#Captain x First Mate is always a great ship

[butterfluffy]

strawhats + d. mihawk with a healer!s/o

⠀⠀ੈ♡˳· what would it be like being a healer, and an s/o to these people?

⠀⠀➧ unlabeled | strawhats, d. mihawk (separate)  x gn!reader | multi-character headcanons

⠀⠀➧ warnings — idk, none, ig? mistakes may be present tho.. so do ignore them, thanks.

⠀⠀➧ requests are closed, sorryyyyy..!

⠀⠀꒰ 🍨 ꒱ notes: finally writing to clear out my inbox aAaaaAahhHhhHHHHh

req by @n0body-1mportant

MONKEY D. LUFFY

This trouble maker captain right here is always injured lol

So that said, you always go on healing your big, trouble maker baby

Wild card : Though he can take punches, kicks, and even stabs without screaming in pain—Luffy starts whining like a poor puppy everytime he comes to ask you to patch him up.

“Y/n...! Look, look, I'm heavily injured! I'm reaallyy hurt! Won't you heal me!? And, and! Won't you give me a kiss, too, for doing a great job in beating that bastard's ass!?”

RORONOA ZORO

Same as his captain, the first mate is always injured—due to fights, his harsh training, and other causes

..Despite always being injured, Zoro hates getting himself patched up. But if you're the one doing the healing so he could get better, it's all good for him!

Wild card : Zoro doesn't care if he's greatly bleeding out during a fight—but outside a fight, if he got the smallest cut, Zoro immediately dashes to you to get himself healed up..!

“Hey, so, I was peeling myself apples a while ago using that ero-cook's damned knife—now I got this cut. Heal it now, and eat these with me, yeah?”

NAMI

Nami very much hates getting herself injured, especially getting scars

So Nami is quick to rush to you to get her injury fixed

Wild card : this happens quite rarely, since as said above, she hates getting scars—but, nami sometimes get herself injured on 'places' to see you flushed when she asks you to heal it~

“Babyyy..! Look, look! Look at my perfectly beautiful legs here! They've got a scar! Their beauty has been tarnished, so, please.. Take care of them, yeah~?”

USOPP

Usopp avoids getting himself injured at all cost.

And when he does get injured, he screeches as he dash towards you with tears on his eyes, asking you to heal his injury ASAP.

Wild card : I have this headcanon for Usopp where he's a real clutz, so he always has an injury here and there, and wounds that he doesn't know where it came from.

“Y-Y/n..! W..When I woke up, I saw this new wound on my arm..! I..I don't know where it came from—it's probably from the spirits that I've angered, waaahh!!”

(it was caused by Luffy. He was dreaming that Usopp was a piece of meat, and bit him during their sleep. 💀)

VINSMOKE SANJI

As the left hand man of the ship's captain, Sanji is always out on a fight to support his captain, so injuries are unavoidable.

He's developed durability to the beating up he receives and shows it off his coolness to you, BUT AFTER THE FIGHT, he whines.

Wild card : This perv right here always has a nosebleed everytime you go patch up his beaten up ass, causing you more trouble.

“My loveee..! I'm injured, I'm badly hurt..! Everything's so painful, so please, heal me with your magic kiss—*you kiss him* *he nosebleeds*”

NICO ROBIN

Robin isn't a big fan of getting injuries during combat, or whenever.

Though despite being injured, she handles it like a Queen! (You don't.)

Wild card : As said above she handles her injuries like the Queen she is, BUT, you don't—you're more panicked when she's injured as she stays calm while telling you some morbid jokes.

“Darling.. Please calm down. I'm not going to die, you know? All I got is this small scratch the size of a severed finger, so, don't worry about me too much, okay?”

FRANKY

SUPEEEERRRRR Franky right here who's a barely gets himself injured.

↑ Why? Because, he's a cyborg, a cool one who will barely get a scratch..!

Wild card : ...When Franky does get injured for some reason being during a fight or where else, he starts crying like a small child to you as he asks you to heal him...!

“Waaahh! This damned injury hurts so bad..! It's SUPEEEERRRR painful, I'm gonna cry! Y/n, Y/n, quick, quickly, heal me and ease my pain..!!”

DRACULE MIHAWK

The greatest swordsman? Injured?? Pfft, not a chance.

Though when he's going against strong fellas, he gets some scratches here and there, which he deals with by himself—not wanting to bother you.

Wild card : Mihawk doesn't show it, but, he loves, and finds it cute when you insist on helping him with his injury that he already had managed, or can obviously handle fixing by himself.

“My dear... I already fixed my injury, so don't worry about it. But.. If you really insist on using your ability to speed up the healing process.. Alright. I'll let you.”

© butterfluffy 2023

⠀⠀ʚїɞ · likes, comments, reblogs, and/or feedbacks are highly appreciated!

[luna0713hunter]

Late night talk

Zoro Roronoa x reader

Summary : late night at Going Merry always makes you feel lonely. Fortunately,your new friend and crew mate is there to keep you company.

Warnings : slightly suggestive (?), mutual pinning and kissing!

*.✧∘˚˳°*.✧∘˚˳°*.✧∘˚˳°*.✧∘˚˳°*.✧∘˚˳°*.✧∘˚˳°*.✧∘˚˳°*.✧∘

Nights at Going Merry,are hard to spend alone.

The feeling of gentle waves hitting the wooden surface,the cool breeze giving you a slight shiver as you lean against the railing and rest your head on your folded arms;makes you feel slightly lonely.

Maybe its because you've just recently joined the StrawHats crew;away from your hometown where you spent all your life in. You loved your family and friends,but you just couldn't let this opportunity slide. Not when Luffy extended his hand to you,and treated you like family, like someone who was talented and worth giving a chance.

And you wouldn't let go of that hand. No.

So you joined the StrawHats,in hopes of finding your own meaning of life, and help Luffy and everyone else to the journey of One Piece.

But still, everything was fairly new to you. Spending all your time on a ship with nothing but deep blue around you,with the company of people you just recently met;your captain a sweet guy,but kinda loud. Ussop the same as Luffy. Nami a great girl, but you were kinda shy around her. The new cook,Sanji,the sweetest guy but he was always busy in the kitchen where you didnt even dare to step a foot in. And your last Crew mate-

"what're you doing up so late?"

Zoro Roronoa

The guy you've been tiptoeing around since the very first second you laid your eyes on him. To say you had a crush was an understatement;you were hopelessly in love with the swordsman.

You give him a sheepish smile as you try to look anywhere expect his eyes.

"i- uh, couldn't sleep?"

Zoro merely stares at you before slowly making his way towards where you're standing. There's a bottle of wine in his hand as he adjusts his three swords on his hip and leans against the railing as well. He raises the bottle to his lips and glances at you from the corner of his eye.

"you want some?"

When you shake your head,he only shrugs.

"more for me."

he starts drinking,and you watch as his Adam's apple bob,you immediately look the other way when your heartbeat rises.

There was a damn reason as why you kept avoiding being alone with Zoro in the first place.

You couldn't keep the heat from spreading across your cheeks and neck;and your heart seemingly beating out of your chest.

it was no secret that Zoro wasnt a huge fan of talking either. The number of time where you managed to hold a conversation with the guy without him dozing off, barely reached five fingers. And your massive crush didn't help.

So you just stood there silently, listening to the sound of the ocean and Zoro downing the bottle of wine. The silence was so uncomfortable,you could feel the awkwardness in the air.

You just prayed to gods that Zoro would start a conversation.

"so,what kept you awake tonight?"

And gods seem to have nothing better to do tonight.

You dangle your arm from the side of the ship; watching as small droplets of water slightly soaking your fingers.

"i guess...i just miss my hometown."

At that,Zoro raises a neatly trimmed eyebrow ,and again,offers you the almost empty bottle of wine. At that,you let out a small giggle,cheeks flushing because he looks absolutely adorable.

"i dont wanna drink!"

"But you said you miss your hometown. That sounds like a good enough reason for a drink to me."

You merely shrug and grin at him

"guess im not as alcoholic as you are,oh the greatest swordsman alive."

Zoro rolls his eyes at you,and empties the rest of the wine before throwing the bottle in the ocean. You watch as it vanishes in the dark night,before a faint SPLASH is heard when it hits the water down below.

"Sanji's gonna be mad at you. You know he hates throwing trash in the ocean."

"you have any more trash on you then?"

And you laugh, carefree and happy. For a moment there,you seem to forget how lonely you felt not too long ago.

Because thats how Zoro was;he was a quiet man,but had the biggest heart you knew. He would always stay at the corner,but never once taking his eyes off of his friends.

And you were so damn lucky to have him by your side.

You gently bump your shoulder to his; slowly moving closer to his side.

"so why were you awake?"

He spares you a glance before look at another side.

"no reason."

"Zoro, c'mon. You take every chance you get to take a nap. You cant be awake for no reason."

You hear him huff annoyingly at you;the sound making you grin winder. And you do the best thing you know:

Annoy the shit out of him

You start with poking his bicep;trying not to drool at the way his muscles tense under your touch,before moving up to his cheek and increase the speek of your poking.

But you could only go for long,before suddenly Zoro's grabbing at your wrist,and with a smooth move pulls you toward him.

Where your faces are inches away,and you can feel his breath fanning on your skin

You swallow loudly, trying to pull back and put some distance between yourselves,but he holds on tight;not too tight to hurt,but enough to keep you in your place. He moves his face impossibly closer,and his warm lips brush against your heated cheeks.

"you dont wanna mess with me," he murmurs;his voice raw with something you can't put a finger on, "I'm a dangerous guy."

Maybe its the adrenaline in your veins,or maybe its because its late at night and nights always made you bolder. So you turn your head slightly so your nose in brushing against his cheekbone,and catch his eyes.

"and what if i like to play with danger?"

Zoro lets out a low chuckle;his eyes shifting to your lips and his hand slowly resting on your hip

"Then dont say i didnt warn ya."

And then his lips are on yours.

Your eyes flutter shut as he pulls you close;your hands finding their ways to his hard chest,and then around his neck to pull him in. Zoro lets out a groan,and his hold on you tightens more.

With one hand resting on your hip and the other traveling up and down your spine,he pulls away to let you breath for only a second before diving back in.

Because Zoro was always drunk,but your lips might be his favorite thing to get drunk on from now on

You dont know how much time has passes before you pull away;both of you panting heavily and Zoro places small kisses on your cheeks and temples.

"you didnt answer the question, y'know."

You feel him pause against your skin and you grin.

"what question?"

"why were you awake?"

Zoro groans but when you tug at his hair,he just hides his face in your neck and when he speaks next,you feel his lips touching your sensitive skin.

"saw you space out alot at dinner and then you didnt go to sleep. Didnt want to leave ya alone."

With the confession,your heart flutters and butterflies fill your stomach. You card your fingers through his green locks and move his face so you can plant a loving kiss on his lips.

"thank you,Zoro."

"the pleasure is all mine."

And when he kisses you next,its filled with laughter and happiness.

Nights at Going Merry,are hard to spend alone.

But when you kiss Zoro until the sunrise,you cant help but wish for it to last longer.

If it meant to spend it with your love, you'll gladly wait for skies to turn dark.

[radio-fmm]

Enough

Zoro x reader

Hurt/comfort + gn reader

1k words, very self indulgent

Masterlist

“FUCK” you scream in annoyance tossing your weapon across the room, plomping down with your hands shielding your face as you pant from exhaustion, frustration aching at every bone

The last few week’s training had become more of a chore, scratch that, an inconvenience. Your mind seemed to be wondering elsewhere, anywhere but where your feet stand making you fail over and over again, not landing a single hit for hours on end. You had tried everything, taking it slow, harsh, even bribing yourself saying ‘If I land this hit I’ll buy me something nice’ just to end up in disappointment

Having no results at something you’ve been great at for years and years, that had gotten you the place at your captains crew was like a dagger digging into your skin, as another day passed where you couldn’t even get through the first exercise in your routine.

The sound of slow and steady footsteps met your ears making you shield yourself further, hiding your face in the corner of the room fighting the tears that threatened to flow

“You ok?” Zoros low and raspy voice calls for you, his tone monotone

You don’t even spare him a glance before you let out a heavy sigh “Clearly not”

Everyone in the ship had noticed your drastic shift in behavior. Every time you’d come down from the crows nest, your face was bright red, feet stumping as you smashed the door of your quarters shut, not talking to anyone for at least an hour

Zoro knew exactly what it was as he had witnessed your frustration while he shared the training room form time to time. You would grunt and stomp your feet like a child, telling yourself everything from words of encouragement to degrading venomous things as you tried and tried to get at least one hit.

But he never said a thing

Until you stopped coming down for dinners, sleeping in more and more often, spending your days rotting, nor a smile or a laugh leaving your mouth. That natural glow and silly sweet personality you carried slowly fading away as the days passed, and he couldn’t have that

The swordsman sat down at your side, arms crossed across his wide chest while his mind reeled. Zoro clearly was not on his element, he had searched of the right words to say, the right timing, but he quickly came to the realization that there’s no such thing, he just had to be blunt

“Stop beating yourself up” to his surprise you shake your head frantically, there goes his words of encouragement

“I am just trying to be useful for the crew, if I can’t be that might as well throw me out in the ocean” your words linger in the air, making Zoro frown and stabbing your own heart

“Is this what everything’s about?” You sit right up and stare back at him confused, he looks annoyed

“What?”

“You’re beating yourself up because you don’t feel useful?”

Zoro waches the rapid speed in which your chest rises and falls, your lungs fighting to find the air they so much need, teardrops falling in your cheeks

“I-“ you choke out, your voice betraying you but your eyes fixated on the swordsman, a quiet call for help but he waits, clinging at your every word

“I am not as strong as you Zoro, or as smart as Robin, as entertaining as Brook and Ussop, or as caring as Sanji and Chopper, as important as Franky and Nami… I always give my 200% so that I fulfill my role but sometimes, sometimes I can’t even get to 50%” your hands are quick to wash your salty tears away, embarrassed by how vulnerable you had allowed yourself to be, but if you were to keep your feelings inside any longer you were going to fall apart

“You are our crew mate”- Zoro spoke with his usual standoffish tone, yet it sounded more soft and reassuring as other times you had conversed.- “You are not some clown or some soldier, you’re here because Luffy saw something in you, he believed in you as we all do here, you don’t have to prove yourself” your head started to shake once more but Zoro was quick to shut down your insecurities, one of his hands holding your forearm giving it a light squeeze

“You’re enough” his words got stuck in your heart, warming it and finally releasing the dreadful thoughts that had been plaguing you for days

You break down crying, head falling on his sculptured chest holding onto the swordsman like your lifeline “I am so tired”- you whispered between sobs. Zoro was taken aback but didn’t tried to pull away, instead holding your frame close, hands drawing soothing circles in your back as you let go finally. And there he sat, wetting his shirt with your tears but he didn’t cared, being strong all the time could be tiring he knows this better than anyone, as well as how you had to always show up and be strong to protect yourself

But now he was here to do so

Your sobs died down as your breath aligned to the beating of his heart thrumming in your ears, you thank him, eyes glittering back at his gaze that seemed to have softened, he brushes the matter off but Zoro is more than happy to had been of service, lifting the heavy burden from your back

“Now, go rest” and for the first time in weeks, you smile

That smile he had so missed making his heart jump and skip several beats, a warm feeling spreading all over his being, and glad you’re back to yourself just as he wanted. It may sound selfish but he doesn’t care, he wants you back

“You’re far more emotionally intelligent than people give you credit for mosshead” he rolls his eyes trying to hide his swelling pride

“I am just that great” you nudge him before standing up making your way out, his eyes never leaving you as if preoccupied something would bother you again in his absence

As you slip to sleep that night, you can finally truly rest, your body letting go of the tension that had build up, worries washing away like the tides crashing against the ship, the moonlight and the sound of the ocean lulling you to have the best sleep of your life

All thanks to your swordsman

[lokideservesahug]

For How Long!?!

Chapter 11: The Future

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Pairings: Logan Sargeant x fem!driver!Reader

Warnings: Mentions od marriage and one mention of a child in a single sentence but that's it I think.

Summary: So what exactly happened after Y/N and Logan told the world of their relationship?

