#and others are just like What if they were pirates

[mareastrorum]

Been chewing more on how C3 wound up here. What’s throwing me is the strange shift from the cast’s unflinching “yes, and” game in C2 to a misplaced feeling that they need to choose correctly in C3.

I want to be clear here that this isn’t a criticism post because I genuinely don’t know what’s happening here. It’s just odd behaviors that seem to signal a problem, and I don’t know what solution would resolve it. I’m not going to be so presumptuous as to hypothesize about any cast member’s thoughts.

In the Cooldown for C3E118 (and offhandedly previously), Laura and Ashley expressed some nervousness about making big decisions because they’re worried about making the “wrong” choice. Without more, that attitude alone would explain much of the party’s indecisiveness about key campaign questions. After all, their characters are the two Ruidusborn of most interest to the campaign villains, and other characters (especially Orym, Laudna, and Ashton) have insisted that Imogen and Fearne take the lead on Predathos.

But this isn’t a story in a vacuum. C2 got completely derailed multiple times. The Mighty Nein decided to steal a pirate ship and leave the continent the campaign was set on; shortly after they returned, they decided to reopen a collapsed tunnel to go the opposite side of the continent; then Caleb returned the Luxon Beacon and made themselves heroes of an enemy nation instantly. That’s not even getting into the fact that Molly died before the Nein got to Shadycreek Run (which absolutely would have been all about his backstory) or that Twiggy left an incredible magical artifact that wasn’t supposed to be given to the Nein. Each time, Matt adjusted and made it work. Granted, C2 was more of a sandbox campaign, but Matt demonstrated his flexibility as a DM time and again.

Like, as a general rule of thumb, DMs shouldn’t offer options that would torpedo the campaign. It’s rational to avoid situations that have a genuine possibility of undercutting the game. Matt has been DMing for a long time; he’s done a very good job of finding ways to make the campaign work regardless of the decisions the players make. Even when players do something directly against the signals he threw out (like Ashton trying to absorb a second shard despite consistent, dire warnings that it would kill him), he works with the players to come to a reasonable solution (Ashton survived but the shard wouldn’t take, and he got some character moments out of the failure). We, the audience, know Matt is good at pivoting when he needs to.

In addition to taking the players’ curveballs like a champ, Matt also takes big swings for the sake of the story. In C1, Matt broke his biggest city with a dragon invasion, then made a new god leading an undead titan to go stomp out the world’s oldest civilization. In C2, he let the players go off the map whenever and still made the digression relevant to their character arcs every time. Not to be parasocial, but if we can figure out that that Matt can handle this sort of thing, the players certainly have a better feel for it than us.

So what is going on in C3? We know Matt isn’t scared of breaking Exandria or destroying the pantheon: he set that possibility in motion as the default ending if the players did nothing. CR literally did a mini series about the start of the end of the world with EXU Calamity. Laura and Ashley were also in Downfall and making big choices between the gods and mortals. Breaking stuff is what they do!

Where did this idea that there’s a “wrong” choice come from? That type of thinking kills a lot of great improv, and the whole point of the “yes, and” exercise is to shake it off. While it’s incredibly obvious to say not to think that way, the real issue is sorting out why that mentality has taken hold at all. That’s a problem no amount of fan discussion is going to resolve.

[kairoot]

𝑇𝑂𝑃 𝑆𝐄𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐓．． ──── 최산．

ׂ ִ 𝐬𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬．𝗐𝗁𝖾𝗋𝖾𝗂𝗇，𝗒𝗈𝗎’𝗋𝖾 𝗉𝖺𝗂𝗋𝖾𝖽 𝗎𝗉 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗈𝗇𝖾 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖼𝗈𝖼𝗄𝗂𝖾𝗌𝗍 𝗌𝗉𝗂𝖾𝗌 𝗈𝗇 𝗒𝗈𝗎𝗋 𝗍𝖾𝖺𝗆． — 𝐩. 𝗌𝗉𝗒！𝗌𝖺𝗇 𝗑 𝑓．𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽𝖾𝗋 — 𝐠. 𝑒𝟤𝑙．𝑓𝗅𝗎𝖿𝖿，𝑠𝑢𝑔𝑔𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 — 𝐰. 𝗉𝖾𝗍𝗇𝖺𝗆𝖾𝗌，𝗉𝗁𝗒𝗌𝗂𝖼𝖺𝗅 𝗍𝗈𝗎𝖼𝗁，𝗌𝖺𝗇 𝗂𝗌 𝖼𝗈𝗇𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗇𝗍𝗅𝗒 𝗍𝖾𝖺𝗌𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗒𝗈𝗎，𝗆𝖾𝗇𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌 𝗈𝖿 𝗂𝗇𝗃𝗎𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗌 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗌𝗆𝗈𝗄𝗂𝗇𝗀，𝖺 𝗉𝗈𝗌𝗌𝗂𝖻𝗅𝖾 𝖿𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗌𝖼𝖾𝗇𝖾？ 𝗌𝗅𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗍 𝗆𝖾𝗇𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌 𝗈𝖿 𝖻𝗅𝗈𝗈𝖽．𝐰𝐜. 𝟦.𝟫𝗄

✉️ ──── thanks to sav for this lovely idea 😛 (we love papa san)

The building was cold with the monitors lighting up all over the room, casting sharp shadows across the walls. You’d been sitting in the same chair by the large wooden desk, waiting for what felt like hours. The folder that sat in front of you was open with papers spread out in a disorganized manner.

Finally, the gray double doors opened and in walked your boss and leader, Seonghwa. He wore the same unimpressed expression that he always did, dressed in his gray suit with his long jet black hair combed back neatly. His clipboard was at his side as he walked over to you, taking a seat on the other side of the desk.

He handed you the dossier, the file with way more information than the first one that sat in front of you before.

“If it wasn’t clear before, you’re infiltrating the Aurorian mansion, just on the other side of town.” He said, looking at your confused expression.

“Okay, but how is this getting us closer to catching Hongjoong? Isn’t he supposed to be off to Greece right now?” You opened the dossier, glancing at the info inside.

“He’s leaving tonight. But he’ll be at the mansion first, loading his teammates onto his ship with our amulet.” Seonghwa emphasized the fact that Hongjoong still had possession of the amulet. The amulet that belonged to Seonghwa and his organization.

Hongjoong, the most notorious pirate in town, had found a way to break into the organization’s underground lab just 3 days ago, stealing one of the most valuable creations that your boss owned.

Inside of the dossier, there was a blurry photograph of Hongjoong with the amulet around his neck, running away from the opening of the lab before anyone around could catch him in the act.

“He plans to activate it during the gala,” Seonghwa spoke again, his hands now clasped together in a professional manner.

“If he does..” He trailed off, his jaw tightening but he didn’t continue his sentence, leading you to think the cause of Hongjoong’s actions would be way more serious than you thought.

“You’ll need to stop him—and take it back. Before it’s too late.”

You didn’t say anything which lead Seonghwa to think you were a bit worried. He sighed, looking down for a moment as you just stared at the picture in front of you, thinking about everything he had told you.

“Look,” he said softly, placing his hand on yours. “I wouldn’t assign you to this mission if I didn’t think you were capable, Y/n.”

You blinked, still analyzing everything. You were one of Seonghwa’s best spies on the team and he made that clear every time you stepped into his office, so why were you doubting yourself now? It’s not like you’d never done anything dangerous, so what was all the worrying about?

“If it’s the captain you’re worried about—I know you’ll find him. He won’t be able to control that amulet and what’s inside.” Seonghwa said, still reassuring you.

“And what if I can’t get him?” You spoke, your voice slightly shaking.”

“You will. This isn’t an easy mission, but I’ve given you some help.”

You looked up at Seonghwa’s words, your eyebrows furrowing. And as if on cue, the double doors opened once more, the sound of footsteps echoing behind you. Seonghwa’s gaze flickered from the doors and back over to you, silently hoping that you wouldn’t flip out on him.

“Miss me, sweetheart?” A deep voice carried through the room before you even saw him, smooth and infuriatingly smug. You turned slightly in the chair to see the one person you hated the most. Choi San. Seonghwa’s cockiest agent.

He stood casually by the doorway, hands shoved in his pockets with a wicked grin on his lips. He was dressed in an unwrinkled gray suit, one that looked more like he wanted to charm someone out of their secrets.

