#I like the idea of these two getting to swim

[aleixis]

— ᗩᑫᑌᗩᖇIᑎᑌᗰ ₊˚.༄

0.6k words

fluff   request   probably ooc rin   googled shark facts >:3   

when it comes to dates, rin prefers nice dinners at a restaurant or movies at home, not crowded areas. but you are you. you are his girlfriend, and anything you want to do, he’s willing to try once. but when you bring up how your friend gifted you two tickets to a local aquarium, and that it would be a waste to not go, rin hesitates.

though he could have told you to regift them, he knew that would disappoint you. he saw the amounts of shark and other marine merchandise in your room. hell, your room was themed like it was under the sea, and so was everything you owned. so, rin holds his tongue and smiles, agreeing that it would be a great idea. rin would much, much rather not walk around a fish exhibit with crowds upon crowds and running children squealing.

but, when he sees the sparkle of joy in your eye when you recognize a marine animal, the smile on your face widening as you excitedly list facts about the animal, rin can't help but feel warm inside.

“–and, rin! did you know that sharks actually feel like sandpaper?” you tell rin, your eyes glittery. rin hums in response and smiles, letting you go back to your rambling. you gaze at the penguins one last time before grabbing onto rin's hand and dragging walking with him towards the next exhibit.

as you two reach the next exhibit, you smile with giddiness.

"look, rin!! they have a touch tank set up– we can pet lemon sharks!" you run over to the tank, waving rin towards you. rin smiles, your excitement infecting him as well. you and rin listen to the aquarium worker's instructions carefully before settling your hands into the cold water, fingertips brushing against the rough skin of the lemon shark. you smile with giddiness, snapping some pictures that you'd post later.

"they do feel like sandpaper," rin offhandedly remarks. you turn your head towards rin, your eyes lighting up.

"how'd you know that!"

rin mumbles under his breath, "you told me just now, remember?"

you smile to yourself– you always knew rin would be listening to you, even if it didn't seem like he was.

the employee informed you, as well as the other children at the touch tank that their time was up, and to enjoy the rest of their day. rin handed you a paper towel from a dispenser nearby to dry your hands before enclosing them in his.

"where should we go next?" he asked. "there's a shark section nearby, do you wanna go there?"

you smile up at rin and swing your arm. "yeah! let's go!!"

rin holds your hand in his as he walks with you to the shark exhibits, stopping in front of the main tank and display of the aquarium. in the tank were multiple species of fish and other marine life, but the most eye-catching was the whale shark. your grip on rin's hand tightened, your smile widening.

"oh my god, rin! it's a whale shark! i didn't know they had them in here, look! it's so cool, right? look at the patterns on it's back, it's so pretty!" you exclaim excitedly, the familiar spark in your eyes reappearing.

rin feels a warmth in his chest blooming ever so slightly. he looks up in the same direction you are and remarks, "yeah, it is pretty."

you giggle at his response, like you always do. his gaze shifts from the swimming whale shark down to you, still admiring the shark.

"i think you're more prettier, though.”

bonus content !

"hey rin, where'd you get that keychain from?" charles asks innocently, pointing toward rin's sports bag. a small shark-shaped charm hung from his sports bag's zipper, staring back in all it's cute glory. rin scowls in response, snatching the bag from charles' view. unfortunately, he was one step too late.

"huh? keychain??"

"i bet it's matching with your girlfriend– you never have cutesy things."

"i wanna see! i wanna see!"

choruses of voices flooded the PXG locker rooms, all too invested in rin's keychain. he slams his locker and storms out, his face hot.

"shut it, you lukewarm bastards!"

tysm for the request nonnie hope u enjoyed this !! if u think the bonus part is too similar to the bonus part for my sae fic you'd be correct !!! i wanted to include a keychain part so that's why ^_^;; thank u for ur time reading and make sure to reblog comment & follow 4 more bangers :3 !! luv u all mwa <33

taglist : @why2277 @koffeekat @skullvgirl

[justwinginglife]

At The End Of Life

Having a boyfriend is great. Unless he has a huge bounty on his head and you're just trying to enjoy one date without him getting killed.

“Baby, I love you. I really, really do love you. But next time you slam a guy’s head through the table, could you at least move the dessert out of the way first?” 

Rafayel rolled his eyes in mock annoyance, but a grin was tugging at the edge of his lips. “Hey- I bought you another slice of cake, didn’t I?”

With the tip of your shoe, you nudged the unconscious man off of the splattered remains of your dessert. “And what if I wanted that slice of cake in particular?” 

Rafayel tilted his head to examine his handiwork before smirking at you. “That slice is occupied. Besides, I bought you a bigger slice to make up for it, so hurry up and forgive me already.” 

You sighed dramatically. “Unfortunately, Mr. Rafayel, the girlfriend bylaws clearly state that no forgiveness shall be issued until a satisfactory date has been had, and so far, the aforementioned date has not been on par with company standards.”

He snorted in response. “Thought I hired a bodyguard, not a lawyer. Alright, I’ll see your ‘company standards’ and raise you one ‘romantic boat ride’ across the lake, how’s that sound, cutie?”

You beamed at his suggestion, clapping your hands excitedly. Then you cleared your throat, reassuming your professional demeanor. “After careful consideration, your proposal has been accepted by the council. You are free to proceed with date activities immediately following this approval.” 

Rafayel chuckled, shaking his head slightly, before holding his hand out to you. “Then would the invited party please accompany me to the docks?”

After paying the bill, paying for the broken table, and boxing up your leftover dessert -still paying no mind to the unconscious hitman lying on the restaurant floor- Rafayel was finally ready to lead you to the next part of your date. 

As you made your way down the dock, you giggled to yourself, thinking about the last time the two of you had been in a row boat together. You were honestly surprised he’d proposed a boat ride after he almost didn’t survive the last one. But maybe this time he’d learned how to properly work a boat, maybe this time you wouldn’t have to swim your way back to shore. Either way, you were sure to have a lively time. 

When he paused in front of a yacht, holding his hand out to help you up the steps, you froze. “What happened to ‘romantic boat ride on the lake’?”

He gave you a sly grin, tilting his head teasingly. “But isn’t the ocean just like a really big lake? And a yacht is just a really big boat.” 

You laughed and took his hand, letting him lead you aboard. “I see you learned from your past mistakes.” 

He straightened defensively, lips pursed into a slight pout. “I have no idea what you’re talking about; I just wanted to take my girlfriend for a ride on my newly acquired yacht, that’s all.” 

“No puking this time,” You teased, poking him on the nose as you settled beside him on a lounge chair. 

“I would never puke! I’m not a puker.” He whined, crossing his arms. 

You pinched his cheeks. “No, no, you’re right. Not a puker. Just a really big baby.” 

He swatted you away as his ears tinged red. “Hey, cut it out! Besides, doesn’t today’s date make up for that… incident?” He looked over at you hopefully. 

You curled up against him and watched the city shrink from view. “It does, baby. It really does. This is lovely, thank you.”

For a moment, he just held you in silence, enjoying the warmth of your body against him, as you drifted further out to sea together. The sunlight danced on the waters, and the fluttering breeze gave you an excuse to hold him tighter. With one hand, he played with your hair, and with the other, he fed you a plate full of chocolate covered strawberries. It was the perfect date. 

And then he set the deckhand’s hair on fire.

It wasn’t until the man dove head first into the ocean in a crazed attempt to put out the fire, screaming bloody murder the whole way, that you noticed the gun he had been holding, having clattered to the deck amidst all the chaos. 

You sighed. Is everyone trying to kill us today?

Rafayel simply munched on a strawberry as he watched the scene before him play out like he was doing nothing more than snacking on popcorn at a movie theater. He even had the audacity to call out his score of the man’s dive like he was some judge in the Olympics, “Boo, poor form. 4/10! Try arching your back more next time!” He waved at the man bobbing in the water as the boat took you further and further away. 

“Another strawberry, cutie?” He thumbed at your lip to get you to open wide.

You waved him away. “I don’t know how you can think about food at a time like this, I mean, what in the hell is going on today? This is the third person to attack us in, like, the last two hours. Are we even going to survive a full date?”

