#More for people ready to put themselves more out there or engage more too

[streakyglasses]

It’s truly an inspiration to see you write and how easily it comes to you! I’ve written a bunch about Stris in the past and started again recently, but I’ve been a bit nervous to publish. How did you decide to take the jump?

first, thank you, like to the heavens and back. that’s such a sweet thing to say & it’s the highest of compliments that you’d ask me about any of this🥺🩷

i wrote fic for another fandom when i was younger, so i didn’t have any qualms about publishing generally. but i will say that i’d watched swat and loved it, and was rewatching it in my dorm when i got inspired to write. i really missed the fandom community, i needed a new space away from school/life, and saw that the one on ao3 was small but mighty. it made putting myself out there not as scary as it might’ve been. and because there’s not a huge fandom, the response was good and everyone was so nice that it made continuing super easy. tbh, it’s crazy that it’s been right around 2 years since i first wrote and posted stris. (admittedly, i don’t remember how long i sat on my first fic before pressing publish lol.) in that time, i do feel like i’ve found a community. there are so many people i interact with regularly even though i don’t know their names, you know? it’s comforting, and something i get to look forward to whenever i post. every new prompt i get here makes me stupid happy! building & being a part of the fandom is incredible. and i hope the new season encourages more people to watch the show from the start & brings more people in, too! on that note, i would love to read absolutely anything you have to publish, and im positive the rest of the fandom would, too. there’s not a ton of stris fic—so it’s always exciting when i click the tag and see something new be it ao3/ffn/tumblr—but there’s so much heart in stris & i’m sure there’s so much of your heart in your writing that would shine through and people would love. (and, more importantly, that you love! there’s something extra fun about rereading my fics on ao3 months/years later and seeing them from a new perspective. seeing what i’d change but what people really loved and responded to is special.)

so, long answer above. short answer: people are starved for stris fic and the community will rally around it in the best way. i really hope you decide to publish!!! 🩷

[alexa-yukiyu]

The apprentice’s apprentice (Roger pirates x reader)

Lesson 2: Monsters can be good

Prologue, Chp 1

A/N: totally din’t have this chapter in my drafts for three days ready to be edited and published but was to lazy to do it

Dividers by @/firefly-graphics

Reader here is replaced by Dokucha which stands for reader in japanese for the enjoyment of both reader and oc character readers

They let out a happy huff, taking hold of a small dandelion that stood in the path, blowing out it's seeds and watching them fly off in awe

"Dokucha, don't lag behind!" Rayleigh called, looking back at the small child.

"I'm coming!" they yelled. Running towards the pirated, hugging his leg tightly as he took notice of a fast-approaching foe.

"Should we nip this right in the bud, Rayleigh?" Gaban called out as he pulled out his dual axes, an excited look on his face as he looked up at the blond.

"I think so." Rayleigh agreed, mirroring Gaban's actions as he, too, pulled out his weapon. But before he could call Dokucha to step back so he could engage with the Samurai, a call of his name caught his attention.

"Gaban! Rayleigh, Leave this one to me! I wouldn't want either of you to get hurt!" Roger cackled, running off to meet up with Oden himself.

"Capi is happy again!" Dokucha cheered, looking up at the sound of Rayleigh shedding his sword

"I swear he is more of a child than you are," Rayleigh called with a roll of his eyes. Glancing at his crewmate as he grabbed the child putting them on his hip.

"Get 'em! Capi!" Dokcuha hollered, clapping joyfully as the Captain quickly sent the man back with a single sword slash.

"Scoopah, Scoopah look! It's a monkey! A huge Monkey," They point out, pulling at the axe user's clothes and pointing at a fast-approaching figure, jumping from tree-top to tree-top until he met swords with Roger.

"Looks like it's starting," Rayleigh mused

"So it seems," Gaban grinned, putting the child down and crouching in front of them

"Dokucha, I need you to step away from the battlefield for a while; things are about to get dangerous around here; we'll come get you when things calm down."

"But I want to see Shans and Buggie! And I want to see Capi fight the monkey!"

"I promise you will get to see the two once we are done with this; as for the fight, you can't be too close, or you'll be caught up in it."

"But...

"No more buts, lass, or are you going to stay with me and away from those two for a week?" Rayleigh scolded

"No!" They cried

"Then go, you can find a high vantage point to watch the fight, alright? But not from here."

"Okey..."

-

Dokucha frowned as they watched the scene below them draped over Rayleigh's crossed legs, their body lying down on the ground face down as they kicked their legs, their head lying down on their crossed hands that laid on his thighs.

"Umm, Ayeigh?" they called as they rolled their body, straightening their arms slightly to hold themselves up so they could stare up at the man

"Hm?"

"I thought you said they were, umm, pilagin."

"Pillaging," he corrected, a similar frown growing on his face as he scouted the people below him

"They were supposed to, but it seems it has turned into a gift exchange instead," he mused

"Gifts are good, right, so we're friends!?" they beamed

"It's a little bit more complicated than that kid, but it is good, yes."

“Ne, Ray, can I umm can I go?” they mumbled, lifting themselves up completely, opting to sit in front of the man instead

“Go? You want to explore the place?” he questions, looking at the fidgeting child in front of them as they nod their head vigorously. He glanced at the exchange, once again measuring the risks the child could be exposed to.

“Pleasee!”

“Fine, but stay away from the exchange area, alright? We are on a ceasefire, but I still don’t trust these lads to measure their strength around you; I see you around them, and you’ll be done. Is that clear?”

“Aye, aye, sir!” they laughed as they attempted a sloppy salute, much to his amusement. As he wave them off, watching them disappear with a trail of laughs behind them

They followed a trail of lush foliage, observing every small plant that rose above the vegetation. Every now and then, they gracelessly grabbed some of the greenery and placed it on their satchel, only to repeat the process until they reached a small clearing devoid of any special or particular flora, with everyday grass covering the field. However, the disappointment at the absence of vegetation was quickly forgotten as Dokucha spotted something that could replace this loss: other children.

Dokucha grinned, watching as another child considerably older than themselves cradled a baby in his arms. The boy in question seemed to wear a particular piece of clothing that quickly caught their attention; it looked comfortable, allowing the boy plenty of flexibility as he threw the baby in the air over and over to get various laughs from the latter. Slowly, Dokucha dared to step closer to the couple, easily gaining the attention of the boy who hugged the baby close to him and ran off out of their eyesight, promoting the three-year-old to run after them only to stop in terror at what they found at the first turn.

In front of them stood a green-haired woman with a determined look as she pointed a sword towards them. However, it seems that a little child was not what the woman was expecting because as soon as she took Dokucha in, her eyes widened, and she fumbled to sheath her sword.

“I apologize! Young one! Momonosuke had said that he spotted someone, and I feared it would be an opposing pirate unaware of the cease-fire!” she hurriedly sputtered out

“Where do you come from? Where are your parents?” she questioned as she fussed over them, assessing them for any injuries

“I don’t have a mommy and daddy! My brothers and uncles take care of me!” they exclaimed proudly

“I see, and I suppose they are on the Roger pirates, yes?”

“Yeah!”

“Well, you are welcome to stay with us until they finish they’re pillaging! These are my kids.”

“It’s a baby!” they beamed, trying to take a peek at the little bundle in the boy’s arms, who leaned down slightly to allow them a view of the infant.

“Yes! That is Hiyori, and this is my boy, Momonosuke.”

“Awe, tiny baby!” they grinned fumblingly, carrying the infant.

“Toki?” A voice cut in, gaining the attention of the four, with the Kouzuki’s brightening at the stranger's voice.

“Oden! Over here!” called the woman, grinning as the daimyo entered the clearing. His face softened as he spotted his wife and children, pausing when they spotted the strange new addition to their little group.

“Huh? Who are you?” he questioned, looking down at Dokucha

“Dokusha”

“Dokusha?” he parroted, confused, leaning down as his wife approached him, talking to him in hushed tones, realization dawning on him; at the same time his grin returned to his face

“Bwahahaha, so it’s like that, is it?! If you don’t have any parents, why don’t you join our crew?! I am sure white-kishi will be more than ecstatic to have you!” he boomed

“Get away from them, you bastard!” a voice cut in with Oden easily avoiding a small dagger sent his way.

“Up, Up,” a voice muttered as hands enveloped them, gently lifting them into the familiar embrace of their brother, making haste as he made his way out of the clearing and back to their previous post.

“Shans!” they exclaimed, looking up at the red-head, waving at the clown who followed close behind them, frowning at the red hue that covered the young boy’s face, a confused pout growing on their face as upon being placed down, they promptly noticed the similar expression now present on the swordsman

“I’m sorry, Shans,” they cried

The two had sat down with the child and explained that they had simply been worried, as nobody seemed to have seen them upon questioning the others about their whereabouts. Once they spotted them about to be ‘kidnapped’ by the opposing crew, as they called it, they simply lost it and let their anger speak for them as they attacked Oden on sight. However, the two were smart enough to retreat. Once they were sure Dokusha was saved, it was clear that it was only because the samurai understood their plight that the situation had not escalated.

“It’s okay, Dokucha!” he chuckled, bouncing his legs to calm down the toddler

“We were just worried. I’m glad you’re okay, but you can’t just sneak off like that, alright?” he admonished them

“But I told Ayleigh!”

“You told them you were going to explore, not that you were going into the enemy’s side!” Buggy yelled, freaked out

“Oops?”

“Oops?!” Buggy parroted his face, blanched out as he realized how dangerous his actions had been and how close to being killed he was had the man not been as carefree as he was.

“Dahahha, come on, Buggy, I thought you wanted to teach the whitebeards a Lesson?!”

“Not like that, you idiot?! Did you see the size of that guy?! Not to mention, he’s actually walking after receiving a hit from the Captain! He must be a monster!” he cried

“Mr. Anvil is a Monster?!” they wailed

“Ah! Buggy, you idiot! You made them cry!” Shanks exclaimed as he grabbed Dokucha, turning them around on their lap to soothe them

“W-Wait Dokucha! It’s okay! They are no match for our Captain o-or Rayleigh! You need bigger monsters to beat a monster after all!” the clown stated proudly, only for his fussing to begin again as he noticed that his words had only worsened.

“Ayleigh and Capi are monsters?!”

“Alright, Dokucha, you can hang around here while we finish our lookout, or you can go find Rayleigh,” Shanks called as he lowered the child into a small rock that lay behind them

“No! I stay with Shans and Buggy!” They called as they ran to their legs, hugging them tightly

“Alright, Alright,” he sighed

Dokucha grinned, happy that they got to stay with them after having been separated for the three days the fight had gone on

“Buggie, who’s that?” they asked, staring at the men adjacent to the trio, who stood in a manner similar to the two boys'.

“Oh…they are from the Whitebeard pirates. Those are their apprentices, but that reminds me! Shanks, do you see the one with the hat?!”

“Yeah”

“I heard he didn’t sleep a wink during the cease-fire last night or the night before that!”

“Huh? Why not?”

“They say he’s never slept in his life!”

“What?! Is that even possible? Lucky guy”

“No sleep? He gets to have so much fun!” Dokucha calls with a smile

“I bet he gets to have twice the fun!” shanks added

“Twice the fun he says, what is wrong with you?! And don’t teach Dokucha that that’s not normal!”

“But he doesn’t have to sleep, Buggie! He gets to play and train all that time! I bet he’s real strong!” Dokucha piped up

“You’re spending too much time with this idiot Dokucha!” Buggy admonished with an incredulous look on his face

“You’re wrong, Buggie!”

“Alright, you two cut it out,” Shanks called as he picked up the child, who by now had raised tiny fists to engage Buggy

“Buggie started it!

“Did not!” he growled

“Stop!”

“Sorrey” They called as the boy gave them a small bonk on the head.

“Ne Shans, who’s that?” Dokucha called, pointing to the other side; following their finger, Shanks found a young man sitting on a rock, seemingly resting.

“Hmm? You mean Marco the Phoenix?”

“Phoenix?”

“It’s a type of bird, a mythical one,” he clarified

“A bird?!”

“Don’t think about it! You’re not going near him!” Buggy scowled, recognizing the glitter in the younger one’s eyes.

“Oey”

“Regardless, I forgot to get it to you earlier, but here, Dokucha,” Shanks called as he pulled a small wrapper from his pocket and extended it to the child, watching as they slowly wrapped their arms around it and pulled to them, a gleeful squeal, leaving them as they open the wrapper and set eyes on the chocolate inside

“I promised you a reward, right? You did great finding those Marines,” he praised, a gentle smile on his face as he rubbed their head, teasingly adding more force than needed, snickering as it slightly pushed the child around

“Hahaha! Thank you, Shans!” they grinned, taking a chump out of the rare treat

Yippe!!

Taglist:

@Imaginarydreams

@amethystviolin

@h0n3y-l3m0n05

@hannahbarberra162

@epochal-oracle

[drdemonprince]

Hello. A bar I like in my area is doing a t4t darkroom/sex party. I desperately want to go but I'm having trouble convincing myself it's really okay to be sexy around strangers. Maybe i'm just not ready but I'm getting hung up on the fact that I can't picture the scene, like where/how clothing check happens, what if I make inappropriate eye contact or freak people out, etc. Do you have any tips on overcoming repressed sexuality even around other queerdos? How to get over the masked autistic need to know every detail so I can cater my behavior to my expectations (which is exactly what I don't want from this experience)?

I think you should go with a buddy and just watch what's going on the first time. If you've read my cruising guide, you already have the general sense of what to expect -- but nothing will prepare you for this specific event quite like visiting the specific event. And no amount of studying replaces experience & trial and error. I had to go to Pup Night maybe three or four times before I fucked anybody there, and even then it was because someone approached me and broke the ice.

I wouldn't worry about making "too much" eye contact, generally. If a person doesn't want your attention they will look away or move away. Expressions of desire are not a violation. Depending on the cruising spot and its culture it's normal to put your hands on someone to convey interest and trust them to move those hands off of themselves if they don't want to engage. So it's very very very unlikely someone is going to accuse you of crossing boundaries -- far more likely you'll just be standing around feeling shy and awkward, which is also what 80% of the other people there also do.

Just enjoy the sights and sounds as best you can for a few visits. Watch, take notes, see how you feel, catch some people fucking, jerk off while they do maybe...take it as far as you are comfortable doing. You can't change into a radically new type of person in one night but you can through many repeated nights.

[theambitiouswoman]

how do you deal with shame? bc i suffered with severe depression and im just getting my own apartment at 30 years old. i still have no degree, the job i go to in ashamed everyday even though it pays my bills and take care of my kids because i see everyone who i went to high school with graduated and some got their masters. im ashamed of what i been through and ashamed of where im in at my life and im carrying deep deep depression and shame because i feel like im not enough and embarrassed of where im at because i know i could’ve did more with my life.

I really want to answer this because I also remember feeling behind at one point and I definitely remember my friends comparing themselves to me because we didn’t make the same life decisions.

Just want to warn you I’m going to give you some compassion combined with a little tough love.

I’m really, REALLY sorry you’re feeling this way. No matter how different your life looks to others, it’s your life. It’s easy to compare yourself to people who seem to have it all figured out, but their paths aren’t yours. Just because you are seeing someone during the good times in their lives, doesn’t mean it will always be that way or that it won’t be for you when the time is right.

I remember feeling so much judgment because all my friends were married, had serious boyfriends, or kids. Back then, I’d leave our dinners in tears, feeling like a failure. Looking back now, the pressure I felt seems almost comical, but it was painful at the time. For context, I’ve been engaged more than once, yet I wasn’t ready to settle. Now, many of those women are divorced and starting over, often without financial independence, while I’m at a high point in my life and considering settling down on my own terms.

The lesson here is that life isn’t a race or a checklist. It’s not linear, and it doesn’t have to follow a timeline. Some people hit their stride at 20, others at 30, 40, or beyond—and that’s okay. Life is meant to be experienced, not rushed. The lessons we learn along the way shape us. Society’s timelines and standards are just that—standards. You don’t have to follow them to live a fulfilling, meaningful life.

Depression is incredibly hard to deal with, and it’s not something I take lightly. But since you’re committed to working on yourself, it’s so important to remind yourself to keep pushing forward. That said, I think you’re being way too hard on yourself right now. Who wouldn’t feel overwhelmed? But let’s take a step back—you have your own apartment for the first time, which is incredible! You have a job that allows you to provide for your kids, putting food on the table and showing up as a parent who loves them deeply. How lucky are they to have you?

From my perspective, you’re incredibly strong. You’ve faced depression and still found the courage to keep building yourself up. That’s no small feat. Don’t let negative thoughts get in your way—practice reframing them. Instead of focusing on what you feel is lacking, focus on how far you’ve come and the amazing things you’re doing right now. You’re stronger than you give yourself credit for.

You may not like where your life is now, but you have to realize that it is under your control. If you want to change your life now, today, you can. Your life will start to change when you yourself commit to change. And that starts with your thoughts. Work on your perspective. Don’t beat yourself up for what could have happened or didn’t happen because you’re wasting even more time for absolutely nothing. You feel like you’ve wasted years, why would you want to continue wasting any more?

Shame often stems from the story we tell ourselves, so try to shift that narrative. You wouldn’t shame your friends for struggling; you’d remind them of their resilience. Focus on small wins— change your perspective. Start focusing on showing gratitude for the things you do have and what you’ve overcome. Gratitude for everything and anything. Gratitude attracts miracles and abundance. I know this sounds dumb or unrealistic, but it’s true. Besides, it doesn’t hurt to try.

I’m very proud of you and you can do so much more, anything you want if you just had a little bit of faith in yourself. Your worth isn’t defined by what you’ve been through or what you’ve accomplished. It’s defined by the fact that you’re here, trying and pushing forward. That alone makes you more than enough.

[congratufuckyoulations]

REF DO SOMETHING! Pt.5

!!!FULL DRESSROSA SPOLIERS!!!

A light 16k word count

THIS PART LOWKEY IS KINDA LONG SORRY, NOT SORRY. Maybe it isn't even long, and I'm crazy. But yeah, oml I get caught up in stupid details when writing, so don't mind that. But like I don't want to miss any details

Masterlist

Pt.4

A/N- Idk but Law and Luffy are so cute together. I cannot stop it right now, Dressrosa is such a goated overall season. Honestly, every season is. I also got my nails done. I don’t know when I’ll post this, but it will probably be a while. My nails are low-key slowly me down and make me press the wrong buttons. Normal thing,s it’s just annoying and I want to rip them off already lol. also idk if ill make luffy kick doflamingos ass this chapter or next. So we will see when this is posted

Straw hat reader, One Piece x reader, Luffy x reader?, Zoro x reader, and maybe even some Law x reader. I just don't want to disappoint the Law fans fr bcs I know about his character, but not much yet

Devil fruit power- Plant related. Imagine any other person with plant powers I guess? You can grow walls made from plants. Use plants to attack. I wanna say you could even grow plants used for medicines or sum idk.

The sword below is as random design I got off Pinterest so credit is far gone sorry😔

Tw- mature content??, some what graphic description not really tho

!Sorry for any grammar errors!

"You really know how to pick enemies, Luffy!" You huff

Running to the right of Luffy. Zoro, on his other side.

Law carelessly thrown over your captain's shoulder

"I know, right? I'm really getting the hang of it!" Luffy gloats, smiling as we run forward

"This isn't a game, Straw Hat!" Law scolds, lifting his head toward the boy carrying him

"Luffy. Is that squaking peacock guy a friend of yours?" Zoro interrupts

Ignoring the complaining you and Law decided to nag Luffy with

"Oh, you mean cabbage?"

"Cabbage, huh? His parents really name him that?"

"You're kidding. No parent would ever name their kid that!" You chime in on the conversation, not wanting them to carry this dumb conversation any further

"He could just be a real weirdo, huh? I met a whole bunch of crazy people back at the coliseum!" Luffy pipes up

"There they are! Don't let 'em get in the way," A voice shouts from ahead of the group

Pirates stand blocking your path, charging straight at the crew. Zoro and Luffy rush into action.

Before drawing your sword, you raise your palms before you, facing the sky. As you raise your hands up to the side of your face. Vines erupt from the ground, shooting up rapidly.

The plants aim for the pirates, knocking them out. Other vines wrap themselves around the pirates, holding them in place.

Your sword finds your hand as you slice away at the remaining pirates

Grunting alongside Zoro and Luffy as they easily fought against the men. The sound of their unconscious bodies hitting the floor

"I'll give it to Doflamingo for being smart enough to put bounties on our heads." You mutter

"Sure makes it hard for us to make progress," Zoro says, wiping sweat off his forehead with his arm.

The group takes a few breaths. Our chests rise and fall for a quick moment.

Hearing new footsteps approaching rapidly. All of your heads snap in the direction of the noise

"Crap. There's more?" Luffy says

"Whatcha thinkin', Luffy? If we engage in this mob, we'll be here all day." Zoro proclaims, quickly slicing down an attacking pirate

"I vote run!" You chime in as you push a pirate you were wrestling with into a random stack of barrels.

Mentally apologizing to whoever owned them. Hoping there wasn't much importance to them.

As the man crushed the barrels under his weight. Lying there motionless

"Me too!" Luffy agrees, and your group turns towards a random street.

Ready to take off sprinting, halting upon hearing a man screaming for your captain.

Turning to the side you see a large dust cloud forming. Heavy footsteps near

"HOLD IT! THERE YOU ARE, STRAW HAT! YOU HEARD ME GO!"

"MOVE! MOVE! MOVE!" Another man shouts

"I know that guy," Luffy says, teeth gritted

"GRANDSON OF GARP, WAIT FOR ME!" A large older man appears from the cloud of dust with two other men leading in front of him.

The two were smaller in size, but compared to an average human, they were tall. Clearly, they were a strong group

"Ugh! Thought so," Luffy grunts, disgust written all over your captain's face

"I'm guessing we don't like them?!" You say, watching as the group of men approaches closer.

Arms crossed, watching the men's faces contort as they scream. Slightly smiling at how goofy the people here were

"Yeah, we should go! RUN!" Luffy shouts, taking off running, leaving you and Zoro behind momentarily.

Turning your attention to your captain as he takes off sprinting. Following quickly after Luffy

"WAIT UP!" You yell, hearing Zoro's footsteps as he runs alongside you

"WHAT'S GOTTEN INTO YOU?!" Zoro shouts at the boy, as we again have to catch up to him.

A crowd of pirates scream and shout, chasing close behind us

"They don't let up, do they?!" You hiss, looking back at the mob of people.

It was hard to see the street beneath them with how many there were

"Seriously! More company?! JUST GO AWAY ALREADY!" Luffy perks up, glancing back as well.

Eyebrows furrowed at the crowd. The three men are also following along

"HEAD-ARMS!" The old man shouts as you watch him quickly get down on all fours.

It all happened quickly as he lunged straight toward the group. You stumble out of the way as he flies past in a quick motion.

Turning your head to follow his body with wide eyes.

The large older man had incredible speed for his age. He lands ahead of us.

Now blocking our path, forcing us to pay attention to him. His back is towards us as he stands

"Is there something wrong with your hearing, Grandon of Garp?" The man says as he stands to his full height. Looming over us as he turns around to face us

The two other men he was with approached from behind us. Passing our group, they go to stand next to the tall old man.

You glare at the men, the feeling from them is weird. It didn't seem like they wanted to harm the crew

"Just hear this old man out for a moment. I wanted to let you know I've forgiven the grudge I held against your family." The old man says as a smile spreads across his face. Making him look nicer than moments before

"What? You did?" Luffy queries

"We're here for one thing. And that's to eliminate Doflamingo's immoral business. We don't work for such a small amount of money!" The shorter guy with dark hair announces.

His face is serious. You knew these guys said they weren't gonna harm you, but their mere height made you feel intimidated.

Arms crossed over your chest, trying to seem stern

The old man's large hands cup around Luffy. Engulfing your captain's smaller frame in his grasp. Luffy grunts as the action

"I must thank you and your friend. For the brave, God Usopp rescued me in my darkest hour." He says

You let out a laugh at the mention of your crewmate. Knowing he's hating every second.

