#This story was supposed to go over there

[t-z-gow]

Sure thing! However I do keep things gender neutral in my stories unless it's necessary for it to be gendered. It's just so everyone can enjoy!

This one got a little long so I decided I'd have to make it a two part story. I'll start working on the next part soon! (Also hope you don't mind but I added a bit of Freya ^-^;)

PLATONIC Kratos x Freya & Child Reader ~ Silence [Pt 1]

Cold and abandoned was the child Kratos had found in the final remnants of the Fimbulwinter snow. Surprised to see them breathing he was swift to find them help with the Godess Freya.

He could not have known the path that decision would lead him down.

TW: Child Abandonment, Alluding to Child Abuse/Neglect/Harm

Softly yet with swift feet two wolves ran through the deep snow, following the orders of Kratos as he held their reins. Despite the sound of the moving sled the world was rather quiet; almost too quiet.

The constant snow of Fimbulwinter had finally ceased, though that wasn't the end of the snowy landscape. It would take many summers to thaw the sheets of ice that had been created, not to mention how fleeting those summers were, soon replaced by familiar cold again.

It was times like these, traveling around the expanses of the realms in utter silence, that he began to miss his son. To miss his questions, to miss the stories Mimir and him would tell. For the first time in a very long time he found himself uncomfortable in the silence. So uncomfortable in fact that he almost went to ask Mimir for a story, though thought better of it. Mimir had done enough of that over the past few days with the Midguardian children he had been entertaining. He was sure that the man had to be tired of speaking by now-

"So brother, how's the new title been treatin' ya? God of the people and all that" the head that lay in the sled asked. The question caught the quiet god off guard, though he answered after only a moment. He hated the silence.

"They talk a lot" was all he could comment, earning a chuckle from Mimir.

"Or perhaps you talk too little" Mimir pondered back, earning a grunt in response.

"I do not intend to change that" he spoke as his eyes turned to look around the environment, always searching for any possible danger ahead.

Instead his eyes froze on a figure on the ice, all too noticeable against the pure white snow. Seeing as the scene was out of the ordinary he turned his sled towards it, approaching whomever the figure was.

"Course not. Wouldn't expect-...where ya headin' lad?" Mimir asked, quickly noticing the strange change in direction. Kratos didn't speak for a moment, his eyes narrowing to try and see who the figure might be, but still being too far out.

"There is someone on the ice" he responded with a quiet grumble as he approached. The closer he got the more he slowed, taking caution with whoever might be on the snow. Or, more accurately, what might have caused their collapsed state. Only once he was a few feet out that he realized the person slumped held the features of a human. Getting even closer allowed him to notice that they were a child. He sped a little faster towards the end seeing as the situation grew quite a bit grimmer at the realization. Noticing this sudden hastiness Mimir spoke up again.

"What is it brother!" He called out, only to once again receive no response from Kratos who quickly stopped the sled before immediately stepping off of it. He moved just as swiftly to the limp body, only a few steps between. A dread fell in the air, Mimirs worried yells blurring into the sound of the wind.

It was a sight no person would ever wish to see, let alone one who had a child of their own. Yet it was a sight so horribly familiar for the scarred man. The tiny hands frozen in a grasp, the eyes shut in a disturbing calm. He quickly pushed those thoughts away though, instead kneeling to the ground beside the child, his eyes holding a darker look as he stared.

He had at first thought them dead. He had known the ice to preserve bodies long after their deaths and it wasn't entirely uncommon to find the ice melting to reveal hidden corpses. However that wasn't the case here, especially once he noticed the ragged yet still visible rise and fall of the child's chest. The instant he noticed he flew into action, picking up the abandoned child and bringing them back to the sled, laying them in a seat beside him as he sat back at the reins.

"What in the bloody- who-"

"It is a child. They are still alive" he finally answered Mimir before immediately mushing the wolves along.

-

Heavy. Every bone in your body, every ounce of blood running through your veins. It felt as if every force imaginable pulled you to the earth. After a long enough time held in the silent void, you began to finally push against it. The first few attempts were incredibly difficult and after the third try you began to wonder if it was pointless. It was then though that you began to feel your tongue in your mouth, and the heaviness of the air that made it to your chest. Confused and fearful you tried to call out to the void. But your tongue might as well have been made of metal with how near impossible it was to bend to make coherent sounds. The only noise to leave your lips was a half attempt at a groan. Realizing this your fear grew as you tried, in blind panic, to move anything, to do so much as speak a word. You felt your body adjust slightly, but nothing besides that.

"Shhh shhh. It's alright child" a voice called. You stopped your attempts upon hearing it, confusion flooding through you. The voice was soft and feminine, almost motherly, its tone not of any malice or anger. You felt the touch of a hand on your head; warm and comforting. The strange new presence was calming despite you not even fully understanding it. So you leaned into the hand, seeking more of that comforting feeling.

"It's alright. Rest now" the voice called again. Lulled by its words you stopped pushing against the strange heaviness, allowing your breath to slow and your body to relax, your mind leaving not long after.

Freya felt a smile cross her lips, as melancholy as it felt, as she stared down at the sleeping child. Her hand still held gently to their face as she carefully brushed her thumb against their cheek. She had learned after quite a while of their sounds that they seemed to calm their whining under her touch.

Only after they seemed to have fallen back to sleep did she stand once more, even if every fiber of her being called her back into their presence.

"Are they well?" the familiar voice of Kratos spoke behind her. She didn't jump as she had many times before, having grown used to his sudden appearances. She instead stood and went back to mixing her medicine, knowing that the child would need it upon waking.

"I managed to save their life," she quickly answered as her look grew grim once more, her eyes glancing back at the child that lay sleeping on the table.

"But not without a few consequences" she finished her words with an undertone of agitation, clearly unhappy with the outcome.

The wood of the floor creaked under the heavy foot of Kratos as he stepped closer. His eyes didn't stray from the child for even a second until he took a spot next to Freya.

"And what might those be?" Mimir asked. Upon hearing him speak Kratos removed him from his belt and placed him on the table so that he could more easily speak to them. Freya glanced up at him but seemed far more focused on grinding down the seeds in her bowl.

"I was unable to save three of their fingers, they were far too frostbitten. And while they remain asleep now, they are restless. The spell I used to save their life has some painful after-effects. Which is why we needed these," she motioned to her bowl as her movements became a little more aggressive, though not enough to warrant stopping her.

"Consequences are a given. They are lucky to live" Kratos spoke in some sort of attempt to calm her as he outstretched the final herbs she would need. She turned to meet his eye, her stare dark and burning. He didn't flinch. He didn't even stop staring at her. After a long moment she shook her head, taking the herb from him and continuing her task.

