#Red Force

[innerfare]

Smutty Beckman Headcanons 

Summary: A collection of NSFW headcanons for Benn Beckman

Genre: pure smut

CW: big dick Beckman, daddy kink, marathon runner Beckman, sloppy kisses, bondage, mating press

———

Daddy. Don’t even bother calling him anything else. 

Doesn’t view hookups as ideal. Deep down, he’s a kind and sensitive man who forms attachments and values loyalty. Nevertheless, he avoids relationships, realizing that getting close to a woman simply isn’t fair considering who he is and the danger that comes with it. Tends not to indulge in trysts unless he’s desperate. 

When he does finally choose someone, he usually has quite a bit of pent energy up to let out. Much more of a marathon runner than a sprinter. Sex with him is nightly and all night. He's not into quickies, though he'll agree to one if there's no other choice (typically prefers oral sex for quickies though).

Is so bad at being selfish. Despite Shanks’ insistence that one night stands are not supposed to last more than thirty minutes, Beckman simply cannot stop and go. As such, he has quite the reputation with the ladies on the islands the crew visits repeatedly. 

Has the biggest dick on the Red Force, which is another reason he's not one for quick one night stands. It's simply unfair not to go down on his partner before putting his dick in them. Even if he wanted to be selfish, he couldn't be.

He doesn’t want to share- no threesomes, no exhibitionism, no voyeurism, not even a few words uttered to Shanks when his captain asks for details. There aren’t many secrets on a pirate ship, but he’ll square up with anyone who tries to find out the details of his sex life. The only info the crew gets are from swooning partners who rave about him.  

The crew knows better than to go after one of Beckman's old partners. Once a Beckman girl, always a Beckman girl. If they get married after sleeping with him and then he returns to their island, well... divorce might just follow for one more night with the first mate of the Red Hair Pirates.

Loves it when you feel him up, especially if you sit in his lap while you do it. Neck, chest, shoulders, arms, hands, and all of it over again. His favorite is when you get annoyed with his clothing and order him to take off his shirt. He always likes to imagine teasing you in this scenario, but as soon as you demand he strip down, he obliges. 

Size kink. Wants to be able to wrap his hands around your thighs and waist like you're his little doll. Won't bully you with his size, though (not too much, at least). A little into choking, but he doesn't squeeze very hard; it's just about the size of his hand on your throat for him.

Loves a sensual blowjob, the kind where you squeeze his calves and rub his abdomen and suck slowly on his balls. But also the kind where you choke on his massive cock and he dabs the tears from the corner of your eyes.

He'll talk dirty to you, especially when you suck him off, telling you that you're such a good girl, doing such a good job, he's so proud of you, etc. Again, the man's daddy af.

Biting and licking are all fine and good, but he loves kisses- sloppy kisses on the mouth, that thing you do where you kiss his lips and then kiss his cheek immediately after, sweet kisses on his biceps and pecs, you get the idea. 

Enjoys tying you up, usually binding your hands with his belt. Also keeps a coil of rope in his bedroom if he wants to get creative with it. He especially likes binding your hands and then fucking you against the wall so you're depending completely on him to hold you up.

Favorite position (by a long shot) is a mating press. He wants you folded up underneath him, unable to move and completely at his mercy. He’s a deep stroke kind of guy, too.

That being said, he really enjoys it when you ride him slowly. He wants to sit back against the headboard with his massive hands on your waist, watching you roll your hips against his and struggling to take his full length. When you're in this position, he'll smoke a cigarette, sometimes shotgunning the smoke into your open mouth.

———

Hope you enjoyed it! If you want more, you can check out my masterlist here!

[blackholesun321]

Shanks Doesn’t Have A Dream! And I Can Prove It!

Ok, y’all, can I talk my shit again? Because I have thoughts and feels about our good old one-armed favorite disaster of a party pirate, Akagami (Red-Haired) Shanks. I’m going to be completely honest: I may have had this rant before, but I can’t find it, and no one else has this take. I need to talk about my vision of him that I’m like 60/40 percent sure is correct canon-wise and would explain so many of his—let’s call them quirks.

I think one of Oda’s beliefs and the teachings that One Piece has so blatantly told us about, such as personal freedom, charting your own destiny, and making your own adventure along the way, are a reflection of Shanks’ character as someone who never got that chance and never would. That, to me, makes him one of the saddest characters in One Piece.

Let me cook here. I’m not going to cite anything because I don’t want to, and I do that enough already in college, so we’re running on trust me: I’ve read the manga and watched a lot of theory videos. So lock in because this is gonna be long.

Anyways, back to my thesis. Shanks is a character of contradictions. He was the youngest person to ever become a Yonko (but then Luffy came in), probably one of the strongest men of his generation. He regularly fought the world’s strongest swordsman for fun. He has a crew whose members each have over a million bounties on their own and are so physically or politically strong that they can stop a war in its tracks just by waltzing in and saying "stop." Not only that, he stopped Kaido in his tracks and made him turn around. His father was the Pirate King and claimed him as his successor; he could even be tied to the Celestial Dragons. He’s charismatic, and when things need to get done, he gets down to business.

On the other hand, he’s also a goofy guy who regularly gets blackout drunk, has a horrible sense of pant style, parties his life away, and thinks bullying kids is the height of comedy. He cares about his kid to the point that he forgets to be a responsible Yonko but also wants to fight him for the One Piece. He seems so blasé about everything but is obviously, in the background, making connections and being all sneaky about something; he has plans but also didn’t decide to go after the One Piece until after his prime. He’s been stagnant but moving and shaking around the world, all for some big ideal, some big plan, something huge.

It is my stance, idea, theory, if you will, that all this makes sense if you look at it from the viewpoint that nothing—not the planning, not stealing the fruit, not the power growth, or making his way to Yonko status, not building his crew, even the hurry-up-and-wait—he’s been doing all these years, his whole life? Is because he’s hasn’t made a single decision for himself since Gol D. Roger died.

Outrageous! You cry! Shanks, a man who supposedly spouts on about being free and charting your own course and being a pirate? Is none of those things? Impossible, you will say. I will ask you how you got into my house and to please leave. But aside from the pirate bit, yes, and I can prove this. Calm my chili-baby’s and listen.

Yes, Shanks had his life taken from his adventure, his destiny set and marked right before the Loguetown execution. It is my belief that all this can be laid at the feet of—drumroll, please—Gol D. Roger himself!

Gasp! Crying! Fainting in the audience! I know, what a twist. Let me explain. In a flashback, we see Roger talking about Ace. It was Roger’s belief that Ace (his child) would be the savior of the world, the new Joy Boy, destined to destroy the World Government with what they learned from the Poneglyphs and Laugh Tale. He believed their generation was too early and that the next would usher in the new world. Ace would be his true successor. A little narcissistic, but a man like Roger probably couldn’t help but be. Not just that but it probably felt prophetic he found Laugh Tale of course that had to mean something?He was also dying as it was and put things in place for Ace to survive. He told Garp where he was so Garp could take him away with Rouge—a safety net, that sure was useful. Once she ya know, died.

With the understanding that the next generation would usher in the new age, Roger took aside a thirteen-year-old Shanks and revealed everything. He told him about the birth of the new Joy Boy, everything about Laugh Tale, and how he believed his son would usher in this age. I believe he gave Shanks this purpose: to pass on the straw hat to his son and help him become a man strong enough to fight the World Government. I think little traumatized Shanks, who is about to lose his father and has had the weight of the world put on his shoulders, takes it to heart and buries everything he is to fulfill his captain's last wish. And that’s horrible. I’ll get into the psychological implications later, but holy shit, Roger, what the fuck? He’s thirteen! And about to watch you die!

But yeah, doesn’t this make sense? Why the hell when Buggy wanted to go after the One Piece, did Shanks hold back and say they should wait, losing his brother because he has a secret his captain entrusted him with. Why the hell did they know about the Gum Gum Fruit and were searching for it? Why did Shanks spend so long on a little island like Fousha in the East Blue? Not only was he looking for the fruit, but he was also looking for Ace! (And maybe Rouge.)

Why has he been making all these connections but doing jack shit with them? Why did he become a Yonko but claim no territory for fucking years on end and do nothing really with his status? Why does he rely on such a small crew of such powerful individuals? Why does he party his life away, seem almost aimless, and not start to go after the One Piece until Luffy reaches Gear 5?

Because he’s the one to pass on the legacy; he’s the placeholder, a cog in the proverbial machine that is fate. He made sure Joy Boy would exist. And now that the dominoes have been placed and are falling fast, he’s going to challenge Luffy and make sure he’s strong enough to fight for it—strong enough to take on the World Government, the Celestial Dragons, and Imu—and then hand him a big red button to help do it afterward. That button will be all the sneaky shit he’s been doing in the background.

He’s been the bridge between his captain and this new age. Sure, it was too early, but his influence rippled out through the people he trusted and touched in his life. The same way Rayleigh trained Luffy, knowing what he was preparing him for in the next part of his journey, waiting years for him to arrive at Sabaody.

And all that needed to happen was the dreams, adventures, and sacrifices of a young boy. It’s almost poetic—a son for a son (or sun, in this case). My therapist says I make light of dark shit so I don’t have to emotionally feel the pain.

And now we get into the sad portion of today’s episode. Prepare the tissues because this is why I think Shanks is one of the saddest characters in One Piece.

Because think about it: Shanks’s life was charted for him; his adventure and future were stolen, decided with the reveal of Laugh Tale and all the secrets around it—everything, all so the next generation could one day rise up and bring a new dawn. Shanks never got to have a dream because it was stolen from him. He’s a walking, talking empty automaton, fulfilling his captain's dying promise made by a grieving thirteen-year-old.

He is dreamless, and for a man who is, in some sense, the freest in the world—can go anywhere, can do anything, is powerful enough to stop wars—he’s still trapped, chained to a future he can only wait for.

I don’t think he knows who he is outside of this. I don’t think he thinks he’ll live beyond it. (Which like I will fucking cry because this is gonna be kinda true.) I don’t even want to call it an ambition. Duty, maybe. Damned promise, more likely. And it’s ruined every relationship outside of it he’s ever had. Aside from one—

(Don’t even get me started on him and Mihawk and miscommunication, failed expectations, and Mihawk being the epitome of everything Shanks isn’t. With his dream chasing to the ends of the world, ending up unfulfilled and alone. Finding companionship and what he thought were similar drives in each other, but once Shanks lost his arm and his hat, he realized Shanks was never fighting for something he wanted. And it broke him a little; it broke their relationship—one of the only relationships Shanks chose for himself, with nothing to do with his mission.

