#LIGHTLY

[natp20]

i don't know what it is about the fantasy high setting that drives me completely insane. the mall has an ice cream parlour owned by a djinn and a strudel place with direct supply from the strudel dimension. your gnome parents modified the lawnmower to have fun with their new "friends." death means nothing if you've got your spells prepared. generational curses that make your life miserable recognize that you're not the stepdad, you're the dad that stepped up. we wanted something else from our god, so we made her into something else. your wizard principal is on a time travel roadtrip with his half-phoenix daughter and spent an obscene amount of money on a jet ski. there's a strudel dimension.

[homerforsure]

The thing about Buck and Tommy is that I just don’t believe they’re drift compatible.

[gladiolus---amicitia]

Hold up. What made the toilet explode into shards at the slightest impact?

oh my god i didnt see this for weeks im sorry. i threw a brick at it

[dk-thrive]

Lightly she has to hold the world, lovingly but lightly.

— Sally Rooney, Intermezzo: A Novel (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, September 24, 2024)

[eriexplosion]

There is truly nothing in TBB that will not make people assume someone is dying... character gets screentime? Death. Character comes back after no screentime? Death. Character is happy? Character is sad? Character changes their armor? Character breathes? Death Death Death Death.

There is only one button and we are hammering it constantly.

[transingthoseformers]

I would imagine it feels pretty vindictive to be able to un-do most (after giving the miners cogs) of Sentinel's damage, and if each time it's through blood energon, sweat and pain, so be it

(I may be cooking an AU at this point)

It would!!

[ampresandian]

Yeah maybe the Lotus Casino soundtrack was Levitating bc they were trying to find a fun timeless pop song for the let's have fun scenes to rival Poker Face.

OR maybe the Lotus Casino soundtrack was Levitating bc Hermes is obsessed with Dua Lipa and it was his favorite song at that moment. Maybe his favorite song for season 2 will be Houdini.

[the-eldritch-it-gay]

Being a druid, the Shadow Cursed Lands have been rough spiritually and emotionally for Majexatli. So since they were already so low, they figured they might as well take chances with Volo's offer to remove the parasite. They're surprisingly okay with the result, though not thrilled with their new look. Plus it probably wasn't the best impression on newly recruited Halsin, and I have to imagine it gave Karlach and Wyll a fright.

[puppytopper]

my holes can hold so many things for you 🥺🥺🥺, this pup can also double as whatever furniture you want, the perfect addition to any household -💚

What a precious puppy! You’re being so good, offering up your holes for use. Now, come here, puppy. I want to put my drink down and need a pretty cup holder 😌

[persephoneprice]

Lily, this October, do you think Persephone could save me from Felix?

yes, she can eat felix for you!

OR even better idea. use your vacation as a way to cleanse yourself from ravinstill. remember what OCTOBER stands for. think about persephone price ONLY. if your mind starts wondering to felix- just say NO!

[dazai-fan-page]

never been happier to not have a kunikida page btw

ofc i dont think hes staying dead bc yall know asagiri and killing off characters in the main series isnt really a thing he does

actually maybe yall dont know, every time it looks like someones dead we all flip for a few weeks/months and then they come back. example kunikida (helicopter) chuuya (drowning) dazai (headshot) aya (jump) fukuzawa (the shading that sorta looked like a bomb? ig?)

[swallowtailed]

scavengers reign review: 10/10, great colors, great speculative ecology. the plot never really picked up, but that felt fine to me--it's a show about the difficulty and joy of existing in community with others. very much enjoyed seeing levi's new form. very glad that azi made it. felt satisfied by sam's ending. i don't think it ever fully hit me that anything might be wrong with hollow, i was just thinking "damn yeah that happens sometimes". this show is like what the biologist thought was going to happen in annihilation

[kazimakuwabara]

May The Best Man Win

Summary: Sanji has words with Zoro, who seems to have taken a sudden interest with Usopp. (SanUso, light Zolu, 1.2k words) ((written for @sanusoweek ))

***

“What are you doing?” Sanji's hiss, was more of a roar as he banged open the door to the crow’s nest.

Zoro didn’t glance up from his bench, his massive dumbbells lifted high over his head. He was sweating in the midday sun, already about halfway through his workout. He couldn't be arsed to stop now, not when he had a good burn going. He counted off another rep before he even bothered answering Sanji, “789… 800… What d’ya want, Curly-bro?”

Slamming a tray of snacks, as well as a pitcher of cucumber water on a chair, Sanji fumed, “You and Usopp.”

“803…804… Me and Usopp, what?” Zoro asked, still not dignifying Sanji with his full attention.

“You’ve been hanging around him!” Sanji snarled. He stayed on the other end of the Crow's nest, out of Zoro's way. He was livid and angry enough to kill, but he'd rather kick Zoro to death when he didn't have his dumbells over his head.

Zoro paused a moment, to roll his head to the side, and peek at Sanji from his bench, before resuming his count, “806… 807… He’s my Nakama.”

“That is not what I mean Marimo, and you know it!” Sanji snapped back, voice on edge, and face flushed.

“811… 812… Ah. Oh. Well, Usopp’s pretty.”

It was silent, save for Zoro counting off his reps.

“What.”

“821… 822… Hnnn… Or handsome I s’pose. He looks good… he got stronger too. I’m proud of him. He’s changed, and he keeps changing still… I’ve noticed. And I like what I see. He's put a lot of hard work in... I can appreciate hard work.”

Sanji kicked the dumbbell out of Zoro’s hands, and back into its rest. 

Zoro sat up turning a fierce glare on Sanji, “You’re lucky I don’t run you through. I’m only not going for my swords because you didn’t knock my weights to the floor.”