You whipped your head around to look at Seonghwa, who remained in the same position, looking over at San with an unpleased expression.

“Seonghwa, what the hell? Out of all the agents on the team?” You scoffed.

He sighed again, “Half of the team is out right now, Y/n. Yeosang is undercover, Yunho is on surveillance today..”

“So? You couldn’t partner me with someone more.. serious?” You questioned.

“Oh, come on. I am serious,” San chuckled lightly, clearly amused at your defensiveness.

You only rolled your eyes at his response, not giving him the satisfaction of an argument. Seonghwa pinched the bridge of his nose, already tired of hearing your complaints and San’s bold remarks.

“Listen,” he said. “It’s just for this assignment. Please, Y/n.”

You stared at him for a moment, lost for words. You knew how important that amulet was to Seonghwa and you knew the risks of it if Hongjoong had it in his possession any longer. You couldn’t let your bickering get in the way of what was really important.

“Alright.”

The doors to the agency slammed shut behind you, as you wasted no time heading to your car. San trailed a few steps behind you, his pace calm, contrasting to your determined strides.

“Why so eager, doll?” He snickered.

You didn’t bother turning around, continuing your journey to the parked car. “Unlike you, I’m focusing on what really matters.”

“I’m focused on what matters,” San said with a mocked defensive tone, jogging a bit to catch up to you. “But Hongjoong isn’t going anywhere— well, not yet.”

You glared at him for a moment as you approached your vehicle— a black sedan that was gifted to you from Seonghwa. You unlocked it with the click of the remote on your keys, gesturing to the passenger side.

“In.” You ordered, sliding into your spot in the driver’s seat.

San smirked at your tone, before opening the door, “So demanding, I love it.”

As you drove through the city, you reached for the dossier that Seonghwa gave you, flipping it open again to scan the contents inside. San leaned over to peek at the papers, his broad shoulder brushing against yours.

“Personal space, Choi.” You muttered, trying to angle the papers away from him. His fingers wrapped around your wrist, pulling the folder back to his view.

“Sharing is caring.”

You rolled your eyes, glancing at the page that listed all of Hongjoong’s associates.

The list wasn’t too long but one name stuck out to you the most. Jung Wooyoung— Tattoo Artist. There was a note by his name, indicating that Hongjoong was seen with him 3 days ago. The same day he stole the amulet from the lab.

“Tattoo artist, huh? Think he could give me a discount if I ask nicely?” San hummed, looking at the same name.

You sighed, not entertaining his remark, “We’ll start with him.”

“And I’ll lead the interrogation?” San smiled at you, his glasses sliding down his nose a bit as he propped his feet up on the dashboard.

You swatted his shoes off of the dashboard, earning a scoff from him. “Absolutely not.”

“What? You think I’ll be too good? Better than you?”

“No,” you answered flatly. “Just don’t need you getting us into any trouble.”

You parked a few feet away from the parlor, an undetectable building smushed between two abandoned buildings. The neon “open” sign flickered dimly in the window, the faint glow of it showing up against the cracked sidewalk.

“Great place. I bet Wooyoung’s just a delight.” San whistled as he stepped out of the car.

You shut the door to the driver’s side as you got out, taking a look at the building before walking ahead.

“Just remember what we’re here for. We ask questions and get out. No theatrics needed.”

San saluted mockingly, “You’re the boss.”

The shop smelled of metallic ink and old wood as you and San stepped inside, the bell on the door ringing behind you, indicating that you had entered. The buzzing of a tattoo gun was heard in a nearby corner as you walked further into the shop.

Wooyoung sat lazily in a swivel chair before turning to see who had entered. Once he saw you, a smirk tugged at his lips.

“Well, well,” He said, sitting up in his chair. “New clients? Or just here to marvel at my work?”

“Neither,” you said curtly, now standing in front of him. “I need to ask you some things about Hongjoong. I’m sure you know him, no?”

Wooyoung’s smirk widened, his gaze flicking to San, who leaned against the doorframe watching Wooyoung intently.

“Hongjoong? That’s a big name for you to drop,” He tilted his head, feigning innocence. “You sure you’re not lost, sweetheart?”

“Nah, I think we’re in the right place.” San spoke, pushing himself off of the doorframe, coming to stand behind you.

Wooyoung seemed to be amused by the whole thing, the same grin remaining on his face. He definitely wasn’t intimidated by you two.

“We know Hongjoong was here three days ago, we just want to know why.”

Wooyoung leaned back, clasping his hands behind his head. “Well, getting a sweet tat, of course.”

You gave him an unimpressed look, refusing to believe any of his lies.

“Wooyoung.”

“What? What makes you think I’d tell you anything?”

“‘Cause if you don’t, you won’t be holding another one of those tattoo guns ever again.” You leaned down to his level, a fake smile plastered on your face.

But Wooyoung didn’t flinch. Instead, he laughed in your face— a low, lazy sound that grated your nerves.

“Feisty one, I see. She yours?” He asked San, making a smile appear on his face as he slid his hands into his pockets like before.

“She wants to be.”

You shoved San softly, his antics irritating you. “Would you stop?”

He threw his hands up in a defending way as you turned back to Wooyoung, continuing to question him.

“Relax, Bonnie and Clyde,” He snickered again. “I’ll talk.. if she asks nicely.”

You crossed your arms, keeping your attitude at a minimum. “Wooyoung, would you tell us why Hongjoong was here.. please.”

He tapped his chin for a moment, “Not bad. But I think you can do better.”

San snorted, “Careful. She doesn’t like playing games.”

You sighed frustratingly, “You’re really not helping.”

Wooyoung’s eyes darted between you and San, seeming to enjoy your bickering.

“If you really want to know about Hongjoong..” He trailed off, spinning his chair to face one of his shelves, digging through the clutter.

He pulled out a crumpled piece of paper, handing it to you. You took it, reading the words on it. It was an address, scribbled in messy handwriting.

“He kept rambling about this place. Saying he needed to go there before he left town. I don’t know much, you’ll probably find more answers there.” Wooyoung shrugged.

You mumbled a “thanks”, still analyzing the address on the paper.

You stepped outside, the cold wind blowing against your face as you headed back to your car.

“I told you, ‘no theatrics’.” You mumbled to San as he walked next to you.

“What?” He asked innocently, smiling over at you.

You shook your head as you both approached your car, “I can’t wait for this to be over.”

“Why? I think we make a pretty great team, baby.”

You leaned against the hood of your car, unfolding the crumpled piece of paper that Wooyoung gave you. San stood a few feet away, fishing something out of his pocket.

“This address looks familiar but I can’t figure out why.” You murmured, tracing the letters and numbers with your finger.

San didn’t answer right away. You glanced up, seeing the faint glow of a lighter illuminating his face as he lit a cigarette.

He took a slow drag, exhaling the smoke in a way that felt too casual for your liking. His free hand was tucked into his pocket, his stance effortlessly confident. And almost.. attractive?

He raised an eyebrow at you, noticing how you stared at him. You blinked, not even realizing that you were looking at him for that long, quickly turning your gaze back to the paper.

He walked over to you, looking at the paper from over your shoulder.

“Oh shit,” he spoke, the cigarette hanging in between his lips. “That’s a drop-off point.”

You hummed in response, “Maybe he’s dropping something off?”

“Only one way to find out.”

You pushed yourself off of the hood, heading towards the driver’s side before turning to San.

“Put that out before you step foot in my car, please.”

He gave you a smug smile before throwing the cigarette on the ground, stomping out the lit end.

“I never knew you smoked,” You said, sitting in your seat and starting up the car.

“There’s a lot of things you don’t know about me, love,” He sighed, sliding in his spot in the passenger seat.

“Besides, I only do it when I’m bored. Keeps me entertained when my partner spends too much time overthinking.”

You huffed, “You know that stuff will kill you, right?”

“Yeah?” He turned his head, sharp eyes looking over his frames, gazing at you. “So will Hongjoong. But I don’t see you lecturing him about his life choices.”

“I’m not his babysitter,” You shot back, your hand tightening on the steering wheel.

“And you’re not mine.”

The rest of the drive to the drop-off point was tense but silent. You couldn’t tell if you pissed San off or if he was actually choosing to behave for once. But.. you couldn’t stop thinking about how he looked at you before when he took drags from his cigarette. There was something about it that you wanted to forget but couldn’t.