"You're lucky I even returned to this place" she mumbled with a slight sneer.

Silence reigned in a long pause, though that wasn't necessarily uncommon for them. After a few minutes though he left her side, instead turning his attention to the child in the bed. He hesitated, unsure if he should so much as go near the fragile being. Nevertheless, his concern soon pulled him forward and he approached the sleeping kid.

The first thing he noticed was the scars. Littered across their face in noticeable slashes and burns was a history he didn't yet know, but it was all but pretty. His eyes glanced back to Freya when he noticed this, wondering if this was what had her so on edge. Seeing a child with such harm done to them surely wasn't something she was comfortable with.

"The child...they hold many scars" he mentioned, her body tensing at his words.

"I noticed that" she replied, her hands further busying themselves. He was going to turn back to the child, hoping to maybe find some clue as to how they ended up on the ice of Midgard when Freya spoke again.

"They're Aesir" She commented, finally stopping her work to turn to him. He quickly turned his attention to her, his already hardened look narrowing at the comment.

"How did you learn this?" He asked, to which she nodded towards a nearby chair that held the outfit you had been wearing earlier. As torn as it was, Freya knew the design all too well.

"Their clothes. You only find quality like that with Aesir gods. Or at least, that was the case," she elaborated, taking the small bowl in her hand and bringing it to the fire. Mimir, having stayed quiet for a long while now as he clearly felt the tension in the room, finally decided to speak once again.

"Aesir gods? Are you sayin' the wee one's part of the Aesir?" He questioned, Freya nodding along with the words.

"Yes. That or they were somehow involved with them. I hadn't heard any mention of any Aesir gods having children before Ragnarök though. They usually make new family a big deal" Freya's agitation grew more clear the longer she talked, the venom of her words palpable. Both Kratos and Mimir thought on the words for a minute, unsure what any of this could mean. Freya poured her solution into the metal pot above the fire before beginning to mix it in.

"Should we speak to Sif about this?" Kratos suggested, the question giving Freya a slight pause before she shook her head.

"No. She's far too busy. Besides, she was always more concerned with her family than the matters of the Aesir. She wouldn't know" Freya continued her mixing, the two further thinking on the strangeness of the situation.

"Well if they're really part of the Aesir I'm sure she's bound ta have a clue at least. Wouldn't hurt ta talk to her," Mimir pushed, not letting the idea go. The room was quiet for a moment as Freya thought it over. After mixing a little longer she finally responded.

"Sure, she might know...but she isn't going to enjoy the intrusion" she reiterated as she took the pot from the flames, placing it on a metal rack to cool. Turning back to the two of them Freya's features held clear skepticism. She didn't seem to like the idea and the two of them were quickly picking that up.

"Well it seems like our best shot at finding the wee one's parents. I don' think we got much else ta go on" Mimir continued trying to convince her. Freya's eyes strayed from him, glancing back at the child that lay silently before looking back to the two.

"The last time I saw someone try to talk to Sif she nearly pulled their head off for getting in the way of her work. She's consumed with trying to rebuild her home and keeping the peace between the Aesir and the Vanier. Not to mention trying to keep Thrúd out of trouble. She's been a wreck since...well you both already know" Freya continued to explain her reasons for her hesitance. Yet even the thought of being attacked by Sif didn't drive Mimir away from his stance.

"But you two were friends weren't you? Surely she wouldn't be too harsh with ya, 'specially considerin' you're Vanir...worst-case scenario she just sends ya on your way-" Mimir's words suddenly stopped when a strange sound covered the room, causing Freya's eyes to widen as she quickly moved. Confused, Kratos turned to see the child.

Their eyebrows knitted as they tossed and turned in their spot, groaning in some sort of pain. It was only seconds later that Freya was at their side, trying to calm the clearly upset child with sweet shushes and comforting touches. A few seconds later the sounds stopped and the child found rest once more. She remained staring for a moment longer before finally turning over her shoulder to the two, both of them now very aware of her true reason for hesitance. The sudden silence made her aware of their knowing and, with a sigh, she stood.

"The child is still in need of help. They're going to be sick for a while. Finding their parents isn't a priority right now." She conveyed with a truer tone than before, her face twisted in concern. A bit of hesitance lingered, the two realizing the extent of Freya's concerns. After a while, Mimir finally spoke.

"Well I suppose you're right...but we can't put it off for too long. Their parents are probably worried sick" Mimir finally relented and Kratos agreed with a hum. Freya seemed to calm a little as they agreed.

"Would you wish for us to stay?" Kratos asked. The words seemed to catch Freya a little off guard, but she soon nodded.

"It would be best. I have business with the Valkyries in the morning" she agreed. Kratos gave a nod, knowing he had nothing else planned for the day anyway.

-

You were here again. The darkness, the numbness, the heavy weight. But something felt...different this time. The air that flowed through your lungs felt lighter, your body not as held in place. Noticing this you once again tried to fight against the pull of this unknown force and find yourself outside of this strange purgatory, to finally make some sort of full movement. And, to your utter surprise, you moved your arm.

It was then that a searing pain shot through your body, radiating from the core of your very being and singeing every nerve you had. You shot up, your eyes opening fully as you instantly began to scream in utter agony. Despite your eyes being open you could hardly begin to understand anything that was going on as you cried out, your balance shifting and your muscles stiff. You didn't hear the frantic footsteps, nor did you feel the pull of hands on you, gently grabbing and tugging to move you. You had no energy to stop them even if you did, your body feeling as weak as it had when you fell to the ice. Your mind could do nothing but focus on that pain, that white radiating feeling of suffering.

Something was raised to your lips and you once again didn't fight, not even as the warm liquid began to fall down your throat. Your body's instincts kicked in long enough to stop your crying and drink whatever this was without choking. After a few moments your adrenaline had pumped enough to allow your arms to push away whatever it was. Your head shook as the disgusting taste overtook your tongue. You went into a coughing fit not even a second after as you tried to rid yourself of that horrible taste. Suddenly though the pain racking through your body began to melt away, numbing in slow waves. As it did the world around you began to come into view along with the other sensations of the world. Such as the rolling tears down your face, the comfortable warmth against your skin, and your quick breaths that you tried rather poorly to calm. The next thing you felt was something rubbing slow circles on your back before whispered words met your ears.