He shrugged and popped the strawberry that was meant for you into his mouth. “We’ll be fine, cutie. Besides, the bounty on me is so little, I highly doubt it’s enough to tempt anyone else to give it a shot, I mean really, only 24 million, that’s all I’m worth? What lousy, cheap-”

“I’m sorry, DID YOU SAY BOUNTY??” 

He scratched the back of his neck. “Did I say bounty? Is that what I said? It’s so warm out here, I think I may be getting heat stroke.”

Your eyes narrowed. “Rafayel-” You warned.

“-And the waves are loud, the birds are loud, the breeze is loud, can you even be sure you heard me right?”

You pinched his arm. “Rafayel!”

“Yeah, okay, alright! So what if I have a bounty on my head? Can’t help it if I’m in high demand.”

You flicked him in the forehead. “No, your corpse is in high demand.”

He feigned injury, bringing his hand up to shield his wounded forehead. “Yeah well, corpse or no corpse, it’s still me they want. Your boyfriend is a high value target, I’ll have you know.” He straightened in his seat, almost sounding proud. No, not almost. He was proud.

“You know what I highly value-” Another man approached from behind but you’d already shoved the last strawberry into Rafayel’s startled mouth before smashing the metal fruit tray down on the man’s head. He crumpled to the floor with a thud and Rafayel smirked at his unconscious figure as he licked chocolate off his lips. He’d never been more in love with you in his entire life than he was right now. “-I value my life. I value your life,” You continued to lecture Rafayel as you handcuffed the man to the railing, “-And I value someone who knows how to hire legitimate staff. I mean seriously, when you were picking employees to man the yacht, was it a prerequisite for them to have murderous intent on their resumes? How did you hire nothing but mercenaries?”

He shrugged. “Blame the economy- do you know how hard it is to find good boating staff on such short notice?”

You face palmed. “Rafayel, honey, you can’t blame the economy when you’re literally rich.”

“Global warming then?”

“It’s a good thing I love you.”

He grinned from ear to ear. “Try to remember that, yeah?”

He didn’t make it easy for you. 

When you had to literally hold the Captain of the ship at gunpoint to turn around and take you back to the city because, surprise surprise, he was also a hitman who was hired to send Rafayel to his watery grave out in international waters, you muttered to yourself over and over again, “I love my boyfriend, I love my boyfriend.” When you finally docked in the harbor, called for a cab, and then had to beg said cab driver to wait just a moment longer because your boyfriend got distracted by a person selling flowers on the sidewalk and wanted to buy you a bouquet as an apology, you rolled your eyes and shook your head laughing to yourself, “I love my boyfriend, I love my boyfriend.” When you picked through the flowers in the car ride home and noticed a strange gadget tucked in between the stems just in time for the three of you to jump out of the cab before it blew up, you explained to the cop who took your statement, “You see, I love my boyfriend, I love him, but-”

12 assassination attempts later, after swerving buses, after poisoned glasses, after clumsy sniping, the two of you finally made it back to Rafayel’s house with almost all your limbs intact. Almost. Rafayel claimed he sprained his wrist during one of the scuffles so badly that you were now required to hold his hand for “support.”

You wanted to call him on his BS.

But there was just something about 12 assassination attempts, on your boyfriend’s life that put things into perspective. You were expecting to grow old with him. You were expecting to wake up to him whining about where he last put his dentures or hear him whizzing by in his wheelchair and race after him in your walker. You were expecting rings and wrinkles, cradles and coffins, all with him. So it could’ve been 12 assassins after him, could’ve been 13, could’ve been 100, could’ve been 1000- didn’t matter the number; you weren’t letting anyone take him from you, not when he still owed you a lifetime. If the Grim Reaper himself knocked at the door, you’d kick him to the curb. Try again in another 80 years. 

So if Rafayel wanted to fake injury just to hold your hand, you'd hold his damn hand. If he wanted to run into the line of fire, you'd keep pace.

At the end of the day, Rafayel was still yours, and at the end of his life (his very, very long life), you’d still be his: that was your prophecy and that was your promise.

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The End! Thanks For Reading!

Author’s Note: I have a headcanon that Rafayel totally knew he hired hitmen to man his yacht but he was like, "But the chef makes the best food though. I can only hire the best for my baby, who cares if he tries to kill me on the way? And the captain is the best at navigating the waters, what if a storm comes on? Who cares if he’s an assassin, he’s a damn good driver." Rafayel isn’t worried in the least, he knows he’s stronger than all of them and could take them down in an instant if needed. He’s just surprised that you’re the one taking them down. With a fruit tray, no less. And it was hot. Maybe he wandered into trouble 12 more times just to see you jump in to protect him. So hot. 

Taglist: @pixelcafe-network @minasfwoopyponytail @tbaluver @ouiouimochi

[love-at-first-sight-23]

Gorgeous ✧˚ · .

JJ Maybank x Reader

“Ocean blue eyes, lookin’ in mine. I feel like I might sink and drown and die” ࿐࿔

Inspired by Gorgeous by Taylor Swift

Warnings: MDNI. Contains sexual content, cursing, mentions of alcohol, toxic (ex)boyfriend, fluff in the mix, ideation of cheating, underlying manipulative JJ

Summary: You’ve always been attracted to JJ Maybank. But the fact that you can’t have him kills you more than he knows.

You were sitting on your phone texting as usual. Lazing around, arm draped around the arm of the couch as you chatted to your friends and scrolled through social media listlessly. Liking posts and rolling your eyes at girls bragging about their all-around-boring lives.

Sure, there were more productive things to be doing. You could be doing chores, washing the dishes, or hanging out outside. But really, who cared? It was a still day in summer, a day where most Kooks and Pogues alike would be enjoying the weather by surfing and swimming. All you felt like doing, however, was pretty much nothing.

Your boyfriend was nowhere to be seen as usual. The last time you’d seen him was that morning, after he waved goodbye without so much as a “See you, babe,” or a kiss on the cheek. When he’d be back, he hadn’t mentioned. You knew, though, that it wouldn’t be until late that night.

He still acted as though he cared about you. In the evenings he’d tell you he loved you, and that he needed you. But you always found yourself questioning those words even as he fucked you in the bedroom.

You couldn’t remember the last time you enjoyed having sex with him.

You were planning on going to the boneyard party tonight. Hang out with your friends, maybe grab a few drinks. What you weren’t anticipating, though, was seeing one person with sandy blonde hair, blue eyes, and tan skin. That person was JJ Maybank.

And yes, he was heading over to you now, a plastic cup in his hand. He held the cup out to you, saying “Hey there. Care for a drink?”

You were distracted by those deep blue eyes. “I, uh…” 

“Here, take it. It’s on the house,” he placed the cup in your hand, winked, then walked away. You saw him rejoin his group of Pogues around the campfire. 

“What’s between you two?” Your friend asked teasingly with a raised eyebrow.

“Nothing,” you said, rolling your eyes. But you knew that wasn’t quite true.

It wasn’t like you and JJ were strangers. He always said hi to you when he was around, and you would occasionally engage in informal conversation.

There was something about him though. Something that made you turn your head every time you saw him. You knew it was wrong. You have a boyfriend, you scolded yourself sharply.

But you couldn’t help it. He was… handsome. No, that wasn’t it. He was gorgeous. Indescribably so. That’s why you always found the picture of those mesmerizing ocean blue eyes trapped in your head, never leaving you alone.

There was one thought that bothered you. You didn’t know if he had a girlfriend or not. You’d seen him around Kiara Carrera, the Kook-turned-Pogue girl with long brown hair and olive skin. Had she already taken him? But what if she hadn’t? For some reason, the idea of him being entirely free for the taking left a sick feeling in your stomach.

Because no matter if you wanted to be his or not, you couldn’t. You already had a boyfriend, a couple years older than you. Whichever way you put it, you had been dating for nearly two years. Even considering cheating on him was out of the question.

It made you angry. How JJ Maybank was allowed to be this gorgeous and get away with it. You had to stop thinking about him. Period.

That’s what you tried to convince yourself as your boyfriend pounded into you on the bed later that night. 

“Good girl,” he muttered in your ear. “Fuck.” As you looked up at him, you saw that his eyes were emotionless as usual. You felt a sinking feeling that wasn’t unfamiliar. Should you ever believe that he loved you?

You were at a party again. Except this time, it was at a Kook’s house, the property so big it reeked of money from a mile away.

The main room was so big you were sure it was equivalent to the ballroom of a castle. The Pogues were all here— why the hell were the Pogues invited?— but it seemed the entirety of the Outer Banks was here. Girls and boys were all dancing to the music underneath the disco ball hanging from the ceiling.

You had worn a black sparkly dress tonight, along with a pair of heels. After a while of catching up with others, you stood to the side of the dance floor, pouring yourself a glass of champagne.

“That looks good. Wanna grab me one?”

You turned around, and there was JJ again, good-looking as ever. 

You smirked at him. “You should get one yourself. Be careful though, it’s a little strong.”

He grinned back. “Don’t worry, I can handle it.” He moved to the refreshment table. As he was filling up a glass, his eyes met yours. You felt your cheeks burning. Then he looked away, and it was over.

“So, uh— where’s your boyfriend?” JJ asked casually.

“Don’t know. Probably in the club with the guys.” You felt like shriveling underneath his gaze. How could someone be this attractive?

He sounded skeptical. “Not at the party?”

You chuckled a bit. “No, he never goes to these.”

“Alright then. Well, I’ll see you around.” And he disappeared.

Somehow you found yourself pulled into the midst of the dancing, twirled around, from one person to the next. Then the music changed to a slow song. A romantic one, with the lights switched to dim and deep red.

And just for a split second, you felt someone’s hand brush against yours. Without turning around, you instinctively knew it was JJ’s.

Why? Why would he do that? He knew you had a boyfriend. Had it been an accident? But something about the deliberate gentleness of the gesture made you know it hadn’t been.

He made you so angry. How dare he tempt you like this? He would pay for this. You just didn’t know how. You downed too many more champagnes, then left, dazedly, for home. Alone.

You didn’t sleep at night anymore. The image of JJ’s face refused to go no matter how hard you tried. Your boyfriend still spent time with you, but it was less and less, and you had no idea where he went half the time.

So you were left restless by yourself, slowly falling apart as you cracked at the mere thought that you couldn’t have what you truly wanted. You hated JJ Maybank. Hated him. Without him realizing one bit, he was making you fall apart.

You were sitting in the hammock in your yard, on your phone again. You were too tired to pay attention to the endless pages of meaningless posts. 

You heard the gate to the backyard open, and you looked up. It was one of your friends.

“Hey, what’s up?” you called to her.

She walked over and looked uncertainly at you, nervously fiddling with her hands. “Hey, I came to tell you about something.”

“Yeah? What is it?” you narrowed your eyes in concern.

She hesitated. Then she spoke. “I found out from someone else that your boyfriend has been cheating on you. With a girl from the club.”

“What?” you exclaimed. The outrage must have shown on your face, because your friend took a step back.

“I’m sorry.” She gazed at you sympathetically.

You were speechless. It couldn’t be true. Not knowing how else to console you, your friend left quickly.

Your boyfriend had cheated on you. After all this time, being loyal to him and trying your damndest to keep a good relationship with him, he had gone and found himself another girl. You waited in dread for him to return. 

When he opened the front door, you immediately started yelling at him.

“What the fuck?! How could you cheat on me like this? I thought you loved me!! And don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about!”

He dropped the blank expression and instead stared at you coldly. “So you found out.”

Your eyes started filling with tears. “How could you?”

“I just didn’t think we were a good match. Oh, don’t act so surprised. You were good while it lasted. But I found someone else now. Don’t take it personally.”

“Don’t take it personally?” You couldn’t believe what he was saying. “What kind of a shitty boyfriend are you? Who’s this new girl, anyway? Is she so much better for you?”

“Yeah. She is. We’re over.” And with that, he walked out of the door. 

That’s how you ended up crying in the bathroom of the local cafe the next morning. It was Sunshine Bakery, a cheap place where countless OBX residents went to grab their daily coffees.

You sobbed on the tile floor, hair falling over your face in a tangled mess.

You were too lost in your own misery to notice the door handle turn and someone step in.

“Hey, I thought I heard— whoa, are you okay?”

Your head snapped up. And of course, it was fucking JJ Maybank, looking surprised to see you soiled on the floor, knees pulled up to your chest.

“What are you doing here?” you sniffled softly, failing to hide your ruined state.

“I heard someone crying in here and came to check. What happened?” His blue eyes held a genuine concern.

“My… boyfriend just broke up with me.” You looked downwards. Your brain couldn’t decide if you should be willing to accept his comfort or not.

His eyes widened. “He did?”

You could only nod. 

“Well, I can’t imagine anyone who would want to do that.”

Now it was your turn to be shocked. “What?”

He grinned at you. “I just mean you’re so beautiful, you deserve better.” He closed the door behind him and sat down next to you. 

“You think I’m beautiful?” The tiniest hint of a smirk tugged at the corner of your lips.

“Of course. Who wouldn’t?” His voice lowered, and he gently wiped away your tears, brushing your hair behind your ear.

Your breath hitched in your throat. You thought you’d never get this close to him, yet here he was, touching you.

“Want me to make you feel better?” His voice was really low now, and there was something unreadable in his expression.

The word “yes” had only just left your lips before he gently tugged your shirt and bra down and pulled off your shorts. Then he unbuckled his belt, the metal clinking as it fell to the floor.

You thought your heart was beating out of your chest. “Are you sure you want to do this?” He asked you steadily. When you moved your head in a silent yes, he pressed his lips to yours tenderly, slowly and with precision.

You relished his feel, closing your eyes as you allowed your arms to wrap around his neck. His hard cock brushed against your stomach, already wanting you.

As he guided himself inside little by little, it was a feeling you had never felt before. Nothing like what it had been with your ex, and the thought brought guilt to your mind. But it was soon forgotten. JJ was here now, and only JJ. Your walls tightening around him was your only thought. How could you hate him? He was handsome as hell, after all.

He rolled his hips into you back and forth, taking care that you were comfortable. Every touch sent waves of electricity through you. Your little moans of pleasure spurred something inside JJ; your sweet sounds were a music to his ears he had never dreamed of before.

“Shit, you’re so good for me.” His hands twisted in your hair while your leg came up to grab onto his waist. Your breathing was heavy. In this moment in time, it was only the two of you, everything else forgotten. Any past pains were gone. This was how it was meant to be.

When you came, your juices dripping out of you, JJ lapped it all up, his tongue swirling around your pussy.

“You taste so good, do you know that?”

When he stood back up, he pulled you in for another kiss, spreading goodness through your veins.

He pulled away. “Was that okay, princess? You’re sure it wasn’t too soon, after…” he glanced at you anxiously.

“No,” you told him immediately. “JJ, I… thank you.”

He softened. “Don’t worry about it. Anytime.”

You began to blush. “Maybe we could meet up sometime soon?”

“Sure, baby. How about tomorrow at twelve? At my place?”

“That sounds great. Really.”

He smiled charmingly. “See you there, then.”

You watched him go. You finally had what you had yearned for. It was possible to be a daydream, but now he was yours. Gorgeous JJ Maybank.

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[usoppinggg]

For the drabble prompts: 52. "I can't believe we're friends sometimes." Preferably Usopp with either Nami or Luffy, but go wild if you have a better idea. I love your writing!

Hi, anon! Thanks so much for the prompt and your kind words! <3 You get two drabbles because I felt compelled to write them both. Hope you enjoy!

—

“I can’t believe we’re friends, sometimes.”

“I know, not everyone is as lucky to be blessed with a friend as gorgeous and intelligent as me,” Nami says with a lavish toss of her hair. It’s coupled by a wink that causes a man across the street walk face-first into a pole.

Usopp is not impressed.

“You mean, not everyone is as unlucky to be cursed with a friend as greedy and conniving as y—”

Usopp cuts himself off with a pained yelp, holding his head and glaring at Nami, whose fist is still raised at him.

“Ouch! You horrid hag! You vexatious vixen! You abrasive a—“

“Oh shut up, you big baby,” she snaps. “Look, do you want to make some easy money or not?! We’re broke, so if you want to pay for food and all your stupid weapons then do as I say and stop complaining.”

“Oh, so now my weapons are stupid? If that’s the case, then hand over the Clima-Tact right now!”

Nami possessively clutches at the collapsed baton attached to her thigh. “No way, it’s mine! Besides, I think I’m allowed to call your weapons stupid considering this thing almost got me killed the first time I tried to use it, since someone thought it was a good idea to try and make me play magician instead of defending my life!”

Usopp crosses his arms and narrows his eyes at her. “You love the bouquets and you know it.”

Nami rolls her eyes, but the lack of outright refusal makes Usopp smirk at her with knowing satisfaction. She just sighs heavily, hands on her hips.

“So are you going to help me or are you going to keep whining?”

“… Give me extra allowance this month.”

“Rake in some cash, then we’ll talk.”

Usopp sticks out his hand, pinky extended. “Promise?”

Nami rolls her eyes once more, but the fondness on her face is impossible to miss. She reaches out to link her pinky with Usopp’s. “I promise.”

He grins brightly at her before his smile becomes much more devious. “Alright, let’s scam some busters.”

Nami’s smile is just as devious. “Now you’re speakin’ my language.”

—

Usopp hiccups, unsure of his swaying is because of Sunny’s journey across the sea or the alcohol in his system. He pauses. Of course it’s not because of Sunny. She sails like a dream. He pats the grassy deck below him, apologizing to the beloved ship. He spares a mental apology to Franky, too.

Usopp smiles to himself, tipping his head back and enjoying the cool nighttime air.

His head swims pleasantly after a full night of spontaneous partying. The crew celebrated everything and nothing. They celebrated just because they could.

The party is long finished and Usopp is the only one still awake, one of the few sprawled out across the deck while others managed to drag themselves to bed.

A snore steals his attention and Usopp looks down at Luffy, who’s dozing in his lap, his treasured straw hat held to his stomach.

Usopp smiles and begins playing with his captain’s hair. He runs his fingers through the thick locks, noting that Luffy is long overdue for a trim. If Usopp wasn’t so drunk and wasn’t acting as a pillow, he’d cut it now, taking advantage of this rare moment of stillness.

But he’s very drunk and very comfortable and very much unwilling to disturb his friend, so he stays put, simply enjoying the moment, enjoying the feeling of Luffy’s soft hair between his fingertips.

“I can’t believe we’re friends, sometimes,” Usopp finds himself blurting. Alcohol having loosened his tongue even more than usual.

“When I was little, I was terrified that I’d never make any friends,” he finds himself confessing. “I was scared that I was gonna be alone forever. Even with Kaya and the boys I felt lonely all the time. But then, you came to my village. And you saved everyone. You asked me to come with you, and even though I still don’t understand why, I’m so, so grateful. You made my life worth living, Captain. I can’t believe we’re friends. I can’t believe I was so lucky to meet you.”

Usopp startles as Luffy sleepily reaches up, wiping the tears off of Usopp’s face.

“Stupid Usopp,” he murmurs, voice low but not missing its usual conviction. “Of course, I was always gonna find you. Of course, I’d take you with me. I love being your friend.”

“Even though I mess up all the time?” Usopp cries.

“Yeah. I make you mad all the time, but you’re still my friend, right?”

“Of course.”

“It’s the same for me. For all of us. We’re all happy you’re our friend and that you’re part of the crew.” Luffy yawns, blinking sleepily. He grabs the hat resting on his stomach and places it atop Usopp’s curls. “‘M not gonna let you be lonely again, okay? Now come on, let’s sleep. ‘M tired.”

Usopp smiles, sniffling and wiping away the rest of his tears.

“Okay, Luffy.”

[pages-and-1nk]

Saltwater and Chlorine (fic idea)

Jegulus Fic idea because my power's out and I need to get out of a writing slump.

So I was thinking, everyone loves the headcanon that Regulus can't swim right? Okay, hear me out, Modern AU where the fic doesn't take place in London but rather south/south southeastern england (sort of where the climate is a bit warmer and less rainy.) or maybe california? I haven't decided. Growing up, Regulus had total freedom to learn how to swim as a child- because their parents had a big pool out back, but he absolutely did not, under any circumstances, want anything to do with the water when he was younger. So he just never learned as a kid, and his parents hold it against him all the time and refuse to let him take swimming lessons because it'd be embarrassing. Regulus, now 17, lives in a house with a massive pool he cannot swim in. While their parents are on a business trip or something, Sirius has the grand idea for a pool party, and after a lot of pushback on Regulus' part, the two finally agree for a small pool party. Que James Potter, Regulus has definitely NOT had a crush on since he was 13, who teases Regulus about sitting on the poolside rather than swimming. "What, can the big, bad, Regulus Black not swim or something?" "Perhaps I just don't like water." "You're such a spoil sport, Reg, come on," To which James proceeds to pick Regulus up, ignoring his horrified curses to put him down, and drop him in the deep end of the pool.

It's only after Regulus doesn't come back up that James realizes his mistake, and ends up having to drag a coughing, half drowned, Regulus back to the surface. "You can't swim? Why the hell wouldn't you tell me that before I dropped you in?!" "Oh so your attempt on my life is my fault now? Is that what you're saying?" Then the rest of the fic is just James teaching Regulus how to swim, which leads to Regulus feeling like he has to give something back so he starts tutoring him in English (totally not because he likes spending time with James or anything), and then background Walbruga and Orion Black being bad parents, with some angst hurt comfort thrown in there and all the road bumps that come with long fics in this godforsaken fandom. OBVIOUSLY HEA because I'm not stable enough for it to end badly. ANYWAYS I think I'm going to write it A03 is pagesandink but I'll post a link here when I get it started. :)

[teecupangel]

Permission to be horny you say, then how about minotaur Desmond (y'know cuz horns)

Anyway best place to drop him would be as a "guardian" of some PoE

Like we could have him at Altaïr's apple and save that group from the templars (and have monsterfucker Altaïr to circle around to what you really nave in that post)

But also I have the thought of him guarding the anti-earthquake machine (that I can never remember if it had a Canon name). Because imagine being Achilles, you send one of your men to a suspected location of a PoE and he comes back with a huge half bull man and like is he the PoE!?!?

Giving me permission to indulge in my monsterfucker Altaïr agenda will always be accepted whole heartedly XD

We can even make this a whole ‘Minotaur in the Labyrinth’ kind of situation where Altaïr gets thrown into an undiscovered area and the ground collapsed under him, causing him to fall deeper beneath the mount.

Malik managed to get the ‘treasure’ but their escape is blocked. He noticed how Altaïr had fallen and Kadar getting stabbed on the stomach took his choice away from him. He grabbed Kadar and they both fell into the hole, hoping that it was a better choice than trying to charge the enemy lines.

They fell into the waters and gets dragged into some underground waterway that ends with them meeting with Altaïr, swimming upward to the nearest source of light.

Which turned out to be a dimly lit (lines of glowing gold all around the walls and ceiling) central plaza of sort with what may or may not be a fountain-sized lake.

And that’s how Desmond finds them in this fucking labyrinth that he’d been stuck in for god knows how long.

He died as Desmond Miles then, the next thing he knows, he was now a Minotaur stuck in this labyrinth.

And now he has to talk these two wet most probably suffering from hypothermia Assassins from killing him so he can try and help Kadar.

It’s really a good thing that he could write Arabic and the ground of the labyrinth was soft sand.

(This can end up as either Monsterfucker Altaïr OR Monsterfucker Altaïr and Kadar with ambiguous situation Malik)

.

As for a Shay situation. I kinda like the idea that Shay tries to take the device and Desmond beats the crap out of him, half because Desmond is larger and stronger as a minotaur and half because he had the element of surprise.

And instead of killing Shay, he manages to talk to him by writing and showing the paper to Shay while Shay is in the ground, his entire body screaming in pain.

‘If you take that, the ground will split open and kill countless.’