As you pulled up to the address, it was exactly how you’d imagined it. Dark, gloomy, and suspiciously quiet. The warehouse loomed ahead, the exterior worn down and barely visible under the dim sky.

“This should be fun,” San muttered.

“Stay sharp. If this has anything to do with Hongjoong, we’re bound to find trouble here.”

The two of you stepped out of the car, footsteps echoing against the pavement. As you approached the building, a rustling sound had caught your attention.

You both froze, turning in the direction of the noise, your hand grazing San’s out of fear.

Before either of you could say anything, three figures emerged from behind some bushes, their movements swift.

“Friends of Hongjoong’s, I’m guessing?” San said, his posture tense but ready.

“More like guards.” You replied, bracing yourself.

The tallest of the group stepped forward, his voice low and threatening. “You both need to leave.”

“Or what, big guy?” San smiled, stepping closer to the guy, taking off his glasses and tossing them off to the side.

You barely had time to react before the man lunged, aiming a punch at your face to which you dodged at first before he sent a blow to your shoulder, sending a sharp pain down your arm. You winced, stumbling back a bit before blocking his next hits and jabbing him in the stomach.

He staggered, but didn’t go down. He swung at you again, but failed miserably as he clutched his gut.

San, however, was putting on a show—at first. He dodged punches and kicks like it was a piece of cake. “Gotta be quicker than that fellas, c’mon.”

But unfortunately, his bold remarks cost him; one of the men swung at San, landing a hard punch to his jaw.

“Shit.” He hissed, stumbling away from him. Blood trickled down the corner of his mouth, but his smirk didn’t falter.

Your opponent grabbed your wrist, twisting it as he shoved you against the wall. You gritted your teeth, slamming your knee into the same place you’d hit him before. He groaned, his grip loosening enough for you to pull your hand back, landing an elbow to his temple.

San was still taking on his two guys, landing an uppercut on one of them but not before he received a hit on his ribs. He doubled over, clutching his side but deciding to lung at the man with a burst of energy.

The third man chose that moment to jump in, barreling towards San but you intercepted him, kicking the back of his knee. He went down with a grunt, grabbing your ankle and yanking you off balance.

San grabbed the guy by the collar, yanking him back before throwing a punch at the guy’s nose, knocking him out cold.

Breathing heavily, you got to your feet, glancing at San. His lip was split, his hand pressed to his side where a bruise was already forming underneath his button up.

“Nice save,” You say, brushing the dirt off of your pants.

“Yeah.. Don’t mention it,” he said, wincing as he straightened up. “Seriously, don’t. I’ll never hear the end of it if you do.”

You roll your eyes scanning the scene in front of you. The men were sprawled out on the ground, groaning faintly.

“We should leave before more of them show up.” You said, walking back out of the entrance, heading to the car again. San didn’t respond, only following behind you, slightly wincing.

You drove off somewhere a bit more private and away from the warehouse before anymore henchman could attack you. San’s head was rested against the window as he continued to clutch his side.

You parked the car before reaching into your backseat, grabbing a first aid kit you kept with you at all times. You pulled out a cloth, wetting it with a small water bottle that was half empty from all the times you had to clean your own wounds.

“San,” you called him, earning a faint hum from him.

“Look at me.”

He lifted his head off of the window, looking at you and then the cloth in your hand. He didn’t say anything, but instead he reciprocated.

Hesitantly, you leaned in a bit, getting a better look at the wound on his lip, dry blood decorated the corner of his mouth and down his chin. You brought the cloth up to his wound, applying a bit of pressure to stop the bleeding.

He let out a breath, closing his eyes tightly as he braced himself for the pain.

“Sorry.” You mumbled, softly patting it.

You hadn’t realized how close you were until San opened his eyes again, looking down at how focused you were. You caught his gaze, your face warming at the sight of him staring at you so intently.

The two of you didn’t say anything as you cleaned around his lip, patting it one more time to get the last bit of blood.

You were going to put the kit away before realizing that he still had one more injury. You reached back into the case, pulling out an instant cold pack, placing it to the side.

“I need you to unbutton your shirt.” You spoke softly, looking away for a moment.

San took in a breath for a moment, before readjusting himself in the seat, unbuttoning the gray vest and the white button up that was under it. He grimaced as he moved the sides of his shirt out of the way, his chest now on display. You glanced down at the area for a moment, noticing old scars that were there.

Your gaze then fell to his left side, where the area was now swelling up and slightly bruised. You reached out, running your fingers over it lightly, making San jump a bit at the contact.

“Sorry,” you said again. “I’m just gonna put this cool pack on it so the swelling can go down a bit.”

San nodded, his head falling back against the window while he waited for you to place the pack to his side. You felt bad for him, seeing how much pain he was in. But this was your job. These were the things that came with it.

You took the ice pack in your hand, bringing it to where the swelling was, resting it against the injury gently. San exhaled deeply, placing his larger hand over yours, pressing the ice pack into his side.

You shifted in your seat, beginning to pull your hand away from his side until he stopped you.

“No,” he murmured, his hand still remaining on top of yours. He opened his eyes to look down at where your hands were intertwined.

“Just stay.”

You stepped out of your car, your dress falling to your ankles as you smoothed out the material, shifting in it to make sure you were comfortable. It was a simple black velvet off-the shoulder gown, silver gem embroidery along the front. The back of the dress dipped low, just enough to reveal the curve of your spine.

You quickly placed your mask over your face, the material black with silver details to match your gown.

“Look at you,” a voice spoke from next to you. It was San, stepping out of his own car now, dressed in a sleek black suit.

“This mission just got so much more exciting.” He adds with a smile, licking his lips a bit. You scoff, starting to walk off without him but he catches up not too long after.

The mansion stood tall in front of you, the lights outside of it bright and golden. There were soft strains of classical music coming from the courtyard, mixing with the hum of expensive cars and the chatter of guests.

You and San both walked among them, blending in and acting natural. In reality, you both kept your eyes wide and your ears open, looking for any signs of your target.

As you were heading to the entrance, you felt San’s hand slip behind you, resting on the small of your back.

You almost jumped out of your skin, whipping your head around to look at him, “What are you doing?”

“Playing the part, of course.” He nodded his head at the people ahead of you, some of them seemed like they were couples, wrapped up in each other’s arms or guiding one another around as they linked arms.

“Oh, absolutely not—“ you were quick to lean away from him, but his fingers pressed into your side now, tightening his grip on you.

“Stop being so stubborn,” he said, continuing to walk. You looked up at him to see his expression nothing but calm. He was way too good at being undercover. But nonetheless, you remained nonchalant, following his lead.

Inside of the mansion, there were even more people, which almost made you nervous. How would you be able to find Hongjoong inside when half the town was there?

But you were able to recognize your team right away. Yunho was on the stairwell, speaking with a woman dressed in a red cocktail dress. Seonghwa was also there, in the middle of the gala, pouring himself a glass of champagne.

You scanned the room for any signs of the captain, but he was no where to be found— until everyone turned in the same direction.

The room had quieted down and everyone had stopped to look in the same spot. On the far side of the room, Hongjoong was coming down another staircase with two men on his side. One was tall with a sharp gaze and the other was a familiar face— Wooyoung. They were dressed in black but Hongjoong had on a blazer that exposed a bit of his chest. His hair was sleek and combed back neatly.

You saw Seonghwa turn to face you and San, beckoning you both over to where he was standing.

“I didn’t know you would be here, Hwa,” you whispered as he handed you both a small black device to which you assumed were earpieces. You both quickly placed them in your ear before anyone could notice anything.

“Yeah, well,” he shrugged, taking a sip of his drink. You could tell he was a bit on edge, but not in a fearful way. He was angry. Hongjoong had been known to taunt Seonghwa a lot, but he’d never actually taken anything from him before. You’d always thought he was all talk.

“I need to make sure that asshole gets caught.”

Before you could respond, a voice interrupted yours, “Welcome, all!”

It was Hongjoong. You turned back to see him grinning from the stairwell that he continued to stand on.

“I’m so glad everyone could be here tonight, seeing as I’m making my departure.” He said with a frown, making people ‘aww’ and make noises in disagreement.

As Hongjoong continued to speak about his gala and whatever else he wanted to boast about, you couldn’t help but notice the absence of the amulet. It wasn’t around his neck where it usually rested.

“He doesn’t have it,” you whispered to San and Seonghwa, causing them both to look closely at his neck. Nothing else was said, but Seonghwa gave cues to Yunho from across the room before turning back to you.

