#Progress list

[disregardthesun]

current progress under read more

bold + italics = highest priority

Currently working on (need greetings):

-Byakuya

-Mukuro

-Chiaki

-Sonia

-Mikan

-Maki

-Gonta

-Miu

-Kaito

-Yandere Nagito

-Yandere Mikan

-Yandere Kokichi

-Tsundere Kokichi

Currently working on (nothing done for yet):

-Denji (csm)

-Makima (csm)

-Angel (csm)

-Sukuna (jjk)

-Gojo (jjk)

-Korekiyo (dgrp)

[rewriting-thearrowverse]

Arrow Rewrite Progress Lists:

➳ Season 1

➳ Season 2

➳ Season 3

➳ Season 4

➳ Season 5

➳ Season 6

➳ Season 7

➳ Season 8

[scealaiscoite]

‧₊˚ 🎧 ✩ a hundred dialogue prompts

(but it’s one lyric each from my wrapped playlist)

¹⁾ “you say you want me, but you know i’m not what you need.”

²⁾ “all i ever needed is here, in my arms.”

³⁾ “call the police, there’s a madman around!”

⁴⁾ “i miss the man i was the moment we left off.”

⁵⁾ “you’d be surprised the places i find jesus.”

⁶⁾ “just trust me; you’ll be fine.”

⁷⁾ “i hope he never lets me down again.”

⁸⁾ “tonight you’ll have the answer.”

⁹⁾ “not what you want- i’m what you need.”

¹⁰⁾ “didn’t call when i got your number but i liked you a lot.”

¹¹⁾ “i take my whiskey neat.”

¹²⁾ “and i’m not here to be the saviour you long for.”

¹³⁾ “are you ready to swear, right here, right now?”

¹⁴⁾ “baby, take my hand!”

¹⁵⁾ “this could all be yours.”

¹⁶⁾ “i’m granting you more than the debt that i owe.”

¹⁷⁾ “am i worth saving?”

¹⁸⁾ “it’s made you colder.”

¹⁹⁾ “can you figure me out?”

²⁰⁾ “come on- take a ride with me.”

²¹⁾ “it’s too late for me now.”

²²⁾ “mama always said i was born on the wild side.”

²³⁾ “i’d sell my soul for you, babe.”

²⁴⁾ “i’ll do whatever it takes. i’ll go to my grave protecting me and mine.”

²⁵⁾ “i’m proud of all my scars.”

²⁶⁾ “i’m not the girl i set out to be.”

²⁷⁾ “lipstick, chemtrails, red flags, pink nails- “

²⁸⁾ “i’ll be gone by the morning light.”

²⁹⁾ “summer is slipping through my fingers.”

³⁰⁾ “man, i hate this part of texas.”

³¹⁾ “if you want a cowboy on a white horse… hold on tight, because i’m not there yet.”

³²⁾ “no rest for the wicked.”

³³⁾ “things we buried low are coming to the surface now, my love.”

³⁴⁾ “they say i’m trouble and i don’t give a damn.”

³⁶⁾ “i got a taste for men who’re older.”

³⁷⁾ “it’s my feeling we’ll win in the end.”

³⁸⁾ “i need you to see me for what i have become.”

³⁹⁾ “baby bunny, come clean.”

⁴⁰⁾ “can you taste it?”

⁴¹⁾ “i grew up with a gun in my hand.”

⁴²⁾ “call me when you get the chance.”

⁴³⁾ “they said this day wouldn’t come.”

⁴⁴⁾ “this is an omen. a warning.”

⁴⁵⁾ “that’s how you know that i’m coming for you.”

⁴⁶⁾ “anything to get me to sleep.”

⁴⁷⁾ “five in the morning ain’t no time to say goodbye.”

⁴⁸⁾ “you can’t be my saviour- i can’t be your sinner.”

⁴⁹⁾ “he’s sitting in the corner with a six pack of corona.”

⁵⁰⁾ “take everything.”

⁵¹⁾ “we can be like they are.”

⁵²⁾ “what do you want from me?”

⁵³⁾ “this summer i might’ve drowned.”

⁵⁴⁾ “we were tangled up like branches in a flood.”

⁵⁵⁾ “i ain’t proud of all the punches that i’ve thrown.”

⁵⁶⁾ “pick yourself up, get back on again.”

⁵⁷⁾ “i need some room to breathe.”

⁵⁸⁾ “did you not say we were made for each other?”

⁵⁹⁾ “well, i grew up in the fallout from the riots in the nineties.”

⁶⁰⁾ “i’m missing you still.”

⁶¹⁾ “i can never take back the pain i’ve caused.”

⁶²⁾ “now i’ve said too much.”

⁶³⁾ “won’t you do this for me, son, if you can?”

⁶⁴⁾ “the damage is already done.”

⁶⁵⁾ “i’m scared of nothing and i’m scared to death.”

⁶⁶⁾ “you can hold me like he held her.”

⁶⁷⁾ “it wakes me in the middle of the night.”

⁶⁸⁾ “wash away the blood on my hands.”

⁶⁹⁾ “the dreams in which i’m dying are the best i’ve ever had.”

⁷⁰⁾ “i won’t back down.”

⁷¹⁾ “leave me alone in the dark.”

⁷²⁾ “i’ve been waiting for her, oh, so long.”

⁷³⁾ “help me to decide.”

⁷⁴⁾ “the money’s all gone.”

⁷⁵⁾ “hell, i ain’t the devil.”

⁷⁶⁾ “would we grow old together?”

⁷⁷⁾ “i’m a few years older than you.”

⁷⁸⁾ “so don’t say you love me- ‘cause you’ll never love me.”

⁷⁹⁾ “i’ve seen it all a million times.”

⁸⁰⁾ “you can always reach me.”

⁸¹⁾ “i don’t know who you think i am.”

⁸²⁾ “my darling believe me, i was born to be with you.”

⁸³⁾ “between the pain, and the way you look- “

⁸⁴⁾ “you can say that we are nothing, but you know the truth.”

⁸⁵⁾ “oh, i’m gonna lose control.”

⁸⁶⁾ “how d’you live like this?!”

⁸⁷⁾ “do you like that?”

⁸⁸⁾ “would you push me away again?”

⁸⁹⁾ “she’s a bad girlfriend.”

⁹⁰⁾ “today’s music ain’t got the same soul.”

