver is truly the only person she has a romantic relationship with, although he is rather prone to experiencing jealousy when other male characters, such as Hibiki(Ethan) and Morty, are in her presence.

Haruka also has two paths of romance before her in the forms of HoennChampionshipping (Steven x Haruka) and NewRivalshipping (Wally x Haruka). What can I say? She has a type, and it's nerds. Haruka couldn't care less about the former's status and money, and she isn't so shallow that his looks would instantly capture her heart.

Hikari has no love interests to speak of in Sinnoh, but under the alias of Akari while in Hisui, she has quite a few options! Wieldershipping (Volo x Akari) and BrilliantDiamondshipping (Adaman x Akari) are the main contenders, but additionally... I also am somewhat partial to CandyTruffleshipping (Melli x Akari), for humor related reasons.

Ferriswheelshipping (N x Touko) is Touko's "endgame" pairing. Similarly to Kotone, she has no other love interests. However, Cheren does harbor romantic feelings for her during the course of Black and White's main game before eventually moving on and finding happiness with Bianca.

Technically, Mei has two and a half love interests? Initially, LiveCastershipping (Curtis x Mei) was intended to be the "endgame" pairing for her, but I gradually grew more and more fond of Hue and his one-sided affections. And to elaborate on the "two and a half love interests", Kyouhei(Nate) is sort of one, but... it's... it's complicated.

Serena is another protagonist who has a sole pairing associated with her, which is Kalosshipping (Calem x Serena). And yet, I also can't consider Calem her "endgame" love interest. I don't dislike him, but... he's lacking a certain je ne sais quoi. So perhaps Legends: Z-A may introduce Serena to her perfect beau?

Despite how frequently she teases and torments him, Mizuki's main love interest is Gladion. Although I do also enjoy some Malasadashipping (Hau x Mizuki) on the side. Regardless of whether their relationship is platonic or romantic, Hau is an important part of Mizuki's life in Alola now.

Gloria has two tsundere boys battling for her attention and affection. Not that Bede and Avery would admit this without raising a fuss. I haven't yet decided which will be her "endgame" love interest, so I suppose DressedInPinkshipping (Bede x Gloria) and Barriershipping (Avery x Gloria) will also be competing for my approval!

Juliana has the most love interests out of all the protagonists thus far! A grand total of four! HerbaMysticashipping (Arven x Juliana), Dipplinshipping (Kieran x Juliana), Tracksuitshipping (Drayton x Juliana) are the primary pairings, but Grusha does occasionally show interest in the academy's Book Wurmple as well.

There are also various pairings in Sisterhood which don't involve the female protagonists. Some include the male protagonists, such as Red possibly becoming a couple with Misty, while others are composed of non-player characters, one of my favorites being Surveyshipping (Laventon x Cyllene). The professor and captain are married in this universe, as a matter of fact!

And because the world of Pokémon is always expanding, this means there should always be more pairings! Legends: Z-A is soon to be upon us, after all! But hopefully not too soon.