And Buggy—he gave up his brother, was forced to leave him alone, and couldn’t say anything, couldn’t tell him the truth, couldn’t destroy his dream. And he couldn’t even be selfish enough to make him stay. Like, oh my God, the drama.)

Doomed yaoi aside, the only thing and person I think that messed up his perfectly made plans is Luffy.

Sweet baby Luffy wasn’t so sweet before the Red Force arrived. In the manga, it is mentioned that he was an angry, bitter child, lashing out almost like Ace to a degree. But Shanks, by just being kind, by being good, and by reaching out and teasing this little ball of anger, transforms him, saves him in a way. He gives him a drive, a dream, and a morality to live by. He gives him everything he never got—everything stripped from him. Shanks turns him into the type of person a special kind of Devil Fruit might call out to and get eaten by.

Nika chose Luffy because Shanks saved him by just being good and kind, giving this kid something beyond his anger and bitterness. Shanks gave Luffy the idea of freedom, and in return, he allowed Shanks’s perfectly clear mission to shatter. I think this Shanks makes the first real decision in his life: he goes, "Fuck, well, we’re backing this horse now," and Luffy becomes his child—not his captain's, but his future to bet on and help grow.

And I fucking love that. Luffy saves him just as he saved Luffy, in a way. And that’s his kid, his successor, more than it ever was for Roger. I will die on this hill. (If you want, you can even look at it as Shanks finally choosing a dream all his own and it’s Luffy.)

Will Oda see it this way? Probably not. He has a habit of brushing off stuff like this; I think he’ll make Shanks’s character into a noble man dedicated to stopping the World Government and not even think about the implications of tying all that to him at such a young age. But I do think Shanks expects to die when Luffy comes to fight; I think he wants to, just how Mihawk wants to die from Zoro’s blades. Because what is there beyond this? (And again, parallels!)

And I believe he will live! (Not Mihawk—he's gonna die.) Shanks will live, and symbolically, Luffy will free him from this self-imposed duty, this promise made by a child. Shanks will have made, even unwittingly, the thing that would free him, allowing him to move forward in a world where all the purposes he needs to find are his own.

And holy shit, that’s a lot for him, but then Blackbeard will happen, and he’ll die only having known freedom for a short while. Luffy will cry and create a new dawn, and it won’t be for nothing—except it will be for everything to Shanks.

In conclusion, Shanks doesn’t have a dream of his own. He never had a dream; if he did, it was squashed out of him in order to fulfill a promise set by his father, Gol D. Roger.

He loses his brother, loses his control over his destiny, and as his father sets such things into motion, Ace, Roger’s child, will become the new Joy Boy.

He makes a connection with someone outside of that mission and purpose, and in doing so, creates the opportunity for his own freedom and his own choice in Luffy.

Later down the line, Nika/Luffy will eventually free him in the same way he created his own freedom back then, giving him a new choice going forward. They will free him from the mission that was placed on his shoulders as a thirteen-year-old child, and afterwards, he will consequently be killed by Blackbeard, and everything will be horrible, and we will all cry. The end.

I hope everyone enjoyed this thesis on Shanks. Feel free to use it and steal it to your hearts content. I would love to write more if anyone has any questions or things they want to ask; I will be opening up my ask box for questions. I would love to go into more detail on his relationship with Luffy, his rivalry with Blackbeard, and how that ties into all of this, as well as his relationship with Mihawk (fuck man the parallels!!) or maybe Buggy. (Which I have less on it’s just really tragic.)

[chromatic-lamina]

Do you think that

the Polar Tang (and Law and Bepo), and Victoria Punk (and Kid and Killer), and Luffy (without his ship, but Robin and Franky are steering it) as decals on the a special Shinkansen, could have parallels with...

the Captain Trio's exit from Wano? And provide some kind of salve (and salvage?) from...

attacks by emperors? That the ships existing as a current design can let us dream that the Victoria Punk and Polar Tang live on, on the side of a Shinkansen, at least? Beware, though, fellow passengers are..

Shanks, Blackbeard and the Cross Guild.

The really should give

the Shinkansen a red nose. Here's the Sunny, BTW (other Straw Hats under the cut! And Garp. Ominously, with a canon. Koby and Helmeppo too!

Might need to have Law and Zoro together, or Sanji and Law! Both leaping in to save Bepo.

Other forms of transport:

[hannahbarberra162]

Struck Twice By Lightning

On Ao3 All Chapters

You married Shanks when you were both younger and in love. But life happened, you broke up, and you haven't been with him in years. You need him to divorce you to get your business started. He strikes a deal with you - but will you want to keep it? Or would you rather keep him?

AKA- second chance romance with Shanks.

I'm trying not to use Y/N, just "you," we'll see how it goes. Should be fluffy, maybe a touch on angst later on. No Uta, haven't seen the movie yet.

18+ MDNI

Struck Twice By Lightning

When you heard that a Yonko ship was docked at the main island, you rolled your eyes. Others on the island were happy, concerned, worried, excited, a myriad of emotions. Not you. You had a feeling about who the Yonko was. And you needed something that only he could give you. 

You lived a quiet life on a small island archipelago. The main island was where the majority of commerce and tourism were, but you lived on a small, lush, green nearby island that you loved. It was easy to travel between the islands - you didn’t even need a log pose. You’d been living there for a while, making money with your trade. You were satisfied with your life, and wanted to keep it that way. 

You did need to find a certain someone, so the fact that he had docked near your island was fortuitous. It saved you the time it would take to track him down. You decided just to get this over and done with, so you grabbed what you needed, and went to the small wharf. There would be plenty of boats and ferries going between the islands, you’d just catch the next one. Sure enough, you were able to pay for fare and be on your way in less than an hour. 

Landing at the main island, it didn’t take long to figure out where the pirates were. It was like the entire island had erupted into a party. There was music coming from every restaurant, every bar was open and full, and there was dancing in the street. It would have been nice, but you weren’t in the mood. You headed towards the biggest, loudest part of the party you could find, and sure enough, there were the Red Hair Pirates. You saw some familiar faces, some new ones, but not the one that you needed.

Finally, you saw a circle of people sitting around, talking and laughing. They were drinking heavily, telling tall tales trying to entertain the local women. You walked up to the circle and looked for your target. In walking towards everyone, you passed by an old friend. You reached out and patted him on the shoulder.

“Hi, Benn.”

“Hi, nice to see you,” Benn replied with a smile. Ever unflappable, he didn’t seem surprised you were there. 

“He’s here, right?”

“Just over there.”

“Thanks Benn. Happy you’re ok.”

“Likewise.”

With that you trudged over to your mark. You stood in front of him and said simply

“Shanks.”

Shanks, who had been laughing a moment before, looked as though he’d seen a ghost. After a moment, his face broke into a huge smile and he said “Buttercup, is it really you? Or have I been hallucinating again?”

“Don’t call me that. I need you to do something for me.”

“Come here! It’s been forever! Come sit by me and tell me everything that’s been going on.”

“No, Shanks. It’s not gonna be like that. I just need to talk to you.”

“So sit here and talk to me! We haven’t seen each other in so long, I wanna talk to you too…” Shanks continued to try to get you to sit next to him. Eventually, you did, just so you could tell him what you needed to. Shanks could be incredibly persistent when he wanted something, a trait you had not forgotten. 

A newer recruit, who hadn’t recognized you, asked “who is that? His ex-girlfriend or something?”

Benn sighed, took a drag of his cigarette, and replied “no, that’s his wife.”

[moonmaiden1996]

Bound By Fate Chapter 14

Warning- SMUT 18+

The night after the kiss, everything changed. Shanks’ lips still haunted you—searing, possessive—and no matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t shake the feeling of his presence lingering in the air. It marked you, in ways you hadn’t expected. The fire inside you, ignited by that single touch, refused to die. It burned brighter with each passing moment, but the ache, the hunger, was something more. It wasn’t just desire; it was a desperate, gnawing need for him, and no matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t escape it.

This was supposed to be the part of the story where a romantic gesture or a fleeting glance would build toward some grand declaration of love, where you and Shanks would ride off into the sunset, caught up in some sappy fairytale nonsense that made hearts flutter. But that wasn’t your relationship. From the very first moment, when you’d been whisked away against your will, your bond had never been wrapped up in sweet gestures or empty romanticism. It was raw, real, built on pure emotion. And now, for the first time, you were acutely aware of just how much those emotions were pulling you toward him.

It wasn’t just the ache of longing. It was guilt. Guilt that you couldn’t seem to control yourself, guilt that you’d made things complicated for him, guilt that you needed him this much. But above all, it was helplessness—the knowledge that he had become a part of you, something you couldn’t tear yourself away from, no matter how hard you tried.

Even in the quiet of your quarters, where you’d expected to find refuge, the tension never seemed to ease. When your hands wander in the dead of night it was never enough. Your pussy pulsed, the wetness coating your thighs, the slick heat building within you that let you fingers plunge easily into your core never brought the satisfaction you craved. The release was hollow—a cruel echo of what you imagined Shanks could give you. A release that threatened to shatter you completely, but one you couldn’t stop yourself from chasing. It was torment you couldn’t avoid.

But you needed to tell him. You needed to confess this unbearable weight, this ache inside you, but he was always surrounded by the crew—laughing, talking, lost in their camaraderie. Even when he lounged lazily in his hammock, there was always someone nearby. Always someone between you. And every time your eyes met his across the room, the intensity in his gaze only made the ache in your chest worse, sharper, more unbearable.

That was when you saw him—his red hair catching the sunlight as he walked toward the little lagoon. It was separated from the open sea by a wall of coral, the perfect place to cool off and escape the heat of the day. And there he was, heading toward it, completely alone. The sight of him was too much. You couldn’t wait any longer; this might be your only chance to talk without the eyes of the crew watching.

Your heart pounded in your chest as you approached him. "Miss me that much, love?" Shanks teased, his voice light and playful, as his red hair flopped into his eyes. He glanced up at you, a charming grin on his face as he rolled the neck of a bottle in his hand.

But when his eyes met yours, the humor faded. He saw the tremble in your body, the unevenness of your breath, the glassiness of your eyes. Without a word, he tossed the bottle aside, his large hands coming to rest gently on your shoulders. He leaned down slightly to meet your eyes, his expression softening, concern clear in his gaze.

"What’s wrong, love?" His voice, usually so confident, was now a tender whisper that cut through you like a knife.

“I’m so sorry,” you whispered, the words breaking as they escaped your lips. “I’m a horrible person.” The floodgates opened, and a tear traced its way down your cheek, burning hot against your skin.