The serious act drops as you cover your mouth from the noise that escapes you.

"Usopp did that?"

"He sure is a hero now!" You grin

"Therefore, I have made up my mind to return you and God Usopp the favor by taking down Doflamingo and his wicked monarchy." The old man finishes

"Huh? You, too?" Luffy blurts, shoving the large hand off his body.

"The only guy who's kickin' his ass is me!" Your captain asserts, glaring up at the man.

Watching as the old man's demeanor changes. The ends of his long white beard begin to float up. Anger took over his face

"Speak up. What did you say?"

"What I said was 'Don't bother! I'm gonna do it!" your captain argues as the taller man lowers his head.

Meeting Luffy in the middle scowling at each other

"The nerve of you! Are you rejecting my generous favor?" He scoffs

Loud rumbling can be heard to the side, as everybody halts. Lifting your head even higher than the old man.

Eyes meeting the giant's face as he peers over the town's crumbled buildings

"Straw Hat. I was searching for you." The giant states

"Oh! The giant guy!" Luffy acknowledges the man towering over everybody in Dressrosa

"I say we bury the hatchet between us. I swear, as a proud warrior of Elbaf, I'll slay Doflamingo for God Usopp!" The giant states

"Another one?" You murmured, glancing at Zoro beside you.

Earning a shrug from the swordman. Both returning your attention to Luffy. Watching your captain yell at the giant man towering above

A crash erupts from behind the old man who had been chasing your group. Dust settles as a blonde man appears from the new entrance. He is wearing gold boxing gloves with a matching crown resembling a king.

"Just one moment! We of the Prodence Kingdom have long owed King Riku an enormous debt. I'll bring down Doflamingo with my own two fists!" The blonde man declares

"Yes! His Majesty's right! We don't want the bounty! Not this time." A shorter bald man says as he takes his place beside the blonde

"Huh?"

"Not this time, yeah right!" You say, huffing as you take a step toward Luffy, grabbing hold of his shoulder.

The one without Traffy glued to it. Turning the boy to face you.

"Luffy, how many people did you even meet in there?" You interrogate your captain, who smiles sheepishly.

A free hand finding the back of his head in second nature. His eyes avoid yours at first, looking off to the side

"It's hard to count," Luffy says as his eyes meet yours.

A slight pout on his face. Two new voices speaking caught the attention of you and the captain. Snapping your head toward the voices

"We will be the ones who kill that bastard!"

"We shall never forget that beacon of light who freed us from our torment!"

Suddenly, you see more men heading toward your group. The crowd was only growing larger.

They all seemed to be fighters from the coliseum today. Some of the men caught your eye. Many of the men seemed very interesting to see, the least

A blue-haired man with longer legs than usual, one with cannons on his shoulder.

Two other blonde pirates appeared who were somewhat similar, but definitely from different crews. Both sport darker shades of red

Your group deadpans at the fighters, all declaring they would be the ones to take on Doflamingo. All arguing amongst each other as you watch from beside Zoro and Luffy

"Is this all of them?" You speak up as you watch in disbelief at the fighter getting carried away. Arguing in each other's face

"I hope so. Ya know, you really attract some oddballs, huh?" Zoro replies, before shifting the conversation to address Luffy.

There was no time to reply as you hear a horse behind you.

"YOU'D BE A FOOL TO FORGET ABOUT ME!" A voice announces as you glance back.

Seeing the pretty blonde guy from earlier. You let a smile find your face as your captains and Zoro's face twist in disgust at the blonde male approaching

"Great. Big Mouth found us again." The swordman grunts.

In return, your hand slaps across his arm. His earrings swing as he snaps his head at you, making eye contact

"Be nice," you utter, pulling your eyes away from the green-haired man.

The young blonde passes by after hopping off his horse.

Walking over to stand in front of your group with the rest of the fighters of the coliseum

"Sure, whatever," Zoro says, looking back at the fighter as well.

Most of the men tower tall. You could practically hear them growling with anger.

A scowl paints your face at the fighters acting like…well men. Rolling your eyes at the glares from the fighters

"Hey! You all serious about helping?" Zoro questions loudly

"If you were wise, you'd leave the task of taking down Doflamingo to us!" The old man announces

"I think it would be wise to let us do it," You add.

Complaints begin to flow through the air from the fighters.

Your hands shoot up in defense at the groans you receive from the idea.

"Jeez! Manly, you all are." You mutter under your breath as your arms cross once again

"I must do it for my pride!" The giant states.

Causing the rest of the fighters to shout over each other about why they want to kill Doflamingo

"All right, now this is getting annoying. Ugh. Hey, what if we do it this way? We three will handle killing Doflamingo while you guys watch our backs. Sound okay?" Zoro suggest

The fighter's heads snap once more to the crew

"Absolutely not! I'm going to kill Doflamingo!" They all say in unison.

Before turning to each other and arguing once more between each other.

"Forget it. There are way too many egos involved." Zoro scoffs

"Tell me about it. They're starting to give me a headache!" You wince.

Your hand coming to your head. Shaking it in disapproval at how stubborn the men were being

"Come on, guys. ALL RIGHT, I'M MAKING THE CALL, SO LISTEN UP! IF ANYONE HERE'S GONNA KICK HIS ASS LIKE IT NEEDS TO BE KICKED, IT'S GONNA BE ME!" Luffy asserts.

You could've guessed the following actions, as the dark-haired fighter with the old man grabbed hold of Luffy's shirt collar. Tugging him closer

"WHAT'D YOU SAY? YOU'RE GETTING THIS FAVOR RETURNED ONE WAY OR ANOTHER! IF YOU SAVE SOMEONE'S LIFE, YOU BETTER LEARN TO ACCEPT THEIR KINDESS OR ELSE, YA MORON!" He scolds.

As he finishes, he is suddenly kicked out of your vision. A long leg stretched in front of you.

You had heard of the long-arm tribe from Brook, so you wouldn't have doubted if there was a long-leg tribe as well. Especially after seeing this guy's legs

"I SAID LEAVE IT TO ME!" The long-legged man said

"I'LL DESTROY HIM!" Another fighter shouts as the other fighters join in. Luffy and the fighters are all growling at each other.

Fed up with the heat already, and the complaints. You huff, stomping as you place yourself between the fighters and your crew

"WILL YOU ALL SHUT IT! YOU GUYS ARE SERIOUSLY THE WHINNIEST BUNCH I'VE MET. YOU ALL NEED TO MAN UP! LET LUFFY HANDLE THIS LIKE WE SAID!" Your voice echoes through the ruined street.

Silence engulfs you as all the fighters peer down on your smaller form, standing up to them. They all stand in shock, some mouths agape at your stern shout

The guy with cannons on his shoulders speaks up

"We did all witness the way Straw Hat fights firsthand," he murmurs.

All the fighters looked like they were having internal battles with themselves. Their egos were fighting greatly against the idea of letting Luffy take over

Suddenly, an arrow lands between you and the fighters.

Looking to the right, a group of pirates with all sorts of weapons grinning wickedly in your direction.

Shouting nonsense about the countless bounties in this one area

"Don't they look familiar? Weren't the toys with us at the dock?" The blue-haired man points out to the rest of the fighters.

They all take notice and grimace at the pirates

"Those shameless cowards! How dare they!" A fighter shouts at the attacking pirates.

The fighters could be heard grunting in anger, and they prepared to fight

"Just pull it together," You instruct

As the men nod their heads before taking off to teach the pirates a lesson. Watching as they fought with skill.

The people of Dressrosa were blinded by Doflamingo for the final time. The promise of money flooded the pirates and townspeople's minds. Greed consumed them on this horrid day.

Lives are being taken, families torn apart, and loved ones are being taken from this world. All under Doflamingo's powerful influence

"Let's go" Zoro says, pulling you from your trance

"Yeah! Nice work Y/N!" Luffy compliments.

His free arm wrapping around your shoulder.

Pulling you close he laughs, turning you to walk in the opposite direction of the coliseum fighters.

Law's sword in his hand hits against you, but you didn't mind

"Thank ya!" You say

Relishing in being able to help somewhat settle the difference between the men.

Knowing that if you weren't there, they still would've done it themselves. Happy you gave them a head start.

In the distance, a large bull exited from a random alleyway. The cattle turned its head toward the group.

Due to the loud fighting taking place behind you. Your captain gasps at the sight

"It's Moocy!" Luffy's shoulders rise in excitement

"A cow?" Zoro questioned

"A very cute cow!" You gush, walking up to the bull. Lifting your hands as you carefully reach for the cattle's side.

He seemed pretty friendly as it turned its body, nudging its large head into your hands.

You giggle at the adorable bull acting like a giant dog. Smiling as you rub the side of the bull's furry face

"I got an idea!" Luffy says.

Crouching down as he jumps high, landing on the bull's back. Landing close to the horns of the bull.

As he laid Law down behind him. The pirate lies across the back of the bull. Zoro walks closer as he approaches the bull

"Come on, Y/N," Zoro says from the side of the bull.

Letting go of the bull's face, you walk over the side.

The swordsman kneels on one knee, patting his left shoulder. Motioning for you to take a seat on top of it.

Looking around slightly, before sitting on the man's shoulder. Your right-hand finds his other shoulder to stabilize yourself.

The other was gripping tightly onto his clothed shoulder under you

"Ready?" Zoro asks

"Mhm!" You hum.

The swordsman pushes himself off his knee, standing up to his full height easily.

Sitting on top of his shoulder allowed you easy access to the tall bull.

Releasing your grip on Zoro, you place your hands in front of you on the cattle's soft back.

"Grab onto me," Law says from your left.

His head hanging upside down off the bull. As he lies across, you smile slightly at the pirate's position

"Thanks," You reply.

Wrapping your hand around his forearm as you use it to pull yourself up. Feeling Zoro's hands find the back of your thighs, pushing you up as well.

Getting comfortable on top of the cattle now, you find your spot sitting on your knees.

Law's body is on full display, laid out directly in front of you.

The coat was still wide open. Choosing it was best to look anywhere besides in front of you

Zoro then hops onto the bull, sitting with his legs crossed behind you.

His famous cursed sword was perched over his shoulder now. The blade glistens in the light

"ALRIGHT, LET'S GO!" Luffy shouts, leaning forward.

A fist pumped into the air as the bull takes off toward the palace. The fighters from the coliseum follow after seeing Luffy and your group heading toward Doflamingo

Your hands are planted on the bull's back. Trying to grip any fur to hold yourself down with the movement

"WAIT! STRAW HAT!" A fighter from the coliseum yells

"Huh? I said Get lost!" Luffy shouts back, fighting with two fighters from the coliseum, trying to hitch a ride on Moocy.

Your captain shoves one of the fighters with a mustache off him. Focusing his attention on the other with a pointed head.

Sending the fighter flying towards you instead, his face coming closer. Arms out before him as he flies back toward you and Zoro.

"AH!" The man screams, flying in the air. Arms and legs spread like a starfish

Lying on the bull, Law gasped with wide eyes, seeing the fighter fly over him. Straight at you.

Soon, making contact, and the impact sends you falling back onto Zoro. The fighter is now in your lap, arms hugging onto you, keeping himself stable.

"GET THE HELL OFF ME!" You shout, hands finding the man's shoulders. Shoving him away as he only screams in rebuttal, tightening his grip

"PLEASE NO!" He shouts as your palm connects with his face. Roughly pushing him away with all your strength. Sending him flying off the side of the bull. Huffing as you watch him get trampled by the other fighters. Turning away, choosing to forget about the fighter's annoying attempts

"What should we do about the dead weight, Luffy?" Zoro pipes up from behind

"Yeah, Luffy, they are annoying me," You grumble, crossing your legs. Shoulders slouching as your elbows rest on your knees. Face resting on your fist, visibly upset

"STOP FOLLOWING US! YOU ALL ARE ANNOYING MY CREW! WE DON'T NEED YOU ALL!" Luffy screams while tugging harshly on the other fighter's face, trying to board Moocy

Rumbling starts up again in the distance as you watch Pica's large stone hand lift from its place on the ground.

The giant arm slowly pulls back, getting ready to swing toward you. The coliseum fighter's annoying chatter filled your ears as they argued over who would take Pica down

"YOU BONEHEADS! STOP TALKING TRASH!" Pica's loud voice echoes once more. Silence passes over the group

"PFFFTHAHAHA!" The fighter's stern faces drop as they crack a smile. Laughter erupted from the group that followed behind. Your captain loudly joined the men, as you and Zoro let out lower laughs at the voice.

"WHY IS HE SO SQUEAKY!" Luffy and the fighters shout with laughter

"I'LL CRUSH AS MANY OF YOU AS IT TAKES!" Pica shouts furiously

The stone hand was falling rapidly toward the group. The old man and the king from the coliseum charge forward.

Soon, colliding with the stone man, only for Pica's arm to crumble completely from the two's hits. The fighters cleared the way as your group continued forward

"WOOHOO!" Luffy shouts as we slide down the side of Pica's large stone body on the bull.

Your captain's arms high in the air, laughing. The stone head is now missing due to Luffy.

The stone figure stands tall in the center of Dressrosa. Motionless as Zoro fights the real Pica on top

"YOU GOT THIS MOOCY KEEP IT UP!" Luffy encourages

"YEAH! GO MOOCY!" "NICE WORK!" Two of the coliseum fighters shout from behind you.

Turning to glare at them, along with your captain. The two men from earlier somehow found their way onto the bull in the end.

The fighters are now taking Zoro's place behind you on the bull.

"MOOCY IS MY RIDE! IF YOU WANT ONE, GET YOUR OWN!" Luffy yells at the pirates joining along for the free ride

"You're such a kidder! We love you, Straw Hat." They say in unison.

Waving their hands, brushing off Luffy's reluctance to them. Law grumbles from the words. As your voice could be heard scolding the two

"Would you be quiet, if you're gonna be here!" You complain to them as they quickly back down.

Sending innocent smiles your way. Rolling your eyes, as you turn your back towards them once again.

Deciding to ignore the men and focus on your captain instead

"At this rate, we're gonna be the first ones to the palace, easy! You wait for me, Mingo. I don't want anyone else kicking your ass. You and me! A one-on-one fight!" Luffy says, mostly to himself.

Smiling at the back of your captain's head. His straw hat dangled against his back, his dark tufts of hair dancing in the wind, flying past his face.

Feeling light at the sight of your captain, so passionate, fighting for the lives of others.

Carelessly putting his life on the line. Doing it all happily and wholeheartedly.

Throat drying as your captain turns his head over his shoulder. Looking back at you.

Peering back over his shoulders, eyes meeting. A smile spreads across his face as his eyes disappear.

A laugh fell out of his mouth, his teeth proudly on display. Staring in silence as your smile never fades.

Not when you were with Luffy, no one's ever did.

As his laughter dies down, Luffy begins to talk to the fighters behind you.

They talk about Zoro's strength and whether he is capable of taking down the executive. Your captain only brags about the swordsman left behind to fight Pica

Staying silent as they converse, you peer down at Law. Finding his eyes already on you.

Internally racking your brain, for being caught staring at somebody a second time in one day.

At least it was by different people, which made it a little less horrid.

"Ehm" You fake clear your throat.

Smiling awkwardly down at Law as he looks away from you.

Turning his attention to Luffy instead, as he begins to speak up. Ignoring the odd interaction

"Hey, Straw Hat. I realize we have no choice but to kill Doflamingo now. That's fine. I'm ready," Law says.

You glance up from the surgeon to your captain's face.

Now, set serious as he turns to look at Law speaking. Law had Luffys full attention now

"I know that's not the plan I suggested before. I thought we could get away with a less direct approach. But to be perfectly honest with you, I want to make him suffer with my own hands. I won't let him defeat me again," Law continues.

The air was heavy, his voice cold. Law's eyes were set on the sky directly above him.

You could tell he was deep in thought. Staring at the strings looming over the kingdom of Dressrosa

Law's eyes close after a moment, and he carries on. Allowing himself to be vulnerable in front of the two Straw Hats

"Thirteen years ago, there was a person I cared for deeply, and Doflamingo killed him. His name was Corazon. He was a former top executive in the Don Quixote Family."

"Mingo killed his own friends?" Luffy questions

"Corazon was the man who saved my life. But to Doflamingo, he was more than just a member of the Don Quixote Family." He pauses, before opening his eyes once more, before continuing,

“He was his younger brother." Law finishes

A gasp leaves you and Luffy. Both of you were shocked at the horrible turn of events.

Your body froze, not knowing how to respond, what could you say? It was sick, his kid brother was killed by his own hands.

This was why Law wanted to attack Doflamingo. It all connected in one moment. This was the real reasoning behind our attack here

"What a sick bastard," you speak up.

Expressing your disgust toward the deep truths of Doflamingo. He was as sick and twisted as the newspapers described him.

The stories were all disturbing. It felt hard to believe somebody could be so cruel

"I understand, Traffy! I'm gonna give him a real good beating!" Luffy says.

His face was still serious, assuring Law that he wasn't joking about taking down Doflamingo.

You place a hand on Law's shoulder, causing both the captains to look at you

"Let us help you and everybody here in Dressrosa. Today will be Doflamingo's last taste of being a ruler," You say.

Law sends a firm nod your way before sending one to Luffy as well. A silent agreement between you three that Doflamingo wouldn't be leaving this island free

"YOU WORST GENERATION PIRATES ARE THE COOLEST!" The two fighters from the coliseum scream from behind you.

Earning glares from you and Law in embarrassment. Luffy only laughs loudly before turning forward

"WHAT ARE YOU TWO STILL DOIN' HERE? EH... WHATEVER. I'M COMING FOR YOU NOW, MINGO! WATCH OUT!" your captain shouts as we finally approach the bottom of Picas's large statue.

Now running along the bottom of the new plateau which the palace is held on

Moocy carries your group along the lower levels of the slim mountain.

Doflamingos' subordinates attempt to block the path, aiming their weapon. The bull only charged through the crowd of men, easily defeating them.

More guards follow as the other fighters from the coliseum arrive to help. There were far more of Doflamingo's guards up here than fighters

"This sucks! We're losing!" Luffy says

"HERE HE COMES!" A subordinate shouts as we approach them.

Their guns raised as they released the triggers. You yelp quickly, ducking behind Luffy's body for protection. Seeing bullets fly past you, but never hitting

"Not again!" Luffy shouts, before grunting as he allows the bullets to hit him, before sending them back. Clearing away some of the guards.

"Sorry Traffy," You apologize down to the pirate you're currently leaning over. In order to hide behind Luffy, that meant having to be close to Law. As he was laid behind Luffy, handcuffed.

More rounds go off as the bull starts jumping up and down to dodge the bullets. Your hands wrap around Luffy's neck as everybody on the bull slightly flies up. You yelp, tightening your grip on Luffy, peering over his shoulder in the process.

Feeling hands on your waist. Your head whips back as the fighter behind you holds onto you

“LET GO OF ME!” You shout slapping his hands off you.

Seeing more guards blocking the way still. Luffy sent his punches to the pirates, taking down whoever he could

"They just keep coming!" You say.

As the bull stops jumping, it finally runs at its normal speed.

Suddenly, the bull halts when a large man with red boxing gloves appears. Spikes on the knuckles of the gloves.

"Keep yer' paws off Straw Hat or else!" He announces before attacking the guards.

His punches were thrown left and right, as the guards dropped quickly

"Who's that?" Luffy questions, glancing back at you

"How am I supposed to know that? He knows you, Luffy," You reply, crossing your arms

"You're breaking my heart, kid! Come on! I'm from Block C! The same round as you, remember? It's Kelly Funk!" The taller man speaks up after defeating all the subordinates in the area

"You sure?" your captain says, examining the man.

Head tilted to the side in confusion. The two fighters from the coliseum also seemed confused at the sight of the man

"Ugh! Your buddy, God Usopp, really saved my tail today. Just being friendly. Anyway, I found a shortcut you can use. It'll take you straight to the Sunflower Field right in front of the palace." Kelly Funk claims

"Huh? Seriously?" Luffy inquires, looking around

"Yeah. Just follow me. This is the least I can do!" Kelly finishes

"All right! Let's leave Cabbage in the dust!" your captain says.

Tapping his foot against Moocy, signaling to continue forward. Following behind Kelly Funk

"That guy turned out to be a big help, huh?" The pointy-headed pirate says from behind you

"I don't know about this, Luffy." You mutter to Luffy.

Feeling uneasy about trusting somebody you hardly knew. Your captain sends a gummy smile your way once more

"Don't worry, Y/N! We are going together, so it will be fine!" Luffy chimes from over his shoulder.

"I guess you're right. But we don't know him, not even these two knew him!" You mention, pointing a thumb back at the pirates behind you.

"She's got a point, Straw Hat," Law comments, Luffy only giggles more

"You two worry too much!" He laughs, arms holding his stomach

"You worry too little, Luffy," You reply, slightly pushing his head forward from behind. He only rocks his body side to side, excited to see this shortcut

"Hey, Straw Hat." Law calls out

"Huh?"

"I still gotta get these handcuffs off. There's no point in reaching the palace if I can't fight. At this rate, Doflamingo will just kill me." The pirate reminds Luffy, who gasps. Only to break into a smile once more

"Hmm. Eh! It'll all work out. At least I think so!" Luffy answers

"WHAT IF YOU'RE WRONG! WE NEED TO GO BACK TO THAT PLATEAU!" Law shouts harshly at your captain

"But why?"

"LUFFY!" You screech, causing both the captains to snap their heads towards you. You're sitting there glaring at Luffy and his carefree response. Truly not caring about what he did or said

"Listen, Law, I know that's not what you want to hear, but we need to get to Doflamingo quickly. Robin's group should be arriving at the Plateau soon. And they have Viola with her Clairvoyance. From there, I know they will get the key to us. Put your trust in us, remember we are here to help take him down as well." You spoke calmly, not wanting to worry the pirate anymore. From what he said earlier, you know this was far closer to home for Law.

"We know how important this is for you. Luffy knows too, he's taking this seriously even though it doesn't show on his face." You finish. Law's gaze is set on Luffy. The pirate stared at your captain's figure. Smiling as you've now caught the surgeon admiring Luffy as well.

A huff of air comes out as you laugh, causing Law to snap his head towards you. Realizing the situation from earlier is playing out now, just switched

"I'm sure you trust us," You tease, brushing off the serious atmosphere. Lightly patting Law's shoulder in reassurance.

"Yeah, sure," Law replies, turning away from your gaze. Trying to hide his small smile of enjoyment from being with the Straw Hat crew. Moocy comes to a stop, as Kelly points towards a dark tunnel in the wall, a few feet in front of us

"Right this way! See that? Shortcut! Told ya!" Kelly Funk says, revealing the secret passage. Luffy gasps at the sight. You slightly groan to yourself as the group thanks him for leading the way. This all seemed odd

"I'm with you on this one," Law murmurs, catching your attention. "I'm not too sure about this either," he confesses, glancing slowly toward the dark tunnel

"You're a standup guy, Kelly Funk!" Jeet, one of the fighters on the bull, says

"A proper gentleman!" Abdullah, the other fighter with a pointed head, chimes in as well

"What're you waiting for? Go ahead. I'll stay here and keep watch for you." Kelly states, pointing his gloved fist in the direction of the shortcut

"Thanks! Sounds awesome! Moocy, let's go!" Luffy orders, as the bull bellows. Charging forward into the small path

"Are you sure about this?" You judge, peering over Luffy's head as you get closer to the tunnel

"Don't worry!" Luffy gushes, smiling, clearly excited to enter the tunnel. The two fighters on the back stand up. Sending their thanks to Kelly Funk

"Thanks for the tip, my friend!" "And thanks for guarding the entrance, too. We'll do ya proud!" They shout, before getting knocked to the ground due to their standing.