"Shh shhh, It's alright child" a voice softly shushed, now allowing you to fully recognize the presence of someone else beside you. The instant you did your fluttering heart nearly stopped, your body quickly shifting in an attempt to get away, nearly falling off of whatever you were on as you did. Their hands grabbed you and your eyes tightly shut as they did, afraid of what they might do.

You were gently pulled back into your previous spot before the hands left you entirely. Slowly opening your eyes once more you came face to face with an utter stranger.

"Are you alright?" The strange woman asked. You stared silently at her, unsure of anything that was happening. You had remembered falling into the cold snow, tired and weak and now you were here...

Where was here exactly? And who was this stranger? And why did everything hurt so bad? Nothing made sense to you. So you gave no answer.

The lack of answer seemed to upset the woman, if only slightly. She continued to stare at you for a moment longer before.

BAM!

The sound immideatly frightened you and seemingly the woman as well. Your body flinched away and this time, without the woman's help, you fell. You didn't seem to stop once you'd fallen, using what little strength you had to shakingly try and stand. You made it only a few steps before you fell once more. You quickly turned around to face the sound, scooting away as you did so. You then found yourself locking eyes with a terrifying man.

Tall and scarred with eyes the color of a blazing fire. He wielded an ax that looked sharp enough to cut through bone and an all too eye-catching bright red tattoo that swirled around the left of his body.

Even more terrified than before you quickened your attempt to scoot away, hoping that the distance would keep you from him. Suddenly his eyes turned from you and towards the woman. You didn't dare turn your eyes from him though.

"I heard screaming" the man spoke, the sound deep enough to almost be physically felt. The woman quickly regained her composure as she stood and stared at the man with no fear in her stature.

"I told you there would be consequences" she reiterated, soon standing from her spot and quickly approaching you. You continued to back away but it wasn't long until you ran out of space, your back hitting a wall and panic consuming you.

"It's alright. We aren't going to hurt you" she spoke, trying to comfort you. It didn't seem to help as she continued to step closer. She stopped her movements upon noticing her approach was what was further frightening you. She didn't really know what to do at this point, something that showed in her hesitant stare and uncertain movements.

You, however, weren't paying attention to that. You were instead trying to figure out what was going on, trying to remember how you had gotten here, or maybe if you somehow knew these people-

A short glimpse at your hands froze every previous thought and motion, your eyes widening further as you realized a few of your fingers were missing. You felt your breath leave you, dread and terror consuming you as absolute shock ran through your system.

What happened to your hands?

Everything became a blurred mess, nothing made sense. Utterly overwhelmed and at a complete loss, you fainted.

Freya moved towards you the instant you went out, her worry apparent. Kratos stared at this scene with very little to add other than concern and confusion, which he kept rather hidden in his usual silence. Freya quickly returned you to your previous spot before letting out a held breath. Kratos finally moved, soon taking a spot next to Freya.

"What happened?" He asked as he glanced to the child.

"They woke up sooner than they were supposed to. The spell hadn't been able to fully settle. I thought it might happen, which is why I made that medicine earlier. I hadn't expected them to be up this though" Freya explained as she sat down.

Looking at her closely it was clear to see that she was beyond tired. From the slow movements to the quiet speech. The stress of this unexpected task was starting to get to her, which was all but a good sign. Yet the quiet remained, and the silence was all but comforting now.

Silence. It was always so quiet now. Too quiet. Too still.

"You should rest" Kratos finally spoke, her eyes snapping to him at the request. She was dumbfounded to find a serious look on his face, despite knowing full well that he never said anything he didn't mean.

"I-...This child is going to wake up again-"

"And I will handle it" he quickly answered back. She was further baffled by his commitment to his statement as she began to wonder if he had seen what she had.

"Kratos I can't just leave a sick child! What if the medicine wears?! Or- Or they panic again-"

"I will handle it" Kratos once again stood by his words, though there was a difference in it this time. Freya couldn't quite pin down the new strange quality to his tone. Determination? Worry? She didn't quite know. Either way, it instilled a lot more confidence in his capability. He seemed to think he could do this and she had no reason to doubt his assessment of his abilities. So, with another cautious stare, she slowly stood back up.

"Alright...but I will be checking back in the morning." She prefaced to which she earned nothing more than a nod of acknowledgment from him. With that she left for bed, too tired to argue further.

-

Slowly but surely your body began pushing you from sleep once again. Though, unlike your previous attempts, you no longer felt held down by unknown forces. In fact you couldn't feel anything other than a mild sting rushing through your body.

Despite being awake you didn't move for a few moments, almost afraid to do so. However your other bodily functions began to overcome that, such as hunger and thirst, so you eventually forced your eyes open. It seemed almost impossible but they did eventually open.

The world that met you was strange. Warm and dim yet not dark. Light poured gently through the windows, though it wasn't bright. It held a hue of early morning blue, a color that only barely lulled the dread growing within you.

You began to slowly sit up, your world falling blurry before slowly coming back into focus. Once it did you tried to take some deep breaths, hoping to escape the nervousness that grew upon realizing you had no clue where you were.

You hardly had time to do that though as your senses were filled with an absolutely mouthwatering smell. One that caused you to instantly salivate as your stomach rumbled. You tried to think about how long it had been since you had last eaten but instead found your memories quite jumbled. Your brain could barely focus on thinking when you felt nothing but hunger pull at you.

In fact, that hunger seemed to outweigh the nervousness coursing through you as you found yourself willing to stand to follow the smell. You hesitated for a short moment, part of you realizing you had no clue what was going on. But that soon left your mind as well. Everything left but a need to eat.

You were starving.

So you stood anyway, your legs wobbling as you barely caught yourself on a nearby chair. You stabilized yourself, taking breaths as you gained some strength in your legs. This part was never easy, but you weren't unfamiliar with it. Of holding on to something just to stand, of feeling weakness and exhaustion trying to pull you to the ground once more. But you shoved the weakness away. You shoved it deep down and buried it.

This wasn't a world for the weak.

You carefully let go of the chair, shoving away the fragility of your body as you tried to walk. You drifted with each step, almost losing your balance a few times as you did, but you walked all the same. Slowly you made your way closer and closer but abruptly stopped when the only thing that could override your hunger set it.

Fear

Why did the sudden fear rack through you? Well it might just have something to do with the truly terrifying man you saw mixing the source of the smell. Tall, scarred, and with a scowl that brought up more than a few bad memories. You ducked, quickly hiding behind whatever was closest to you.

Unfortunately your swiftness cost stealth, as seen by a cup you managed to knock over upon hiding behind a small table. The man promptly looked up from the pot, his bright amber eyes staring squarely in your direction. He stared for a short time before glancing at where you had once been laying. After that the harsh stare in his eyes calmed and he looked back to his food.