“Yunho and some of the other guys are gonna search the mansion, I need you two to keep eyes on Hongjoong, make sure he doesn’t go anywhere near those rooms on the second and third floor.” He explained quietly.

“What about you?” San asked him.

“I’ll still be down here but trying to stay out of his sight. If he knows I’m here then he’ll know the rest of you are, as well.” Seonghwa responded.

The party resumed once Hongjoong’s small speech was over, making you and San move away from Seonghwa a bit, not wanting to draw any attention to him or yourselves.

San pulled you to an area where people were dancing, causing you to hesitate for a moment, but somehow he spoke you into it.

“It’ll be fun,” he suggested, holding your hand tightly.

“San, we need to keep an eye on Hongjoong.” You whispered, not wanting to mention his name too loudly.

“I’m a great multitasker.” He teased. You sighed, looking back at where Seonghwa was standing. You really couldn’t mess up this mission but you needed to loosen up a bit, have some fun.

The music in the grand hall shifted, taking a slower rhythm. The soft hum of the violins and the gentle thrum of a bass made the air feel more charged.

San pulled you close, your chest pressed against his as you began to move to the music. His hand rested on your back, his fingers moving against your spine at times, caressing the area. You hand was intertwined with his, yet again, bringing you back to the moment between you when you helped him with his wounds.

You scanned the room for a moment to make sure nobody was watching too closely before turning back to San. Something about the way he looked at you—calm, yet determined—made your heart flutter.

“Relax,” he said suddenly, smiling down at you— a stark contrast to his usual cocky smirks.

“I am relaxed.” You responded, looking away from him for a moment. You wanted to escape his gaze.

“No,” he chuckled. “You’re tense.. and very jumpy. Just relax a bit.”

Your movements started off tentative, but you started to get the hang of it. San led with confidence that was impossible to resist. His steps were smooth, almost as if he’d done this before. Soon, you found yourself falling into rhythm with him.

“How’s your side?” You questioned, looking up at him.

“Not too bad, thanks to you.” His eyes locked with yours making you feel like the rest of the world had ceased to exist.

The space between you shrank, the warmth of his body brushing against yours with every step. His hand flattened against your back, drawing you closer than before. It wasn’t a move that anyone else would notice, but to you, it was electrifying.

The music swelled, and San spun you in a graceful arc, his hand never leaving yours. When you came back to him, your faces were mere inches apart, and for a moment, you thought he might lean in.

Your breath hitched. Did you want him to?

“I gotta say,” he started, his voice more tender. “I didn’t think you’d say yes to dancing with me.”

“And why not?” You asked, tilting your head slightly.

“I honestly thought you’d rather stab me than hold my hand.”

You laughed, shaking your head. “Don’t tempt me.”

He chuckled, but the intensity in his gaze didn’t waver. “Good to know you’re enjoying this, then.”

The song began to fade out, but neither of you stopped moving. The moment stretched on and your eyes never left his. You suddenly hoped that he’d lean in just a bit further, let his lips touch yours.

“San,” you whispered, blinking up at him slowly.

“Hm?”

But the once calm and intimate moment was cut short, loud commotion erupted from across the room, causing both of you to whip your head into the direction. Hongjoong was now moving through the crowd with a scowl on his face.

“They’re coming up to the third floor,” Yunho’s voice came through in the earpiece, indicating that him and the rest of the team had been caught.

You turned to see Seonghwa already giving you and San a curt nod, quickly responding to Yunho and moving to the stairwell.

“Let’s go, partner,” San called out playfully, grabbing your hand as you both followed Seonghwa, keeping a close ye on Hongjoong.

As the two of you continued your mission, you couldn’t ignore the lingering warmth of his touch or the memory of how close he was. You couldn’t stand him at first, but now you were slowly starting to see why Seonghwa had paired you up with him.

• • •

[chibinasuu2]

One of my favorite ZoSan lore has got to be how their rivalry actually only started in Little Garden.

It wasn't "hate-at-first-sight" for them – believe it or not, Zoro and Sanji were quite amicable when they first met!

Exhibit A: them chilling together at the party post-Arlong Park

Exhibit B: Zoro giving Sanji an "order" at Loguetown and he just said "Got it!!" without a single name-calling or complaint?? Unheard of nowadays.

They had some other civil conversations around that time as well – no bickering in sight!

[spoilers for Little Garden below the cut]

This. This page right here is where everything started.

Ever since that first "contest", they became the ever-bickering, always-head-to-head Zoro and Sanji that we all know and love.

Their rivalry has become such a staple in all of their interactions – a force of habit, a routine, the status quo – and it has been going on for sooo long that I doubt Zoro and Sanji themselves even remember what started it anymore...

Just like another pair of rivals we know (whose 100-year rivalry also started with an argument over who caught the bigger prey).

This obvious Zoro/Sanji–Dorry/Brogy parallel has always been so interesting to me, especially since Dorry and Brogy were very explicitly presented as equals.

Those two giants had had a whopping 73,466 battles by the time the Straw Hats reached Little Garden, and not a single instance had one ever won over the other.

They were equal in strength, and even prior to their feud, they were in equal positions as co-captains of the Giant Warrior Pirates.

This is exactly the dynamic that Oda assigned Zoro and Sanji, presenting them in equal positions as the Wings of the Future Pirate King (probably also why Oda never explicitly stated that Zoro is First Mate)

Zoro and Sanji are also clearly very strong in their own rights, each with their unique abilities and skillsets. I truly believe a full-power battle between them would end up exactly like Dorry and Brogy's: a never-ending duel between two equally matched fighters.

TL;DR – I don't care what powerscalers say, Zoro and Sanji are equals in every sense of the word, period.

[spoilers for Wano and end of Egghead below]

Also, now that Dorry and Brogy are back in the picture, I really hope that Oda would circle around to this rivalry parallel in Elbaf.

I think it would be interesting to see further development in Zoro and Sanji's dynamics that goes beyond "rivals-that-actually-really-care-for-each-other-but-their-egos-are-too-big-to-show-it".

The Death Pact in Wano gave us probably the deepest glimpse so far into the nature of their relationship, showing us, clear as day, the incredible bond between them and just how far their trust for each other goes.

I mean, Dorry and Brogy ended up reconciling at the end of Little Garden and became best buddies again after fighting for one hundred years, so who knows what Oda has planned for ZoSan? I, for one, am really excited to see what he has in store for them in the Final Saga.

[summerlinenss]

i’ve been attempting to figure out something profound and uplifting to say, but honestly, i’m still just sad.

i’m sad we got cancelled in the first place. i’m sad that so many talented, hard-working people (on-camera and behind-the-scenes) lost their jobs. i’m sad that our show wasn’t even really given much of a proper, fair chance to begin with. i’m sad that these big corporations just keep proving time and time again that they don’t care about us.

i’m trying to find a way to sit with the sadness, like i’ve been trying to do for a year now. and it’s hard. it hurts. i think it’s because sadness feels like acceptance, and acceptance feels like giving up. but regardless of what happens in the future, i’m also trying to remind myself of the good that’s come from all the hurt.

our flag means death certainly and unfortunately wasn’t the first beloved diverse tv show to be cancelled, but it definitely woke many people up to just how much queer media is truly at risk. ofmd became the poster child for unjust cancellations in 2024, particularly for the cancellation spree by hbo. our fandom made headlines. we were on list after list after list. we’ve supported our cast and crew in their new projects. we’ve raised (at least) a total of just over $200k for various charities and mutual aid in a little less than 3 years of the show’s existence. we’ve taken part in initiatives to save queer media.

all of this to say, we’re still here. and i know we’re not going anywhere. i’m not giving up hope on a season 3 in whatever form it may come in, but i know that no matter what, we’ll continue to support each other and share our love for our pirates. and even if nothing ever comes of this, i can make peace with the fact that we’ve helped to make a difference and fight for the future of diverse and inclusive storytelling. long may we roam. 🏳️‍🌈🏴‍☠️

[gods-favorite-autistic]

Selkie Fabian with selkie Hallariel au you see the vision

Bill accidentally stole Hallariels pelt while he was pillaging in Fallinel and Hallariel fucking hunted him down

Bill fell in love the second she took his eye out but Hallariel only married him because he promised her a life of freedom and adventure on the sea something she’d never had before and she fell in love with him along the way