⁹¹⁾ “i’m afraid they’re gonna find you.”

⁹²⁾ “i was far too scared to hit him, but i would hit him in a heartbeat now.”

⁹³⁾ “what am i to do?”

⁹⁴⁾ “come see what i mean.”

⁹⁵⁾ “i’ll never let you go.”

⁹⁶⁾ “getting drunk’s fine, it’s the getting by that’ll get a soul down.”

⁹⁷⁾ “come out from all your hidin’ out.”

⁹⁸⁾ “i ain’t perfect but i’m learning how to be the best i can.”

⁹⁹⁾ “i don’t ever wanna feel like i did that day.”

¹⁰⁰⁾ “and it was my mistake, ‘cause she never said a thing about jesus.”

[deerspherestudios]

Day 3 Progression Post! 🍄

Hello fireflies! The long awaited progression post is finally here; the amount of sprites may be overwhelming but keep in mind it includes duplicates of the same pose with minor expression changes haha. So realistically once I have a base pose I can knock out 5-6 in one go!

Day 3 has been beta-tested by my lovely fiance, and while they say the writing is good I still wanna include some separate interactions so the MC feels more natural to players (this goes for people who wanna flirt with Mychael vs. wants to be casual with him but still friendly!)

Just like I did for Day 2, I’ll be linking this post in the pinned one on the blog <3 Sorry this took ages to take off, the past few months have been a major up and down for me creatively, but I'm glad I managed to get this list together! Anyhoo, here’s the asset list for Day 3:

Progress 1: 100% 🎉

SFX : 16 / 18 ✅

BGM: 10 / 10 ✅

Progress 2: 100% 🎉

Item Art: 5 / 5 ✅

Item Art (Redraw): 1 / 1 ✅

BGs: 8 / 8 ✅

Progress 3: 100% 🎉

CGs: 8 / 8 ✅

Progress 4: 100% 🎉

Sprites: 79 / 79 ✅

Progress 5: 100% 🎉

Beta Test: ✅

BGM Credit List: ✅

Content Warning List: ✅

A lot of these are subject to change; it's a little intimidating since (as the dev) I feel like there's so much yet so little content for Day 3? It could be the slow burn. You'll be the judge of it once it's out haha. As always, thank you for the support and patience! <3

Here's the Patreon if you'd like to support me to receive early updates and behind-the-scenes content!

[evilmafuyu666]

leo/need stories: the girls are about to perform at a live house but oh no!!! honami is scared!! they work together and in the end they put on a great show :)

more more jump stories: the girls are about to perform at some kind of idol festival but oh no!!! minori slipped on a banana peel and fell down the stairs and broke every bone in her body somehow!!! she thinks of how sad haruka would be if they couldnt perform together and heals her bones through sheer lesbian willpower. they put on a great show :)

vivid bad squad stories: an and akito convince themselves that the only way they can sing good enough to surpass rad weekend is if they lock themselves in the saw bathroom and have to saw off their own legs to escape. their aibous are forced to break into the building and talk them down from doing this. they put on a great show :)

wonderlands x showtime: tsukasa is visited by a sleep paralysis demon in the middle of the night that steals his lucky socks. he cant perform without his lucky socks and the gang has to track down the demon and get them back. rui constructs some kind of doohickey to kill the demon and they get the socks back. the demon is implied to be a manifestation of some horrific part of tsukasas psyche but they never elaborate on it again. they put on a great show :)

nightcord at 25:00 stories: mafuyu wanders into silent hill on the way back from school one day and is chased by pyramid head. she can leave at any point but she wonders if she can find her true feelings by staying in the town, and is willing to put her life in danger just to do so. kanade finds out about this and goes to silent hill herself but she is shit with directions and cannot find mafuyu so ena and mizuki also have to go in there. when they eventually find her shes just chilling with pyramid head and watching cars 2 in the meat room. kanade wonders if pyramid head is a manifestation of how mafuyu feels towards her mother. mafuyu is now oomfs with pyramid head on twitter. nightcord doesnt do shows so they just go to ihop

[friskafriskito]

Some silliness in the fanserver I'm in; someone mentioned Minecraft is a lonely game :')

(Disclaimer I have not played minecraft before so)

---

The Magnus Archives (CC) The Rusty Quill Podcast Network Minecraft (c) Microsoft (originally Mojang)

[shanastoryteller]

THE 22ND AND FINAL CHAPTER OF SEE SOMETHING SAY SOMETHING IS UP!

T_T <3

[aces-and-angels]

title: waiting for a ceasefire by raghad qanou

disclaimer: i do not vet/verify campaigns myself. please do your due diligence and double-check credible sources to see if a campaign is legitimate. (+ let me know if anything i've shared is from a known scam account). everyone listed below has reached out to me in some way + been vetted by one or more of the following (unless stated otherwise): @/nabulsi, @/el-shab-hussein, @/90-ghost, and/or @/ibtisams. follow them for the latest updates on vetted campaigns.

verifications are (and should be) done by qualified individuals. (read el-shab-hussein's post here). then check their 📌 for additional resources.

if you can, please consider donating to any of the gfm's listed 🖤

here are the stats as of 9/20:

key: 0-25% raised= red | 26-75% raised= orange | 76-100% raised= green (linked are the campaigns + verification sources + tumblr accounts of the families)

raghad + family -> not currently accepting donations; watch for any new developments

acct: @rhq274* | @rhq2744 verification source (no. 221) *= account shadowbanned/suppressed