"Hush now." He pulled you into his chest, wrapping you in the warmth of his embrace. His lips brushed the top of your head in a kiss that felt like a promise, and the simple act of holding you seemed to settle the storm within you, even if just for a moment. "What makes you say that?" he murmured, his thumb gently rubbing circles on your arm, soothing you.

"I feel it. The pull... it gnaws at me, Shanks. It hurts—so much." Your voice cracked as the words spilled out in a broken whisper. "If this is what you’ve felt all this time... I’m so sorry."

Shanks’ embrace tightened around you, pulling you closer as he placed another soft kiss on the top of your head. “I’d endure that pain for a lifetime if it meant I got to spend even a second with you—even if you’re scowling at me.”

You let out a soft, choked laugh, the sound muffled against his chest. "Please, Shanks," you whispered, the trembling in your voice betraying the weight of your emotions.

"Just wait till I see Mihawk," he said with a playful edge, pulling back just enough to meet your gaze. "I’lll never let him live it down that he practically had to maul his woman while all I had to do was kiss you."

"Shanks!" You pulled back from him, glaring up at him, but the blush creeping up your neck gave you away.

He chuckled, the sound warm and deep, vibrating through his chest. "Hush, love." He leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a husky murmur that brushed against your skin. “I love you.”

Without thinking, you whispered back, the words barely audible, but they carried the weight of everything you’d been holding inside. “I love you too.”

At that moment, the world seemed to stop. Time paused. And then, his lips descended onto yours, but this wasn’t just a playful kiss—it was a promise. His hands gripped you tightly, anchoring you to him, his body pressing firmly against yours. The hunger in the kiss was raw, unrelenting, and possessive. His tongue swept into your mouth, claiming you completely.

This wasn’t just a kiss—it was everything. A rush of overwhelming emotion. A claim. A bond deeper than anything you’d ever known. His hands tightened around you, pulling you closer as if afraid you might slip away. The kiss deepened, and you let him take you, fully, without hesitation.

For once, there was no distance between you. No fear. Just the two of you, lost in the storm of desire you’d both been holding at bay for far too long.

Your knees buckled, and Shanks caught you effortlessly, a low chuckle vibrating against your lips as he held you upright.

“Easy now,” he teased, his grin mischievous. “We’ve got all the time in the world for this, love. No need to rush.”

Shanks pulled back just enough to catch his breath, his forehead resting against yours. His grin was lazy, smug even, as though he knew exactly how much power he held over you. And then, with an unmistakable gleam of mischief in his darkened eyes, he straightened up and said, “Well, love, I think it’s time we find somewhere a little more… secluded.”

Before you could even process what he meant, his strong arm was suddenly around your waist. With an effortless swing, he hoisted you over his shoulder as though you weighed nothing. His one arm tightened around your thighs, pinning you securely in place while your world spun upside down.

“Shanks!” you gasped, your fists pounding lightly against his back, though the laughter in your voice betrayed your indignation. “Put me down!”

“Not a chance, sweetheart,” he chuckled, his voice rich with amusement. “You’re mine now, and I’m not about to let anyone else interrupt us.”

You tried to wriggle free, but his grip didn’t falter for a second. Instead, he began walking purposefully away from the lagoon, his long strides taking you deeper into the dense, tropical foliage that surrounded the crew’s camp. The sounds of the waves faded behind you, replaced by the rustling of leaves and the occasional birdcall.

“I can walk, you know,” you protested, though secretly, the feel of his hand gripping you and the steady sway of his movements sent a thrill down your spine.

“I know,” he replied, smirking as he gave your rear a playful slap. “But this way’s more fun—for me, at least.”

“Shanks!” you squealed, heat rushing to your cheeks as you felt his deep laughter rumble through his body.

You tried to squirm free, but his hold was unwavering. There was no use resisting as he carried you away from the lagoon and the rest of the crew. As he walked, you caught sight of the men lounging on the beach, their voices carried by the breeze. They were too caught up in their own revelry to notice you being whisked away.

Shanks took you swiftly toward his ship, the Red Force, anchored in the little cavern. The crew were still down by the water, but the ship was quiet, peaceful—a perfect escape. When you arrived at the gangplank, he didn’t stop. Without a word, he climbed up onto the deck, his boots thumping lightly as he walked across the wooden planks, and took you straight into the captain’s cabin.

The moment you entered, he kicked the door shut behind him with a soft thud, the sound of the world beyond vanishing. The cabin was warm and dim, lit by the golden glow of lanterns swaying with the motion of the ship. The scent of salt and wood filled the air. It felt intimate, isolated—just the two of you.

Shanks set you gently down on his bed, his hand lingering at your waist for just a moment longer than necessary before he stepped back. 

“Comfortable?” he asked, raising an eyebrow as he slowly unbuckled his coat.

You nodded, your heart racing, the air between you crackled with tension, charged with a silent promise as you watched him removed and tossed his coat aside and moved toward you, his steps slow and deliberate. 

‘’Your cabin seriously?’’ you giggled.

“You’ve no idea how long I’ve wanted this. How long I’ve wanted you. I want every part of this cabin to ooze with you” he purred as he sank to his knees in front of you. His gaze was soft but intense, searching for something in your eyes, something that made your heart beat even faster.

You swallowed, your mouth dry. “Shanks…”

“Tell me, love,” he murmured, his voice low, almost a growl. “Do you feel it too?”

Your breath caught in your throat. There was no denying the pull, the magnetic force between you that had been growing ever since that first kiss. It was undeniable. And now, in the seclusion of his captain’s cabin, it felt like everything had led to this moment.

“I do,” you whispered, unable to look away from him.

His lips quirked into a satisfied smirk. “Good,” he murmured, and before you could process it, he had closed the distance between you. His lips crashed against yours with a hunger you hadn’t expected, his hands sliding behind your back to pull you closer.

For a moment, you were lost in him—his warmth, the intoxicating scent of him, the feel of his body against yours. It was everything you had dreamed of and more, but this time, there would be no pulling away. No interruptions. No distractions.

As the kiss deepened, Shanks lifted you effortlessly in his arm curled around you lifting you further back on the bed. The weight of him, his strength, his determination—it was all consuming.

“Shanks…” you breathed, your hands fisting in the fabric of his shirt.

Shanks's voice was a low, tantalizing whisper, his breath warm against your ear. His words sent a shiver down your spine, each syllable heavy with meaning, each pause stretching the tension between you. He pulled back slightly, his crimson eyes studying you with a mixture of hunger and something darker—a promise, something that went far beyond desire.

“Do you remember what I said when I kissed you?” His voice was a velvet thread, pulling you in closer, making your pulse race. “That I was starving for you, that I’d be devouring you when the time came, but all you needed to do was beg.”

Your body seemed to pulse with the memory of that first kiss, the one that had set everything in motion. Your heart skipped, a storm of thoughts swirling inside your head, but the only thing that mattered was him—the man who’d claimed your lips, your soul, and had you on the edge of madness.

“Please Shanks…please” you whispered, your breath shaky, eyes locked on his. You didn’t dare look away, the magnetic pull between you too strong.

“Good,” Shanks murmured, his voice rougher now, almost a growl. “Because I think that time has come, love.”

Shanks pushed you back gently, guiding you onto the bed with an easy strength. His hand was steady, his movements deliberate as he hovered over you for just a moment, watching you with eyes that smoldered with an intensity.

You rested on your elbow, looking down at him, your chest rising and falling in shallow breaths. His face was inches from yours, his lips slightly parted, his expression a perfect mix of hunger and possessiveness. His hand moved swiftly to your shirt, his fingers nimble, working the buttons with a practiced precision that had your breath hitching.

Each button came undone one by one, the fabric slipping from your shoulders, revealing more of your skin. Shanks’s eyes followed the material as it fell away, his gaze never leaving you as if he were savoring the moment. His fingers were delicate yet insistent, brushing against your skin in a way that made your pulse race, sending shivers through you as the cool air of the cabin met the warmth of your exposed flesh.

When your shirt was completely unfastened, he slid it off your arms with a quiet efficiency, his hands grazing your skin as the fabric left your body. Shanks kneeled between your legs, his eyes locked on yours as his hands moved to your waist. His fingers brushed lightly over the fabric of your skirts, teasing the edge of them, his smirk deepening as he took his time, rough fingertips roaming the expanse of your calf parting your legs a little bit wider to accommodate his frame. His gaze flicked to yours once more, and the quiet intensity of it had your breath catching in your throat as his hand slowly made its way up to your waist, untying your skirts till you were bare before him. Your glistening pussy in front of him.

“You’re so beautiful, love,” he murmured, his voice low and rough with desire as his eye devoured your body.

He didn’t touch you right away, not in the way you expected, but instead paused to gaze down at you, as though committing the moment to memory.

‘’Gods I have barely touched you and you are already soaked for me. Tell me, love,” he whispered, his voice husky, “are you ready for me to devour you now?”

The weight of his question hung between you. You wanted this, wanted him, more than anything.

All you could do was nod, your breath ragged as his hand continued to roam, tracing every inch of your skin. The anticipation was maddening, but you didn’t want it to stop. You wanted him to take his time, to explore every part of you.

He smiled that dangerous, all-knowing smile of his, as he settled down onto his knees before his lips finally descended onto the skin of your ankle kissing the way up your body, sending your world into a spiral of heat and desire. You watched powerless to resist as he kissed his way up your legs, licking and nipping at each section of skin. A strangled cry choked its ways out of you as he laid open mouthed kisses into your trembling thighs. His arm wrapped around your thigh pulling you down, holding you in place, wedging his other shoulder against the other thigh prying open your trembling legs.

You knew it was coming but it didn't stop the gasp of surprise from gushing out of you. A delicate cry poured from you as his tongue drove into your folds swirling around your clit. The feel of his tongue plunging into your core was overwhelming, too much, but you were too weak to want to escape such a sinful feeling.

His tongue was searching, alternating between circles, swirls, shapes and flicks till he found an action that brought about a cry of pleasure that made you arch of the bed gripping the bed sheets. Shanks smirked into your pussy, as he repeated the action again, and again, and again. As you became a bubbling mess beneath him. His own moan began as your thighs closed around his head, pulling him to you.

‘’Sha… Shanks’’

Shanks growled at the sound of his name falling from your lips. From now on, he would have you call his name like that at least once a day. Another groan pushed its way out of your throat as his fingers traced the opening.

