#arc; look into your eyes and the sky's the limit

[flameleads]

@galeleads was a menace: She's squishing his face. No she will not stop

"Whyyyyyyy?" His question came out as a whine. What was it about his face that made her do this? He didn't do this to her! No, he frequently peppered her face with kisses instead, and it made her laugh. His pout was not indicative of laughter, but of a plea to no longer subject his poor cheeks to this punishment. Though, at least she wasn't pinching them.

"Why do you keep doing this to me?" Did any of those words come out, or did she squish his face too much for any of it to be coherent? If he could sigh right now, he would.

[inseobts]

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

kid x fem!reader ➜ law x fem!reader

Torn between the chaos you came from and the calm you’ve found, you begin to realize that leaving kid behind might have led you right where you were meant to be—with law.

a/n: I don't even know what to say lmao

tags: post-wano arc, slow burn, bittersweet ending (for kid), soft tho

words count: 6.6k

masterlist || ao3 || ko-fi

The Wano night sky is painted with bursts of color as fireworks explode over the festival. The smell of grilled meat, sweet dango, and fresh sake fills the air, mixing with the sounds of laughter and celebration.

You sit with the others outside a teahouse, enjoying the rare moment of peace. After everything, Kaido, Big Mom, the goddamn World Government, you all deserve a night to breathe. The Straw Hats are in full party mode, Luffy stuffing his face while Brook plays a lively tune. The Kid Pirates are drinking nearby, and the Heart Pirates are lingering close, not as rowdy but still celebrating.

And you’re just trying to relax.

But Kid is staring at you like he wants to burn a hole through your skull.

You pretend not to notice.

Killer, however, sighs beside you “He’s going to snap.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” you say flatly, bringing your drink to your lips.

Killer doesn’t even dignify that with a response.

It’s been like this for weeks now, Kid watching, brooding, acting like he’s got something stuck in his throat every time you so much as breathe near Law. And it’s ridiculous. You don’t get it. You’ve been with Kid for years. He knows where your heart lies.

But lately, it’s like he’s convinced you’ve already left him.

You shift your gaze toward Law, who is seated a few feet away, speaking with Bepo and Robin. He’s relaxed in that usual aloof way, sipping his drink, expression unreadable. You catch his eye and nod in acknowledgment, a small, meaningless gesture.

But Kid sees it.

And he loses it.

A heavy THUD shakes the table as Kid slams his metal fist against the wood, rattling everything on it. Conversations screech to a halt. Luffy pauses mid-bite, Nami’s drink almost spills, and even Zoro looks up with mild interest.

The entire courtyard falls silent.

“What the hell is your problem?” you snap, whipping around to face him.

“My problem?” Kid’s voice is sharp, full of something dark “You’re my problem.”

A heavy pause.

Your stomach twists “Excuse me?”

“You think I don’t fucking notice?” He stands abruptly, his massive frame towering over you “You act like I’m crazy, but every time I turn around, you’re with him.”

It takes you a second to realize who he means “Law?” you scoff “That’s what this is about?”

Law, to his credit, looks just as stunned as everyone else. His brows lift slightly, but he doesn’t interrupt.

“Don’t play dumb” Kid growls. His voice isn’t just angry, it’s raw. Desperate “You don’t talk to me like you talk to him. You don’t even look at me the same way anymore.”

Your throat tightens “That’s not true. And can we talk about this alone? You’re ruining everyone’s mood.”

“Do I look like I care?” His jaw clenches, hands curling into fists “I see the way he looks at you.”

The weight of those words sinks over the crowd. A few heads turn toward Law, whose expression has gone carefully blank.

And that’s when it hits you.

Kid isn’t just angry.

He’s afraid.

Afraid that he’s already lost you. Afraid that maybe, deep down, he’s right.

Your fingers tighten around your cup “You’re being paranoid.”

Kid lets out a bitter, humorless laugh “Yeah? Then tell me, during the fight earlier, why did you esitate before coming to help me when that weirdo and I were both at our limits?”

A hush settles over the group.

And you don’t have an answer. Because dammit, Kid knows you too well.

You have found comfort in Law lately. Not because you ever meant to. Not because you wanted to. But because he listens, he’s steady, and somewhere along the way, you started trusting him in a way you hadn’t realized.

And Kid can see it.

Your silence is the final blow.

His sneer fades. His hands drop to his sides. The fire in his eyes dims, replaced by something broken.

“…I knew it.” His voice is hoarse “You’re better off without me.”

“Kid, stop—”

“Then leave.”

Your breath catches.

“What?”

He doesn’t hesitate “Get the fuck out.”

The words slam into you harder than any punch.

The crew stiffens. Killer stands immediately, stepping between you “Kid. Don’t do this.”

“This isn’t you, Captain” Heat mutters, looking genuinely unsettled.

But Kid doesn’t waver. He doesn’t look at them.

Just at you.

You force out a breath “You’re serious.”

His lips press into a thin line “Yeah.”

Something inside you cracks.

The world around you is still, too still. You can feel the weight of everyone’s stares, Straw Hats included. Luffy watches with uncharacteristic quiet, Sanji’s expression is unreadable, and even Zoro looks vaguely intrigued.

And Law looks like he’s been punched. Because suddenly, it’s not just about Kid’s jealousy. It’s about the fact that Law hadn’t realized he’d been that obvious.

His fingers twitch against his drink. He’s spent so long burying it, pretending his feelings for you didn’t exist because he knew, knew you loved Kid.

But Kid had noticed and now, Law doesn’t know what to do with himself.

You swallow hard, something hot rising in your throat “You’re a coward.”

Kid doesn’t react.

You shove past him, the weight of betrayal settling in your chest like a stone.

And then, before you can even think, a voice cuts through the night.

“…You can come with us.”

It’s not a question. It’s a statement.

You stop mid-step, turning slowly.

Law is still seated, still composed, but his eyes are serious.

You search his face, trying to figure out what he’s thinking.

He doesn’t look smug. He doesn’t look like he’s won.

He just looks…concerned. Like he wants to help. Like he wants you to come with him.

Kid snorts “Figures.” His voice is sharp, but there’s something underneath it, something close to defeat.

You hesitate, heart pounding.

And then, finally you nod.

“…Okay.”

Kid says nothing. And this time, you don’t look back.

The night doesn’t feel like a victory anymore.

The festival carries on, lanterns still floating lazily into the sky, fireworks still bursting overhead in bright, fleeting colors. But for you, for Kid, and for everyone who just witnessed the end of something that was never meant to fall apart like this, the air is heavy.

You stand there, still reeling, still processing what just happened.

Kid actually threw you out.

The Kid Pirates are still lingering, but they don’t look at you, not in anger, not in disgust, just with this uncomfortable, painful acceptance. Because as much as they hate it, as much as some of them want to grab you and drag you back, they know you don’t belong with them anymore. You belong somewhere else. With someone else.

Kid doesn’t wait for you to say anything.

He just turns on his heel, fists clenched, shoulders tight, and leaves.

His crew hesitates, but one by one, they follow.

Killer is the last to move. He stands there for a moment, head tilted down slightly, unreadable behind his mask. When he finally looks at you, he doesn’t say sorry. Doesn’t try to make excuses for Kid.

He just nods.

A quiet acknowledgment.

And then, they’re gone.

And the weight of it crashes into you all at once.

The silence they leave behind feels suffocating.

You exhale, shaky. Your body feels like lead, your heart feels like it’s sinking, and suddenly you don’t know what the hell you’re supposed to do next.

Then, a voice… soft, steady.

“Come on.”

You turn.

Law is standing beside you now, much closer than before. He doesn’t try to touch you, doesn’t try to force anything, he just waits.

You look at him, and for the first time, you actually see him.