***omar + family: $6,565/$60,000 (amount needed for orange= 15.6K)

***special note: omar's original gfm, which had already raised thousands of dollars, was unexpectedly terminated- forcing him to launch a p/p/l to recuperate his donations (his og campaign was vetted by el-shab-hussein/nabulsi, #127)

acct: @omargazablog verification source

***rania + family: £2,565/£35,000 (amount needed for orange= 9.1K)

***special note: rania's original gfm, which had already raised thousands of dollars, was unexpectedly terminated- forcing her to launch a p/p/l to recuperate her donations (her og campaign was vetted by el-shab-hussein/nabulsi, #154)

acct: @ranibra71 verification source (no. 154)

ayyad family: $39,973/$50,000 (79%)

acct: @aymanayyad82 verification source (no. 144)

noha + family: $18,328 CAD/$70,000 CAD (amount needed for green: 53.2K)

acct: @nohaibrahim* | @abeeribrahim2006 verification source (no. 240) *= account shadowbanned/suppressed

dina + family: $12,645 CAD/$50,000 CAD (amount needed for orange: 13K)

acct: @dina179 verification source

intisar + family: $18,887/$40,000 (amount needed for green: 30.4K)

acct: @bshaeromars-blog verification source (no. 231)

ahmed's family: £10,653/£30,000 (amount needed for green: 22.8K)

acct: @ahmed-ziad verification source

alaa family: €12,205/€100,000 (amount needed for orange: 26K)

acct: @alaakh9* | @alaakh99 verification source | verification source *= account deactivated

khalaf family: €31,040/€55,000 (amount needed for green: 41.8K)

acct: @mahmoudkhalaff* | @supportgaza | @mahmoudkhalafff verification source (no. 151) *= account deactivated

karam + family: €75/€7,000 (amount needed for orange: 1.82K)

acct: @karamrafeek | @karamrafeek2* verification source | note: karam's original gfm has been closed, has opened a new campaign with a smaller goal amount *= account shadowbanned/suppressed

israa + family: $7,167 CAD/$48,000 CAD (amount needed for orange: 12.48K)

acct: @israa-azaiza* | @isra-elazaiza verification source (no. 236) *= account deactivated

saleh family: €8,412/€20,000 (amount needed for green: 15.2K)

acct: @mide404 verification source | also vouched for by @/bilal-salah0 <- verified by el-shab-hussein/nabulsi no. 132)

muhammad + family: €17,420/€82,000 (amount needed for orange: 21.32K)

acct: @mohammed-atallah* verification source *= account shadowbanned/suppressed

munna + family: £14,460/£30,000 (amount needed for green: 22.8K)

acct: @monashamali verification source

al-sharif family: $10,858/$60,000 (amount needed for orange: 15.6K)

acct: @mahmoud-sharif verification source

shehab family: €10,564/€25,000 (amount needed for green: 19K)

acct: @mohammedshehab* | @mohammedshehab111* | @mohammedshehab333* verification source *= account shadowbanned/suppressed/deactivated note: family likely has more accounts than those listed above

amal alanqar + family: €9,350/€50,000 (amount needed for orange: 13K)

acct: @amlanqar verification source

ismaeel family: €10,014/€25,000 (amount needed for orange: 19K)

acct: @m0hammed1 verification source <- originally vetted by ibtisams. however actual link to her post is no longer active since her account has been deactivated

khaled + family: $16,554 CAD/$20,000 CAD (82%)

acct: @khaleedgaza* | @rajaagaza verification source *= account deactivated

aseel + family: $29,470/$50,000 (amount needed for green: 38K)

acct: @aseelooooo* | @aseelooo2* verification source *= account deactivated

doaa + family: kr216,636 SEK/kr300,000 SEK (amount needed for green: 228K)

acct: @doaa-jad* verification source *= account deactivated

yousef + family: €15,767/€23,000 (amount needed for green: 17.48K)

acct: @omarhillis* verification source (no. 206) *= account deactivated

muhammad al-habil + family: €30,149/€50,000 (amount needed for green: 38K)

acct: @alhabil | @aya2mohammed verification source (no. 166)

asma + family: €6,529/€80,000 (amount needed for orange: 20.8K)

acct: @asmadirsblog verification source

eman + family: $26,585 CAD/$80,000 CAD (amount needed for green: 60.8K)

acct: @emanzaqout* | @emanzaqoutt verification source *= account deactivated

balousha family*

*= family has multiple campaigns to cover needs of different family members; please take a moment to read through each gfm in its entirety campaign 1: €20,674/€52,000 (amount needed for green: 39.52K) acct: @5735765 campaign 2: $3,742/$40,000 (amount needed for orange: 10.4K) acct: @ahedhassan99* campaign 3: $10,920/$60,000 (amount needed for orange: 15.6K) acct: @tamer200333 campaign 4: $3,395/$25,000 (amount needed for orange: 6.5K) acct: @noorbader777* verification source (no. 124) verification source <- apollos-olives has only verified on a situational basis + boosts already vetted gfms- do not ask them to verify/vet new accounts/campaigns *= account shadowbanned/suppressed

hanaa + family: £19,225/£50,000 (amount needed for green: 38K)

acct: @henomohammed* | @hanaajad123 | @heno-mo* verification source (no. 246) *= account shadowbanned/suppressed/deleted

mahmoud helles + family: €12,199/€50,000 (amount needed for orange: 13K)

acct: @mahmoud92hells* verification source (no. 198) *= account shadowbanned/suppressed

asmaa + family: €21,189/€45,000 (amount needed for green: 34.2K)

acct: @asmaayyad | @samayyad15 | @esraayyad14 verification source note: asmaa's sisters have made accounts to help promote their family's campaign; @/esraayyad18* *= account shadowbanned/suppressed

amjad + family: €10,935/€25,000 (amount needed for green: 19K)

acct: @amjad20011 verification source (no. 86)

ahed + family: €7,125/€80,000 (amount needed for orange: 20.8K)

acct: @ahedalshaer | @ahed-posts | @ahed-family* verification source (no. 407) <- the butterflyeffect project; info on org. below cut *= account shadowbanned/suppressed

youssef + family: $8,719/$15,000 (amount needed for green: 11.4K)

acct: @yousefjehad* | @yousefjehad0* | @yousefjehad3 verification source (no. 255) | verification source (no. 132) <- bees and watermelons; info on org. below cut *= account shadowbanned/suppressed

jehad family: $4,830 CAD/$40,000 CAD (amount needed for orange: 10.4K)

acct: @ahmad-syam-blog verification source (no. 171) <- bees and watermelons; info on org. below cut

hazem + family: €58,825/€70,000 (84%)

acct: @hazempalestine verification source <- vouched for by @/bilal-salah0 <- verified by el-shab-hussein/nabulsi no. 132)

---

below cut are links to other grassroot organizations that vet/verify gfms:

el-shab-hussein + nabulsi's google sheet

operation olive branch

about us: Operation Olive Branch is a volunteer-powered grassroots collective committed to the collective liberation of ALL peoples. We connect with and amplify families and mutuals and orgs in an effort to support their critical needs, which include but are not limited to their mutual aid requests. This global solidarity initiative is steered by a diverse core council of advocates from occupied Turtle Island which include Palestinian activists, the Jewish grandchild of a holocaust survivor, and everyone else in between.