“Gods Shanks” your body curled into itself as he plunged his finger into your arching core. His digit searched your channel. Exploring and stretching, watching every reaction.as his 

‘’Damn your tight.’’ His eyes never left your glistening pussy as he plunged in and out of you marvelling at how curing how snugly you gripped at him. He kept his rhythm steady, as he worked into you till his finger hit that bundle of nerves he had desperately been searching for. Your whole body shuddered, and a flood of ecstasy rushed through your veins.

Shanks moaned inbetween furious licks as his fingers plunged swiftly in and out of her, hitting that spot again and again.

Your body stiffened in the bliss that built in the pit of your stomach, threatening to burst in you. Shanks suckled on your clit as he pumped his fingers into you, curling them into your spot, as his tongue continued an assault on your clit.

The whimpers grew into cries and the cries into shrieks of ecstasy. Shanks was in rapture as he watched your body quiver trembled as your orgasm broke through you. A mewling moan filled the room as your body twitched as wave after wave engulfed you. 

Shanks was in heaven between your thighs and was lapping at your core till the last of the tremors subsided, you lay weightless against the bed. 

‘’Delicious darling, I could eat you everyday’’ Shanks licked his glisten lips. ‘’In fact I think I will’’ he grinned at your blissed out form. Pulling his shirt over his head, revealing his muscle tanned torso. Unbuckling his belt, casting out his trousers aside. Smirking as your attention had settled between his thighs were proudly, his swollen cock throbbing between his legs. 

‘’Like what you see?’’ Shanks smirked as he pumped himself loosely. He was thick and hot; in his own hand, you were amazed at how reactive he was, how his chest juddered and a stifled moan caught in his throat. ‘’Don’t worry you’ll like it even more when it's buried in you,’’ he grinned as he kneeled over you.

The head of his cock dragged sinfully down your core before lining up against you. The first stretch barely got him through the first inch. Shank stilled and ran his hand down your side, lifting your other leg to wrap around his hip, opening you further. Shanks placed soft kisses up the column of your throat, whispering soothing words as he inched himself further. Shanks slid in a few more inches as he cursed at the tightness as he was fully seated inside your warm pussy. An electric shock travelled through you as you felt the spark ignite against you.

‘’So thick…fuck’’ you moaned.

Shanks immediately pulled back and then slowly slid forward again.

You all but screamed as you felt Shanks push back into you, your hands slipped to his ass as you dug your fingers into his plush flesh. Above you, Shanks grunted and groaned as your tight pussy clenched around. His hips languidly drew in and out of you.

The feeling was nothing like you had ever encountered; it was slow and steady but dragged the most pleasant feeling from you. In the pit of your stomach a coil tightening as Shanks slowly moved in and out of you.

Shanks bites back a moan as your tight walls pulled him back in at every movement. The feeling was intense. More than he had ever felt before. Your walls quivered and shuddered beneath him as he set a slow, unforgiving pace. With each thrust, his balls trembled at the feeling and spurred him on toward his orgasm, ignoring the need to slam into you, there would be time for that later when he had your head buried in the pillow as he pounded you from behind. 

You felt the build; tightening tighter and tighter ready to snap as Shank’s piston, his hips against you, his thick body grinding against your clit. The orgasm hit you out of nowhere, slammed into you as you screamed into the cabin, feeling pulsed through you Shanks grunted as you pussy tightened around him, holding him like a vice. A primitive roar pulled itself from his lips as he pushed into you again, growling as he leant back to watch his thick cock plunged in and out of you. The pace had gone from agonisingly slow to brutal and rough; the bundle of nerves he had previously discovered was now at the forefront of his assault; every push of his hips left him juddering against them as he thrust in and out you erratically. 

Shanks released a thundering howl that cut through the room as he came inside you, his cock swelling as spurt after spurt coated your pussy. Shanks tensed as you clamped down on him fluttering round him.

‘’Fuck what are you doing to me,’’ another spasm tore though you, your hips working down his member till its grip grew so tight that you could barely move.

The sounds that surged from Shanks were obscene, animalistic. His forearm shook as he struggled to keep himself upright as you spasmed around him. He collapsed over you, his stubble scratching the sensitive skin over your neck. With the last of his strength he flipped your. Dick deep in you you straddled him, staring down as he bucked against you as your pussy massaged spurt after spurt from him. 

‘’God damn darlin, your pussy is divine. I think I actually left my body.’’ he purred his eye open slightly.‘’And damn your a vision, all fucked and full of me still.’’ 

You gave a breathy moan as his chuckle tugged at your core as another wave of pleasure surged within you. 

‘’Fuckkkkkk’’ The pirate groaned as you both shared another wave of a lessening peak that left you a moaning mess. 

‘’God, you really are my perfect little darling. Who would have thought you would be the one to claim me. You truly are made for me.’’ he panted ‘’Come here’’ he huffed, pulling you into his chest, holding you as the last waves of pleasure subsided from your body. Both you contented in the bond wrapped around you.

Soooooo what do you think??? Shanks in bed is very hard to write...despite the amount of time I have fantasied about that man

If you loved this series please check out the next part of the series on Law X Reader Pull of Pollen.

Sanji x Reader coming soon*

[cryptixotic]

⚔︎ 𝕷𝖆 𝕱𝖔𝖗𝖈𝖊 𝕽𝖔𝖚𝖌𝖊 ⚔︎

Nostalgia made me watch the One Piece live action - And i loved the ships so much it made me want to draw my own spin on them - inspired by both anime and film, but also by antique portolan charts (and their lovely sea monsters) !

• The Baratie • The Going Merry • The Miss Love-Duck •

[chemical-boom]

The story is that Shanks stinks and doesn't wash. And those rare two and a half times a year when he jumps overboard into the sea end with a new catch

[shuggymaniac]

Can I share my funny little Shuggy idea with you?

👉👈

Remember when Buggy would hold innocent people captive as an audience for his circus shows? I can just picture Shanks in the crowd, loving the entire thing. He hollers and hoots and volunteers to be apart of the show too!

Buggy would put him in those boxes to saw him in half. Fully intending to saw him apart... but what's this? The saw shatters the minute it touches Shanks.

Fine. New plan. He'll feed him to the lion! Wait.. wait, why are all the ferocious beasts laying down and getting pets?

Oh, that does it! Shanks is going into the drown tank next.

Goodness.. that man can hold his breath. This is too boring!

Buggy ends up yapping to Shanks how impossible he is to kill as that delighted redhead just listens and smiles.

I love this! Shanks just here to admire Buggy ignoring everyone's misery. ((People seem to forget he is a pirate))

Shanks moving between the chained audience with popcorn in hand to find a prefect seat.

Shanks: here is good *bends down to chain himself with the people*

*Show starts*

Buggy: Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the show of a life, maybe the last for some of you~

Shanks: WHOAAA!!! BUGGY!! YEAH, you look so cool and intimidating!!

Buggy, muttering: the fuck is he doing here....Again!!

*After a while*

Buggy: for this trick I will need a "Volunteer" from the audience!

Shanks: OH Me!! MEEE!! choose me!!

Buggy: *tries to ignore him* I will put them in this box to-

*Shanks still calling Buggy to choose him, before unchain himself and jumps over the line, still pointing at himself, begging to be chosen as he makes him way to Buggy ending up inches from his face*

Shanks: Bugs, me! Please chose me!

Buggy, done with him: ALRIGHT!!

*He shoves Shanks, who is smiling widely, into a box and locks it*

Buggy:I will saw you in half!!

*The saw shatters at the first contact with Shanks, the audience is Actually in awe by this*

Buggy: h..how....Never mind!! I meant I will lock him in a cage to face my ferocious beasts!!

*Shanks in the cage, still smiling excitedly at being part of Buggy’s show. The lions sense his haki and stay away afraid but Shanks wanting to pet them they reluctantly let him pet them*

Shanks: Buggy's kitties are adorable!

The audience: *talk with with another amazed before they start clapping*

Buggy, irritated, because HE was supposed to be in the spot light: I MEANT I WILL LOCK HIM IN A WATER TANK!!

*Cut to Shanks in the water tanks holding his breath while smiling *

Mohji: B...Boss...it's been half an hour now...

Buggy, angry:...d...damn it!!

The audience: *cheering and clapping excitedly*

Buggy: SHUT UP!!..just let them go I don't want to do the show anymore!

*The end of the night*

Buggy, drunk: I know you were stupid, but you're so stupid that you can't actually die properly!!

Shanks, laughing: Buggy, today's show was amazing!

Buggy: For the millionth time, I WAS TRYING TO KILL YOU!!!

Shanks, wraps his arm around buggy with a drink still in hand: Bugs was always so funny!

Buggy, doesn't pull away: DON'T TOUCH ME!!

*The red force and Buggy pirates watching from a far*

Yassop: it was funny at first but kpw it's just annoying.

Cabaji: agreed.

Benn: If I have to suffer through this so does all of you, crew member or not.

[[The red force and buggy pirates having this dance of watching thier captains interact but not actually ending up being a "thing". Adding to your idea, Shanks knows where buggy does his shows every time because the 2 crews keep in touch to vent a out thier idiot yet admirable captains]]

[missmungoe]

She's done! On the writing desk she goes 🏴‍☠️

[buggydstallion]

A couple of my favorite stills from RED.

[innerfare]

Random Shanks Headcanons 

Summary: A random collection of Shanks headcanons

CW: None // SFW

———

Has a fake arm that he uses for gags. Only he and Yasopp find it funny. Beckman once tossed the arm overboard after Shanks ‘lost’ the arm in a pot of Lucky Roux’s stew, only for Shanks to enter the mess hall the next morning with another attached to his body. 

Can do magic tricks, especially good with coins and cards. A very skilled sleight of hand artist. Also not above using these tricks to cheat while playing cards. (Inspired by the coin game w/ Luffy flashback). Cheating is the only way he can beat Beckman, who’s by far the best player on the crew. But he doesn’t even cheat to win, he just likes the thrill of getting away with it; also enjoys the thrill of getting caught. There was a rabbit loose aboard the Red Force for a solid month after the captain tried to learn how to pull it out of a hat.

The best beer pong player in the New World, probably the entire world. Would challenge all of his enemies to a game of beer pong to settle their disputes if he thought they would respect the results of the game. Good at drinking games in general (has a little too much experience).

Is an infamous gossip. If a member of the crew wants word to get out about something, they just mention it to their captain. 

Enjoys playing matchmaker. Always acts as a wingman for his crew when there’s a pretty bar maid. The only one he never tried to fix up with one of his crew mates was his darling Makino. 