Luffy, Law, and you gasp, turning back at the sound of them hitting against the wall. Your mouth was wide, staring in shock at the men now unconscious on the floor

"At least we have some peace," You utter letting the shock settle in. Getting comfortable with the immediate silence

"oh well, yeah, we didn't need them... did we?" Law agrees. The man didn't even sound like he believe himself. You laugh shaking your head at the pirate.

"Nope! No looking back! Let's go! To the sun, Flower Field." Luffy says

A transponder snail, ringing suddenly, echoes through the empty tunnel

*Budah Budah Budah Budah Budah......Budah Budah Budah*

"That's your snail, isn't it?" Luffy questions, looking over his shoulder at Law

"Get it, Y/N. It's in my jacket," Law instructs. Moving with order, your brain doesn't realize what you're doing until you're already pulling his coat open, his bare torso right under your fingers. Moving quickly as you open the jacket, you see the snail with Law's hat.

Bringing the snail up to your face, you answer the call

"Hello?" you speak into the snail. Unsure who could've been calling

"Hi, Y/N. It's me." A woman's voice hums through the speaker

"Robin! Where are you guys?" You respond urgently to get any more valuable information

"Right now we're at the King's plateau, and you?" Robin answers

"Perfect! We are at the bottom of the other plateau, on our way to the Sunflower Field." You say, smiling down at Law before you continue, "By chance did your group find the key?" You question

"I was just about to tell you we found it. Let's meet up!" The older woman laughs. Law's mouth opened wide at the information

"See told you, Law." You grin, pleased, smiling down at the pirate. Your captain takes the opportunity to snatch the snail from your hands.

"Oh, awesome!" Luffy gushes

"This is good. Where should we go?" Law asks. As a male voice suddenly speaks through the snail

"This is Leo from the Tontatta Tribe. Real soon, Miss Rebecca, the big rooster guy, and Robiland will be escorted to your nearest location at super high speed!" Leo explains

"Luffy, we'll meet at the Sunflower Field, that's perfect," Robin says

"Uh, but how are you guys gonna catch up with us?" Luffy interrogates confused

"I'll explain later," Leo says.

*cu-lick*

And with that, the call was over

"See, it all worked out!" Your captain chirps

"Just as predicted," You say smugly, crossing your arms. A proud smirk on your face. Law scoffs from his position on the bull

"You both just got lucky," he snarls. Not thrilled at the results working in your favor. The bull continues down the dark tunnel as time passes. Hoofs clacking against the stone

"When will this end?" You groan, throwing your head back. Knocking yourself onto your back as you lie on the cow. Nobody behind you any longer, allowing you to spread out. You were getting tired of the enclosed space.

"It feels like this passage is sloping down," Law points out. Causing you to sit up. Sitting still as you try to feel what he is

"Yeah, it does," You utter, confused

"You guys think so?" Luffy asks, only to be met with silence from you two. Busy trying to feel whether or not it was

The bull's hoofs suddenly start to sound wet, as you look over the edge of the large bull. You see water surrounding the feet of the bull

"Turn back! This place is flooded," Law shouts. Moocy slows down when he's already halfway underwater

"Huh. I thought this was supposed to be a shortcut to the top of the plateau." Your captain whines

"I told you, Luffy." You wince, glancing around at the water surrounding the three of you, devil fruit users. Water droplets hit the surface of the layer of water covering the floor of the tunnel. Luffy stares ahead into the tunnel before

"It's a dead end!" Luffy announces. You gasp, looking past the straw hat boy toward the stone wall. Your mouth drops open as your hands grab your head

"Oh, come on!" You shout in defeat

"We've got to get out! Hurry!" Law orders as Moocy begins to panic in the water. The bull squirms around, splashing water. Your captain is shouting, try to calm him down

"Calm down, Moocy!"

The bull only stops once footsteps echo from down the tunnel. They approach from where your group had just come from

"Who's that?" Luffy says, turning his head to face down the dark hall

"Whoever it is, we are trapped by them." You speak up, peering down the hall as well. The footsteps get louder. Squinting your eyes to adjust to the darkness. Trying to make out who was behind this, assuming it was Kelly Funk

"This is nothing but a sideways water well. More of a trap than a shortcut, really." Doflamingo's voice taunts. The three of you gasp, not expecting him to be here

Doflamingos' large frame approaches closer. Rocking with each step. Showing just how big he was. An evil smile was plastered on his face.

You stare, motionless, at his large frame. Your hands grip Law's arm. Mostly for your comfort. Doflamingo was a powerful man, not just physically. The warlord's mere name would send hundreds of pirates running the other way. Many turned a blind eye to the man out of fear

"It's you! Doflamingo!" Luffy grits out between his teeth

"Doflamingo," Law says in disbelief. The warlord chuckles before opening his mouth

"Look at you three, huddle together in your little hole. Should I take those handcuffs off for you, Law? Or should I cut your wrist along with them?" Doflamingo throws jabs at the group. Before mocking Law specifically

"I thought you were at the palace! What're you doing down here?" Luffy shouts angrily, stretching his arm, and sending a fist toward Doflamingos face. The warlord lifted his hand, blocking Luffy's punch. As his fist goes bouncing off the wall of the tunnel, before retracting

"I came to rescue you, of course! You clearly need help if you're falling for traps like this. Your pretty witch had the right idea, but you didn't listen. I'll put you out of your misery." Doflamingo chuckles. As he finishes, he lifts his hand. The thumb and pointer finger make a gun shape. Pointed in the group's direction

"BE CAREFUL!" Law tries to warn, as Doflamingo shoots a string straight toward Moocy. You yelp, feeling the bull tense under you at the impact

"MOOCY!" You shout, hands planted on the back of the cow. Luffy gasped in shock at the action

"Bullet string," Doflamingo says, as he shoots more rounds toward the bull. Moocy groans and cries in pain as you begin to feel him shake.

"Forget the bull! Get away!" Law shouts as the bull topples over onto its side. Sending Luffy flying down back-first into the water. You shriek, slipping towards the water. The cold water surrounds your legs as it stops at your waist. You grunt, using your arms to pull your upper body onto the bull. Feeling the water take its toll on you

Turning your head to your left, you see Law still safe, lying on the bull. Luffy is fully submerged in water up to his neck. His dark hair slightly wavy due to the water, eyes hanging low.

"Don't die, Moocy. It's okay." Luffy's voice was low, weakened from the water surrounding him

"What a joke. Look at you. Any clown could kill you in this sorry state. You've riled up quite an army of idiots out there, thinking they can take my head." Doflamingo chuckles before carrying on.

"You are quite adept at bringing people to your side, no matter how foolish it may seem. I've admired that quality of yours since I saw it on display during the battle at Marineford. But now? I see you're just some fool whose luck had finally run out. Why did you side with these idiots, Law?" his head drops now, making it known. He was only talking to Law at this point

"When you were young, I thought you showed a great deal of promise. Even as a child, you were more cunning than this and more ruthless. Am I wrong? I'm so disappointed. Who made you into such a miserable little coward?" Doflamingo spits

"THAT'S ENOUGH! You listen! I'm not gonna be like you! 'cause I've been saved," Law exclaims, you listen from your position. Hanging onto the side of the bull. The whole altercation was unsettling. The way Doflamingo expressed his anger, like a dad scolding their child. Who the hell did Doflamingo think he was? Was the only question circling your mind

"By my dear brother, Corazon, you mean? You're worse than a coward. You're useless." Doflamingos word prick at your already building temper. "You made a choice, not only to die in vain but to do it alongside that imbice-" You hear Doflamingo choke on his words, pausing. Taking a moment before continuing,

"At least one of you is smart enough," Is the last thing Doflamingo coughs out

"What happened?" Luffy's low voice calls out, not being able to see over the bull from his place in the water

"WOAH! NICE JOB, MISS PIRATE! LET US HELP YOU!" Jeet and Abdullah shout, running past the string puppet to help. One of the fighters pulls your arms, helping you crawl on top of the bull.

You look at where Doflamingo's clone stands. One of your vines going straight through his stomach. Strings tangle themselves, not knowing where to go. You smile slightly at your perfect aim. Impressing yourself by being able to hit your shot while not being able to see

Jeet pulls Luffy onto the bull as well. Your captain sprawls himself out. Tongue hanging from his mouth lazily

"Thanks, guys. Hey Y/N, how did you know it wasn't him?" Luffy questions as he and Law both turn to look up at you. You're back in your original position. Shrugging your shoulders, you open your mouth to reply

"We saw it earlier. Doflamingo isn't dumb enough to come face-to-face with anybody. At least not yet, he's trying to stay in control of this game. I assumed it was a clone." You say

"SO YOU GUESSED?!" Law scolds

"I wasn't wrong, though, and that's what matters! Plus, he was getting annoying with all that talking." You grumble, crossing your arms, thinking back to the previous conversation. The string puppet drops onto its knees

"Why would he send one all the way out here just to taunt us, though?" Law questions peering at the clone

"He said he wanted to rescue us," Luffy pipes up

"I'm not sure he meant literally," You retort

"Oh! That reminds me! That Kelly Funk guy from before. He tricked us! Everything that bastard said was a lie! After we learned he was plotting, we knew we had to stop him! Kelly's a famous assassin, and Doflamingo cut him down in a split second!" Jeet reveals the full story

"Huh? I guess he did." You say

"Aw, man, not fair! Mingo did rescue me! Traffy's right! He's laughing at us! How's cabbage doing? Is he beating us?" Luffy cries

"Yeah, we're falling way behind. It's been a while. Everyone might be on the second level," Jeet informs Luffy

"Is this seriously what we are worried about?" You say

"UGHHH! Y/N! WE GOTTA GET TO THE SUNFLOWER FIELD NOW. I NEEDED THAT SHORTCUT!" Luffy yells like a toddler not getting what he wanted

"I don't know what you want me to do!" You grunt

"Hurry back to the entrance!" Law calls out

"No!"

"Huh?"

"I'll make us a shortcut. Just watch me." Luffy blazes. His feet slamming into his palm

"Oh great!" You groan, rolling your eyes. Accepting your captain's made-up mind. Watching, waiting to see what his idea was this time

"WHAT'RE YOU-" Law tries to interrupt Luffy jumping off the bull. Only getting ignored by your captain

"All we gotta do is go up. That's easy enough!" Luffy announces eyes set straight above him, "Everybody get ready!" Your captain exclaims, his thumbs on his lower lip. Getting ready to inflate his arm

"WAIT! THINK THIS THROUGH, STRAW HAT!" Jeet cries out, arms shaking in disapproval in front of him. Your captain inflates his arms before coating them in armorment haki. Sending his fist straight toward the ceiling

"ELEPHANT GUN! LET'S GO!" He shouts, bursting through the thick layer above us

"IT'S TOO LATE!" You shout over Luffy’s shouting. The stone crumbles above you. As your captain's fist crushed through the inner layers of the Plateau. Luffy's arms stretch for a while. The closer it gets to the next level, the more his arm expands.

After some time, sunlight brightens the dark tunnel. Luffy's arm comes flying back into place. One of his arms wraps around you and Law. Pulling you both close to him. You grunt in his grasp

Law and you groan wrapped up face to face. Chest pressing into each other. Law squirms in the hold. You both leaning backward trying to create space

"Sorry!" he hurriedly apologized, tilting his head down. Hiding his eyes behind his hat. You relax as his hat also blocks him from seeing your very flushed face. You were sure he could feel the heat radiating from you either way. Your own body betraying you

"Hey guys! You take care of Moocy for me, okay?" Luffy instructs the two fighters in the tunnel

"Yessir!" They stand at attention when acknowledged by Luffy

"All right! Up we go!" Luffy exclaims, aiming his arm up the hole he made. The arm stretches as his hand finds the ledge, "Gum-Gum... Rocket!" and with that, you feel light. Flying through the air. The wind rushing past causes your hair to smack against your face. Wincing in pain. The wind sure made anything painful with enough force

Soon, Luffy flies out past the hole. A couple of feet in the air. You yelp, looking down at the guards below you on the new level. Law and you shout as Luffy flies towards the ground. Both smashed into each other's cheeks from how tightly Luffy was holding onto you.

The boy lands on his feet, releasing his grip on you and Law. Allowing you to walk on your own. Now, standing on level 2 of the smaller plateau. Hoisting Law back over his shoulder once more

"Good! Now we're caught up with everyone else!" Luffy smiles. We stand watching the group of fighters from earlier running ahead. They take out any obstacle thrown in their way. Pushing toward Doflamingo

"What's the holdup? Move it!" Law's voice is rough as he barks at the two Straw Hats

"All right. I'm comin' for you, Mingo!" Luffy says. Growing your sword into your hand. You look toward Luffy

"We get it! Let's go!" You shout, pulling him by his wrist. Encouraging him to start moving. As you both run, you work together, taking out Doflamingo's subordinates. Luffy kicks and sends punches flying. While you slice away at the guards swiftly

Approaching closer to the fighters as they come to a stop. Somebody is most likely holding them back

"Doflamingo's up at the top of this place, right?" Luffy calls out

"Yup!" You affirm. Hearing hoofs hit the stone pavement. As a white horse passes by your group. Your captain and you stop. Glancing at the long blonde-haired man from earlier. As he holds the reins, making the horse slow to a stop as well

"Cabbage! You trying to get in my way again?" Luffy proclaims

"Not this time. Hop on. Not my first choice, but I've decided to give you a ride." The man says, turning back to look down at us from his place

"Are you serious?!" Luffy grins, happiness filling his voice

"You need to get to Doflamingo quickly, don't you?" The blonde continues. Luffy quickly hops onto the horse, laying Law down in front of him. His stretchy arm finds your waist again, pulling you up onto the horse behind him. Smiling, once he got you two settled on the horse with him

"All right! Let's get going! Ride!" Luffy orders cheerfully, laws sword in his hand as he holds it up in the air. Making a charging motion

"Would a small hint of gratitude kill you?" He scolds back at us, over his shoulder

"You're right! Thanks, you're the best, cabbage!" You call out, waving a hand to the blonde at the front of the horse

"There you got some! Now make the horse go!" Luffy declares

"Don't tell me what to do!" The fighter shouts at your captain, turning to you, "And it's Cavendish! Let's go, Farul." Cavendish finishes, looking forward. As the horse begins taking off

"See, I told you no parent would name their kid Cabbage," You murmur in Luffy's ear in front of you. His snickers as he talks over his shoulder to you

"It's close enough!" He giggles as said blonde starts to speak up

"Listen, if the Executives catch us, we'll be stuck here for ages. I'll cut through the wall and make a path. You knock the enemies out of our way." Cavendish instructs

"Got it!"

"We'll push through to the third level in one shot." The blonde says, turning back to us. His face twisted with anger as he began to shout. But not at Luffy, or you, but Kyros, who hopped on at some point. The gladiator now sitting behind you

"Hey! When the hell did we pick up an extra passenger?" Cavenish shouts

"Oh, hey, soldier," Luffy says, looking back at the man. You sit in silence, confused about what is currently happening. Not noticing the man sitting right behind you, until pointed out

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING ON MY HORSE?!"

"Riding. I followed Luffyland's trail, and it brought me here." Kyros says

"I see. That's only logical, since he was cleaning a path. WAIT! GET OFF!" Cavendish says switching between emotions. Not being able to stay mad for long before getting distracted

"Lucky break! I was looking for you! Rebecca is meeting us in the sunflower field."

"Really? What if somebody catches her?" Kyros worries

"Don't worry! My friends are there to protect her!" Luffy reassures the gladiator

"LISTEN, MY ELEGANT STEED CAN'T MAINTAIN ITS ELEGANCE WITH FIVE PEOPLE ON ITS BACK!"

"Hey, pops! Why did you run off earlier?" Luffy questions. Ignoring the blonde pirate yelling at him

"To help the citizens for I must liberate this Kingdom. But I also have a personal matter with one of the top executives that I must kill with my own two hands."

"That's fine, but don't die trying, okay?" Luffy replies

"I won't not with my real body!" Kryos exclaims. You sit between the two as they go back and forth

"Okay then!" Your captain approves turning forward once more

"NOT OKAY. GET OFF!" Cavendish shouts angirly

"Why don't you get off?" Luffy argues with the blonde. Arms crossed like a toddler. Your hands come from behind Luffy, covering his mouth. Smiling over his shoulder, putting on your best for the blonde

"I'm very sorry, he doesn't mean that!" You apologize, not wanting to lose the ride. The dark-haired boy only bites your hand in return. Yelping as you pull away

"Grosssss, Luffy!" You shriek, wiping his saliva on the back of his buttoned-up shirt. Putting force behind every touch, as payback for biting you

"I meant it!" Luffy says. Cavendish gasped in shock loudly. Anger was taking over him as he yelled at the boy

"THIS IS MY HORSE! YOU'RE THE WORST OF THE WHOLE WORST GENERATION!"

"Watch where you're going! We're gonna crash! Look!" Luffy says, pointing forward

"Like I said, don't tell me what to do!" Cavendish shouts

"Huh" Luffy

"What's that?" Canvendish says

The fighters from the coliseum seem to be working together in sync. Working together like perfect puzzle pieces. The men really had pulled it together in the end

"We've got this! Go ahead!" Sai, the fighter, with the old man, exclaims

"You take out the boss, we'll keep the Executives busy!" Hajrudin, the giant, says

"Get him there, Cavendish, and make it quick!" Sai instructs as he fights off guards attempting to attack him. All the fighters cheer on Luffy as they defend the group. Many of the men are getting injured in the process, but encouraging to continue forward

"Don't look back! Go, Straw Hats!" The king with the gloves shouts

Your sword in hand, as you slash at any guards trying to attack you on the horse. Cavendish's horse leaps up fallen buildings that make a staircase to the next level. Soon, finding a stone ramp leading up. Riding along the edge of the mountain, Cavendish begins to speak up

"We have one objective, and that's making it to Doflamingo's palace! The moment I heard him make that announcement to everyone, I realized the bitter truth! This so-called game of his is nothing but a death trap!" He says. A grunt falls past your chest at the sudden reality check

"As soon as Doflamingo's weapon trafficking was revealed, along with the truth of the toys, I suspect that every person in this kingdom was given a death sentence. Doflamingo won't let any information escape from Dressrosa. That's the reason he locked the kingdom in the Birdcage. Now, do you realize what the situation is? He's created a solitary island, cut off from the rest of the world." Cavendish states. Silence falls over the group. Luffy somehow finds a spot on Kyros's shoulders.

"Come on, we already know that. Why else would we be heading there right now?" you say, arms crossed at the pirate's words. Getting the impression he isn't taking Luffy seriously.

"Yeah! Cabbage your way behind!" Your captain agrees, nodding his head up and down

"Whatever," He dismissed you two, waving his hand over his shoulder. Keeping his eyes set on the path ahead

"Either way, Doflamingo still made one error despite all his advantages. He held a tournament and invited an army of powerful and, more importantly, strong-willed fighters into his kingdom. There's no way we'll submit to him! Especially me! I will defeat Doflamingo with my own hands!" the blonde finishes his speech. Your captain is quick to object

"STOP SAYING THAT! I ALREADY CALLED DIBS ON MINGO LIKE A MILLION TIMES!" Luffy shouts

"This one's personal. Doflamingos mine." Law interrupts

"While your passion is admirable, this is my fight," Kryos says. The 4 men all turn their heads to look at you. Waiting for your response. You shook your head no as you spoke

"Doflamingo is all your's. Don't worry about me." You wave your hands in front of you

"But, you stabbed him earlier! That's gotta mean something!" Luffy shouts, leaning down to stare at you. Wide-eyed bearing into your soul

"It was a clone! Plus, he was making fun of us, and you were busy swimming to do anything!" You groan out to your prying captain. As he laughs, successfully getting a rise out of you

"That's false, I can't swim!" Luffy chimes with a wide smile on his face. His innocent mindset, debunking your statement, "Whatever," You mutter, crossing your arms, turning to the front of the horse

"Hey! Soldier! You said you wanted one of the Executives, and nobody complained!" Luffy argues with the man under him

"As a personal matter, yes! But it's my duty to take back this kingdom in the name of King Riku!" Kyros answers. The men all growl at each other. Not one giving up on defeating Doflamingo, "For ten years, I have waited to put an end to this tragedy." The soldier finishes

"Well, my grudge is from 13 years ago. How 'bout that?" Law mentions

"Then mine is from 30 years ago!" Your captain calls out

"Luffy!" You warn, glaring at the boy over your shoulder

"YOU DIRTY LIAR! YOU'RE NOT EVEN 30!" Cavendish growls, opening his mouth again, "Get off my horse!" He orders Luffy

"You get off my horse!"

"That doesn't make sense!"

"That's what you get for inviting me!"

"STOP FIGHTING! WE ARE AT THE END OF THE ROAD!" You scream, leaning back slightly as we get closer to the wall. Cavendish grunts, cutting the wall blocking our path. Turning the side of the mountain into a ramp for the horse.

"I can see it! That's the third level!" Cavendish shouts as we reach the top of the newly made ramp

"Okay, ignore that and keep running like this, straight up to the palace! Go, horse!" Luffy shouts. The horse stops as soon as we reach the next level. The horse whines, staring into the distance up ahead. A light fog made it hard to see

"Is something the matter, Farul?" Cavendish talks to the horse, as you speak up

"Animal senses danger, whatever it is, it's not our friend," You say, hearing loud thuds. Metal creaks and scratches against each other. The thudding gets louder as a tall shadow appears, and some of the fog fades away

Wide-eyed eyed you stare at the huge toy nut crackers. The toy's size made you gulp. The toy that was usually small in size now towered over your frame. The three toys blocking your path creak at the slightest tilt of their head. Their teeth are apparent, jaws ready to snap shut

"Holy, what the heck are those things?!" Luffy cries in shock

"Some kind of weird nutcracker!" You hiss, staring up at the odd design. Rattling is heard beyond the toys blocking your path. As more toys come out with the same design. The rattling sent a chill running down your spine, and you gulped. You weren't one for scary things; thriller bark alone was a whole story on its own. The dense fog made you feel weary and changed the atmosphere completely

"I'd hate to see the child these belonged to. Ghastly things! Is this supposed to be a joke?" Cavendish grunts, examining the toys himself. One of the nutcracker steps forward with a thud, scaring the horse as he steps back. The other toys follow, beginning to move forward

"Tear straight through! And hurry!" Cavendish instructs the horse as he begins to gallop. The nutcracker in front of the group falls onto its face.

"Oh! One of 'em fell over!" Luffy comments

"Rather clumsy, it seems," Kyros adds. The toy lifts its head from the ground. Adjusting its arms before beginning to crawl straight at the group. Mouth chomping, opening, and closing. You yelp, starting to panic at the creepy sight. The hores successfully dodges to side before the group was crush

"Luffy! You better kick his ass if I gotta deal with this!" You say, not having the most fun with the weird, strong toys. Luffy nods

"Yeah! I got it! These things are creepy! If we didn't move, that thing would've chewed my head off!" Luffy agrees

"Get ready for more!" Cavendish informs as more appear from the fog

"How are there so many?!" You cry, watching them walk closer. Heads, shaking as their echoes rattles through the empty metal bodies

"This is a nuisance, but it seems the only way to advance is to dispose of them," Cavendish says

"All right! You wanna help me kick their asses?"

"Of course," "If I must," Kyros and Cavendish say

"Come on, Y/N! You'll feel a lot better defeating them! Captain's orders!" Luffy grins, looking back at you, still sitting on the horse. Rolling your eyes, swinging your legs over the horse. Plopping down onto the ground. Sword in hand

"Only for you," You reply, smiling slightly, looking around. Debating which toy you would go for first

You and Cavendish pant after working together to take down the last standing toy

"It's finally over!" You groan, wiping away at the sweat dripping down your face to your neck. Honestly, you were sweating in every place imaginable and needed a shower right away

"Good! We finally put an end to those wretched things! Let's go!" he says, turning back to the horse. Seeing your captain and Kyros on the horse already. Luffy is holding onto the reins

"Y/N! Cabbage! We're waiting!" Luffy smiles

"HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN THERE?!"