gazafunds

about us: Gaza Funds is a project that connects people to crowdfunding campaigns for individuals and families from Gaza. We are a global team of (mostly) Arab and Palestinian engineers, students, writers, and academics working to help get exposure and traction to fundraisers created for people in Gaza, Palestine. We are not an organization or a charity. We do not create fundraisers and we do not collect money on behalf of them. Our work on this project is completely voluntary. We created this site as a way to give others quick access to these fundraisers for informational purposes only.

operation poppy flower (now also linked in oob's sheet)

mission statement: Our goal is to fulfill as many fundraising campaign goals as possible through crowdfunding. Please do not underestimate the power of crowdfunding: small amounts of money donated by large amounts of people. Collectively, we can all play a SIGNIFICANT role in securing the safety of our beloved brothers and sisters in Gaza.

operation watermelon

about me: Hello there! I'm the person behind Operation Watermelon. My family hails from Rameh and Nazareth, and like many Palestinians, we're spread out across the globe. Born and raised in the United States by my migrant parents, I've always felt a strong connection to my roots and a need to contribute to the cause back home. Combining my skills in 3D printing, design, and e-commerce seemed like the right way to make a difference. So, here we are. Operation Watermelon is my way of merging my passion with purpose, creating items that not only tell a story but also contribute to a cause close to my heart. It's about doing what we can, with what we have, wherever we are in the world. Thanks for being part of this journey.

project watermelon

instagram based account from google sheet: Project Watermelon has personally vetted each and every donation link on this sheet. We are the creators of the spreadsheet and are the ones who maintain it. We can only provide technical support for GFM and we do not set up GFM pages.

strawberry seeds collective

from google sheet: Each fundraiser listed has been vetted by one of our volunteers and/or another reliable source. 100% of the donations made to these fundraisers go to the family or human(s) that need them. All funds are intended to provide food, medicine, shelter, and/or evacuation funding. Each fundraiser represents hope, life, and peace for the humans they aim to support - so please take a look around, and thank you for making the world a little kinder. ♡

ottawa4palestine

from google sheet: Although our team at Ottawa4Palestine has carefully vetted every link on this sheet, we acknowledge that we are fallible and may occasionally overlook errors. If you notice any discrepancies, please don't hesitate to contact us. Ultimately you are responsible for your financial decisions and the recipients of your donations. While we have assessed and communicated with each family listed here, we cannot be held liable for your choice to contribute to the GoFundMe campaigns below.

camps breakerz crew

mission statement: Camps Breakerz was founded in 2004, with CB Crew supporting the children and youth living in Gaza. Camp Breakerz offers therapeutic dance as a trauma informed practice, teaching children the art of creative expression through movement. In light of the recent and ongoing aggression, CB Crew have decided to mount a community crowdfunding initiative to further serve our people during this time of crisis.

gofund(water)me(lons) | linktree

run by yahya aka thelastturtle on instagram.

flowersfromfalasteen | linktree

instagram-based account; bedaar organization; platform to share stories of people from palestine/help them build their fundraiser campaigns

the butterflyeffect project

about us: The Butterflyeffect Project believes in the power of ordinary people to create meaningful and postive change in the world. Each week we select two campaigns to amplify on our social media accounts, with daily posts sharing the story. We choose neglected campaigns that aren't receiving the attention and support they need. We have also created this list of verified campaigns for people to donate to and spread awareness for. We have a strong vetting process so that you can be certain your money is going to people who truly need it.

bees and watermelons | linktree

mission: we are a collective of people around the globe who came together to spread awareness on the palestinian cause, amplify palestinian voices and reach for help in order to provide support; we believe in collaboration and true collective community

[achingly-shy]

since i've been getting a lot of asks and i want to make sure everyone's donation link is shared, here are the fundraisers that have reached out to me

(part 2)

— vetted

@mohammed--shehab / @hyamshehab222 / @mohammed11shehab (vetted here)

@asmaamajed2 (vetted here)

@save-amal-family (vetted here)

@faten-lolo12 / @fatensama12 (vetted here)

@besanalbalawi11 (vetted here)

@majedgaza1 (vetted here)

@emanabosedo (vetted by association here)

@dutifullymykid (vetted by association here)

@nevinalser (vetted here)

@fatma-anqer (vetted here)

@hassanmadi2 (vetted here)

@maria-gaza1 (vetted by association here)

@lina-gaza (vetted by association here)

@haneenmohamaad (vetted here)

@anasfamilys (vetted #25 here)

@basharal-habil / @basharbfamily (vetted by association here)

@mohamadsmeer35 (vetted here)

@yasermohammad (vetted here)

@abdallahblog0 / @abdallah-gaza (vetted here)

@sameh-mostafa20 / @rodainaayyad83 (vetted here)

@motaz-gaza / @huda-gaza (vetted by association here)

@mohammed-665 (vetted here)

@save-amal-family (vetted by association here)

@a-ss-123 (vetted by association here)

@atalah-mohammed (vetted here)

— unvetted

@mohammednasers-blog (clean reverse image search)

@aboodalqedra-2

@familygazaamal

@hebamatar

@scentedtyrantmusic

@ahmadallouh32

@ameerakhaled

@fatimaalbalawi2

@moatasemgaza

@helpamalm (clean reverse image search; gfm protected)

@a6h16

@salmagaza

@jomana-ha (gfm protected)

@acertainfadi

@em-omer

@tarbeen-family-2 (clean reverse image search)

@ayuwbfamily

@ehabayyad23

last updated: december 29

[lil-lemon-snails]

Have some low-quality sun screenshots while i stress over colour palettes :)

vvv

Went through SO MANY stages w this design and i'm still not 100% about it BUT- progress is being made (maybe)

Witness my pain

[gold0kapi]

I'm doing a Ghost and a Soap cosplaying as Lara Croft for Hallowe'en. For this Soap one I really pushed the pose lol, its pretty ridiculous but I mean also kind of suits him 😄

[theriverbeyond]

asking for COSPLAY purposes.... when you read about Ortus' Ninth House "panniers" for carrying bone around..... which one springs to mind?

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

you are so whimsical i qant to check out this mdzs (..??) because of your whimsical nature thank you sorry im very high and your art moved me emotionally

This is simultaneously the sweetest and funniest thing someone has sent me, thank you.