Are soap operas a thing in the One Piece universe? Because if so, he has a favorite that he never misses an episode of (fights hardest on Thursdays so he can be home in time to catch the latest episode of Search for One Piece, a pirate drama based loosely on Roger’s life. He particularly enjoys the harlequin character). 

Loves meddling in any drama that comes up aboard the ship. Sometimes even starts drama just for entertainment, like the time he told Lucky Roux that he saw Limejuice sneaking steaks from the freezer, or when he robbed Beckman blind and left traces of a turkey leg at the scene of the crime. 

Thinks childish pranks are the funniest thing in the world. Pranks prospective crew members to see how they respond; screens them based on whether they find his jokes funny. Beckman insists this is not the best way to do things but Shanks persists. But Shanks isn't just being childish. He's making sure everyone who joins his crew has a good nature as that is, in his opinion, the most important thing. If you can't trust your crew, you're dead in the water.

Was definitely posing when the government snapped the photo for his wanted poster but pretends it was completely candid. Has a habit of comparing his wanted poster to the posters of his enemies.

He also uses his wanted poster to fish for compliments, especially from his crew. “That’s a pretty good picture, isn’t it?” “I don’t look half bad in that, do I?” “The real reason the marines are hunting me- the sight of my wanted poster makes their wives swoon.”  

Refers to himself as, “that handsome devil.” 

Smells like body odor and weed, but in a Matthew McConaughey kind of way (that is to say, it works for him). 

Animals and babies always like him. He insists the trick is to act uninterested. 

He is genuinely good-natured, but he definitely uses his sense of humor to disguise how terrifying he truly is. Is a pro at lulling people into a false sense of security. Definitely slouches on purpose to seem less intimidating.

Secretly paid off Luffy's "treasure tab" at Makino's bar. Didn't do it just to be kind to the poor kid but actually because he believed Luffy when he said he'd pay it back in full and did it to annoy Luffy a decade or two down the line. (When Luffy finally goes back to pay Makino and she informs him Shanks already did, Luffy blows a gasket.)

———

Hope you enjoyed it! If you want more, you can check out my masterlist here!

[blackholesun321]

Beckman, watching in unknowing horror as Shanks throws his dismembered penis at someone:

Trans!Shanks possibly drunk, definitely grieving on the first year anniversary of his dead father, hearing some prick saying his dads sucking dick in hell and remembering he has his packer on: I’m about to do what the kids call a pro-gamer move.

Beckman literally the smartest man in the world, watching a probably drunk, definitely under aged crying child turn; reach into his pants and pull out an entire penis. Proceeding to throw it across the bar, smacking right into the face of some blathering idiot shoulders width from Benn, telling him to and he quotes ‘Suck This Dick!’:….Ok. Maybe I need to pull back on the alcohol abit— OH SHIT THE KIDS GOT A BROKEN BOTTLE—

And that kids is how Shanks met his first mate.

[r0ttkins]

SANUSO WEEK DAY 4

@sanusoweek

MODERN AU - ANGST

Needed sleep, so I had to move work per one day. That's why it's late, will be one double day due to that.

Bonus for being late

When you have a house full of sailors there's obviously a cat, duh. And some dogs... and a Random deer.

Trust me, I have sailors in my family... Friends of family but still treated like family.

[hannahbarberra162]

Princess Treatment, Part 1 (Benn Beckman x OC, Rivals to Lovers, Slow Burn)

on Ao3

This is the "someone old" I had in mind for the X Amount of Followers event! You've unlocked Benn Beckman! There will be smut, but not in this chapter.

Thank you to @gouraminnow for helping me brainstorm and beta'ing my work even when I'm whiny.

Summary:

Everyone loves Benn Beckman. The crew, civilians, other pirates, and especially women, all think Benn's the greatest thing since Silvers Rayleigh. Except Anne. She wants to rearrange his face, free of charge, with every condescending smirk he throws her way. She's capable and deadly, she's proven her worth as a member of the Red-Haired pirates. But the first mate is hell bent on testing her patience and her boundaries.

Notes:

Anne is practicing Irish stick fighting, bataireacht.

“See anything you like?” Captain asked suggestively, tipping his head to Anne. She cut her glance from Benn Beckman twirling his finger around the curl of a provocatively dressed woman to the one-armed man by her side. She and her Captain were sitting with their legs up on a round table at some shitty dive bar on a winter island. It was summer, so the weather was nearly perfect; she could wear her leather boots, worn jeans, and her cut off t-shirt and feel perfectly comfortable.

“Unfortunately, I’m not into women. It’s my curse to bear,” Anne said as she took another swig of her ale, turning away from the scene in front of her. 

“I wasn’t talking about the woman,” Shanks replied, smirking. Anne rolled her eyes, wondering if she should punch her Captain verbally or physically. She didn’t want to spill their drinks, so she decided to use her words.

“Oi, watch what you say. Or I’ll tell a certain Marine Hunter how much time it takes you to achieve that ‘effortless’ messy hairstyle.” Anne didn’t like people prying into her business, especially red headed busybodies who thought they knew better than everyone else. Besides, she didn’t know what Shanks was talking about. She and Beckman had a…contentious relationship at best. She didn’t know what it was, but everything about him set her teeth on edge. Everyone else loved the first mate, thought he was so composed and collected. Every island they went to, every other crew they met with, every goddamn person thought Benn was so amazing, and it drove Anne up the wall.

Sure, she had eyes, Anne knew Beckman was objectively handsome. But his good looks came with an irritating nature, an arrogant attitude, a cocky smile and the overall condescending tone of a complete ass. Benn acted like he knew better than everyone at all times, including their Captain. Which, to be fair, he did know better than the Captain most of the time. But so did everyone, it didn’t make him special. 

No, Anne did not like Benn Beckman, and not just because of his self satisfied attitude. He went out of his way to irritate and annoy her, unlike any of the other Red Haired Pirates. Anne was the only woman on board, but no one else brought it up regularly. The guys seemed to forget she was a woman most of the time, only remembering when they saw her in her sports bra. Sure, there were grumbles that she was the only crewmate besides the Captain who got their own room, but that was about it. Anne had suggested cutting their dicks off to become her roommate, but no one took her up on the offer. Aside from that, Anne was no different than anyone else on the crew. She was strong, tall, capable, and deadly. 

Beckman, however, always went out of his way to bother her. It didn’t help that Anne had a short fuse around him and Beckman was always lighting a match. He called her Princess or Sweetheart or Doll instead of her name. He would take heavy crates out of her hands without asking, hefting them up onto his shoulder with a lopsided grin. He’d say “ladies first,” when the crew was headed inside a tavern, insisting on holding the door open for her. It made Anne see red and want to bash his face in with her club. Multiple times. 

That was another thing that irritated Anne about Benn. He was one of the few people able to get a rise out of her. Anne prided herself on her collected nature, never rising to take the bait, always keeping her wits about her. Sure, if provoked she’d break your face (or clavicle, or arm, or femur) with her club, but Anne preferred to live and let live. The rowdy parties, hostile civilians, things that needed repairs on the ship - Anne didn’t let any of it bother her. Life was too short to be angry about every small detail.

Except when it came to Benn Beckman. 

“Oi. Call me Anne, not Princess,” she demanded one night over dinner. She tried to keep her tone neutral and not show her anger - that would only backfire. He’d called her Princess all day as she worked the rigging, enraging her every time he did it. By the end of the day she’d nearly strangled him with the ropes rather than adjusting the sails.

“Whatever you say, Sweetcheeks,” Benn replied with a lazy smile, leaning back to swig his ale. Anne stabbed her fork into the table as she stood up,  flipping her chair backwards in her haste to get away before she stabbed the first mate instead. Stomping away, she heard the deep rumble of Beckman’s laugh, which only served to infuriate her further. 

Anne wasn’t upset by her gender, quite the opposite. Anne was proud to be a woman, and wouldn’t change it for anything. She wasn’t soft and curvy like the women they saw on most islands, and that was OK. Anne was tall, buff, and sported a permanent bitch face that belied her generally calm demeanor. Anne liked her hair short, her clothes masculine, and her body unshaven. Her haircut matched that of her Captain, since she cut both of their hair. But instead of red, hers was a deep dark brown, a few more gray hairs coming in annually. Freckles littered her face, shoulders, chest and back, their number growing every year spent on the sea. She was well muscled but lithe, her muscles aiding her ability to move quickly during skirmishes. As a child, Anne had been teased for her lack of femininity, called a tomboy and other names aimed to hurt her feelings. Anne quickly learned how to deal with such situations - namely, with violence. Anne discovered that once she’d broken enough noses and arms, people stopped making fun of her. 

She’d found her place on the Red Haired Pirates after accidentally catching their Captain in an animal trap. Anne had been checking her traps for food when she came across a red haired man in one of her trapping pits. 

“Stay, Hobbes,” Anne said, hopping off the back of her tiger and patting its velvety head.

“Oi, help me outta here,” the man said pitifully as he sat in the shade of the pit. Looking him over, Anne thought she recognized him from the wanted posters in town. 

“Aren’t you that Emperor?” Anne said, crossing her arms. 

“Yeah, Red Haired Shanks. Lemme outta here, I’m too hungover for this shit,” he whined. Anne was taken aback - she hadn’t expected one of the four Emperors of the Seas to be so…casual.

“No. Find your own way out.” Anne said, starting to mount her tiger again. Shanks’s mouth hung open in shock. If he was an Emperor, surely he’d be able to extricate himself. 

“That’s not nice, I only have one arm!” He exclaimed, his mouth forming a pout. 

“Never said I was nice,” Anne said while shrugging her shoulders, already on the back of her tiger as it sauntered away. 

And the rest was history. Shanks did eventually get out of the pit, though Anne never found out exactly how. He’d followed the path she’d set out on back to her hut and stumbled upon her practicing her bataireacht . The Captain sparred with Anne for a few minutes, then invited himself into her hut for a drink of her alcohol. A few hours later Anne had agreed to join Shanks’s crew. She had a few years of sailing experience, a lot of years of kicking ass experience, and even more years of drinking experience, all of which were needed to be a Red Haired Pirate. She’d brought her few things back with her, said brief goodbyes and set sail on the Red Force. 

The crew was nice enough, she met the doctor, who gave her a basic physical and wasn’t weird about it. Limejuice was an early favorite, the two quickly bonding over their shared love of staff fighting. Anne was also drawn to Monster and had to restrain herself from scratching him behind the ears at their first meeting. In fact, she found the crew rather pleasant and enjoyable enough. They were all around her age, a well settled crew, which made for a more relaxing journey on the sea. Unfortunately, she met the first mate after she joined, otherwise she would have declined. Their first meeting left a lot to be desired and set the tone for the rest of their interactions.

