#animation is so much harder in scratch i swear lmao

[skaluli]

younger me would be so happy right now

[kashimos-hajime]

interlude | l.a.

summary: levi pulls you away from some rich-ass party for far more interesting activities. you’re just too goddamn pretty for him.

WARNINGS: smut!!! (18+), handjobs, oral (m-receiving), sub!levi, big pouty boy, ok hes just like really sexually pent up and this is how hes going through it, hints of jealousy, teasing, swearing, closet sex, established relationship, but also fluff :), levi is a bratty mf pairing: levi ackerman x survey corps fem!reader word count: 2.3k

a/n: written just bc i felt like it! enjoy my subby needy take on levi in honour of levi coming back all sexy this coming sunday ndklsnf LMAO enjoy!!

crossposted on ao3 x

His fingers are insistent, wrapped tight around your wrist as he pulls you through the empty corridors of the Mitras palace, and you glance back at the party they’ve left abruptly. Erwin will surely be missing their absence, even in the crowd of superiors he’s surrounded by and you frown. Jerking your long Scout jacket tighter across yourself, you glance out at the sunset painting the sky a rusty orange, before glancing back at the Captain, mouth dropping open in protest.

“Levi, what—”

With a sharp tug, you’re pulled into darkness, out of nowhere, and you let out a yelp before hands find your waist and desperate, seeking lips press tightly against your own. A small, strong body is flush against yours as the door clicks shut under your back, and you sag into hands that are flat against the wood underneath your shoulders as your arms drape over a sloping frame, eyebrows furrowing, returning the kiss just as fiercely.

A needy sound pries out of Levi’s mouth as he bites on your lower lip before moving away, leaving open-mouthed kisses down your jaw, across your chin, down your neck and your head tilts back, your breath coming out in punched gasps as his hips jerk against your own.

“L-Levi?” His name comes out choked and his head pulls back. In the darkness, you can’t even make out the blueness of his eyes but you know they burn you—you can feel them on your mouth all the same. And then, his head tilts forward, brow against your collarbones and your hand lifts from his shoulders, finding the knob and twisting the lock with a quick flip of your fingers. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” he grumbles. “I just needed to feel you.”

“Here?” you prompt as his ragged breaths push against your shirt. Your other hand rakes lazily through his hair and he arches into you, nails scraping into the wooden door as your fingers scratch at his scalp. “What—”

“You’re pretty. Too pretty,” he grits out. “Stop it.”

Unamused: “Stop being pretty?”

“Stop teasing me.”

A delighted current runs through your heart at his order and you smirk. Now that your heart is racing, and you’re all alone in a tight room with just him, you can smell his intent all over him, radiating like a frustrated animal. 

Leaning down until your lips brush the shell of his ear, you feel his shiver as you whisper gently, “I’m not doing anything, sweetheart.”

“F-fuck—“ His voice comes out shaking, and he hunches over, jaw clenched. “Never see you like this. All political, charming the brass. It shouldn’t work. Nothing should work.” Your hand falls away from his hair and you run your hands down his tense, lithe body, smiling to yourself as he continues to grumble, “But every single fucking time, you just have to be there. Smiling sunshine piece of shit—”

“You talk too much, Captain,” you whisper, your fingers finding his belt buckle of his own formal jacket and pulling it undone easily. The jacket falls in a pile around his legs and feet shift against stone as you continue onto the buckle of his pants, tugging his tucked shirt free. “You’re wound up.”

“You knew what you were doing,” he continues accusingly, his head still against your chest bone and you smile, craning your neck to kiss the side of his head. He lets out a growl.

“You just thought the premiere’s son looked at me funny.”

“He did.”

“Tch, Levi,” you sing, slowly unwinding leather from loops, “green has always been a pretty colour on you. If this whole act continues, I might just lead him on to see what gets a rile out of you.”

He scoffs, hard and hot against your collarbone. “Manipulator.“

“Bastard,” you quip, grinning. “We match.” Fingers curling over the waistband of his pants, you push them down before cupping his head and lifting a soft face towards your own. “Hey, there.”

You feel the flush searing his cheeks, and you know without the light that his eyes are blown out and hazy, lip caught between teeth as he tries to restrain the wanton desire burning through his system. You understand. It’s exactly the same way you feel whenever you’re remotely in the same room as him and there isn’t enough space to contain their impulses without everything exploding.

Tilting his chin, you kiss him softly, warmly, gently, and his fingers find your wrists, wrapping around them insistently, tight enough to bruise. You smile when his nose nudges against your cheek, lips still seeking more. Indulging him for only half a second, you tilt his head up, feeling his mouth fall open as nails dig into your wrists, a warning and an ask.

Drawing back just enough to breathe but not enough that their lips ever part, your words push into his mouth in a heady sigh.

“We have to be quiet, alright, Captain?” You smile crookedly as he nods, the fringe of his hair brushing along the line of your nose and fluttering over your eyelids. “Good. Now, relax…” Sinking to your knees, your hands find lean, burning thighs and you huff to yourself, trailing a finger up to the apex of his leg and you find the knob of his hip bones before anything.

You know exactly what’s staring at you in the face. You just refuse to acknowledge it.

Travelling inward, you trace his V-line until the heat of his blood is so hot it’s near unbearable and when your hand merely brushes against his cock, his body collapses forward, hips jutting with a sharp, tight groan. Above you, you hear an elbow collide with the door and by the way he doesn’t move back, you know he’s leaning heavily on his arms.

Fingers delicately finding the base, your digits dance up his length, smirking at the tiny noises you pry out of him with your teasing, and a hand shoots down to your head but he still doesn’t move you as your thumb presses against the tip, finding precum already leaking down his cock.

“I’ve barely touched you,” you note, wrapping your fingers around him and rubbing your thumb all over the head. A short, choked noise rips out of Levi and you smile, reaching blindly for his other clothes and stuffing them under your knees. Leaning in close, your breath puffs against your hand and him as you slowly let go. “How long have you been hiding this?”

“You wouldn’t believe it,” he replies dryly through gritted teeth and you chuckle, spitting into your palm. It drips down your fingers and you grab Levi’s thigh with your clean hand before shifting yourself closer. “God, if you’re not going to—“

Whatever the rest of his sentence was going to be fades away when you wrap a hand around his cock and slide it down to his base, excruciatingly slow. His hips jerk forward, sending his dick the rest of the way through the tight fist you have on him and you laugh, kissing the tip teasingly.

“What? Does that feel good or something?”

“You fucking know—ngh—fuck, yes.” His hand tightens in your hair as you pump your hand, grip tight yet not enough. Your thumb runs along the underside, rubbing over the weeping slit before tracing back down again and the rest of your fingers squeeze, teasing the shit out of him, smearing precum all over his dick.

Your hand on his thigh reaches up, sneaking underneath his shirt to hook on his hip bone and you spread your fingers, feeling the tightness in his abdomen as you continue to jerk him off, kissing the tip with a silly grin every few seconds.

Your name comes out stuttered, torn from Levi’s throat, and you don’t have to remind him to be quiet because those sinful noises he’s so desperately trying to chain back only serve to inspire you, to slow you down, speed you up, tease him until his grip on you is blistering.

It’s funny. Captain Levi Ackerman of the Scouts, Humanity’s Strongest Soldier, and he’s malleable when you put a hand on his cock and a mouth at the tip.

Captain Levi Ackerman, and he’s moaning your name.

It’s a thought that makes you smirk as you squeeze the head, your thumb rubbing teasingly over the slit again and his hips jerk forward so violently you think he might lose his footing but he doesn’t. 

Captain Levi never slips.

He does, however, have a mouth on him. Something you intend to make full use of.

“Fuck you,” he spits.

“Later,” you promise. “For now…” His abdomen clenches at your words and you smile, tilting your chin to kiss the underside of his cock and resuming the leisurely place of your strokes. His groans bounce off the walls, sharp gasps, raw noises that make your thighs clench together as you lean to kiss his hip bone, around his base, all the while fucking him into delirium with just a single hand.