[paperultra]

candy stripes.

Pairing: OPLA!Vinsmoke Sanji x Fem!Reader Word Count: 5,048 words Warnings: Swearing, hospital setting [A/n: Soulmate AU. :)]

sortiger (adjective): delivering prophecies of the future; having the qualities of being oracular

Nobody else can see the string but you.

You wish you didn’t. It has no texture, no weight, so you can’t understand why it can’t be invisible too. But the string demands attention with every use of your hands, seizes your eye when you wash dishes in the morning and brush your teeth at night, a garish and bloody red that matches the stripes of your uniform.

You hate your string and you hate the color red.

Miss Xinyu, the old lady in Room 30, has one too. At least, that’s what she had told you when you gained the courage to mention yours one day, not knowing what it meant and how much you would come to dread it.

“It’s your red string of fate,” she had explained. “It connects you to the person who understands you more than anyone else in the world.”

In other words, your soulmate. Your one and only.

Miss Xinyu says you’re a lucky ducky, knowing what your future holds.

Her string goes into the ground now. You don’t think being reminded of a dead person whenever you look at your pinkie is very lucky.

The biggest reason why you hate the string so much, though, is because you’ve always had a problem doing what you’re supposed to unless you want to, which causes a lot of trouble for a nine-year-old girl. You already have trouble being nice to patients who are mean to you, so how can you love and wait for someone you’ve never met? It makes you feel icky.

Why can’t you choose? How come you have to have one at all?

Your only source of comfort is that your string is very, very thin and runs out of the hospital. That means your soulmate, whoever they are, is very, very far away. You’d very much like it to stay that way.

But it doesn’t.

—

Nurse Taoh wants you to watch the patients in Room 8 while he finishes his charts. You don’t really want to, if only because it’s Nurse Taoh asking – he likes to order you around more than Dr. Gu – but you don’t want to get into trouble again, so you go.

(… And okay, you are just a little bit curious about the new inpatients. You only know three things about them: one, they were brought in together last night while you were in your room poking holes into your paper instead of correcting it; two, they’re a man and a boy, presumably father and son; and three, everyone says it’s a miracle they’re still alive.)

(Then again, you’ve seen many miracles here.)

The unit is quiet as you walk down the hallway. Quiet, but not silent, as your polished shoes squeak like little mice against the floor and you whisper the room numbers as you pass by them. Two, four, six – eight.

You stop and knock, three sharp raps against the brown wood.

“Hello?” You open the door and poke your head in. “My name is –”

The squiggly-patterned curtain that often separates patients for privacy is drawn, and you clamp your mouth shut as you realize the patient closest to you is asleep.

Shutting the door silently, you creep closer to the foot of his bed. The man underneath the sheets lies quietly; he is little more than a skeleton, eyes sunken and bones sticking out underneath blistered skin. His beard is long and scraggly, but it pales in comparison to his mustache, each side braided and sticking out to the sides.

He looks angry, even though he’s sleeping. You hope he’s not the type to wake up and yell at you as you tiptoe past to check on the boy.

You pass the curtain, catch a glimpse of the bed sheets, and see –

Red.

Your feet root themselves in place, the room suddenly devoid of air.

You stare. Blink hard, twice. Look again. Then, trembling, you look down at your hand.

Your eyes trace the string around your own finger, following down to the dip of it that barely touches the ground and back up over the blankets until it ends in a red loop around the boy’s pinkie, tied off with a little bow.

Your stomach turns.

Stumbling forward, you make your way to the visitor’s chair in the corner. You slump down into it and stare straight ahead at the curtain, refusing to look at the boy’s face.

He continues to sleep.

You don’t want him to wake up.

—

The boy does not stir during your first meeting, but that small mercy is quickly eclipsed two days later by a single bowl of chicken broth.

The look on your face is sour as you walk down the hallway again, the broth splashing up against the lid with each step. Because most of the patients in the hospital you live in are elderly, the staff have somehow gotten it into their heads that you simply must spend time with the boy in Room 8 because he is your age and you need to socialize with other kids. You very much don’t want to. Not with him, at least.

Dr. Gu is just leaving the room when you arrive. She gives you a quick smile, the corners of her eyes wrinkling, and pats your head.

“So you heard that the boy woke up, huh?”

You grunt, looking away with a pout. “Can’t you give this to him, Dr. Gu?”

“Nope. I have to finish my rounds,” she says. “Go in and have a chat. His name is Sanji. You’ll like him.”

“I doubt it,” you mumble underneath your breath.

Dr. Gu probably hears you, but she doesn’t scold you, merely patting your head one last time before you enter Room 8.

The dividing curtain is drawn this time. The window curtains are pulled back, too; it’s a somewhat cloudy day outside, but bright enough to sharpen the shadows on the walls and make the boy look even paler than you remember.

His eyes are closed as you approach. A sprout of hope that he might have fallen asleep again blooms in your chest – you’ll just leave the broth on the table, you think to yourself, and go about the rest of your day. Nobody said you had to watch him drink it.

You get about five feet away, already planning to drop some books off to the other rooms, when the boy’s nose suddenly twitches.

His eyes open to thin slits. Your hope shrivels like a weed in the desert as he speaks.

“What’s that?” His voice is quiet and raspy.

Your eyebrow twitches. “It’s just chicken broth,” you say tartly, setting the tray down on the overbed table and turning it around so that it’s over his lap. You take off the lid and steam bursts from the bowl.

The boy reaches up to rub his eyes. The red string dangles from his pinkie, and you quickly look away with a scowl.

“Who are you?” he asks, scooting back to sit up more as he gradually becomes more alert.

Reluctantly, you give him your name. “Will you need help with the soup?”

He shakes his head. His gaze latches onto the contents of his bowl, and he stops, transfixed.

You scramble to stop him as he suddenly grabs the bowl and attempts to gulp it all down in one go.

“Don’t do that! You’ll throw up!” Without thinking, you seize his hands and pry the bowl away from his mouth. A few drops of broth splash over the blankets and his gown, and your irritation grows. Now you’ll have to fix that. “Drink it slowly.”

“I haven’t eaten anything for weeks,” the boy complains. “What do you know?”

“I’ve been studying medicine since I was a little kid,” you retort. “So I know a lot.”