Not just as an ally. Not just as the man who had been there, hovering at the edges of your life, never pushing, never asking for more than you were willing to give.

You see him.

And you realize… he’s been waiting for you this whole time.

You inhale deeply, blinking the stinging in your eyes away.

Then, finally, you nod “…Okay.”

Law doesn’t smile. He just nods back. And for the first time tonight, you don’t feel so lost.

The Polar Tang isn’t home. Not yet. But it’s safe.

The Heart Pirates don’t question your presence when you step onto the yellow submarine. They just let you exist, giving you space but not making you feel alone.

You sit in the mess hall, staring blankly at the cup of tea Shachi set in front of you. Steam curls in lazy swirls, but you don’t touch it.

Law is across from you, quiet. He’s watching, but not in a way that makes you feel exposed.

“Say it” you murmur.

He tilts his head slightly “Say what?”

“I don’t know.” You force a humorless chuckle “That you tried to warn me that time.”

Law exhales, rubbing his temple “That would make me an asshole.”

“You are an asshole.”

That makes him huff a short laugh, and for the first time tonight, something inside you loosens.

But then, the silence returns, and it’s heavier now, more personal.

You swallow “Did you really…?”

Law looks at you expectantly, waiting for you to finish.

You hesitate, but then push forward “Did you really have feelings for me?”

A pause. Then, Law’s gaze flickers away, just for a second.

“Tch.” He shifts, folding his arms over his chest “I thought I was being subtle.”

You huff, shaking your head “Kid saw it before I did.”

“Apparently.” He exhales slowly “Didn’t want to make things worse.”

You glance at him, brow furrowing.

“I knew you loved him,” Law continues “Knew that no matter how I felt, he was the one you wanted.” He looks at you then, and for the first time, you see the weight of everything he’s been holding back “I wasn’t going to get in the way of your happiness.”

You stare at him, something tight curling in your chest.

And suddenly, the jealousy, the anger, the desperation in Kid’s voice makes so much more sense.

Because Kid knew. And he wasn’t afraid of losing you to Law because of something Law did. He was afraid of losing you because you were already slipping away on your own.

You exhale shakily, looking down at your cup “I don’t know what I feel anymore.”

Law nods, like he expected that “You don’t have to.”

That surprises you “I don’t?”

“No.” He shrugs “Take your time.”

And for the first time in weeks, you feel like you can breathe. Because Law isn’t asking you for an answer.

He’s just asking you to stay.

The first night on the Polar Tang is quiet… Too quiet.

You’re used to the noise of the Victoria Punk, the drunken laughter, the sound of metal clanking, the occasional explosion from Kid messing with his arm. Here, everything feels… still. The soft hum of the submarine’s engines is the only thing keeping you tethered to reality.

You lie in the bunk Law had given you, staring at the ceiling, exhaustion weighing on your limbs. But your mind refuses to rest.

You keep hearing Kid’s voice “Then leave. Get the fuck out.”

Your throat tightens. You shut your eyes, willing the memory away.

It doesn’t work.

And maybe the worst part isn’t what happened, it’s that part of you understands why he did it.

He was right, wasn’t he? You’d already started slipping away. You just hadn’t realized it yet.

A heavy sigh escapes you, and finally, you give up. Swinging your legs over the side of the bed, you stand, padding barefoot into the dimly lit hallway. You don’t know where you’re going, just away.

But of course, he’s already waiting.

Law is in the control room, sitting at the main table with medical reports scattered in front of him. He glances up as you step inside, eyes flickering with something unreadable before he shifts back to his work.

“Couldn’t sleep?”

You shake your head, sliding into the seat across from him “Too much in my head.”

Law hums in understanding. He doesn’t push, doesn’t ask what’s bothering you. He already knows.

You rest your chin in your hand, watching him. The dim light casts soft shadows over his face, highlighting the sharp angles of his jaw, the way his brows furrow in concentration. His tattooed fingers flip a page, barely acknowledging your stare.

Finally, you murmur, “Why didn’t you say anything?”

He doesn’t pretend not to understand.

For a moment, he’s quiet, fingers drumming idly against the table. Then, he exhales.

“Because I didn’t want you to be unhappy.”

His voice is steady, even. But something about it makes your chest ache.

“Even if that meant losing me?”

Law’s jaw tightens slightly “I never had you in the first place.”

The honesty in his words nearly knocks the air from your lungs.

You stare at him, suddenly feeling like you’re seeing him for the first time. Really seeing him.

He’d never tried to take anything from you.

He just waited.

Even when it hurt.

Even when he thought it would never change.

You don’t know what to say to that.

So instead, you whisper, “I don’t know how to do this.”

Law watches you carefully “Do what?”

“…Start over.”

The words taste foreign in your mouth. Like admitting it makes it real. But Law doesn’t look surprised. He just leans back, considering you for a long moment. Then, he shrugs.

“Then don’t.”

You blink “What?”

“You don’t have to start over,” he says simply “You don’t have to rush anything. Just… exist for a while.”

That shouldn’t be as comforting as it is.

You let out a breath you didn’t realize you were holding “That sounds nice.”

A ghost of a smirk tugs at Law’s lips “That’s because I’m smart.”

For the first time in what feels like forever, you laugh. A real, genuine laugh.

And Law… that bastard actually smiles. Just a little.

The Victoria Punk is far from Wano’s shores now.

The crew is silent. The only sound is the waves crashing against the hull.

Kid is at the front of the ship, arms braced against the railing, staring out at the open sea. He hasn’t spoken since they left.

No one knows what to say.

The ship feels empty.

Heat exhales, rubbing the back of his neck “It’s weird without her.”

“Yeah” Wire mutters.

The crew doesn’t often talk about feelings, but this? This is different. You were one of them. You should still be here. And yet…

Killer stands beside Kid, watching him carefully. He’s known him too long to expect an apology, or even regret. But he does see the way Kid’s fingers are gripping the railing like it’s the only thing holding him together.

“You fucked up” Killer says eventually.

Kid exhales sharply, gaze locked on the horizon “I know.”

The admission is quiet. Bitter.

Killer doesn’t rub it in. Just nods. The crew knows, too. They all saw it.

You had never belonged with them, not the way they did. You weren’t ruthless, weren’t reckless. You were sharp and strong, but you thought before you acted. You were logical, steady, patient.

You were never meant to be with a man like Kid.

You were meant for someone more like Law.

And that stings more than any wound Kid has ever taken.

Because deep down, he knows you're not coming back and that you're going to be happier for it.

So he does the only thing he can. He keeps sailing forward. Because if he stops now, if he lets himself really feel it, he’s afraid he might never start again.

It’s been a week since you left the Victoria Punk.

A week since Kid turned his back on you.

A week since you stepped onto the Polar Tang, still raw, still carrying the weight of everything you lost. And yet, for the first time in a long time, you feel… lighter.

Not because it doesn’t hurt, it still does. Some nights, you lie awake in the quiet of the submarine, staring at the ceiling, thinking about the life you left behind. About the crew you spent years with. About the reckless, stubborn, infuriating man you thought you’d spend your life beside.

But pain isn’t the only thing you feel anymore.

There’s something else, something new.

Something close to relief. And you don’t know how to deal with that.

So instead, you focus on what you can control. Like getting used to your new crew.

The Heart Pirates are different from the Kid Pirates in every way.

They don’t bark orders or throw punches for fun. They don’t pick fights just to prove something. They don’t push you to be louder, meaner, stronger.

They just let you be.

Penguin and Shachi are idiots, but they make you laugh. Bepo is kind and always makes sure you’re comfortable. Ikkaku gives you quiet smiles in passing. The rest of the crew doesn’t treat you like an outsider, they treat you like you’ve always been here.

And then there’s Law.

He’s not hovering. He doesn’t coddle you or try to pry into your thoughts. He just exists beside you, giving you space when you need it, speaking when necessary.

And somehow, that makes it easier for you to breathe.

You’re on the deck now, watching Wano’s coastline disappear behind the waves. You rest your arms on the railing, inhaling deeply, letting the salt air clear your mind.

“You regret it?”

You glance to your right.

Law is standing beside you, watching the horizon.

You raise an eyebrow “What, leaving?”

He nods slightly.

You hesitate, considering the question. Do you regret it?

You’d spent years convincing yourself that Kid was your future. That his world, his crew, his love, as violent and volatile as it was, was enough.

But now?

You exhale slowly “No. I mean... I was actually kicked out, but I don't regret not fighting to stay there.”

Law doesn’t react right away, but something in his posture relaxes.

“…Good.”

You smirk “What, were you worried?”

“Tch.” He scoffs, crossing his arms “You’re annoying when you’re brooding.”

You laugh softly, shaking your head “You’re an ass.”

Law shrugs “Nothing new.”

For the first time, your chest doesn’t feel quite so heavy.

You don’t know what comes next. You don’t know what your future looks like without Kid in it.

But for the first time in a long time… You think you might be okay. Maybe this is where you were meant to be all along.

Even though you’ve told yourself you don’t regret leaving, that doesn’t mean you don’t miss it.

You miss the chaos. The reckless laughter. The way the Kid Pirates always felt like they were crashing forward at full speed, unafraid of whatever came next.

You miss them.

You miss him.

And it’s infuriating, because you shouldn’t. Not after everything. Not after the way he threw you away like you were something disposable.

Your hands grip the railing tighter.

“You’re thinking too much again.”

You glance sideways.

Law is beside you, arms crossed, head tilted slightly as he watches you. He’s frustratingly perceptive, and he’s been watching you more closely ever since you stepped foot on his ship.

You huff “I don’t think you get to decide how much I think.”

He doesn’t argue. Just exhales and leans forward, resting his arms on the railing “You should let yourself be angry.”

You blink, caught off guard “I am angry.”

Law gives you a look.

You scowl “What?”

“You’re trying too hard to be reasonable.” He tilts his head, expression unreadable “You’re allowed to be mad that he threw you out.”

You turn away, jaw tightening. You are mad. You’re furious. But there’s this voice in the back of your head, whispering he thought he was doing what was best for you.

And the worst part? Maybe he was right.

You inhale sharply, shaking your head “It doesn’t matter.”

Law watches you carefully. Then, after a moment “You loved him.”

It’s not a question.

It’s a fact.

You swallow “Yeah. I got weird taste.”

A beat of silence.

“And now?”

You grip the railing harder, staring out at the sea.

“…I don’t know.”

And that’s the truth. You don’t know if love is something that disappears overnight. If it can vanish just because it should.

But you do know that you can’t go back. Even if Kid wanted you to. Even if his crew begged him to take it back.

Something between you and him had shattered, and no amount of time would piece it back together the same way. You should have known the second doubts started to fill your mind when you met Law.

Law hums in understanding “Then don’t rush it.”

You huff a laugh “You say that a lot.”

He shrugs “Because you need to hear it.”

You glance at him, studying the way he leans against the railing, calm and steady as ever.

“I never realized how patient you are” you murmur.

Law lifts a brow “Surgeons don’t rush.”

You smirk “Right. Sometimes I forget you’re a freaky doctor.”

He doesn’t argue. But there’s something in the way he looks at you that makes your breath hitch slightly. A quiet, lingering warmth. A patience that makes your chest tighten for reasons you’re not quite ready to face.

So instead, you exhale and turn back to the horizont.

For now, you just let yourself exist, and honestly, it doesn’t feel so hard.

Days blend into weeks, and somehow the world feels a little quieter, a little more settled, but not less complicated.

The Polar Tang keeps moving, its engines humming through the sea, and you find yourself at a strange peace with the routine. The Heart Pirates are kind, and they welcome you without pushing you to be anything you’re not.

But even though things seem calmer, something is still there. You can feel it lurking under the surface, like a ripple that never quite fades away.

It’s not the anger anymore, that has faded to a dull ache. It’s not the resentment either, or even the loss.

It’s the question.

The question you can’t answer.

What now?

You find yourself pacing the deck late one night, moonlight glistening on the water as the wind tugs at your hair. You’ve gotten used to the solitude, to the long hours spent thinking. But tonight, it’s different. Something is hanging in the air.

And you’re not alone.

You hear his footsteps before you see him, the quiet scrape of boots against the metal floor.

Law appears from the shadows, his figure framed by the dim glow of the moon. He doesn’t say anything immediately. He just stands there, his gaze following the path you’ve worn in the floorboards.

For a moment, you both just exist in the silence.

“You’ve been quiet” Law finally says, his voice breaking the calm like a stone dropped into still water.

You don’t meet his gaze “I’m thinking.”

“I can tell.”

You stop, hands braced on the railing, staring out into the vast expanse of the ocean. There’s so much you don’t know, and you can’t help but wish you could fast-forward through this feeling of being stuck.

“Do you ever wonder…” you murmur, voice barely above a whisper, “…if we’re all just running from something?”

Law doesn’t immediately answer. His footsteps are silent as he moves closer, stopping just a few feet behind you.

“Sometimes,” he says quietly “I think it’s the only way we stay sane.”

You laugh softly, but there’s no humor in it “I’m not sure ‘sane’ is the word I’d use.”

“No,” he agrees, a small hint of a smirk in his voice “But it’s the word that keeps us going.”

You fall into another silence, the weight of the past lingering between you.

And then, against all logic, against everything that makes sense, you speak the question that’s been clawing at you for days.

“Do you think I’ll ever stop missing him?”

Law takes a moment to answer, his voice soft and steady “I think it’s possible.”

You look at him then, searching his face. There’s no trace of bitterness in his expression, no hint of wanting you to stop. Just something… knowing.

“I don’t want to be angry anymore,” you say, frustration creeping into your voice “But it’s like he’s always there, in the back of my mind.”

“That’s not something you can rush” Law replies.

You exhale, feeling the sting of his words settle deep within you. He’s right, of course. This isn’t something you can fix overnight. It’s not a wound that heals just because you want it to.

It takes time.

You nod slowly “I know.”

You just have to… be.

Months later

The Polar Tang hums beneath your feet, steady as a heartbeat. The crew is scattered, doing their usual rounds. Quiet. Peaceful.

The medical bay is quiet, lit by a few low lamps. Law is hunched over his desk, gloved hands flipping through charts, brows drawn in focus. You slip in without a word and perch on the stool beside him, legs swinging, arms draped across your knees.

He doesn’t look up. He never does at first.

You lean just a little closer, chin propped in your hand, voice soft and teasing “You know, it’s kind of creepy how long you can go without blinking.”

Law sighs, still not looking at you “You’re distracting.”

“That’s not an order to leave, I see” you hum, lips twitching.

Finally, he glances at you just a flick of his eyes. And it’s fast, but you catch it. That little pause in his breath. The way his gaze lingers for a second too long on your mouth before flicking back to the papers.

“I’m working” he mutters.

You grin, all teeth and mischief “Yeah, I can tell. Very serious. So focused.” You lean forward just a bit more, enough that your shoulder brushes his “You want me to be quiet?”

“Yes.”

You smile wider “Liar.”

This time, he looks at you fully, head tilting slightly. His expression is flat, but his eyes always give him away.

“What makes you say that?”

You shrug innocently, still perched far too close “If you really wanted me gone, you’d have used Room by now.”

Law’s lips twitch. Barely. But you catch it. Victory.

“You’re insufferable” he says quietly.

You nudge his arm with your elbow “You like it.”

He doesn’t answer. Just exhales slowly through his nose and goes back to his notes. But he doesn’t move away. And that says more than anything else.