You try to guess how long he’ll last. Another part of you wonders if anyone’s made the connection between your disappearance and the Captain’s. 

That thought, that idea, that some noble with a stick up their ass could have a remote idea what you’re doing with the esteemed Captain, sends a wicked flare through you. Your wrist twists, squeezing nearly painfully hard and Levi’s hips roll forward, a guttural moan spilling out of his mouth.

“Shit. Shit, don’t stop,” he whispers. “Harder. H-harder—”

“Harder?” you echo innocently, your fingers tightening and you feel his abdomen go rigid underneath your fingers even more if possible. “Harder, Captain?”

“Ngh—fuck. Harder.” His voice is a broken rasp as you speed up and his breath quickens. Wrist burning, you pump him through your fist and you feel it the moment he reaches the precipice. The way his cock twitches, the way his voice pitches just enough that you know he’s about to lose it, and you shift on your aching knees as your hand trails down his hips again, finds the back of his thigh, and you feel his leg quivering. “I’m close. Close—shit, I’m— you— Where? Just—just tell me where.”

“Don’t worry, Levi. Just let go for me, love,” you whisper, so quietly, you’re not even sure he can hear you before you take him into your mouth and it’s only one more thrust against your tongue curling against the underside of his dick before he’s cumming into you, a fist slamming against the door above you. Jaw opening up wider, you take him in deeper, hands grabbing at his legs and tugging him closer as his fingers on your head hold him up and hold you still.

The broken litanies of your name are the only sound, only breathed through his ragged gasps and you breathe in deeply through your nose, swallowing him deeper into your throat as he thrusts forward, the waves still crashing over him. You don’t mind, using your tongue to coax the last few threads of pleasure through his body and sucking him off.

It’s only when the hand on your head relaxes does he finally pull out of your mouth and a strand of spit and cum links your lips to his dick, only broken when he falls to his knees in front of you. His bare knees against your clothed ones, you only have to hold out your arms before an exhausted body is pressed against your own, a head nuzzled into the curve of your neck while you trace the curve of his spine, your hands sneaking under his shirt to explore a muscled back.

“Levi,” you hum, amused, and your only reply is the shift of his head against you, the way his breaths puff against your jaw, and your hunger only grows at the idea of his fucked out face, the blush no doubt flooding his cheeks with red, his eyes—eyes that can’t focus on anything. Hazy, blurry, blissed. “Levi, sweetheart.”

“F-fuck you,” you hear his coarse mumble, and you smile, lifting a hand to thread fingers through his hair before tilting your head and slotting your mouth against his. The edge of his jaw pokes against the fleshy part of your thumb, and he grabs the back of your neck, deepening the kiss immediately. Tongue dipping into your mouth, you wonder if he tastes you just as much as you can taste him still. Sighing, your body melts against him and your stomach cramps when he pulls back, thumb rubbing roughly at your chin. “You’re going to pay for that.”

“You’re the one who dragged me in here,” you point out. “But if you want me to pay, Captain, I’ll do anything to make it up to you.”

“Don’t give me any ideas.” He pulls back, and you hold back another smile, looking down at the floor as he grabs his pants haphazardly, the belt clinking against stone. Lifting your knees and sitting back, you pick up his formal jacket, flapping the wrinkles out as best as you can while he buckles back up, but it’s no use.

In the light, it’s going to be a mess of creases and implications.

“I think we have to go home early,” you tell him, looking where you think his face is. He looms over you now that he’s standing and you’re crashed against the door, and you hand him the jacket which he takes but doesn’t pull out of your grasp. Fingers brushing along your knuckles, he leans down and places a gentle kiss against your brow. “Sorry.”

“Oh, I’ll accept your apology,” he murmurs, tilting his head to whisper his soft lips over your temple. A delighted shiver shoots down your spine and as he trails a finger down your cheek, over your swollen, used lips, you hear his deadly smirk laced with promise in his tone. “If you can’t tell, I’m positively devastated.”

[simeonisalesbian]

i am literally on demon sisters brainrot because of you and i am not even mad about it haha my lesbian ass loves them 💞 can i please request some headcanons about the paws and claws event but with the demon sisters?

lesbian demon brainrot is real and it's also fatal😔 (the demon ladies are all my last brain cells can think about lmao)

Lucifer:

She takes full pride in the fact that she as complete control over her animal instincts

However when you mentioned that it was amazing how much control she seems to have compared to her sisters you couldn't help but notice her tail wagging behind her.

She also seemed to quietly growl anytime one her sisters got a bit out of hand

She also had a harder time than usual falling asleep. You joked that maybe she just needed to circle the bed a few times. You didn't get to snuggle that night

You did both figure out that maybe it was just her sensitive hearing keeping her up.

To fix this you kept her head on your chest and softly covered her ears. It was a bit awkward but seemed to do the trick.

Mammon:

did you think she stayed up late before?

Well turns out tigers are nocturnal.

So now you have to deal with her begging you to hang out with her at 3 a.m.

You have to tell her multiple times that you do not want to go swimming right now you just want to go to sleep

she will happily still hang out with you during the day.

Tigers can't purr and that fact alone convinced her she'd be safe from any embarrassing noises

Jokes on her cus tigers chuff instead. Which she quickly found out as you were petting her head.

Leviathan:

Giraffes are weird animals who knows anything about them?

Well you and Levi end up spending quite a bit of time together since your now the only prey creatures in the house

So what a time to learn about giraffes!

for instance those weird horn things are apparently called ossicones and they feel weird

They're just firm cartilage covered in skin. Levi says they're more sensitive than her actual horns.

That being said you should take this chance you fluster her a bunch.

Her tail also ends up slapping you occasionally

Not very often though. Only when your paying attention to one of her sisters instead of her

she swears she can't control it though

Satan:

Shes honestly living her best life. This is practically a dream come true if she's honest

Even if it wasn't on purpose being a cat is amazing, and since she already knew a bunch about cats and their mannerism she adjusted quite quickly

she has already pushed several of Lucifer's mugs off of the table at breakfast proceeding to blame it on her instincts

she does cuddle a bit more than usual. Not much but she really likes it when you scratch behind her ears

She's purring anytime she has physical contact with you. She'll get really flustered if you mention

You also managed to keep her occupied with a laser pointer for hours. Yes she knows she can't catch the red dot but instincts can't be fought that easily Mc.

Asmodeus:

You jokingly called her pooh bear one time and now she's trying to convince you it would be fine if she just walked around in a red crop top

she has pounced on you several times saying she's just giving you a bear hug

you honestly can't see much of an impact on how being a bear affects her honestly

Most bears are omnivores she even her diet didn't change all that much

she honestly just seems her same clingy self but now with bear jokes.

she does ask you to pet he ears a bunch simply because of how soft they are. if would be a shame not to touch them right?

Beelzebub:

shes constantly afraid she's going to hunt and eat you.

she flat out tried to hide in the kitchen just to keep herself occupied on not eating you.

Eventually though you convince her that you trust her enough to not eat you. She still keeps a some meat on hand when she's near you just in case though.

lions can't purr unfortunately. However beel does make up for it by humming when you rub her ears.

She wants you to know it feels really nice after all

Shes also pretty nocturnal but she normally takes midnight trips to the fridge so nothing really changed in that aspect

Belphegor:

if you make one more "what does the fox say" joke she'll punch you.

she has the softest fuckin tail and she's about to make it everyone's problem.

she'll occasionally swat you in the face with it just to see you struggle to not inhale her fur.

it's a really soft pillow though and she's more than happy to let you use it as such while you cuddle

she did manage to make several burrows in her blankets at somepoint and she will hide in them to get more sleep

she'll happily wag her tail whenever you pet her head when she's napping in your lap.