He frowns. “You are a little kid.”

“I’m nine years old!”

“No, I’m nine! You don’t look as old as me!”

There’s no way this … this brat is the same age as you! Fuming, you let go of the bowl and jab a finger at his face. “I am nine years old and I know more than you! You can’t drink the broth like that!”

You’re met with silence. The boy’s eyes are wider than saucers. Pride wells up inside you at your ability to shut him up.

But then he puts the bowl down and seizes your hand, and your pride gives way to horror as he folds down your index finger and lifts your pinkie – the pinkie with the red string wrapped around it.

He lifts his own pinkie, the rest of his fingers folded. Your jaw clenches when you see how the string has shortened to mere inches, bridging the space between his hand and yours.

“Holy shit,” the boy says. The largest grin spreads across his face, and it’s blinding and scary and you hate it, you hate it. “It’s you! You’re my soulmate, aren’t you?!”

“No,” you reply quickly, whipping your hand behind your back and backing away. “No, I’m not!”

“But you see the string too! I knew I’d meet you some day. How come you’re”— he pushes the table away, eagerly but just gentle enough so no more of the broth spills—“how come you’re hiding it behind your back?”

“I’m not your soulmate,” you bark, panic rising in your chest. “Don’t you ever say that!”

You only catch a glimpse of the hurt that flashes across the boy’s face before you turn around and dash out of the room.

Mrs. Hong finds you in the storage closet later, curled up behind the shelves of gauze and IV tubing. She coaxes you out with a promise of rice balls and no questions asked. You wish all the adults were more like her.

—

The next day, Miss Jaylee hoists you over her shoulder like a human sacrifice and brings you to Room 8.

“I don’t want to see him! You can’t make me!”

“He’s refusing treatment and food unless he sees you,” the woman answers briskly, each of her steps jostling you up and down. “You don’t want to be responsible if Sanji dies, do you?”

“I don’t care if he dies!”

Miss Jaylee clicks her tongue and walks faster.

You flail, feeling a little guilty for your cruel words but too proud to take them back. Sanji couldn’t have heard you, anyway, and nobody here is going to let him die no matter what he does or what you say.

You hear a door swing open. Miss Jaylee walks into Room 8 and turns around, and you lift your head, glaring at Sanji as his face lights up and his cheeks turn rosy.

“[Y/n]!”

Your own cheeks burn in embarrassment at the position you’re currently in. This, you only now realize, is way worse than walking into the room voluntarily.

“How come they’re carrying you? Are you okay?” he asks.

“Let them treat you,” you snap, arms limp and dangling. “And eat your stupid food or I’ll get in trouble.”

“Okay.” You nod, opening your mouth to speak again only for him to continue, “But only if I get to talk to you afterwards.”

What is he, a prince?! What makes it so easy for him to demand such things?

“That wasn’t what you told them,” you protest, squirming, but Miss Jaylee only tightens her arm around your waist.

(“Be nice,” she warns. You growl.)

“It’s important,” Sanji stresses, looking pointedly down at his hand and then back at you.

You bite down on your tongue as the red string glimmers in the light.

Dr. Gu and Nurse Taoh stare at you expectantly. Your neck is starting to ache from craning it, and there’s a feeling that you’ll never stand on your own two feet again unless you do what he wants.

“… Fine,” you hiss through gritted teeth.

Only once you promise to stay does Miss Jaylee let you slide off her shoulder. You stand to the side, arms crossed impatiently as they take Sanji’s vitals and ask him some questions. He’s only half paying attention, head turning to look at you more than once, which you merely turn up your nose at.

“All right, we’ll leave you two to chat now,” Dr. Gu says. “If you need anything, just let [Y/n] know, okay?”

“Okay,” Sanji says.

With that, the three adults leave, and you and Sanji are left alone once more.

“I’m glad you came. They were starting to get mad at me,” he says, then cuts straight to the chase. “How come you don’t want to be my soulmate?”

“Because I don’t want a soulmate,” you immediately reply.

“But why? It’s nice, isn’t it? Being special to each other?”

“You can’t be special to me. We’re not even friends.”

For the second time, Sanji looks hurt.

“…We’re not?” he asks. You shake your head. “But … you brought me food.”

You’re befuddled. “Because Dr. Gu made me,” you say, trying to ignore the disappointment on his face. “Besides, I yelled at you yesterday. Friends don’t yell at each other.”

“I thought that you were maybe just really surprised …” His voice gets smaller and smaller. “Some people get mad when they’re just surprised …”

“I wasn’t surprised. I saw it when you were still asleep.”

“Oh,” Sanji mumbles. He looks down at the sheets, scratching at the wrinkle in the thin white fabric. “Okay.”

He says nothing more. You fidget, wondering if he’s pretending to look like he’s about to cry or if he really is trying not to. You’re not good with people who start crying.

You chew on your bottom lip. Sanji tucks his hand with the string on it underneath his bed sheets, his eyes disappearing behind his tangled hair, and fine, you feel kind of bad whether he’s tricking you or not.

“I’ll only be friends with you if you don’t talk about being soulmates,” you finally tell him begrudgingly. “Not ever, okay?”

His head shoots back up. “Really?!”

“Only if you don’t talk about it! I’m serious.” You huff at Sanji’s sudden change in mood and click your tongue. “If you stay sad you might not get better.  Don’t get the wrong idea!”

He nods, grinning bigger than ever.

Oh, dear, you think as he promises that he’ll be a really, really good friend, you might have made a mistake.

—

By the fifth day, Zeff, the man who was brought in with Sanji, is awake.

You hear them arguing before you see them, pushing a cart of books for Sanji to browse through as per your agreement the day before. They’re loud, and Sanji calls the man an old shitbag right as you knock and push the door open.

“I’m here,” you announce, and the two quiet down to look at you. You give Zeff a polite smile. “Hello, sir. I’m [Y/n].”

“Hello, little miss,” Zeff says, his features softening from the angry expression he’d directed towards Sanji a moment before.

“Why are you being nice to her and not me?” Sanji pipes up from his side of the room, all puffed-out cheeks and petulantly crossed arms.

“Because she don’t make my ears ring with nonstop whining,” the man answers sharply. “Now get a book and read so I can finally have some peace and quiet.”

“You get a book and read,” Sanji grumbles.

“What was that, boy?”