“What’s yer weapon of choice?” Benn asked as his introduction, eyeing the new recruit up and down, taking a drag of his cigarette. He had come up and leaned on her shoulder with his arm. Anne shoved it off of her like it burned.

“Don’t touch me. Club,” Anne replied tersely, pointing to the club strapped to her back. In truth, it was a shillelagh, but most people didn't know what that was.

“Do ye mean ‘staff?” Benn asked with a smirk. Anne ground her teeth together.

“If I meant ‘staff,’ I would have said ‘staff.’ I said ‘club,” Anne bit out. 

“Hmm. Staff might be better,” he said, blowing smoke in her face. Anne narrowed her eyes.

“Didn’t ask for your opinion. Don’t want it, either.” 

“Clubs break,” Benn said with a smug grin.

“So do bones,” Anne replied, baring her teeth, and turned on her heel to end the discussion. She was done with this conversation and this god awful man. Many people had underestimated her and her shillelagh fighting over the years. Most only did it once. 

“You’ve been ‘will-they-won’t-they’ for years with Beckman,” Shanks teased, crossing his feet at the ankles, taking a deep pull from his ale.

“Do you mean ‘will I kill him today or won’t I’? That’s about all it’s been between us. Sorry, Cap. He doesn’t like me and I don’t like him. And that’s not going to change any time soon.”

“Hmm, I’m not so sure. If you get married, make sure I’m invited to the wedding,” Shanks said, smacking Anne on the back.

“If we get married, you can officiate,” Anne snorted, draining the last of her glass. “Gonna get another brew and take a piss, see ya.” Anne pushed off the table with her feet and stood up, sheathing her stick behind her back and bringing her glass with her. Truthfully, she just didn’t want to continue this conversation with her Captain. He was relentless, especially when he thought he was right. Leaving her glass on the counter of the bar, Anne went out into the alley behind the building for a breath of air and maybe to bum a cigarette. She always wanted one when she started drinking and tonight was no exception.

Leaning against a wall, she spotted a group of three men chatting and smoking and walked up to them with her friendliest smile. Anne had been told it wasn’t that friendly but it was what she had.

“Hey, guys, can I bum a smoke?” she asked cordially. One of the men gave her a passing glance up and down before replying. He had a scar down the side of his face, black stubble on his cheeks matching the short black hair on his head and was missing the last two fingers on his left hand. Anne had slept with worse, she thought.

“Sure thing, Sugar,” he said, extending a hand with an open pack of cigarettes. Anne didn’t bother saying anything about the pet name. She’d never see these fucks again in her life, it wasn’t worth her breath.

“Thanks, bud,” she replied, placing the butt in her mouth. Before she could even ask for a light, the man lit a match and extended it towards her. Anne widened her smile, sometimes she didn’t mind princess treatment.

“So what crew’re you on, baby? Some kinda merchant ship?” the man asked, leaning in further.

“Red Haired Pirates,” Anne answered after taking a deep drag of the cigarette. The men laughed like she told a joke. Anne’s friendly smile disappeared. 

“Something funny?” she asked, fingers already twitching. 

“Nah, Doll, c’mon, don’t play games” the man said with a laugh, stepping closer and leaning on the wall nearest Anne. She just rolled her eyes. Anne was used to this reaction, it didn’t really bother her over much. So what if some dipshit didn’t think she was on the crew?

“No games, but here’s a prize,” a deep voice growled out, flinging a lit cigarette at the man’s eye.

“Goddammit!”

“Goddammit!” Both Anne and the man yelled out simultaneously at the same man. “What the fuck, Beckman?” Anne yelled, whirling around to face the first mate. Beckman was about a meter behind her, shrouded in the shadows of the alley. “You think I couldn’t handle this alone? Some fucking drunk assholes? Fucking piss off!” Anne yelled, already angry. She knew Benn wouldn’t do this for any of the other crew members. It showed that he thought she was weak, that she couldn’t handle herself even though she’d fought side by side with the crew hundreds of times. Her armament and observation haki was as good as anyone else’s on the crew, she didn’t need help. She didn’t need someone to protect her, she didn’t need a babysitter and she sure as shit didn’t need Beckman. Cigarette break ruined, Anne crushed the rest of her cigarette under the sole of her boot and pushed past Beckman.

“Go back to your ladies inside the bar, I’m sure they miss you,” Anne spat behind her as she left. “I sure as shit don’t,” she muttered under her breath, throwing open the door to the bar.

A few days later and the Red Force was slicing through the sea once more to Anne’s delight. The sun was setting, painting the sky in purples and oranges as sweet as sherbert. It was her favorite time of day, the peaceful calm of the evening settling in her bones before the chill of the night came. Anne enjoyed her cup of herbal tea, watching the sunset from the crow’s nest as was her daily habit when the ship was sailing. In a few moments, she’d go spar with some of the crew or train alone, but the sunset was a moment of respite in a chaotic world. She worked as a rigger on the ship under Building Snake, which was a difficult but rewarding job. She’d always liked sailing, even before she’d made her career as a pirate. And watching the sun sink low in the sky was one of the rewards she got to enjoy.

“Oi, Princess, let down your hair,” Anne heard from below. She closed her eyes and inhaled, trying to regain the sense of awe and wonder she had moments ago. Only one voice could have her go from zen to burning anger in six words. Anne chose not to answer, breathing deeply instead.

Beckman POV

Anne didn’t respond to his call, but her silence was enough to know he’d hit his mark. He could practically see Anne’s eye twitching as he teased her from the deck. If he riled her up enough, she’d spar with him, which was a combination of his two favorite things. Benn and Anne sparred frequently, their verbal jabs often turning into physical fighting. Anne would seldom agree to spar with him outright, he usually had to get her irritated before she’d even think about it. But she was Benn’s favorite sparring partner of the crew. Not just because he got to enjoy the jiggling of her small tits under her shirt, or feel the warmth of her sun kissed skin under his own, though that certainly didn’t hurt. 

Anne had a very different fighting style than his own - her style relied on quick, fluid movement and precision whereas his was more direct, focusing on power and force. She was nearly impossible to pin down, trying to keep her under him was like trying to capture water in your hand. One moment he’d have her on the deck, held in place under his arms and the next she’d be sitting on his chest, her fighting stick about to break his nose. She was wild, unpredictable, and powerful, all things Beckman found incredibly attractive. But she needed more training - to reign herself in and channel her emotions - and Benn had given the task to himself. 

He’d been interested in Anne from the first moment he saw her approaching the ship with the Captain. Shanks tended to recruit whoever he “vibed” with, something that Benn had long given up arguing over. Most recruits didn’t make it past a week or two, but Anne had fit in easily, able to hold her own on the ship and on the battlefield. He’d given her grief over her fighting stick but he had no doubts after he saw her in action. She was strong and capable and Benn wanted to train her to be even better. 

Once in battle, she’d been cornered against the bow, three Marines approaching with guns drawn. Anne had looked bored, Beckman later realized. He’d been coming to enter the fray and help her only to realize she didn’t need it. He watched her coat her stick in haki and quickly break the clavicle of the closest Marine, throw him into the two others, shatter the femur of the second and crack the head of the third. All in a matter of seconds. She wasn’t even breathing hard as she stepped heavily on the skull of the Marine on her way to aid her crew mates. Beckman knew he was hooked on her as soon as the blood started to coat the deck.

Sure, Anne was different from the women Beckman usually went after on islands. He was known to favor short, soft, feminine women, women who purred and begged him to take them to bed. Women who spent their money and time on ways to make themselves look better, smell better, and feel better when he finally carried them giggling to his cabin. And he appreciated all of those women, the effort they put into the way they looked did not go unnoticed. So even though Anne did none of those things, he liked her just as much - maybe even more. 

Benn didn’t know why he was compelled to tease her so much - he felt like he was pulling her pigtails on the playground. He loved winding her up until she snapped at him, getting a rise out of her was second nature to him. She didn’t give that energy to anyone else - not even foolishness from the Captain could get her riled. But one glance from Beckman and the smoke was already coming out of her ears, her fingers reaching for her club. And he absolutely loved it. He knew it wasn’t in his best interest if he wanted to seduce her, but he couldn’t resist teasing her as much as she couldn’t resist responding. 

“Oi, you deaf now?” Beckman asked, lighting another cigarette. In his mind, he counted down from five. By the time he got to one, he had to dodge Anne’s kick aimed at his head. Benn smiled. She got him on the rebound, kicking his lit cigarette to the ground. The crew had already started to gather to watch them fight.

Anne POV

Benn was the most infuriating man on the seas, she was sure of it. He was stronger than Anne, but she was faster. No matter how many times she thought she had the advantage, she was never able to keep it. Worst of all, every time he pinned her, he gave her the goddamn smirk. Anne would never tell him but she had improved after sparring with Beckman near daily. She’d gotten sharper, striking with more accuracy and even faster than before. But she’d rather smell Shanks’s stump than ever admit it. 

“Better luck next time, Princess,” Beckman drawled at her, both arms pinned above her head. Anne grunted and used her foot to kick Beckman’s neck, earning her freedom. The crew whooped for her, as they always did. They had a betting pool going on when she’d finally beat his ass, with the times ranging from next month to never.

��No next time, Beckman,” she grunted, rolling on top of him. Sweat was dripping down her neck and chest, she could feel it pooling in her bra. She aimed to elbow his stupid fucking face but was pushed backwards as Benn grappled his way back on top of her, pinning her legs under his own. 

“Always a next time, Sweetheart, you need me. You’re not gonna get better without my help,” he said, blocking her strike to his throat. Anne wanted to rip it out with her teeth, though she’d tried before and ended up with Beckman’s thick fingers in her mouth, holding her jaw open.

“Don’t need you or your fucking help!” Anne bellowed, trapped again beneath the First mate.

“Says the Dame who can’t get away,” Benn replied easily, tightening his hold on her. She was twisted like a pretzel, him holding her arms in place across her chest with one immovable hand, her legs spread between his and trapped under his heavy body. Anne wiggled and tested for weakness, but he had her caged.

“Get a room!” Shanks yelled from his cabin, watching with amusement. Anne turned bright red, from her cheeks down to her chest as she realized the somewhat lewd manner the position could be construed. The gathered crew laughed and dispersed, their daily fight over and Anne no closer to beating Beckman than she was before.

“Let me go, you won,” Anne hissed through her teeth. Benn made no movement to release her.

“Always do,” Benn replied, watching the sweat trickle down her chest. Anne was still blushing furiously and it wasn’t receding as long as Benn stayed on top of her.