You had thought you had sufficiently hid yourself for a moment, though his voice quickly shot down that idea.

"You should be resting," he spoke, his voice more than matching his face. Gruff and deep with an almost damaged sense to it. As if used and worn over years.

Terror struck back through you like a lightning bolt as you froze. Silence reigned for a long while, the only sounds being him tending to the food. After a moment he moved the pot to which you quickly backed up in response.

"Are you hungry?" He asked, his voice slightly softer than just a second ago. His words greatly piqued your interest, so much so that you almost instinctively responded. Yet you stopped yourself, knowing that this situation could very well be dangerous. So you chose silence once more and hoped that by doing so he might just act as if you had disappeared

Such a thing would never happen of course, but your child-like mind allowed you to believe so.

Your silence didn't seem to bother him. Or more so his features didn't turn any scarier than they already were. He merely continued his actions unbothered by your presence as he grabbed a bowl and dealt out some of the food he had made.

His disregard confused you slightly. It was enough to dull your fear with a hint of deadly curiosity which in turn allowed your hunger to once again overtake them both. Your eyes glued to the bowl he was making as he continued not to look at you, instead putting the pot back over the fire. Afterward he walked away in a direction opposite to you.

"If you will not rest then you should eat," he voiced as he walked, soon leaving your vision altogether. You could still hear him, his large size not allowing for much of any quiet as he walked. He was far enough away now though that you felt safe to leave your hiding spot, even if you did so rather slowly. After peeking just a bit to make sure he wasn't anywhere near, you began to walk. You did so with very little grace, something anyone near was sure to hear as you stumbled into more than a few objects, but you did eventually make it to the table with food. You peeked out again, spotting him with his back turned as he focused on something else. With your eyes held on him for any sudden movements and your stomach practically begging for whatever was in the bowl, you climbed your way onto a chair. You had to sit on your knees just to reach the table, but that didn't bother you too much.

You stared at him a moment longer, as if waiting for him to turn and attack. When he didn't you reached for the spoon.

It was then that you were very swiftly and very horrifically reminded of your injuries from earlier. Wrapped in stained red bandages was the stump of what was supposed to be your middle finger. Looking to the other hand you found your index and pinky finger missing. Your throat tightened as you looked at the wounds, the terror of your current situation hitting you once more. What was weirder was the lack of pain as you looked at it. It felt almost entirely unreal, the shock of your body almost allowing you to believe that it truly was.

Despite the horrifying new sight and with truely no idea what you were supposed to do in this situation, you chose to ignore it. Because that's all you had been trained to do, that's the only recourse you had. To ignore it until it stopped, if it ever did.

You instead chose to focus on eating the meal, knowing that it could very well be the only one you eat for a long while. You cherished every bite as if you had never eaten a day in your life. You had been so hungry. So incredibly and indescribably hungry.

"Are you in any pain?" The man asked, slightly startling you from your meal. He didn't turn to look at you as he spoke, still busy with what he was doing. You found it almost comforting that he did so since it would allow you more time to get away if need be. Overtaken by the food, his vulnerable stance, and the overwhelming realization that your silence could potentially annoy and even possibly anger him, you decided to finally speak.

"No" was all you could really say, your voice frail and almost whisper-like. If it weren't for the silence it might even not have been heard. In response he gave a simple 'hm' and let you get back to eating.

Before you knew it the bowl was empty. As far as you were concerned you could have had ten more. Still, you weren't about to ask for anything more. That was the most food you'd had in months, you weren't about to push it.

Finally he turned to you, his movement immediately catching your eye. This time though since he was no longer hidden behind something he was able to make direct eye contact with you. To your dismay, it seemed to be something he had no problem doing. You, however, shrunk under the unmistakable power of his gaze.

"You need your bandages replaced" he commented, your eyes glancing at the bloodied bandages for only a split second before turning back to him. You quickly noticed the bandages he held in his hands and soon got what he was trying to say. You struggled to swallow with the sudden dryness of your throat, but you knew there was no other answer you could give that wouldn't have the potential to upset him. So you gave a slow and reluctant nod.

He then walked back over to the table, your heart beating ten times for every one of his slow steps. Once he was close he kneeled on the ground in front of you. You leaned away, your eyes fixated on every small movement he made, waiting for any of them to be suddenly violent. He remained slow and purposeful.

Once he was ready he held out his hand to you. As slow as the movement was, you still flinched. After realizing the gesture was harmless you calmed slightly, though you remained very significantly on edge.

You didn't move for a minute longer, waiting for an anger that never came. When silence was left and his features didn't falter from their calm yet intense stare, you finally held out your hand for him to bandage. And, to your relief, it hadn't been a trick to trap you as he did in fact move to re-bandage your wounds.

Your eyes avoided him entirely as he worked. You didn't know this stranger, nor what he wanted. So you were keen on keeping your edge of paranoia for the time being. Even though his help and silence calmed you down quite a lot.

He had only helped you thus far, but you knew better than to trust that.

"Do you have a name?" He asked, suddenly breaking the silence. You shrunk away at his voice, though with him wrapping your hands you weren't able to go too far. You once again calmed rather quickly, though your jumpiness was becoming very apparent.

Afraid that he might become upset with your silence you responded.

"Y/n'' you spoke, though the hesitance in telling him such a thing was very noticeable in the way the name paused slightly on your tongue. He nodded, another 'hm' leaving. Silence continued again, circling suffocatingly around the room. And suddenly thoughts plagued your mind. Questions of your own formed in your head and terrified you to the core. Questions that, being only a child, were bound to spill out.

"Where am I?" You finally asked your own question, though as you did the pure reality of what that question meant fell onto you as your voice cracked and tears unwillingly began to form. Where were you? What happened? Why were you hurt? You just wanted to go home, just be home- just home, just home, home, home-

A hand landed on your shoulder, snapping you back to reality almost immediately. Only then did you notice the wet trails that fell down your cheeks and the hiccups you tried and failed to hold back. However, you were more focused on the sudden contact, your head popping up to look at the hand before turning to the man in front of you. You had expected anger, maybe even a violent glint in his eyes. You were instead surprised to find the opposite written on his face. Soft and concerned, the intensity once held in them now fully calmed. It shocked you to see as the expression so foreign to you. Oddly enough though it did greatly calm you to his presence. It was a look you very rarely ever saw, let alone from someone you had initially thought of as utterly terrifying. No words were exchanged as your tears stopped and your breathing slowed again. You quickly went to wipe away the tears before looking away from him again.