You cut in before they start bickering all over again. “Do you want a book too, Mr. Zeff?”

Zeff’s gaze flicks over to you once more, and your shoulders tense. The man takes a deep, calming breath, and then he sighs, reclining back into his pillow and closing his eyes. “No, thank you, little miss,” he mutters. “Reading’s no good for my head right now.”

“Do you have a headache?” He grunts in affirmation. “Do you want me to get a nurse?”

“No, no, don’t need any of that.”

“You didn’t tell me you had a headache,” Sanji accuses.

Zeff’s mustache twitches. “All you need to know is that you oughta stop yappin’ when a man wants peace and quiet!”

(Not again.)

As you give up and walk over to draw the curtains, Sanji says your name desperately. “Can we read somewhere else?” he pleads when you glance at him. “I don’t want to be stuck in here with him right now.”

Narrowing your eyes, you appraise his weak-looking frame, pointedly skimming past the red string that snakes over to you. “Can you even walk around yet?”

“Yeah,” he says defensively. He wriggles out of the bed sheets and swings his legs over the side of the bed. Holding onto the side rail, he stands up and grips the IV pole for support. Though he’s a little shaky, he shuffles a few steps towards you and smiles when he manages to do so. “See?”

Well, you think, if you and Sanji stay here, you’ll need to have some light in order to read. But it will probably help Zeff if the room is as dark as possible, so if you guys go somewhere else, Sanji’s lamp won’t need to be on.

“Okay,” you agree. “Wait here. I’ll get some slippers.”

Ten minutes later, with Sanji shuffling along in his slippers, IV pole in one hand and your arm in the other, the two of you arrive at the common room and find chairs in the corner to sit down in.

“These’re mostly history books and stories for old people,” you explain as you pull out the one cooking-related book you could find from the top basket of the cart. “This was the only food one I could find.”

“That’s okay.” Sanji takes the book from you and begins to flip through it. “Oh, this one’s about seafood in the South Blue! Have you ever had any?”

“No.”

“Me, neither. I’ll try it someday, though … hey, this fish looks like a fried egg!”

Against your will, you perk up. “… Really?”

For the next half-hour, Sanji fawns over the spices used on grilled Sea King meat and how to cook wine clams and the best fish for South Blue-style sushi. And it’s … not boring. He doesn’t hog the book, and the pictures are cool, and he asks you which ones you think are the coolest or would taste the best. Looking at a book with another kid is different from reading with an adult. It feels like you’re sharing, not like you’re being tested on your comprehension or how to pronounce long words.

Hanging out with Sanji is okay when the string doesn’t sour it.

“So you want to cook all of these one day?” you ask after scanning through a full-color page of steamed Ocean Hawk feet.

“I want to cook things from all four seas,” Sanji says. His legs bounce with excitement. “That’s why I’m gonna find the All Blue.”

“What’s that?”

The boy glows.

“It’s where the North, East, South, and West Blue seas all meet. Think about it – fresh-caught fish from all over the world all in one place! I’ll be able to cook dishes no one’s ever cooked or tasted before.”

You’ve never heard of such a place. But Sanji talks about it with such conviction, such resolve, that you figure the All Blue could really exist.

“I hope you find it,” you say, and you mean it.

“I will.” Sanji closes the book. “And when I do, I’ll cook something just for you. A-As a friend.”

He peeks over at you, his eyes even brighter and bluer than before, his cheeks flushing a familiar red. And you find yourself believing him, just a little bit.

—

Sanji keeps his promise.

You know he still likes you (blech) and so does most of the staff (double blech). Nurse Taoh thinks it’s funny and teases you about your little boyfriend in Room 8 who always asks where you are. Mrs. Hong reminds you to be sensitive whenever you stop by to pick up meals. Dr. Gu tells you to tell her right away if Sanji ever does something that makes you uncomfortable.

But he never does. Sometimes his words spill out clumsily like a broken faucet and other times he blushes and stutters, leaving you to wonder what he’s going on about, but he doesn’t try to kiss you or hold your hand, and he doesn’t say a word about the red string that is very much still there. If anything, he just annoys you at times, with how nice he is to you and how sunny he gets when you eat lunch with him sometimes.

You’ve never seen somebody so happy to be in a hospital before, even if it’s just because he wants you to like him. It’s weird.

It’s on the eighth day of Zeff and Sanji’s stay that you learn not everything is how it seems.

You’d gotten in trouble the night before for digging holes in the garden – you had kept the seed from your dinner plum and wanted to see if you could make it grow, but Miss Jaylee had caught you while taking Mr. Hu out for some air – so you’re somewhat grumpy on your way to Room 8, two notebooks in hand.

One of them is blank for Sanji. He wants to record all the meals he’s gotten and write down how he would make them. The second notebook is full of your notes that you need to study for your quiz tomorrow.

Zeff is sleeping again when you enter. You move quietly across the room to where Sanji is lying with his back to the door.

“Sanji.” You can see his shoulders tense underneath the sheets, but strangely, he does not roll over to face you. “I have your notebook.”

No answer. That is even stranger.

Frowning, you walk around to the other side of the bed. Sanji moves to bury his face into his pillow, but not before you hear a very soft, wet sniffle.

“Sanji?”

“Sorry.” His voice is high and so muffled you can barely understand him. “You can just leave it on the table.”

“Why are you crying?” In the back of your head, you know it is not the most sensitive thing to ask. But for some reason, you need to know. “I won’t laugh or tell anyone.”

You hear another sniffle from the mop of blond hair. It takes a long time for Sanji to answer, but he eventually does.

“I don’t like hospitals.”

Your brow furrows. “Oh,” you say, somewhat surprised. Most people don’t like being in a hospital, you’re pretty sure of that, but you didn’t know Sanji didn’t like it this much. “Why?”

Maybe he’s tired of getting poked all the time, or the bland food, or the hospital smell. Nobody here can change that. Maybe he’s homesick. The hospital can’t fix that, either.

Sanji turns his head slightly and takes in a small, shuddering breath. “’Cause it … it makes me remember my mum … when she was sick,” he mumbles, almost too quiet to hear.

“… Oh.”

You had assumed, upon learning that Zeff and Sanji were not at all related, that Sanji was like you and never knew his parents. He’d never talked about having any before, only his time on the Orbit and with Zeff. But he does know them – his mother, at least. And she was sick. The memory is what’s making him so sad, and it’s yet another thing that the hospital can’t help.