Sanji’s face was glowing red with anger, “You know… you know Longnose is off limits.”

“Oh?” Zoro asked a brow lifted into his hairline, “And why is that? Cuz you liked him first?”

Sanji sputtered.

For a week now, Zoro had been sticking close to Usopp. It started with Zoro sitting next to Usopp for meals. This wasn't too abnormal, but Zoro had started speaking to Usopp in low tones over the din of the crew's chatter. Whatever he was saying, made Usopp flush. Then Zoro started napping around where Usopp liked to draw on deck, in those few moments where Usopp wasn't chasing Luffy and Chopper around.

Sanji had almost spilled a tray of drinks at the sight of Usopp napping against the Swordsman's chest.

What had really, really, really started to set the cook's temper ablaze, is that Zoro, sword-focused, stupid, Zoro, had gone bug hunting with Usopp. Usopp had asked Zoro along, and Zoro had grinned a sly slow grin, and agreed. The way he looked at Usopp in that moment... Sanji had dropped a small bag of onions at the sight of it. And then the pair waltzed off the ship, and returned hours later with a bunch of beetles to show Chopper and Luffy. Usopp had been ecstatic, and while he prattled on and on to their Captain, and their little doctor, Zoro had tucked his hand in the small of Usopp's back, as if it belonged there.

"You were not interested in him before!" Sanji snapped.

Zoro sighed, as if tasked with a great chore, but admitted, "True..."

Zoro spun his legs around the bench, and got up with a sigh. Striding over to the restorative snacks Sanji had brought him, Zoro poured himself a glass of water, “It doesn’t matter who likes who first, or who feels what the strongest. What matters…” Zoro downed the drink, snapping his unscarred eye to Sanji’s face, “is doing something about it.”

Sanji’s jaw clenched, his teeth aching from the force of his grinding.

“And while you’re too scared to do anything about it, Curly-brow… I am not,” Zoro concluded pouring himself another glass of water.

“So you…you’re gonna tell him you like him?” Sanji demanded after the silence stretched out too long.

“I’m letting him warm up to the idea that I’m interested first. Don’t want to scare him off,” Zoro answered frankly, “You gonna do something about it?”

“You Goddamned right, I’m gonna do something about it!” Sanji snarled, stomping towards the trap door that led out of the crow’s nest, and kicked open the trap door, "I've been at his side, noticing him since... since that blasted fucking sky island!"

Zoro fished out a still crisp cucumber from the pitcher of water, and took an obnoxiously loud bite out off it, "Yeah but, you didn't do anything about it."

Sanji snapped his head around to glare at Zoro, his nostrils flaring, and his cheeks red, "Well, I'm going to do something about it now!"

“So…It’s a competition then?” Zoro asked.

Sanji turned in full, so he could level Zoro with the full weight of his glare.

Zoro smiled and saluted his water at Sanji, “May the best man win.”

“You fucking moss-headed, shit nose, No-brained, shitty fucking swordsman-” Sanji snarled, but left the crow’s nest, ranting as he descended down and away from Zoro, his mind a mess with actions he needed to take.

Zoro waited for Sanji’s voice to disappear, and then an additional ten seconds after that. Casually over his shoulder, his eyes directed at a crate near the corner of the room, he called, “Oi, Usopp! He’s gone.”

Usopp, face a dark almost purple, popped out from within the crate, “I can’t believe that worked.”

Zoro snorted, “I can. Idiot’s been moonin’ after you since… fuck… you heard him. The island in the sky. Noland and all that shit.”

“I just don't believe it! Not since Skypiea!” Usopp lamented, stumbling out of the crate he'd been hiding in, “There’s no way.”

“Yes, way!” Zoro rumbled, and then held out a palm, “Money.”

“Oh, right!” Usopp produced a large wad of cash, money Nami had given Usopp under much laborious work over her Clima-tact. It was a hefty sum, but Usopp passed it over to Zoro without hesitation.

Zoro took it grinning, ��Easiest booze money I’ve ever made!”

“I still can’t believe this is working!” Usopp mumbled.

“I can. Nothing spurns a man like competition,” Zoro sighed, sitting back down on a bench on the outer wall of the crow’s nest, “I just don’t get why you don’t say something. You’re a brave warrior of the sea, you confess first!”

Usopp flushed, sinking into his shoulders a bit, “I just want a little insurance… he’s a hard nut to crack! I just wanted to be sure… that he liked me. If... if he didn't, or wouldn't consider me-”

“Anyone would be lucky to have you!” Zoro rumbled, cutting off Usopp before he could start listing his faults. With his eyes narrowed in a protective older brother glare, Zoro added, “If he keeps being this worthless, just forget him. He doesn’t deserve you! If he’s not begging you to be his in a few days' time, I’ll kick him to the curb myself!”

Usopp smiled, “Gee Zoro… thanks…”

Zoro grunted in response. 

Usopp tiptoed to the trap door, and after being sure Sanji wasn’t below, he started to descend. He paused before he fully left, calling out, “Zoro?”

“Huh?”

“Luffy likes napping with you the best by the way.”

Zoro froze, and Usopp lifted his brows at Zoro in that knowing sort of way.

Sweetly, Usopp added, "He's been sulking since you and I napped together."

Zoro coughed, “You’re as bad as Nami! Get out of here!”

Usopp snickered, climbing down the ladder with a high, half-sung, “Perish the thought!”

  End

[k4r4ss]

air commander

[dk-thrive]

She is spending time with these poems: which are better company than people, they take your shape willingly, but still lightly, like a duvet does. She lets them work on her mind, entering wholeheartedly into the spirit of them, hardly writing anything down: just reading.

— Rosalind Brown, Practice: A Novel (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, June 25, 2024)

[bea-lele-carmen]