She'll say your crazy if you mention it when she wakes back up

[bbelphie]

astra, i feel like we don’t know you at all!! say, can you tell us who is your most favorite character in obey me, and who is the least? love you ❤️❤️❤️❤️

ok so THIS was difficult snxjms and as you asked afterwards, i also added why i feel this way way about them! love u 💖 sorry this turned out long tho

my list:

BELPHEGOR — i mean, it’s kinda obvious, right? (cough bbelphie is the name of the blog) ever since the start of the game, i wandered about who the fuck that resting bitch face boy was. like, honestly curious. when we met him at the attic, the first thing i thought about belphie was how manipulative he was, and although i’d have hated him, his situation and the game’s universe in general made me reconsider my choice. i found out that he was so much more complex than what i first thought of him. and i LOVE characters like that. belphegor had his reasons, his own past and way of seeing things and i just wanted to know him better, not just because i was curious, but because i’ve grown to like him, in a way. it wasn’t instantaneous, but i kinda saw that coming, you know? i’m not sure if i can explain well how i feel about him (i can’t express my feelings well in any way cof) but belphegor was the character that i was most eager to know about. (ouch i have so many other things to say about him) also he’s a sassy little shit and i love him for that.

MAMMON — the fact mammon was with us since the beginning is a big part of this place (but not the only one). and yeaaah, i know he was a little bitch about looking after mc and i was also blinded by my prejudice against personality based characters like him (narcissist, arrogant, show off) but then we get to know him better. mammon has so much more sides of his personality than that. (besides being a tsun tsun) so by that scene when we were competing against levi and lucifer saved us because mammon couldn’t make it in time, mammon was like “next time I will be the one saving you!!” i was already “YES YOU IDIOT I LOVE YOU TOO” and it was just downhill from there.

SATAN — honestly? he’s my type. the intellectual one, cat lover, fan of mystery and detective books and all that shit made me fall for him, hard. and then i saw his backstory and i fell for him EVEN HARDER. he has sooo much i want to know about! behind the facade he wears constantly in front of everyone there was so much more than the sin he’s avatar of. his arc was one of the lessons i loved the most, without doubt. though i wished the devs had gone deeper into his character, like uhhh i don’t know how to elaborate on this, but i feel we scratched only the surface of who satan really is. (besides that, satan def would be a beast in bed and my hcs about that does’t end)

LEVIATHAN — ahh it was too difficult to choose between him and beel. but i relate to levi quite a lot — animes, self depreciation, manga and all that stuff. he striked me as someone i wouldn’t like so much at the beginning but i’ve grown to love him. that was because of... well, i know envy is the deadly sin he’s avatar of, but man it’s annoying sometimes dnbfxk however! i love him either way. i just think that he should appreciate more things in life instead instead of putting himself down but who i am to talk? i used to be like that and i still am, just not as much. that must be most of the reasons of why i want to be by his side and reassure him that not everything in life is unfair, but can also be a way to make ourselves stronger. taking that emotional shit aside, i love his fanboy side!! i rant a lot about the things i like, especially animes and mangas, and seeing him so enthusiastic about things like that makes me feel like with him, i would act like myself the most.

BEELZEBUB — i love himbo!!! the giant, strong one that looks like he could kill you but is actually a cinnamon roll? yes, sign me the fuck in. he’s the sOFTEST i swear to god almost all the scenes that made my heart explode with love was with him. when he asked to hold your hand while sleeping because he’s afraid of having any more nightmares about lilith and belphie and their fall from the celestial realm made my heart go BOOM. i would do ANYTHING for this boy 😭😭 beel was first i warmed up to in the game! i was gonna put him in the fourth place with levi but it would be too long.

LUCIFER — hhh this guys right here. ngl i was intimidated as fuck at first. but then i saw how he was family driven, always putting their safety and well being first and overall just being a loving brother, tho very discretely. and bruh characters like that are my DEATH??? he is so soft for the ones he loves and would do anything in his power to make them be safe and sound, even if it takes some sacrifices. i was touched by his past, how he had to hide so much from his brothers because he felt he should carry his burden alone. i especially love when lucifer tears off that prideful and powerful facade and shows that he’s capable of loving and being vulnerable and just idk man it just hits home im gonna cry

ASMODEUS — baby boy. lusty boy. ntt solmare did him dirty. he deserves SO MUCH MORE!! asmo has so much potential to be a favorite if only they had developed him better. that arc of his when we make a pact with him was lacking, in my opinion. the devs could have gone deeper into his character, showing that his not just a personification of lust, only its avatar. i’m sure there are different sides to his personality, you know? we’ve been seeing hints throughout the story and devilgrams (most of the time they’re very subtle!!) that asmo needs or/and constantly wants to feel loved, wanted, desired and/or admired. that could be a trauma or something of the sort that was created after his fall from the celestial realm. however this theory of mine is not full developed yet so i can’t really tell you guys about it in more detail. i still love him nevertheless!!

others characters:

SOLOMON — he is shady. and powerful. i love that. besides that, i think i may have a thing for white haired characters. but really, i love this guy, don’t know how but i do. there’s a lot i wanna know about him, and i feel he’s hiding or planning something big. and maybe evil. but ngl his interactions with asmo are the best!!

SIMEON — ara ara baby. i’m 100% in love with him. simeon is someone really good to have as a favorite honestly. even if he doesn’t get much screentime, anyone would realize that ever since the beginning he’s a very truthful person, with calming and chill vibes. i don’t know how to explain it well but with all the shit the brothers make mc go through, it wouldn’t be a surprise if you find yourself overwhelmed, and simeon is exactly the kind of person that makes you feel heard and seen; his atmosphere has this effect of making people feel at ease.... cough cough anyways a little bit nsfw but to me he’s either really kinky (without noticing or even knowing anything about kinks) or super innocent. that’s pretty much why i’ve seen this 50/50 aspect appearing constantly with his stans. p.s: not to be lewd but i wanna hold his hand 😳

LUKE — he’s my baby brother. i adopted him.

DIAVOLO — there’s so much of this guy we haven’t seen yet!! i know he’s like a cool dad and all but bruh, he’s the next demon king!! he must be a excelent strategist and is more powerful and intelligent than he lets on. i saw so many theories about diavolo, but my favorite so far is the one where diavolo kinda caused the celestial war indirectly. he’s another character that i feel we’ve only scratched the surface.

BARBATOS — everything about him screams “SUSPICIOUS”, he just hides it better than solomon. ngl i was rly curious about him and his powers and then i discovered he has control over TIME?? that’s too overpower!! but damn, i do love characters with time control powers...(victor from mlqc im looking at you) sometimes he looks like a dead fish. sometimes he looks hot. i don’t know bruh i’m half scared and half aroused by this guy.

that’s pretty much it i think? lmao there’s so much more i wanna say about them but this is all that comes to my mind right now!

[springwritess]

Temporary Alliance | Roronoa Zoro

anime: one piece

word count: really long lmao. it’s more like a mini fanfic than an actual oneshot

notes: i came up with this idea while trying to sleep. it’s a zombie apocalypse x one piece crossover.

tags: angst with happy ending, zoro fluff, recruitment, swearing, sarcastic, both of you try to gain the higher ground during conversations, some blood

There were a horde of zombies coming closer and closer to you. Groans and moans came from their open mouths, wanting human meat.

Fuck.

You ran as fast as you could. You could feel your temples pulsing and your lungs burn as you ran through the forest. Branches constantly attacked you, scratching your ankles. The leaves crunches underneath your feet and big brown logs seemed to appear out of nowhere as if they tried to stop you.

You were camping in the forest after being driven out of your home. You took what you could find and left the city as fast as possible. You needed to get away from people as much as possible. Staying alive was horrible, but you fortunately you found some edible plants. You couldn’t stay there forever. You needed to get off the island. You were planning your next moves, and then the zombies attacked.

You continued to run with your heart in your mouth. Then you stopped. It was a dead end. A mountain of rock blocked your escape route. The wall seemed endless. There was nowhere to go. You collapsed to the ground as they started to surround you.

Is this how I’m going to die?

Then a miracle happened.

A man swooped in and instantly cut all the zombies. They all fell to the ground, like lifeless dolls. He sheathed his swords. You stared at him. He had bright green hair like moss and a scar over his right eye. He stared at you with eyes as cold as the ocean.

“Oi.” He thundered. The man’s voice was extremely deep and threatening.

You jumped back out of surprise, hitting the back of your head on the mountain of rock. Ripples of pain vibrated throughout your head. You rubbed to try and soothe the pain. You got up and grabbed your bag, which contained a first aid kit, a pack of matches, a map, a reusable water bottle and a bit of food.

“Where are we?” He asked. His tone softened at bit.

“We’re in a forest a few hours from the closets city. Are you heading somewhere?” You asked.

He rubbed the back of his head. “I’m trying to find my ship and crewmates. We were separated by a storm. The ship is near the ocean coast of this place. I just don’t know where.”

You frowned. A crew huh...he’s probably a pirate. Anger churned deep within you. You despised pirates after everything you’ve been through on this island. An idea popped into your mind. You could probably use him for a bit. He didn’t seem to be the brightest either, so it’ll be easy to trick him.

“The nearest ocean coast is extremely far from here. It’s about a week on foot. You’ve been walking in the opposite direction actually.”

He groaned. “Are you fucking kidding me? Alright I’ll just go back to where I started.”

The man was about to turn around and leave, but you called out to him.

“Wait! Before you go...how about I show you the way? You’re new to this island aren’t you? I’ll just lead you to your crew. I can also cook meals, tend to your wounds and keep watch at night.” You said.

He narrowed his eyes and stared at you. You stood there patiently, waiting for him to take the bait. There’s no way he wouldn’t.

“This is all for free?”

“If you’re willing to protect me, then I’ll do my part.”

He was silent for a moment, but finally seemed to agree. “Fine then. Show me the way girl.”

“It’s (f/n).” You have gave no last name, because you weren’t planning on getting close with him.

“It’s Zoro.”

Knowing the man’s name, your little adventure began.

***

You created a route so you could get back to the coast. There were many zombie-infested cities. You’d stay away from those cities, but that’ll increase the walking time. You guys were going to leave the forest tonight because it was no longer safe. You grabbed some sticks and shrubs for a fire and a few of those edible plants the two of you could eat. The plan was now set in motion.

Again...that’s easier said than done.

You rubbed your temples at the swordsman’s stupidity. “You’re going the wrong way idiot! How do you not know your right from your left!”

“Eh? No this is right!” He shouted and continued to walk left.

You grabbed his hand and started to drag him like you were his parent. “How are you still alive?” You grumbled to yourself.

“Oi what are you doing?” He asked, ripping his hand out of your grasp.

You glared at him. “Just listen to me damn it! You’re making this harder for the both of us.”

He rubbed the back of his head and sighed. “You’re a troublesome women.”

“You’re a troublesome swordsman.” You retorted.

***

Zoro and you finally left the forest. You guys were in an open field, heading for the city. The sun already dipped into the horizon and the sky was turning dark.

“We’re in the open. Zombies could attack any time. It’s going to be a long and cold night.” You explained.

You turned around to find the swordsman already laying down to sleep. “I missed my afternoon nap.”

You sighed and sat down next to him. “You really are a kid huh...you need afternoon naps.”

Zoro gave a grunt in response and turned to the other side. He didn’t feel like picking a fight with you again. You guys were arguing all day.

You grabbed the sticks and shrubs from your bag. You used a match to light the fire and sat down next to him.

“We’re going at a slow pace. If this keeps up it’ll take about forever.”

Zoro didn’t answer. You looked over to see that his eyes were already closed. His chest was slowly rising and falling. He was fell asleep already.

You poured some water over the fire and it came out. You let out a sigh. That was a lot of water that went to waste. There was no fresh water source in sight either. Hopefully, you’d guys would make it to the city by tomorrow night to restock on supplies.

You looked up to the sky. It clear black canvas. No stars were to be seen that night. The darkness was so thick that if it wasn’t for Zoro’s soft snores, you wouldn’t know he was there. Hopefully no zombies would be there either.

You felt goosebumps raise on your arms as a cold breeeze passed through your body. You shifted closer to Zoro for some warmth. He didn’t seem to take notice. His body was radiating with warm energy. It was comfortable.

You let out a stifled yawn and sat there bleary-eyed. You wanted to sleep but couldn’t, not yet at least.

Thankfully there were no zombie attacks that night.

***

You guys headed towards the next city the next morning after breakfast. It was just raw plants. It didn’t seem to fill you up however. Zoro probably felt the same way too. He didn’t say anything though.

You frowned as you looked at your tin of water. It was running low. You used a lot of water to put out the fire last night and to wash the plants this morning.

“We’re running low on water.” You told him.

He shrugged. “We’ll figure something out.”

“The next city is about a day on foot though. We’ll have to make it there tonight. I want to take a shower and grab some fresh clothes too.”

You didn’t have the luxury of the small river you used to bathe and wash your clothes in. Your hair was tangled and in a messy ponytail. Your jeans and shirt were caked with dry mud.

He sighed and started to walk. “Alright then women. Let’s go.”

“It’s (f/n), you shitty swordsman. You’re also walking in the wrong direction. We’re going forwards, not backwards.”

He stopped walking. “Eh? I’m going the right way.”

After a whole day of walking, you guys were just outside the city. Unlike the previous day, there were multiple attacks. Dozens of zombies surrounded you. These ones were slightly smarter than the others you’ve seen. They had weapons - mostly guns and swords.

If it weren’t for the swordsman, you would’ve died. Zoro protected you while you cooked and did the navigating. You had your job, and you had yours. The trip was filled with silence this time. He wasn’t really the social type.

You looked over and noticed a wound. Zoro’s arm was dripping with dark congealing blood. He didn’t seem to care.

“You’re hurt.” You said.

He glanced over to his arm and shrugged. “It’s nothing. A bullet grazed me.”

You stopped walking. You grabbed some bandages from the first aid kit. “Let me get that.”

“I said I’m fine.” He grunted.

“Come on. You’re hurt. It’s my job to help you out. You got hurt protecting me, so let me return the favour.”

He sighed and held out his arm. You wrapped the bandages around his arm and tied them into a knot.

“This should stop the bleeding for now. Let’s get going.”

You both stopped walking as your eyes drank in the awful sight. The colour drained from your face. The inside of the city looked like a battlefield. There were endless piles of dismembered buildings. Roofs were torn off and cars were abandoned. Bodies were littered everything like garbage. The ground was stained with blood, and turned into a deep red. The pungent smell made you almost throw up. You felt your heart sink. This was your hometown. You grew up here, but it was now reduced to rubble.

Zoro wrinkled his nose. “It smells disgusting here. What the hell happened here? Did the zombies really do all of this? They don’t seem that smart. The ones here are even weaker than the ones on Thriller Bark.”

“It wasn’t a zombie.”

“What was it?”

“A pirate.”

“What do pirates have to do with all of this?”

“A group of pirates brought this virus to the island. Their crewmate was dumped here. He was rushed to the hospital.” You explained. “He survived, but the virus seemed to induce range and the need for human meat. He bit the nurse that was treating him and she started to act the same. I’m not sure, but I think the virus probably travels through saliva.”

“They’re still human? They certainly don’t look human anymore.”

You ignored his last comment. “Let’s go. I want to go somewhere.”

Weaving through the rubble, you went to your old home. It barely resembled the home you retreated to after a long day. The roof was reduced to rubble. The walls were still intact however. The door was ripped off its hinges and nowhere to be seen.

Sadness clouded your features. “This is where I used to live.”

The swordsman said nothing. You walked in, with him following you. You tried turning on the light, but there was no electricity. You turned on the faucet in the kitchen. The water seemed to be working. Couches and chairs were flipped over. Cupboards were open but no items were to be seen. You opened the fridge. It was empty. The house was most likely ransacked by burglars.

“There’s nothing in here.” Zoro stated.

You rolled your eyes. “Thanks Captain Obvious. I’m not fucking blind you know.”

He glared at you, but you didn’t notice. You scanned the entire home, but all three of them were gone. Your mother, father and brother were nowhere to be seen.

You clenched your fists and gritted your teeth.“If it wasn’t because a pirate...my mother would be alive.” You whispered, your voice shaking with anger. “My brother and father would be alive too. My whole city would be intact! I hate pirates. I hate all of them.” Your voice grew louder and shaked with wrath.

The swordsman said nothing.

“I hate pirates. I hate all of them!” Your voice was loud, but steady.

“Why are you helping me then? I’m a pirate. Did you think I was a tourist?” He asked. Zoro didn’t seem affected at all from your outburst.

You clenched your shirt. “I want to leave this island as soon as possible. I know I’m weak, but if I stay close to you I’ll be able to leave.” Your voice grew quiet.

“Where do you plan on going to? Do you have a ship?”

“No...I’ll find one. I can stowaway on one if worse comes to worse.”

“What about your family? Where are they?”

There was a long and dreadful silence. You finally answered.

“Dead.”

The swordsman didn’t say anything after that. Instead, he sat down and let out a stifled yawn. “I’ll keep watch. You should sleep. You haven’t slept last night and we walked all day.”

You looked at him in disbelief. “I just told you I hated you. Now you’re telling me to go to sleep? Do you plan on leaving me? Surely you know that’s suicide.”

He gritted his teeth. “You’re not the first person whose told me they hated pirates. I have a crewmate who told me that. Go to sleep idiot.”

You shook your head and started to shake even more. “No.” You tried your best to make your voice firm, but it was shaky.

“Why not?”

Your eyes shifted to the side. They became glazed with a glassy layer of tears. You blinked, and they slid down your cheeks silently. “I...can’t.”

Zoro’s face turned crimson red. “Oi are you crying? Stop crying idiot! Shit...why?“

Your lower lip quivered as words slowly made their way out of your mouth. “Because...” You began, “of nghtmares.”

There was another silence. “Is it about your family?”

You didn’t answer. You felt a knot form in your stomach as the memories of that night started to resurface.

You watched as the zombie ripped out your mother’s throat. She fell to the ground like a dummy, lifeless. A hord started to gather around you, your older brother and your father. Your father cursed.

“Run (f/n).” Your father said.

You blinked in disbelief. “I can’t leave you guys-“

Your brother cut you off. “I said run!” His voice boomed like thunder.

With that you took off, running as fast as you could with tears in your eyes.

“Oi (f/n).” This was the first time he said your name. There was a lick of concern in his voice, barely noticeable.

You quickly wipes your tears. “Did you see your family’s dead bodies?

You shook your head. “Only my mum. I don’t know about my dad or brother.”

“Then you can’t be sure they’re dead. They could still be alive somewhere. You just have to find them.”

“I guess.” You wipes your tears away. “I’m going to go take a shower. Maybe I’ll find some fresh clothing.”

Zoro noticed a den den mushi on the table. The burglars seemed to leave that. “Can I call someone? I want to see if my crew is fine.”

You nodded. “Yeah whatever.”

You walked into the washroom and stripped down. You stepped into the tub and turned the faucet to high. You let the water beat over your head in steamy rivulets. You closed your eyes as the water and heat soaked into your skin. It took your mind off everything for awhile.

You looked through the cupboards in the washroom. Much to your surprise, they were mostly full. There were shampoo and conditioner bottles. You used them to wash your hair. You grabbed a bar of soap to scrub the dirt and grime off your skin.

Once you were finished, you turned off the faucet and stepped out of the shower. You found a towel to dry yourself off with. You went to grab clothes, only to realize you didn’t take any with yourself to the bathroom.

Zoro was standing right outside too.

Shit.

You sighed and put on your dirty clothes. You slipped out of the bathroom and went to your room. Zoro didn’t seem to notice. You frowned when you opened your closet. Most of your clothes were gone. You managed to find a sweater, a t shirt and some sweatpants. Thankfully, you were also able to grab a bra, some fresh underwear and socks too.

You went to your parents room to see if their clothes were still there. Your parent’s clothes were still there. You grabbed some of your mom’s stuff as extra clothing for yourself, along with one of her backpacks. It was much bigger than the one you stole while leaving the city. You also decided to grab Zoro some fresh clothing too. He was about the same height as your father, so it should fit.

You went to the main room where Zoro was sitting. He was currently on the phone with someone.

“Oi marimo you better not be doing anything to that women! I’ll kill you!” A voice on the other end screamed. It sounded like a male.

“Give me the phone you idiot!” Another women snapped. There was a loud thump on the other end. The man went quiet.

“Alright Zoro. We’ll meet up in a few days. I’m glad that you’re alright.”

Kacha. The snail went to sleep, and with that the phone call ended.

You tossed Zoro his clothes. “Your friends seem...eccentric.”

“That shitty cook is not my friend.” He growled. Zoro picked up the clothes you gave up. “What are these for?”

“Fresh clothes to change into. You can go take a shower. Don’t get lost on the way in!”

“Hmph.” Without any objections, he got up and left to take a shower.

You laid down on the floor, using your backpack as a pillow. You looked up to the sky. Unlike the night before, the sky was painted with stars. It was a beautiful sight. Exhaustion overtook you, and soon you were fast asleep.

It was the first time in awhile you were able to sleep peacefully.

***

Your eyes fluttered open. You felt the rays of the sun but your face. You sat up and stretched. You let out a yawn. Your gaze shifted to the swordsman who was sitting with his arms and legs crossed. Zoro had a solemn expression. He was also wearing the clothes you gave him last night.

“It’s already morning?” You asked, rubbing your eyes.

“We reached here late last night. Let’s get going.” He got up.

“Wait!” You called out. “We need food first. We don’t know the next time we’ll end up finding food and a fresh water source. There should be empty houses around here with food. We could also find a shop.”

Zoro sighed. “Alright let’s go.”

You grabbed Zoro’s hand as you left the house. His hand was surprisingly warm. They were rough too, dotted with callouses.

“Oi what are you doing?” He sputtered out as he turned crimson.

You rolled your eyes, but you could feel your own cheeks heat up. “I did this before. Why are you complaining again?”

“Stupid women! This is embarrassing...”

“Shut up and follow me. You want to get to your friends right? My name is (f/n) by the way, mosshead.”

***

You guys made it into an abandoned shop not far from your old home. The store was wedged between two taller buildings, both in shambles. You felt a sharp pang in your chest. You went there often, to grab snacks or do the groceries for your parents. You let go of Zoro’s hand.

“Alright we’re here. Let’s grab some non-perishable foods. That means anything packaged or canned. I also need a pot and some bowls and utensils too.”

“I’m going to go grab some sake and water.” He said.

“We need food not alcohol.” You grumbled. “Don’t leave the store if you get lost. Shout for me once you’re finished. Don’t trust yourself.”

“I’m not going lost.” He walked off.

You let out a sigh. You grabbed a cart and walked over to the non-perishable food aisle. It consisted of canned and boxed food. You grabbed some boxes, mostly crackers and canned soups. You grabbed pasta and some tomato sauce. You wanted to spice things up a little for your little journey.

“I should grab some water too. I also should check if I could find pots, bowls and utensils.” You said to yourself.

You walked out of the aisle. Your pupils dilated as you stared at what appeared in front of you. It was a zombie. Aside from the missing patches of flesh and the torn clothing, the drying blood and white and red eyes, it looked normal. It’s eyes snapped to you, and made a low growling moan. It spotted you.

It lurched forward, with the intent to kill you. You turned around, leaving the cart and ran. It followed quickly after you. This zombie was much faster than the other ones.

“Oi Zoro! There’s a zombie! Help me!” You screamed out.

“There’s a zombie? Wait there. I’ll come to you.” He called back to you.

Loud footsteps trail behind your fleeing form. You swore. It was going to kill you before Zoro could get to you - that’s if he could anyway. You had to fight.

You ran into another aisle and started to scan the items on the shelves, to see if there was you could use to fight with. You found a broomstick and window-cleaner spray. You quickly grabbed it and continued to run.

You waited for the zombie to be right behind you. Then you spin around, with the spray bottle in your hand. You squirted some right into it’s eyes. It staggered back. The zombie let out a blood curling scream and flailed its head around. Now! You grabbed the broomstick and whacked it on the head, hard.

Your attack didn’t seem to work, and it recovered shortly after from it. You try a second time, aiming for its gut instead. The zombie dodges. It grabs your wrist and twists it to the side. Grunting, you throw your leg out, but it dodges that too. You howl at the force crushing your wrist.

The zombie opened its mouth, saliva dripping from it. It’s teeth were filed to points. It’s breath smelt like rotting human flesh, which made you gag. It leaned in and was about to bite your arm off.

“Rengoku Onigiri.”

The zombie was cut into two perfect halves, along with everything else in its radius. Shelves were knocked over and in pieces. Your cart too, was crushed under the shelves. You collapsed to the ground. You stare at the mess, with your mouth agape. You balled your hands into fists. It took one hit for the zombie to be dead. You struggled massively with it, trying various ways to take it down.

Zoro sheathed his swords. “Are you alright?” He extended a hand, but you ignored it.

You let out a sigh. “I’m weak.”

Zoro sat down next to you. “That’s fine. You have your job and I have my job. We’re all good at something.”

“I’m too weak.” You twisted the sleeve of your sweater. “You’re not going to be here forever. If I’m going to stowaway on a boat. I’m going to need to be strong if the people find me. My family sacrificed their lives for me. I need to survive.”

He threaded a hand through his hair. “You don’t seem weak to me. You did plenty enough damage to the zombie. You managed to blind it.”

You snorted. “That didn’t do shit. It almost broke my wrist.”

“Well...what are you good at?”

“Hmm...I’m not sure. I can do a lot of things, but I’m not particularly good at anything. I’m resourceful I guess. I can sneak around and gather information too. That’s about it.”

There was a long silence. You looked up at Zoro. He was lost in thought. “...You can be our scout. I’ll have to talk to Luffy though to see if you could join.”

You raised your eyebrows. “Scout?”

“You can join our crew. I’m sure Usopp can make a weapon that suits you.”

Your eyes widened. “You...want me to join your crew?”

He shrugged. “You have nowhere else to go. It seems like a pretty good offer to me. I could just leave you here on this zombie-invested island.”

“...That’s actually not a bad idea.” You finally said.

He flashed you his trademark grin, filled with both confidence and cockiness. “It’s your choice. Will you take it?”

***

a/n: i made the the ending is ambiguous. i enjoyed writing this so im probably going to write some more zoro fluff in the future.

[inexchangeforyoursoul]

... remember when I had that good swing on that long self-insert fic going? Yeah, me too. Good times. [ffn] [AO3]

Well... I sat the fuck down and finished up the next one. Joke is... 33 will be the hardest to do lmao I’m so not ready

Anyway, this instalment takes a Definitely Spoopy turn; wanted to publish it at Halloween for a reason, but, uh, as you can see... it’s mid fucking December. Not even the Robin time can rectify that.

32. White noise

“Oh, my, what pretty flowers have sprouted here overnight,” comes the amused voice of Robin from behind them not two seconds later.

Law’s eyes shoot up immediately, and he also sits up post-haste, almost headbutting the railing himself. “Nico-ya…” he starts with a wary drawl; “since when have you been here?” She's the nosy type, too… might have heard fucking everything. Shit.

Kat also turns towards her with open arms. “Ah, Robin!”

“I see you’re in a much better mood than before…. good for you,” she smiles at Kat immediately upon seeing her enthusiastic, flushed little face, and sprouts a hand on her back to give her head a scratching, which she seems to enjoy quite a lot. “As for your question… five minutes, maybe?” she shrugs then at Law as the moaning watering can in her hands is put to work. “Your vivid duet was hard to miss,” she continues with a chuckle. “You shouldn’t lie around in this weather, though, lest you catch Miss Kat a cold for next week.”

He feels blood rush to his face again. For some reason, getting caught laughing by her is as embarrassing as anything else. As is getting talked to like a toddler.

“I wasn’t planning on staying here much longer anyhow,” he grumbles with a huff. “We have business to attend to, not to mention that you being out gardening equals to everything getting wetter and colder, anyway.”

Next thing he knows is that she’s holding the can directly above him for a quick shower; he’s just dumbfounded, and Kat snorts as soon as the action registers.

“You’ll be the one to give me a cold this way, Robin,” she giggles then just as the woman moves on.

“Sorry, couldn’t resist… do you want me to get him one, too?” the archeologist asks then, offering the business end of the object.

“What’s with all of you today, I swear…” Law shakes his head, and the curly hair sprays everyone with the water that’s stuck among the curls. “Are you standing in for Nose-ya, or what?” Him, Carrot and Luffy are the only ones up for this kind of bullshit at any given time. And Chopper, whenever they can rake him into idiocy.

“I suppose someone has to,” she hums, pouring a little of the leftover water on Kat while passing. “It gets mundane without the kids around.” The can sinks into a barrel of water to refill.

“It sure was too peaceful out here to be true,” the man mumbles standing up, then bows down to shake out whatever water is left and willing to drop. “Or inside, for that matter. I’m missing a bunch of my crew for sure, and by the looks of it, so do you,” he says then, straightening up. He’ll need to fetch a towel, goddamn. Also, he’s officially really, really cold.

“Oh… everyone’s being scarce?” asks Kat while wiping the water off her face, then also swishing whatever possible out of her hair. Nami kept her company, but she couldn't help notice the empty seats during breakfast.

The archeologist nods. “Yes… I went ahead and checked the other ship on my way up myself. Nary a soul. And, as you may have noticed already, our wacky musician and sniper, as well as little doctor are yet to be accounted for. Since Franky just left with Sanji and Carrot to shop for odds and ends, this ship is as good as dead,” she states, pulling the filled container out of the barrel. She stops to think for a second. “I am a little worried, though,” she notes then, looking out towards town. “The boys may have gone out together, but Chopper is not one to stay out for an entire night. As an animal, he needs plenty of rest. I doubt he has that luxury out there… the commotion died off early in the morning, and the music is already starting up again.”

“Yeah, it's always pretty noisy on this weekend,” agrees Kat while Law murmurs something that sounds like a ‘thought so,’ likely referring to his crewmates. The ruckus is bad enough that she’s decidedly happy over being able to stay over for these two nights specifically.

“If they don’t get back soon I’ll have to assume they got themselves lynched in a dark alley,” the woman declares as the moaning ghost starts spewing water again.

“… even Brook?” muses the girl two seconds down the line with a raised brow and half a smile.

Hearing that brings back Robin’s, too. “Even though he’s already dead? Yes.”

Law finds the idea less funny. “Don’t jinx it, Nico-ya. I doubt they would have any problems with some ragtag thieves, but we know for a fact that there are some shifty folks out in some alleys,” he informs the woman while pointing towards Kat with a thumb, then starts rubbing himself for some warmth. He could have lived his entire life without having been reminded of that situation, really.

“… oh. Yeah, there was that, too, huh.” She… forgot about that, despite the adventure freaking her out quite a lot at the time. Thinking about this, she also stands up at last, patting the dirt and whatever there is off her dew-soaked thighs.

The tense focus returns. “Oh my… then I better get looking as soon as possible, don’t I.”

“I’m about to send Jean Bart out to collect our entourage, too. Might as well join him.” He’s there for sure, heard him cursing on his way up. Also the only other person to keep people on task on board of the Polar Tang, so there’s noone better to get those sad excuses of pirates moving again.

“Would you be so kind as to ask him to look for our lost ones in my stead, then?” Robin turns to Law after short consideration.

“Huh?” Backing out? Nico-ya, of all people? “Why that?”

She sighs. “I would prefer not to spend more time out with all the bushoo around is all… They make me feel uneasy, even despite the cute costumes.” She still thinks it was silly to miss out on most of the fair on Tuesday because of the minute weakness of being reminded of what happened in the city of water when she was alone with Chopper for a little, but last night, the entire flocks of them really made her nervous for some reason. She constantly felt like being watched by those vacant, painted-on eyes. All in all, soon after Nami and Carrot left, she also excused herself.

“Well, fine by me,” the man sighs then, giving his freezing self one last rub. “I guess you’ll be willing to come practice now, too?” he turns then to Kat while wiping a stray drop of water falling out of his hair.

“Um… yeah.” She’s getting unsure again, and can already see today becoming extremely awkward with the two of them just… being stuck in the same, cluttered room. Alone. Just… don’t think about it. Don’t think about it.

“Thank you,” Robin nods with notable relief, with the once more empty can in her flailing hand. “And you do your best, alright?” she smiles then at Kat, who’s also starting to get cold by the looks of it.

“No need to, Nico-ya,” Law replies while moving back direction hellcave, with Kat tiptoeing backwards in tow with a wave and hum.

Pretty much as soon as they enter the metal staircase, it becomes obvious how few people are around. Not because they are not physically present, but rather… the silence is too big for this to be a ship with twenty plus people on board.

Hearing someone make a racket under these circumstances sticks out like a sore thumb, though. As is the one making it in general.

Law turns a corner Kat has never taken before. She follows him awkwardly after a second of consideration, then takes a quick look around the humid room they arrive at; the showers are about as utilitarian as a place like this can get. There's four stalls, and a metal bench and shelves across them where some people have left some clothing articles and soap lying about. She also notes some pipes on the floor next to Jean Bart, who is standing in the middle in a small puddle and fills half the midspace himself… they must be for that leakage problem from the other day. Explains why he's ripping off half the metal ceiling, if nothing else.

“Jean, sorry to bother you right now, but would you be so kind and, uh, ‘collect’ our idiots from town?” asks Law without beating around the bush.

The burly man sighs. “Did think it right when considering it myself, ey? Will do, capt’n. I’m not the man for the rest of this, anyway.”

“Thanks,” Law waves with a nod, already turning around to trod deeper down into the submarine. “Oh, and… keep an eye out for the other bunch, while at it.”

An unwilling grunt. “… if I must.”

By the time they arrive at the bottom, a total silence sets in. And soon enough Kat has to admit that unfortunately, she cannot concentrate to save her life… exactly as she’s feared, she has difficulty paying attention. Only after five minutes, she becomes sickeningly aware of the fact that she’s all alone with Law, or, occasionally, it’s her imagination that starts tugging her away to other times and places. It’s all bad or embarrassing memories… no matter which happens, however, it’s on the uncomfortable side of nervous. Instead of butterflies, there are barely not cramping muscles on the menu. Not sure whether this is the better of the two worlds…

Just to make things harder, the ambience really seems off today. Like, yeah, the buzzing is still there, but at any other time, there’s the crew up and about every now and then on this floor, not to mention their voices can echo down here all the way up from the dining hall. But today… there’s nothing. Apart from her grumbling stomach, that is. Like in the evening, she couldn't get much food down her throat at breakfast, and it's finally catching up with her…

After an hour or so, the silence itself has grown into just another reason to be on edge, and soon enough, it’s Kat’s main concern. Instead of wanting to be in another room altogether, she gets the feeling that there’s some monster lurking outside in wait, making this room with Law in it the safest place available. Whenever the bells ring outside, it’s like thunder rolling in the dead of the night.

As such, she gets especially nervous upon him leaving said safe bubble after one of these ghastly tolls; if nothing else, it’s extra relieving to see his return in a few minutes. He doesn’t look all that happy with the situation, either.

“This is getting… weird,” he states upon arrival.

“… are they still not back?” That does not sound reassuring. Also, she does need her usual background noise to be somewhat less useless.

The man just hums. “A few of them are, including my three idiots… but something is definitely fishy about this. According to Bepo, they haven’t seen most of the crew since around 2 am when they wobbled back home, not to mention that they have apparently not run into Jean Bart this morning, either.” He sighs with worry, putting up his right to the chin in contemplation. “Maybe they are planning something stupid, since the other crew seems to be involved… but Clione and Uni are not the types who would participate in that, and they’ve been the first to bail.” In their case, it’s been nearly a day by now, too…

Kat also groans. “The submarine is really spooky with nothing but random noises down here… if this is supposed to be a joke, it’s not funny.”

“Same here. Those three just left again, so I asked them to keep an eye out… we’ll see in an hour or two. Until that… might as well have lunch? Or a very belated breakfast… while Fugu is still in.” He’d rather not tempt his luck twice.

As such, the girl gets to be in the dining hall once more. It is a very different experience with only eight people around, counting her, Law and the cook. Latter doesn’t even stay, but packs up to go grocery shopping as soon as they get their servings. Overall, the eerie silence persists. Once three other people leave to go fishing, it becomes nigh unbearable; it’s pure luck that she’s finished up by then. She pours another mug of the tasty, warm tea before descending back into the panic room.

Then the seconds, minutes, then likely multiple hours just pass, and pass in the same vein, until there is quite a racket, first upstairs, then quickly closing in as the staircase is indicating. Almost immediately after, the door bursts open, with three very familiar faces.

“Thank god, you’re still here,” sighs Penguin and nearly collapses from the relief.

“… I’m going to skip the ‘learn knocking’ part, and go straight to questions,” Law insists, his hand nervously grabbing onto the back of the chair. There’s officially a problem, and by god, is he in no position to be of use right now.

“Noone’s here!” cries Shachi; “First it was just weird, then weirder… since we saw literally no friends out in town…!! But then there was one of the fishing rods just lying around outside, and now we didn’t find anyone in the hall, either! I poked my nose into the kitchen while Pengu and Bepo had a look at the bedrooms, but not even Fugu is around! Half of the soup has gone and evaporated already… he should have been back ages ago!” By the time his rant comes to a close, he’s on the verge on tears. Bepo has been at it since the second line, and is sobbing into Penguin’s hat, who’s not even in the mood to scold him for getting it all bear snotty.

Without another word, Law is already outside, busting up door after door.

They open every single one of them, one by one, but there’s no life to be found. Wherever they look, the hallways, Ikkaku’s room, back door of the dining hall, engine, or even the cold room… it's all fallen silent. Not a single soul around apart from Kat, Law, Bepo, Shachi and Penguin. They don’t hear any noise until they enter the showers, where the faulty pipe is still dripping from above through the removed panels. The pulsating darkness gives Kat, who’s been following the boys around in panicked silence, the chills; were she alone, she’d get spooked by her own shadow.

There’s but a ringing in her ears. And it’s deafening.

[paradox-oflife]

MASSIVE q and a post pt 2 dont mind me

 part 2 of the q and a sessions I have to do for class. feel free to steal

1. What do you typically have for breakfast? Bread or cereal

2. Do you like scary movies? Only if I’m watching them with friends.

3. Whats your favourite Milkshake flavour? Vanilla/oreo or something like that. Actually, strawberry and mango is really good.

4. Have you ever been in a newspaper? My school was one time, but not me personally.

5. How long can you balance on one foot? Pretty long. I don’t know, but pretty long.

6. Have you ever fired a gun? No and I hope I don’t have to. 

7. Have you ever tried archery? Yeah. Much harder than it looks.

8. Whats your favourite condement? Ketchup. Mayo only for some sandwiches.

9. Whats your favourite clean word? Catharsis

10. Whats your favourite swear word? I used to swear a lot but I dropped the habit.  “Shit.” But I mainly say “Bugger” lol.

11. Whats your least favourite word? I am so sorry but I HATE it when people call their husbands “Hubby”. I just can’t I’m sorry.

12. What was the last film you saw? Gladiator (2000). Iconic.

13. What football team do you support? Um. Idk. 49ers? But of course, I live in the Bay Area so.

14. Whats the longest you've gone without sleep? 28 hours. At the 20 hour point I felt like I was in a weird fever dream.

15. Whats the tallest building you've ever been up? Taipei 101.

16. Do you have any scars? Yeah. Fell from my bike when I was like, eleven. I got a big scratch near my eye. Had to get stitches >:(. I also got scratched by a cat and it looks like a self harm scar. It’s not, I promise

17. Do you like marmite? EW EW EW NO

18. Did you ever win any sportsday events? Powderpuff if it counts!

19. What did you want to be when you grew up? I had to think about this recently. I always wanted to be a vet when i grew up. But it’s hella competitive. Also my colorblindness (blue-green) really screws things up sometimes. So I decided to abandon the dream and do Physical Therapy lol.

20. If you could change anything about yourself what would it be? A lot of things actually. But maybe having ADHD? But I also really want to not be colorblind.

21. Whats the longest you've ever grown your hair? The longest was to lower half of my back.

22. Are you scared of flying? Airplanes - no. Skydiving - yes.

23. Would you rather trade some intelligence for looks or looks for intelligence? I’m very average looking, which is subjective. But I think I’m okay. I’d want more intelligence.

24. Have you ever tie-dyed your own clothes? Haha yeah in a summer camp for 3rd grade.

25. How often do you buy new clothes? Only if I have to, or I really want to. Like I mainly wear graphic T-shirts and I really want to get a Stardew Valley shirt.

26. Are you reliable? Depends on what. Reliable for secrets and stuff like that? Yeah, totally. Reliable in terms of work stuff. Mm debatable.

27. Are you proud of yourself? I can recognize good qualities about myself. I’ve been through a lot. I’m still doing alright! So Yeah, I get a gold star for being alive.

28. Have you ever had a secret admirer? Yes this is lowkey embarrassing but... in 10th grade, this girl came up to me and asked me out. And I’m straight. It was SO awkward I had to reject her AAAAH. I said something like, “Oh... haha... um. I’m flattered but I don’t... swing that way.” god im cringing.

29. If you could ask your future self one question what would it be? Probably like. “Are you doing well” or “Are you happy”

30. Do you hold grudges? Nah. I probably am too chill with things sometimes.

31. If you could breed two animals together to defy the laws of nature what new animal would you create? A dog/bird hybrid. Best case scenario, I’ll get a dog with wings. Worst case I’ll get a duck with paws or something.

32. Do you decorate the outside of your house for christmas? Nope.

33. Can you solve sudoko puzzles? Yeah but it takes me SO LONG.

34. Have you ever played conkers? (Whoever wrote this template must be british) Nope.

35. Whats the most unusual conversation you've ever had? It digressed from politics to philosophy to weird things like are monkeys capable of thought. It was one of the best convos I ever had.

36. Are you much of a gambler? No I’m way too indecisive. So naturally I suck at Fire Emblem lol.

37. Are you much of a daredevil? Nah. I’m a coward.

38. Are you a good liar? Only for small stuff. I try not to lie.

39. Are you a good judge of character? Pretty decent.

40. Are you any good at charades? Yikes not really.

41. How long could you go without talking? One day. Two days at most.

42. What has been your worst haircut/style? My little kid bowlcut every asian gets when they’re a baby.

43. Can you iceskate? Yeah, but I haven’t done it in a long time.

44. Can you summersault? Yeah, it’s a bit scary ngl.

45. Whats your favourite joke? THERES TOO MANY DAMN IT.

46. Whats been your best present? A heartfelt card from my friend for my birthday. I’ll take that over anything.

47. Whats been your worst present? One Ferrero Rocher.

48. Have you ever sleepwalked? No.

49. Can you build a house of cards? Nope.

50. Whats your favourite TV advert? The Gorilla Glue advertisements are SO FUNNy

51. Can you play poker? Never tried before

52. If your parents hated your partner you currently loved would you ditch him or carry on with him despite the protests? I would probably carry on. Cause I mean, what can they really do?

53. Have you ever been professionally photographed? Nah. I am not photogenic lmao. 

54. Have you ever baked your own cake? One time and it turned out horribly.

55. Whats your favourite pastel colour? I really like the blue one.

56. What traditionally adorns the top of your christmas tree? My family and I don’t celebrate Christmas.

57. What would be your dream sandwich? Turkey, lettuce, cheddar, butter, baguette bread. Lee’s Sandwich combo #1 is SUPER good.

58. Can you inpersonate anyone famous? Not well lol.

59. Can you do any accents other than your own? American southern, New Zealand, Australian, the Received pronunciation British. I can kind of do Scottish.

60. Do you have a strong local accent? I have this weird mix of the general American accent and New Zealand. By that I mean I sound pretty American until words like “seven, definitely, yeah, bro, pro”

61. Whats your favourite accent? For listening: Australian. To talk in, Scottish.

62. In Tic-Tac-Toe which do you normally pick? X

63. Do you prefer blue or black inked pens? I have a hard time distinguishing between the two.

64. What was the last thing you recorded off TV? I don’t actually record shows on TV. Never figured out how to.

65. What was the last thing you dressed up as for fancy dress? Church. Well, it’s not that fancy. My last actual fancy one was for a wedding.

66. Do you prefer green or red grapes? Green.

67. What do you like on your toast? Butter or jam.

68. Do you prefer liquid soap or bars of soap? Liquid. Easier to deal with.

69. How do you have your eggs? Sunny side up or scrambled. Or boiled/soft boiled.

70. Whats your favourite saying? I have a lot. I really like saying, “Pass the bread, here comes the bologna.”

71.Have you ever been in a tug of war? and did you win? Yup! I won. I fell so hard on my back but I won.

72. Can you stand on your hands unassisted? Nope.

73. What do you have on your fridge door? Some goofy magnets.

74. Do you love or hate myspace? I only used it once. And never again.

75. Who was the last person to knock/ring at your door? My dad’s uncle who was visiting.

76. How old were you when you last went trick or treating? Nine years old.

77. Have you ever been bobbing for apples? No lmao I’ve actually never seen anyone do that in real life.

78. Whats your most expensive piece of clothing? Hoodie. Man, do they cost a lot sometimes.

79. Whats the last thing you took a picture of? A meme from reddit.

80. Whats the last thing you drew a picture of? A MF Doom mask

81. Have you ever bought anything from ebay? No.

82. Whats your favourite smell/scent? Bread baking in the oven.

83. Can you blow bubbles with bubblegum? No, never been successful.

84. What was your favourite birthday? My fourteenth birthday. Lots of things happened. Can’t begin to explain it.

85. Can you curl your tounge? Yeah

86. Is your bellybutton an innie or outie? Innie

87. What would be your dream car? I literally don’t care. Toyata, Honda. Whatever.

88. Are you left or right handed? Right handed, but I can kind of write in left hand.

89. What was the last book you read? Joy Luck Club

90. What was the last song you danced to? Uuuuh, more of a head bang but I was BOPPING to Jimi Hendrix.

91. Have you ever owned a yo-yo? Yeah and I broke it in five minutes.

92. Have you ever been on a pogo stick? No that looks so scary

93. Have you ever been on a space hopper? Had to search this up - Been on something similar.

94. Who was the last person to send you a text message? My brother

95. Have you ever accidentally injured anyone? Omg yeah it wasn’t serious but I felt so guilty. I did fencing a while ago and I lunged and stabbed the mate right in the balls.

96. Are you scared of spiders? Yes

97. Can you down a pint (of anything) in one? Ive done it with water and I felt like dying.

98. Have you ever been banned from a public place? Nah

99. How much spam email do you tend to get a week? Dunno, I send it to a separate email that I never check.