You don’t want him to be sad. You did make him your friend, after all, even if he does annoy you sometimes.

“I’m sorry,” you say, standing awkwardly with his notebook still in your possession. You remember what Miss Jaylee has told other patients before. “That, um, must have been really hard for you.”

Sanji squeezes his pillow more tightly.

Should you go? Should you talk to him some more?

“Please don’t tell anybody,” he whispers before you can decide. “Especially Zeff.”

“I won’t,” you reply firmly. “I said I wouldn’t, didn’t I?”

“I’m sorry I can’t hang out today. I really wanted to, but, um …”

“It’s okay. We can do it later.”

“Okay.”

You set his notebook and a pen on the bedside table. After some thought, you refill his water and, after even more hesitation, fix the bed sheets on him a bit so they’re not as twisted up. That is the best you can do.

The red string follows you as you quietly leave Room 8, and you don’t think about it at all.

—

“How do you spell necessary?”

“N-E-S-E-S-A-R-Y.”

“That doesn’t look right. I think it’s S-S-A-R-Y.”

“Maybe you can find it in the book,” Sanji suggests, kicking his feet as he lies on his belly next to you.

“Yeah, maybe.” You flip through the pages of your textbook, searching for the correct spelling lest you get marked off again.

It is the tenth day. Sanji is doing alright, and Zeff is up and about with his new leg. Dr. Gu says they’re good to go, so they’re leaving after Zeff finishes breakfast. You’re not sure how to feel about it.

In the meantime, Sanji is helping you with your essay about scurvy. He knows quite a bit about it, which makes sense since he’s lived at sea, and you hope the perspective he’s supplying will impress Dr. Gu.

(“That’s why every ship needs a good cook,” he tells you proudly. “We make sure everyone eats right so they stay healthy.”

“That’s why you and Mr. Zeff are going to have a restaurant ship, right?”

“Mmhm.”)

Sanji rests his face in his hands, cheeks squished against his palms while you continue to scan through your textbook. You finally find the word in a photo caption and, with a triumphant noise, jot it down correctly.

Someone knocks on your door. The two of you turn to face it simultaneously.

“[Y/n]?” It’s Mrs. Guo.

“Yeah?” you call, already slightly irritated.

“Is Sanji there? It’s time for him to leave.”

A frown presses down on your lips. Sanji sighs and gets up as slowly as possible, taking his notebook with him.

“Coming,” he says.

The two of you dawdle on your way to the hospital entrance. You pet Cabby the dog when you run into him and his handler and stop by the kitchen so Sanji can thank the cooks. There’s no rush, not really, but an uneasy feeling continues to well up in your stomach anyway.

Upon arriving at your destination, Zeff waiting at the double doors with a giant bag of treasure slung over his shoulder, Sanji stops and turns to face you.

“I’m – I’m going now,” he says, as if just realizing it.

“Okay,” you say.

You and Sanji stand in silence for a moment before Sanji’s bottom lip starts to wobble.

Yours starts to wobble too. The uneasy feeling in your stomach bubbles up into your throat and behind your eyes.

“I’ll write you,” he blurts, voice cracking. “You’ll come visit, won’t you?”

“I don’t know.” You don’t know if they’ll let you. The hospital is busy and the ocean is big, bigger than you, and you don’t know it at all like Zeff and Sanji do. “But I’ll write back.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.”

You are crying now.

For the first time, your arms wrap around Sanji, and he clings back as both of you bawl. Your tears and snot stain the shoulder of his brand-new clothes. Your uniform grows damp at the collar. It doesn’t matter at all.

“I don’t know if I’ll see you again,” you croak into his shirt, face hot and eyes blurry.

His grip tightens. “You will,” Sanji replies in between sniffles. “I know it. Even if it’s when we’re really old, we’ll see each other again.”

“Okay.”

You believe him. Not because of fate, but because you want to.

—

You write to each other every single week for the next ten years. You tell each other everything.

Well, almost everything.

—

“You seem nervous,” Nami says. “Don’t tell me a little bribery got under your skin?”

“No, no.” You wipe your hands on your thighs and try to relax against the back of the booth. “Just … not used to places like this, that’s all.”

The Baratie is nicer than you imagined. Sanji had kept you up to date over the years, sending newspaper clippings and recipe drafts as the restaurant he and Zeff founded grew in staff members and reputation, but seeing it in person is a whole different deal. You’re telling the truth when you said you’re not used to a place like this.

But it’s not why you’re nervous.

“Hey, look!” Usopp exclaims, pointing across the room. “I think those guys are gonna fight.”

The rest of you look. Near the kitchen, two men are arguing, and the pink-haired man sitting at the table stands up when the pirate shoves his food onto the floor.

Usopp sucks his teeth. “Yikes.”

Luffy leans forward in interest. Zoro simply stares, and Nami rolls her eyes.

One of the waiters approaches them. You watch as he tries to deescalate the situation, but neither party is having it.

The pink-haired man draws a gun.

Within seconds, the gun and both would-be brawlers are on the floor.

The waiter shoves his foot into the pink-haired man’s back to keep him down, then picks up the plate of bread rolls again, stepping over both groaning bodies with the ease of one who’s done it before.

He reassures the other customers as he approaches your booth. You’re not concerned about the fight so much as you are about the way that you know.

It’s been ten years, but you just know, even before he gets close enough for you to see the red string that trails up and disappears into the black of his pants pocket. Even before you see the blue of his eyes and the annoyed set of his brow, exactly the same as you remember.

He places the rolls down onto the table, and for the first time, you wonder what you want.

“Hi, welcome to our shitty restaurant where the only thing worse than the ambience is the food. My name is Sanji. What can I get for you?”

[eviefrie]

hello locked tomb fans. have i got a book (books) for you.

more archive undying propaganda, if this wasn't enough to convince you:

(but also if you've decided to read the archive undying, i don't know if i would recommend the libby edition? i have my libby set to "legible" and there are some font changes in the print version that did NOT show up in the ebook. obv i liked reading the ebook enough to buy the text, but as @urban-sith put it, he was lost and i was in jumanji)

[kuneko-kokono]

my previous post about moving fandoms? bullshit. ive always been a milgram artpage. (lying)

merry milgram christmas!!

previous years to see how times have flown by

2022:

2023: