#and also I need everybody to know that I'm not trying to smush somebody's head canon.

[steviewashere]

Okay, I'm getting on here to be a little bit pissy. I'm sorry in advance.

I am so in love with the headcanons regarding Steve's hearing, whether it be that he's hard of hearing, actively in the process of losing his hearing, deaf with a hearing aid, or just completely deaf—every version is fucking fantastic. I'm hard of hearing myself, it's fucking great that this representation is being written or drawn. I love it.

However, I'm going to hold your hand as I say this, stop using language such as "when he learns to lipread" or "eventually learns to lipread." Please stop.

He shouldn't have to learn to lip read. That shouldn't be an eventual skill he learns.

And, gonna give you a little bit of history here, it's historically ableist to require a deaf/hoh person to learn lip reading. From the late 1800s and into the late 1960s, there were literally programs across America that would force deaf children to write, speak, and lipread English—they were punished for signing to others in their schools, in public, in their dorms. And that didn't change until "Total Communication" was brought forth as a possibility, a philosophy that declared children would learn better using their preferred communication—whether it be oralism (the practice of writing, speaking, and lipreading) or via signing. However, oral schools that implemented total communication into their core programs had sign language that was structured with English grammar, this is commonly known as Exact Sign Language, or Exact English Sign Language. It's not American Sign Language.

Also, children who were approved for Coclear Implants in the early 1990s, were sent from residential deaf schools into day schools (public schools) that had a primary focus on oral teaching; pushed into day schools with little to no support, were discouraged from signing with even their parents. This was due to the fact that it was believed that signing at home would slow down their learning.

I am such a fan of deaf Steve or HoH Steve, but you have to be careful the language you're approaching his character with. If he has a sign language interpreter, then he most likely already knows sign language and will, also, most likely rely on an interpreter for communication with hearing people. If he is going deaf (maybe because of head trauma, maybe he gets into a traumatic accident, maybe he gets sick and just loses his hearing, maybe he listens to music too loudly and damages his ears that way), Steve will most likely already have the skills to write and speak in English, but lipreading is a skill that's difficult to garner.

I'll say, too, lipreading is fucking difficult because hearing people are so used to speaking (most of the time. I'm not talking about non-verbal hearing people in this conversation)—hearing people will typically talk fast, which makes lipreading muddy and indecipherable. I've been trying to learn this for years and I'm fucking over it, I can't do it. I speak and write, but I also use ASL, too.

Saying that Steve needs to lipread, that's ableist. Saying that he eventually or finally learns to lipread, that's ableist. Fuck it, I'm gonna say this, too—requiring or not giving Steve the option to decide whether or not he wants a hearing aid or implant device is also inherently ableist. Deaf people are (and should be) allowed to have a choice on having to hear. My own sibling made the decision recently to stop using the cochlear implant they've had their entire life because they weren't even given the choice to get one in the first place (and decided they were done with it), they hated the feedback the cochlear had, and it was just irritating in the sense that it would fall off, the volume control would change all on its own, and they just didn't like it. That's their choice. It's important to give a character that choice.

I let this get away from me, but I despise how people talk about his options for communication sometimes. It just rubs me the wrong way. And I think it's best we all reanalyze how we approach his characterization, especially how we can approach crafting the characterization without alienating a group of people.

*this post has been approved by my deaf sibling (who was born deaf), and obviously by me (somebody who can only hear out of one fucking ear. seriously be careful about volume control on your ear buds. and also wear ear plugs at shows. it hurts like hell to damage your ear drum.)

Here's a whole Wikipedia article about deaf education in the US (just in case you wanted another reason to hate America, but also if you're curious. definitely something everybody should learn).

[spitfire-of-the-sea]

Game On

I had way too much fun with this; I'm not yet sure which direction this would take, but I can see something like this happening, I mean, there's basically a person for everybody's taste on board of that ship, isn't there...? :D

SFW! Featuring Cornelia (Spade Pirates), Deuce briefly (Spade Pirates), and Tate, plus several WB commanders. :D Would love input for how you think their characters are, since we don't see much of most of them.

Game On

„Okay, okay... so listen... you could pick one of them, who’d it be?” Tate asked excitedly, leaning forward and looking at Saki with a grin that would probably have looped around her head if not for her ears.

Saki stared at the blonde nurse, blinking in confusion. She wasn’t exactly sure what she had expected when she’d been invited to join the girls’ side during the banquet – the sheer amount of giggles as they had announced exactly that and had grabbed and all but dragged her over hadn’t boded well – but certainly not this. Cornelia, one of the two other female Spade Pirates, met her eyes and lifted her glass in a salute with a wry smile before she downed its content.

Saki didn’t really know any of them besides Cornelia and Tate, who had changed her bandages a few times and was a really sweet person. She had easily chattered away, tending to the wounds, and told her about the Whitebeard Pirates and how she’d easily fit in here and where she could get some food and where she could take a bath and on and on… Saki’s head had been spinning, but she’d felt welcomed by the nurse. Tate had even borrowed her some clothes – not that they fit her very well, but hey, they were clean and smelled nice. The nurse was taller than her and certainly curvier, so Saki felt like a little kid wearing them, while at the same time trying to keep her bra from showing whenever she moved the wrong way. She really hoped she could get some new clothes that actually fit her soon.

Cornelia she hadn’t seen since their fight with the Whitebeard Pirates, when their crew had been beaten up in a matter of minutes… she seemed fine and unhurt, which made Saki happy. Having her here also made her feel more comfortable. For the last half hour or so she’d been sitting awkwardly tucked away in some corner, unsure what to do with herself among all these people she didn’t know.

Most of the girls here were still wearing uniforms, she could safely assume they were almost all nurses or doctors in the medical team. The animal print stockings and pink uniforms or white coats gave it away quite easily. A few wore something completely different, Saki wasn’t sure if that was because they disliked the uniform as much as Saki did or because they were working at different divisions.

“Sorry, whom do I need to pick for what?” Saki finally asked, raising an eyebrow. This wasn’t one of those crews, was it? Because then she’d wait for Ace on some island, thankyouverymuch.

Tate rolled her eyes at her: “No, silly. It’s a hypothetical question. If you had to, who’d you pick? To sleep with. Or just to smush against a wall and snog thoroughly. Like, who’s your type? We’re curious! We have a guess, but we need to confirm it!”

Cornelia chuckled and moved to sit next to Saki, who was truly grateful to have somebody familiar close to her. She was seriously confused by the topic. Why were they talking about snogging and smushing? Or sex, for that matter?!

“She means which one of the commanders,” Cornelia elaborated, “It’s apparently a sort of personality test here. Banshee decided to show, not tell.”

Saki followed her friend’s gaze and spotted their other crewmate standing next to Jozu, the 3rd division commander. Her jaw almost dropped when she saw Banshee run a hand over the big man’s arm, saying something to him that made him blush like a little girl. It was interesting, seeing that hulking man so embarrassed. Saki chuckled. Banshee had never been shy.

“Guess we know who she’d pick, hypothetically of course,” Cornelia grinned and thanked one of the nurses that handed her a fresh bottle of sake.

“So?” Tate asked, wiggling around impatiently. One of the other nurses leaned in now and eyed Saki – it would have been awkward, if her expression wouldn’t have been so friendly and curios.

“Come on, she probably doesn’t even know half of them yet! We need to introduce them to her!” she said, flicking her short red hair back as she quickly moved until she could sit down next to Saki. She craned her neck, spotted Banshee and Jozu and grinned.

“Who’ll it be? Would you also pick our 3rddivision commander, Jozu? A giant teddy bear, with arms strong enough to lift mountains for you and a chest so wide and strong you can just sink into it? Plus, he doesn’t have to gift you jewelry, he is jewelry. Raspy voice and cute blush included,” the read-haired nurse introduced him and Saki rubbed the back of her neck. Diamond Jozu it was, right? She’d studied the wanted posters while they had made their way here. Not that it had helped any, except that she had known who was beating her up. Yay.

“I’m not sure…-,” she started, but was interrupted even while she was still speaking.

“Good idea! Wait, over there is Izou, look! Our 16thdivision commander,” Tate jumped in, gently directing Saki’s glance the other way with a hand on her chin. She spotted a tall… woman? Cocking her head to the side, she tried to get a better look. No, a man, and probably the prettiest one she’d ever seen at that. He wore a fine silk kimono and his long hair was put up in an elaborate style. “Deadly with his pistols and the only one around here who’s able to pick clothes that don’t make you want to gauge your own eyes out. I can assure you, he’s ripped below that kimono and he’s looking as good without it as with it. Plus, he’s from Wano – so he’s got this exotic flair about him.”

Saki felt the heat rise to her cheeks as she very quickly looked away when he turned to look at them, probably having felt their gazes on him. Shit. Shit, shit, shit. She prayed he hadn’t caught her looking. She’d been on this ship for what, two weeks now? No need to already go making bad impressions.

“Hi Izou!” Tate greeted him excitedly, waving both arms. Saki didn’t see his reaction, trying very much to keep her back to him.

“How do you know that?!” Another of Tate’s colleagues joined in and put her hands in her hips – she had braided her long black hair and wore a white coat. In her hand was a delicate glass of sparkling wine, a stark contrast to what the others were drinking. “Is there something I should know about, Miss?!”

Tate laughed and waved her off: “I bandaged him after that scuffle a few months back, remember? Can’t say I was displeased at what I saw. Buthe’s pretty impatient, I have to mention that before you make your decision. I guess that can also be hot, though.”

“Don’t you think this might be…-,” Saki tried again, but already the redhead had grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her yet another way.

“Vista just arrived!” she cooed. “Over there, our 5thdivision commander! A gentlemen through and through, with broad shoulders and a strong chest. Never heard a single bad word from him, he’s always nice! Nobody is as good with swords as he is! Look at that mustache… and at that chest. Ah, what a sight! And you know what they say about big men with big swords…”

Saki watched the tall man join the festivities, tipping his hat at them with a smile as his gaze wandered over them. He then caught sight of Whitebeard and immediately went to talk to him. By now she was fairly sure her complexion was growing more and more similar to the color of the rescue ring just behind her. Now she had to think of big swords…

“Oh, no, wait, I know!” Tate tweeted, clasping her hands together and quickly shuffling around Saki to put a hand around her shoulder and turn both of them towards the buffet tables. “You’d want somebody that radiates confidence and makes you feel comfortable! A guy that’s handsome and funny and nice and down-to-earth – and who will bring you breakfast in bed after a long night. I’ve seen you two together, you’d be cute! I knowthe hairstyle is an acquired taste, but get him to let his hair down… you won’t be disappointed! And look at those shoulders… and those arms! Ah, I love muscular arms on guys! He is a bit of a womanizer, though. I only heard good things about the results, though.” Tate giggled.

Saki’s eyes fell on Thatch and she blinked slowly. What was with these advertisement pitches? Had they practiced before bringing her over or something? Feeling her eyes on him, Thatch turned and their eyes locked. A grin pulled at his lips as he waved at her. “Hey, princess! You hungry?”

“Hungry for a night of passion,” Tate purred into her ear and Saki stiffened, putting all her willpower into keeping a straight face as she weakly waved back.

He did look good and he definitely had put her at ease when she went to thank him for the meal. And now that Tate had pointed it out, those arms and hands did look especially nice. Hell, most of the commanders did look good and there was certainly no shortage of steeled bodies and interesting characters. But she hadn’t exactly thought of them in this context. And now she kinda did. Which was all Tate’s fault.

“Thanks, Thatch! I’m all good!” she croaked out and let her hand sink, ignoring the giggles of Tate and her two friends next to her. Cornelia chuckled, too. Traitress. The commander raised an eyebrow quizzically, but was distracted when somebody grabbed him by the shoulder and started asking something.

“I have an inkling who she’d rather hypotheticallyhook up with,” Cornelia piped up and Saki’s hand shot out immediately, grabbing her arm in a warning. It did nothing to perturb Cornelia’s wide grin and Saki pressed her lips together, glaring in warning.

“You do? Who is it?” Tate asked, leaning past Saki to look at Cornelia. “No, wait, don’t tell me! I know!”

Saki absolutely dreaded what was about to come, but thankfully the dark-haired one – she’d have to ask for their names – jumped in quickly: “Maybe you like them wild? Rakuyo is right over there! Commander of the 7th division. I like his style… and his laugh! He’s for sure a character, but you won’t get bored with him. Ever. Usually he’s out and about, patrolling the territory, and he always brings back something for us, or takes us along.” Following her gaze, Saki spotted the commander – among all of them, he was one of the few who could dress half-way decently. His dark blond dread locks were flowing over his shoulders and he had really pretty eyes. Right now, he was engaged in a lively discussion with some other men and threw his head back in a loud laugh. Hm. He did have a nice laugh.

“I don’t think that’s what Cornelia was about to say,” Tate drawled, eyes on Saki, who winced at the piercing glance. Perhaps she should just divert their attention and pick one – it didn’t matter, anyhow, it was a purely theoretical question and she just needed to name anyone and she’d be saved; she could take a bit of teasing; what she couldn’t take was salt in the gaping wound that wouldn’t close since months now.

“It’s Marco, isn’t it?” the nurse asked her then and Saki bit her lips and felt a wave of relief. She quickly looked at Cornelia, who blinked at her innocently. When Saki glared, Cornelia smiled and put a finger to her lips in a sign that she’d keep quiet.

“Is it? He’s literally got magic hands, and he’s kind and so tall – but not too tall! Oh, and those abs… I bet it’s Marco, you felt some chemistry in that fight between the two of you, huh? I’m not surprised, out of the lot of them he’s the most reliable one, he’s looking out for everybody and he’s just plain hot. Plus, he can actually fly.” Tate prodded and Saki looked back at her, frowning. Sure. Their fight in which she’d thought they’d kill them all and he’d kicked her hard enough to see stars. Sexy as hell. Not.

“I can call him over, if you want?” the nurse offered happily. Panicked, Saki quickly looked around, but couldn’t spot the commander anywhere – instead, she saw Deuce load some snacks onto a plate and just as he looked up, their eyes met. She mouthed a ’Help me’ to him, but his eyes briefly wandered over the women next to her, then back to her and then he ducked his head and quickly scuttled of.

That little shit…. She’d get him back for that. Her eyes narrowed as she watched his retreating form.

“Look, I’m not sure I know any of them well enough to…-“, Saki tried to get out of it. She was half afraid they’d try to play matchmaker if she gave them any sort of answer to this question and the thought alone made her wonder if there was a Devil Fruit that made it possible to just magically teleport out of these kinds of situations. A Teleport Devil Fruit. Now that was a thought.

“Don’t tell me, it’s one of your former crew mates?” Tate interrupted her and her eyes widened in surprise. “You already got a beau? Who is it?!”

Saki panicked and her brain short-circuited.

“I just didn’t want to say it out loud like this, I’m easily embarrassed… but I think Marco is absolutely delicious. Those abs, and the eyes and his calm demeanor…! But you know, we’re only here for a few days and I barely know him, so I shouldn’t be so forward. You know what? I’m getting really hungry, I’ll go grab a bite. You want something? I’ll just bring something!” Saki chattered off, not giving any of them a chance to butt in. She had already jumped to her feet and was quickly backing away towards the buffet table, waving her arms as she talked.

Shit, shit, shit, shit. Tate had gotten way too close to the truth and Saki didn’t care to discuss the issue – because it was an issue, it had been for some time now and everything was a complete mess and she didn’t even wanna think about any of it – here in public. Or in private. Or at all.

So, sure, Marco, why not? He was tall, he was good-looking, he allegedly only kicked idiots who tried to knee him in the balls and he was nowhere in sight, so that made him a perfect answer for now. She still cringed about calling him delicious, but hey, best to throw them off the scent right away, right?

She looked over the buffet table, a bit forlornly as she tried not to think of the problem at hand. She hadn’t seen Ace since the fight back then. It wasn’t that she hadn’t tried, she had… but somehow, she never managed to catch him. Was he avoiding her? He had no reason to, though.

“You wanted to talk to me-yoi?”

To say she jumped at the sudden presence behind her would have been an understatement. She jerked back so violently that she bumped into the person behind her, her elbow connecting with something hard, and she heard a low grunt before a hand grabbed her elbow and stilled her.

“It would be nice if you’d stop trying to hit me, you know?” Marco drawled, standing now with his chest to her back and he felt the color drain from her face. Or raise to it. She didn’t know anymore. She felt hot and bloodless at the same time.

He’d been nowhere in sight. Why the hell was he now here so suddenly? And why did he think she wanted to talk to him? And why did she keep being weird around him?!

She slowly turned around, hands lifted as a sign of peace. “I’m sorry, you startled me there.” Leaning to the side ever so slightly, she caught side of Tate, who was giving her a thumbs up with a wide grin. The realization of how grave the mistake she’d made before sank in.

“Wasn’t on purpose, sorry-yoi,” he said and when she looked up, he was wearing his usual laid-back expression. “You wanted something?”

Yes, she wanted that Teleport Devil Fruit. Please and thank you.

“I did?” she asked and tried to sort through her brain for what she could possibly ask him to diffuse the situation. What had they told him?

He raised an eyebrow at her, putting his hands in his pockets as he blinked at her. “Tate said so. Something urgent about tonight?”

Okay, hyperventilating wouldn’t help but she was getting very close to doing just that. She blinked back, sorting out any topic that wouldn’t exactly count as urgent. Or tonight. Such as her findings that the rat population in the lowest deck had a weird mutation that made them grow to obese sizes and they seemed to be rather smart, so one could make an argument that one might want to take care of the problem before they started their own kingdom down there.

“Something about that deliciousness,” she heard the read-head shout over to them and electricity shot through her spine. Grabbing his hand she dragged him over to the other side of the buffet, far away from where the other women were sitting.

She’d strangle them all. Sure, that would make her a mass murderer, but any jury would decide in her favor. First, she’d get Deuce because he could have saved her, but decided against it. Then she’d get Cornelia, because honestly, she was a traitress and that was unforgivable. Then Tate and the read-head. She had a pretty good chance of taking them, she figured, if she didn’t die of embarrassment before then.

As she came to a stand and Marco besides her, she noticed the amused grin on his face as he eyed her. Quickly she dropped his hand, looking around and then grabbing a glass to push into his hand. He took it, but his eyes didn’t leave her face. “Pineapple!” she said and gestured to the glass. “It’s a pineapple flavored cocktail.”

They stared at each other for a long moment. “Which is delicious,” she added and he nodded slowly, quirking an eyebrow at her. “And only here tonight,” she continued and his second eyebrow tilted up almost imperceptibly. “So it’s urgent,” she ended.

The corners of his mouth twitched as he took a sip and kept looking at her. “Mhm,” he made. “Pineapple, huh?”

Her eyes wandered to his hair, as usual standing on end in a wild mess and reminding her of a pineapple. Quickly she snapped her eyes back to his and she was sure she’d seen where her eyes had gone. Damn her subconscious for betraying her like that.

“Funny-yoi,” he drawled, not breaking eye contact. “Maybe a bit cheeky from a rookie like you.”

When he hunched down to be on eye-level with her, she swallowed heavily. It only underlined how much taller than her he was, and she was pretty sure he knew it. The trace of a grin pulled a corner of his mouth up as he cocked his head to the side, his expression still lazy, but she didn’t miss the glint in his eyes. She felt like a mouse staring at a shadow in the sky that was rapidly taking on the shape of a falcon.

“Game on,” he said and patted her head in an overly calm manner that made her stomach drop. Well. Shit.