"Sorry," Was all you could think to say. It got yet another hum from him, though you couldn't quite decipher what it meant this time. He removed his hand from your shoulder before speaking.

"You should rest. We can talk more when you are well" he spoke, though you more easily noticed the softness in it than before. You nodded, not looking to disagree with the stranger. So you tried to stand again, knowing you would have to walk back to the bed. You barely took a step when your body began to give out once more, your weight leaned more onto the chair than your legs. He quickly noticed this and, before you could make any protest, you were no longer on the ground.

You yelped at the sudden action, freezing as you quickly covered your head. It was only a few moments later, after a few of his heavy steps, that you were gently placed back down. Once his contact ceased you began to slowly open your eyes again, realizing that he had inflicted no pain. Suddenly you felt the warmth of a blanket placed on top of you as he had picked it up from where you had dropped it onto the floor. The comfort of it along with the warmth of everything around you and your full stomach began to make you feel the heavy weight of your eyelids as you fought to keep them open.

He gave one final 'hm' before walking away to attend to his own tasks. With nothing more to do and just too exhausted to push on, you laid your head back down, quickly wrapping the warm blanket around yourself. It was barely a second before you drifted back to sleep.

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

I want you whipped into shape!

[First] Prev <–-> Next

[evil-swedenish]

After the encounter with Raphael (5x03)

[vaguely-concerned]

To the ‘themes I am picking up on in Veilguard’ list, let's go ahead and add what I have a sneaking suspicion will actually turn out to be The theme:

— the world has changed and can never be as it was again.

— I have been changed and can never be who I was again.

— in this simple unavoidable truth there is endless grief and endless hope.

And I… may be getting a bit emotional about it haha. Let me show my work a bit: 

if da:o is a game about people who are already dead or half ghosts in some form (through societal forces, psychologically, functionally, literally, in body, through the joining etc.) coming together anyway to save the world from being swallowed by total nihilism and despair (symbolized by the blight) through the power of love and friendship and also this sword/potential heroic sacrifice that I found, da2 is a game about people who have lost their homes and been set adrift finding and building new homes in each other (while completely failing to save the world. also through the power of love and friendship. as well as years of petty bickering <3 we must imagine kirkwall if not happy then worth having been because the love was there the love was there and that's the only sanctifying force we can ever have in this doomed world and city of ours), and da:i is a game about old stabilizing-but-unjust comfortable lies vs. disruptive but potentially liberating uncomfortable truths, and the power of friendship to help us distinguish the one from the other and navigate through them...

folks… I'm starting to think that veilguard might be a game specifically about moving towards recovery and acceptance after trauma — about how even in this flawed, severed, scarred state, what is here right now is worth loving and worth caring for. even in an imperfect and impermanent world and self, there is worth and joy. and of course the first real tragedy — and threat — of Solas is that he just cannot find it in himself to accept this and move on, to let go of what was, the regret won’t let him go or he won’t let go of it. which means that even though on the surface it’s Elgar’nan and Ghilan’nain (and the will to subjugate and violate they represent) who are the main villains, the real antagonistic force in this story beneath that is the Dread Wolf’s despair. A despair Rook must make an answer to by the end of the game, one way or another, compassionately or with righteous fury, triumphant or pyrrhic.

The world will change again and again and so will you — BUT the crucial element is that so will everyone else who exists along with you, you are fundamentally not alone in this existential truth. all we’ll ever have is each other and my god that is plenty, my god that is enough!!! Which is the second thing Solas just can’t accept, he keeps himself separate and completely alone out of an awful mix of fear and pride and feeling himself unworthy of anything else. Rook and the player want to save the world of Thedas because it’s where everyone we love lives, Solas wants to go back to the past because that’s the only neighbourhood where he can still visit those he loved — and the person he himself was, before. A very sympathetic and human instinct/trap to fall into when touched by trauma, I think, if only it wasn’t backed by godlike power, a fundamentally oppositional personality, and a catastrophic lack of therapy to make it literally everyone else’s problem too lol. It’s varric and solas’ banter about the man on the island and where meaning in a life comes from all over again, writ large and with detail work — and the added idea of ‘what if there are also other islands out there, though. With other people on them that you could find if you reach for each other’. Rook with the best of intentions has to make choices to which there are no perfect outcomes and live with what happens — and not cut themselves off from everyone else around them even when there is regret or shame. You get back up every day and you make a life with other people doing the same and you do your best, and that’s the only victory this world will give you. In the end, that is more than enough, that is essential. And I um. I love that. So much. It’s why some of the writing clumsiness on top can’t hurt me because this thematic spine is so solid and so beautiful to me. It’s DA2 all over again that way for me personally — I forgive this story for what it isn’t and couldn’t be, and I love it with my whole stupid open heart for what it actually is. Thank you for coming to my TED-talk and goodbye etc.      

(For my fellow TLT heads out there — you know what this story is reminding me of most of all, actually? It has some big Nona the Ninth vibes down there in the deep. It’s about… the horror and unspeakable beauty that can only be found in liminality, and the role of love in making that basic fact of existence bearable. And also even more unbearable at the same time. I'm so sorry.)

[lynzishell]

🌶️18+ Only

Prev // Next

*Note: If you have not read Part 4 and cba to go back and read it all, then this post should give you enough context.

Transcript below the cut:

Atlas: Hey. I was just thinking about you. Asher: Were you? Atlas: Can’t you tell?

Asher: What were you thinking? Atlas: I’ll show you.

Asher: Ahh… thank god you still feel the same. Atlas: What?

Asher: Nothing. Keep going.

[Later…]

Atlas: Are you coming to bed? Asher: … Atlas: Ash?

Asher: If I ask you something, will you promise to tell me the truth? Atlas: Of course. Asher: That last morning in Selvadorada, when we woke up in the jungle, you looked genuinely freaked out and you asked me if I remembered anything. What did you mean? Atlas: Why are you asking about that?

Asher: Because something feels different, ever since we got back, and I can’t shake it. Atlas: I see. Is that what’s been bothering you? Asher: [nods] Did something happen? Atlas: I think so. I’ve been trying to convince myself it was all just a dream, but I don’t think it was. I wanted to tell you, but… it’s going to make me sound insane. Asher: Tell me.

Atlas: I don’t really know where to start. Asher: At the beginning? Atlas: [scoffs] I wish it were that simple. Um, do you remember the temple? Asher: I remember the ruins. And the museum. Atlas: Right, okay. The museum. Do you remember what that guy, Sam, I think, do you remember what he said about curses?