"WHERE YOU TWO JUST SITTING THERE WATCHING US?" Cavendish shouts, stopping for a moment. Metal could be heard dragging nearby. When a nutcracker jumps through the thick fog, "FARUL! WATCH OUT!" The blonde yells as a crawling nutcracker shuts its jaw on the horse's head

"HORSEY!"

The three men on top of it get sent flying, as the horse cries. You yelp, working your finger quickly. Vines wrap around the neck of the toy tightly, growing up its metal head. You work, trying to use the vine's strength to pry the mouth open

"You bastard! Gum-gum...Pistol!" Your captain acts fast as well, shifting into second gear. Sending a punch to the center of the toy's stomach. The impact made the horse drop, a giant hole in the nutcracker's abdomen now. The toy falls onto the ground

"Farul! Stay with me!" Cavendish shouts, running over, kneeling beside his horse. You freeze watching the man hold his friend in his arms. "This is awful! It crushed his head! Please, my friend, don't die!"

The toy near you creaks, turning onto its side, pushing itself back up onto its feet. You grunt at the sight of the toy backup up even with the hole in it

"Dammit! It got back up!"Luffy says

"What the hell is up with these toys?!" You utter, watching wide-eyed. Cavendish swiftly moves, shouting at the toy for hurting his animal. His white coat flows through the air as he moves gracefully. Taking off the toy's head in one swoop. The metal piece bounces to the ground

Soon, the nutcracker's headless corpse picks up the head. Placing it back on top of its shoulders. Twisting it back in place

"What?!" Cavendish says, astonished

"That is a weird trick," You say, watching in dismay. As the others defeated nutcrackers begin to stand up as well. Acting like your attacks were harmless

"These dam toys keep coming back no matter what!" Luffy whines, examining them as they stand up once more. It was hard trying to find a weak point for these toys. "Got another idea!" Luffy smirks, winding up his torso

"GUM-GUM...UFO!" Luffy shouts, taking off and flying in the air. His legs unwound, sending kicks to the attacking toys. The boy flies around as your head follows.

"I haven't seen that one," You point out to Law, sitting on the floor beside you. The pirate is resting, unable to do much, chained up. Luffy lands back on the floor after taking out all the toys by himself. Waiting a moment, as the toys once more start to build themselves back up

The toys creep closer, circling around the group

"Damn it. If only I had that key. I could finish this, easy." Law murmurs, looking down at his hand

"Enough, we'll find a way out of this." You grumble, taking a stance ready to fight again. When loud shouting catches your ears. This time taking you by surprise as it sounds like it's coming from above. Turning to face the sky, you see a figure falling towards the group

"What's that? It's really noisy." Luffy says, looking up as well

"I think it's a person?" You reply

"No, it's a bird," Law says, his tone dripping with sarcasm. Meeting his eyes as you look back down at him. Sending him a glare, as the falling person crashes into one of the nutcrackers.

As you focus on the body, you notice the green hair. As the guy fell face-first into the ground. His body flopped flat onto the ground. You smile, waving a hand at the man

"Hey, rooster head!" You greet with a warm smile

"Huh?! Oh, it's him!" Luffy pipes up, realizing who just fell from the sky

"Miss Y/N! Mister Luffy! A miracle!" The man said from his place on the floor, not moving. But his voice told you well enough that he sure was excited. Wings flap above your group, as Robin lowers herself to the ground

"Robin!" Luffy says, as you dash past him, arms wide

"ROBIN!" You squeal, throwing your arms around her neck. Pressing your face against hers, squeezing her tight. Her laugh fills the air as she hugs you back.

"Hello to you, too, Y/N!" She smiles. Pulling away, you hold onto her arms lightly. "You have the key, right?!" You question, her teal eyes travel to Luffy and Law behind you

"Give it to me now!" Law orders, holding his hand out

"I left it with Rebecca. She's all right. She's headed to the Sunflower Field right now." Robin says, informing us of where the key is now. Looking up at the high climb that would call for getting there in the first place.

"She got away. Well, she's just one little brat. Even if she makes it to the palace, she won't be able to do anything. I'll kill her when I'm done with you." A man grunts from behind the group. Turning around, the bomb executive from earlier is standing there. The man talks out loud to himself

"BASTARD!" Kyros says, drawing his sword

"We'll handle him!" Robin says, crossing her arms in her signature pose. Cavendish stands beside her, ready to fight. Pointing a finger at the rooster's head, you speak up

"Rooster, make stairs out of your barrier to the Sunflower Field. Luffy needs to get up there as soon as possible!" You instruct, allowing your sword to fade away."We will all protect them as they ascend!" you continue

The green-haired man fanboys loudly, "You can boss me around any time, Miss Y/N!" The man grins, facing to steep mountain. His blue barriers form a staircase leading to the top

"Perfect! Bartolomeo!" You grin happily, clapping your hands together, as your plan unfolds perfectly

"Miss Y/N said my name!" He beams, tears streaming down his face.

You turn to Law, sitting on the floor. Hands in his lap. You smile, reaching down and grabbing hold of his handcuffed hands. Pulling him toward you, making him stand up.

As he stands, you grab onto your captain's sleeve. Pulling the two towards the stairs. Letting go as you point up the stairs

"A free trip right to Doflamingo!" You announce stepping aside for the boys. Luffy grins, looking up the long staircase. Swiftly crouching down, throwing Law over his shoulder. The boy cracks up into a small fit of laughter

"Thanks, Y/N! You’re the best! You too, pal!" Luffy smiles, sending a wave over the green-haired pirate

“No, you're the best! And thank you! Thank you for being born!” Bartolomeo cries

Luffy rushes over to you, wrapping his free arm around your neck. Pulling you into his comforting hold just for a second. Letting you sink into his warmth. Though Law's legs hanging over his shoulder made the hug slightly uncomfortable. Luffy lets go as he takes off fast up the stairs

"Good luck, Traffy!" You shout, encouraging the pirate, feeling sad for the male who wasn't able to have his crew here to support him. And that's where you step in. Waving your hand high above your head as the pirate lifts his head off of Luffy's back.

"I DON'T NEED IT!” He barks, dropping his head onto your captain's shoulder

As you watch the boy ascend the steps. Turning back to the fight, you see the toys from earlier back up and fighting once more. Sighing at the sight and the fight you still have to take part in

Running over to Robin. You kneel on the ground beside her. Placing your palm flat on the floor, as vines begin to crack through the stone ground toward the guards ahead of you. Many of the subordinates fall into the large crack in the ground. The shouts disappear the further they fall. You let a big sigh fall, taking out most of the attacking men

“That's cruel,” Robin says with a small laugh. Secretly enjoying the new move you had picked up these past 2 years of training

“It’s pretty cool if you ask me!” You grin at the older woman

Bartolomeo cries loudly a few feet away from where you and Robin are. Lying on the ground sobbing, he looks up at your captain climbing the stairs with ease. The two of you walk over to Pirate, Cavendish not too far away

“If it helps, Mister Luffy, even a little. Then I’m happy to die right here and now!” The pirate says

“We know how you feel, Rooster! Our captain is something special. I’d risk anything for him, even my life.” Robin speaks up as we stop by the pirate on the floor. You look up, wondering what could be happening just over the mountain's edge

“We would lay ourselves out flat for Luffy,” you mutter, watching his figure get closer to the top. His figure soars up the stairs. Moving swiftly through the air, like he’s meant to be there. Meant to be free and moving. Smiling at the sight of Luffy disappearing as he reaches the end of the stairs. Heading to fight Doflamingo

Robins's shoulder bumps softly into yours. Glancing up at the taller girl, you both giggle softly knowing your captain has everything under his control. Your whole crew saw how the world worshiped Luffy, the universe loved the boy himself. Always giving him the strength to succeed

“Luffy an our trump card. He’s our key to victory! We won’t let you near our captain!” Robin finishes, turning to Gladius, and crossing her arms back over her chest. Grinning as you turn to face the Executive as well. Arms crossed over your chest, copying Robin's movements

Vines and Robin's giant limbs form from the ground surrounding Gladius as we circle him with our devil fruit powers. You both grin as the now scared executive. The ladies of the straw hats were truly as creepy as portrayed in the newspapers

“I let Rebecca go up there alone,” Robin says, dodging a guard attacking her. Your sword slices through the air as you weave through the attacking subordinates

“I’m sure she will be okay! Kyros went up there, too!” You reassure. Knowing down one of the guards

“You two should head on up! I know you are worried about your friends. I can handle this place on my own.” Bartolomeo said from behind you two. The pirate makes a tall barrier. Blocking anybody trying to sneak up on Robin and you

“Are you sure?” Robin questions

“Yeah! Go on!” The pirate enourages with a smile

“Thanks,” Robin replies

“You really are the best!” You grin, taking a step toward the side of the mountain. Your vines grow, wrapping around the mountain. Making along the edge, creating a ramp upward

As you and Robin begin running up the ramp. After some time awhile up, you and Robin were high in air. Jogging on the edge of the mountain. Cavendish and Bartolomeo down below fighting. The higher you got the more you could see how bad Dressrosa had gotten

“I’m not liking this!” You cry out to Robin from the height you were at. Focusing on keeping your vines growing in place

“Just a little more to go!” Robin encourages. Suddenly, cannons launch toward you and Robin. Coming straight from Gladius. You gasp as a blue barrier blocks the two of you. Robin sends a wink to the green-haired man. As you glare at the executive lower down

“What an asshole!” You hiss. As the fighting continues. You could hear multiple explosions go off throughout the kingdom. Glancing down once more, you see a dust trail forming quickly. Leading straight toward you and Robin

“ROBIN! SOMETHING IS COMING!” You point out to the woman ahead of you. As she comes to a stop, she moves her hands swiftly. Growing arms off the person's approaching body. Holding them in place. As she grows large hands secure around the body, bringing it closer

Your eyes set on the long blonde hair and the white coat

“Cavendish?” You utter, staring at the man, confused. An unnatural grin took over his face. His eyes were white, and his demeanor was clearly different

“Why don’t you calm down? You're not going anywhere. Seems like you're not interested in behaving." Robin addresses the blonde male, as his face slightly changes. Seeing Cavedish's blue eyes appear

"Damn it, Hakuba!" He grunts, squirming in Robin's grasp. The two of you gasp at the sight of the man fighting against himself. "I DIDN'T GIVE YOU PERMISSION TO DO THIS! YOU CANNOT COME OUT RIGHT NOW!" The pirate shouts at himself. Panting as he looks up at you

"Forgive me for attacking you two." Cavendish apologizes, bowing his head down

"It's alright. It didn't seem like you, though," You reply

"I've heard word of your deadly alter-ego. Hakuba, right?" Robin comments. Answering your question as she talks to the blonde. An alter ego that sure is interesting, but not the weirdest thing you could've encountered

"And there's no way to control it?" You ask

"He's quite the monster, honestly. He goes after anyone he sees," Cavendish says, before falling back asleep quickly. Soft snores slowly begin as he drifts further into sleep. The evil grin takes over his face. As Cavendish once again argues with himself, as you and Robin watch

"This sure is odd," You whisper to the girl beside you. She nods her head as we stare at the scene. Watching unamused at the blonde pirate settle into Robin's grasp.

"Please, Robin, could you release me from your grip?" Cavendish questions, grunting. Face twisted in pain

"Let you go? After what I saw?" Robin reminds the blonde of the previous events. You join in siding with your crewmate, "I don't know if that's the best idea, Cavendish." You say

The stone wall that you climbed the side of starts expanding suddenly. As the stone starts rounding out. Gladius's voice can be heard from below, as he touches the stone plateau. Growing a bomb into the stone

"I'll take my revenge out on your three at once! Even if you try to fly away, you can't escape the blast radius of the entire wall!" Gladius announces, as the wall grows larger by the second

The three of you gasp, "There's no way we'll survive up here. You guys need to abandon the plan for now. Let's get down!" Cavendish instructs. Robin quickly declines, clearly worried

"I can't. In the time that it takes, Rebecca could be badly hurt." Robin says

"Then we gotta keep going!" You rush, seeing Bartolomeo attempting to distract the Executive

"Go up or down, your choice! Either way, you have to release me and run for it!" Cavendish replies before falling back under Hakuba's control. His eyes change color as he speaks up again

"Forgive me for that lapse just now. This is Cavendish. I brought Hakuba under control again. But I've allowed him to borrow half of my body. Now let go of me! So that I can kill you two! I'll use Hakuba's speed to help you escape to the Sunflower Field! Otherwise, we'll all explode with this bomb! Please let go! Trust me!" Cavendish orders, as his voice changes tones, fighting with his alter ego

The wall only expands, ready to pop

"JUST LET HIM GO, ROBIN!" You shout, as her hands disappear. The blonde scoops you two against his body with one arm. Shooting his body high into the air, as the bomb explodes. Hakuba's sword swings at you and Robin in his grasp. As Cavendish's other hand stops the sword before it nears you. The pirate argues with himself before suddenly passing out

You can now see the Sunflower field below you. As the three of you fall closer to the group, Robin uses her powers to catch you all

"Cien Fleurs! Spider net!" She announces as her hands grow. Connecting as they form a net just above the sunflower. We crash down into the net. Cavendish lands on his back, out cold

You flip over, sitting up on your hands and knees. Both of you glance down at the blonde sleeping peacefully now between y'all. Snoring with his mouth wide open

"Hakuba's gone, now." You mutter, glancing down at the man. Weary that he might wake up and switch forms

"He saved us from Hakuba's attack. What a complicated man he is." Robin smiles warmly at the pirate. Lifting your head, you glance around the yellow field. Sunflowers surround you every way except behind you, where the ledge was.

Seeing a large figure in the distance. A girl with gold shining armor and pink hair was across from him. You shoot up, sitting up on your knees, pointing in the direction

"THERE! REBECCA'S FIGHTING SOMEBODY!" You shout to Robin, who snaps her head in the direction, "Go help her! I'm gonna move Cavendish out of the flowers, to the edge of the field!" You say, the older woman nods before taking off to help Rebecca. The girl's hand net disappears as you and Cavendish fall onto the floor

You yelp at the sudden drop. The sunflowers crush underneath Cavendish's lying form, as you push yourself off your knees. You stand by his head. Leaning down to hook your arms under his arms. Dragging him towards the edge of the field. Lying him by the edge, you pat his chest

"I'll be back!" You say, taking off running into the Sunflower Field to help

Standing beside Robin and Rebecca in the Sunflower Field. Not too far away, Kyros fights with the Executive, who you learned was Dimante. The ground beneath you ripples like a flag beneath you, making it hard to keep a balance

"How bout we pass the time with a game, huh?!" Dimante announces throwing some sort of poppers on the floor. As they shoot objects up into the air

"It's confetti." Robin questions, looking up toward the sky. As the confetti fills the sky above us

"It's just paper," Rebecca says

"Confetti? Yes! Paper? No! I wonder what the mystery item could be! And now for my next trick! Ripple release!" Diamante's taunts, as the confetti turns spikey at his words

"Robiland, Y/Nland, protect Rebecca!" Kyros shouts back to you,

"Death Enjambre!" Dimante finishes as the spikey balls begin to hurl toward the ground. Robin grows large hands, picking a bunch of sunflowers in her grasp

"Flower umbrella," Robin says, protecting us from the spikes. Lending a helping hand, you cross your arms, allowing vines to grow, adding a second layer to the umbrella. Giving more protection to the group, knowing plants are the best at holding up against anything sharp

Rebecca shouts for her father, as you and Robin hold her back

"Please unhand me, I have to kill this man!" Rebecca shouts, pushing against your arms. Grunting alongside Robin as you both enclose her in your grasp.

"FOR NOW YOU WILL LIVE YOUR LIFE PEACEFULLY, REBECCA!" Kyros shotus to Rebecca as he flies toward the executive. Ready to defeat him this time.

The two men fought brutally against each other. Blood splattered through the air. It ran down their faces as their screams and shouts filled the air. They tussled for victory, both gaining the lead in the fight at one point. Not before Kyros finishes Dimante off with one final cut. You gasp at impact, splitting right through Diamante's sword, slicing him on his chest

The executive lands on his back, his sword sliced in two. Kyros falls to the floor after landing the blow. Standing back up once he sees the executive is down for you is good. Robin and you let Rebecca go, as tears fell down her face. Finally being able to see her dad's face and her worst enemy defeated

Robin nudges the younger girl forward. As she nods her head, she runs towards her father. Robin falls to her knees beside you. You quickly drop down on a knee, grasping her shoulders softly

"What's wrong, Robin?" You question, examining your crewmate's body. As you check her back, cuts from the spikey balls reside. You frown, looking up at the few holes made in the flowers and your vines. "Why didn't you say anything?" You scold, as she smiles softly up at you

"Because you're worrying now. Don't worry, I'm okay!" Robin assures

"I have a right to worry! Look at you, now! Come on, we need to move" You say, pulling the girl up by her hands, aiding her gently, making sure not to cause her any more pain.

The two of you meet with Kyos and Rebecca at one of the edges of the sunflower field. Seeing Picas' large form building up once more. The ground beneath you shakes like earlier as he reaches his desired height. Pica looms over the kingdom, his back toward the palace

"Dressrosa belongs to the Don Quixote Family!" Pica announces

"Zoro still hasn't taken him down, yet?" You grunt, watching the stone man begin to move towards the old plateau

"Grandfathers up there!" Rebecca comments, causing you to gasp

"Are you kidding?! Hurry, Zoro!" You whisper, shout. Hoping your prayers will somehow be answered. As buildings get crushed under Pica's large feet. Inching closer to the other plateau

"Usopp is there too!" Robin points out, making you wince even more. Knowing the sniper was definitely freaking out right about now. Probably yelling in everybody's ear within his radius

A figure flies through the air quickly. Pica's upper body flies through the air, as it was cut off its waist. You gasp at the sight. The large body cut clean in half. As the stone man comes falling down. Another slice is heard as the upper half is split once more. Following with many more as Pica stone form was cut into pieces

"ZORO YOU'RE SO COOL!" You gush, smiling widely at the scene. Hugging Robin and you jump up and down. Never seeing your crewmate do anything like that. You couldn't help but scream and shout in excitement at the turn of events. The older woman grinned in your arms

"It's over," Rebecca murmurs

"REBECCA! ROBILAND! ARE YOU OKAY?" A small voice shouts from the Sunflower Field behind us. Turning at the voice, seeing a new fairy with a green hat on, approaching the group. A small blonde girl was carried on his back. Grinning at the cute sight in front of you as they talk to Kyros

Finding out from Robin that the blonde girl was actually Princess Mansherry of the Tontatta tribe. And with as one of the main reasons the Tontatta wanted to attack Doflamingo in the first place. The princess also possessed healing powers, which were very useful,l and why she was targeted

"This country has been taken over by Doflamingo's trap. Whether we can restore it to King Riku's hands...or we let it fall as a hopeless country again...Our hope is in the hands of some pirates now!" Kyros announces, looking toward the stone palace. Where Doflamingo is fighting your captain head-on right now

"Save us, Lawland, Luffyland!" One of the Tonttata says

"Come on, Traffy!" You murmur, staring at the palace. Hoping to see the two boys emerge announcing victory soon

Standing beside Robin, arms crossed, as you wait for the fight to be over. Staring out into the open of the kingdom, something catches your eye

"Are the strings getting closer?" You point out, as everybody snaps their heads to the strings surrounding the island. The groups let out a collective gasp as we watched in horror

"At this point, I don't know what to do." Leo from the Tonttata speaks up

"Doflamingo," Rebecca whispers. Hearing Robin grunt beside you, glaring back at the palace. Placing a hand on her shoulder you send, her a smile "Luffy will beat him." You mutter, anger dripping from your voice. Staring at the once beautiful kingdom being ripped to shreds at the hands of one man

Smelling smoke, you turn back to the palace. A large flame engulfs part of the roof. Your eyes widen at the sight, your heart sinking at the sight. Finding Luffy safely jumping through the air. Trying to get away from the palace. Law held under his arm limp. You gasp at the pirate's missing arm

Taking off quickly, pushing through the tall Sunflowers. As they smack against your arms.

"Luffy!" You shout. Robin's voice fades in the distance as you grow your vines upward toward your captain "Pass me Traffy!" You shout, running along the vine. Catching Luffys attention

"Y/N! PERFECT! HE'S HURT, BUT TRAFFY HELD HIS OWN AGAINST MINGO!" Luffy yells, throwing Law in your direction. Leaping off the tall vine you grew. Your arms stretched as Law's body crashed into yours in the air. Wrapping your arms around the pirate as you both fall to the ground,

"Now, net!" You say that small vines grow, creating a very similar net to Robins.

The wind gets knocked from your chest as Law lands on top of you. You gasp as the male rolls himself somewhat off you. Pulling yourself out from underneath him. The two of you are forced together due to being the only weight in the middle of the net

"That wasn't a good idea!" You croak, flipping off your back. Sitting on your hands and knees, gasping for air. Law speaks up

"I could've told you that," He groans out, hissing in pain, holding the arm that was cut off

"Once again, there's no room for you to talk!" You bite back, snapping your head to the pirate lying on his back next to you. Both freezing at the closeness. As you look down at his grey eyes peering up into yours. Panting breaths brushing against the others face

"Stop doing that!" Law grunts, turning his head away. Waiting for you to stop looking at him

"I'm not doing anything, you are!" You argue sitting up on your knees. Closing your eyes as you focus on lowering the net gently to the floor. Not wanting to hurt Law. As you two are lowered to the floor, you stare down at the pirate debating on how to carry him

"Y/N! I don't want you butting in on our fight! Though I should punish you for that trick earlier! A smart girl teaming up with these losers. Come on. He's still breathing, isn't he? Then I'm not done with him!" Doflamingo taunts from above, heading in your direction

"Like hell you are!" You murmur to yourself. Readying yourself to stand up

"Leave Traffy alone! This is our fight now!" Luffy calls out, kicking Doflamingo back to the roof of the palace. The warlord was still able to attack before it was too late

"This'll finish you! Bullet string!" Doflamingo shouts, pointing his finger in your direction. Suddenly, a blonde streak flashes in front of you, pushing you back toward the ground with Law. Seeing the strings fly toward the pirate. You scramble, throwing yourself over Law's body. Shielding him with yourself.