Telemaine was extremely protective of his daughter because he knew that like a half elf half selkie wouldn’t be very well received in Fallinel so she always hid her selkie-ness up until she left and stopped giving a shit about what Kei Lumennura thought

Part of why she left was because Telemaine refused to let her near the sea (he insisted that her mother learned to live without the sea to keep herself safe so she could too) but he finally caved after Bill stole her pelt because “I’m in danger either way at least I’m not miserable at sea”

She planned on only marrying Bill for a few years before going back home until she actually fell in love and then got pregnant

Fabian was allowed a lot more freedom than Hallariel had growing up but he was still told a bunch of horror stories about selkies getting their pelts stolen so he is very protective of his pelt

Like so protective that the Bad Kids didn’t even find out until like halfway through sophomore year (he only told them because Riz jokingly tried it on when they were all hanging out and Fabian snatched it away in a panic)

The main reason they have as big of a pool as they do is because Hallariel insisted on having someplace her and Fabian could shift

Fabian still misses the ocean terribly and travels down there on weekends he can get away

When Kalvaxus set their houses on fire he had to stop himself from running to check his room and find his pelt because his parents were in danger

When he got home after prom Cathilda immediately handed his pelt to him because she knew he’d be panicking about it

Cathilda knows about Fabian being a selkie (of course she does she practically raised him) but he didn’t realize she knew until he was about 12 (he thought he was being sneaky) so it became sort of a game for her to see how much she could tease him about it before he realized she knew

She insists on washing his pelt because he insists on storing it with the rest of his clothes and she doesn’t want it to get dirty (she always framed it as something similar to giving his selkie form a shower) but she has a rigorous washing process that she insists on doing every time despite it taking like an hour each time

The first week after she gets sober Hallariel takes Fabian down to the beach and gets in the ocean for the first time since she had him

Before Fabian she always insisted she would not become some trophy piece lying around Bill Seacasters house like most of the selkies she’d heard about who married pirates (and the she had Fabian and then…yeah)

Fabian and Mazey have a tendency to borrow each others clothes and it’s all great fun until Mazey takes his pelt without realizing thinking it’s just a regular coat (he is scared to death of telling anyone he’s romantically involved with that he’s a selkie cause, y’know, horror stories) and he has a genuine panic attack when he can’t find it

About an hour after this happens Riz (who Fabian had asked to find the pelt) shows up at Mazey’s doorstep demanding the pelt back and Mazey is just so confused

Fabian finally tells her like a week later and she feels just so bad

Hallariel doesn’t fully trust the Bad Kids until she learns they know Fabian is a selkie

Gorgug starts joining Fabian on his late night oceanside trips after they all find out (he says it’s because it’s not safe for Fabian to be out there alone but it’s really because he just wants to hang out with his friend)

So so many beach trips with the party over summer after junior year (would’ve been sophomore but yknow night yor-*I am shot in the head by Riz Gukgak killing me instantly*)

Kristen challenges Fabian to an underwater breath holding contest and like just to freak them out he just kinda stays under for like 5 minutes

He can stay underwater for a while when he has his pelt but when he got possessed on Leviathan sophomore year he had to leave it behind and when he doesn’t have it he’s kinda shit at holding his breath naturally (he never trained it because he assumed he wouldn’t have to deal with being in the water without his pelt a lot but he started training it after that)

He has control over how much he shifts when he’s in the water with his pelt so unless it’s been like a while and he’s craving the ocean he’ll usually go for just like patches of seal fur along his body and occasionally he’ll let his feet turn partially tail-like if he feels like swimming a lot

The Bad Kids think his patchy form is just so adorable (he would be fully human around them since he’s still not fully comfortable with it but the halfway form is kind of the lowest he’s able to dial it when he has his pelt in the water)

Jawbone finds out partway through junior year (Adaine makes an off handed remark about Fabian’s pelt and he was just very confused) and once he finds out he immediately starts researching the shit out of selkies

He finds out that there’s a support group at Aguefort for selkie students and he gives Fabian the information

Fabian very reluctantly goes and actually enjoys it a lot (it’s less like a support group like it says and just kinda like a place for selkie students to hang out and bond with other selkies) so he keeps going weekly

They were all very skeptical of him when he first showed up (I mean the most popular kid in school who is also the son of a world renowned pirate showing up to a selkie hangout when nobody knows he’s a selkie feels like a red flag) but he brought his pelt with him just in case to make sure they knew he wasn’t an enemy

At first he has a bunch of people giving him pity because they assume Bill basically abducted his mom but he shuts that shit down quick (“if my papa tried to abduct my mama she would’ve taken out his other eye and slit his throat”)

They are all so jealous of the fact that he actually lived on the sea for most of his life (they have a monthly trip to the beach because most of them aren’t able to go out that much and a good majority of the people in Elmville have lived there all their lives or most of their lives)

Ok yeah that’s it for now I just got selkie Fabian in my head and couldn’t get it out

[randomreadingtimewithtsuki]

LUFFY WITH A BAKER PARTNER(related to Sanji perchance) THAT HE HARASSED SEMI CONSTANTLY FOR SWEETS

hcs or fic idc i just need fluffy luffy

Hello dear!

Thanks for requesting! This is my first OP piece, let me know how it goes!

Tsuki's note: As i am on episode 300 or something, i am not so sure about Sanji's family to do a convincing plot. So, bear with me here. Reader is his sibling from the heart aka grew up together like siblings.

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

You were taken in by Zeff soon after he and Sanji started the restaurant.

You were a lonely rude kid.

But soon enough you found your passion in baking.

Zeff trained you to protect yourself - you never know what is lurking in these waters.

So very often you sparred with Sanji.

He was like a brother to you, always together.

Alas, before the strawhats got to Baratie to recruit Sanji, you were already gone for your own adventure.

A client saw you had great talent for baking and invited you to work in a renowned restaurant.

This person also loved Sanji's cooking but your stupid brother declined.

Sanji and Zeff fully supported you on pursuing that path.

They knew you could fend for yourself and the experience was great!

You were heartbroken that Sanji didn't tag along with you and also leaving the Baratie behind.

But you went anyway.

After months of leaving the Baratie and living on this new island, working for that restaurant you met the strawhats.

When they arrived at the island and reached the city, Sanji immediately recognized the restaurant that you would be there.

Alas, he had no time to explain anything, because the captain just rushed there. Luffy was gone in seconds.

Sanji chased after him in sheer desperation. Luffy could easily bankrupt a restaurant.

After the introduction was said and done and you hugged Sanji tightly, You offered the crew a cake you baked.

Soon you realized a single cake wasn't enough, because Luffy absolutely loved it!

He was like a vacuum cleaner swallowing the whole cake.

Well, that was not the end of your interaction with the captain, no.

While they were on the island, he went to you almost every free day he had to ask you for food.

You had told him your specialty was sweets, not meat, but he didn't seem to care.

Luffy claimed that, sure, there is no better food than meat, your baking goods came second place.

Did this comment made you happy? yes.

Did you like having him around your kitchen the whole time? No. He ate everything.

So to stop him from just blasting into the restaurant you promised him little treats.

It worked, surprisingly. But it was meant he came t nag you directly, quite often.

It made you wonder if your brother was actually feeding this boy or not.

A little bit before the crew went exploring he asked you make little bento's.

You thought that was weird, as Sanji has done them minutes ago.

But Luffy said he needed more strength than that and your food was the jackpot!

Again, happy? yes. Very.

You gladly baked what he asked, for everyone, of course.

You were worried sick as they took a long time to return - Luffy and Sanji promised to return to your work to say bye.

After a few days they were back beaten and bloodied, but smiling and filled with stories about what happened.

They didn't stay for long though, just two more days to recover.

These two days Luffy assumed you would keep your deal from before.

Well, you forgot about it, so he blasted in the kitchen upset, demanding his donuts.

To make up to him, you baked the donuts and cupcakes.

When it was time to say goodbye, you were invited in the crew by Luffy , who claimed that having a baker would be great.

But Sanji shot him down. Your silly brother didn't want you to sacrifice your career to be a pirate.

Despite you working with Zeff of a floating ship.

You didn't accept Luffy's invitations. The captain was very upset, but as soon as you explained you wanted to go to other restaurants to learn more recipes for him, Luffy got over the moon.

He accepted your negative, as long as you kept your promise.

And you did! After the two years time skip, you all met again.