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☆-☆-☆-☆-☆

☆-☆-☆-☆

☆-☆-☆-☆-☆

☆-☆-☆-☆-☆

Yourusername

Yourusername: The Greatest day of my life. Not only did I manage to secure the thing I've been dreaming of since I qas a kid, but also the love of my life asked me one of the most important questions ever.

I want to thank everyone at the Aston Martin Aramco F1 team from the analysts to the paint engineers to the assistants to the PR team. Thank you all for helping me reach the championship and letting me work with you. Well done on your amazing and ever zo hard work that without, I never would have be able to be remembered in the history books. 💚

And Logan, I have loved you ever since I met you all those years ago. You are the light of my life, the reason I keep going and truly the only reason I was able to stand up on that top step. I love you more than anything and thank you for further making me the happiest woman alive when you asked me the question with the easiest awnser in the world.

Liked by Logansargeant, Astonmartinf1, Oscarpiastri and 3,890,213 others

View all 213,674 comments

Logansargeant: I love you more than anything in the world. I love you so much and thank you for making me the happiest man alive by saying yes 💙

Oscarpiastri: Well done Y/N. Your skills on the track are truly amazing and I'm so proud of how far you've come from the tiny Y/L/N girl I first met years ago. And of course @Logansargeant, well done on finally getting the nerves to ask her. You two are great together and Good luck for a prosperous future.

↳ Yourusername: Thank you for everything Osc💚

↳ Logansargeant: Thank you man, it means a lot (and thanks for all your help in the proposal build up)

↳ User1: I am literally sobbing omd

↳ User2: Please I can't do this😭 My heart is so full

Astonmartinf1: Well done on everything Y/N, our hero 💚

↳ Yourusername: ILY admin!! 💚

↳ User3: AWWWW

User 4: I think I fainted ngl

↳ User 5: Literally same omd

Liamlawson: Well done mate. You had a great performance in the championship and put on an even better show at the LVGP. And well done to the both of you for finally getting closer to tying the knot.

↳ Yourusername: Thank you and shush Liam. There's no better time than both good things at once

↳ User 6: AYO🤨😏

User 7: Literally speechless

↳ User 8: Ikr. I can't even process this let alone fathom how to respond...

User 9: aiaoanznbsuzuz just woah. What a great way to end the Las Vegas GP

↳ User 10: IKR. LIKE I AM LOSONG IT

User 11: Romance but make it "the reason I keep going and truly the only reason I was able to stand up on that top step". YOIRE NEVER HESRIMG DROM ME BECAUSE I'M TO BUSY SOBBING MY HEART OUT

↳ User 12: Forget Romeo and Juliet, I wanst what these two have

↳ Yourusername: Yeah I'm ot a poet but Logan desreve she's form of appreciation from at least someone.

User 13: Awwww. Please stop. My heart can't take it!!!

User 14: So baby Sargeant coming when?

Liked by Oscarpiastri

↳ User 15: Captain of the Y/Ngan ship, Oscar is back again!!! Boy how I've missed you!

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And with that, the series comes to an end :(. Now it is likely that I'll post a few extras but thank you all so much for the support on my first ever fan fiction!!

As always, likes, reblogs and especially feedback are always welcome!!

Taglist: @nikfigueiredo @mysoulispainted @leclercings @d3kstar @hiireadstuff @a-beaverhausen @nichmeddar @lozzamez3 @stinkyjax @littlesatanicassholebitch @insanedeathwish @a-disturbing-self-reflection @ems-alexandra @marymustdie @mehrmonga

[dangerous-yam-fries]

Not too sure if your taking requests but can I request a part 2 of yandere alien? but the reader is just completely numb after the whole sex scene and she just stop showing emotions, she stops talking and her eyes are just empty but whenever she looks at Zuri her eyes shine bright with anger and murderous intent even the rest of the crew see's it

Despite this Zuri tries everything in his power to get a reaction out of her but he always turns up empty handed even when he try to do the boombahya with her he still gets nothing she doesn't even moan

And after a few days she just randomly disappeared he searched the entire ship top to bottom but he couldn't find her minutes turned into hours, hours turn into days, days turn into months and months turned into years

His crew was hired to get some goods by some great empire it here that he found her one problem she is the emperor's mate she already has multiple kids with the emperor and another on the way

Anyways reader see him again and decided she is gonna ruin his life in which she did and then her mate had him executed slowly so he felt everything....

Anyways I hope you like it 😀

Part ones ending didn't scratch me right 😅

Wow I love that concept, and great suggestion at the end, but I’m not going to kill my favorite red flag. You can have some of it though.

Alien Guy x GN!reader - mild NSFW ask

Asks and Suggestions are open and encouraged!

Warnings: noncon/dubcon, confinement, general creepiness, alien, MINORS I DO NOT WANT YOU HERE SO HIT THE ROAD

You didn’t talk much back on Argon, the scientists spoke their scientific jargon, the cleaners were just as prudish, and the experiments… couldn’t talk. So you were in the habit of staying quiet as well. This continued when Captain Zuri brought you to Seed, you’d go days without speaking, and living by the mantra of ‘only speak when spoken to’.

Needless to say, Zuri wasn’t concerned when you didn’t say anything to him the morning after. That’s just what you were like. Even when you went back to avoiding him, he didn’t think twice. When you started skipping meals however, then he had a problem.

You wouldn’t meet his eyes, the impossible blue making you feel something dark and self-destructive. He forces you to look at him, and you can’t help the look of disgust on your face. Zuri declared you as his lover and mate, and that if you won’t take care of yourself, he’ll make sure to take care of you.

Before, living with the aftermath of being raped was manageable. But now you sleep in his bed, eat with him, and you’re not even allowed to shower alone.

Oh, and sharing a bed with him means sex. You couldn’t help but react your first time, but now it’s almost like your body won’t let you feel it. You want to feel good, maybe that will take your dark feelings away, banish your pain, and set you free. It doesn’t hurt anymore, at least. Zuri keeps you loose, it doesn’t matter when or where the feeling hits him, you’re always ready to take him.

Zuri’s just contented with having you. In the beginning, he was fairly worried about how you felt, but it was clear that you wouldn’t change anytime soon, so why worry about that? Or maybe he was just forcing himself not to care, because you were in pain because of him.

Maybe out of guilt, he gives you more alone time, and doesn’t make you do chores. The only rules are to be in his room by curfew, and don’t go whoring yourself out. The gift is wasted on you though, because you don’t leave his room, even when you’re allowed.

You have no friends on the outside, and your old room has been given to someone else. There’s no privacy out there, but Zuri’s gone most of the day, so you can just lounge in any of the spacious areas of his cabin. Usually a storage closet or behind furniture.

It’s almost like you’re a feral animal, Zuri or his secretary will leave a tray out for you, because you’ll only eat when you’re alone. You make sure to take care of all your needs before Zuri returns to his cabin in the evenings, as you try your best to avoid him. You know he knows exactly where you are, but he doesn’t seek you out unless it’s for something physical.

You’ll stare into space without a thought in your mind, but when Zuri enters your sights, it’s like a switch is flipped.

You’ve been treated badly, horribly by many people. But none of them were as persistent as him. You want to kill Zuri, make him suffer, even if it means dying yourself.

Zuri notices the darkness in your eyes, you used to be a fairly simple person, aimless, floating through space. Now you have something more grounding, a tether to one place; Zuri. You may not love him, but you won’t leave his side until he’s dead.

[alwayssassydreamer]

The Boss' Daughter - Morning

Day 23 of Kikitober

Part 2, Part 3

Plot: you're the daughter of a famous underworld boss. After you've been taken by marines your father is willing to pay every price to whoever brings you back.

A/N: i had no idea what i could name the father so you have to come up with something yourself whenever you read f/n sorry. Was supposed to be a one shot but it got so long that i had to split it into 3 parts.

Warnings: swearing, reader is captured, nsfw, mention of bj/anal/p in v, voyeurism? MDNI

Characters: Kid x F!reader x Killer

Your father is a powerful and influential man in the underworld. Dealing with mighty weapons. To you he was a stranger, too absorbed in his business especially after your mother's death.

Honestly you didn't mind. Being your father's daughter had it's advantages. One of them being that no one dared to deny you any wish. The other was that you were able to be a menace without consequences.

Every fight, every mischief, every lie you told, even encounters with marines had absolutely no consequences for you. And you definitely enjoyed it.

The best thing about all this was that you were mostly seen as an innocent little girl depending on your fathers protection. When in truth you were quite the opposite.

You were taught how to fight with knives and guns and also how to strategically defeat your enemies without breaking a sweat or how you called it - manipulating others. The latter part was like your father said "the best way to win a war." and it turned out he was right with that.

Though you did enjoy all of the above the fact that you always had a watchdog near you frustrated you. You wished that just once you could go explore the surrounding without someone following you.

You tried and tried to convince him that there was no need of a bodyguard for you and that he should rather have them around himself instead.

"i can take care of myself and most people won't lay a finger on me anyways, they're too afraid of you" you reasoned. "Fine" was all he snapped probably being too fed up having this conversation.

Finally you were able to follow your dream - sail around the world and discover new islands. Alone. Enjoying your freedom.

The new freedom led to you being a pain in the marines ass. Taking full advantage of your father's power. Which the latter did not appreciate. But you didn't care until your first wanted poster appeared. Why the fuck would anyone put a bounty on your head? The odd thing about it was the only alive part.

You contacted your father with your den den mushi and the first thing he did when he picked up was yell at you and then yell at yousome more. You had no idea what his problem was, your bounty wasn't that high and again who would dare mess with a mighty underworld boss.

When you mentioned this he told you that there was a high chance that the world government was after his head. When you asked him why he bluntly told you that he had information that could lead to their downfall before waving you off to never talk about this again.

He thought it'd be better for you not to know everything. "I want you to come home! Now!" he scolded. For the first time you thought that maybe you should listen to him. You prepared to get a ship and sail home.

But who would have thought that you wouldn't get far - the marines already hot on your tracks.

The morning started just great after escaping some marine officers the day before, you were caught once again by others. Until they were defeated by the kid pirates who were now surrounding you. When did pirates start going after you. You were confused.

And now you stood there watching as the red haired pirate captain used his devilfruit to destroy the ship that belonged to the marines.

Eustass captain Kid and his first mate massacre soldier killer. Two members of the infamous worst generation. Though you've never met them before you were always eager to see the worst generation live in action, having heard many stories about them and seen their respectable bounties. All of them being higher than your own.

You had to admit that both, the massacre soldier and the captain, were impressiv strong with a rather attractive appearance.

But now was not the time to think about good looking men. You had to find a way out. You were glad that they fought the marines off so you didn't have to.

"Who do we have here" Captain kid asked in a low voice stepping closer to you.

"That's y/n, daughter of f/n(father name) the infamous underworld boss" Killer said standing right behind you. An evil grin spread across Kids face.

"Well looks like our lucky day. We only stopped to have some fun at the bar but this is even better"

He put his hand under your chin lifitng your head to make you look up at him. "Your father put up a nice price to whoever brings you back to him" Kid smirked moving his thumb along your jawline.

"How bout you get your filthy hands off me" you snapped looking him deep in the eyes as you pushed his hand away. A low laugh escaped his lips.

"You're a feisty little mouse. I'm gonna enjoy your company"

you started to weight down your options. Should you run? Or should you play along? If you run where will you go? You had no allies here nor a ship to get away.

Looking closely at the pirates you thought it'd be easier to play along. They seemed hotheaded and easy to manipulate. You thought it'd be kinda nice to have them do the fighting for you and you could use a ride home and some entertainment.

"Who said that I'm going to come with you" you teased smiling arrogantly.

"You think I'd let a chance like this slip" Kid nodded at Killer who grabbed your arm from behind you, holding you tight making it impossible to break free.

"Either come with us voluntarily or I'm going to make you" Kid growled his face so close to yours that you could feel his hot breath on your skin. You laughed. Confused faces looked at you.

"Think that's funny brat" Kid snapped jaw clenching.

"I do think it's funny that you believe you can handle me" you taunted feeling Killers grip tighten. At first you could see anger in Kids' eyes but it was replaced with a devilish smile.

"Don't worry, you're not the first brat that needed some extra attention." Well you didn't expect this answer nor the fact that it would make you blush slightly.

"But first we're going to the bar." Kid commanded making his crew cheer happily. Killer never let go of your arm fearing that the moment he did you'd run.

"You know i would really appreciate it if you'd let go of my arm"

"So you could run" Killer asked.

"No but I'm pretty sure you're leaving a bruise" you hissed but killer didn't care.

"Fine how about holding hands instead" he stopped his walk for a moment, his mask making it hard for you to figure out his expression.

You were sure that you had startled the blonde as he let go of your arm. Kid glancing over to you both. Before anyone could say something you let out a surprised gasp as you suddenly found yourself thrown over killers strong shoulder, cursing. Seems like your attempt to play with the massacre soldier failed.

"You were the one who wanted me to let go of your arm" Killer mocked. this time you didn't need to see his face to know that he had a smug smile on his face.

After a few minutes you reached the bar. Surprised that it's beef open at such an early hour. Once inside you realized that it only opened for the pirates and then saw why they were so eager to get there.. They were greeted by a bunch of beautiful women who immediatly approached them. They were obviously not only visiting because of the drinks.

Killer still refused to put you down. In the meantime most of the other crew members were already entertainig themselves with the women.

You pushed yourself a little off Killers shoulder to see what was going on when you spotted Kid talking to a beautiful young girl who was extremely smitten by the captain. Kid whispered in her ear making her giggle before the two of them walked upstairs. Killer following them.

"I thought you'd buy me a drink" you whined as you entered a room at the very end of the corridor.

"Maybe later. that's if you're going to be a good girl" Killer said finally putting you down.

"A good girl?" you repeated, questioning look on your face.

A low growl behind you made you jump. Kid was standing behind you next to a huge bed while the girl was kneeling on it.

"This young lady will show you how to be a good girl." Kid smiled shit eating grin on his face.

Killer pulled up a chair, placed it in front of the bed and pushed you on it. He grabbed your hands and tied them to the armrests. You started to panic a little. When a fistful of your hair was grabbed making your head tilt backwards.

"Better take a good look and pay attention" Killer hissed in your ear.

You did not want to watch how Kid was fucking this girl. Seriously why didn't they leave you at the bar. There you could at least get drunk. You moved nervously in your chair trying to free yourself but to no avail.

Next thing you saw was the girl taking off her clothes crawling over to Kid who was still standing next to the bed. She unbuckeld his belt and pulled down his pants along with his underwear and started to suck him off. Kid was moaning loudly. Every time you averted your gaze from the scene before you Killer grabbed your face and made you look.

After Kid reached his orgasm the girl was pushed back laying now on her back.

"Ready to join?" Kid asked and you swallowed body tensing. until you realized he wasn’t talking to you. Killer walked to the bed stopping right between you and the bed. he turned to face you before starting to strip down.

you didn't want to look but god was he hot. you could feel a blush on your face while a strong heat rushed through your body. Killer chuckled lowly. before getting on the bed grabbing the girl and yanking her closer to him. he pushed her face into the bed, lifted her hips and took hold of them before pushing his cock in her pussy.

once again you looked away. you could feel a wetness between your legs. fuck. this was not good. you didn't want them to now that this was turning you on. lost in your thoughts you completely forgot about Kid until he was standing next to you.

"Like what you see?" he asked running a finger over your arm. you shivered under his touch. he let out a devious chuckle.

"What's the point of this whole thing" you asked trying to sound as confident as possible, ignoring the sounds Killer and the girl made.

"This is what you get if you behave. if you let me take you back to your father without causing any trouble." Kid said circling around you like you were his prey.

"What makes you think that I'd want this" you blurted out a mix of anger and arousal building up inside you.

Kid stopped right in front of you placed both, his flesh and metal hand, over yours and leaned in. he was a little too close for your liking so you tried to shift away but you were trapped between the chair and his huge figure.

"You wanna tell me that you don't imagine yourself in her place"

"no".

out of nowhere he moved his flesh hand between your legs, fingers caressing your clothed core making you gasp.

"i think you're lying" he mocked in your ear. "Now keep watching"

The girl was a screaming, begging and panting mess when both of them fucked her at the same time. Kid in her ass, Killer in her pussy. even though you had your eyes shut your own arousal was increasing. desperately clenching your legs together. this was way too much for you to watch.

After all 3 of them reached their high they collapsed on the bed. you were glad that this was finally over. the girl took a few deep breaths before propping herself up on her elbows looking at you.

"What about you? Want me to take care of you?" she asked smiling warmly at you.

Both men now looked at you a curious look on their faces. Your body wanted to say yes but her head was quicker and said no.

"You sure?" the girl asked making her way to you. She ran her fingers over your thighs making you squeal. satisfied with your reaction she kept moving higher and higher.

you gave her a nasty look not wanting the pirates to see how desperate you were.

"that's enough" Kid suddelny said as both men put their clothes back on. Killer untied you and once again threw you over his shoulder.

"Let's get back to the ship"

What a great morning you thought sarcastically to yourself.

[onepiece-polls]

One Piece Shipping War - Battle for 3rd Place

KidKiller art by @anj-does-stuff. Check out the full art and original post here!

Propaganda under the cut.

Propaganda for Kid x Killer:

The loyalty, the way they praise each other, their past, the aesthetic, Kid's reaction to seeing Killer with a SMILE in Wano, the fact the Kid's hobby is listening to music while Killer's is playing the drums, they are made for one another.

That sweet sweet captain/first mate loyalty…can’t be beat

Killer and kids are cannonicly ride or die

Murder couple, captain x first mate will always have special place in my heart, childhood friends bonus, love that they're just unashamedly bastards together and separately

OMG they care so much for each other!!! Kid called Killer his partner! They are mates for life! 💕

Child. Hood. Best. Friends. You want more? *cracks knuckles* Growing up beside one another, calling one another partner, only ever seeing Kid crying and losing his hard head persona when it involves Killer, Killer calming down after being reunited with Kid for a bit, KILLER KNOWING WHERE - down to the centimetre- TO CUT HAWKINS’ ARM SO HE DOESN’T HARM KID!!! THE!!! CENTIMETRE!!! That’s some intimate level of knowledge right there!

Propaganda for Sanji x Usopp:

PLEASE they are so great for the needs love/gives love dynamic because it goes both ways.

My fav somewhat rare pair. I specifically love on skypiea when Sanji sacrifices himself to save Usopp from Enel. (And of course the scene when they wake up from their injuries holding hands!!!!)

It is simply the best Sanji ship I’m afraid

Consider: they cute

[jakescaravel]

The Caravel (series)

🏴‍☠️ ⚔️ ⚓️

Part 1

Pairing: Jake x reader

Word count: 3,317

Warnings: Alcohol consumption, mentions of kidnapping, pirate life 🗡️🗡️ (it’s pretty tame for now. Make sure to read the A/N below before jumping in!) 18+ MDNI!!

A/N: Hello all! The Caravel is a slow-burn series about pirate Jake, I don’t want to give away too much here because the summary is already written into the story! One more thing! ⬇️

I have very carefully created a mood playlist for this specific part

If listening to music while you read isn’t your thing that’s totally fine but I do highly recommend it. The songs are kind of in a specific order but it shouldn’t matter too much if you shuffle. Okay it’s finally time…

🏴‍☠️           🏴‍☠️           🏴‍☠️

Exposition

Jacob Thomas Kiszka was a pirate aboard The Caravel. A ship that had once belonged to his father.

Captain Thomas Kiszka was his name. He had met a woman on shore and 9 months later, Jake was born on the very ship. Thomas had insisted his son live the life of a pirate. And his mother, having nothing much to offer him, had no choice but to hand over her precious child to become the next captain of the infamous ship. However Jacob Thomas Kiszka would not be the next captain of The Caravel.

The only two things Jake’s father had left him were his sword fighting skills and a little coin necklace from the great Atocha, a ship with immense treasure that Thomas’s crew had pillaged before he was killed in battle.

The crew aboard The Caravel were the only family Jake had ever known. They had taken him in, taught him how to fight, sail, how to handle his women and his rum. They had taught him how to navigate the seas and how to uphold The Caravels legacy.

It was late summer, the time of year when the seas were the angriest. It had been storming for longer than any of the men on board had ever seen. The crew was well equipped for bitter weather but they had never had to endure it for this long. They were running low on everything but more importantly, they needed a doctor.

The current captain of The Caravel was named James Calico. He was Thomas’s first mate and the one who was to lead the crew of fearless men to find the lost treasure at The Gardens Gate before Jake was of age. Captain Calico had heard of a young woman off the coast of the town they were nearing who was a doctor. All they had to do was collect the needed supplies for their voyage, and then collect the girl too.

🏴‍☠️           🏴‍☠️           🏴‍☠️

Jakes POV

Your mind is fuzzy from the rum you've been drinking all morning but all you have to focus on is your job. Go in, get the liquor and get out. Fast.

You roll your eyes at the thought. They know I can handle more than this, It isn’t fair.

Everyone on board knows who you are. They know who your father was. They respect you and treat you well. They took you in as one of their own and taught you everything you know but they do not give you as much power as the son of Captain Thomas Kiszka deserves.

You had heard parts of the plan from Reed, Captain Calico’s first mate, and a well respected man on board. He had always been the one to tell you more than the captain intended for you to know. You think of him as the closest thing to a real friend.

You know the plan has something to do with kidnapping a doctor but you don’t have time to worry about that. You have your job and you are ready to do it. 

You look down and grab the handle of your sword. You run your hand along the smooth leather (a nervous habit you picked up) keeping it in place and you instantly feel calmer. You’re confident in your ability to fight. I’m ready.

The boat docks and the anchor is lowered. You look to your Captain for instruction and he gives a slight nod. Within seconds, you’re all running off the ship and making your way through the town. You are ready to defend yourself if anyone tries you. However, as usual, no one does. You smile to yourself hearing the familiar shrieks and cries.

“Pirates!”

This is a feeling you’ll never get sick of. The feeling of straight adrenaline coursing through your veins and raw… power. You feel your heart beating out of your chest and you know nothing can hurt you in this moment. You’re invincible. Soon the entire square is clear and you make your way to the pub knocking over boxes and crates in the process.

You don’t have to look around for long. The rows and rows of bottles line the walls and you grab two cases and fill them up, and then one more for good measure.

You make your way back to the square where you see the rest of your crew, taking supplies and one by one returning to the ship. 

You look over and see a man everyone called ‘Brute’ holding a woman by the throat threatening to cut off her head if she didn't give him the rest of the meat at her stand. We don't have time for this. You hear the commanding voice of your captain telling him to let her go. And when he speaks, people listen, that's the rule.

Back on the ship you only take two steps before you hear the anticipated cheering. Time to celebrate. You set down the cases and help pass out the bottles of rum. You feel a small jolt and soon The Caravel is gliding across the water.

When you reach to grab a bottle for yourself, something catches your eye, or rather someone. It's a girl.

Wow.

You’ve heard of sirens in stories but you thought they were make believe. She is unlike anyone you have ever seen. She’s beautiful.

Your eyes travel up and down her body, slowly taking her in. You can't help yourself when you stare at the exposed skin on her stomach through the tear in her dress, or the bit of thigh that was showing. Your eyes meet hers and she quickly looks away.

She’s scared of me. Usually this revelation would please you but it feels like a stab to the chest. You think for a moment. She must be the doctor.

You hadn't expected it to be a girl, let alone someone this beautiful. She looks confused and panicked. Now that you pay closer attention, you see that she's being held roughly by two men, Patrick Lock and Robin Evers. They were good men but they obviously didn’t know how to control themselves in the presence of a lady.

A realization washes over you when you look into her eyes. The storm is gone... strange.

You shake the thought when you see Patrick and Robin wearing identical evil grins that make your hands bawl up into fists. Let go of her. You want to grab your sword and slice through their hands but instead you stay by the liquor cases continuing to study her.

🏴‍☠️           🏴‍☠️           🏴‍☠️

Her POV

Your mind is racing and your heart is pounding. It’s hard to think clearly when your arms are being held so tightly. Do they have to be cutting off my circulation?

Just moments ago you were sitting at home with your sister reading to her and now you were on a pirate ship. One of the ones you had only heard about in the stories your father used to tell you. 

Your eyes flutter closed hoping to wake up from this nightmare. You can smell the ocean. Of course you always could but it was so much stronger now. The cool breeze on your skin is refreshing in contrast to the sun's harsh rays. You let the sound of the water distract you from the dull pain growing in your arms. 

SWOOSH.

One particularly strong wave crashes against the side of the boat causing your eyes to open again.

Crash against wave upon wave.

The realization hits you once more. This isn’t a dream, this is real. Your eyes search the ship frantically. If they let go of my arm maybe I could jump off the side and swim back to shore. You look around once more.

The ship is like most that you’ve seen around the dock. Perhaps a little bigger. You don’t know much about them but you recognize the familiar ropes and watchtower. Your dad is a sailor but you’ve never gotten to see his boat. Now I never will.

There is something else near the tower, it’s a flag. A black flag. An exposition.

There is a symbol of some kind. What does that mean?

Your thoughts are cut off by the dozen men that surround you beginning to close in. You can hear the sound of their boots hitting the wooden deck.

Creeeeeek.

Each of them looks slightly different than the last. Some of them wear hats and carry swords, some of them wear shirts and some of them don’t. But they all look ragged and their eyes share the same slight yellow tint. Scurvy. They all eye you with dangerous expressions and wild eyes. It makes your stomach turn. 

However, there is one man who stays back. He looks younger than the rest of them. He has long brunette hair and entrancing brown eyes. He has on a white button up shirt with only one button done up just above his belly button. Classy.

You can see his tanned chest and his strong arms from where the sleeves are hiked up. He has on a pair of black breeches and a piece of cream colored fabric wrapped tightly around his waist. He wears a brown hat and a small white knit bracelet on his wrist. The mysterious man wears two silver hoops and has a clean shaven face. A small coin necklace hangs loosely around his neck.

You look back up to find his eyes boring into yours. The sword he carries tightly against his body seems to be staring at you too. The sight of the sun reflecting on the pointed silver makes a shiver run up your spine.

Your gaze is broken by someone walking towards you. You know he's the captain by the way the men part leaving a clear path from him to you, some of them bow slightly. 

He walks slowly and carefully, not breaking eye contact. He doesn’t look anything like what you've heard of in the stories. No peg leg, no eye patch. 

He has a long beard and he wears a hat or a tricorne as your dad taught you. When your eyes travel down you see his sword swinging slightly by his side and the wood shifting beneath him with every step. You struggle against the two strong hands holding you causing them to grab you tighter. That’s gonna leave bruises. 

The captain finally reaches you and towers over you. He looks strong and powerful. He lowers himself so that his face is level with yours and you smell the rum on his breath. 

He speaks with a hint of amusement as if he thinks this whole situation is funny. “Hello young lady.” He smiles showing you his singular golden tooth. 

He looks to the men holding you “Patrick, Robin, is this how we treat our guests? We don’t wanna scare the poor girl.” His eyes widen.

“Aye.”

“Aye.”

They let go of you causing you to stumble forward. The men laugh as the captain catches you and lifts you back on your feet. You recoil at his touch. “Come on matey, I'm not gonna hurt cha.”

You think about running but fear plants your feet firmly to the ground. What does he want?

Unable to meet his gaze, you look back to the young man, he’s… smirking? When he sees you look at him, his face drops and he looks back to his captain.

He speaks again “Welcome aboard The Caravel. What’s yer name?”

You can't seem to form words so you stare at him, lip quivering. The captain laughs at you. The rest of his crew laugh too. The young man laughs slightly but trails off when you look at him once more.

You feel yourself getting dizzy. You can hear a small voice in the distance that you recognize as the captains. He’s explaining to you how they needed a doctor for their ship. He tells you you have no choice but to oblige and there’s no point in trying to run away. He points to something but you can’t see what. You’re trying to absorb his words but your thoughts are still clouded. You turn back and see that you’re already far away from shore. You watch as your town grows smaller and smaller until it's a dot to strange horizons. 

The captain yells something that you can’t quite hear and you watch as the men assume their positions. Some of them go straight for the cases of liquor. Some of them climb the many ropes that stretch to the top of the ship, and some of them laugh at a joke being told.

These men are loud and dirty and not very kind. I need to go back home, I need to find my sister.

The captain keeps his eye trained on you, it was almost as if he was saying, ‘try to escape, try to swim away, I dare you.’

In the next hours, no one speaks to you, no one addresses you, they don't even acknowledge you. As The Caravel got farther and farther away from home, your body felt smaller and smaller. Weaker and weaker.

Oh my god, my sister. I can't imagine what she’s thinking right now, I hope she’s safe. My father won’t be home for another week. I hope he’s okay too. There was a storm that seemed to have fizzled out but he must have survived it… he must have. He's strong. Maybe when he returns home and finds out I've been captured he’ll come to save me. Him and his crew.

You look up again, and there is the young man, just across the deck taking sips of his drink. He doesn’t seem to be doing much of anything. His eyes fall to yours then drop back down again. He then looks out into the vastness of the ocean, seeming to be thinking about something important. 

I want to know his name.

Time doesn’t wait for your thoughts to collect and soon the moon replaces the sun. One by one the men go below deck to sleep for the night. The harshness of your reality is starting to set in. I’m only of use to them when someone is injured, other than that am I just a lost thought?

You are left alone on the deck, it's cold and lonely. It reminds you of your first day of school when you didn’t know anyone. That night you had gone home and cried in your fathers arms but this night, your father was miles away, on the same ocean but still, miles away.

The boat rocks gently to the rhythm of the sea. Your body becomes a part of the ship, swaying with the water. You feel the little droplets splash over the side and trickle down your face.

It's almost calming, almost. Maybe if I wasn’t a prisoner. At least I'm not tied up.

The moon is full tonight. Its light illuminates the deck and the water in its path. It’s breathtaking.

After several minutes of staring, you accept your fate and try to find somewhere to sleep. You decide a sandbag will have to make do. You attempt to find a comfortable position which proves to be difficult.

As the boat moves with the water on the salty sea, your salty tears begin to fall. It’s scary how quiet it is, and you miss your home, and your bed. For miles in every direction, there is nothingness.

Just as you close your eyes preparing yourself for an uncomfortable sleep, you hear a noise. It’s footsteps. You look up to find the young man approaching you. He’s holding something. 

Where is his shirt? 

The little coin necklace bounces on his chest when he walks. He ventures closer and kneels beside you.

“Are you cold?”

This is the first time you’ve heard his voice, it’s low and raspy but comforting. He asks his question with caution and genuine concern. You nod.

“Here.” He holds up the shirt and wraps it around you. You can’t help but smile.

He smiles back but doesn’t leave. He pauses for a moment. He looks lost, as if he doesn’t know if he should stay or go. He offers you a small smile and breaks the silence once more. 

“What’s your name?”

You tell him your name and watch his lips curl into a perfect, addicting smile. You feel your cheeks flush. He was… pretty.

“What’s your name?” You ask.

“Jacob Thomas Kiszka, mates call me Jake.” He pretends to curtsey causing you to giggle.

This warms Jake’s heart, He couldn’t bear seeing you so sad earlier. You had looked… horrified.

You allow yourself to admire his face. The way his lips fall into a perfect heart shape, the way his eyes sparkle underneath the moonlight, the way his cheeks move when he smiles.

What he does next surprises you. He goes to sit behind you and asks if he can help you. What? You turn to face him with a confused look on your face. He smiles at you. He brings one of his hands up to your hair and drags it down the length of it exposing the many tangles that you hadn’t even registered.

“Is this okay?”

You wonder how you could possibly say no to him so you let him carefully comb his fingers through your hair.

You close your eyes and let yourself bathe in the feeling of his calloused fingertips gliding across your scalp. His hands move slowly and carefully so as to not hurt you.

You don’t really understand why you’re letting him do this or why he wanted to do it in the first place. Maybe it was the kindness in his eyes or the way his voice sounded when he asked. But you just sit there and let him continue.

Jake starts working on a particularly large knot and starts humming to himself. You smile at this small act of vulnerability and let out a small chuckle. He stops singing and you turn around to be met with his reddened face, flushed with embarrassment.

A few minutes of comfortable silence pass as you look up at the stars.

“Do you do this to your own hair?” You couldn’t help but ask. You had grown curious about life as a pirate and Jake was the only pirate you’d seen on board with long hair.

“Hmm? Oh.. oh yeah I do. It takes a while with all the salt in the air and everything, and you know I just thought…” He trails off.

He looks up at you smiling again and you decide, I can trust him.

He parts your hair and moves half of it to drape gently over your shoulder. You feel his warm breath on the back of your neck sending you goosebumps. Oh.

He finishes brushing through the second section and it’s over far too soon. His hands leave your hair and quickly run down your shoulders making you shiver.

He did that on purpose. 

He stands up and faces you, he’s wearing a similar smile to the one that paints your face. Now much more relaxed than before, you look into his eyes. How can a person's eyes be so comforting? 

You're sad to see him go. Part of you wishes he would stay, and that he could warm you instead of his shirt. You’re wondering if maybe he had the same idea but then he speaks.

“Goodnight then mate.” He winks at you. There’s that butterfly feeling again.

You watch him slowly descend down the stairs below the deck. His hair blows with the wind. I can still feel his hands in my hair.

You rest your head on the sack of sand and eventually your eyes close. That night you fall asleep thinking of your sister but smiling at the new friend you’ve made.

-

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Part 2

(if you want to be added to the tag list interact with this post)

[harudnae]

The Great Draft Eradication Plan continues! Today's delivery is a fluffy (albeit a bit horny) Gaban x Rayleigh x Reader short fic.

Down the rabbit hole I go, I just can't get enough of them...

Also posted on AO3 on 2024.01.26

Rating: Mature

Pairing: (mentioned Roger x) Rayleigh x Gaban x GN!Reader

Summary: Gaban walks in on you curled asleep against Rayleigh, and tells him about a pattern he noticed.

Content warnings : polyamory, fluff, horny mood, rated M for mentions of sex, they/them pronouns for Reader, no body description for Reader

Word count: <1k

🧲 Magnetic silver

Gaban dresses a mental list while he wraps up the last of his duties, before he turns in for the night.

Who's on watch until tomorrow, what's missing in the pantry that they'll need to restock at the next island, a couple of medical supplies Crocus asked for...

He considers passing on the list to Roger, but he thinks the Captain might already be asleep.

Rayleigh, on the other hand, was supposed to have a few things to do after dinner, so Gaban figures the First Mate should still be awake.

Once done with his chores, Gaban walks to Rayleigh's quarters and knocks at the door.

"Come in."

Gaban slides in, closing the door behind him. When he turns around his gaze softens.

Rayleigh is reading a book, laying against the headboard, over the covers.

You're nestled by his side, asleep under the blanket, a hand spread over his stomach.

Gaban exhales a soft hum. "You've got company for the night. That's cute."

Rayleigh drops his book on the nearby shelf, then gives you a side-glance. "I was updating the ship's log when (y/n) came in. They insisted to keep me company and fell asleep there."

Gaban sits by Rayleigh's side and reaches out for you, gently caressing your bare arm. "They're always more at ease when they're with you."

Rayleigh briefly glares at him. "That's not true and you know it."

"It is, and I don't blame them."

Rayleigh looks at him over his glasses. "You know they love you just as much, though."

Gaban chuckles, "Yeah. Still, we were all drawn to you first."

Rayleigh slightly tilts his head to the side. "What?"

"Roger set out to sea with you. I joined because of you, then you caught their eye, too", He nods towards your sleeping form. "We eventually mingled with each other and all together, but you're the one that caught our attention first."

Rayleigh squints.

Gaban lifts a hand to cup his chin. "What? Not my fault you're a handsome devil", he smiles, and leans in for a kiss.

Rayleigh hums into the kiss, and lets Gaban claim his mouth, slightly breathless when he leans back for air after a while.

Gaban's soft smile turns into a playful smirk. "We just happen to have excellent taste."

Rayleigh lifts an eyebrow. "Are you trying to seduce me?"

Gaban's smirk widens. "Is it working?"

Rayleigh cards a hand at Gaban's nape and pulls him closer. "I don't know", he breathes against Gaban's lips before kissing him again.

Your fingertips twitch against Rayleigh's stomach when its tenses underneath, and you exhale a soft sigh.

Rayleigh reluctantly breaks the kiss. "Stop, we're going to wake them up."

Gaban half-heartedly glares. "Are you playing favorites?" Then he licks his lips and playfully retorts, "Don't move, don't make a sound", and leans in to kiss and nibble Rayleigh's neck, smiling against his pale skin when it tenses under his lips.

Rayleigh whines in his embrace, and gradually loses his composure despite his best efforts.

Gaban sucks on the tender skin of Rayleigh's neck, admiring the mark he left when he leans back, a hungry smile playing at the corners of his lips. "No complaints yet? Figures", he huskily teases.

Rayleigh's hand travels from Gaban's hair to his jawline, and his thumb traces his lower lip, pulling it down, asking for entrance.

Gaban draws his tongue out and leans in to suck Rayleigh's thumb.

Rayleigh's next groan is downright sinful, and shortly followed by a full-body shudder under Gaban's intense gaze while his tongue swirls nears Rayleigh's wrist.

Movements and noises eventually stir you up from sleep. You blink awake and look up, and a lazy smile curves your lips. "Hornies", you mumble.

Rayleigh bites back another moan before turning to you. "Says the one who loves morning sex so much that they never want to sleep alone", he gently teases, threading his free hand through your hair.

You draw your tongue out.

Gaban leans in and bites Rayleigh's shoulder.

He winces and glares in return.

Gaban apologetically licks Rayleigh's skin. "What? They're awake, now."

"Does that mean I can join?", you coyly ask, already sliding your hands down Rayleigh's body, reaching out for the obvious bulge underneath his pants.

Gaban huffs a chuckle under Rayleigh's ear. "Told you", he softly teases, "It's always about you."

Rayleigh exhales a sigh, rolling his eyes. Then he turns to you and cracks a smile. "I must be incredibly lucky, then."

One of Gaban's hands reaches out for your bare arm, prompting your attention while keeping his face buried in the crook of Rayleigh's neck. "Maybe, but I think it's the other way around too", he says, drawing his tongue out to lick a long stripe up Rayleigh's skin. He meets your gaze when he reaches Rayleigh's ear and gently nibbles. "Don't you?"

Your smile widens. "Well I think we're all lucky to have each other."

Gaban squints.

You slightly raise an eyebrow, then you continue, "But... Since Gaban wants to prove a point..." You blow a couple of kisses his way. "We're all lucky to have you", you turn back to Rayleigh, "and we're going to show you just how much, right here, right now."

Rayleigh's breath hitches, and he almost imperceptibly snuggles closer to the both of you. "Yes, please?"

[kookie-doughs]

Again And Again

Portgas D Ace X Reader

-Amatsuki Y/N decided to stay in the future without her sister upon meeting a friend’s son.

Chapter 4: How Do I Love Thee?

The first day after Ace's confession, everyone was shocked as to the way he was.

Setting aside the fact he didn't try killing Edward. He was also eating with the crew and having fun. He quickly became the light or the crew.

Not that the crew was boring beforehand, but Ace's addition definitely gave more life to the ship. Not only that, his contribution in battles were also immense.

With your help, Ace's development within the crew of the Whitebeard Pirates took on a transformative path. Your presence and support played a crucial role in shaping Ace's growth as both a person and a member of the crew.

As the days went by, your relationship with Ace grew stronger, deepening into something more personal and intimate. Your stories of adventures and heartfelt conversations about your previous adventures brought you closer, and you found solace in each other's company.

Late nights on the deck of the ship became moments you cherished, as you stargazed and shared your dreams and aspirations. Your presence became a calming force for Ace, and he found himself opening up to them more, sharing his hopes, fears, and vulnerabilities.

As you laughed and teased each other during meals and downtime, the crew noticed the subtle changes in your interactions. You and Ace seemed to share a deeper understanding, your eyes lighting up whenever they caught each other's gaze.

The crew, be it the former Spades or Whitebeard, could sense the growing connection between you two. They saw how Ace's smile seemed brighter whenever you were around, and how your eyes softened whenever you looked at him.

It was evident. You two had a bond, that not even anyone in the past comes close to. One that neither of you were aware as for the cause of it.

One evening while Ace helped you pack for a mission you two were taking, he paused.

"Hey Y/N, tell me... What do you think of Roger?" He says. "Many consider him a monster... a criminal... but as someone who travelled with him." He turned to you. "What are your thoughts on him?"

"He was an incredible man. I've always looked up to him." You laughed, "Don't tell the old man but Roger was my favorite between them."

"Why..?"

"Edward... he was my first taste of adventure. He was the one who gave me a change. But Roger, he was the real adventure. He was a great man, great pirate and an even greater friend. It surprised me when I came to this time and find out he was convicted to such level. He was similar to Edward... except he was stupider. His first mate, Rayleigh, he was the one that kept our captain from being rash."

Ace kept quiet and looked at your pile of clothes.

"You remind me of him." You smile, he froze and looked at you unsure. "He's always stupid prioritizing lives of his family over his. The number of times he almost died was too much for me too count. I kept going back again and again to keep him from dying until we had reached our final destination. He was careless, but that was because he knew he would win. He's never lost."

"He was my father..." He bit his lip trying to keep his emotions in.

"I know." You sit down in front of him, "But you know, you don't have to regard him as your father. I want you to know that you don't have to call him that if it makes you uncomfortable."

Ace blinked in surprise, not expecting the conversation to take this turn. "He's my father," he repeats.

Placing your hand on his head, "You've been comparing yourself to him. Your disregarding yourself thinking you're here for his crimes. From stories you've told me... Ace, you're not your father. And you have a family here in the Whitebeard Pirates, and we care about you deeply. You don't need to carry the weight of that title if it doesn't feel right to you."

Ace looked into your eyes, finding comfort in your understanding and acceptance, "Can I?

"You're an important part of this family," You replied, a warm smile gracing your lips. "You don't have to carry the burden of being related to him. Your identity and worth aren't defined by your lineage; they're shaped by the person you've become. And I think you're a fine man yourself."

"Do you think... pops would react the same as you did?" He mumbles resting his head against your lap.

Combing through his hair, "He probably will... If he doesn't then I'll be your family."

"How did you guess I was his son...?"

Looking up and thinking to yourself, "There wasn't a time I wasn't watching Roger in awe." You laughed and looked at him. "I don't know what exactly it was about you. But I just knew. Just like with Roger, there wasn't a time I didn'twatch you in awe."

~

As the crew gathered on the deck to celebrate your triumphant return, the crew approached you both with a warm smile. "You both did a fine job on that mission," they praised.

The crew erupted into cheers, clapping and congratulating Ace and you.

"You know we've offered Y/N the position before but she's declined it numerous times, but what about Ace becoming the 2nd division commander?" Marco asks.

The crowd cheered louder, agreeing with what Marco had suggested. Ace was momentarily stunned, hardly able to believe what he was hearing. Becoming the Second Division Commander was a tremendous honor.

He leaves your side and went on asking around if people were in fact okay with the suggestion.

Marco comes beside you, "So? Are you going to get married?"

You punch his arm causing him to laugh.

"2nd division commanders tend to fall for a time travelling Amatsuki. They also tend to marry on the ship."

"Haha you're funny." You bump him and walk away.

"C'mon!" He laughed running after you. "I remember back when your sister got married, I told you I was marrying you." He laughed.

"Not happening. " You roll your eyes and walk again only to bump into Ace.

"Hey Ace-" Before Marco can finish Ace drag you away.

"I'm going to talk to pops." He said with a frown.

"Oh- do you want me inside with you?"

Ace looks at you. "I don't know."

"I can be outside and wait for you if you want privacy..."

He wraps his arms around you and puts his face against your neck. You rub circles on his back.

"I can go in if you want."

"Y/N I really like you."

You chuckle, "I know that."

"You don't have to like me back yet but," He lifts his head not letting you go from his hug. "Can you keep your attention to me?"

You blink, "What-?"

His face blushed, "I mean," he pouts. "I wanna be your favorite boy."

Your heart skipped at the unexpectedness from him. Your face flushed and containing your smile was hard. You cover your face with your hand embarrassed by your giddy expression.

"I don't like you with Marco..." He says and buries his face on your neck again.

You bite your lip suppressing a grin. "You overheard him?"

He nods in response not lifting his head embarrassed by what he had just said.

"Dummy, you misunderstood him. He meant to say that he's marrying me, as in officiating the ceremony. He was teasing me because I'm following my sister's steps, she married the 2nd division commander." You laughed.

Ace immediately raised his head showing his face turned slightly red. He felt a pang of embarrassment for misinterpreting their conversation and letting his emotions get the better of him.

"I-I..."

"You don't have to be jealous or worried about anyone okay? All my attention is yours. Now are you gonna talk to the old man?"

He lets you go and takes a deep breath, "You'll wait for me here?"

You nod with a smile. He then head inside the Edward's room.

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Taglist?

@gayer-than-the-gayest-gay @nykie-love-anime @cinnamonrollscafe @sol-d15

[one-idea]

I see that you are also a fellow fan of Ace x Deuce! They are so cute together and deserve nothing but the best to happen for them. A cute headcanon I have about them is Ace learning how to cook Deuce's favorite foods/meals to show his love for the masked man.

We've seen the novel, he called Deuce his treasure and we also saw that none of the spades are very good cooks. Ace would know he's not very good in the culinary arts but he has Thatch to teach him! He's seen and tasted how good Thatch's food is, he wants to be able to make Deuce feel good and appreciated at the end of the day so therefor hes determined to learn one thing that's Deuce's favorite. Thatch and the other cooks think it's so sweet that Ace is committed like this to learn how to cook Deuce's favorite things just to make him happy, how can they not help him?! So they're right there to help the young commander in his mission, showing him what he needs to do and how to do it.

See you get it!

They are adorable. I’m a sucker for captain and first-mate dynamics and I wish we had more of these two. Just more about the spades and Ace’s journey in general.

But this is such a cute idea!

The Spades biggest problem was food. No one on that ship knew how to cook. So when they join up with the Whitebeards I can just imagine the joy at having some good food.

Ace doesn’t eat with his old crew mates right away, as Deuce made the decision to merge with the Whitebeards to keep the crew alive while Ace was still being a murder boy. So Ace isn’t there the first time Deuce gland the others get to eat Thatch’s cooking. There are tears all around.

Once Ace finally stops trying to murder Whitebeard and reunites with his old crew mates they sit down for a meal and just talk about how much better the food is. That this is just one of the benefits of joining up with the Whitebeards. (They’re trying to gauge where Ace is with accepting he’s no longer captain but Ace has already processed that. His crew hasn’t but he’s had time away to think while trying to murder Whitebeard)

So they join up and the time they get to spend together drastically decreases. After all the Spades are all spread out through the divisions. But Deuce is pretty centralized as a member of the 1st divisions medical staff. All of his old crewmates come to him for care but also for updates on each other. Deuce has all the tea and updates the Spades on how their old crewmates are doing when they can’t see each other as often.

Ace however make it a priority to meet up with Deuce at least once a week. Thats his fist-mate, doctor now, and who’s going to tell the 2nd division commanders no? No one. (The other commanders allow it because they have a betting pool on how long it will take for Ace and Deuce to realize they are in love with each other. Also it’s the only way to get Ace to get checked out after a fight/mission. He fights like a rabid dog against any doctor who isn’t Deuce and eventually Marcos.)

So the two of them get lunch/dinner/brunch/midnight snack (whatever time it is when they can meet) regularly. It’s in these meeting that Ace realizes that Deuce has a comfort meal. After a hard shift/battle Deuce gravitates towards one meal in particular. Ace isn’t the only one who notices as Thatch seems to always have a single serving on hand when Deuce needs it.

Ace logs that information away. At the moment it’s nothing more than “Deuce eats that a lot.” But then Deuce has a hard week. He had a lot of insecurities surrounding his ability as a doctor thanks to his father and working along side people like Marcos gives him big imposter syndrome sometimes. (He’s doing a great job. He’s learned a lot and learned fast, but he’s a medical school drop out from a high demanding family, no matter how good Marco’s and the other tell him he’s doing it never feels good enough. He’s always going to feel like the medical school drop out masquerading among real doctors.) on top of that he hasn’t had time to write in weeks and one of his journals got water logged. It’s just a rough time.

Ace finds the journal and is able to dry the pages by carefully heating his hand and hovering it over the pages. He doesn’t look at what Deuce wrote, he knows Deuce can be sensitive about that. (Mostly because Deuce knows he’s writing Ace through rose tinted glasses and is super embarrassed and stressed at the idea of Ace reading any of it.) the two sit together and talk about it as Deuce flips the pages and Ace keeps his hand a safe temperature to dry but not burn the pages.

Deuce tells him about how he’s feeling and how long the week has felt. “I haven’t even made it to the mess hall once this week. I just eat whatever the nurses bring by for us. Which is super nice of them but I’d like to get my own food and just sit for a bit you know?”

And Ace’s brain lights up. Deuce has a favorite meal. That could make Deuce feel better. He suggests going to the kitchen as soon as their done and get some food, Thatch will make that meal if Ace asks him to, they are friends. And Deuce agrees but is pulled away for a medical emergency.

But that’s not going to stop Ace. He heads over to Thatch and asks him about the meal. Thatch is surprised because he knows that Deuce’s comfort food, he’s a chef he notices that stuff. But for Portagas human black hole D. Ace to notice is different. He thought Ace swallowed without looking. But then again he would have to be blind to miss the way Ace looks at Deuce. So maybe Ace is more observant than they give him credit for.

Ace asks about make the meal, he means can Thatch make it, and Thatch hears, ‘teach me how to make my crushes favorite food!’ (He’s hopelessly romantic at heart) but problem. They can’t make that meal right now. He’s missing some ingredients. But they will be at port tomorrow and they can pick up what they need and Thatch will teach Ace how to make the dish.

Ace, who had not until this moment, thought about learning to cook realizes this is a great plan because he can come and make Deuce’s favorite whenever he’s sad, just cut out the middle man, agrees.

So the next day the two set off to get what they need to make Deuces favorite meal.

Problem

One Ace has only ever carved up meat, put it on sticks, and roasted it. He is not prepared for the amount of technical skills the meal requires.

He strikes me as the type to hear “separate the eggs” and push the individual in cracked eggs apart and then ask what’s next.

Thatch is at a cross because is kinda adorable but also so stupid and he can’t laugh because Ace is putting himself out here trying to learn and he shuts down when he thinks people are mocking him.

He almost losses it when the instructions are to beat something and Ace punches his fist to his palm with “that will be easy they won’t fight back”

It becomes significantly less funny when the instruction “roast veggies” comes up and Ace about burns down the kitchen with a cheer “I can do that” and attempts to fire fist them.

Which leads us to Problem 2: Ace is a fire man. Neither he or That h thought this would be a problem but as he’s cooking using the pan he gets nervous about whether or not Deuce will like it, if he’s going to ruin the dish, and his hand heats up without him realizing. The condition of heat transferring from his hand to the pan handle to the pan starts cooking the food at a way higher temperature then what the stove is set to. Leading to several burnt attempts and two fires before Thatch realized the problem.

It’s a day. Thatch didn’t think it could go this badly. But by the end Ace has “helped” to make Deuce meal. (He tried every step and incinerate all of his attempts so Thatch took over cooking and delegated all chopping and stirring to Ace. But the meal is made. It is edible. And Ace is walking it to Deuce.

Except Deuce is on medical shift and can see Ace right now.

That’s fine Ace will wait. So he waits in Deuce’s room using his hand to keep the meal warm. Deuce gets off hours later and is exhausted. When he gets to his room he finds a passed out Ace on his bed with his favorite meal resting on Ace’s stomach. It’s cold now, since Ace lost the battle with sleep a while ago. But it’s still one of the best things Deuce had had in weeks. After finishing the meal, he curls up next to his ex-captain and falls asleep.

When the two wake up Ace gets excited about giving him the food only to realize Deuce already ate it. He proudly tells Deuce he helped make it and the thank you and smile that he gets from Deuce makes his heart race.

When they separate for the day, Ace storms to the kitchen, basically kicking the door open. “Thatch I need to learn to cook!” Because the wants to see that smile on Deuces face all the time. He wants to be the cause of that smile.

Thatch still traumatized from yesterday, but also a good friend and hopeless romantic, agrees. On the condition that they start with simpler recipes.

So Ace starts helping out in the kitchen when he can, and telling Thatch all about his feelings for Deuce. Thatch loves this. He gets to hang out with his little brother and get all the drama while getting help on feeding this over sized crew. A win all around. The kitchen staff loves to tease Ace, it’s tame as they condone want to scare the boy away.

Ace also ends up being the medical staffs favorite delivery boy. He always wants to bring Deuce lunch and Thatch makes him take enough for the other doctors and nurses. It’s always good food, the staff doesn’t have to go get it, and it comes with the free show of watching Deuce and Ace stumble over themselves. A win for the medical staff all around.

As soon as Ace leaves the medical staff descends on Deuce asking when he’s going to put the “poor boy out of his misery.” And ask him out already. Deuce is five shades of red and denying it until some other member of the medical staff jokes “well if you’re not going to do it I will.” It’s a joke. Everyone in the Whitebeards ships the two of them together but Deuce doesn’t realize that.

He leaves that day with his brain full of “if you don’t do it I will.” And the thought drives him a little mad. He knows he doesn’t own Ace, and if Ace wants to date someone he’d be supportive but he’s so down bad for his friend that he can’t even think about Ace being with someone else without his heart aching.

He thinks he just needs the evening to sleep it off and feel better, but Ace runs into him outside of his room. He’s asking some question about if Deuce liked the lunch he made. And Deuce’s can’t take it. Because Ace is always making lunch for him now, sure the rest of the medical team on duty gets it as well but Ace specifically made it for him, not them and definitely not that other doctor.

He grabs Ace’s hand and drags him into his room. Ace is asking what is wrong but Deuce had already closed the door behind them and has whorled around to kiss Ace. His hands reaching up to frame Ace’s freckles cheek. His other hand snagging around Ace’s waist and its perfect.

Until Deuce brain kicks in and he pulls away because ‘omg I just ruined everything.’ Deuce is freaking out.

Meanwhile Ace’s brain melted the moment Deuce’s lips touched his. It oozed out of his ears when Deuce cradled his face and placed his hand on the small of his bare back. It take Ace a hot second to blink back to reality.

It’s Deuce’s “I’m sorry” and for a second Ace thinks Deuce didn’t want to kiss him until “I should have asked before-” never mind his friend? Is just an anxious mess.

And Ace kisses him back, both his hands coming up to frame Deuce’s cheeks. He bad at this he’s to excited and didn’t plan on angling their noses or anything. He just wanted to kiss his friend again.

Once Deuce’s brain kicks back in he has to use his hold on Aces hair to fix their position, pulling back just enough to fit them together better. But doing so made Ace whin and chase after him and why hadn’t they done this earlier?

Oh boy this got away from me.

But thank you for the ask! I hope you enjoyed it.

[practically-an-x-man]

The Eyes of the Storm (Vivienne x Wojchek)

Summary: Mr. Wojchek has always been a superstitious man. When a beast from the sea appears to him, warning him of a storm ahead, his superstitions prove more than simply fantasy. The choice then comes to trust this siren... does it truly want to protect him, or is it simply steering him into a trap to drown him and consume his heart like the legends claim?

Word Count: 4.0k

Tags: action, historical fantasy, first meeting, near-drowning (he's fine lol), sirens, gothic horror

Crossposted on AO3

____

The seas were rough that night. It was enough that even a creature of the deep could not maintain equilibrium, and found herself tossed about amidst the waves. Cold rain struck its skin like a hail of icy bullets any time it found its way up to the surface, and the water below was a turbulent web of wild currents. 

Perhaps a hundred fathoms on, a great ship rocked and canted in the rocky waves. The crew onboard were scrambling, lashing themselves with ropes to the masts for fear of another wave tossing them to the sea. They moved almost like insects, the siren thought, like little ants in defense of their anthill as they fought to keep their schooner upright. A fearsome wave rose high and broke across the deck, sending many of the men off their feet. 

The storm would only get worse from here. If they continued on their current route, their ship would be dashed into the rocks by more of these same waves, and every single man would drown.

It would be quite the feast for a siren.

But Vivienne had a fondness for ships like these. 

It fought through the waves, pushing its sleek body towards the dark form of the ship. It had to fight hard just to remain upright, the currents pushing against it in all directions. It would be easier just to dive to calmer waters and wait out the storm, and briefly she was tempted - this was not the first storm-struck ship she’d seen, nor would it be the last - and yet she chose to still press ahead. 

Finally its pale hand found the cool, slick planks of the ship’s hull, and the siren skirted around to the stern. It knew schooners like these, perhaps not as well as it knew barques or freighters like its husband had once sailed but well enough at least to know where the wheel would lie. The only trouble was reaching it, what with the deck some thirty feet above and rocked by the same rough and ceaseless waters. 

The currents could not make up their minds. They wanted to push her away from the ship and they wanted to slam her into its side. It was near-impossible to maintain her hold on the hull, even harder to imagine reaching the deck or the men who stood upon it. 

Above the roar of the winds and the intermittent boom of thunder, she could hear the panicked shouts of the crew as they fought to keep their ship upright. Then there came another voice, stern but keeping reins on its fear, commanding them to keep their wits if they were to survive. It was a good strong voice, surely belonging either to the captain or his first mate, in either case a man who had dealt with many such storms and was not prepared to balk at another.

Her husband had been such a man, many years ago. Soon it became clear that his wife was not exempt from the callousness to which he showed his crew, nor from the violence he screamed at the ocean when it dared to turn against him. He had little respect for the people aboard his ship, even less respect for the waves that carried it onward.

“Brace! She is angry with us tonight!” 

Another wave tossed the ship, tipping its nose nearly skyward before crashing back against the water. Vivienne was plunged beneath the surface and spun, half-blind in a whirlwind of bubbles, and fought its way back to the ship as quickly as it was able. The crew aboard were still scrambling, that sterner voice above still pushing them onwards- but he was not angry at the sea or his people. He was harsh, and he was brusque in the way that so many sailors were brusque, but it could hear the respect that laid below that fierceness. He trusted his men, and he respected the sea.

That made the difference. 

If he had been like her former husband, she would have let him drown.

A fresh wave tipped the ship anew, and Vivienne leapt from the water with a single powerful pump of its tail. Her fingers found a grip on the railing that outlined the deck, and she clung to it as the ship continued to rock. Finally it equalized, if only for the moment, and she pulled herself up and onto the ship. Magic bloomed both around and within her, transforming her image as she reached the deck.

Pelted with water from the storm, it took an arduous effort to persuade the illusion to take form around her. In a way, it didn’t matter - a woman appearing aboard a ship in the middle of the storm would arouse suspicion in any context - but perhaps the image of something human would give them pause long enough to heed her warning. 

The ship still bowed and rocked beneath it, and Vivienne was forced to cling to the rail for fear of being tossed back to the sea. The wheel was just ahead of her, a dark-haired man wrestling it for control of the ship. He’d been doused with water, his hair and clothing slicked to his skin, yet he hardly seemed to notice even his own physical condition. His breath plumed in a fine white mist as he shouted commands to his crew, and delicate droplets of moisture clung to the stubble on his jaw. His eyes were dark and sharp and focused, in some strangely alluring way.

“You!” Vivienne dared to shout, in the hopes of making him turn, “Hello! Handsome man with the beard! Look here!”

Finally he turned, and she watched those sharp eyes assess her over the course of only an instant. Suspicion clouded his expression. His knuckles were white on the wheel.

“Phantom.” he spat, “Specter. I will not have your omens on my ship.”

Another wave crashed across the deck, and the man muttered a chain of swears under his breath. His attention was soon returned to the wheel, and he wrenched it against another swell. 

“You are headed for the worst of the storm,” the siren continued, shouting over the roar of the wind, “Your ship will sink. Change your course or you and your crew will drown.”

“I will not listen to your curses,” the sailor hissed, this time refusing to even meet her eyes. His mouth continued to move in near-silence in the moments that followed. Vivienne caught only a few words she recognized, but the language itself was familiar. 

Her husband had used Polish as a vehicle for profanity. He’d often used English as a vehicle for profanity as well, but the truly heinous words were often held in his native tongue. He seemed to think that represented etiquette- as if those that did not speak Polish somehow could not tell that they were profanities from only the tone of his voice.

This man seemed to be praying. He asked his Lord for safety in the storm, to clear his mind of distraction and purge his ship of phantoms. It was quite a different tone of voice than she was accustomed to, but she understood the meaning well enough. 

“Posłuchaj mnie.” Vivienne hissed, and his head snapped towards her. It spoke perhaps a dozen words of Polish by its own tongue, and many of those words merely echoed swears from its former husband’s tirades, but it knew enough to get his attention. “Listen to me. Call it an omen, but the storm will not change. I am offering you a warning.”

“You offer lies.”

Vivienne could only sigh. She had done her duty and more, risked her privacy and safety for a man she did not know, and that man refused to heed her words. There was nothing more it could do to convince him. 

“Very well. If your men drown, I will eat their hearts,” she promised, finally allowing the rain to melt away the illusion around her. Lightning flashed above it, briefly illuminating rows of violet scales as it lifted its tail over the railing of the ship. The sailor’s eyes widened as he took a half-step back - his fears confirmed, his supposed phantom proven to be something far worse. Vivienne refused to duck away from his eyes, fixing him with the full promise of what it was.

She clung to the railing a moment longer, keeping her body steady despite the raging waters and the vicious rocking of the ship. 

“Do not let them drown.”

____

It should have fled.

The first mate - as it later learned from the voices of his crew - did not heed its warning. The ship continued on its path into the storm, and the winds howled like tortured souls. It was a lost cause, she thought, the ship and all of its men would prove just another casualty of the sea.

In truth, and despite her promise, Vivienne did not want to eat the hearts of the crew should they drown. Something had endeared them to her, in some small and indefinable way, and it did not wish to spill their blood into the water even if the storm did claim them.

It should have left, and left the ship to its fate. 

But instead it pushed ahead.

Even in roughened waters, Vivienne easily matched the speed of the ship. She followed the underwater shadow of the hull, swimming at a depth low enough to avoid the worst of the waves. The shouts of the crew were buried at this depth, though thunder pulsed through the water with enough force to rattle her bones.

It was a vicious storm indeed. She was surprised the men had even made it this far. In truth that impressed her: with a storm like this to spar with, it took a well-oiled crew to keep the ship moving forward. They would fight their fate, if nothing else. That was a noble thing.

Something hit the water hard, plunging deep and fighting to orient itself amidst the tumultuous underwater currents. The water rose high above it, grabbed it tight and dragged it lower, and Vivienne watched the body flip head-over-heels. She pumped her tail and surged closer - now close enough to recognize the face of the first mate.

He was a clever enough man, at least. Rather than continue to spin and flounder, he merely exhaled and then began to follow the path of the bubbles. It was a common seafarer’s trick: the ocean could appear dark on both sides, the surface identical to the depths, but air would always rise.

It only took a moment longer to realize his cleverness would not be enough. He was deep underwater, the waves only hindering his chances to surface, and the impact surely shocked much of the air from his lungs. Vivienne watched his movements slow and falter as he used the last of his breath, still eight feet or more from the surface. 

His crew would not reach him before he drowned. She doubted the crew could even pinpoint his location beneath those dark and churning waters.

It had promised to eat his heart if the waters claimed him. That was the nature of a siren - to charm men into the waters and eat their hearts. This would be easy prey. 

Vivienne twisted in the water and pushed ahead, gliding through the water as quickly as it was able. She caught the first mate around the middle, the weight of his body falling against her shoulder, and lashed its tail against the added resistance. She broke the surface only a moment later, bursting from the water with a spray of silver droplets and landing hard on the deck of the ship high above.

“Stubborn man,” she hissed, dragging itself across the deck as the first mate began to hack and cough, “I told you to heed the storm. You did not take my warning. You are lucky you’re still breathing.”

He managed enough air to lift his head, and gave the siren a long look through dark, bloodshot eyes. His chest still heaved for breath, and his body was pelted with sheets of rain as they cast over the deck, but his eyes were strangely steady as he looked at his rescue.

“Next time,” Vivienne hissed, baring rows of sharklike sharp teeth at him as it spoke. The time for charm had long fled. Now it was inclined to frighten him into understanding. “Next time, when you are told of a storm, you listen. Or there may be no more rescue for you.”

She arched her back and lashed her tail, acting the part of some vicious animal, reminding him of what she might have done had she not chosen mercy. She looked at him with her devil’s-eyes, bared him another shark’s grimace, made herself into the most inhuman thing she could muster - if kindness could not drive him from the water, perhaps fear would. It had shown him its humanity, but there was something far more monstrous that lay beneath.

The first mate did not speak. His expression never changed. It was not fear, but neither was it gratitude. Vivienne could not begin to glean his thoughts. Perhaps that was for the best.

The ship rocked with another wave, and she allowed herself to slip from the deck. There was a single flash of colorful scales against the darkness of the water below, and then her form was swallowed by the depths of the sea.

It was as if she’d never been there at all.

____

Mr. Wojchek had resumed his place at the helm. The ship had survived the storm, as had all of its crew, though his throat still felt roughened and hoarse from its intake of seawater. Night had fallen heavy around him, and he had sent much of his crew to bed. They were exhausted from the storm, and needed a night’s rest if they were to conduct good work in the morning. The waters had calmed enough for him to manage on his own, he said, and he’d sound the alarm if any further issues arose.

In truth, he simply wanted to be alone.

Wojchek had known all his life that there was mysticism in this world. He had believed it since he was a boy. His mother had told him of pixies in the garden and trolls beneath the bridge, and he’d taken in those stories as a kitten laps up a bowl of cream. As he’d grown, he witnessed stories from many a seaman when they brought their ships to the docks - leviathans, they said, great sea-beasts larger even than their ships, visible only by the massive swells of their fins as they crested the water. They told of wailing phantoms, lost brides and drowned children, ghostly slaves dragging waterlogged shackles.

And they told him of sirens. 

For all his history and all his superstition, Mr. Wojchek had never once expected to see such a beast face-to-face. They existed in separate worlds in his mind: what he’d been told, what others had experienced, and what he had seen himself. 

He had thought, for a time of several hours at least, that he might have imagined the whole incident. Once he returned to the wheel and his mind became focused again on keeping the Demeter on its course, the events seemed to fade into something like a dream. He’d fallen from the ship, yes, but it must have been a crewman who pulled him from the water. The impact, and the water in his lungs, had simply clouded his memory. There was no sea-beast with violet scales.

He had turned the thoughts over in his mind for half the night, but he simply could not convince himself of it. He’d fallen far from the ship, and the waves had knocked him about until he knew the others could not have seen nor reached him. He remembered the feel of the siren’s skin, soft and smooth like that of a skate, and the glinting fish-scales of its tail under the water. And he could not forget its words. He could not blame that on his own mind.

Mr. Wojchek looked out at the sea beneath him. The water was dark and calm, as if the storm had never happened. Such was the way of the sea. 

“Siren.” he said, careful not to wake the crew sleeping below him. There was no response but the lapping of waves against the hull of the ship, so he tried again, perhaps a little louder: “Siren.”

He was met again with silence, and found himself almost hoping for that silence to continue. It would be easier this way. It would be easier to believe his superstition was still unfounded, and he would reach port with nothing more than a story to tell another impressionable boy on the docks.

More minutes passed, accompanied by nothing more than the lapping of tides against the hull and the subtle creaking of the masts as the wind picked up, and finally Mr. Wojchek determined it time to concede. The siren was gone, if it had ever really been there to begin with. 

A soft splash left the water, hardly any more than the rest, and then he heard a gentle thump from the deck behind him. He turned just in time to watch the illusion of humanity ripple across the siren’s figure, its tail folding inwards and its ice-blue skin warming to a soft pink blush.

She sat on the deck with her legs folded beneath her, looking at him with pale blue eyes. A water-drenched skirt covered her legs, but she was completely bare from the waist up. Her hair was long and ginger, somehow soft despite the saltwater that plastered it against her skin. Her expression was placid, almost friendly, though he suspected that was as much an illusion as the rest of her. 

“I do have a name, you know.” she said, and her lips curled up in a faint smile. Mr. Wojchek merely scoffed. He returned his eyes pointedly to the sea ahead of him. He had heard that a siren could bewitch a man with nothing more than a song from its throat or a glance at its eyes, and he had no intent to be bewitched on this night.

“I have no interest in learning your name,” he responded with a voice still rough from seawater, “I only wanted to thank you for your rescue. Nothing more.”

“You don’t want to learn the name of your rescuer?” it asked, though it pressed on before he could protest, “They call me Vivienne.”

Her voice had drawn nearer, and he risked a glance to find her upright and standing merely a few feet from him. She began to pace the deck in lithe, careful steps, slinking in a half-circle until she blocked his view of the horizon. Something about the look in her eyes made him want to shiver. He thought of siren magic and ducked her gaze once again.

“And they call you Wojchek, do they not?” she continued, heedless, “I overhead your crew. I presume that is your surname.”

“It is.” He’d keep things brief. He had granted his thanks, and he would move on. Soon this beast would see there was nothing more for her here.

If there was some small comfort in this very unnatural circumstance, it was that he did not feel he was in any real danger. After all, why would it have plucked him from the sea if it meant to hunt him down and consume his heart merely hours later? Tomorrow, he thought, all truces might vanish. Tomorrow was a new day. But today it had the chance at prey and had not taken it, and he doubted it intended to harm him here.

What it truly wanted if not to hurt him, though, Mr. Wojchek did not know.

“What is your first name, then?”

A brittle laugh broke from his lips, and he shook his head. 

“Oh, no. I know these tricks. I will not give my name out to a creature of the sea.”

“This creature rescued you from the sea, if you remember,” the siren replied, and crept nearer until she had a hand on the wheel and was looking him right in the eyes. She was tall, merely a few inches shorter than himself, and that brought them to eye level. He couldn’t look away.

“I don’t ask any other reward for your life,” she said, “Just your name.”

Mr. Wojchek considered this. He did not trust such a proposal - he had heard countless stories of witches performing curses with a man’s full name, and sirens were close enough to witches. He felt that this could be a trap, another way to snare him in her magic. He was too clever a man to be entrapped in such a way.

But by the same token, he feared refusing might come with its own set of consequences. If she did not receive his name, she might demand more. His life, or the lives of his crew. And if he refused that deal… sirens were the storms of Poseidon. He could not afford the god’s wrath, least of all when the Demeter had only narrowly survived the last whirlwind.

The Demeter was his home. Its crew were his brothers, in duty if not in blood. If the choice came between his own safety and theirs, he would fall on the sword time and time again. The siren was correct: it could have asked much more in return for saving his life, and his name was not such a large price to pay in the end. 

“Antoni,” he said, “Antoni Wojchek.”

“Antoni.” The siren seemed to approve. His name fell heavy against its tongue, and its lips curled again in something like a smile. Much as he distrusted the illusion she had cast over herself, she had a pleasant smile. He supposed again that that was the point of a siren. He was meant to be charmed by her. He was meant to be drawn in. Physical attraction was the trap they all utilized, and he knew this was no different. She was a predator, a shark, and if he gave her the opportunity, she would consume him.

He would not allow himself to be swayed. He would not give in to her charm.

Vivienne nodded and took a step back from him, creeping back towards the railing of the deck. The illusion began to melt away in ripples, her skin losing its luster and her eyes fading to a pearlescent silver-blue. Her gaze pierced him with something uncanny, with no split between the irises and the whites of her eyes, but in some strange way it was also a comfort. There was more transparency in it, less trickery, and he felt as though he saw it truly for what it was.

She leapt over the railing in a single graceful motion, and then he heard a stronger impact against the hull of the ship. Wojchek resisted the urge to step towards her and steal a glance - he knew enough what he’d see, a broad fish-tail covered in scales of violet and crimson, and he did not wish to be dragged into the water for his curiosity. He caught a glimpse of a fin, soft and feathered as it peeked above the railing, and the siren offered him a tricky half-smirk at his intrigue. It had the railing propped under its arms, holding itself in place for one final moment.

“I pray I will see you again soon, Antoni.” it said, and dropped out of sight. Mr. Wojchek listened for another sound, for the waters to rise or the ship to lurch in another storm, but no other sound came to him. He took a deep breath of the cool nighttime air, hoping to steady himself after such a strange interaction. His mind was reeling, and from more than simply fear.

Finally he whispered his response to the night, in prayer or in promise.

“I pray I will not.”

[priestessame]

Salt Wife

Beidou x Fem! reader. FEM AFAB READER

Warnings: longing, the reader is in denial, some fluff one shot.

"You can be my first mate! Deal? Ha? Such names are too outdated for you huh? We'll call each other whatever you wish then."

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You stared at the endless blue for the last time. One would think your stomach would take to the ocean kindlier today, now that it was your last day on board, but of course, it didn't.

All it took was a soft lurch and it had you pressing down the rising bile in your throat.You spun away from the railing, wincing as you pressed a palm to your wind-beaten face. Few more hours. You reminded yourself. Just a few more hours and you'd be rolling in grasslands before sundown.

The curx lurched suddenly and you lost your footing. Feet skidding on the slippery boards as you yelped sliding on all fours.

"Easy there!" Someone called out. The next thing you felt was a strong grip, pulling you up on your feet like picking up a stray kitten. You pushed your hair off your face, looking up at your saviour.

"Are you okay kid?" Juza asked, his bushy eyebrows knit together with concern.

You jutted out your chin, "I'm fine." you replied, trying earn back the dignity you had lost after mopping the floor with yourself.

He gave you a fatherly grin, "takes a while to get used to the sea, that one over there was wobbling like a fawn for weeks before he got used to it."

You knew who he was referring to even before you looked, simply because he had pointed up, towards the lofty masts of the ship kissing the clouds.

The young inazuman's feet dangled from the navigator's post, swinging to an invisible rhythm. As usual, his eyes were lidded. You frowned at his expression of absolute ease. You couldn't help but feel jealous at how easily he could fall asleep there.

Not that you had any of that privilege. The wretched sea would not let you catch a moment of peace. Tossing you around in your little hammock until you couldn't help but hurl your insides out.

Even when you tried to make yourself useful on board, you were only met with irritation. The floorboards were always wet, growing things in crevices you had missed, like barnacles eating away at a turtle. They regrew no matter what you did, no matter how hard you scrubbed at them, squatting for so long your thighs screamed in pain.

It was as if the ocean had realized you were an outsider, a pest, and now was hell-bent on squashing you out.

After all, you weren't meant for the ocean. You were raised to tread mountains and open fields. To run barefoot on ground that doesn't shake and rumble. The most water you had seen was knee-deep. So if anything, just the thought of limitless depths, where you couldn't feel the earth under your feet scared you shitless.

You dragged yourself back to your feet just as the ship lurched again. Your knees buckled again, someone swore loudly and laughter erupted from the upper deck. Great now your clothes were all soapy

"Land Ahoy!" someone yelled out and your heart leaped. Sure enough among the clouds, you could see the odd peaks of juyun karst over the horizon. Finally. Finally.

The thought of home eased you tremendously. You had been on the ship for over a week now. Longer at sea than you had been on inazuman land. You had only gone there to find more materials that you could use as dyes, not knowing just how long the trip would keep you from home.

Your permit was about to end when the storms erupted. Sudden torrents so powerful that every ship including the one you were supposed to be on, decided not to set sail. There was no way you could afford to extend the permit, so when the young man named Kazuha offered you passage on the crux, you jumped at the opportunity.

You should have known that only a ship that could rival thunderstorms would harbor a captain that was lightning personified.

It was bad enough that the ocean made you queasy, so you did not want another someone here to throw your mind for a toss, make pits in your stomach and have you biting your tongue.

You tightened the grip on the railing. You couldn't tell if it was the thought of home or something else that made you tear up.

The ocean spray seemed to be eating away at your mind too. Clinging on like barnacles that you just couldn't scrape out. You couldn't wait to be back home, back with your parents and maybe then things would actually go back to normal.

Your parents had been simple people, devoted to their beloved Rex Lapis. But fear had ruled their faith, and so they hated the ocean. Given its natural history with the archon, it wasn't odd they felt so. The ocean was chaotic and unsteady. Constantly churning out calamity after calamity, harboring demons and monsters and all kinds of nasty beings.

"You find a man that's steady like a rock." They would say. You find a rock. Steady, strong and reliable. And you settle down.

Obviously, their thoughts had affected you, in every sense, you were honed to live on the hills. Knees scraped from climbing mountains and calloused feet from treading fields, raised to stand on earth that never trembled. Meant to find a man steady as a rock.

Steady, strong, and reliable.

But to temper the ocean, you had to be built differently.

Like the captain.

At first you thought it was envy that made your gut twist as you saw her. Envy of being that free. Envy of being so untamed, that it made the monsters lurking in the deep blues quiver with jealousy. You realized you couldn't stare at her too much. Every time you did, your mind would begin to drift, focusing on small things.

Like how she always had a beckoning smile, one corner of her mouth slipping tipsily. How her skin tanned, blotched with light hues of red, fading into brown, like patches of red hydrangeas had erupted across her body. Your eyes would trail the faint scars rippling across her toned arms.

You wondered how far they went, if you could trace them like lines on a weathered map.

The sound jostled you out of your trance. Her laugh breaks through your thoughts like sunlight through thunderclouds.

You blushed furiously. If it was that easy for her to distract you, The fathomless ocean must have started to make you delirious.

Just the thought of it had sent your mind spinning.

The first time you had seen her, her gaze had made you squirm in your spot. There was an underlying danger to it, like licking food off knives, or playing with flames until it finally smites your fingers. You had known in that moment; you had earned the captain’s curiosity.

And you doubted even Rex Lapis could help you with this situation.

Your interactions with the captain had been brief. But every second had scorched itself in your mind. You had known there was a pull you felt, envy and fascination and something more, mired into something you dared not give a name.

When you had lingered overboard longer than you anticipated. Night fell quickly bringing a chill that made your teeth clatter.

Like when she offered you her flask, moonlight washing over her crouched figure.

You hesitated for a second, wondering if you could really keep it down at all.

Beidou read your gait, “It will help with the cold.” She replied.

You seemed to consider this. One of the sailors beside her moved, offering you his place, and you took it.

The floor boards creaked under your weight as you sat down beside her.

You regretted saying yes the moment you tasted the booze.

It's strong. Stronger than any wine you had back home. Just one sip and its choking smell clogs your nose. You splutter out the drink, coughing.

Beido laughs as you reach for your skirts, wiping your mouth, embarrassed at how much of an idiot you looked like.

“Easy there” someone laughed, “You need a strong stomach for the sea.”

Beido’s chuckle echoed with the rest. You are caught off guard as her thumb brushed against your chin, wiping away the faint dribble of wine. Your stomach drops when she brings it to her lips and licks it off her thumb.

Her reaction was as nonchalant as yours was flustered,

The captain of the crux shrugged, "Can't waste good wine, can we?"

She pinned you with that same smiting gaze,

That was all it had been, the fleeting ghost of a touch. The captain was swept away immediately after, leaving you still standing there. You knew it was more than just fascination when it was a touch that simple that left you sleepless at night.

It was the smallest interaction, but it you tumbling back underboard, you twisted in your hammock, pulling your extra clothes to cover your sea-sprayed skirts that never dried, dreaming of tangled limbs and mapping stars on her skin.

The night only got colder as you lay awake, you might just be in love with the captain. no biggie.

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"So you're leaving?" She asked.

Your gut wrenched as you pulled your eyes off her. Forcing your legs to move, "Yes." you replied.

Her cranberry eye settled on you. You averted your gaze at once, still can't read her.

“Running away from the sea?” She jibed. “Or running away from me?”

"That's not-" You started, but the stupid ship lurched again. You huffed angrily as the luggage you were holding slipped from your grip, stumbling forward.

Beido hoisted one bag up easily.

“I’m just going home.” You completed.

“After all,” You murmured, “You can’t really run away from the horizon. It just chases you regardless.”

Every day all you wanted to do was jump off this darn ship, but something today grounded you to your spot.

You let out a gasp and too much happened in a fraction of a second, you slipped again, maybe you didn't but the next thing you felt was her arms around you, hoisting you up from being thrown overboard. Your fingers dug into her shoulders.

It hit you in that moment, how badly you had craved her touch.

“No hard feelings love, just that I can’t have regrets.” She said.

You skipped a breath and she drew you in. You went in willingly, caving under her touch. Someone gave out a low whistle and the stupid boat lurched again, but you couldn't care anymore. The world closed in on you as her lips crashed into yours.

She tasted like wine and honey and you could smell the sea salt on her skin. At that moment the world was in your hands. Nothing in your life had felt this right before. The warmth of her tongue on yours was overwhelming.

Your body felt languid, and fluid. Every time you had dreamed of this moment you thought you would freeze. Your body going still from the shock. But your body reacted naturally, feet finding the unmoving ground you had longed for.

For all the morbid mountain in your soul, you matched her with a passion and fire you didn't think you could conjure. She chuckled under your intensity, your teeth gashing lightly.

You could taste the ocean in her mouth, her fingers curled in your hair, tugging you towards her slightly.

When you pulled away, your mind was still foggy.

"Go" She rasped out.

The answer shocked you. Her cherry eyes looked at you with so much affection, you felt sea-legs all over again.

Archons, you wanted her, you needed her.

"What?" You choked out. Suddenly realizing where you were, how your baggage leaned against your leg, and where you were supposed to go. You felt lightheaded.

Her breath fanned against your face, "Go, run to your mountains." She breathed into your hair, calloused fingers running down your arms.

Like the ocean kisses the sky at the horizon.

"I'll chase you down regardless."

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[carewyncromwell]

“I wasn't looking for this, but now you're in my way.”

x~x~x~x

featuring Darian Zain @kathrynalicemc (yes, this is almost entirely for her and me, so sue me 😜) and referencing the crew of the Empyrean @thatravenpuffwitch @sirfluffig @oneirataxia-girl

x~x~x~x

In the 1930′s, the Wizarding World was in turmoil. With the rise of the Dark wizard Grindelwald, many lived in fear of what another Great War -- this time one waged with magic -- could look like. It’s unsurprising, therefore, that many sought an escape from those fears -- and one of those things that provided such an escape were the tales circulated of Jules Aquila, his crew, and their ship, the Empyrean. 

The Empyrean was a ship that British wizard Jules Aquila had stolen from a Muggle museum back in the 1920′s and enchanted to fly, so that he and his associates could take flight across the world. And sure enough, the Empyrean had known its fair share of adventures, questing for the likes of long-lost magical sights like Atlantis and Dolorous Guard. However much the magical governments of the world gave the flying ship a very critical side eye for flirting so frequently with breaking the Statute of Secrecy, most mainstream wizards and witches were enchanted by the rebellion, adventure, and romance encapsulated in the crew’s lifestyle. 

Although Jules Aquila was and would inevitably always be the most famous of the Empyrean’s crew as captain, however, that didn’t mean that other crew members didn’t get their fair share of glory. Aquila’s best mate and quartermaster Kath Alton was purportedly one of the most talented magical engineers on Earth, while his first mate, Desiree Lestrange, had been a well-regarded Cursebreaker for le Banque Decristaux before abandoning her cushy position and lifestyle to set sale with the sky Captain. There were also much more interesting, but less provable rumors circulated -- those of Aquila having recruited a wanted thief to his crew in exchange for keeping him from getting arrested; those of Aquila having stolen his beloved pet occamy from the infamous French magical gangster Claude Macnair; even those of a certain crewmate with large, eagle-like wings sprouting out from his back like some mythical angel. Some stories claimed the winged crewmate was a wanted man, though others still -- even more wild -- claimed he was descended from royalty, or even a Djinn. 

One story Darian Zain hoped would never be passed around him, though, was the time that he flew right into the window of a Muggle airplane. 

The Empyrean had been traveling up the far-eastern coastline of the Americas, on its way up toward Greenland. Desiree had determined that there might be some magical Viking settlements in the area, and Jules was eager to investigate. On the way, though, the crew decided that they’d have to stock up for a journey so far north, not just in the essentials like food and water, but more importantly, of warm blankets and clothing. Most of their crewmembers weren’t used to such cold temperatures, after all -- especially not Darian, who grew up in a much hotter desert climate. So, in preparation, Desiree and Lugh had gone to the wizarding village of Gravesville, right in the heart of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, so as to fetch some of the magical supplies needed, while Kath and Felix went into the “Muggle” side of town to pick up the more mundane kind. Once the others had purchased everything they needed, Darian then played “carrier pigeon” and flew it all back to the Empyrean. 

Many people in Darian’s place might’ve been a little resentful of having to play the role of an owl just because he had wings -- but the runaway prince honestly was eager to help. After nearly an entire life of being locked up indoors with nothing to do, it was fun to get out and actually do something. And it was kind of cool, to be needed for once. He’d become rather fond of his crewmates, over the years, and being given any kind of responsibility made Darian feel included in a way he hadn’t really known at home, when his father the King kept him so cloistered away from everyone else. Lugh, Kath, and Felix had taught Darian a lot about weapons, ships, record players, magic tricks, and lockpicks -- heck, even Jules had taught him how to navigate using the stars, if he ever got lost. And even though the ship’s resident taskmaster Desiree always gave him a lot of chores to do, Darian knew that was just because of her own strong work ethic. From what Darian gathered, he’d also reminded Desiree of her younger brother upon first meeting, due to how privileged their upbringings had been...and frankly, after having met the spoiled, pigheaded, self-absorbed blood purist that was Marius Lestrange, Darian hated the thought of ever being the least bit like him. 

At least Desi should have enough to make a good meal, once we’ve all gotten back to the ship, Darian thought to himself with a smile. Maybe she might even make some naan, if I make really good time?

This thought cheered him up significantly. Desiree had first learned how to make naan while they were traveling through Iran, and she’d taken to baking some as a treat sometimes, whenever Darian’s work had impressed her. The fresh bread always made him think of home. 

The satchel on Darian’s back was heavy. He moved to adjust it, only to have to fumble a bit to keep it from opening and its contents from spilling.

“Whoop -- !”

He shifted the satchel around in his arms, latching it back together a bit more tightly as he flew. 

“There we go,” he mumbled with a smile, as he tossed the satchel back over his shoulder. “Now then...back to it -- ”

WHAM.

Because Darian hadn’t been looking where he was flying, he didn’t see the thing whose airspace he was entering until it was far too late. 

His head pounding with pain, Darian tried to orient himself, even as it felt like his world was spinning. 

He’d hit something -- what had he hit? A wall? A wall of glass?

Blinking rapidly even as colorful stars winked in front of his eyes, he could feel the thing he’d collided with shifting downward. There was something moving behind the wall of glass -- was that a person?

Darian flapped his wings, trying to fly back a bit so he could get a better look. Unfortunately when he did, he found his right wing was having trouble straightening out.

“Ow -- ow -- !”

Pain pulsed through his wing as he flapped it. He tried to lean more on the other to support him, but when he did, he could feel the satchel sliding over again. In trying to catch it, he lost his balance, and suddenly he was falling right through the air. 

“WHOA!”

Darian lashed his arms out, securing the satchel of supplies close to his chest so they wouldn’t fall out. He tried to flap his wings, thinking to slow himself down -- but his right wing was throbbing in pain -- he must’ve sprained it --

Blinking rapidly, Darian tried to focus. The ground was coming up fast -- way too fast -- !

He lashed an arm out desperately, his eyes focusing blearily on the ground even as his head pounded with pain. 

“Come on -- ” he choked. “Come on -- stop falling, stop falling -- stop, stop, stop, STOP -- !”

A burst of air abruptly puffed out of his hand. It wasn’t enough to stop Darian from falling, but it did partially counteract the pull of gravity, blasting him ever-so-slightly upward again. As fate would have it, it was just enough to hoist him up onto the wing of the weird, red-painted metal thing that had dived down to try to catch him. 

Darian looked up, startled.

I’ve seen one of these! he realized, recalling a picture in a book he’d read a piece of over Desiree’s shoulder one day. It's one of those...‘aeroplanes!’

Through the hard glass window, Darian could see a pilot dressed in a brown leather hat and coat and thick goggles, who gave him an encouraging smile. 

“Hang on!” the pilot shouted over the sound of the plane’s propeller. His voice was husky and laced with a strong Boston accent, but his lips were upturned in a rather handsome smile. “I’ll go in for a landin’!”

Stunned and still nursing a throbbing headache, Darian did what he was told, clinging onto the edge of the wing for dear life. The plane glided down much more smoothly than he’d expected, and within moments, with a light bump, they’d collided with the ground. The pilot then parked the plane safely on a hanger set up in the open field. 

Darian carefully eased himself up onto the edge of the wing, stretching out his right wing as best he could. 

“Ow...”

He winced, only managing to spread it half the way out before the pain stopped him. Yep -- definitely a sprain. 

The plane window opened upward, and the pilot hoisted himself up and out of the cockpit onto the lower wing just below Darian. 

“Uh...hey!” he called up. “You all right up there?”

Darian straightened up abruptly. 

“Yeah!” he answered at once, almost on impulse. 

I will be, anyway, he thought more sheepishly. Once I can brew myself some Wiggenweld Potion, back on the ship...

Darian’s stomach sank. 

The Empyrean. How was he going to get back up to the ship, if he couldn’t even fly? He hadn’t even thought to bring any healing potions with him, just in case something happened...

The pilot’s handsome smile broadened a bit as he slipped off his goggles. His beetle-black eyes were long-lashed and sparkling. 

“That’s a relief. You hit my window pretty hard...I thought for a minute I might’ve killed you...”

Darian laughed. “And I thought for a minute I was going to die, until you caught me! Thanks for that!”

“No problem,” said the pilot brightly. “I mean, heck -- s’not like I coulda just let you fall, could I?”

He paused. His dark eyes ran over Darian’s face, along his shoulder to up at his right wing. 

“...Are...are those real?” he breathed after a moment. He seemed enchanted. 

Darian blinked. Oh, right -- for a split second, he’d almost forgotten that his wings were anything strange. But hey, was that surprising? His wings were a bit weird to wizards, let alone to a Muggle like this pilot was -- or at least, he figured it must be weird: he’d never talked to a real Muggle before...

This thought was like a two-by-four to Darian’s head.

A Muggle. He’d been seen by a Muggle -- a Muggle was staring right at him, at his wings -- !

“No!” 

Darian choked out the word like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar. He quickly tried to fold his wings, even as his right one spasmed with pain. 

“No, no, they’re -- uh -- mechanical!” he lied quickly. “Like your aeroplane! Lots of gears and metal, underneath all the feathers!” 

He laughed weakly as he tried once again to fold his wings over his shoulders like a cape, holding his right one in both hands to try to mitigate the pain pulsing through it. 

The pilot blinked slowly at him, his expression becoming much more amused. “...Really?”

“Yeah!” said Darian, his mouth spread into a very nervous smile. “They’re completely normal! Just like me -- normal and Muggle as can be -- ”

Wait -- Muggles don’t call themselves Muggles, do they -- do they use No-Maj -- ?!

“ -- I-I mean...just a normal mug, you know -- that’s me. Heh...”

His voice sounded pathetic in his own ears. He had to sound like a complete idiot! 

Rather than looking suspicious, however, the pilot only seemed to smile broader and more sincerely than ever. He seemed almost charmed. 

“Well...any normal mug I reckon would be a bit shaken, fallin’ outta the air like that,” he said. He extended a gloved hand to Darian. “Here -- lemme help you down.”

Darian blinked, a bit confused. Then, hesitantly, he accepted the hand. It was smaller than his, but the pilot held his hand securely as he helped Darian down onto the lower wing, before they both climbed back down to the ground. The pilot was the exact same height as Darian. 

The embodiment of tall, dark and handsome, the prince thought amusedly, reminded of Kath sarcastically using the same term for him, when the crew of the Empyrean had to go undercover at a masquerade party and a bunch of the ladies had abruptly all started flirting with Darian. 

Once they’d made it back to solid ground, the pilot took off his helmet at last. A wave of beautiful, long black hair swirled out, cascading around the pilot’s face like ocean water.

Darian blinked in slight surprise. Seemed he’d been saved by a tall, dark handsome female pilot. 

Cool. 

Several more planes flew over their heads. The pilot watched them, her dark eyes narrowing a bit. 

“Here,” she said lowly. “Best hide those away, ‘fore anyone else sees...”

She leaned over the edge of her plane and took out a blanket from inside the cockpit, wrapping it quickly around Darian’s folded wings on his shoulders. 

“Oh, uh -- thanks,” said Darian sheepishly. 

The blanket was small enough that he’d have to keep his wings completely folded, to hide them under it. He glanced over his shoulder at the planes soaring overhead.

“...Who are they?”

“The other cadets,” said the pilot as she put down her helmet on the wing and worked to tie up her hair into a messy bun. “They’re all pretty swell, honestly, but that don’t mean they pro’lly wouldn’t flip a bit, seeing your... ‘mechanics.’” She shot another furtive look skyward. “Best be gettin’ on.”

Picking her helmet again and tucking it under her arm, she then gave Darian a smile. 

“Are you hungry?” 

Darian was startled. “Huh?”

“Well, I did knock yeh plum outta the sky,” she said good-naturedly. “Reckon I really should apologize proper for that. My car’s just ‘round the corner from the hanger, we can always drive out and grab a bite. Then maybe I can drop you somewheres, so you can make your way home...”

Darian rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably as she started to walk across the field and he followed along close behind. “Well, uh...that might be a bit hard, I mean...I’m not really from around here...my crew and I are just passing through...”

“Could one of your buddies come and pick you up somewheres?” asked the pilot in concern. 

Darian considered this. Truthfully, all he really needed to get airborne was a healing potion...or just the ingredients for one -- he could more than brew it himself. And even if he obviously couldn’t brew anything in front of his new Muggle friend (this thought made Darian feel a bit giddy despite himself -- he’d made friends with a real-life Muggle!! Not just that, but a fly girl!!), he could probably manage it somewhere a bit more magical...like Gravesville! 

“...Well, there’s a place in Philadelphia...my friends were shopping there, just a little while ago. I could meet them there.” 

Gravesville would have owls, right? Darian thought to himself. 

The pilot smiled. “In Philly? No sweat! That’s just over the river from Camden...I can drop you off there, after we eat.”

Darian’s face lit up. “Great!”

They reached the pilot’s car. Darian for a minute couldn’t help but just walk around it, entranced. It was a bright and shiny ruby red, with a lightweight black roof propped up by metal rods, and it had two spare wheels mounted to either side of its nose, almost like decoration. 

“You like her?” asked the pilot. 

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Darian. “Her, I mean...”

He was reminded of how Jules always called the Empyrean a “she” -- he’d said that all ships were called that. 

I wonder if all vehicles are ‘she’s?’ Darian wondered to himself. 

He beamed at the pilot. “She’s beautiful!” 

The pilot couldn’t bite back a proud smile as she flushed a dark red. 

“Old Apple’s kinda old-fashioned -- I got her second-hand,” she explained bashfully. “But I was able to fix her up some, ‘round my studies.” 

She opened up the passenger door, extending a hand to invite Darian in. Once he sat down inside the car and had put his bulging satchel gently down on the floor, she darted around the other side and began to unfold the car’s top and stow it away. It seemed clunky to do -- the top made a lot of weird noises when it was tamped down, and Raye had to twist and smack parts of it just to compress it, but she did it with such little fuss that it seemed like an inconvenience she was very used to. 

“I just realized -- I haven’t introduced myself!” said the pilot with a sheepish smile. “The name’s Raye -- Raye Davies. Short for Rachel -- but really, just Raye will do.”

Darian beamed. “Pleased to meet you, Raye! Darian Zain -- that’s what most everyone calls me.” 

Raye cocked an eyebrow at him as she smiled. “‘Most everyone?’ Well then, I guess I’ll follow suit.”

Climbing in herself and closing the door, she put the key in the ignition and turned on the car, making it rumble to life under Darian. The noise and movement startled the prince, but only to the extent that it made his tanned face light up with excitement -- a reaction that made Raye’s face seem to glow that bit brighter too. 

“Now, then...hm...” Raye mumbled thoughtfully. “Reckon we can’t be strollin’ on in to any diners: you’d look weird, bein’ all wrapped up in a blanket. And some joints ‘round here can be right rotten to ‘out-of-towners’...”

Her black eyes then lit up with a thought. 

“Ever been to the park-in theater, up in Pennsauken Township?” she asked.

Darian blinked. “No.”

Raye's face lit up. “Oh, it’s the berries! They just opened it a couple months ago...but the dames there just come right up to your car, take your order, and then bring it on back to you, so you don’t miss any of the movie...”

Darian racked his brains. He’d heard of movies -- the Empyrean’s ship doctor sometimes talked about one of his friends who made those for a living...what was his name, ‘Fawcett’...?

“Sure, they don’t play anythin’ that great and the sound quality’s kinda bum,” Raye rambled on a bit more awkwardly. “But well, folks don’t really get outta their cars there, so no one’ll pro’lly look at you funny if you’re wrapped up in a blanket. And even if it’s cheap, their food’s still pretty jake. Whaddya say?”

For all of Raye’s insecurity about the place, Darian seemed perfectly undaunted. The idea of such a new experience excited him to no end, so when she asked his opinion, he answered both immediately and brightly. 

“Sounds like fun!” 

Raye beamed, visibly relieved. 

Once she was sure Darian was holding on securely, Raye put the car in drive and stepped on the accelerator, driving off down the road with speed. 

Darian had to grab the blanket around his wings before it flew off with one hand and hold onto the bottom of the car’s window frame with the other, but the speed still made his heart race and his chin-length dark hair flap in the wind. He couldn’t stop himself from giving a loud “WOO!” over the air loudly rattling in his ears. 

~*~

Raye drove Darian up to Pennsauken Township, into the quirky new park-in theater. The vendors there sold lots of candy, popcorn, and chips, alongside all the soda pop, ice cream, and hot dogs. Raye had offered to treat Darian, which turned out to be a big mistake, since Darian immediately went hog-wild and bought absolutely everything available.

“Guess I’ll be havin’ beans for the next week,” Raye muttered to herself as she handed over her hard-won earnings to the vendor.

She found she couldn’t be too upset, though, seeing how excited Darian was when the vendor handed him the full contents of her tray. Even the pretty woman giving Darian a sassy wink only seemed to make Raye smile grow amusedly, particularly when the winged young man brightly accepted the assortment of snacks, completely oblivious to the woman’s overtures. 

“Wow,” Darian said excitedly. “Look at them all! There’s so many...”

Raye’s black eyes sparkled a bit when they squinted. “Yeah, there’s a lot more selection, closer to the bigger cities. Easier to ship and store stuff in bulk here...”

Darian considered this. “...I guess that makes sense...”

He’d had dessert almost every day, when he’d still been at home -- it wasn’t as common that he got to have it on board the Empyrean, since they were so on-the-go. The rareness of it hadn’t really disappointed Darian, though -- if anything, it made those sweet treats that bit more special, not to have them every day. Plus he’d gotten to try a lot of different sweets than he’d never had previously, and most of them were great! Except for meringues -- Darian was still baffled that chalky-tasting stuff was somehow considered edible.

He curiously rifled through the different colorful wrappers, reading them one by one. Babe Ruths, Twizzlers, Twinkies, Fritos, Lay’s Potato Chips, Tootsie Rolls, Goobers, Milk Duds, Ritz crackers...

“I’ve never had anything like this before,” he admitted. 

Candied fruits and dates were much more par the course, where Darian was from. In fact, Jules and Kath had only just given both him and Desiree a crash course in commercial magical sweets like Sugar Quills, though Darian took to them much better than Desiree did. 

Darian looked up at Raye eagerly. “Which one should I try first?”

Raye considered this. 

“...Well, d’you like chocolate?” she asked after a moment. 

“Yeah,” said Darian. “I’ve had Cauldro -- I mean, chocolate cakes before...they’re great!”

If Raye had heard his slip-up, she paid it no mind. Instead she merely smiled.

“Maybe a Tastykake would be good, then!”

She took out a tiny cupcake with chocolate wrapped in plastic, taking it out and handing it to Darian. He took a bite, and was startled when along with the chocolate cake, he tasted a sweet buttercream filling.

“Mmm!” he said. He licked his lips of it quickly so he wouldn’t make a mess and beamed at Raye. “This is delicious!”

Raye grinned seeing how happily Darian devoured the cake. He then proceeded to pick out another similar-looking yellow pastry in a wrapper labeled “Twinkies” and unwrapped it. When he bit into it, he was once again delighted when it was full of creamy filling.

“Mmmm!” 

Raye laughed. “You like it?”

“Mm’yeah!” Darian said with his mouth full. He then quickly swallowed, wiping his mouth bashfully. “I mean, yeah!”

Raye only laughed harder, which made Darian laugh too. 

“Here,” said Raye, her face a bit brighter than before as she reached into Darian’s pile and snagged a small handful of unlabeled wrapped brown candy squares, “try the caramels next -- those are my favorite.”

The caramels were indeed pretty tasty. Darian enjoyed how chewy they and the candies called “Tootsie Rolls” were. He also really liked the Mallocups, Raisinets, potato chips, and popsicles. He was fine with just one bite of the black licorice -- he ended up washing it down with some Coca Cola, which was probably his favorite thing of the entire night. He’d never had anything so bubbly before, nor anything that simultaneously tickled his tongue and nose so much, and when it made him belch more loudly than he ever had in his life, both he and Raye couldn’t stop laughing. It even prompted Raye to -- upon several people in other cars shooting Darian disgusted looks -- gulp down quite a lot of soda herself, just so she could belch just as loudly. It ended up being hilarious accompaniment to the cheesy monster movie playing over their heads on the projector screen. 

When the movie was finally over and they’d had their fill of all the food they’d ordered, it was already night. Raye put on a fedora, wool coat, and gloves for warmth, and then she drove Darian over the Delaware River into Philadelphia. 

Darian directed her to the street corner around which lay the wall that obscured the magical borough of Gravesville and asked her to drop him off there. When Raye parked at the street corner, though, she suddenly looked incredibly unsure. Her shoulders had become very tense. 

“Are...you gonna be all right from here?” she asked hesitantly. 

Darian gave her a reassuring smile. “Oh, sure! I know where I’m going.”

Once he was in a more magical environment, he could heal himself without anyone paying him any mind...

He glanced down at the blanket around his shoulders.

“Oh! Here...”

The exiled prince made as if to take it off, but Raye quickly threw out a hand to grab his and stop him from taking it off.

“Don’t!” she said quickly. 

Darian blinked. Raye flushed a bit as she withdrew her hand.

“It’s just...folks will see you,” she mumbled self-consciously. She glanced around at the various passerby anxiously. 

“Well, yeah,” said Darian with a frown. “But you said it’d look weird, if I was walking around with a blanket on. And you need it back, don’t you?”

“I can get another one,” Raye said very quickly and dismissively. 

She kept looking around, almost shrinking a bit against the steering wheel. It was almost like this neighborhood made her nervous, for some reason...

“Are you all right?” Darian asked, concerned. 

Raye forced a smile. “Well, sure -- just...just don’ come down here that much...”

She tried to brush off her nerves, putting on a slightly braver expression.

“...Just...go ahead and keep covered, ‘til you’re back with your crew. Reckon they’d be able to protect you from anyone who might give you grief for your...mechanics.”

Her eyes flitted down to Darian’s folded wings obscured by the blanket around his shoulders. Darian glanced down at her blanket around his shoulders and then back up at her, offering her a slightly gentler smile. 

“You didn’t give me any grief for them,” he pointed out. He smiled a bit sheepishly. “I thought you might actually -- I’m sure you’ve probably never seen a flying man before...”

Raye smiled self-consciously as her eyes fell down to her steering wheel. 

“I’ve seen weirder,” she said dismissively.

Not letting Darian press her further, she changed the subject, forcing her smile that bit more.

“Well, um...it was nice meetin’ you, Darian Zain,” she said formally. “Best of luck gettin’ back to your crew.”

“...Thank you...”

Darian felt himself deflating a bit despite himself. Guess this really was the end of this weird little adventure, wasn’t it...?

Picking up the satchel up off the car floor, he hoisted it up over his shoulder again and put on a braver, more sincere smile. 

“...Raye? I know I just said it, but...thank you. I haven’t really ever been able to go out and just have fun with people that much, and...well, this day was one of the best I’ve ever had, in my whole life.”

He grinned.

“I had a lot of fun! The ride-in was great, and Apple’s a beautiful car -- and you’re a pretty swell friend. So thank you.”

Raye blinked, taken aback by the winged man’s sincerity. Then her black eyes grew a little smaller, sparkling with a bit more fondness.

“...You’re welcome.”

She paused.

“...Hey, um...if you ever end up ‘round here again, you can always look me up, near Camden Airfield. I’m there most days, and just about all the pilots there know me -- even the ones who don’t think lady-folks should be flyin’ planes,” she added with a wryer smile. Her confidence then faltered a bit as she rambled on, “We could always go for a drive somewhere else...we could go to Newark and visit a brewery -- maybe even go to Steel Pier, if there’s time...”

Darian’s grin spread so wide, it nearly took up his whole face.

“Yeah!” he said, thrilled. “I’d like that!” 

Raye’s face flushed happily as she beamed. 

“Great,” she said, her voice a bit breathy despite herself. Her black eyes crinkled up to make room for the big smile on her face. “Well, um...see you ‘round, Darian.”

His face still bright with his big grin, Darian waved with his hand not holding his satchel. 

“Bye, Raye!” 

And with this, he departed around the corner, right up to the enchanted wall leading to Gravesville. Tapping the three left-most bricks with his knuckles, and then kicking the lowest right with his foot, the wall suddenly became as translucent as mist, and Darian slid right on through. 

~*~

As fate would have it, Desiree and Lugh had gone back to Gravesville to look for Darian, after he didn’t return to the Empyrean. Desiree scolded Darian in both English and French for worrying them, and Darian was very apologetic, not just to Desiree, but to the others when they all returned to the ship. Kath ended chewing Darian out even more than Desiree did, especially after Darian told them about the new friend he’d made.

“You seriously just climbed into a complete stranger’s car and drove away with her?” said Kath, flabbergasted. “It’s a bloody miracle that you haven’t gotten yourself killed, with how blindly trusting you are...”

 “She waz only a Muggle, Mon Ami Alton,” said Desiree lightly. “I doubt she would’ve been able to ‘urt Monsieur Zain zat much, even if she tried...but even zo.”

“Don’t underestimate Muggles, your Worship,” Lugh reminded Desiree. “They can be just as helpful or dangerous as any of us.”

“Well, fortunately, it sounds like this one was helpful!” Jules said optimistically. “So we can be thankful for that, at least...”

He smiled at Darian. “Just be more careful next time, all right? Felix, Kath and Desi were all really worried about you.”

“Don’t put words in my mouth,” Felix and Kath shot back in nearly perfect unison. It made Lugh, Darian, and Jules all burst out laughing and made Desiree fail to bite back a smile. 

“I will,” said Darian, smiling slightly as Jules’s pet occamy Zephyr flew up to nuzzle his shoulder affectionately with his beak. 

Definitely should make sure I have some healing potions on me, when I travel alone, he thought to himself. 

~*~

After Darian had left the street corner, Raye stayed parked off to the side for about a half-hour, just in case he reemerged needing more help. It was just as she was about to head out that she caught sight of a familiar face rounding the corner with several other people -- that of a dashing dark-haired man with a pointed chin and nose and sparkling black eyes, dressed in an unusually flowing suit not unlike robes. 

At the sight of Raye, the man stopped mid-walk, staring at her. His eyes were very critical. Raye met his gaze head-on, but her attitude was not hostile or even confrontational -- on the contrary: her posture seemed to shrink a bit against her steering wheel again, even as she stood her ground and stared at him. 

The people around the man glanced over at where he was looking, curious. Muttering something to them under his breath, the man quickly steered them away, shooting another cold look back at Raye as he went. 

Raye looked down at her own hands on Apple’s steering wheel, sighing quietly through her nose. 

It was so much less uncomfortable when the MACUSA was still back in New York City, rather than in Philadelphia...

 At least Seph showed his face after Darian left, Raye thought to herself uncomfortably. 

She didn’t even want to think of how many questions Darian might have, if he’d figured out she had the same last name as the new Head of the Federal Bureau of Covert Vigilance and No-Maj Obliviation...nor how much grief Joseph would give her, for entertaining a clueless foreign wizard with a set of giant wings he couldn’t even hide from Muggle view...

With a cringe, Raye shifted the gears of her car and, with one last look over in the direction of where she knew Gravesville was hidden, she drove off, back over the Delaware River into Camden, New Jersey. 

[blackflcgs]

Continued from here ( x ) @petrifiedcrange

He'd tried to slip unseen into Izzy's cabin, but there's no shortage of eyes on a ship and so he can't be certain he wasn't noticed. He hopes not. It wouldn't send a great message, not that it matters so much for Edward as it does for Izzy. If he's perceived as getting screwed by the captain it could cost Izzy the crew's respect. It's fucked, but it's just the way it is.

Ed's done what he can to mitigate some of that. Pirate crews don't usually have first mates. It's an appointed position after all, and the done thing is for pirates to elect their officers, the captain included. Edward had bucked that expectation in his attempt to demonstrate that Israel Hands' authority is second only to his own, and then he'd let the men go about voting in their quartermaster as a sort of compromise. Show of good faith or whatever.

Early days to tell if it's worked. It's why Edward hasn't come to him at night since the mutiny.

But Edward sleeps like shit without Izzy. His slides easily under Izzy's arm and rests his head on his chest, already feeling content just to be with him. "You're feisty tonight," Ed bounces back easily. It's nice to fall into their banter. Edward can feel their dynamic shifting ever since he'd taken command. He's not sure he likes it.

"Not big on sleeping without you." Is he allowed to admit that? Whatever. He's figured that was always implied anyway.

Still, 'your quarters' this, 'your cabin' that. Ed has a hunch that bit isn't just their usual banter. "Easy way to make those captain's quarters ours, you know."

Izzy has a brain between his ears so Edward trusts he doesn't have to spell it out. A matelotage would mean they share assets, quarters counted amongst those. Matelots bunk together. It wouldn't raise eyebrows at all. It would mean they can proxy for one another during votes in the event one of them is incapacitated for whatever reason. Everything about it would help consolidate their power at the top where Edward wants to keep it. Clever way around all the politics bullshit.

Ed anchors his arm around Izzy's waist, getting comfortable. "Just saying."

[gildedmuse]

Happy Birthday to Zoro! Just know that if Law ever met you Zoro before Luffy, you would have been on his crew. That, or else Law would have a rivalry with Luffy because you 'stole' a potential shipmate.

"That, or else Law would have [more of] a rivalry with Luffy because you 'stole' a potential shipmate."

FTFY.

I would argue that anyone who came across Zoro would keep him, especially if they came across him the same way Luffy did.

[Law comes across this and he is just like, "oh, look, and he's even already tied up for me and everything."]

I mean, here is this insane young swordsman who is also insanely loyal, who once he's accepted you as his captain is pretty much bonded to you for life and will - within the week - take a stab wound in his side for you.

[Mihawk comes across this and is like, "It appears this little bunny has already been tied up for me."]

He's strong, determined, fearless, with and incorruptible code of honor and sense of duty without letting it weigh him down. He's protective and caring and despite occasionally coming off as grumpy or apathetic, doesn't actually hide his love for his friends and isn't ashamed by it or thinks of it as weakness.

[Doffy would comes across this and just laugh. How kind of these Islanders to tie the boy up for him and everything!]

He has all the perfect traits for a first mate: stubborn and cocky enough that he's not utterly dependent on his captain, but will still follow them into any situation without a second's of hesitation.

Oh, also, he's like super cute.

[Luffy looked at that and said, "HEY MY NAME IS MONKEY D LUFFY AND I'M GONNA BE KING OF THE PIRATES! I'm gonna untie you know because your basically mine, kay!?" And so it was from that day forth.]

So, yeah, everyone should have a Zoro! (I guess Rogers and Kid kind of have one.) Though Law could especially use one.

Not because his crew isn't deeply loyal or anything, just I mean, look at him. Oh, Law can think up plenty of ways to use him.

[Zoro could also just drag Trafalgar's stupid ass out of, say, suicidal plans to throw himself at a Shichibukai because of the man who wanted him to live. Just saying.]

Happy Birthday Zoro-ya!!

(as well as all the other Zoros out there, no matter which captain you're most definitely sleeping with)