The sound of the strings making contact with a blade pulls your attention up

"Cavendish!" You greet with a smile, seeing the blonde now up and awake. Blocking the sharp strings flying toward you

"Hello, Miss Y/N," He greeted charmingly. It was a new side to see compared to the usually whiny side when with Luffy. Robin, Kyros, and Rebecca emerge behind you from the Sunflowers

"YOU STILL HAVEN'T CLEANED UP THIS MESS? C'MON STRAW HAT!" The blonde shouts, slicing away the last string attack

"HEY, CABBAGE! TAKE EVERYONE AND GET OFF THE PLATEAU!" Your captain shouts from among the fire on the top of the palace. Holding Doflamingo back from the group

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME? WHY WOULD I DO THAT WHEN DOFLAMINGO'S STANDING RIGHT THERE? LET ME FIGHT HIM! JUST ONE BLOW!" Cavendish argues with the boy

"I'M LEAVING MY FRIENDS IN YOUR HANDS!" Luffy ignores his rebuttals, finishing off what he had to say. Your captain looks down into Cavendish's eyes. The blonde gasped as his shoulders dropped

"My goodness. He trusts me! Not only trust...Respect! Popularity!" Cavendish glows at the thought, his dorky charm coming back from earlier. Wishing you were able to meet him when he wasn't fighting for his life. "So, Straw Hat is my fan! A favor from a fan. Then I can't say no!" the blonde finishes

Standing up, stepping forward, patting a firm hand on the pirate's shoulders, "Alright, pretty boy, no time for that." You tease with a smile, turning toward the rest of the group, "Right, Bartolomeo is on the lower level. We could use his power. I'll go find him!" Cavendish nods to you and Robin, taking off through the field

Sighing, you look back at Law, passed out on the floor. Rebecca and Kyros converse with the Tontatta tribe, seeing if there is anything they can do. You kneel beside him, holding the man's head in your lap. Offering him some comfort while unconscious, knowing the pirate probably yearned for his crew at this moment

"Let's get him to safety first," You say, not wanting Law to be near Doflamingo, especially in this position

"I agree it's not safe here," Rebecca speaks up. As Cavendish comes sprinting back, panting for air

"Bartolomeo made a staircase at the front of the plateau for us to go down! Let's move quickly!" he says. The others agree, quickly moving as Cavendish walks over to you. Crouching down, lifting Law gently in his arms, "I got him. Don't worry," Cavendish smiles softly as you stand up from the floor

Smiling back softly, feeling reassured that somebody was also watching out for Law. You follow behind Cavendish, making your way through the Sunflower field. The ground shakes as a crash erupts from the palace. The stone structure crumbles apart the more the two men fight in it

You hear Law gasp, probably from the sound

"Stop!" He grunts, holding onto Cavendish's shoulders. Slowing down your pace. Robin and you peer over the blonde's shoulders, trying to see what is wrong with the pirate

"What's wrong, Traffy?" You say, walking around to the front of Cavendish. Concerned about the holdup

"I didn't expect you to wake up! Are you all right?" Cavendish speaks up. Law lifts his hanging head, fighting against the sharp pain coursing through him

"Nothing's wrong. Put me down. Leave me here." Law utters, and you all gasp at his words

"What! Are you crazy!" You scold the man, shaking your head in objection to the idea. Not taking lightly the suggestion

"You must be! Why would you want that?" Cavendish says

"For the past 13 years, the only thing I've been living for is a chance to kill Doflamingo. I've done everything I can. But I'm all worn out! So now, all that's left is to have faith in Straw Hat! But if he's gonna win, then I wanna be there to watch. If he doesn't win, then I need to be there so that I can die along with him." Law groans out, using the last of his strength to fight on

"I'm the one who got Straw Hat involved in this whole conflict. That's why I have to see it through. So leave me!" Law instructs pulling at the cloth covering Cavendish's shoulder. Watching as Law fights against the blonde

"I don't know what to say," Cavendish mutters

"Luffy would've done it, even if you didn't want to be his ally", you sigh, looking down at the pirate in Cavendish's arms. "Luffy can't stand and watch somebody hurt. Especially when it's somebody he likes." You say softly

"It's true, Luffy wouldn't have fought if he didn't want to. He is here because of his own free will. You see?" Robin speaks up

"I'm begging you, please. Leave me." Law pleads, looking up at you. Not blinking, as he stares back at you. Cavendish looks up at you for an answer, and your eyes scan Law's body

"You're in horrible shape, Traffy. But I cannot keep you from this, I'll stay with you." You say, taking a step back. Allowing Cavendish to lower Law onto the grass. The blonde sits beside him

"I suppose there's no other choice but to stay. I'll take your place, Y/N. No lady should have to witness such horrid sights. You and Miss Robin should head down now," Cavendish says, peering at the state of Dressrosa.

Softly lowering yourself beside Law, letting your hands find his shoulders, "I know you're hurting right now. And I'm so sorry you had to go through this all. I know Luffy will defeat Doflamingo. I hope he saves you, like he did for us." You say as tears find your eyes. Looking down at the pirate who confessed he had no desire to live, other than to kill Doflamingo.

The man beneath you stares up at you in shock. Letting him go, you pull yourself up, wiping the small tears you shed for the man

Walking away with Robin toward the stairs. The girl is now wearing Cavendish's white coat. You send the girl a teasing smile while going down the stairs, "Cabbage? I didn't think he was your type!" You grin as she softly laughs. Her hand softly hits your shoulder

"Mhm, I saw you with Traffy~" Robin sends a sly smile your way. Turning red at the thought of you and Law being seen in that way together

"You're seeing things!" You shout

"Then what was that back there?" Robin questions. Her smile never dropped. A knowing look on her face

"Deep care...for a friend," You shrug, arms crossed. The woman lets out a laugh as we reach the bottom of the stairs

"You're really selling this," Robin teases, opening her arms, welcoming you under Cavendish's coats

"Sanji would flip if he saw this." You giggle along with Robin at the thought. Forgetting about the teasing and all the fighting, to laugh with your friend. Letting her warmth envelope you in the middle of all the chaos

Pt.6

OMG THIS KILLED ME!!! NEXT CHAPTER IS FOR SURE ZOUUUUU RELATED YES YES YES YES GOD YESSS. Also, erm spoilers obvi, I knew whole cake was coming up, BUT I didn't think it would be this close and STARTING IN ZOU. But I like it. Honestly imma skip over Luffy fighting Doflamingo. I'm NOT WRITING ALL THAT. But yeah, love you all, sorry for taking FOREVER

ALSO, Law is godly its unbearable. He's so cool, I hate him

I do not hate him

[tojiwrd]

4: fate is fickle ; gojo satoru

pairing gojo satoru x fem!reader

summary when satoru breaks off your engagement, you understand and accept it. but when he marries someone else, you don't understand because he didn't want to be tied down.

content warnings family problems, bad, sad, emotional infidelity, dangerously short chapter im sorry getting you ready for the next one <;33 flashback flashback y did satoru end it with u??

word count 1.3k

a/n i'll beat both of them up i promise

send thoughts ↞ prev next ↠ to be added to taglist

People said promising yourself to someone you love was euphoric; it was a feeling you couldn’t achieve through any other form of happiness or drugs. Satoru believed that because when he asked you to marry him and you said yes, he felt as though he could rearrange and hang every star in the sky to spell your names for the rest of eternity. It was electric, the feeling, and he couldn’t get enough of it.

But Satoru wasn’t somebody who was ever in the midst of two lines; if he was happy, he was so fucking happy, and if he was sad, he was so fucking sad. 

Growing up in his home hadn’t taught him many things, but he’d come out of it with two lessons he’d always abide by:

Never, ever make promises you can’t keep.

If you can go against Gojo Takayashi’s wishes, do it.

He knew that he should wait to tell his parents about his engagement with you until you were with him, which is why he didn’t let it slip during the first dinner he had with his parents since he put a ring on your finger. When his father said he’d invited a guest over, Satoru felt more at ease to keep his mouth shut because, even though his parents were not his favorite people, he was itching to see their reaction. The little boy that lived somewhere in the abyss of his mind expected them to pop champagne, for his mother to immediately call each and every one of the people she knew to tell them the good news, for his father to pat him on the back with a gleeful smile that made him feel like he’d at least done one thing to make him proud.

And, even though his second rule was to always strive to go against his father, he felt it would be some sort of a twisted poetic number for his father to be proud of him for loving you. For you loving him back.

Kimura Hana was pleasant, and her parents even more so. Despite that, both children on the dinner table that night had a hard time trying to entertain themselves with the dull conversation. Their fathers droned on about their next upcoming business ventures, constantly toasting to the point they’d made a toast to the art of toasting, claiming that it was the best excuse for people to down more alcohol with good intention. 

Hana kicked his leg underneath the table from beside him and Satoru, Y/N-loving, elated-over-his-engagement-in-private Satoru, almost sent her a glare for being so close to him. But he covered it when he noticed a small napkin she passed his way, a small giggle leaving her lips. 

He opened it, and there he read, in pretty and small handwriting with red ink:

this is sooooo boring.

He looked around and patted his pockets subtly when her lithe fingers reached out, right above his lap, and offered him a pen. He gave her a small smile before replying:

If i have to hear another stupid toast, I’m going back to my room

She scanned his reply, and he noticed her lips curve up upwards as she did. Satoru leaned back, fork mushing the leftovers of his desert as he waited for her. Her hands reached down, and placed it right on his thigh and he almost jolted at the slight hint of her fingers against his jean-clad thighs.

He shakily opened the response, a misplaced sense of guilt ravishing his brain.

what about me???

He tried not to think much before he replied, reminding himself that this was friendly. She was being friendly.

You can come up too. I’d hate to leave you here with the wolves.

“Gojo,” Hana said, her voice loud enough for the entire table to hear. Satoru turned to her, raising his brows. “You wanted to show me that book, right?” She turned to her mother. “Ma, do we have enough time for me to go up and check it out?”

Her mother smiled a very specific kind of smile, and Satoru once again reminded himself that this was friendly. 

“Oh, of course. With the way things are going, I think we have about twenty more toasts to go.”

Satoru glanced back at his father who, in his drunken stupor, paid him no mind while his mother barely looked his way, eyes focused on the empty plate below her. 

When Hana went through his small bookshelf, something he didn’t think she’d actually do, he sat on his messy bed and watched her. She stopped at one of the books and pulled it out, a small smile on her lips as she turned back to look at Satoru. 

“What is this?” she asked, plopping down on the bed as she scanned a CD he’d placed in the middle of all the books. It was something Geto had given him once after a fight he’d had with you two months into your relationship, and if he remembered correctly, he’d written, on top of the case with a thick, black marker: move on bro!! Geto had brought it up in one of your recent conversations and said he wasn’t right in the head to think either of you could ever move on from the other, and followed that statement by saying you were meant for each other.

“Uh, my friend gave it to me after I had a… well—”

“A breakup?”

It was a small falling out, but he didn’t correct her because it was so long ago. So, he nodded. 

“Breakups are so—they’re so annoying.”

Satoru chuckled, curious. “Got your heart broke or somethin’?”

She shook her head vigorously, as though she hated that statement with every fiber in her bones. “No, at least not recently. Probably because I hate the idea of meaningless relationships.”

Meaningless relationships? “Elaborate.”

“I don’t know! Like, I’ve thought about it and I just don’t see the reason to tie myself down to someone, you know? I’m young and I have a lot of time to get serious and have joint bank accounts but now? I feel like if I ever tied myself down, it’d end sometime because we end up hating each other for holding each other back while we’re so young.”

He tried not to think about her words too much, but it was hard. He was sure she’d say something completely different were he to tell him about you and your engagement, sugarcoating her words and saying stuff like not you! I’m just talking about me, of course. And that was what he didn’t want. He appreciated her brutal honesty because she was unknowingly giving her perspective on something he hadn’t thought about before getting engaged. 

You love her and you’re her fiance, a part of his mind told him, holding him back from probing further. But another part, the part of him that was always scared over one thing or another pushed him to ask her more. 

And he did, he asked until he was unconsciously convincing himself that the two of you shouldn’t go through with this, but not enough for him to break it off with you. 

What did convince him to break it off with you was something that happened around a month later, after he and Hana had hung out plenty of times due to the increasing closeness of their parents. It was because he found himself shifting his chair closer to hers during dinner. It was because he unconsciously raised his thigh everytime she passed him a note and didn’t reach out his hand so her fingers would graze over it. It was because he was texting her more than he was texting you, and a part of him didn’t seem to mind it. 

He knew it was wrong, despite the plethora of times he tried to convince himself that it was platonic. He couldn’t deny that there was something so utterly wrong about how he didn’t want to tell Hana that he was engaged to you. He didn’t end it with you after doing something that would instantly cross the line he’d been teetering over the edge of for a month, he ended it with you when he felt like if she would cross that line unknowingly, he wouldn’t stop himself from giving in. 

And Satoru didn’t want to cross that line.

[stonathandreamer]

Nightmare

🔸 Stonathan Masterlist

🔺 My AO3 Account

Summary: Jonathan's insecurities and fears manifest themselves in the form of a nightmare involving 'Past Steve'.

Word Count: 3.2k

A/N: This post's been on my drafts for AGES (over a year).

Warnings: Steve and his gang acting like jerks and bullies.

Jonathan walked down the hall of Hawkins High School, holding the strap of his backpack over his left shoulder while his right hand held the camera that Steve gifted him for Christmas.

And speaking of him.

He spots Steve in the distance, leaning against the lockers and talking to a group of people he doesn't recognize. They are engaged in quite an endearing conversation; Steve laughs and moves his arms all around while talking, and the others laugh along with him.

"Hey, Steve!" Jonathan happily greeted his boyfriend when he approached the group, getting their attention.

Steve always beamed whenever he spotted Jonathan at school - it was lovely, like watching a child walk into a candy store. He would happily wave at him, put his arm over Jonathan's shoulders, ask him about his day, try to convince him to skip class, make out behind the bleachers, etc.

But not this time.

Jonathan froze when Steve locked his eyes on him, for the boy's previous happy and smiley attitude changed almost immediately. His smile was replaced with a scowl as he frowned and looked Jonathan up and down with disgust.

"What the hell do you want, freak?"

A chill ran down Jonathan's spine. His eyes widened a little, and alarms blasted inside his brain, telling him to get out of there as quickly as possible and disappear into thin air.

The group of people with Steve turned to face him, and he could finally recognize them - Tommy Hagan, Carol Perkins, Nancy Wheeler, and Nicole. They, too, looked at Jonathan with disgust.

When Jonathan took too long to respond, Steve stepped forward, visibly angry, pushing Jonathan hard. "Well? Don't you know how to talk, or what?!"

The boy flinched at the hard shove and stepped back, eyes fixed on Steve's angry ones. "N-no... I... It's nothing."

Steve threw his head back and laughed while his friends smirked.

"Oh, I know! You thought it was real," he said, taking another step forward, getting dangerously close to Jonathan. "No, no, no, Byers. It wasn't real. It was never real. I would never be friends with something like you!"

Steve was now less than 10 centimeters away from Jonathan, who was still frozen in place, ignoring his brain's pleas and warnings to run.

"And I would never date you, freak. I'm not a disgusting queer like you," Se said, roughly shoving Jonathan again, smirking when the younger boy almost lost his balance. "I would never want to be near you or your family of screw-ups!"

Jonathan could feel his eyes watering, but he didn't want to cry, not in front of Steve or his goons, so he tried to run, swiftly turning around, ready to disappear in the crowd, but Steve grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and shoved Jonathan against the lockers.

"Not so fast, freak!" Steve's eyes landed on the camera Jonathan held in his right hand and smirked deviously, grabbing the device from him and throwing Jonathan to the ground. "Wanna do the honors, Nance?"

The girl took the camera from Steve's hand and raised her arm above her head.

"N-no! Please, not the camera!" Jonathan got up and tried to grab the camera from her hands but was pushed away by Tommy and Steve.

She threw the camera on the floor. Jonathan's wide eyes accompanied the camera as it fell in slow motion, hitting the hard floor of the hallway and breaking into hundreds of tiny pieces while the bullies laughed at his misery.

Jonathan couldn't hold back the tears any longer. Seeing his precious and beloved camera broken in front of him again while his 'boyfriend' and his 'friends' laughed at him.

"What's the matter, freak?" Tommy asked while mimicking Jonathan's cries. "God, he's even uglier when crying!"

"Leave me alone," was all Jonathan could say, barely more audible than a whisper, eyes still fixed on the pieces of his camera scattered across the floor as he tried picking them up, hoping he could reassemble the camera after.

"What'd he say?" Carol asked, looking at Nicole, who just shrugged. "Speak louder, freak!"

"Leave me alone!" he said louder, glaring at them through glassy eyes.

"Oh, the freak's angry! And what if we don't? What are you gonna do about it?" Steve shoved him yet again. "Huh? What are you gonna do about it, freak?!"

"Leave. Me. Alone."

"Or what?" Steve pushed him again.

And again.

And again.

"Come on, freak! What are you gonna do—?"

"LEAVE ME ALONE, HARRINGTON!" He shouted, punching Steve right in the face. His strength was such that Steve lost his balance and bumped into the lockers and Tommy. His friend lost balance and stumbled back, knocking the others to the ground with loud gasps of surprise. Steve tasted blood running down his lips and chin, his expression going from smug to surprised and then something else.

Jonathan noticed a dark aura falling over Steve, his eyes radiating pure hatred and anger. They weren't the soft chocolate-colored eyes Jonathan adored staring. No. They were black, like those of a shark, ready to grab its prey and tear it in half.

"You are so dead, you freak!" Steve lunged towards Jonathan, grabbing him by the neck and pushing him to the ground—

Jonathan woke up with a gasp, standing up and looking around to make sure he wasn't at school, surrounded by that group of bullies who wanted to beat him to death.

Luckily, he wasn't.

He was still in his room, in his house.

The curtains were open, allowing the pale moon's glow to illuminate his room a little.

Everything was so silent. So peaceful. It provided some comfort to Jonathan.

Drops of sweat ran down his face and mixed with the few tears that began to run down his cheeks during that vivid nightmare. Parts of his nightmare still lingered in his mind, haunting his thoughts, cursing his brain. It felt as if a part of his mind took masochist delight in tormenting him. Like his brain wanted him to face a possible harsh reality - that Steve didn't love him. That it was all a trick. And maybe it was—

"Jon?" Steve's groggy voice broke the haunting silence, pulling Jonathan away from his depreciative thoughts. "Why are you awake?"

Steve was sleeping by Jonathan's side, wearing one of his old T-shirts (one that he did not intend to give back) and having a nice dream about winning a basketball tournament. His team was winning by more than 10 points, the crowd was screaming with joy, and among the rows of people in the stands were his friends, his family, and Jonathan, holding a sign that said, 'Go, Steve!'

When Steve scored the last point and the game ended, Jonathan ran down the stands, shouting his name and extending his arms to hug his boyfriend. But before that could happen, a gasping sound followed by a sudden move in the bed woke him up, ending Steve's happy dream.

He blinked a few times, trying to stay awake while softly shaking his head, trying to remove the strands of hair that covered his face. Steve noticed the empty spot next to him, where Jonathan was supposed to be sleeping, and the boy in question sitting up, facing away from him and looking out the window, a somber expression on his face.

"What's the matter, babe?"

What's the matter, freak?

He gently placed his hand on Jonathan's arm, but the younger boy flinched when Steve's hand touched his skin. It didn't go unnoticed by Steve.

"Babe, what's wrong?"

Not so fast, freak!

Jonathan quickly wiped away the tears and drops of sweat. He turned his head slightly but still refused to meet Steve's gaze - he couldn't face him now, not after that nightmare. Not after 'Nightmare Steve.'

"Jon, are you crying?"

He's even uglier when crying!

"I-it's nothing. Just a nightmare."

"Hm." Steve hums, sitting up properly, not knowing if he should scoot closer to Jonathan, but his heart urges him to wrap his boyfriend in a tight hug. "Wanna talk about it?"

"No." To Steve's surprise, the answer came out almost immediately, but decided not to insist. Instead, he let go of Jonathan's arm and petted the empty pillow by his side, signaling Jonathan to go back to sleep.

"It's late, babe. Let's try and go back to sleep, okay?"

With a heavy sigh, Jonathan nodded and laid down again, still facing away from Steve. He tensed upon sensing Steve's arm enveloping him in a warm hug that, on any other occasion, would have been loving and sweet. But not tonight.

Steve pressed a soft kiss on his neck and buried his nose in his hair, doing whatever he could to comfort his boyfriend in his distress.

Trying to go back to sleep proved to be an arduous task, as whenever Jonathan started to fall asleep, the image of Steve and his (former) friends calling him a 'freak' appeared, tormenting his mind and torturing his soul.

His mother always said that thinking about good things before bed brought positive dreams, so he tried that.

Jonathan remembered one of the first dates he had with Steve when he took him to watch a horror movie in the hopes that Jonathan would be scared and cling to him. However, it backfired astonishingly, as Steve was the one who clung to Jonathan all night, terrified because of the movie.

He smiled, remembering how fun that night was and how Steve hugged him tightly because of every slightly scary scene. He felt his body relaxing, slowly being taken over by sleep, a sigh escaping his lips. It was working!

Not so fast, freak!

Until it wasn't.

A chill ran through his body as his eyes shot open.

He tried again with another positive memory, the one where Steve and he were planning to go out, but a storm messed up their plans, so they decided to play Monopoly with the kids. Jonathan won the first match, but Steve swore he cheated (sore loser), and Jonathan decided to appease his sore loser boyfriend with a consolation prize by kissing his cheek, eliciting a horde of disgusted and fake gagged noises from the kids—

I would never date you, Byers.

Again.

Maybe the problem is that all these memories included Steve? So he tried a Steve-free memory.

Jonathan closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and remembered the day his mother and he taught Will how to ride a bike. His little brother was shaking on the bike, begging Jonathan not to let him go while Joyce tried to teach him how to pedal. He vividly remembered how scared Will was but how happy he sounded when he managed to pedal by himself, glancing back at his mother and big brother with a big toothy grin.

He successfully fell asleep in less than two minutes, but Steve remained awake. He couldn't go to sleep after everything he just witnessed. Jonathan just woke up in the middle of the night without wanting to explain why, refused to look at him, and was scared by his touch.

He was in Jonathan's nightmare.

Morning came in much earlier than imagined, or it could be that waking up in the middle of the night messed up his sleep. Yes, that was definitely it. Jonathan rubbed his eyes; the irritating sunlight was right on his face. He sat up and looked around, noticing the empty spot next to him. Did Steve wake up before him?

That's a first.

Steve takes so long to wake up that global warming could be stopped before he lifts his head from the pillow.

He glanced at the alarm clock next to the bed and... Shit! He was late! Very late! Why didn't the alarm clock go off? Or did it ring, but Jonathan didn't hear it?! Damn it. He has to prepare breakfast before his mother leaves for work since Joyce, for whatever reason, has a bad habit of wanting to skip breakfast at any possible opportunity and wake Will up, then get changed and go to school. And he's so late!

Jonathan jumps out of bed. His legs are wrapped in the blanket, and he almost falls face-first onto the floor but manages to regain his balance at the last moment. He opens the bedroom door; the handle nearly comes off in his hand due to the strength and speed he used to open it.

Every minute, no, every second counts.

Jonathan doesn't care if he's late for school (it wouldn't be the first time anyway), but he needs to make sure his mother and brother won't be late because of him!

He arrives in the kitchen half-dressed—

"Mornin', babe!" Only to find Steve, still wearing his old t-shirt, making breakfast and flipping pancakes. He blinks and looks around. Is he dreaming? Must be. "I made toast, an omelet for you, with cheese, obviously, scrambled eggs for your mom, and some pancakes for Mini You!"

The 'Mini You' in question is Will, by the way.

Jonathan blinks, standing there, feeling awkward and not knowing what to do or say. He mumbles a small thank you and sits down on a chair, looking at the breakfast Steve prepared, not feeling hungry.

Steve glances at Jonathan through the corner of his eyes, his 'boyfriend sense' on high alert. Jonathan is a quiet person, but this is a different kind of silence. The bad kind. But he doesn't know how to address it, not wanting to risk saying the bad thing and upsetting Jonathan further.

Maybe try some small talk?

"You know I had a wonderful dream about the basketball championship! I think it's a good omen." He says while flipping the last pancake and setting them on a plate before turning to Jonathan. "You're gonna be cheering on me during the games, right? I need my personal cheerleader there to give me moral support!"

"Huh?" Jonathan turned to Steve. He wasn't paying attention to anything he said but didn't want Steve to repeat himself, so he nodded and went along. "Yeah, yeah, that sounds nice."

Steve raised an eyebrow at Jonathan's reply, knowing it was half-assed. He sighed and shook his head, deciding to go with plan B: to Hell with small talk. Just rip the damn Band-Aid!

He sat facing Jonathan and eyed his boyfriend with firmness and concern, "Jonathan, what's wrong?"

"Nothing." Jonathan lowered his gaze, trying to avoid Steve's gaze and downplay the situation. "Just had a rough night."

"You had a nightmare." It wasn't a question. It was a statement. "It seemed a pretty rough one."

"It was nothing—"

"Jonathan." Steve cut him off with a gentle but firm tone, silently telling him to cut the bullshit. Steve extended his hand to grasp Jonathan's and noticed how his arm flinched when their hands made contact. He sighed and shook his head, wanting his suspicions confirmed. "I was in it, wasn't I?"

Jonathan swallowed and didn't respond immediately, taking a quiet breath before nodding slowly, "Yeah."

"Did I... Hurt you?" Steve asked, afraid of the answer.

"... Yeah." The dreaded answer confirmed Steve's suspicions. He sighed again, using his thumb to gently caress Jonathan's knuckles, silently encouraging him to keep talking, which he did after a few seconds of silence. "You... You called me a freak, b-broke my camera, y-your friends were there, and they were m... Mocking me, too. You said it wasn't real, that you didn't... Love me..."

The more Jonathan talked, the more tears threatened to spill, both from the pain the nightmare inflicted on his mind and also from the fear he now felt of Steve not loving him. Losing his boyfriend, his best friend after Will would destroy him entirely.

Steve's heart shattered at every word Jonathan spoke, and he wanted to hug his boyfriend tightly and vanquish all these negative thoughts. He couldn't help but feel guilty, as Steve knew his past actions were the reason behind Jonathan's nightmare. He felt responsible. This was his mess to clean and his boyfriend to console. And you bet your ass Steve would do anything for Jonathan.

"Hey, babe..." He scooted his chair next to Jonathan and clasped Jonathan's hands in his, his grip firm but gentle. "I... I'm sorry for it."

"It's alright. It wasn't your fault—"

Yes, it was!" Steve cuts him off, his tone uncharacteristically firm. "I was a jerk, I had jerk friends, and I know how much I hurt you in the past, and I know no new cameras or a thousand apologies will actually fix things up, but Jonathan..." He squeezes Jonathan's hands, silently asking Jonathan to face him, which he does. "I want you to know I love you a lot, okay? More than you could ever imagine, and I don't think I'll ever be able to even remotely show you how much I love you, Jonathan. And whatever thought you have inside this pretty little head of yours that's telling you otherwise is lying, and you shouldn't believe in them, okay? I love you, Jonathan, more than I have ever loved anyone else, and I would never forgive myself if I hurt you. I would hate myself a lot if you end up hurt because of me."

Jonathan listened to Steve's every word, knowing every one of them carried powerful sentiments behind them; love, honesty, and affection. His depreciative thoughts dwindled as he heard Steve's passionate speech, replaced by a deep love for Steve, feeling lucky at having this guy as his boyfriend and soulmate.

"Thank you, Steve." His three-word reply was short, but these simple words and the small smile on his lips were more than enough for Steve. He was just glad to ease Jonathan's mental burden.

The thought of his boyfriend doubting his love ached at Steve's heart, and he would do everything in his power to make Jonathan realize just how much he adores him and how much he means to him. Whether it's by making him breakfast, buying gifts, taking him out on dates, letting him ramble about photography, or listening to his mixtapes. Steve would do everything and anything for Jonathan.

That night, Jonathan slept peacefully, Steve snoring next to him, his face buried to Jonathan's side. No nightmares haunted his mind or depreciative thoughts tormented him throughout the night.

In fact, it was the opposite.

His mind replayed the happy memories he shared with Steve; the Halloween party, the movie date, their first Valentine's Day, his birthday, and many, many more.

It was such a peaceful and calming night.

If it weren't for Steve hogging the blankets, it would have been pitch-perfect but got close enough.

Steve, meanwhile, had happy dreams, imagining his future life with Jonathan, of them starting a life together, having kids, and their own house.

It may sound silly, yes, but all teenagers are silly, Steve is no exception, and teenagers in love are even more silly and cringy. Let those who have never dreamed of having a family with their partner cast the first stone.

Steve smiled in his sleep, wrapping himself around the blanket even more while Jonathan groaned under his breath, trying to reclaim his stolen blanket while shivering due to the cool air of the night. They need to start sleeping with separate blankets.

[rowretro]

𝕭𝖑𝖔𝖔𝖉𝖎𝖊𝖉 𝕱𝖑𝖔𝖜𝖊𝖗

Warnings: mentions of blood, angst

✧CHAPTER 1✧

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It's just a harmless crush. Babe Yang's massive crush on Park Jongseong of course. It's pretty much old news, everyone knows about her crush on him, except Jay himself of course. Babe is known for being sweet to everyone, always sharing her sweets and snacks with anyone, and just genuinely being nice.

Everyone knows her best friend is Lee Aram, and she puts all her trust in the girl, it's no surprise that they see her drop Aram off, and treat her at random restaurants, as if they were dating. She's such a sweetheart.

So why didn't Jay notice her? Why didn't he love her? Who could possible reject the sweet charms of Babe?

"I don't get it- How is he not getting the hint?" Babe huffed in annoyance, a small pout adorning her glossy lips. Aram smiled sweetly t her as she pat her head "Maybe he might not be interrested?" She suggested as Babe frowned more.

"Not interrested? then why would he accept my gifts and be really nice to me? why would he still engage in conversations with me and why would he say I have W rizz? no one has ever said that to me except from my ex crush." She said As Aram sighed. "Well I don't know... You've been trying him for over a year now- aren't you tired?" She asked as Babe aired her lips.

"No I love that boy with all my heart Aram... you know this, no matter what Ill never give up, I have a good feeling about this!" She said as she walked off, seeing Jay. Aram watched as she happily walked along side Jay.

She felt as if she was watching a video of the people boarding the titanic, she knew what they were getting themselves into but they didn't know. It annoyed her how Jay was still being friendly to Babe.

. . .

Babe smiled as she walked alongside Jay to class "God your handwriting's so uneat how could you even read that?" she asked frowning as she tried to ready the messy notes "Here let me write-" she said as she neatly wrote down the small paragraph he wanted. Jay smiled as He read it out loud, clearly.

Sunghoon sat in the far corner, smiling at Aram who glanced at her a little. The male had developed a small crush on her... he doesn't know why or how. Perhaps from the time they were paired together to work on a science project?

He was rather observant. He watched how she stared at Babe and Jay, she seemed like such a supportive best friend to her. Of course. Everyone knew they were practically inseparable. He couldn't help but smile at the girl's actions.

As the teacher walked in, the class went silent. The students opened their exercise books all ready to take notes. Which Sunghoon was practically already doing, whilst admiring Aram. The way she pushes her hair back when she lowers her head to write, was a sight he loves. Its the only thing he could see from back there.

. . .

"Wow I never knew the scary quiet guy he beat the shit out of Cheung would be this shy to talk to his crush!" Babe exclaimed as Sunghoon glared at her. "I-I- sorry... I'll help you... just wait here- Im gonna try and ask Jay out.... he's usually alone in this classroom afterschool time" she said with a smile.

Yet she froze at the entrance. A sight for sore eyes. Her heart felt as if a monster was chewing on it, ripping it to pieces. Lee Aram, her best, most trusted friend was Kissing Jay. "What are you going to do about babe?" she asked with a pout as Jay scoffed.  

"Just tell that bitch already Aram... She's so fucking annoying it pisses me off, if you don't tell her I will." Jay spat as Aram snickerred. Fuck that fucking hurt. Sunghoon tried to pull her back, despite feeling hurt, himself. His own brother dating his crush?

That's fucking brutal. But it didn't hurt too much, after all its a small crush nothing more, Sunghoon has money, a nice house, a strong mafia business, why would he need a pretty girl to share that all with?

He was too focused on consoling himself he almost forgot the real problem at hand "You could've told me Aram. So much for being fucking friends. I would've backed off, and You... you could've told me you aren't interested but no, you spent over a year leading me on?!" Y/n yelled catching the 2 off guard.

"I- Y/n... Y/n wait-" "No Aram just shut the fuck up. We're done. I don't want to see your fucking face ever again... you don't know what girl code is?! even then, you could've fucking told me- i would've moved on happily."  with that, y/n ran off, Sunghoon following somewhat behind.

As the girl reached an alley way that was pretty far from the school, she paused, her head ringing, tears falling, as she coughed. But it wasn't a normal cough.... she coughed up blood, and a white flower petal. 

What the fuck? a fucking flower petal? she frowned, assuming it was probably from one of those times she got hungry and took a bite out a flower in the vase, not too bothered, she ran home, her heart broken.

Sunghoon stopped running, not wanting to upset her further, hopefully she'll come to school he can comfort her then right?... Wait why the fuck would he want to do that, he mentally slapped himself, he's never taken interest in any other girl, or any human being in general, with a sigh, he walked to his car, an inch of him worrying for the small girl...

✧♡✧♡✧♡✧♡✧♡✧♡✧♡✧♡✧♡✧♡✧♡✧♡✧♡✧

[thorin-is-a-cuddler]

Dark words and warm hugs

A/N: Benedict steals a poem from underneath your nose to get on your nerves, willing to read it out to the entire family. But he does not expect the poem to be as sad as it turns out to be. Hurt/Comfort fanfic with mostly Benedict and (Y/N), but Colin, Eloise, Hyacinth and Gregory also play a role in it. (I have left open what exactly the poem is about so that everyone can put a spark of themselves into this! I hug you all!)

“Benedict! Give. It. BACK!”

Decisively you stomped after your brother who was scurrying into the living-room like a giddy cookie thief, holding a folded sheet of paper in his hand. Hyacinth looked up in wonder from the pianoforte, while Gregory and Colin stopped swinging wooden swords at each other. Eloise didn’t even bother raising her eyes from her book, quite contrary to your mother who dropped the newspaper onto the table before her so suddenly that the paper got wrinkled. Sighing loudly, she followed her second youngest daughter and her second eldest son with attentive eyes to make sense of the sudden commotion.

Benedict quickly took shelter behind one of the sofas and teasingly waved the paper in his hand, when you came to a halt on the other side of the piece of furniture.

“Ah, ah, ah,” he taunted, the smugness making his smirk seem almost devilish, “now be a good sister and stay right where you are! We are civilized people after all!”

“So civilized,” you fired back at him with a force that made your mother flinch and Colin blink, “that you come into my room and steal poems from under my nose! It is not ready, give it back to me!”

“Now, now, that is a very serious accusation, dearest sister! I did not steal a single thing, I simply picked it up to- HGH!” The unexpected manoeuvre to jump on the sofa and attempt to grab your brother behind it failed, when Benedict circled it fast enough to end up behind the backrest of the one standing on the other side of the room. Next to it, your mother was sitting at a small table, watching you both with growing surprise.

“(Y/N), would you please refrain from climbing on the furniture with your shoes on!” She chastised half-heartedly, too enraptured in the quick changing of positions you and your brother were engaged in at the very moment to think of ending it all with one simple order.

Your shoulders slumped down and your voice was tinted by utter disappointment when you directed your complaint at your mother. “Mamma, how can you tell me off when my so called brother is the one who is acting like a complete child-“

“Oh, scarry moon, oh splendid field-“

“NOO!!” You screamed so loud that Gregory actually yelped in pain and proceeded to cover his ears. Benedict giggled like a three year old as he interrupted his aloud reading of your verses to escape yet another one of your attempts to get your hands on him. You ended up on opposite sides of the sofa, Eloise was reading on, and she did not seem happy about the disruption.

“Can’t you take your shenanigans outside?” She groaned, when you had circled her sofa twice, Benedict still giggling and you still huffing in frustration.

“Why is not one of my beloved siblings considering to help me??” You called out in frustration, glaring daggers at your smirking brother who thought himself invincible in that very moment.

“Perhaps they are all as excited as I am to hear what our dear sister puts onto paper on this lovely, lovely morning!” Benedict declared, as he tried to peek another glance at the dark lines covering the page.

“Well, perhaps it is not meant for either of your eyes to see nor ears to hear!!” You extended your hand meaningfully to demand your poem back from your brother, but he merely made a pitiful grimace and sucked in the air through his teeth apologetically.

“Ah, see, (Y/N), the problem is that that only intrigues me even more.”

And with that he resumed his reading – silently at the very least – as he continued to stumble away from your attempts to get him to stop. Until he did actually stop. His expression changed entirely, from humorous to serious, and he looked up from the paper with blue eyes full of remorse. That only made it worse for you.

“(Y/N), I…”

“Are you happy now??” You shouted, feeling anger put its feeble hands around your throat and suffocate your voice with tears and shame. “You think everything is so funny! Well, sometimes it’s not!” Deeply hurt, you ripped the paper out of his hands and threw your fists against his chest once with force. He barely moved from the impact, but shrunk in on himself nevertheless, his eyes dripping with regret and his lips growing hard.

You didn’t wait for another word from anyone of your shocked family, turned on your heels and hurried out of the grand room to find solace and shelter in your own space. You heard Benedict shout your name again, but did not look back. With the back of your hand you brushed away the tears that threatened to fall, as you ran up the stairs, far away from the shame that was left in the room with everyone else. You shut the door behind you, turned the key in the lock and hid yourself in your bed to cry and to forget about it all – the shame, Benedict’s look of horror when he realized what you had written, but mostly the thing itself. You promised yourself never to write about such matters again, if the only outcome was the incomprehension of everyone you cared about.  

It hurt you especially that it had been Benedict who had reacted that way. Anthony, alright, Daphne, sure. But Benedict? You’d always considered him to be the most empathetic Bridgerton, the softest and sweetest. But apparently his understanding knew its limits as well. You wanted him to come to your room and make it all better again, but at the same time you didn’t want him anywhere near you in that moment. You were not sure, you’d be able to take it if you brother were to treat this matter as if it disgusted him, as if you disgusted him.

No, for now, all that was left for you was your pillow and the safe warmth of your blanket.

It did not take long for Benedict to come to your door and knock as carefully as if he was knocking on a wound he did not mean to worsen any further.

“(Y/N)?”

You put a pillow over your head and tried to sink deeper into your sheets to disappear from the face of the earth forever.

“(Y/N), can I please talk to you? Please?”

As always, your brother’s gentle voice made you feel weak and defenceless and stirred the need to be held and cradled by him for many hours until nothing hurt anymore. But this time, his voice also carried a needle with it that stung you in the lungs and made it harder to breathe.

“Go away,” you called weakly, your own words making you sad enough to bring tears to your eyes. You did not actually want him to go, but you were also scared to face his judgement on your words.

You could hear your brother let out a shuddered breath before your door – he was not used to you telling him to ‘go away’ in a serious manner and it hurt him like an actual weapon. His pain only worsened your own, since it all seemed to come from you; you were the source of all the pain that circulated in the Bridgerton mansion that very day and you did not know how to make it stop.

“(Y/N), please,” Benedict asked again, his voice shaking ever so slightly. “Can I please be there for you right now? Please. Please.”

The pauses between his words made your tears roll down your cheeks big and hot and painful. Why did your brother have to use lines that made your insides feel weaker than pie filling? Of course, you wanted him to be there for you. You did not want him to think less of you. You did not want to see an ounce of wariness in his eyes. All you wanted was for him to forget you’d ever written the lines of that day. Perhaps, he would grant you that wish…

“Wait,” you sniffed out shakily and got up from your bed. With a thumping heart in your chest, you walked to the door and unlocked it, only to then make a run for your bed again in order to hide your tear stained face from Benedict’s curious eyes.

You heard the door creak as it opened and the gentle click when it closed again. Footsteps approached the bed carefully and came to a halt right next to you.

You squeezed your eyes shut, when you felt the mattress move beneath his weight and turned you face away, when your brother lifted the light blanket you were hiding beneath to slip underneath it as well. He let it fall around the two of you, the light of the day bright enough to make everything perfectly visible under the textile’s protection.

“Hey,” he breathed out in a consoling tone, his hand gently curling around your shoulder. Your lips turned into a thin line to keep quiet, but a sob shook your body so violently that nothing could have contained or concealed it. “Oh, (Y/N), it’s alright. It’s going to be alright. I am here!” You wanted to stay turned away from your brother, but he repeated such nice calming words while rubbing over your back that you would have needed a heart of stone to remain indifferent. Violently, you turned around and threw your arms around him, your following sobs muffled by his white shirt. He wrapped his arms around you as tightly as possible and carded his fingers through your hair, repeating a calming noise until your sobs turned from earthquakes into human noises again that allowed you to speak.

“I am sorry I hit you!” You stuttered into your brother’s arm, holding on to his shoulders for dear life to un-hug the way you’d pushed him earlier. Benedict made a disregarding noise and rubbed your back a few times to convince you of how little it meant to him.

“Please, (Y/N), you had every right to be angry with me. There is nothing you need to feel sorry for. I should never have read that poem. You did not want me to do it and I did not respect that. It is I who is sorry. Truly sorry!” It was his turn to bury his face in your shoulder and hold on to your shoulders, asking for forgiveness with every fragile breath that blew against your ear. It saddened you so much that fresh tears sprang to your eyes. You copied his movement from earlier and started rubbing up and down his back to soothe him. Apparently he had been just as scared as you had been that you might treat him coldly or with little understanding. The thought seemed ridiculous to you now – as if that could ever have truly happened with you or Benedict.

“At the same time, I am glad I read it, (Y/N). I am glad I got to see the fears you are apparently dealing with all by yourself. They are very substantial and best not shouldered alone.” For the first time since he’d entered your room, you moved your face in front of his, letting him see the wreckage of your puffy eyes and witnessing the red-rimmed ones of his. You gently pushed your ever-cold fingers against his cheeks and felt your lips twitch, when his eye-lids closed in relief.

“I was scared you might think them weird. Or rather … me!” You admitted, breathing out calmly when your brother’s hands moved up to cup your face. He opened his blue eyes and looked at you fondly.

“Nothing could ever make me think you weird,” he stated with emotion in his voice. “You are my sister and I will tease you for the rest of your days, but unless you drink exotic tea from Greece, I will never ever think you weird!”

That actually made you laugh despite the tear-heavy weight on your voice. His features immediately grew lighter again and his lips curled upwards.

“And I must say,” he continued, “the dark issue aside – it was a really good poem.”

“You think so?” You asked surprised, your eyes growing wider.

He nodded meaningfully. “Yes! You have a way with words, (Y/N). It is a talent you should pursue further! Don’t be scared of the dark parts it might reveal within you. But never forget to talk to me about it…”

“In fact,” you looked him in the eyes, lifting the blanket a little with your hand to be able to look at them directly, without any fabric getting in the way, “I was going to ask you to forget you’ve ever read the one from this morning… I don’t wish to remember it myself!”

Benedict narrowed his eyes for a moment, before he made a quick gesture next to his head, accompanied by a grimace. “Done!” He exclaimed. “I have successfully forgotten everything about it.”

You were about to roll your eyes, when he gasped loudly. “In fact I seem to have forgotten everything else as well. How did I get here? Why are we under this blanket? Who are you??”

Biting your tongue usually helped, when you wanted to keep from laughing, but not when it came to Benedict. A grin worked its way on your face as you tried to grab a hold of his gesticulating hands. “Ben, stop!”

“Where am I? Who am I??” He threw the blanket off the two of you, allowing for you both to breathe fresh air again and get blinded by daylight, as you tried to get a hold on your exaggerating brother.

“Ben!!” You chuckled, fighting to keep him on the mattress as he moved into a sitting position.

“I am not even sure of what I am anymore! A cat, a man, a weasel??”

“You are so silly!” You groaned through your laughter, sitting up as well and placing your hands on his shoulders.

Benedict squinted his eyes at you insecurely and stopped his little act, a blush creeping over his cheeks. “Not too silly, I hope.”

You remembered the words you had fired at him earlier, about how everything seemed to be funny to him. Apparently you had scratched at his core with that statement. Regret came over you again and you slumped in on yourself slightly. To make up for it, you wrapped your arms around his neck and pushed your head against his, humming when you felt one of his arms warm on your own.

“No, brother, you are not too silly for me!”

He gently rubbed his hand over your arm for a while, indulging in the hug for a few moments, before he suddenly made his upper body fall back on the sheets, taking you down with him. With a quiet shriek, you fell on his chest, laughing brightly, when his hands grabbed for you and pulled you entirely on top of him. His glinting blue eyes promised schemes of mischief and fun.

“How about we make you fly again, like when you were little?”

You scoffed meaningfully and pushed yourself up slightly, you fingers digging into his collarbone making him flinch – something you noted with a little smirk. “I am way too heavy for that now, brother!”

“Says who?”

“Says I!” You squeezed his sides playfully, making him yelp and bark out a breathy laugh. You waggled your eyebrows at him.

“I think there are better ways to entertain ourselves now!”

“Don’t even think about it!” He threatened with a determined look in his eyes. But your position gave you quite the advantage, so there was little he could do, when your hands decided to find their way past his arms and into his armpits, forcing him to throw his head back with deep, hearty laughter.

“NO PLEASE!” He giggled instantly, turning his head from left to right and trying to push you off, which included getting his hands on your knees and squeezing them rapidly. That was unfortunately a counter attack that worked quite well on you and so you found yourself pinned underneath him way too quickly, doomed to suffer at the hands of the ingenious tickler your brother was, always had been and always would be.

“Oh how the turn tables,” he laughed, as his hands wandered up and down your shaking sides, reducing you to a giggling mess and leaving you no chance to wiggle out from underneath him.

You were laughing so hard, you barely heard your door opening a crack with Colin peering inside, the younger siblings and Eloise by his side. Benedict only noticed it, when Colin whispered something to Hyacinth and Gregory and they came storming in with a war cry, jumping on top of their older brother and trying to push him off of you. Benedict’s exaggerated wails of terror and your younger siblings rather quirky attempts to overpower him made your laughter only increase. Benedict felt compelled to raise his arms and shout “I am not touching her!” to prove himself innocent of your hysterics, but that only made matters easier for the legacy of siblings at your service now. Hyacinth used the opening to start tickling underneath Benedict’s arms, while Gregory pushed at your brother to make him fall over. Benedict couldn’t keep from chuckling at Hyacinth’ technique, but grabbed Gregory, your knight in shining armour to subdue him to some tickling of his own. This was when Colin emerged into the room, with Eloise following suit, both of them pointing fingers at Benedict.

“We see the advance-guard has been overpowered. But we will not be such easy targets!”

Eloise cackled smugly, when she saw Benedict’s expression turn quite horrified at the outlook of such a team fighting against him and immediately let go off the giggling Gregoy. You wrapped your arms around your youngest brother and bit your lip in anticipation of what was to come next. It moved you that the other four had come to help you. It moved you that Benedict had come up to make things alright again, but things would look even brighter, in your opinion, if your second oldest brother would have to fight off an entire Bridgerton army at your service.

Benedict seemed to reconsider his options and huffed out a scared little chuckle, raising his hands. “Now… we’re all good friends here, are we not?”

Eloise, Colin, Hyacinth and Gregory all looked at you with expectant brows and you couldn’t help but let out a laugh. “I’d say… on him!”

Benedict made a choked noise in his throat and grabbed his chest to convey the amount of betrayal he felt. “You too, Brutus?” But he winked at you and he was already laughing at his siblings’ antics before anyone of the others had come near to touching him. With a loud war cry they wrestled him onto the sheets and proceeded to tickle him wherever they could reach. Eloise was expertly subduing his knees to spidery tickles, while Hyacinth squeezed his legs and Gregory and Colin dug their hands into all the open spots on his upper body. Benedict had probably not known how hard he could laugh, but it was highly infectious and forced you all to chuckle alongside him. You put an end to their attack rather quickly and tried to wrap your arms around them all at the same time to pull them all into a big hug.

No matter what fears sometimes kept you gnawing at the end of your pencil as you wrote into your books, nothing was greater a remedy to your anxiety than the family you had. And when Benedict pulled you into his arms, still warm from laughing, you weren’t scared of a thing in the world.

[adventuringblind]

Hi I saw your requests are open you don’t have to write anything if you don’t want to but I had this idea and I wanted to share

I was thinking of meting Charles on Monaco maybe during Sumer break or something, and being a little homesick so he decides to take us to a bookstore (sorry I just like to rad a lot you can change the place) and just talking about like a book he likes and just sitting on the floor with him looking for something to read and getting romantic

Idk if it makes sense but thank you and have a nice day/night

Home is Where You Are

Charles leclerc x reader

Genre: fluff

Request: Yes! I hope you enjoy it, I thought the idea was super cute! I'm open for Max, Charles, Lando, Oscar, George, and Daniel. Also, up for poly fics if anyone is interested. (If you have too much love to go around, clap your hands)

Summary: living with Charles is a dream come true. Longing for home, though, can strike anyone. Good thing he's there to help you through it until you can find time to go visit.

Warnings: home sickness, straight fluff

Notes: written in second person. Likes, comments, and reblogs are always appreciated!

Also, I've sent up my account to let tips be enabled. I was debating whether or not to say this because i dont want to sound like im begging, but frankly, people opinions do not matter me me. If you like my writing and want to support me, please consider tipping my posts or my blog. I put a lot of effort into my writing, and it would mean the world to me. Obviously, I won't have my feelings hurt if you ignor this, but I wanted to put it out there.

Masterlist

You and Charles had been together for a while now. Managing to do some long distance when you couldn't travel with him.

Now you were engaged, and you said yes. Knowing you wanted to spend the rest of your life with him.

You traveled more now. Finding yourself in different countries for the majority of the year. But you always went back home when you could. The family and familiarity bringing you comfort.

When Charles asked you to move in with him, you'd been happy. The two of you now completely together. Ready to share your lives with each other.

You were lucky you could take your job anywhere. The traveling often helping provide inspiration for your novel.

Charles made sure you felt comfortable in his, now yours as well, apartment. Making sure you had your favorite foods. He purchased an entire bookshelf just for you. He even stockpiled the apartment with soft blanket.

It was a dream come true for you.

You loved it. Waking up with Charles. Eating breakfast with him. Not having to FaceTime him to say goodnight for half the year.

When the summer break for formula 1 came around, you found yourself wanting to go back to your home country. You'd been back in Monaco for less than a week, but the days had you missing things you didn't realize you would.

You liked it in Monaco. It's your home now. But it didn't stop your mind from wandering back to the streets you grew up on. To your friends and family. The shops you frequented.

That's how Charles found you. Sitting at the table, staring into your cup of tea. Lost in the world of your subconscious.

"Mon Amour? Are you alright?"

His voice dragged out out of your thoughts. Your eyes dragging themselves to his face as he found a spot next to you.

He knew something was wrong. There was really no point in trying to lie when it was written all over your body.

You run your finger around the rim of your glass. Taking comfort in Charles nimble fingers running up and down your arm.

"Just a bit homesick, I guess." You confessed. Sighing at your relentless thoughts. Pulling your heart deeper into its sad state.

Charles hums in response. Considering what you'd said to him. "I think I know how to cheer you up." He smirks.

Charles couldn't take you back to your home country currently. You'd been working ridiculously hard, and he'd been busy doing sim work. He'd get you there soon, but for now, he'd settle for trying to get your mind off things.

An hour later, you were dressed and walking down the streets of Monaco. Nonclue where Charles was taking you. Just giggling as he held your hand and pulled you along with him. The two of you are making conversation about anything that pops into your heads.

Charles was basking in the warmth of your smile. So much so that he almost missed his intended destination. A little corner store with a vintage looking sign reading 'Nook's Books'.

"Here we are." He smiled and opened the door for you. A little bell rang to alert the owner that someone had entered.

Charles watched as your mouth opened in awe. Taking in the shelves lined top to bottom with books new and old. "I thought you might like it."

"Why did I never know about this?"

"It's hidden away, so those who don't know the city will have a harder time finding it. It's our own little corner of peace." He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I was going to surprise you right before the wedding."

It didn't take long for you to grab Charles' hand and lead him down the rows of books.

You'd found many books that you liked and had picked a spot on the floor to look through them.

Charles couldn't help but admire you. On the floor surrounded by books. You looked adorable in his eyes.

He plopped down next to you and spread out his arms and legs. Inviting you without words to come rest your body against his. You happy oblige. Crawling into the safety of his arms.

You spent hours in the small store. Charles listening intently as you either talked about a book or read chapters from one.

The twobof you finally left when the store was about to close. Having spent so much time there that it was now dark outside. The streets illuminated with the orangey hue of lampposts.

Charles spun you around as you walked, Making you giggle. Completely unbothered by the nightlife of Monaco.

When you two made it to the outside of the apartment building, Charles pulled you into him.

"I know I can't get you back to your family right now, but are you feeling a bit better?"

"Yes, thank you, for everything." Your eyes met his soft gaze.

"No thanks needed. I was simply doing my job." He chuckled. Leaning in closer to you.

Finally, his lips landed on yours. A loving kiss shared between you two. But this time, when he kissed you, you knew Charles was your home.

[rcreveal]

Dare I Close My Eyes to Slumber, Ch 2

Why doesn't Aziraphale sleep? He says it's because he's got too much work to do, but what if he's been an insomniac for 6000+ years. This chapter has some character development about how his views of the Great Plan started to diverge from Home Office, with a visit from Gabriel.

Chapter 2

Aziraphale followed humans out of Eden into the rougher, wilder world. Quite a bit rougher, and wilder, most of the time, but so intriguing! And colorful! Humans were just so engaging! They built and created such fascinating things! Shame that they smashed and destroyed those things so frequently. Quite puzzling, too. 

Fortunately, he was blessed to have a plan. A beautiful plan! A Great Plan! All he had to do was follow the Great Plan and he would be fine. Really, it was simple, just like Heaven's predictive models had been. Humans got to choose sides during life. Souls tidily went where they were supposed to go. All the models predicted Heaven would be victorious! 

Certainly, there were demons here, too. Sometimes he saw the snake-shaped demon, Crawly, in either his snake or human forms, but that was part of the Plan. Crawly and he would even stop to pass a bit of news occasionally, they were polite like that. Both of them were performing their ordained work. There had to be another side or how would anyone be able to tell Heaven won! Aziraphale happily worked day and night to further the Great Plan. He didn't feel any need to sleep, there was too much to see and do. 

Watching over sleeping humans and animals, however, remained his own special project.

Animals, he soon found, could sleep untroubled. Well, except for livestock, which seemed perversely adept at getting themselves into trouble. Putting his trust in the Great Plan, Aziraphale noticed that caring for their silly waywardness was teaching humans important skills and virtues. So domesticated animals’ foolishness served a purpose, that was alright. 

Humans, though, needed all the help they could get whether sleeping (they gave huge significance to their dreams) or dealing with all the calamities that happened when they should be sleeping. Aziraphale stayed quite busy helping and watching. If he’d righted a candle ready to start a blaze once, he’d done it a million times. The night watchmen he’d woken or alerted with a well aimed stone! Many a desperate soul had ‘fortuitously’ found him walking by willing to run the errand to fetch a healer or mid-wife. And he’d shared the vigil with those who watched over souls that left the world by night. 

Really, there wasn’t any time for him to slumber. Everywhere he looked there was righteous work to be done! Wasn’t that wonderful! Aziraphale watched over humans whether they were sleeping or waking, laughing or weeping, he watched over them and upheld the Great Plan.

Early on that led to some little visits from Home Office to commend his work.

Gabriel stood over him, as Aziraphale held his hands clasped to prevent himself spinning the gold signet ring of his station as Principality. His eyes searched Gabriel’s face whose holy radiance was nearly blinding, but seemed to be missing…

“...mercy that the whole town had to perish for the Great Plan, Aziraphale! They sinned too much and now they’ve atoned for it!” the Supreme Archangel was saying.

Gabriel’s mouth was smiling, Aziraphale could see through the Archangel’s glare, but the look in his purple eyes held more condescension than understanding. “You of all people, Aziraphale, know how the Great Plan works here on Earth.” Gabriel surveyed the burnt out hulk of the once prospering village approvingly. “This village! It’s all taken care of! All the people! Sorted! The bad went Downstairs and the few good ones came to us! Perfect execution of the Great Plan!”

Gabriel tipped his head and looked at Aziraphale expectantly.

Oh, yes, I see, Aziraphale, thought, he wants me to agree with him. And I agree with the Great Plan! Of course!

Out loud Aziraphale replied, with a little smile flitting around his mouth where it was having trouble taking hold over the frown he was trying to keep off his brow. “Ah, yes, execution of the Great Plan…That’s what it’s all about, getting everyone sorted! Good and Bad,” he offered, wondering why his throat was dry, must be the smoke.  “Winning!” he added, with a little fist swept across his middle. 

Aziraphale didn’t mention that the mock ups for events leading up to sorting after death had looked a lot different in planning than they did on Earth. It had looked a lot clearer when the souls were numbers on a graph. Well, he just had to adjust his perspective, it would all be fine…in the long run. He didn't have to understand the Great Plan, just follow it.

Suddenly Gabriel grabbed Aziraphale by the head and rubbed his knuckles across Aziraphale’s scalp painfully, “And you, you overachiever! Humans saw what you were doing helping in the fires and switched sides! We got 40% more return than expected!” 

In his fear and confusion, Aziraphale barely registered that no heartbeat drummed against his cheek where it was crushed against the fabric of Gabriel’s robes. Just as suddenly as he’d grabbed him, Gabriel let him loose.

“Excuse me!” Aziraphale remarked reflexively, backing away as much as he dared to stand out of reach, straightening his own robes and wondering what on Earth Gabriel was going to do to him next. He politely explained, “As a Principality it's my duty to guide and protect. As I was doing here, before…the sorting out,” his voice faltered. Quickly reviewing what he’d been doing before the Supreme Archangel arrived that might have gotten him into trouble. But he’d just been helping assist with a rather difficult lambing. When the fire started in the barn, he’d helped release the animals and tried to stop the fires.

“Sure, I excuse you, Aziraphale,” Gabriel miracled a smear of soot from his own robes where Aziraphale’s burned and tattered garments had soiled them. “You’re doing a great job taking care of things the human way, very,” he waved a hand at all of Aziraphale, “ economical. Though I still don't get how you can guard anything without your sword!”

Not wanting to hear Gabriel tell that story again, Aziraphale blurted out, “Free will!”

“Free what?”

Pressing his lips together and starting again, Aziraphale explained with a little nervous smile, “People have free will. Getting them to do anything for themselves, well they have to want to do it. And they come up with all sorts of ways around the threat of the, the sword. You see?" Well, Aziraphale wished they would. He certainly tried to get humans to.

Gabriel looked like he was considering this, “The sword still seems like it would work,” he shrugged, then smiled and nodded while offering, “Maybe try a bigger sword!”

While Aziraphale pondered that bit of advice, he listened as Gabriel continued, “But your results are some of the best we're seeing down here, sooo to reward your tireless work here on Earth, in…” Gabriel kicked a bit of dung from his sandals and flicked a smut of ash off the shoulder of his shining robes where the cinders from the village still fell, “...such, eww,  gross conditions,” Gabriel patted in his robes and brought a card out from his pocket.  Then he read off the little card in his hand, his voice taking on a sing-song quality, “In recognition of Aziraphale’s tireless work among the humans, Gabriel has, ohh, I have the honor of bestowing this token on Aziraphale,” he snorted in frustration, “You.” The Supreme Archangel shook his head, rolling his eyes as he pocketed the card and impatiently held out a piece of parchment with golden trim to Aziraphale, twitching it in a ‘take it’ motion.

Hands surprisingly steady, Aziraphale took the parchment and studied it, looking up at Gabriel with a mixture of unfeigned confusion and hardwon polite curiosity. This was something new.

“Thank you, Supreme Archangel,” because it always paid to be polite. Reading the parchment, Aziraphale noted that his name had been scrunched into a line for “insert name here” and something about ‘is commended for upholding the Great Plan,’ boilerplate, boilerplate, ‘angelic duties’, ending with a shiny signature or maybe a stamp with Gabriel’s name.

Aziraphale put his free hand to his chest and sighed in relief, it appeared that he was not in trouble. “Ohhh, how lovely!” the amperage of his smile went up from dim to guttering in a stiff breeze. “This parchment, that is,” he added.

He fervently hoped that Gabriel would enlighten him on what the parchment did. And then maybe Gabriel would leave.

 That would be nice.

Gabriel took Aziraphale’s relief as appreciation for his reward, and smiled, with his lips pressed together in approval, “Yeah, we’re doing this new ‘Recognition’ drive. Supposed to make you feel more motivated because of positive regard or something. You feel more motivated! Am I right?!” Gabriel announced.

Aziraphale looked from what was left of the town to the parchment then back to Gabriel. Smiling weakly with his face even though he couldn’t manage to get it to reach his eyes, he said, “Quite motivated. And, umm, thank you, for this, ah, recognition.”

“You are welcome!” said Gabriel then slapped Aziraphale heartily on the back, staggering him forward. The General of Heaven really didn’t know his own strength.

Absentmindedly shaking out his hand, Gabriel looked at Aziraphale with his bushy brows furrowed, “I don’t get it.”

Aziraphale stepped out of reach, he hoped, and said, “What don’t you ‘get’, Supreme Archangel?” using Gabriel’s title usually seemed to please him. Pleased humans didn’t hit each other, as often.

Blowing out his cheeks, Gabriel pursed his lips, “Nah.”

“‘Nah?’” Aziraphale asked.

Gabriel shrugged, and put a hand against his hip while rolling the other hand over as he explained, “I’m trying out that human thing with showing positive regard by hitting you since I’m giving you this recognition award here on Earth, but I don’t get it.“ 

Aziraphale blinked in surprise, then sensing a faint chance that the Supreme Archangel might choose not to hit him in future, replied tactfully, “Nor I.”

“Wow! You don’t?” Gabriel laughed with both hands on his hips, “But good, because I don’t see the point of hitting things unless you want to hurt them. Glad I don’t have to hit you to reward you!”

Aziraphale felt his eyebrows go up despite his attempt to appear calm, “I’m glad you don’t want to hit me, either,” he offered carefully, though his voice sounded rather higher than normal, then daring greatly, he added, “I've observed, Supreme Archangel, that humans who regard each other positively, touch each other gently.”

Gabriel stopped and pondered this for a moment.

Then scoffed, “Yeah, well, touching,” he said dubiously, “I’m just surprised you didn’t know about the hitting people to show you approve of them thing. Especially since you’ve been down here so long. You have an actual body…”

Nerves all ajangle, Aziraphale supplied, “My ‘cover’, Supreme Archangel, people aren’t meant to know I’m an angel.”

Glancing inquisitively at Aziraphale, Gabriel asked,"You have to do human body things?”

Alarmed by this line of questioning, in case it required some sort of demonstration, Aziraphale had tried a small smile, “Nothing too squelchy, just breathing.  And having a pulse,” he’d explained a little bashfully. People tended to get rather skittish and excited around non-breathing, pulseless bodies that were walking around.

Gabriel had taken a single breath then and let his heart beat once, before saying, “Huh. Well. Humans are weird. Especially that sleep thing they do. Being unconscious and hallucinating for a third of their lives! Wow! I mean they’re barely alive long enough to win them over to our side! Good thing they make more of themselves so quickly. Gotta keep ‘em around until the big battle, Armageddon!” 

Aziraphale stood perfectly still for a moment. His jaw muscles were tightening, and he was straightening up. Was he, was he upset with Gabriel? For what the Supreme Archangel was saying about people? Aziraphale knew that he was a little out of touch with Home Office, but Gabriel sounded…sounded like the people who would put any two creatures together to watch how they fought. Enjoying how well they hurt each other. Aziraphale had always considered that a temptation from the other side.

Oh! What was he thinking? Did Gabriel realize! The Supreme Archangel was looking at him! In a funny way!

Breaking into his quiet panic, Gabriel confided, “I gotta tell you, Aziraphale. I think this in-person ceremony is weird, too.” Surveying the smoking town with a smile, he said, “We can do this motivation thing without coming down in person.”

Aziraphale said earnestly, “Oh, certainly! I wouldn’t want to inconvenience any of you!”

“Great! Memos work fine for positive regard. I’ll tell the other Archangel’s I was right.”

“Right about?” Aziraphale inquired, surreptitiously shifting away again for what little good it did.

“The motivation thing! I can tell, you vote memos. We'll keep the in-person visits for important stuff,” Then, Gabriel made an odd gesture by pointing an index finger at him with his thumb raised before he disappeared in a blinding flash of light.

Looking at the heavy parchment, Aziraphale stood breathless, sore, and alone. Uncomfortable thoughts swirling like mud kicked up on the bottom of a usually still pond: doubts and misapprehensions about the burned town being part of the Great Plan,  the ‘positive’ regard he’d just received, and what the Supreme Archangel might consider worthy of in-person visits.

Well, luckily he knew just what to do with these sorts of thoughts, shoveling them into the rubbish bin he kept locked out of his mind.

As he laboured to turn people towards the light, he sometimes worried about what other motivation (other than memos) might come along.

But working harder usually kept his mind off it.

Chapter 1 -Dare I Close my Eyes to Slumber

[syrena-del-mar]

People forget that actors don't owe anybody the knowledge of their sexuality. Whether that be lesbian, gay, bisexual, pansexual, demisexual, asexual, or any other sexuality. That includes their dating history or who they're currently dating. Actors only owe the public one thing: that they do their job and that they do it well.

If that job consists of partaking in CP/ship culture, consume their media knowing that what they show you in public is curated for you as a fan. If they're dating someone who is not their partner, they're not cheating you; they're not making a mockery out of you or of queer relationships. With ship work, they're simply doing their job how their culture expects them to.

Ship work is not queerbaiting. Living, breathing humans do not queerbait. Queerbaiting comes from a marketing tactic for fictional entertainment work to ensure that they don't alienate their straight audience while also ensuring queer interest. You're consuming BLs and GLs, where the shows deliver in the promised relationships. If you're consuming BL/GL, you should know that fanservice generally follows.

Fanservice works because it's understood to be common practice. It's acting, an extension of whatever series they're promoting. Also, realize that fans often find themselves so invested in a couple that a hug or even a tiny brush of their hands will be considered 'evidence' of a relationship. Friends can flirt, 'lovingly' touch each other, and mess around without it meaning anything.

That's still not queerbaiting.

Because of how advanced technology has become, we have so much access to these actors/actresses. Accessibility does not equal entitlement to know how they identify. Claiming an individual is 'queerbaiting' only causes harm in the long term because you might unknowingly force someone to come out of the closet before they were ever ready to be. This only pushes media/reporters to continuously ask for information that isn't anyone's business to drum up engagement, potentially exploiting them for clicks. There's no need to inquire about their personal life, relationships, or sexuality.

But what if they take cryptic 'couple' photos with someone other than their work partner? Stop searching. Take their social media posts at face value. Stop trying to come up with some 'gotcha' moment, whether that be actually dating their work partner or some other individual. It's their personal life (curated, but still their life); you're overstepping, and if what you find out upsets you, then it's time to pull away.

It's really that simple.

Just because you buy into the fantasy a little too much and invest yourself in the pseudo-relationship does not mean the actors are queerbaiters. At the end of the day, fanservice is just that—a service provided for the fans. In other words, it's a job. Finding out that an actor/actress is dating someone of the opposite sex does not make them queerbaiters. (Also, realize that dating someone of the opposite sex does not signify that they're straight; whether they are or not, it's none of your business.)

If an actor/actress's personal relationships make you so mentally unwell because they're not with the onscreen partner, it just means you've genuinely detached yourself from reality. I mean this sincerely, if you're at this point, find help. Try to learn and understand more about why you're putting so much of yourself into a parasocial relationship. It's unhealthy for you to get so worked up that you feel sick because two coworkers aren't together.

If you find out that you're not a fan of CP work because you feel lied to or cheated, just don't consume it. Simply watch the show, look up their artist profile to see what other works they've been in, and log off. Don't follow them on social media, don't look up their fan meets, or watch video compilations that fans have made for shipping.

You're the master curator of your online consumption.

Curate it.

[branwyn-says]

The Looming Present

Reposted from today's post (6 March 2025) on my (free) Substack

I was drafting a post about "craftivism". Makers are feeling pressured lately to respond to the Global Omnishambles in some way. (I like to make bracelets that say things like HOUSE PEOPLE and ELON MUSK IS A FAKE GOTH.) Makers are also feeling a strange pressure to become preppers on some level, since disaster readiness and crafting skills are somewhat overlapping spheres.

But any maker knows they can't be self-sufficient unless they make their own tools, and almost none of us have the means. Like if we’re talking about the utility of popular making skills in your average End Times bunker, most people are going to need to stockpile a lot of supplies. If you’re like me and you don’t have money to stock or a place to pile, that’s not possible. So you feel a kind of pressure to be useful that is not actually useful at all.

For example: the current state of Global Omnishambles made me buy a fucking loom. I can already cook, make simple garments, quilt, mend, care for children, tend the sick and the dying, sing and tell stories, grow stuff, provide mental health guidance, and make a little go a long way. But that doesn’t feel like enough, because nothing feels like enough when you’re poor and the future is unreadable. So I got a damn loom. Not a big one because again, where would I put it.

Now I can make tiny decorative tapestries out of unraveled crocheted blankets against the apocalypse, I guess.

(Not this loom. A less useful loom than this.)

Stopped working on the craftivism post. Too much like an essay. Don’t write essays anymore. I want to keep this blog as a public diary and as a record of my time. I want to connect with my readers. Not in that driven social media engagement way, but in the way of the old internet, where comment sections are conversations, not peanut galleries.

I've returned to Raleigh, after fleeing Raleigh in 2014. Am continually shocked by how often I experience a smell, a sound that I did not know I was homesick for. (The weather today, for instance. The warm grey humid balminess of Raleigh in tornado weather. You wouldn't think a body could miss a thing like that.) Am shocked every time I sniff a pile of sun-baked pine straw or get honked at by a Canada goose and find myself thinking, this is my home.

For much of my life I was not at home in myself, and therefore unable to be at home in any city or landscape. In Baltimore, there was time and space to do the necessary inner work. Now I'm back, and I'm me for the first time ever. I would be happier than I've ever been before, no matter where I was living. But here, I feel like the prodigal daughter returning to fatted calves and warm welcomes.

I also feel a little like a conqueror. Is that strange? Raleigh used to be full of things and people that made me feel like a failure of one kind or another. I do not feel like a failure anymore. I'm not intimidated by all these silver-haired dad bods with their tan slacks and pastel button-up shirts. They used to define the boundaries of what was possible for me to want or achieve. Now I put them in their place at the grocery store. It isn't as much fun as you'd think. Part of me expected everyone I left behind to grow into themselves just like I did. I'm mildly surprised and embarrassed for them when they insist on the old hierarchies. But what am I going to do—pretend I still fit in the box they made for me? Not in my nature.

I came back for a caregiver job that is more or less ideal for me. After years of unemployment, underemployment, and exploitative employment, I am constantly being thrown by how lightly the work sits on me, and by the miracle of having some resources of my own. I'm trying not to become too comfortable. Permanent security doesn't exist, especially for me, especially now.

I am monitoring the Omnishambles as best I can and trying to figure out what I need to be ready for. I'm learning how to defend myself and others and investing in my nursing skills. If I had money or property I would be doing other things. At the moment, I'm just pricing IFAKs. (Do I need the full trauma kit? How much saline solution can I make and what should I store it in. Etc.)

I'm making new friends and returning to the old ones with all my new gifts. Trying to build and rebuild connections. Aren’t we all just fucking lonely? Even if we have partners, don’t we miss having friends? Seeing each other, talking to each other without screens? I do. At last, my friends and I are in the same city. Communication without screens is again possible. I’m trying not to be lazy about taking advantage of those opportunities.

Irony is, I’m the happiest, fittest, strongest, and most grounded version of myself I've ever been. Sometimes I look at myself and I’m like: really? now? I’m 43 and the country is failing and here I am, coming into my own. What's all this strength for? How am I meant to use it?

(I’m using it to make shiny stuff rn but I have time to do other stuff too, you know?)

My orientation weekend, freshman year of college, I was sitting the chapel of the Methodist church, praying. My parents did not go to college. Getting me to college, paying for it, had been their goal and focus my whole life, and I felt invested with a burden. I had something to live up to. I had been raised conservative, educated to be a trad wife. Not allowed to wear pants until I was 14. People around me kept telling me that God had something incredible planned for me—why else would I be the way I am? (I have always been the kind of person for whom an explanation was necessary.)

But I came out of high school half-deprogrammed and working on the other half. I still believed in God. In my own destiny. I no longer believed in the framework my mother had given me for religion, or reality. I felt poised at a crossroads. So I said to God, use me. Whatever I’m meant for, and whatever it takes, I offer myself up to it now. Even if it hurts. I believed in divine providence with youthful simplicity. I didn’t think my pain was God’s doing, but I knew the pain had given me certain gifts. Use me. Make it all mean something. This was the prayer of the youthful prophet Elijah. It is the prayer of all saints. The vessel must be willing to be filled.

I was so unhappy and hurt for so long, and I worked and worked to find meaning, and now I’m bursting with it. Meaning for days. Meaning in excess. Joy in the morning and peace at night. Since 2019, I’ve finally had the bandwidth to do things besides tend my wounds. I’ve had lots of processing time. I’m not confused about things anymore.

There is no such thing as finding Your Purpose. We are all of us multi-purpose. I know some of mine. I’m looking for the others.

I've been working on a certain novel since 2006. There have been five or six drafts, two of which I finished. None of them were right. When I began writing, I asked myself the most crucial question of my own existence. Might have been slightly surprised to discover I wasn’t going to be able to answer that question at the age of 22. Two decades later: I know the answer. This is the draft I’m going to publish. I might end up publishing it for free. That’s how sure I am it has value. That’s how unsure I am that any of us have a future.

(Apparently, I have to be in Raleigh to write a novel. Prophets are not honored in their own country, but they are inspired there.)

I’m stalling, trying to think of a button to end the post. I keep forgetting I don't need those rules and formats anymore. I keep forgetting I came here to be free of the tyranny of Writing for Social Media.

Oh: here’s the button. Talk to me.

Literally talk to me. If we’re already acquainted, tell me what you’re up to. If you kind of know me, tell me things I don’t know. If you’re one of my tumblr/AO3 readers, tell me about yourself. My other homeland has always been the internet. This is the only house I’ll ever build anywhere. Come inside and stay awhile.

[royal-scoop-submit]

A pro-Camill gossip blog?!

Me: Follows immediately!

Some surprisingly popular takes I have if you don’t mind me sharing:

I’m glad Camilla has her rightful title of Her Majesty The Queen. She should have been styled as Princess of Wales too as was her right but I can let that go for her place in history as Queen.

I used to love Will and Cathy but their thirsty antics in the run up to the Coronation (while still being lazy) turned me right off and they’ve only gotten worse. William having his team brief the media that his father has never done anything impactful but was just a basic ribbon cutter is unforgivable.

KP and William’s leadership has been exposed as a dumpster fire now that he’s left to his own devices and doesn’t report up to His Majesty THE KING.

It was always Will and Harry’s plan to make themselves defacto “half in half out” on The King’s accession. But Harry jumped the gun when he met Meghan…and ironically their bad behaviour have now allowed W&C to basically operate as half in half out royals but be praised for it while H&M are vilified.

I wonder if the Wales fandom who are in such a rush for KC to die or abdicate actually think through (1) who is actually going to do the work or being King and (2) who would be the new media punching bag when C&C are no longer there because Fleet Street will always need one. Are they ready for it to be Willy or one of the kids?

I am also extremely glad Camilla got her rightful title of Queen. I agree she should have been styled as Princess of Wales but I'm actually glad she wasn't. Diana fans would have pitched a fit, and although I know their opinions don't matter, I think for Camilla's sake the Duchess of Cornwall title was better. I don't think she wanted to be associated with Diana at all, and I don't blame her. Besides, "Princess of Wales" could refer to Diana or Kate or Mary of Teck or Queen Alexandra. But "Duchess of Cornwall" is unique to Camilla. (Yes, I know it's a subsidiary title of PoW. That's why it's unique- everyone in the past simply went by PoW.)

As for the Waleses. I don't hate them, but I am so disappointed in them. I'm starting to realize that they don't care about the monarchy. William didn't just have his team brief the media about his father never doing anything impactful, he literally said it. He said he wanted to be the first royal to actually do something. Here is the quote: "That’s what I’m trying to find my way in, is I care about so many things, and previously the family have been very much spotlighting brilliantly and going round and highlighting lots—I want to go a step further—I want to actually bring change and I want to bring people to the table who can do the change if I can’t do it." (Source)

This is actually the first thing that really put me off with William. Downplaying Charles's work with the Prince's Trust and his environmentalism as "spotlighting brilliantly" and "highlighting lots"? Downplaying Camilla's work with victims of domestic abuse? The King and Queen have both ACTUALLY BROUGHT CHANGE. The Prince's Trust has helped so many disadvantaged young people, all of whom would, I'm sure, say that their lives were indeed changed. Camilla spearheaded an initiative to create wash bags for victims of DV at SafeLives. She's also helped people independently, like the wounded soldier Harry Parker who she inspired to go to art school.

Even besides that, William made it sound like raising awareness for causes isn't helping change come about. He's wrong. Just by supporting their charities, the King and Queen have made a difference.

I have more sympathy for Kate than William. I understand why in the past her engagement numbers have been low- raising three kids is an insanely difficult job, and I know she always wanted to be a mother. I also understand Kate needing time to recover from chemotherapy, because it is really hard. But here's the thing. I assumed that when Charles became king, she'd step it up and begin to do way more public engagements. So I was baffled when I read the articles about how she may "never go back to work like before." First of all, she never worked very much in the first place. Second, SHE'S SUPPOSED TO BECOME QUEEN ONE DAY. Now that her kids are school-aged, she needs to work more, not less. I'm starting to think she's just running out of excuses. If Kate actually cares about the monarchy, she needs to make a timeline for when she'll start working again and follow it.

I don't understand them. Last year I was saying they should fire their PR team. Now I realize that they just won't cooperate with their PR team. They're the problem.

Interesting theory about the half-in half-out thing. I think if Charles had become king earlier, he might have been more reasonable than QEII and considered letting H&M be half-in half-out, for the sake of keeping the family firm strong. He always wanted a slimmed-down monarchy, and for that to work Harry and Meghan would have needed to at least be there sometimes. Losing them was too risky. I don't think he would have allowed W&K to do the same, though, since William is the heir.

Charles loves his sons too much for his own good. Losing his relationship with Harry was a huge blow and I think the reason he isn't putting his foot down and telling William to step up is because he's afraid of damaging that relationship too. Plus, he has cancer, so I think he's focusing more on his health and his duties than what William's doing right now.

When King Charles dies there's a good chance the monarchy will be finished. Done. William's popularity will plummet and I honestly don't think he'll care if the whole institution is abolished. And that is what I'm worried about.

[cgmayra]

Aye, Aye, Capt'n!!!!

Note: All the obstacles listed are basically what's in the above mentioned Anon requests XD I just didn't want to have to describe everything when they did it so well! <3

PROMPTS ARE ON SHUT DOWN, LOCKED UP TIGHT WITH A ZIPLOCK BAGGIE, DO NOT PUT MORE REQUESTS FOR WRITING INTO THE PRISON WHICH IS THE INBOX, Thank you~

However, do I like a 'Hi, I love this and that <3' every now and then. Peace and love, My Cuties~

Prompt:

War had ruined most hearts against the sunny light of hope… it was a dark time, hardly counts to call it the ‘worst’ since most refuse to acknowledge that time should even consider it. To most, it was a mistake.

Many looked to the basking Sonic with quiet anger, seeing him up on a ruined pillar that had fallen on some poor sap’s rooftop. They saw this as an open rebellion of sorts, as though their ‘hero’ was ‘too good’ to help with reconstruction efforts.

This soured their hearts, as they had all mourned his supposed passing… now they envied the time they thought him better than this.

Amy, sensing the hostility, requested a plot of land to not be cleared yet. With the trash, she constructed obstacles, feats of daring intique, and even thrills in hopes of getting Sonic and the rest of the remaining survivors a entertainment spectacle to lose themselves in.

Maybe… sparking love once more for their daring, dashing hero again.

However… Sonic was a fickle sort of heart. Always darting around, Amy couldn’t find the time to actually stick his feet to the ground long enough to engage him in these ‘sports’ of sorts.

Not giving up, though exhausted, she asked for more time from Knuckles and Tails happily took her spot to cover for her.

She was determined to make Sonic care… there was no doubt in her mind that he did, but no one saw the actions a hero did when alone… and no one was watching.

‘How do I make them understand him?’ She thought to herself, getting a bungie chord secured and ready, locking it in place. “How…” She arched her eyes, in worry. “How do I show them who he truly is?”

At night, dead in its darkness, Sonic traveled hundreds of miles… searching the ground with due diligence, he would race back with seeds of every different kind of plant life he could find–down to the smallest grain of mustard seed.

He would run and scatter from his hands the seeds into the wake of his wind, and thereby, he was healing the earth… digging out channels of land to make small canals for water to be brought to the new seedlings, and he did this all without a single eye upon him… except, when Amy tracked his location one night, that is.

She took out her tracker and followed in his footsteps, covering her mouth when her eyes were alight with green… and all sorts of beautiful colors from the freshly watered plants springing up again.

It was so far from the city… of course no one would interfere with it.

But Amy clenched her heart, she knew the people would still think Sonic a decadent, his credence simply being that he never helped the living civilians and rebellion people whom he led… caring more for ridiculous plants than their own wellbeing.

But Amy knew in her heart that this was important work, too… No matter how many homes are rebuilt, if the earth was damaged, so would their futures be…

“I have to make them see.” She hit the large, steel spike into the ground adamantly, sweat forming on her forehead as she wiped it off, ‘He’s so kind.’ she teared up, gritting her teeth, ‘How dare they say he doesn’t care! If they saw the beauty of that place… of the wide and green miles upon miles he’s worked so hard to restore… they’d see he is on their side… just… in a different way!’

She hammered and hammered… growing more upset, ‘Sonic..’ Her heart cried out and she fell to her knees, “How do I make them understand..?”, ‘How do I get them to see your heart… without actually showing them your private passion project?’

She wiped her eyes with her arm… before hearing a familiar spinning sound, like a pinball spin-up.

“H-huh?” She turned to see Sonic blazing through her track, “Oh!” She was elated to see him… but then…

“Wait!” She rose straight up, “No, no, no!!!” She raced forward, wanting to stop him! ‘If he completes the obstacle course and thrill rides… No one will see it and laugh with us at his accomplishment!’, “Sonic!!!”

She raced after him with her hands outstretched along the track, like a true test of courage and strength, as Sonic was literally destroying the track as it wasn’t done yet while completing it.

He was having a ball!

Amy quickly had to run to get on the track, unable to save it, she just tried to keep up and dodge the crumbling setup built from the ruins of the area. “Soooniicc!!!” She tried to balance along a beam as he swung from rail to rail, smirking the whole way as he was enjoying the strange setup, not looking back, always moving forward…

‘Why isn’t he looking back?’ She saw the railing swing had snapped on one side, and jumped to the bars to climb up the rope and move along that way.

Sonic only halted at the bungie chord, putting a finger to his chin.

“This is meant to be for all to see! To do it with me! As a game!” Amy cried out, but Sonic tied the rope around him… She had to hurry before he-!”

“Waaaiiittt!!!” Amy grabbed his waist, as Sonic smiled and took hold of her, jumping. “AHHHH!!!!”

Sonic held her the rest of the way through, leaping over large rubber balls, spin-dashing through punching bags, and narrowly avoiding the water traps too.

Scaling a climbing slope, he threw Amy up top and then made it the rest of the way no problem.

He hit a button and laughed, “I did it!” He put his hands straight out, “Yes!” as the whole of the entire area crumbled to pieces, and smashed over other parts of the track to completely fail and fall, slashing big portions of the setup to rumble once more…

He put his hands on his hips, “Huh, wonder why Eggman randomly put this track out in the middle of no where, huh, Amy?” He looked down at her, “... Amy?”

She was on all fours, shaking…

“... Amy, are you okay-?” He went to reach for her hand, bending down but she turned her head away, silently looking as though growling at him in her head. 

Her eyes were covered in shadows… “Why don’t you listen?”

His outstretched hand paused.

“This isn’t a game… Well, it was- but it was meant to be adored by millions of suffering fans who needed to see you do it!” She gripped the steel upon rusty steel flooring of the top of the tower. “You just… you don’t stop and think, you just… you just do it!” She cried, “Sonic The Hedgehog… Do you care about anyone’s hard work besides your own!?” She looked up at him and it cut air off between the two of them.

He stepped back, his arms out to the side of himself now.

Amy’s eyes were blurred by her emotions, her tears like blobs of weighted mass, she couldn’t wipe them from her eyes as more just kept coming… like a floodgate had been opened.

“I don’t get it… I’m the one that doesn’t understand you.” She lowered her head, “I’m so sorry… I shouldn’t have said all of that…” She cried into her hands, “I worked so hard… so people could see a different side of you… But… this is all they see.” She gestured to the ruined obstacle course and thrilling feats she had been working on. “I… I don’t want to give up on you… or the people… or myself.” She lowered her hands to her lap, now sitting on her knees.

“Sonic…” She looked up at him, his face still distorted by her tears. “Why do you do your works in the dark?”

Realizing in that sentence what she was finally talking about, his shoulders relaxed and he took a deep breath.

“I’m not offended, Amy…” He put a hand behind his head, scratching it a bit to loose some of the awkward tension that had arisen. To him, this had come out of left field, literally no where, and he was expected to catch a baseball he didn’t even know was pitched. “Just taken aback, is all.”

“...” Amy said nothing, her head lowering down, as though distraught that that was his first reply.

He looked worried, and smiled gently as he looked over the track. “... I’ve seen you working on this, Amy.” He admitted, as her head came back up, and she got herself straightly up right away onto her feet.

“Then why did you destroy it!? Why’d you say it was Eggman’s doing!?” She shook her fists, “Why did you-…” Her voice broke a bit, “I always thought I had to entertain you, Sonic… that I couldn’t keep up, so I might as well keep you around by making a good effort on my end… but even then… I’m tried, Sonic.” She closed her eyes, as Sonic twitched and put his fingers to his heart, looking down as though feeling literal pain there.

“That sank pretty low.” He admitted, his tone sounding more heartbroken then ever. He couldn’t hide that.

“You’ve done… nothing for others to witness.” She rubbed her eyes, “I can’t keep trying to make them see the real you, Sonic… or even love you, anymore.”

He smiled and turned to her, “I never asked to be ‘entertained’, Amy… No friend should have to feel like they’re catering to one or the other.”

Amy’s head shot up at that.

“If you’re tired, it’s because you’ve been trying to grab at something that just isn’t there. No one can control another’s emotions… you aren’t responsible for how I act, or how other people feel, Amy…”

Amy got wobbly, so Sonic held out a hand, catching her. “... It’s the moments people hold personal… that make them heroes, Amy.” He lowered his head, “I never asked to be a hero… I just became one… because I couldn’t hide myself anymore.” He smiled, “Good deeds or not, I live by my own creed… I don’t need cheers or approval from others… I do what I want to do, and it just so happens that saving the world, protecting my friends and others,... those are things I enjoy doing.” He helped her back to her feet, her hands gripping his arms as though never wanting to be let go of them.

“But… why can’t you… be celebrated openly, Sonic?” She shook her head, “I don’t want to hear people speaking ill of you…”

“You’re burnt out, Amy… worrying about how other people view me.” He rubbed the top of her head, affectionately. “Eggman made this mess… but you made another, putting your time into something that wasn’t your problem to deal with in the first place.” He lightly pulled her head to his chest, dropping his own head to hers. “Amy… Whether people like what I do or not, I would hope in my heart… that you’d at least choose to accept it, accept me… and for what I am, I accept all of you… even the parts that worry about me.” He smirked and moved her out of his embrace. “Life’s no fun if you’re always waiting for someone to witness you doing it.” He gave her a wink and a thumbs up, “You miss too many opportunities that way.”

She couldn’t help but feel there was some truth in that, “... The best things…” She sniffled, rubbing the back of her nose against her gloved hand, looking at it as though disgusted, but having no alternative. “Are what’s unseen…”

Sonic nodded, “My merit isn’t credited by those that can view it… it’s what I know I did, Amy. So have faith that people will warm up to us all again, you’ll see.” He grinned, leaning towards her, “Keep a smile on that pretty face of yours, and quit playing in the trash, alright?” He rubbed her cheeks, getting some dust off of them.

She giggled, “Sonic… you’re the best and the worst at this!” She pushed him and he stumbled, wobbling off the edge of the tower as Amy placed her hands on her cheeks and swayed repeatedly back and forth, “Ohh~ You sweet talker, you~”

She blinked her eyes… “Sonic?”

She looked over to see he was gripping the edge of the tower.

Looking over, she saw him with chibi tears spraying out of his eyes, “HELLLP MEEE!!!” He cried out, “AMMYY!!!”

She immediately gasped and reached down, “Oh, OHH!! Sonnniccc!!! I’m so sorry!”

“Wah-hah-ha, why’d you make it so tall!?” He wiggled his feet out as she hoisted him up, looking down and getting freaked out.

When she got him up, he laid across her and starting laughing.

She blinked her eyes again but he just rolled off of her, “That sure was fun! I’m glad I got to be here with you… Amy.” He smiled and put a hand on his stomach, “What should we do next, huh?”

She smiled, “First… you’re gonna do all my work I left behind.” She narrowed her eyes, “You’re gonna take responsibility for your actions… and you’re going to at least clear up the misunderstandings.”

He looked as though she didn’t get what he was saying, but sighed, “Fine. If it makes you happy… Amy.” He closed his eyes and put his hands behind his back, “But first…” He tilted his nose up, “Can you smell that?”

She tried to, “Smoke? Oil?” She guessed, but he kept shaking his head lightly.

“Nah… keep trying.” He smiled gently, “Emmm~”

She tried again… reaching her nose out further, “Ah..! Your flowers!” She looked to the area far off, seeing his passionate project coming to life now that the thick smog parted to show the whole area… and people picking flowers, playing in the clean water, and enjoying life out there.

“Ah… They already knew.” Her eyes twitched at the beautiful sight, “From way up here…”

“... You saw a problem that you thought was there.” Sonic opened his eyes lightly, “No one hated me, Amy…” He looked to her, “... You were projecting your own thoughts and feelings onto others… You thought you were the only one… but really,” He took on a serious tone.

“I think you felt I wasn’t giving you enough time, Amy… for all you do for me, I think you felt jipped.”

She broke down and sobbed profusely, as Sonic slowly got up and put an arm around her again, letting her cry…

She was the one thinking those horrible things… this whole time…

“Eggman really made a mess of things.” He gently rested his head over Amy’s shoulder, “Didn’t he, Amy?”

With an absolute heart full of grace and sorrow, thankful for Sonic’s understanding, she held her hand to his back and pulled him closer, “Yes…” She admitted, feeling the weight finally set in. “I tried to be so strong when he took you away from us… I never once believed you were gone…”

“... That must have been a heavy burden… keeping everyone’s faith and hope alive… in me, and in the war efforts,... Amy.” Sonic closed his eyes, letting her let it out.

“I just… I wanted to see you.” She smushed her eyes into his shoulder. “I wanted you to want to see me…”

“...” This time, Sonic remained silent.

“... I love you, Sonic.” She mumbled through her tears.

“... I know.” Sonic took his other hand and adjusted his legs to be able to sit and hold her with both his arms now around her. “I missed you too, Amy…”

They both then said, as though one healing thought spoken aloud from their souls…

“I missed you so much.”

[headspacedad]

so you're ready to socialize

You've got your blog set up. You've posted or reblogged something. Your icon isn't a faceless orange shape. You're no longer in danger of being blocked on sight as a bot.

Now what?

I recently got an ask in my inbox for help with this whole 'tumblr' thing. The person that asked me had a lot of the basics down so I focused on expanding your social circle - except it took me so long to write that I saved it in my drafts to add to and only then found out that once its in your drafts you can't reply privately.

so - Imma post it here without the actual ask so if the person didn't want to be mentioned they won't. Let's go!

First off, doing what you're doing right now by sending me an ask is a great way to get the ball rolling. Reaching out to other people and engaging them is a big part of how you can build a circle on tumblr.

You can do that with inbox messages.

You can do that with DM/PMs (the box that pops up to the side where you can have real time text conversations).

You can do that by reblogging other people's posts and leaving notes in the tags commenting about the post (most posters read these, though they're more for your followers to get your thoughts on a matter, like whispering in a movie theater except without the dirty looks)

reblog their post and add your own comments in the body of the post, basically chaining a response to their post, usually used when you've got something that adds to the original post like a continuation of the joke or more facts, etc.

and you can comment on the posts via the little speech bubble next to the reblog button, which is kind of like replying personally to the post (interacting with the poster themselves).

Not everyone will automatically engage in response. Some people are just here to chill and don't want to be social (some days I know I don't have the brainpower for it). A lot of people do want to be social though and so the more you comment outward the higher your chances of finding other people you can jive with. A good way to make your chances better at finding someone that will back and forth with you is over shared interests. We're a very interest based site. So find something you're excited about - maybe its a hobby like knitting, maybe its a streaming series like Good Omens, maybe its hamsters, maybe its Elizabethan neck ruffs! Whatever it is that you're interested in punch the words that will get those kinds of results into tumblr's search bar and look at the posts that come up. I tend to search by 'newest' instead of 'most popular' because it guarantees me people that are currently interested in whatever I am, who are actively putting their posts out there for others to find. Often if you start reblogging someone's posts, they'll see it and check out your blog. If you really want interaction though, the best way to go is one of the above bullet points, especially inbox or speech bubble commenting. It shows you want to talk about something they want to talk about too. A lot of times this is a great way to get more interaction with others and widen your circle (as well as find new stuff about something you enjoy). It might be slow going, I still haven't figured out what the magic is that gets someone a blow up of followers overnight, especially not the all important holy grail of Interactive followers but slow and steady still builds a good group of people you can enjoy sharing things everyone's interested in and it keeps growing over time.

This also works in reverse. A good chunk of my followers (friends honestly) come from my days in the Voltron fandom. I was VERY active making posts while the show was airing. Lots of fanfiction, lots of meta, lots of speculation, just lots of being loud and excited (and then loud and not excited). A lot of other people were interested in VLD too at the time and they found me and bounced off my ideas with ideas of their own and things really ballooned. To this day, a huge hard core of my social group are ex-VLD fans who have moved on to other things (mostly) but still hang around because we built that core and we enjoy seeing what the others in the group have moved onto and found to share with the team. So, again, find your interests and make posts about them so that other people with the same interests can find you. The more popular something is the more attention its going to get - but also the easier it is to get lost in the shuffle of everyone talking about a thing. Not every post is going to get responses. Sometimes I'll post something I think people will enjoy and get crickets. Sometimes everyone and their cousin jumps onboard. Don't get discouraged. DO use the tags. tumblr sucks when it comes to finding things in the tags but its still worth doing because sometimes, randomly and with no pattern, it doesn't suck. The first five tags are the really important ones. Make sure you put the biggest details there. For instance if you're making a post about the One Piece live action from Netflix your first five tags should be something like: one piece, opla, netflix, zoro, swords are cool. You want people looking for One Piece posts about Zoro and his swords to be able to find you easily. And, once they find you, hopefully to engage you about Zoro and his swords.

There are a lot of ways to find other people to interact with on tumblr. One of the pleasures of the site is you get to take things, for the most part, at your own pace and level of comfort. Just remember, the more active you are interacting with other people and their posts, the wider your circle will grow. Its not a 100% success rate, like I said, a lot of people are just here to vibe after a long day of having to be socially 'on' all day, but a lot of people are happy to find other people to get to natter about interests with. Do what you're comfortable with and before you know it, you'll have a group of people that interact with your posts, and you, regularly!