This time you had tons of new recepies to share with Sanji and bake!

Needless to stay you had Luffy on your heels the entirety of their visit.

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

Thank you for reading!

i feel like i wrote more about Sanji xSibling reader than anything, sorry !

[cryptid-killjoy]

"Cool, we're the pineapple under the sea crew if Iorek's in."

Normal chatter until Livvy came up. There was Figaro looking on the bright though.

"True. She's not dead. At least I'm not mourning her legendary pirate soul." He started to grin at the simple act of calling her a pirate recalling how she got her name to begin with. It was so silly. How could he not smile? Then it fell. "Pretty sure she wouldn't want to see me if we did bump into each other." Then it started to grow again. "But watching her attempt to ignore, act cool, or act audacious, whichever would be cute either way." He chuckled at the thought wondering where her instinct would take her.

As for missing the randomness of people in society for these two social creatures Will was nodding in agreement.

"Yeah, exactly. That's exactly what I mean. We need chile, Smalls. I'm more used to life being a chilli cook off actually. Not just Skyline versus Goldstar, but a god damn county fair cook off any day I feel like not being in the walls. You hit the nail on the head there. Some days I even want a Chilli Dog."

Nothing got his smile to spread more than the mention of Hansel. His time in the walls was special to him. But, oh the phrasing, in the closet. He laughed out loud. "Don't crush me with ideas, Smalls. Hansel's a handsome guy." Willem would hardly be ashamed to admit he got off with a couple girls more on the idea Hansel might have been peeking through the secret wall holes and believing he was giving him a show than the thought of the girls he was with. He never said these sorts of thoughts out loud though. Hansel was probably that best friend secret soft-crush he'd never move on because A. dude was straight, and B. he'd never want to hurt Funkytown if something went wrong even if he wasn't straight. He started to realize flirting with Diana too much started to be an issue. He never wanted to hurt a doll in any way. Either way he sure didn't mind giving Hansel a show and enjoyed it.

When they got out of the bus it was hard not to notice the amount of corpse debris strewn about. He flared his nostrils on first foul breath. He put the back of his wrist up to his nose. "You might want to wear that around your neck. Damn." His brows furrowed as his face cringed unable to stop inhaling in the pungent odor due to need for breathing. He'd smelled worse, especially in the beginning, but he still wasn't used to it no matter how long he'd lived in Feral.

All he could even think to say about Quarantine was, "That's Feral for ya." It was hardly shocking even if his nose still disliked it.

Another big smile spread when he saw Figaro with a rather large weapon. "Hell yeah. That's what I'm talking 'bout. Dear Davey Jones. You look so... kick ass."

The best part of Bastien and his hoarding and their strange nothing you need store is everything that's expensive is nothing but a treasure hunt away. This appealed to Willem's pirate looting side. Bastien had a tendency to hoard anything and everything and organized in a system of his own design. Willem was more specific with his looting. That said one can best bet Wild Will came home to Funkytown one day with the Resident Evil VRs for his horror movie watching household. He brought enough headsets for half the dolls to play and even modded them to fit smaller dolls heads. Of course, the Polly Pockets and action figure sized were still out of luck, but he tried to make them user friendly. It was one of his own favorite loots.

"Yes, and please." He was ready to go up and check out the dolls that were haunting his mind tonight. He knew he wasn't going to sleep well if he didn't go check on them. So, he led Figaro on up to Livvy's old apartment. Willem had over time even gotten the key to the front door to the place because he heard of Frank's people races for Feral. The reality was most didn't make it beyond the race and if they did, they weren't prepared for what Feral was. The zombies got them before they had a chance to settle in, but on the off chance someone was a tough cookie that survived the Feral trials he wanted to keep this one space safe. So, he'd be seen pulling out a key of his own and unlocking her apartment as if it was his own. It wasn't a difficult item to acquire when the Landlord's office was abandoned.

"This is it." He knew Figaro wanted to rummage her uncle's belongings, but he still walked back to Livvy's room first.

"Her room is back here."

The shelving unit he made that Livvy never saw would be there, installed, and covered neatly in her collection of dolls and figurines. They were all lined up with care and placed at aesthetically pleasing angles.

He reached in for the mermaid first and sat on the edge of her bed. "I love this one." He said before kicking off the portion of his costume that made his feet look like hooves. They were getting uncomfortable, and it was a show he was making himself comfortable and intended to stay for a while. He was in no rush.

He took a dust cloth that was sitting off on a side table and wiped it off. It was still sitting there from last time he'd been in along with some Windex and dust spray. He intended to wipe down the shelves and tend to each one like he always did.

"She loved this one." He added. The Livvy Mermaid. Maybe he was a glutton for punishment, but he enjoyed letting the memories whirl around his head as he touched each one that were living in boxes before he pulled them out, like a collector too afraid to open them up afraid of them losing value instead of enjoying them. The only difference was he knew that wasn't why she kept them in the box. Willem always saw Livvy as another little giant too busy trying to be what she wasn't or who she thought others needed her to be to enjoy who she was. That's why he knew those dolls were loved even shoved in the back of a closet in boxes instead of given away, donated, or sold off. It was thoughts like that which Livvy never quite knew or understood about Willem because they never dwelled long on depths of each other, but it was still thoughts like that which kept Willem attached. It was too close to home.

"Every now and again I think about bringing them all back to Funkytown, but I think they'll worry they might miss her if she comes back." He'd say as if they were actually alive and had thoughts and feelings even all of these didn't have any of the Geppetto magic on them. Willem believed he understood all the feelings of dolls even when they didn't.

"They don't get too lonely. They have each other." He let Figaro know in case they were worried. It had been a worry of his.

He looked more at peace in there than at the ball. "You don't have to sit here while I tidy them. You can go exploring like you wanted. I can meet you in there when I'm done if you want?" He had a feeling Figaro would get bored watching him dust the figurines and shelves and fluff the dolls.

“I am feeling pretty jolly,” Figaro admitted. Seeing their father was bittersweet but there was a lot of good to take away from that. He was watching over them. And he was proud. The ghosts of their Merry Men friends stuck around. There wasn’t much reason to not be jolly.

“I think I’d make a sick Larry,” Figaro hummed as they careened the bus down the mountain road. “Hey Iorek, you wanna be Gary?”

The bear let out a sound that sounded half-whine, half yawn. Figaro looked over their shoulder at him.

“Mrs. Puff? You want to be Mrs goddamn Puff?” They said, with wide eyes. “Damn. I didn’t know you wanted to go for sex appeal. Let’s fuckin do it.”

They nodded, not having much of an opinion either way of whether Livvy was still going to be active in their lives or not. “Hey, she’s alive though, that’s something,” They said. Not a lot of people were these days. “So there’s a chance that you’ll be able to see her again.”

Looking on the bright side wasn’t always their forte but when it came to Will? Goddamn, they really wanted him to be happy. Even if it was with someone like Livvy. That girl had made him smile, while also being frustrating at the same time. Messy - but at least he was showing his teeth.

“You’re right about that, I miss meeting people,” Figaro said, eyes on the road, their voice actually being serious. “Nothing against our friends obviously but - yeah. Variety in the spice of life and we’re not getting that. I’m growing sick of paprika, I want some chile.”

They didn’t mean this romantically, obviously, but they were a social being. There was nothing shy about Figaro. They’d just pop in and make themselves at home, that’s how they made a lot of their friends. And either they gott rejected, or they were invited in as if they had always been there. Meeting Flotsam, as if they had been instant best friends the moment that they met. The high school cafeteria table where they sat, despite not really talking to Arthur and Lance, boom, as if they had been sitting together since kindergarden. And then inviting Willem over to live with them despite only having spoken for a couple of days. They tested that chemistry with a lot of people. And now there wasn’t anyone to pop up on.

Figaro agreed though. Willem did need a certain kind of chaos in his life. “Maybe she’ll surprise ya one day,” They offered. Granted, it seemed HIGHLY unlikely that Delta was ever going to invite in someone like Livvy, a human that didn’t offer that much to her at all. Not without killing her or something similar. But regardless. Stranger things have happened.

They chuckled as they heard Willem sing and joined in with the tune. “-in the closet, that’s Hansel, he’s a bit shy so don’t scream too much!”