One long and confusing story later…

Asher: How is that possible? Atlas: I have no idea, but I think maybe you’re right, that things are not the same as they were when we left. I don’t know exactly how, but I feel it too.

Asher: How do we go back?   Atlas: Back where? Asher: I don’t know. To whatever timeline we were in before. Atlas: I don’t think we do. I think we’re exactly where we’re supposed to be.

Asher: [sinking to his knees] But…

Atlas: Hey. Come here. Everything’s okay. More than okay. We made it out. We have each other, and we have our family and our friends, and we still get to create the life we always dreamed of. Nothing else matters. The rest is just… background noise.

Asher: Background noise? Atlas: Yes, and for what it’s worth, one thing that hasn’t changed, that will never change, is how much I love you. Asher: Atlas, I don’t know what I’d do without you. Atlas: We’ll never have to find out. For the rest of our lives, we’re in this together.

Asher: I love you so much. Atlas: I love you too.

[roppiepop]

i have not stopped thinking abt the dc pride 2023 announcement happy reunion kids!!

[moongothic]

WAIT WAIT WAIT HOLD THE FUCKING PHONE

So normally we only get fullblown, extended and dedicated flashbacks for heroic characters in One Piece, the characters who we're meant to root for. The literal only TRUE exception we've had to this rule was Big Mom's flashback. Even fucking Doflamingo's flashback was tied to Law and Rosinante's

So the fact that we haven't gotten a single fucking GLIMPSE at Crocodile's backstory is?!?

Like sure, we haven't gotten like a Moria flashback, but you know, he literally told us all we needed to know himself, AND we got to see glimpses of him in the Wano flashbacks. Arlong didn't get a flashback of his own, but he did get to cameo in Fisher Tiger's flashback. And Rob Fucking Lucci got a flashback that was 6 whooping panels long

BUT CROCODILE?? Not only do we know almost Fuck All about his story, but also have never gotten as much as a glimpse at it? But his backstory has been HINTED and TEASED at multiple times??

GUYS. FELLAS

Like. I am SURE the "Full Backstories for Heroes Only" rule is going to get broken again, but with Imu and Blackbeard already there just BEGGING to have their beans spilled, can we even be sure Sir Fucking Crocodile is somehow going to become A Villain So Dangerous To The Narrative that he ALSO should also recieve a Full Fucking Backstory?? For his Nefarious Schemes?? AT THIS POINT??

Y'all

I think it's more likely Oda's been saving up Croc's backstory because it might just completely recontextualize his entire character

[emberglowfox]

faceless day (post-canon)

[gunsatthaphan]

~ Monthly BL Breakdown: April 2024 ~ 

🌷 Happy May!!! ☀️

Disclaimer: ALL shows can be streamed here or here, as well as on Youtube and other platforms. For more info on where to watch what, check out this post! 

New breakdowns are coming at the end of every month - feel free to add stuff! -> previous breakdowns

What came out this month? (green = seen/currently watching)

🌟 Love is Like a Cat - April 1st (South Korea / Thailand) 

🌟 We Are - April 3rd (Thailand) ✅

🌟 Memory in the Letter - April 6th (Thailand) 

🌟 Living With Him - April 11th (Japan) 

🌟 Gray Shelter - April 11th (South Korea) 

🌟 Beating Again - April 13th (Thailand)

🌟 Blue Boys - April 15th (South Korea)

🌟 At 25:00 in Alasaka - April 18th (Japan)

🌟 GMMTV2024 Part 2 (lineup event) - April 23rd (Thailand) ✅

🌟 Boys Be Brave - April 25th (South Korea) 

🌟 CHANGE2561 2024 lineup event - April 25th (Thailand) ✅

🌟 My Stand-In - April 26th (Thailand) ✅

🌟 City Boy Log Vol. 3 - April 30th (South Korea)

New series & movie announcements

🎥 The Fridge - Date TBA (Thailand)

🎥 Flavor of Us (starring Benjamin B., Dome W. & others) - Date TBA (Thailand)

🎥 Children's Day - Date TBA (Taiwan)

🎥 Blue Time - Date TBA (China, possibly censored)

🎥 Bad Guy My Boss - Date TBA (Thailand)

🎥 Oriental Magician In The Ent. Circle - Date TBA (Taiwan)

🎥 Under the Oak Tree - Date TBA (Vietnam)

🎥 Invitation - Date TBA (Thailand)

🎥 The Love Matter - Date TBA (Thailand)

🎥 I Saw You in My Dream - Date TBA (Thailand)

🎥 I Wish You the Best - Date TBA (Thailand)

🎥 Impression of Youth - Date TBA (Taiwan)

🎥 Meet You at the Blossom - Date TBA (Taiwan)

Other news from the BL world

❗️ The production company Studio WabiSabi announced that their actors Boun N., Prem W., Santa P., Sammy C., Yacht P. and Stamp P. have terminated their contracts and will no longer be artists under the company on April 15th. Shortly after, GMMTV announced the 6 of them as newly signed artists, along with the disclosure that BounPrem's upcoming BL Vampire Project is now being produced under GMMTV, who now also own all broadcasting rights; WabiSabi will function as a co-producer. New S. stated on Twitter that the decisions had been long in the making, as well as the fact that WabiSabi no longer functions as a management agency for actors and is now a mere production company. He also denied the rumors that the company is shutting down. Shortly after the transfer of the Wabi Sabi actors, actor Fluke Jeeratch (formerly Pongsakorn) joined GMMTV as well.

❗️ The Filipino BL Gameboys is getting a third season. An air date has not been confirmed.

❗️ P Ekkapop and Pan Jirachot, the lead actors from Kiseki Chapter 2, have announced a new project together. Details are unknown.

❗️ Actor Barcode Tinnasit has announced his departure from his agency Be On Cloud.

❗️ After some confusion, the Korean production company Studio X+U announced that their upcoming series Fragile - which was initially advertized as a Korean SKAM remake - is in fact not connected to the Norwegian web series and is instead a standalone series, which focuses on the life of a group of teenagers. According to ZUM News, there was supposed to be a Korean SKAM remake based on the Norwegian original, which was however cancelled due to unknown reasons. Fragile was created as a substitution.

❗️ GMMTV held their 2024 part 2 event on April 23rd. The following BL projects were announced:

The Heart Killers (starring FirstKhao & JoongDunk)

Perfect10 Liners (starring ForceBook, PerthChimon, JuniorMark)

Heart That Skips a Beat (starring EstWilliam)

Revamp (starring BounPrem, formerly known as Vampire Project)

Sweet Tooth, Good Dentist (starring MarkOhm)

The Ex-Morning (starring KristSingto)

❗️ The production company CHANGE2561 held their 2024 lineup event on April 25th. The following BL projects were announced:

This Love Doesn't Have Long Beans (starring SailubPon)

Goddess Bless You From Death (starring PavelPooh)

I’m The Most Beautiful Count (starring PingSupanut)

Pit Babe Season 2

Upcoming series & movies for May

👉🏻 You Made My Day (starring Tar A. and Bom T. from I Will Knock You) - May 3rd (Thailand)

👉🏻 Inverse Identity / Upside Down - Mary 3rd (China)

👉🏻 Wandee Goodday - May 4th (Thailand)

👉🏻 A Balloon's Landing - May 10th (Taiwan)

👉🏻 City of Stars: Special Episode - May 10th (Thailand, cinema release)

👉🏻 The Time of Fever (Unintentional Love Story spinoff) - May 15th (South Korea)

👉🏻 Blossom Campus - May 16th (South Korea)

👉🏻 OMG! Vampire - May 19th (Thailand)

👉🏻 Manji Reverse - May 24th (Japan)

👉🏻 My Biker 2 - May 28th (Thailand)

[corpocyborg]

(so... uh... how far into dai do you have to get before it starts being good?)

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

The girls are plottinggggg

[First] Prev <–-> Next

[transmechanicus]

Personal pet peeve in 40k novels or fan concepts is when a faction or subfaction has a generally well established influence in how characters are named and then a given author completely fucks it up. Tech priest names are broadly derived from the Russian Orthodox Church, Italian scientists, and/or scientific technical terms. The Death Guard commonly have monosyllabic names, are pronounced as they’re written, and tend to avoid the letter “I”. Blood Angels are named for Italian artists and biblical angels. Space Wolves are named like Orks name themselves. The Iron Hands have a naming scheme that is impossible for me to quantify but I can tell it’s there and someday I’d love to ask David Guymer about it. Like yes, maybe I am picky or my pattern recognition goes Brrr too hard, but if you slap a generic roman name on one more character who’s not an Ultramarine I promise you I will not read another word I’m sorry.

[vaguely-concerned]

I don't know what I love more, the fact that as rook you can make a statement in NO uncertain terms that you are NOT responsible one way or the other for the theological implications of the shit you're discovering in the 'regrets of the dread wolf' memories. not my jurisdiction. quite simply none of my business. not my chantry circus not my chantry monkeys. irrelevant to the matter at hand here we'll kill that god if we get to him he can get in line. or if the best thing about it is seeing the lone little 'lucanis approves' that pops up right after choosing it. corvid with a knife about to commit deicide keeping it real and sensibly, pragmatically, wilfully agnostic with me here in this magical lighthouse today

[bartholomewillustrated]

Now it is only Most morning's that Lazarus gets up very early and does some warm-up painting, there are Some mornings where he has... other... business... to attend to..... ;;;>w>

Tried to do something more pushed and extreme with the lighting this time to get more of that Harsh Sunrise look I wanted in the Morning Painting piece but fell kinda short on and it ended up looking a bit toned-down.. I think I did a better job here! the blue in those shadows really comes out and looks nice and cool.. and I got a nice warm pink undertone in there somehow.. Just gotta keep trying one supposes... either way enjoy! The full picture is on my Twitter (@/bartholomewsart)

[dykedvonte]

Danse has to get homesick In Sanctuary. Like despite being uncertain of how much his past is real including times with the Brotherhood, those memories were home. The Brotherhood was home especially the Prydwen.

No matter all the comfort and the luxuries SoSu could put to make him feel more relaxed or like it’s his space it’s still not home. It’s so unique to him cause everyone else has a home in a sense. A thing or place they can come and go to as they please while Danse doesn’t. He can never go back to the people he considered family and they can never go to him without serious consequences. It doesn’t help that (due to his own faults and beliefs) a good majority of the new people in his life do not exactly like him.

It’s so isolating for him as the wasteland is also a different culture in general. Theres so much he’s not used to vs what he is. But all in all I think that’s a good thing. I feel as if Danse had a better arc in game it would 100% have him learning or developing a sense of home before a sense of self. I think it gets overlooked that Danse is a person that likes or feels like he needs to belong to something. A cause, a philosophy, a mission. He needs a goal. He must learn to live for himself and his purpose but it’s clear he wants to find that through something which is why he latches onto the Sole Survivor after rather than just wander the wastes. He needs something, anything to base a sense of self on at this point in time and who better than the person that opened their home to him in the first place.

He’s a dude that needs a foundation or home to ground himself on or else he doesn’t know what to do with himself or even start.

[moongothic]

This is gonna turn into some Crocodad Propaganda eventually but putting the man aside for a little bit

Let's be real for a moment. Regardless of who Luffy's other biological parent is, regardless of if they're relevant to the story or not, no matter what has become of that person, if they're dead or somewhere out there alive, etc-- I believe Oda "knows the truth".

Although it took One Piece until post-Enies Lobby to reveal some of Luffy's blood relatives to us, Oda had technically introduced both Garp and Dragon to us all the way back in the East Blue saga. And Ace was introduced not too long after in the Baroque Works saga, along with his tattoo which held that secret tribute to Sabo all along. (Also he was introduced as "Portgaz D. Ace" meaning Oda must've intended to make the two non-blood brothers from the get-go.) All this means that Luffy's family, both adopted and blood relatives, have been in Oda's mind from the very begining of the story. And so if Oda had figured out Luffy's grandfather, father and at least one brother (if not both) from the begining, then why would he not have decided what became of the person who gave birth to the idiot as well? Like considdering how detail-oriented and meticulous Oda can be, would it not be unusual for him to essentially forget about a character that important (in the sense that Luffy literally would not exist without them) and just handwave them away without much thought? Would that not be out of character for Oda? As such, I don't think it is not unreasonable for us to believe that Oda would know what happened to Luffy's other bio-parent. Mind you, it really could be just something like "Luffy's mother died of The Disease when Luffy was a baby", or "the mom fell down the stairs" or "was eaten by a bear in the woods" or something, anything, whatever. Even if it truly does not matter to the story one bit, I'm sure Oda knows the truth of what happened and why that character wasn't a part of Luffy's life.

But at the same time, if the identity and the fate of Luffy's birthing parent truly did not matter to the story at all, then why wouldn't Oda just tell us who that was and what happened to them? In an SBS or an interview? It's not like people haven't been asking about it, because fans and staff alike have been asking about it for years. If the information really would not change anything, be it the direction the story will take or how we view the characters, if it really is just worthless trivia, then why keep it away from us?

Now of course, I'm sure you'd want to point out that one time Oda told Mayumi Tanaka that "A young boy's adventure begins after he leaves his mother's arms. I want to tell this young boy's adventure story, so his mom is not part of it." And Oda isn't known for lying, we do kind of want to take what he told Mayumi Tanaka at face value. At the same time though. If Luffy's other parent did become a plot relevant character in like the final 200 chapters of the story, after a 1100 chapters, they and their potential connection to Luffy would not have mattered to the story for 90% of its run. For an overwhealming majority of Luffy's adventure, that person would not have been a part of it. So if that character did become relevant, and Oda was lying, then it'd be a white lie at worst. But also, if Oda did intend to reveal that other parent eventually, when the time was right, then surely he wouldn't want to get people hyped up about it way ahead of time. If it did turn out to be a big plot twist or an otherwise important plot point, Oda would want to keep it under the wraps and a secret until the right time, you don't want to spoil something like that. Not to mention it could end up working like a distraction and make people not focus on the more important things happening in the story currently. So really, I think we'd all forgive him for a white lie there. Not to mention, technically speaking, if Luffy doesn't even have a mom but two dads, then Oda wouldn't really be lying either.

But that does bring up an important thing to considder.

If Crocodile does turn out to be Luffy's other dad, when did Oda get that idea, and when would he have committed to it?

Because, keep in mind, One Piece began back in 1997. Twenty seven whole years ago. Which means there's two things to considder; the evolution of queer rights over the past near three decades, as well as the fact that One Piece has more than surpassed Oda's original plans for the series. We must not forget how for a manga to remain serialized in Weekly Shounen JUMP, you need to perform well in the popularity polls consistently; if your manga starts dropping in popularity, JUMP can cancel it and force you end it prematurely. Of course, Oda arguably does not have to worry about those polls anymore after all these decades, there's no way in hell JUMP would ever cancel fucking One Piece in this day and age. But that might not have been the case 15 years ago, that was not the case 20 years ago, and that was absolutely not the fucking case 25 years ago. Like we all famously know that Oda originally planned One Piece to maybe run for like a year, then five years, then ten etc etc. That really is because at the begining of his career he had no quarantee he'd be able to tell the full story he was slow cooking at the back of his mind. Back in the early days, One Piece could've been canceled and ended prematurely, so Oda smartly chose to write it focusing very specifically on what mattered to the story at that moment, in the short term. Yes, he did start laying out the groundwork for things to come, but he did it so subtly that had OP been forced to end early, the series wouldn't have been left with too many massive, gaping plotholes or unresolved sidestories. Another thing to keep in mind is how comic artists for JUMP do have editors etc who can have a say in what goes into the manga (famously, Sasuke only existed because Matashi Kishimoto's editor suggested it). So again, while Oda might be able to do whatever the hell he pleases in One Piece at this point, that wouldn't have been the case 20+ years ago. He would have been more or less at the whims of his editors back in the day.

So would Oda have thought about giving Luffy, the main character of the series, a transgender father back in the year 2000? Could that really have been the secret plan from the start? And would Oda's editor(s) at JUMP have allowed that? Or, did Oda maybe come up with the idea later?

Now just so we're clear, I am NOT suggesting Crocodad was Oda's original intent and that his editors didn't let him do it or anything like that, my tinfoil hat isn't on that fucking tight. What I do want to suggest, is that it is plausible Crocodile being Luffy's other dad was an idea Oda was playing around with at the back of his mind from the begining, but wasn't sure he'd ever get to, mainly due to the uncertainty of series' future and partially because he could've been unsure if his editors would even allow him to write that story. And IF this was the case, Oda may not have even started committing to to the idea until around the CP9 saga. Or, it's possible Oda only got the idea sometime after the completion of the Alabasta arc/during Skypiea saga, and started laying down the groundwork for during Summit War so that, if he ever got around to it, he'd be able to commit and tell that story.

Regardless, let's be real.

It is interesting and kind of suspicious how Crocodile does just happen to be introduced around the same time the rest of Luffy's family was first shown to us, even if we didn't know Garp and Dragon were Luffy's family yet (this was also the same time the first canon queer character was introduced; Oda was playing around with queer characters during Crocodile's introduction, possibly testing the waters to see what he could get away with?) During the CP9 Saga we got the Miss Goldenweek cover story, where we see what's become of Crocodile after the fall of Baroque Works. This is of course adding to the world building of the CP9 Saga (where we're told the criminals who go through Enies Lobby are either sent to Impel Down or to Marineford; so us finding out Crocodile's gone to ID is playing off of what we knew would become of Robin and Franky and the Strawhats not come to rescue them. AND it's foreshadowing for the Summit War Saga), but also, soon after we were reminded of Crocodile and told where he's been sent off to, we were finally formally introduced to Garp and Dragon (Garp having already been mentioned by Aokiji at the begining of the Saga). And we close off the Saga watching Ace and Blackbeard have their fateful match. So again, Crocodile was on Oda's mind around the same time the rest of Luffy's family was. And indeed, after Thriller Bark we then move onto Summit War proper, where Oda does all The Things we would considder The Groundwork for Crocodad, most important being the introduction of Ivankov and their Devil Fruit. But again, just like before, Crocodile just happens to be there at the same time as this saga, which really heavily focuses on Luffy's family, plays out. While we learn about Dragon's secretive nature and connection to Iva-chan, Garp's feelings for the boys, Ace's struggle with his heritage and Luffy's love for him, Sabo and Garp... Yeah, Crocodile's just... Also there.

Whenever Oda starts dwelling into Luffy's family, Crocodile is always there. It's a bizarre coincidence if nothing else.

(And oh won't you look at that, Crocodile has once again become a plot relevant character, just in time for The Final Saga where Dragon has also started becoming actually plot relevant as well)

All of this to say, again.

The fact that Oda has refused to tell us anything about Luffy's other parent is sus, and to me indicates that either although unusual for him Oda genuinely just doesn't give a damn about Luffy's other parent, or he's been trying to play it safe for years so that if he ever got the opportunity, he could give Luffy two dads. (Or maybe there's some other twist that has nothing to do with Crocodile, that is possible too, I just feel like if that was the case then why hide it for 27 years?)

Whatever the case, I'm sure Oda knows the truth.

And I'm sure we will find out the truth eventually, be it on the pages of the comic or in the SBS.