“Get. Off.”

“As you wish, Princess,” Beckman said, pinching the apple of Anne’s cheek between his fingers before hauling himself off her. Benn didn’t need to wonder how he was going to die, Anne thought, one day she was going to kill him.

[reineydraws]

shanks reminds me of jmw turner's paintings so i wanted to put them together 💥

sketch for the painting under the cut!

[wolveswithblackpearls]

Bring Me To Life

Genre: Angst, Power Era, MAMA Era, Open Ending

Summary: All is well when Chanyeol returns from his patrol. The red force is probably still licking its wounds from their last confrontation, right? ...right?

Word count: 4 k

Warnings: major character death, revival / coming back from the dead, coming back wrong

A/N: Happy Holidays @exo-xexo! I (admin j aka @breeze-of-sunlight) am your secret santa~

I wish for you to be able to end this year peacefully and find some rest in the coming weeks. Hopefully you'll enjoy this little fic - let me know what you thought of it if you want!

For all those unfamiliar, this fic was posted as a part of the @exols-silver-christmas event 2024. Please check out the gifts from this and the past years if you want to see some beautiful creations by all kinds of EXO-Ls. Happy holidays to you too, santa admin. As usual, thank you so much for hosting!

May you find time for yourself in these last days of the year, dear reader.

"Chanyeol, duck!", is the last thing Chanyeol hears before something hits his shoulder and promptly dissolves into goo all over his neck and back. 

And it had been such a good day until now.

He can hear Kai and Sehun cackling behind him as he tries to shake off the worst of it and pull the more resistant parts of the novaberry from the hair on his nape. "Real mature guys, incredibly funny! You're off duty for five seconds and immediately behave like little shi-"

"Sorry, I tried to warn you, but I guess my timing was off.", Suho tries to placate as he makes his way to Chanyeol opposite of where the still snickering duo stands.

"Apology accepted, but only if you send these two right back on patrol again."

Suho huffs a laugh at that and brushes off a piece of the berry Chanyeol had missed. However, a frown replaces his easy grin and he turns to address the others. "Could you come over here, please? I need to ask you all something without yelling my lungs out".

"Sure", Kai hollers back and reaches out to grab Sehun's neck. The later only has a short second to let out an undignified squawk before they get teleported across the field and materialize next to Suho. 

"Ugh, I hate it when you do that! Could at least warn me beforehand?"

"I could."

"But? You won't?"

"Boys,", interrupts Suho, long suffering of his brother's antics, "could we please focus for one second?"

"One.", echo Kai and Sehun at once but stay silent afterwards. Chanyeol can smell Suho’s hair greying.

"Have any of you noticed anything different or suspicious on you patrols today?", Suho makes a point of staring each man in front of him down until they shake their heads one after the other. "Has anyone heard back from Baekhyun yet?"

Chanyeol feels his face drop. "No, why? Is something wrong? What's going on?"

Sighing heavily, Suho lowers his head and pinches the bridge of his nose. "There might be." When he raises his head back up, he admits " Baekhyun is not yet back from his mission. I talked to the others too, but no one has heard from him since he left this morning. And we can’t reach him via transmitter right now. Quite frankly, I'm worried."

And you're definitely not alone with that. Chanyeol adds mentally. Baekhyun has never been their most serious member. On the contrary, nothing seems to bring him more joy than to aggravate the others. But not coming home from a standard patrol? Not even trying to contact them about any anomalies altering his usual routes? That's simply not a line even he would cross for the sake of a prank. He must just have forgotten.

"Kai,", Suho pulls Chanyeol back from his thoughts, "I want you to teleport to his usual checkpoints. See if you can figure out whether he's been there today."

Kai nods solemnly, the mischief from a few moments ago long forgotten.

"I don't want you to face this alone and walk into a potential trap. Take Kyungsoo with you."

"Wait, hold up!", Chanyeol interrupts, "What do you mean 'Take Kyungsoo with you'? I'm literally right here?"

“Chanyeol, do not take this personally, but Kyungsoo tends to be a lot more levelheaded than you are in these situations”, Suho tries to calm him down. And Chanyeol can see the reasoning in that, but-

"And we literally need you right here, idiot.", Sehun raises his brow at him. "We're already down a guardian who can cast a shield of light over the tree of life. If this happens to be a trap, we don't need our actual firewall gone too."

Feeling his cheeks heat from being scolded by his younger brother, Chanyeol turns away from the group. A petty fine barely had the time to leave his lips when their transmitters light up simultaneously.

"Guys,", Xiumin’s grim voice filters through the devices, "we found him."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

There have been few days Chen has felt so much negativity in their hallowed halls. Or rather, beneath the tree of life. For good reason. While the tree is not all powerful, it at least grants its guardians one thing: quasi-immortality. In the long time they've been guardians, they have never had one of them dying.

That doesn't change the fact that Baekhyun’s cold body lies before them anyway. Looking all the more fragile between the massive roots.

But it simply must be him, from his long fingers to the small freckle over his lip, Chen is certain about it. This is Baekhyun. Xiumin could have dumped an entire frozen ocean's worth of ice over Chen's head and he still couldn't have been more frozen in pace.

Chanyeol, as expected, is not quite as silent about the matter.

"Lay, I know your power is health stuff and all, but how in the world is this supposed to work? He's not missing a finger; he's missing a heartbeat."

"'Health stuff and all'? Watch your tongue, Chanyeol. I know this isn't easy for you, but damn, neither is it for us!", Xiumin hisses back, feline eyes narrowed in agitation.

Lay, with his usual calm collectiveness when faced with a patient to attend, pulls Baekhyun's head into his lap and settles a hand over his brow. "Could you all please stop snapping at each other? This is going to be dancing on the edge of the possible already. If you keep distracting me, it's certainly going to go south."

"Besides,", he raises his head to stare into Chanyeol's eyes calmly, "it's not like we have any different options, do we?"

Chanyeol tsks in lieu of an answer but otherwise drops his arguments and resumes pacing. Chen tries to reach out to offer him tactile comfort but his hand gets pushed away. No one but Baekhyun himself could calm him down, it seems. Chen refocuses on the situation at hand instead. 

With bated breath the guardians watch as Lay closes his eyes and tries what they've thought was impossible up until now. While Chanyeol is right and their powers have their limits, performing this act of revival right below the tree of life is the best chance they're going to get. If Lay manages to tab into the trees power source, then surely, surely...

Lay shifts his hands, running the tips of his fingers down Baekhyun's head from scalp to chin and then settling next to his temples. The rest of them watches, watches and stares as Lay's hands start glowing. And they glow. They glow and glow and glow and begin shaking slightly after minutes (or hours? Who can say.) pass by. Baekhyun's chest still isn't moving. 

Inhaling deeply, Lay tilts his head back in a way easily recognizable to the rest of them. He's trying to tap into the tree's power. Usually, the tree would start winding roots or branches around whoever asked for aid - the energy is easier to transfer that way. Right now, though? The tree does nothing of the like. The branches stop swaying in the gentle breeze, the leaves becoming completely silent. Adding to the eerie atmosphere that has befallen them.

The tension under the tree could be cut with a knife, even Chanyeol has stopped pacing and worriedly glances back and forth between Baekhyun and the tree. Until Lay finally drops his hands, covered in sweat from head to toe, and breathes heavily as though he held his breath the entire time. While he leans down, he whispers something against Baekhyun's face - too quiet for Chen's ears to catch. Lay presses their foreheads together and then slowly wiggles himself out from beneath the body.

Before Chen can react, he hears a gasp next to him and Chanyeol shoots off to kneel down in front of Baekhyun. "No, no way! Baekhyun, can you hear me?" 

In full disbelief Chen also storms forward to sink down next to Baekhyun. He faintly notices how Suho grabs Lay by the shoulders to support their healer after was undoubtedly the most complicated use of his powers to this day.

Baekhyun in the meanwhile has not only opened his eyes but is also currently wiping the tears from Chanyeol's face. "What's going on? Why are you crying Yeollie?"

Which of course only results in Chanyeol sobbing harder.

Chen catches one of Baekyhun's hands between his own. "Baekhyun,", Chen begins when he caught the other's attention, "you've been dead for at least the last hour."

Baekhyun's face falls slowly, as if he had to remember how to do it first.

"What?"

"Don't you... don't you remember anything at all? Xiumin said he found you on his patrol, but-", Chen stammers, squeezing the hand harder as Baekhyun beings staring off into the distance.

"But you had no pulse", Xiumin finishes for him, leaning over his younger brothers’ backs. "Baekhyun, are you sure you can't remember anything else?"

"How about you let him come back to himself first?", Chanyeol's head snaps around and he glares alternatingly at his two members. At least until Baekhyun tries to sit up and lets out a long gasp of agony.

"Where... are we exactly?"

Chen makes a bewildered eye contact with Chanyeol as they try to stabilize Baekhyun between them, "Baek, we're under the tree of life. You're home".

"Huh", Baekhyun breathes and cranes his neck around slowly. His eyes dance up the bark of the tree up into its crown. Even slower, Baekhyun tries to lift one arm and reach out to one of the branches dangling above him.

The branch, however, flees his grasp as if repulsed by him. Chanyeol catches it with a still furrowed brow and brings it close to Baekhyun, who in turn promptly touches it. As if burned the branch jerks back and turns black where Baekhyun has laid his hand. The discoloration spreads along the branch, twitching as though it's in pain. The leaves start rustling in convulsion. Chen has never seen the tree act like that, much less after touching one of them.

Xiumin, quick as always, reacts first and summons a blade of ice to cut off the branch above the growing discoloration. The still twitching appendage falls with a heavy thud. In a radius around it the roots begin twitching and rearranging themselves, not wanting to come in contact at all.

With an open mouth Chen tears his gaze away and studies Baekhyun instead. It's as though the man's face has turned to stone, nothing but apathy to be read there. "Interesting."

And suddenly, as if the past hours hadn't happened, Baekhyun smoothly rolls to his feet and dusts off his pants with an air of disinterest.

"Woah there, take it slow Baek! You really shouldn't strain yourself", Chanyeol rises next to him, although with far less grace and holds out his hands as though scared the other will collapse at any second.

"Oh, don't worry,", Baekhyun's gaze fixes on Chanyeol, "Lay did a pretty sound job there."

Something is off about his smile, but Chen can't pin it down. Has this quiet intensity behind his eyes been there a minute ago? Why does he look at them like a predator stalks his prey?

A soft wheeze pulls Chen's attention to Lay instead. The healer has braced himself on hands and knees, one hand lifting to cover his heart. Although he had managed to slow down his breathing before, it now seems to get worse again. Suho has started quietly murmuring to him again, gently stroking his back to calm him down. Kyungsoo lets himself down next to him, naturally gifted at grounding people and offers him a shoulder to lean on.

Baekhyun, apparently, has also noticed their struggling healer and coos mockingly. "Aw, poor one. Did you overexert yourself trying to save your friend, huh? You tree huggers are even more pitiful than initially estimated."

And this? This is the straw that breaks the camel's back. Despite all his teasing and shenanigans, Baekhyun would never let one of them suffer without offering help - let alone make fun of anyone in need. So. What if Lay hadn't brought back their Baekhyun at all? What if he summoned something entirely else into their friend's body.

"You're not really Baekhyun, are you?", Chen asks in a low voice. He subtly shifts into a more battle-ready pose and summons a small string of lightning to dance around his fingers. The quiet flickering of the electricity suddenly grows a lot louder as Chen feels a wave of power and relief wash through him. It's the most encouraging signal the tree has sent him all day. 

"Who are you?"

Baekhyun's eyes are widening in pure joy at the open challenge, his smile turning even more manic. "Wouldn't you like to know, weather boy?"

Before any of them can react, Baekhyun performs a spinning move and summons an orb of unforgivingly blinding light. Chen flinches and covers his eyes, afraid of being blinded even though he was only exposed for a split second. From Chanyeol's pained scream he concludes the others aren't faring any better.

He wills his lightning back down again, knowing far too well how foolish it is to shoot at a target he can't sense in any way.

Kyungsoo, however, does not seem to have such reservations. A rumble goes through the ground as he summons an earthquake. Additional to not being able to see, now Chen can't hold his balance either. While sinking to the ground as carefully as he can manage, he at least hopes Kyungsoo manages to shake Baekhyun off his feet as well.

Instead, he feels the telltale rustle in the air that comes with Kai's teleporting and the light vanishes. Soon after, the world stops shaking and Chen warily blinks open his eyes. But Baekhyun is nowhere in sight. And although Kai is still here, his limbs are entangled with Sehun, the two of them must have fallen into one another when the earthquake caught them all by surprise.

"What? Where is he?", Chanyeol asks while heaving himself off the ground, turning in one direction after the other. Chen would comment on him looking like a helicopter during takeoff if the situation wasn't so dire. “He can't have gotten far in so little time!”

"Guys.", Suho gasps an interjection, "Our tree!"

And sure enough, there is a dark, rotting hole in the tree’s bark. Oozing a dark liquid as if it's bleeding, spreading from where Baekhyun must have made contact. The tree’s branches have drooped as though all life was sucked from them; its roots aren't so much as twitching although some of them are currently squished between two slates of earth in a way that must hurt.

A forlorn no is hushed from Lay's lips. He struggles to push himself upright, but instead just falls back against Kyungsoo's chest. "What have we done?"

"He's gone", Xiumin states grimly. Gaze sweeping over the meadow and through the forest surrounding them. Nothing seems out of the ordinary. If it wasn't for the last hour, one might even say it was peaceful.

Chen picks the pebbles that bore into his skin during the earthquake out of the palms of his hand. "We have to find him immediately. Maybe if we can get that possession or whatever that was out of him, it'll teach us how to reverse the damage."

Kai, who has by now managed to detangle himself from Sehun and pulled the latter to his feet, fetches a holomap from one of his endless pockets and boots it up. With the three-dimensional star map projected in front of him, he walks up to Xiumin. "Show me where you first saw him. Maybe I'll be able to track from where he came - and see if he passes by there again."

Xiumin begins gesturing around the map, trying to point out certain coordinates as precisely and quickly as he can manage. Meanwhile, Chen sees how Sehun rids himself of most things in his pockets and even begins taking off his shoes. Clearly preparing to take flight through the woods for long hours. Searching where the rest of them can't follow him with their larger space shuttles. At least not efficiently.

Chen feels the telltale rustle of teleportation behind his back. The sensation makes him pause for a second. Kai couldn't have teleported earlier, except if he teleported himself into Sehun. Which seems unlikely at best. Yet, Chen is sure he felt the same sensation right now as he did before Baekhyun disappeared. You get familiar with the supernatural surrounding you when you live together, after all.

"Now that we're talking about it, how did Xiumin manage to find Baekhyun? Their routes are nowhere near each other."

Xiumin swivels around: "Are you trying to say this is my fault? That I'm a traitor - or possessed by that whatever-it-is as well?".

"Calm down, Minnie, no one here believes you're an imposter", Suho placates, trying to keep them united even when his own nerves must be lying raw. "What's your point, Dae?"

"I'm just saying, what did Baekhyun even do out there? If he went that far off his actual checkpoints, he must've sought out Xiumin specifically. Do you maybe think that he saw the thing coming and tried to warn you?"

"And when he realized he couldn't he sacrificed himself instead", Suho furrows his brow.

"Just a thought."

"Or,", Sehun pipes up, "did any of you stop and think about whether or not we have the real Baekhyun in general?"

Chen is certain he can hear the grass grow over the silence that descends above them.

"Sehun, what the-?"

"No, hear me out.", Sehun intercepts, "We found a body, that miraculously looked like Baekhyun somewhere he shouldn't have been in the first place. When Lay breathed life back into him, the tree of life did not help at all. Don't you think it would be a little keener to help one of its protectors get back on his feet? The twig that thing touched literally wilted at first touch, there's an enormous hole in the tree - that keeps on growing, by the way."

"And we have no actual means to find out how Baekhyun got where he ended up being", Suho adds on. "Fuck, Sehun, you might be right. This basically reeks of red force, doesn’t it?"

"Did we just bring a red force clone of one of us to life?", Chen asks breathlessly.

"Did said clone manage to escape so that he can now spread the knowledge he gained to his master?", Xiumin comments wryly, his lips pressed together in a thin line.

"We're screwed", Chanyeol exhales as he drags his hands down his face slowly. "If the red force knows where the tree of life stands, how long do we have until it starts attacking?"

"And how long", Lay pipes up from where he lays in Kyungsoo's arms, "until we can't trust each other anymore because we can't tell us apart from any clones."

And truth be told, Chen hadn't even considered that. "You think there are more of them? But how? There is no other Lay, no- no, X-Lay, right? How is that X-Baekhyun supposed to bring them to life?"

"No, I don't think X-Baekhyun can do that. But think of it, if the tree can create guardians, it's not too far off to assume the red force can too. And if it's goal with X-Baekhyun was to simply scout the area and find the tree, there's no reason to send all of its subjects and risk potential fallouts."

"And it comes with the added benefit of taking out some of us as well," Kyungsoo murmurs, stroking a comforting hand up and down Lay’s arm.

"I'm not down, I'll be fine in a few minutes."

"Just don't strain yourself. We still need you."

Suho starts massaging his temples. "That would also explain his quick getaway. If there already is a Kai clone, we can stop wondering how he pulled that off."

"So, what now?", Xiumin stares down the hole in the tree darkly. "The force weakened the tree so now it can come back with the big guns and completely claim it? And all we can do is set up wards and hope for the best?"

Chen doesn’t have it in him to respond in any way. He hasn’t felt this foolish and helpless in forever.

"We might not be completely defenseless", Kyungsoo answers quietly instead. "There's something I've read a… while ago. But it's experimental and I might not remember all the details."

Suho sighs heavily. "I can't say I'm thrilled at the thought of more experiments today."

"It's not like we have a lot of other options, though", Kyungsoo counters. Suho nods in agreement and waves his hand to encourage Kyungsoo to keep talking.

"Simply put, we would essentially split the tree in two. Hide each half in a pocket dimension. Each a mirror world of the other. The same skies over different grounds. The same grounds under different skies. That way the red force can't find it based on where it is now.  Over time the tree could grow and heal itself. When it's strong enough, we'll reunite it again. Until then we have to find Baekhyun, the real Baekhyun. And we best get rid of any clones or other units of the red force as quickly as we can. I'd rather not take any chances here."

Sehun raises a brow in disbelief: "Won't we just make ourselves vulnerable if we split up? What if they find one half of the tree, charge in there with full force and completely destroy that half of the tree? This just sounds like we're presenting the tree on a silver platter."

Kyungsoo heaves a heavy sigh, as if the worst still lies ahead of him. "There's another thing. Due to the split of our current dimension, we will create some problems with space-time. Which means we're most likely not going to be able to get in touch the conventional way. I'm not sure if we'll even be able to contact each other at all. But that also means the force will get separated. It won't be able to reconnect to its other units and neither can it switch dimensions at will. Not unless we can too. The only other way for it to do that is to wait out until the two dimensions have aligned and we merge the tree once again."

Chen isn't sure how many more hits he'll be able to take today. He locks eyes with Chanyeol, who looks back at him with similarly forlorn expression. When he lets his gaze drag over the different faces of his friends, his family, he sees the same silent emotions. In the way Sehun picks anxiously at his fingernails, in the way Suho is again pinching the bridge of his nose, in the way Lay stares up at the trees crown with glassy eyes. In the tear he can feel rolling down his own cheek. 

"This is goodbye then?"

"Yes", answers Kyungsoo, voice barely above a whisper. "But only for a while."

Suho turns away from the group, hands already on his transmitter. "I'll page Kai. We should meet at the ritual grounds. You guys should get a headstart, we won't be far behind."

Chanyeol and Sehun relieve Kyungsoo of his Lay-safekeeping-duties, their taller frames better equipped for carrying around a person. Lay keeps on protesting vehemently that he can walk on his own, but his complaints fall on deaf ears. Neither of them is willing to let go of their friend in what could be the last time for millennia.

Suddenly Chen's field of vision is obscured by a face. Xiumin's worried face. "It will be okay", he promises quietly. "We'll be back together in no time, you'll see. And the tree will have blossomed brighter than ever! Won't that be nice?"

"Yeah, sure it will", Chen snivels softly and tries to muster up a smile for Xiumin's sake. He clearly isn't very successful judging how the grief grows stronger on Xiumin's face as well.

"Just never lose yourself, okay?", Xiumin's finger rise to gently swipe away the tears Chen hadn't noticed rolling down his face in streams now. 

"Just be brave. A new world shall open up."

A/N: And that's a wrap! I took some liberties with the whole MAMA intro, but I hope you guys like it anyway :] Please consider leaving me a comment or a reblog, that would make my day! And if anyone's in the mood for it, here's the link to the EXO-K MAMA mv. Take care, everyone!

-admin j