They parked up by the playground and looked out the windshield at the building. This area didn’t get much upkeep in Feral. Willem was the only one who really ever came to it. Old blood - once a bright red but now a brick-brown, blended into the walls, and a few bodies still lay around, decomposing. Figaro grabbed the Dragon-Fruit Little Tree air freshener from the mirror and wrapped it around their wrist. “Man, I hate the smell of the dead in the morning,” They sighed.

The bodies didn’t smell too much. It was mostly just bones and a bit of ooze. Being left out in the elements like the sun and the rain definitely had their effects. But they took a big whiff of the air freshener before daring to step outside.

It was still dark, the sky only lightening slightly, as they approached the building. It seemed so desolate. It didn’t need the Frank and Delta treatment to be spooky. “Why am I getting REC vibes? Quarantine? I wish I had a machete.”

That’s when they spotted something glistening. “Oh hey, a dead cop. Oooooh, hey, a dead cop’s gun!” They said, going towards it and took it out of the corpse’s fingerbones. “Now we’re going Resident Evil, baby. Let’s go hang out with some cool dolls.”

[gentlebeardsbarngrill]

01/01-04/2025 Daily OFMD Recaps

TLDR; Happy Belated Birthday Ruibo!; David Jankins; Rhys Darby; Taika Waititi; Con O'Neill; Samson Kayo; Vico Ortiz; Madeleine Sami; Articles; Fan Spotlight: Never Left Podcast; Truly Docked 2026; Love Notes; Hey Lovelies! I am very behind because I'm back to being sick with whatever is causing this stomach pain! SInce I wanted to be caught up on the recaps for the anniversary of the cancellation (JUST IN CASE)... I may leave some stuff out and catch up on them later.

= Happy Birthday Ruibo (1/1)! =

So many (belated) birthday wishes to our beloved Pirate Queen! We love you dear, thank you for all your kindness and positivity over the past year~

Source: Ruibo's Instagram = David Jenkins =

"2025 might just be a great year too 🥰💜🦄"

Source: David's Instagram

Our friends over at Never Left Podcast pointed out that David did a similar picture back in 2024 before the first cancellation announcement...

Source: Never Left Podcast Twitter

And our dear @adoptourcrew pointed out the lyrics on the instagram post were also appropriate...

Source: Adopt Our Crew's bsky

= Rhys Darby =

Rhys and family are still out in Aotearoa!

Source: Rosie's IG

= Taika Waititi =

Taika had a great time during the holidays back in Aotearoa and made a Hangi for Christmas!

Source: Taika's Instagram Stories and Posts / Rita's Instagram Stories / Not Late Late Instagram / lfizzlphillips on Instagram

= Con O'Neill =

More images of Con from Rogue Heroes Season 2!

Source: The Artist Partnership Instagram

= Samson Kayo =

Compilation of Sampson's year 2024!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Samson Kayo (@samsonkayo)

Source: Samson's Instagram

= Madeleine Sami =

More wrapped pictures from Deadloch S2 Cast!

Source: Life With Emerson and Oliver Instagram

= Vico Ortiz =

CW: Adult Themes - More previews of Today in Gay! Wanna support them? Join the Today in Gay Substack!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Vico Ortiz (@puertoricaninja)

Source: Vico's Instagram

== Articles ==

As always! @adoptourcrew keeping us up to date on articles mentioning the show!

Source: Adopt Our Crew Bsky

Source: Adopt Our Crew Bsky

Source: Adopt Our Crew Bsky

== Fan Spotlight ==

= Never Left Podcast =

New episode of Never Left is available now! This time it's Part 2 of Art! Check it out on their linktr.ee!

Source: Never Left Podcast Instagram

= Truly Docked 2026 =

There's a new Truly Docked planned for JANUARY 24, 2026 in St. Augustine, FL! This is an in person Pirate event! To get tickets or learn more visit Truly Docked OFMD

Source: Truly Docked's Instagram

== Love Notes ==

In the essence of time-- I am sending just a few love notes on this recap from other folks so I can try to finish the next one in time for the 9th! Love you crew!

Source: Stay Close To Yourself Instagram

[deathmetalunicorn1]

Genya Shinazugawa!reader as a member of the Straw Hats with Sanemi being a member of the Whitebeards and not happy that his brother became a pirate since he is scared of losing him

-It was a massive party that had been planned out by Whitebeard, wanting to meet Ace’s little brother Luffy, hearing how the little rascal and his crew had been making big news all over the Grand Line.

-Luffy took little convincing once Ace said there was going to be a lot of food, and the two crews agreed to meet on a summer island to party together.

-What they weren’t expecting was that there was another set of siblings on the two crews, you, who was on Luffy’s crew, as he met you shortly after Zoro and Nami, and Sanemi, your older brother who had made a name for himself on Whitebeard’s crew.

-Unlike Ace and Luffy who had a good relationship, you and Sanemi had little to no relationship, after he left you, abandoning you after your whole family was killed by cruel marines, only to be killed by Sanemi, leaving both of you heavily scarred, both inside and out.

-He told you years ago that he was going to become a pirate, to become strong and prevent any more marines from doing anything like this, and when you expressed your interest in doing the same, he beat you up before leaving you, telling you that someone so weak would never be a pirate.

-He only said that and did that to you to make you afraid, to keep you safe, with the hopes you would get a normal job and live a normal life like how you deserved, but his words only drove you to work harder to become a pirate.

-Now you’re one of two marksmen on Luffy’s crew alongside Usopp, but while he used slingshots, you used actual guns, ranging in all styles and sizes.

-Despite your rather gruff personality whenever you met anyone new, your true personality was quick to show- a tsundere with a heart of gold- you were such a sweet and kind person- it was honestly adorable how gruff you tried to portray yourself as.

-You were also very respectful to everyone in the crew, as they were the ones who made you into the feared pirate you were today. Now if you could just catch up to your brother’s bounty, even surpassing it, you would be even more content, as that would prove to your brother that you were a great pirate!

-The initial meeting as Luffy leapt off the ship and ran to Ace, tackling him down made smiles go all around, both crews happy to see the reunion.

-As the rest of you got off and headed towards the large group, one person stepped forward and everyone seemed to freeze as Sanemi looked like a demon was surrounding him, looking furious.

-You glared back, a hand coming to your hip as you looked angry as well as he stomped over, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?! You’re not supposed to be a pirate!”

-You glared back, now being able to fight back as you were bigger now, “You don’t have the right to lecture me when you abandoned me!”

-Everyone looked between the two of you, realizing that you were siblings as you both looked similar as you both shouted back and forth at each other. Sanemi threw a punch at your disrespect, as you should listen to him since he’s older, but he only grew more enraged when you dodged his blow and threw one of your own, sending him staggering back after you nailed him across the face hard.

-The two of you were quickly in a brawl, leading many trying to pull the two of you apart, even Whitebeard and Luffy who were both yelling at you to knock it off.

-Sanemi punched you hard, sending you flying back, “You idiot! You weren’t supposed to be a pirate! You were supposed to live a normal life!!”

-You quickly rolled to your feet, wiping your bloody nose with the back of your hand, “How was I supposed to do that when our family was killed, and you walked out on me?! Who was I supposed to look up to in order live a normal life?!”

-Eyes went to Sanemi, hearing how he left you after your family had been killed and his eyes went white as he charged with a furious yell, and you did the same.

-At the very last second, someone appeared beside the two of you and punched you both hard, sending you flying. Nami breathed in deeply, her fists smoking as she stopped the fight easily.

-You both were quickly on your knees in front of her as she chewed you both out, a lump on each of your heads, but you were smart- knowing not to talk back to Nami, but Sanemi didn’t know this listen and by the time she stomped off, Sanemi was covered in lumps and he was face down in the dirt, unable to move.

-The two of you, as punishment, had to drink and eat together, to reconcile, but there was nothing like that, only eating and drinking while glaring at each other.

-It was Sanemi who instigated conversation with you, “You’ve gotten tall.” You glanced over, eating another piece of meat, “Yeah- Sanji keeps us all fed well.” It was awkward for anyone listening to the conversation, seeing how the two of you were trying.

-By the time the party ended with everyone passed out, leaving only you and Sanemi, or so you thought, he finally spoke, “You’ve gotten stronger- that punch was impressive. Guess I was wrong about you being weak.” You knew that for Sanemi, that was as close as he was going to get to apologizing to you.

-You gave him a grin, lifting your mug, “I was motivated to prove you wrong- now all I have to do is surpass you!” he grinned in return, welcoming the challenge, “I’d like to see you try!”

-While not completely forgiving him, you were at least willing to be a little nicer to him, something Luffy and Whitebeard, who were also awake, shared a grin over, happy to see you two getting along.

[sunnymainecoon]

Horror's silly I guess..... idk sometimes I just want him to slam people idk

Sighs the man's a little angy don't judge him... Jesus he's ugly

[ofbckers]

A phrase of great importance rang in Basil's head as he watched Peter pour over the concept of trust between them - the hesitation, the slight confusion, the quiet yet sharp bite of his voice. When someone tells you who they are, you should believe them. Is that what Peter was doing, telling Basil who he was now? Basil had believed a lot of things about Peter over the years, believed in him being a strong adult with good values and work ethic. Moral ethics too, if Basil had done his job well. Though, that point was entirely debatable now, and was one Basil felt all too uncomfortable discussing.

Of course stories of pirates and princes weren't to be believed, but that wasn't the stories they were talking about here. Peter had just spun a little here-say around about the "lost boys" and their affinity for shadows, the theatricality of it all. The phantasmic idea of danger that came with working in the underbelly - not much to go off of in terms of clues and facts. It would not have been much to believe at all, if it weren't punctuated by the strain in Peter's throat. When he was done with it all, through gritted teeth, he'd still had the faculty to say Basil... shouldn't believe him. Shouldn't believe that the lost boys exist? Or shouldn't believe that Peter knows nothing about them?

Peter's insistence that he was not trustworthy begged the very relevant question of what exactly he didn't think Basil should believe. Or better yet, who he shouldn't believe in, even after all this time.

"I can. I'd say a vague recollection of rumors and stories makes you, quite frankly, a terrible witness, in fact," Despite it all though, Basil did not want to believe that Peter was a terrible person. When he was asking questions like this, Basil aired in the caution of treating everyone like witnesses ( though the initial reason he'd come to survey the bar was long forgotten now ). Right here, now, Basil was becoming disturbingly aware that the conversation had gotten ahead of him too fast. He'd fallen into the deep end of mixing personal and professional feelings, and yes, even the great Basil could admit when he was drowning. If he'd just had a moment to think, he could slow down and get at what he was meaning to say at its core. That Peter wasn't a witness, but just someone who Basil would always be open to a conversation with. Maybe the detective wasn't so different from some of the gang leaders in town - he could certainly relate to fighting for those slivers of loyalty he hoped were still there.

"I suppose I just wanted to listen to you," Not that either of them could be particularly candid with the other at this point, but they could try. So what if Peter wasn't a great witness in court, he was a witness for Basil as a human being - and vice versa. Whether they liked it or not, they were both living proof and testimony that things hadn't always been this way, "Do you want me to believe you?"

Peter fought against the urge to roll his eyes at Basil's conclusion that the lost boys ran on the same principles as the other gangs in town, knowing firsthand just how wrong that assumption was. every gang required loyalty; of course, they would lose power without it, but it was different with the lost boys. the loyalty between them wasn't merely a byproduct of their business dealings, a necessity to keep them functioning; their loyalty was worth something; it had been earned. and despite his violent reputation that frequently implied otherwise, he did actually value his lost boys as a family above all else — a trait that he knew many of the other leaders didn't quite share. they viewed their people as dispensable, a chess piece to gamble with as they saw fit; meanwhile, he saw his people as something worth trying to protect.

but on his worst nights, on what he feared were his most honest nights, he'd wondered just how much of that he told himself to make himself feel better — if maybe, after all these years masquarading as a leader as equally ruthless as the rest, he'd actually become one. " you wouldn't think that they cared all that much about allegiance; based on all of the infighting you can see happening around town at most hours of the day. " it was one of the reasons that Basil was so passionate about stopping all of the gangs, he imagined — the fact that they always ended up making their fights everyone else's fight in the end. he'd never been one to sit back and quietly allow that kind of injustice; it was one of the things that had made him feel so heroic to Peter back in the day and one of the things that now made him feel so suffocatingly unreachable. " but you're probably right. if the lost boys do exist, they're probably just another gang fighting for loyalty like the rest of them. "

Peter, I take everything you say quite seriously. his head turned to face the detective instinctively, eyes a little wide and almost panicked, as he heard those words. was this another game? a tactic to catch him off guard enough to reveal more? it seemed unlikely. Basil was cunning, smarter than most ever gave him credit for truthfully, but he'd never been cruel — not intentionally and not maliciously. but the alternative, the idea that Basil could've been saying it simply because he meant it, was so much worse. if Basil was going to give up on him either way, why couldn't he at least give him the peace of mind of a clean break? why did he have to hold some reserve of faith for him? to give him hope? " you shouldn't. " he choked the words out, not proud of how small they sounded. " my stories aren't usually worth that much weight. "

the facade that he'd put firmly into place since the very beginning of their conversation, that he'd been putting into place since the day that he'd walked out of Basil's home for the very last time, crumbled just slightly. he trusted him? implicitly? now? still? no, he couldn't. it wasn't fair of him to believe in him now, when there wasn't anything left in him worth believing in anymore. he turned his gaze away sharply, an uncomfortable guilt gnawing at his chest. " why? I'm sure you can find much better witnesses. "

[mockiery]

Once Upon A Time 3x05 "Good Form" my beloved, I know the text and shots and scene transitions directly parallel Hook saving David's life to Killian's loss of his brother, and Killian's pained expressions of seeing David succumb more and more to the same poison Liam did. Killian's insistence David tell his family, give them the chance to say goodbye that Killian didnt have with his brother. Of Killian himself sayinf David reminded him of Liam, his canonical hero. I know the ep's dialogue speaks of Killian's want to be seen as a man of honor, to be that man of honor.

And I know Killian would absolutely have been a deflective ass with the "I didn't do it for you" to David about saving his life, bantering teasingly that he did it for Emma like David has accused all of his actions to get to and be at Neverland as - just a selfish attempt to have Emma.

And I know Killian's half-joking flirtation with Emma later with "Is that all your father's life is worth to you?" is in character bc for his entire presence on the show previously he has used compliments of himself and flirtatious remarks as deflection, jokes, and to be actively antagonistic/inflammatory/annoying/playful.

I know all of this. I know this is all perfectly in character and the nonspoken motives informed by the flashbacks to his past and his performance are deeply in character. But christ alive I wish that a tiny little line would've been added in somewhere that made it clear that his motivations in this ep and the Neverland arc as a whole weren't just about Emma bc it feels like the writers partially forgot this in 3a, despite the strength of this episode and all its parallels. They say characters' feelings out loud or allude to them more directly in dialogue all the time like pleeeeeeease, you could've made it a lil more obvious it's not solely bc of Emma like. i just wish it wasn't easily misread if u didn't read into it deeper with Killian's characterization, beyond his contradicting words

[aroaceleovaldez]

i would like to say my ideal PJO adaptation (if i was being physically forced against my will to have to pick a live action adaptation over an animated one for some reason) would be a combo like writing of the musical + casting of the show + visuals of the movies

BUT the show actually does have the playwright for the musical as one of the major writers for like three episodes and that did nothing for it. so...

[july-19th-club]

seven or eight times now ive watched the episodes in which they take the andromache and this is the first time ive realized that during the initial battle, after they board, every time the camera is from dufresne's perspective it's blurrier than otherwise because. he took his glasses off for the fight

[wishjacked]

u know what? fine. *draws my guys like they're a cartoon*

here's the lil antag crew too. they get to have more detail because they're special <3 (aka they show up less often so the AU version of myself that makes cartoons can afford to put more time into them)

[bsotted]

ok well. unfortunate news: sometimes ur niche is so niche u've already niched the niche. this is exactly the same as the feeling of hitting the end of ur ship tag in ao3 🥲

*edit: sorry i accidentally named like every character ever in the tags so ppl are Seeing this post who dont have the benefit of so much as a single crumb of context. if i accidentally namedropped ur blorbo its bc of this post:

anyway. i was excited for recs bc i also enjoy this genre of fictional character. unfortunately as above the niche is niched, it turns out. at least for me, content enjoyer georg, who has apparently already seen or read everything anyone else has already seen or read except for a small handful of specific media properties that i do not wish to see or read for various personal reasons and also not literally everything ever... just the same things as everyone else has already seen and read... u get the idea. ok thnks 👍🏻