And Shay can’t exactly agree to not take it because he was ordered to and also because he didn’t necessarily believe the minotaur so the minotaur just sighed and ordered Shay to take him to his mentor and he’ll explain it (Desmond doesn’t know it’s Achilles)

Cue the crew of Morrigan thinking Shay Cormac has brought the devil onto their ship, an awkward journey and…

Desmond realizing that Achilles during this time period is a stubborn jerk.

So Desmond stays in the homestead because he has the key to open the place where the device is kept and now he’s arguing with Achilles using papers.

When he realized that Achilles could just stop talking to him by not reading what he wrote, he goes and grab Shay to read out loud his writing.

Shay doesn’t know when he became the minotaur’s assistant but, really, he’s just worried if he doesn’t do this, Desmond and Achilles might start trading blows.

[axie-lot]

Sparrow

Characters: Boothill

Warning: Male characters,Spoiler,mention of death,child death.

Very well, this fic will be split into two parts. Part 2 won’t take too long to post. Well, this fic was a request, but this part will serve as more of a "Prologue" for the idea behind the request.

Theme: angst

This work was originally written by me in Portuguese, and I translated it using Google Translator, so I apologize for any translation errors

Summary:Well, a life on the farm, a happy life, until the lands of his planet were invaded by those dogs, bringing hell with them.

[Masterlist]

Boothill remembers very well how he met [name]... Even though so much time has passed, even with his body entirely altered, he still remembers him. How could he forget? Oh, that boy who was as clever as a raven, But at the same time as gentle as a small sparrow. He remembers that meeting as if it were yesterday. It happened during his childhood, And one thing he knows for sure—that meeting Was an unusual one.

Well, young Boothill had just finished his breakfast with his siblings, and Nick had asked him to get the hay from the barn to feed the animals. That was part of his routine back then, so he thought everything would go as it always did. He went about his usual tasks, helped Nick clean up the kitchen after breakfast, and fed the dogs before heading to the barn. But as he was on his way to the barn, something unexpected happened. He heard a desperate scream coming from the road. Curious, he turned to look at the dirt road and noticed something unusual, Something very unusual... He saw a boy, about his own age, running. The boy looked desperate—and rightly so—because right behind him was a large group of geese chasing after him. Boothill was stunned by the sight, having never seen so many geese in one place before.

“What the hell,” was all the white-haired boy could think as he watched this bizarre scene unfold before his eyes.

He stood there, frozen, not knowing how to react. For a moment, he simply watched, but then he noticed something—a small detail. The geese were getting closer. Much closer.

Realizing this, the white-haired boy started running too, before the furious geese could reach him. He looked around for somewhere to take cover and spotted the barn. Without hesitation, he ran towards it, the only place that could offer safety.

He managed to reach the barn entrance, and only then did he glance back to assess the situation. To his surprise, the boy who had initially been chased by the geese had also made it to the barn. Boothill was shocked at how fast the boy had caught up with him, despite the considerable distance between them. But there was no time to dwell on that—the geese were closing in.

The two boys scrambled to shut the large barn doors just in time, before the terrifying geese could get in. They stared at each other for a moment, unable to process what had just happened. Finally, they both spoke at the same time: “Holy shit...”

After that chaotic situation, the two began to talk. And over time, Boothill started seeing the boy more frequently around the farm.

At first, [name] was hesitant to open up to Boothill, always staying on the defensive. But little by little, [name] began to let his guard down. Boothill got to know more about [name]’s personality and discovered that beneath that wary, bird-like demeanor was someone as gentle as a little sparrow.

[Name] would come by every day to visit Boothill, help with the farm chores, and then spend hours chatting and having fun once the work was done.

“Come on, Boothill! If we finish quickly, we can go swim in the river,” said the boy as he dashed past Boothill, who was carrying a bundle of hay.

“Sparrow, it’s just a chicken. She’s probably more scared of you than you are of her,” teased the gray-eyed boy, holding back laughter as he watched his friend being cornered by a small chicken.

[Name] always seemed to show up at the farm out of nowhere, and sometimes he arrived with bruises on his body. Boothill would always worry about his friend when this happened. That’s when he realized he knew almost nothing about [name]’s life.

He tried asking about [name]’s family and where he came from, but [name] always changed the subject. Over time, Boothill stopped asking.

As the two grew closer, they were almost inseparable. Boothill even introduced [name] to Graey, Nick, and his other siblings. He was so happy they liked [name].

Graey and Nick quickly grew fond of little [name] too. They could see through [name]’s lies about his family and noticed the pain he was trying to hide.

And so, the truth came to light: [name] was a street boy. That explained everything—why [name] always avoided talking about where he came from, how he could come and go as he pleased, and the bruises that always seemed to appear on his body.

In the end, they welcomed [name] to live with them. At first, [name] was reluctant, not wanting to be another burden for the men to take care of, but after much insistence, he finally agreed.

Well, if they were close before, now they were inseparable. Living in the same house, it was rare for them not to be together or at least within each other’s line of sight. One was always following the other

Whether it was to tend to the sheep, Check on the cows, Or even ride horses.

Speaking of horseback riding, it was Boothill who taught [name] how to ride. That day was hilarious because [name] was terrified of losing control of the horse and falling off. But by the end of the day, everything went well, thanks to Boothill, who stayed by his side to help with any problems that might arise.

Even though [name] now lived with them, he still held onto some habits from his time living on the streets. He remained a wary bird when strangers visited the farm, and every time that happened, Boothill had to calm him down.

The two of them often went out at night to hunt small game, staying out all night and only returning to the farm in the morning. These were some of the moments when they bonded the most and opened up to each other, as it was just the two of them, their weapons, and the forest throughout the night.

However, the most precious moments for Boothill were when he picked up a guitar and played for everyone, while [name] accompanied him, singing like a beautiful bird.

Oh, those sweet moments… Moments that now belong to the past.

And so it went on for a long time. But time passed, and those children began to grow into young adults.

Oh, Boothill remembers how much [name] had changed as he matured. That young boy with the soul of a skittish bird had grown into a handsome young man. He had let his hair grow long, always tying it in a low side ponytail adorned with a small braid that Boothill himself would often weave into his hair.

And his personality had changed a little. Once a wary and distrustful wild bird, [name] had become a gentle and kind sparrow, though his classic skittishness would occasionally resurface.

Some things had changed during this time. Now, he rarely saw his brothers, but he knew they were doing well. It was also during this period that the most emotional day of his life occurred— The day he proposed to [name]. It wasn’t the most elaborate proposal, but for him, it was deeply moving.

The proposal took place as they were heading home after a tiring day. The sun was already setting, casting its orange glow across the sky. Boothill had the idea for the two of them to stop for a moment to talk beneath a large tree on the farm. He wanted to surprise his little sparrow, even just a little.

He began to talk about their life together, from the time they were children to the present moment. He reminisced about how they met and how they had never left each other’s side. It was at the end of that heartfelt conversation that he made his proposal.

“My sparrow, you know better than anyone that I’m not very good with words. But I want you to know that all the moments we’ve shared together, the countless fun times we’ve had, have been incredibly special to me. You, my sparrow, are incredibly special to me. So now, I’ve decided to take a step forward in our relationship. And so, I ask you—will you marry me?”

He remembers [name]’s tear-filled eyes as he spoke. And as soon as he finished, [name] threw himself into Boothill’s arms, hugging him tightly and saying “I accept” over and over again.

A few weeks later, they got married. It was a simple wedding with just close family members present. It was the happiest moment of Boothill’s life.

He cried—one of the few times he ever did—as he watched [name] dressed in a simple suit. He was moved seeing Nick and Graey, also emotional, watching their adoptive son get married. It was such a beautiful moment.

After the wedding, they began their married life together in a small, simple house near Graey and Nick’s home.

Now both grown men, they lived together, starting their little farm.

Their life was perfect.

The two lived in complete harmony. They worked together, managing the household chores and farm tasks. [Name] even got a job to help with the farm expenses.

For a time, it was just the two of them on that small farm. They adapted well to that life, but both felt something was missing—something to make their family truly complete.

And so, she appeared… Their sweet and dear little girl.

On a silent night—a rare occurrence, as the sounds of rustling leaves or distant animals from the forest were usually ever-present—Boothill sat on the porch, staring into the vast darkness ahead. He had lost sleep and, not wanting to wake [name], who was sleeping soundly, stepped outside to see if the fresh air might bring his restlessness to an end. Lost in his thoughts, he suddenly heard the sound of loud, piercing cries echoing through the stillness of the night.

Following the cries, he discovered a small baby, wailing and inconsolable. Boothill didn’t know what to do at first, but eventually, he picked her up just as Graey had done for him many years ago and brought her home.

When he returned, he found [name] awake and slightly groggy, likely roused by the baby’s cries. Boothill remembers the look on [name]’s face when he showed him the baby—pure joy. The idea of becoming a parent made [name] so happy, he couldn’t stop talking about how excited he was to take on the role.

From that moment on, the two of them became parents. The void they had both felt was filled by that little girl.

Oh, how attached they became to her.

The next morning, they visited Graey and Nick to introduce them to the newest addition to their family. The two were overjoyed at the thought of becoming grandparents.

As days passed, the baby grew a little older. She began to take her first steps and babble her first words. Though, to her parents’ dismay, one of her first clear words turned out to be a small swear word—something she must have overheard from one of them, simply repeating the sound without knowing its meaning.

Boothill found immense joy in watching [name] hold the little girl and show her the animals on the farm.

Every evening, they had a routine. The two would tuck the little girl into bed, with [name] telling her a story while Boothill played a soft melody on his guitar in the background. Boothill even crafted a small guitar for her, something she could play when she grew older.

Oh, those sweet, precious moments…

But all good things must come to an end.

And it was on that fateful day that hell began.

Boothill wasn’t home when it started. He saw the enormous excavators appear on the horizon of the plains, paying no heed to the protests and despair of the local residents. Black ore began to gush from beneath the earth. Armed guards attacked the locals, forcing them from their homes, insulting their dignity, and disregarding their lives.

Though he managed to infiltrate one of the ships of those invaders, Boothill soon realized that his family needed him. He had to make sure they were safe—he had to protect them.

Cannon fire rained from the skies. When he finally stumbled back to the farm, he found it reduced to ashes. The elderly Graey and Nick, along with all the friends and siblings he grew up with, had already lost their lives. Their lifeless bodies lay scattered across what used to be the farm he called home.

Clinging to a sliver of hope, he rushed to their small house, praying he would find the figures he cherished so deeply alive. But to his horror, the house had been destroyed entirely. With tears streaming down his face, he began searching through the rubble.

What he found broke him completely: the lifeless body of the little girl he had raised as his daughter.

A cruel world, to take the life of a child—a child who had just started walking, a child who would never grow up.

Boothill held her small body close and cried like he never had before.

But then, a thought pierced through his grief: where was [name]? Where was his husband?

Desperate, he searched for [name], combing through the ruins of their home and the surrounding area. [Name] had been staying home that day to care for their daughter. Boothill should have found him there. Yet, no matter how thoroughly he searched, he never found [name]’s body.

What happened to [name] remains a mystery.

All Boothill could feel now was a deep longing for the past.

He missed the times when he could still see the people he loved.

He longed for the days when he still had his daughter and [name] by his side.

In a single day, he lost everything. And it was all the fault of the IPC’s dogs.

Boothill swore vengeance on those who had taken everything he loved from him.

Much time has passed since that fateful day. Over the years, everything changed. Boothill was no longer the same man. His body had been completely modified with mechanical parts, turning him into a cyborg.

Now, he had joined an organization—he was a Galaxy Ranger.

But that wasn’t the only thing that had changed. He had become a wanted man, with a bounty on his head.

That was the price he paid to pursue his ultimate goal: revenge.

Now, this was his life—a cyborg with nothing left to lose because everything he had loved had been turned to ashes.

He was now a cybernetic cowboy wandering among the stars, a member of the Galaxy Rangers who had vowed to punish the wretched by any means necessary. That was all he was.

His purpose was simple: to draw the attention of the IPC. He attacked their ships, slaughtered their lackeys, and spread chaos to lure them out. All to fulfill his ultimate goal—revenge.

Yet, no matter how much his life had changed, a lingering pain remained in his chest. A deep ache for his past. The guilt of failing to save his daughter, of not being able to protect Graey and Nick, and the unbearable sorrow of not knowing what had truly happened to his husband.

Speaking of [name], the question haunted him endlessly: what had happened to [name]’s body? Despite searching relentlessly, he had never found it, leaving him to agonize over its fate.

But after a long time, Boothill finally found the answer to that question.

One day, after destroying yet another IPC ship, the cyborg decided to take a break at a random bar on some distant corner of the galaxy. He wanted to drink and clear his head. Choosing an isolated corner to avoid drawing too much attention, he ordered his long-awaited drink and leaned back.

As he waited, he scanned the bar’s surroundings. It was a dingy, run-down place, but it had its charm. The room was filled with customers, most of whom seemed engrossed in the bar’s center. This gave Boothill some relief—he could enjoy his peace without interruption.

But then, something caught his eye.

On one of the bar’s walls, there was a board filled with wanted posters. He spotted a few familiar names, like the Stellaron Hunters. His gaze trailed across the posters, pausing momentarily on some of the members, until it stopped abruptly on one specific face.

A face that made his circuits freeze.

"WANTED: Stellaron Hunter [name]—Reward: 6.13 billion credits."

He couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

It was unmistakably [name] in the photo. Though their appearance had changed somewhat with time, Boothill recognized them instantly. He could never mistake the love of his life, no matter how much they had changed. What kind of husband would he be if he couldn’t recognize his beloved pardal?

And now, Boothill had a new purpose in his wretched life.

In addition to destroying the IPC, he would find his pardal.

He would bring the love of his life back to his side once more. to be continued.....

[seasaltdevotion]

i want to learn about hellenistic polytheism but i dont even know where to start. could you please give me a base? i know about gods deities n such, i know ill need to make offerings and id like to pray to the god(s) ill worship but i feel like im about to jump in the middle of the ocean without knowing how to swim so please help

Ofc!

Ive only been practicing for a few months but i can give my two sense.

A really great video series id reccomend for some more veteran help is Hellenism 101 from Fel the Blythe’s YouTube channel! I’ll like it for you here. Shes how I got started on everything.

Prayer

First thing I’d recommend is prayer! Since it’s the easiest form of devotion/communication.

Usually you start by mentioning Hestia, Goddess of the hearth who also allows us to communicate with the gods. So I tend to start by saying “to Hestia, the first and last I pray, I thank you.” And then i start praying to the gods I worship.

This can be you just thanking them for being there or for whatever they rule over. For example I might thank Apollon for my health, the sunshine etc. When you finish you thank Hestia the first and last again and then boom, you’ve prayed!

You don’t have to be formal in your prayers or you can be super formal, the gods won’t mind either way as long as you’re polite. And just by praying you’ve started to build Kharis, which is your relationship with the gods.

Kharis

You build Kharis by praying, offerings, and by dedicating things you do to the gods, for example I will just, in my mind, tell the gods that the food I eat is for them, and that counts as an offering. Or again; Apollo as an example, you can listen to music and dedicate that time to him, or for Hermes maybe you could go on a walk or write a letter to someone or even the gods themselves.

Building Kharis all comes down to setting the intention of giving to the gods, and in return they give back. You don’t even need to do physical offerings to worship. But if you’d like to, it’s good to research your gods for ideas on what you could give them. And don’t worry about not praying enough/offering enough etc. not everyone can pray every hour of the day or offer a million offerings a week, all that matters is you’re doing what’s best for you.

Other basics

- Divination is not required, you don’t need tarot a pendulum or any of that fancy stuff!

- We don’t really have sins in Hellenism!

However, on that note, it’s also good to cleanse before approaching the gods, washing off something called Lyma or general negativity that kind of builds up on the day to day. It just happens.

And how you cleanse?

You wash your hands and/or your face. Or even shower! As long as you’re clean then you’re pretty set.

- Xenia

Xenia is hospitality, which is a major benchmark in Hellenism. It’s what the religion is really based on. Basically, love thy neighbor sort of thing. Just be kind and courteous to those who are in your home and welcome those in need no matter who they are.

- What if I want to worship two gods who dislike each other in mythology?

Don’t worry about it. You can always pray to them and preface it before hand, but the gods know this is a polytheistic religion. They know you’re going to worship more than one and may end up praying to one more than the other. We’re human, and they understand that.

They won’t be mad at you for having multiple gods or prioritizing one over another at a certain time.

So what now?

I’ve thrown a lot at you, so where do we go from here?

Take your time.

Research, research, research.

Understand the gods you’d like to pray to, know their myths, read literature surrounding them.

I cannot say this enough but Theoi.com is a great resource for learning about the gods. Find any sort of book you can get your hands on. And take your time. I can’t stress that enough. Don’t let yourself get overwhelmed by offerings and things.

If all you can do to stay is pray? Then pray! Or even just talk to them. Just sit and tell them gods about your day either mentally or verbally, just talk to them.

Do what’s easiest and best for you and only move on when you can.

If you need help along the way, I’m always willing and there are plenty of other Hellenic polytheists who are willing to help! Everyone also has different practices and beliefs, so what I say may be different from someone else. Plus I’m still learning myself so there’s always things that I can improve on myself!

I’m so glad you reached out and I hope you enjoy the ride!!

[gingerrhd]

Inktober 2024 day 6

Not so much rare pair but definitely falling into rare media to see these days

[nerosdayinanime]

beautiful that we get a nice wet beast wednesday to start off mermay, no?

gay little fish but i made him look like a blue sea dragon

[softquietsteadylove]

I know you said you don’t love writing thenamesh as actual biological parents (totally respect that and agree, I especially agree that Thena probably wouldn’t be the most willing mother (although I live and die for TMTL AU)) ANYWAY! would you possibly be interesting in writing something where Thenamesh accidentally stumble into parenthood without meaning to?? Maybe a little orphan child in ancient times won’t leave them alone and they end up raising them? (probably begrudgingly on Thena’s part to begin with but she’s a secret softie especially when Gil is smitten and we all know it). No worries if you don’t wanna write something like that, just something I was thinking about!

Thena sighed, "I know you're there."

She didn't receive a reply, and she knew she wouldn't. She stood from where she had been - entirely against her wishes but at Ajak's behest - reviewing some of the senate's requests. The various war orders and border reports were draining her.

She stepped down towards the door of the room, the skirts of her white toga trailing behind her. She spoke again, "orphan."

He responded to more than that, of course. Sersi thought it was cruel of her to address a child that way, but he responded to it. A small head of blonde peeked out from behind one of the larger vases.

"What are you doing here?" she asked him with an expectant tone. She raised her chin to further look down upon the boy, "you know better than to enter the temple of Athena without permission."

Usually, she was loath to bring up the title of Athena in any way. But if she need be stuck with it, she could make use of it.

The boy shuffled out, his hands clasped in front of the brown burlap of his tunic. "I was looking for Gilgamesh."

The boy was positively enchanted by her Champion. Plenty were, of course, but this boy idolised Gilgamesh and the very ground upon which he walked. And Gil was equally charmed by the small child. She thought he entertained his obsession entirely too much.

But the boy enjoyed trailing behind Gilgamesh when he was walking between the forge and the acropolis, or watching him train fighters in the arenas, or even when he was in the orchards gathering fruit.

"Why do you think he is here?" Thena fixed her eyes on the boy. Most grown men would be sensible enough to cower, but the child stepped even closer to her.

He glanced behind him a few times.

Thena let out another breath. She was not a caretaker, she had no business with the boy steps away from clinging to her. But she unfolded her arms and knelt down to see him better. Children's heads were so small. "Speak."

"The guards," the child twisted his lips. "They tell me not to bother the gods."

They also were no gods of old, at least not how Athens imagined them to be. But Thena had no qualms letting them think that if it meant them keeping their distance, either.

"And if they are correct to tell you these things?" she raised her eyebrows. But the boy shuffled even closer to her. She sighed, "what did you do?"

This child was no angel, just like they were no gods. He liked getting into trouble, challenging those twice his size, proclaiming that he would be a fierce warrior someday. And sometimes that 'challenge' was him running up to someone and whacking them with his only possession: a toy sword, fashioned from wood (clumsily, by his own hand).

"They were being cruel," he spoke in defense of himself. His hands left his tunic to clench into tiny little righteous fists. "They were laughing at old man Socrates! One even threw his apple at him!"

Thena felt her hackles raise. She had no business policing humans; they were of no concern to her. But what did bother her was senseless cruelty to those more vulnerable than the strong. "And you decided to do something about this."

The boy's small shoulders fell again, though. "I told them I challenged them to a duel."

Thena tilted her head. His tunic was still fastened above his trousers with a rope, but there was no toy sword. "Where is-"

He sniffled, trying not to let his tears fall, "they took it and broke it in half."

That was why he had run to her. Well, he had been seeking Gilgamesh's comfort, foremost. But he had also known that if the authorities of Athens were the ones committing an injustice, only the gods would correct them.

Thena frowned at the child's tears dropping onto the stone floor. He wasn't her child; he was no one's. He was, like many others, a result of the many wars Athens had waged before, and were attempting to continue waging. It was exactly that which she was opposing, despite her title as their figurehead for war.

Footsteps approached, heavily and loudly. The boy nearly leapt in fear and scurried to hide himself behind her, even tugging at her dress like a tapestry to hide his feet.

She glanced somewhat over her shoulder in the direction of the little head of blonde hair, getting tears and snot all over her pure white robes.

"Goddess Athena!" the guards greeted her before all else. Their heavy armour and leather skirts made sound with every breath they took. "Forgive our intrusion."

She said nothing.

"We were pursuing a street urchin, and we fear he may have run in here." The captain of their group stepped forward, the adornment on his helmet distinguishing him from the others. "We wish not to disturb you. But we cannot let a stray mutt wander into the hall of gods."

Thena looked at each of them. She owed them no words, and they had no right to ask them. Her lips twitched. "You have a splinter."

The guard seemed embarrassed, rubbing at his arm. "Forgive me, O-Warrior. I was struck with a splintering old board."

A child's toy, now no doubt sitting broken in the streets. Thena looked at the others. "Which of you ate the apple?"

They looked between themselves, confused. "My Lady?"

"One of you was eating an apple," she continued, raising her empty palm. They knew what that meant, stepping back. "And threw it at a harmless old philosopher."

Their faces went pale. It brought some joy to her, but she kept her face even. Their fear was the best part of her day. Rather than deny the wisdom of the Goddess of War, they knelt. "We beg your forgiveness, great Athena."

She drew back, her blade in her hand in a second. She took a harmless swipe over their heads, although the tops of their helmets fell unceremoniously to her floor like feathers from a startled bird.

The men trembled.

Satisfied that her message was received, she retracted her powers like a cat closing its paws. "Be gone from my sight."

The men obeyed, scurrying away, abandoning the remains of their rank, leaving them to explain what had happened to their uniform. If she ever did see them again, she would not be so kind as to let them go with their dignity.

"They will not bother you again," she said more quietly. The boy was strong; he had stopped trembling. And he had, at the very least, the wisdom to let her face his multiple foes.

He sniffled one last time before stepping away from her protection. "They always do, eventually."

Then next time, she would have them begging her for their lives. She kept her eyes looking out the door as she patted the boy's head. She wouldn't have been able to read the expression on his face regardless. "Gilgamesh should be done in the forge by now. He may even take you to the great hall. I believe they are making the baklava today."

The child's eyes lit at the promise of sweets. "Can I have some?"

She did her best not to smile, lest she encourage his youthful impertinence. But she may not have been entirely capable of suppressing it. "Tell them Athena herself demands it."

The boy didn't even look twice at her, running towards the door and nearly slipping in his old, worn sandals.

"Heracles," she called after him. He turned at the sound of his name. "Return with Gilgamesh. We will show you how to strike someone properly."

The boy beamed. His cheeks were ruddy and his teeth were small and uneven, and yet they fit his cherubic face. "Yes, Thena!"

He had heard Gil address her casually too often. If he called her that, what if others thought it acceptable? But she couldn't bring herself to be angry with the boy. It was far too difficult to hold a grudge against something so sweet and innocent.

Technically, the senate decrees still needed seeing to. But she had more important things to think about. And before young Heracles returned with Gilgamesh in hand, she had some whittling to do. She wasn't Phastos, or Sersi, by any means, but even she could carve a sword out of some spare wood.

[genderqueerpond]

finally watching two's era in order completionist style and uh

uh--

they've stolen him away. they've literally stolen him away. they are the fae to him and they've pulled him into another world and told him he can never go home

[confused-spood]

Where else am I gonna rant if not to a group of random strangers that barely know me, right? So ofc I'm gonna rant here cuz these people have no idea who tf I am.

....turns out I have no words to explain how I'm feeling right now so I offer this emoji instead: 😔

[stevebabey]

another one! 📽 📽

imagine it’s summer and it’s hot and the sun is so toasty on your skin and steve feels restless and spontaneous so he suggests you go on a drive so you pack some driving snacks and hit the road. it somehow ends with you and steve at lovers lake (or a less traumatic lake for him poor lad lol) and y’all go for a dip, in your underwear or maybe, ya know, a lil skinny dipping shenanigans are in your future 😉 *in the summertime by mungo jerry plays*

okay ily ruby have fun and again congrats girl!!! xoxo

mmmmm we all deserve summertime steve for fuckin real obsessed with the vibes you have created in the studio today maddie ur brain so delicio 🌊 yet again, i cannot shut up for the life of me <3 i want to go swchimming w him so bad fr he’s such a summer bf

it’ll have been one of those sweltering nights where even the sheets feel too much and come morning, not one ounce of you wants to stay in bed and cuddle like you normally do because it’s stinkin’ hot and you’re fairly certain steve is already sweating lightly just pressed next to you— you tell him as much when he tries to sleepily cuddle you in closer, giving him a pout and a “s’too warm, stevie :(“ and steve can’t even disagree, he’s burning up in the heat of the sun through your windows - but there’s also a glimpse of blue blue sky stretching out endlessly, which means opportunity !

so he flops back, relents the space and stares at the ceiling while u stare at him, just observing him lovingly, counting every mole <3 he takes a minute of quiet contemplation, during which your back manages to get completely heated, pressed against the mattress, and you’re bout to complain bout it again when he blows a raspberry and turns his head to face you. “d’ya wanna go for a drive? :) nd maybe a swim?” and god, if that doesn’t sound like heaven- you’re nodding along before you even open your mouth but also, u gotta check in with him “you sure ya wanna swim, stevie?” and his eyes search your face for a moment, thinking about it properly, before he nods, a grateful smile pulling at his lips, “yeah, honey, we’ll drive outta hawkins to find a good spot- sound okay?”

overtop your swimsuit, you pick a nice pair of daisy-dukes that definitely catch steve’s eye for an extra second and you grin, having to shoo him into getting ready— and you meet him down in his car, rolling the windows down to combat the sun that’s letting out blistering hot heatwaves, making u long for a popsicle or anything icy really. steve’s out a couple minutes later, two towels over his shoulders and a— you sit up a bit straighter, spotting the picnic basket in his hands!!! he calls forward as he opens the trunk to put stuff in, “i thought we could have some snacks! make a lil picnic date of it!” and you chest bursts with warmth and love for him and you literally can’t say anything except, “you’re sorta incredible, steve harrington” and it’s just the thing to say to get that flushed colour on his cheeks that has nothing to do with the heat and all to do with what you do to him.

driving along, you desperately wish you had a camera if only to capture the image of steve beside you, windows down, the breeze ruffling his hair and the collar of his shirt which is unbuttoned dangerously low. you can see the thatch of chest hair against his tan chest, his collarbones that are honestly begging for a lovebite or maybe ten, those classic cool glasses sitting on the bridge of his nose. you’re fairly certain you could look at him like this for hours- and he seems to return the sentiment fully, spending the drive torn between glancing at you in the passenger seat — one hand curled over your thigh, fingers drumming, and a happy grin on his face — and his eyes on the open road that takes you out of hawkins. the warm wind whips in through the windows and blankets you both in the glow of summer :)

steve ends up finding a nice swimming hole, 20 minutes out of hawkins, that’s part of one big river winding through the countryside. it’s busy, people swarming around the water like ants to honey, but that’s to be expected in the the heat of summer. you nd steve both instinctively steer clear of the crowd, wandering further up stream to see if you can find a sweet lil bay for just the two of you— and you manage to find another sweet lil spot that’s empty besides from you two and steve declares himself king of the beach, planting the picnic basket like a flag.

the heat is infinitely worse out of the car, without any wind to cool you off, and the trickling sounds of the river might be your greatest temptation, besides your boyfriend who’s wasted no time in tugging his shirt up and over his head. the sight of him in just those small swimming shorts, tan hairy thighs on display, might just rival the river for your attention. the water in the river moves about sluggishly, swirling around itself in a syrupy motion, and you know it’s about to be the best cool off of your life- you follow steve’s motions and shed off your shorts and shirt in record speed

steve’s already waiting for you in the shallows, water sloshing around his ankles noisily, and looking back at you he can’t resist the urge to let a little whistle when you drop your shorts — it earns him an endeared eye-roll that only makes his grin a little wider, his hand planting on his hips, “just enjoying the view, don’t mind me” so you take that as your cue to take off, feet splashing in the shallow water and you’re diving in without a moments hesitation— it’s freezing and the sensation of it zings every nerve til you’re unable to do anything but grin and curse when you come up because fuck, it’s cold. it’s fantastically cold.

steve’s still waiting in the shallows, that familiar smitten expression on his face as he watches you gasp at the temperature change and push back your soaked hair from your face, spin to look for him and grin wider when he comes into view. you paddle back in his direction, shaking off the droplets that collect at your chin. your feet find the bottom of the riverbed and you stand, against the push of the river, and hold out your hands for him, trying to coax him in to join you in the deeper parts of the river. because you know, it’s always a bit hard after everything, entering water again — you can still see the twisted up skin that stretches up his sides, faded with time, but a memory etched into his skin all the same.

steve takes a step out towards you, then another, then pauses and his eyes scour the water all around you— his expression already falling away to concern. you can sense his mothering sense rising up and try to quell it before he can voice any anxieties, “eyes on me, stevie” you say, with a wry grin and make grabby hands at him, encouraging him more- you can see the quick inhale he does before he pushes forward, eyes focused on you, your loving grin, your inviting hands, and he doesn’t stop til he can grab them with his own. you’re pushing off the riverbed instantly, legs up and around his waist and shifting so your hands circle around his neck, sweet murmurs about how you’re proud of him til steve is warm enough in the face that he simply has to dunk to both of you, his mischievous grin giving you warning just a second too late

you’re gasping, coughing just a bit when he pulls you both back up and you smack him in the chest— “you bastard! you- i can’t believe you—“ and when he sinks his knees a little deeper, you change your tone quick, clambering closer to him, “don’t you dare, steve, i swear, if you want remain in a loving relationship you will—” “gimme a kiss,” he interrupts and your head snaps from watching the cool water swirl around you to his face and he’s grinning, completely serious, his hands on your waist pulling you closer til he’s nosing along the damp plane of your neck, mumbling into it “kiss or get dunked. that’s the deal, sweetheart,” and then he presses a hot kiss under your jaw and pulls back to wait for you to make a decision. you sigh real heavy like it’s a chore, hanging your head back as you pretend to think about it with a loud “hmmmm” til you’re about sure he’s gonna dunk you again. your thighs tighten and you pull yourself up with your grip around his neck and give him exactly what he asked for :) then u guys eat ur picnic and it’s the perfect lil summertime date :) this is too long my god

[afterartist]

Me: I like all TotK NPCs

This waste of data:

[lemonlurkrr]

lemonlurkrr i saw the new uniqlo and metal gear collab and thought of you. have you seen it what are ur thoughts

COOL 👍 don't think I'll be getting any for myself but 👍👍👍👍👍👍 if I did i'd probably get the msx textbox one, or the one with Two Guys in boxes