You lean your head to the side, resting your cheek against your hand, watching him work. The silence between you isn’t awkward anymore. It’s easy. Comfortable. Like you’ve always belonged here.

“You know,” you say after a while, “you get this little crease between your brows when you’re concentrating. Right there—” You reach out, fingertip brushing just above his nose.

Law freezes.

Your hand lingers for a breath too long before you pull it back, oblivious, or pretending to be.

He clears his throat, flipping a page with a little more force than necessary “Maybe if someone stopped interrupting me, the crease wouldn’t be there.”

You grin “So grumpy. You sure you’re not secretly eighty?”

“We're the same age.”

“Could’ve fooled me.”

Law finally leans back in his chair and turns to face you, arms crossing over his chest “Do you need something?”

You pretend to think “Nope. Just wanted to bother you.”

He exhales again, pinching the bridge of his nose.

But when he opens his eyes, that look is back. The soft one. The one that only ever shows up when he’s looking at you and doesn’t think you’ll notice.

“You really don’t have anything better to do?”

You shake your head, smiling easily “Nah. You’re my favorite distraction.”

Law blinks, and for the first time tonight, you catch him off guard. Just for a second, his mask slips. And it’s not annoyance you see. It’s something deeper. Something warmer.

He doesn’t say anything.

So you hop off the stool, stretching, and pat his shoulder as you pass.

“I’ll leave you to your brooding. Try not to miss me while I’m gone.”

His breath catches but you’re already at the door, grinning to yourself.

You don’t see it, but Law watches you the entire way out. Eyes soft. Quiet. Stubbornly fond.

You don’t realize how much he’s fallen.

More weeks pass and one morning, you’re back in the infirmary.

You don’t say anything when you enter. Just slide into the same stool beside Law, like you belong there. You cross your legs, chin in your hand, eyes on the notes spread across his desk like they’re the most interesting thing in the world.

He barely acknowledges you.

You can see the twitch in his jaw. The way his pen stills for half a second before he keeps writing. The way his posture shifts just slightly toward you, like your presence settles something inside him.

“So…” you say, all lightness and mischief, “how does one apply to be your favorite?”

Law doesn’t look up “Favorite what?”

“Person.”

He exhales slowly, scribbling something onto the page in front of him “You already are” he says, too casually.

You blink, caught off guard “Oh.”

Your grin returns a second later, all amused heat “You’re getting bolder, doc.”

He still doesn’t look at you, but you don’t miss the way his ears turn slightly pink beneath his hat.

Outside the med bay, Shachi and Penguin pass by. The door’s cracked open.

They stop and peek in.

Exchange glances.

“Should we—” Penguin whispers.

“Nope,” Shachi hisses, dragging him by the collar “We’ll ruin it.”

Inside, Law turns a page that’s already been turned.

You don’t notice. Not really. Or maybe you do. Maybe you’re playing with fire and pretending you’re not holding the match.

Either way, he’s very much burning.

Later, in the mess hall, Bepo slides into the seat beside you with a tray of fruit and a very serious expression.

He offers you a sliced mango like a peace offering.

You take it “Thanks, Bepo.”

He glances around. Lowers his voice “You’re… really close with the Captain lately.”

You raise a brow “We’ve always been close.”

“No,” Bepo says flatly “Not like that.”

You blink innocently “Like what?”

He sighs. Long and patient “You’re smiling more. He’s grumpier.”

“That just sounds like balance.”

“He looked like he was gonna pass out when you touched his hair yesterday.”

You frown, thoughtful “Huh. That’s weird. I do that all the time.”

Bepo stares at you, deadpan “Exactly.”

You pop a slice of mango in your mouth and glance toward the doorway where Law had just passed minutes earlier, still reading his damn charts like they were gospel. Still with that slight hitch in his step whenever you were too close. Still pretending he was fine when everyone else could see he was very, very not fine.

And you were starting to like the way his breath caught when you smiled.

But you still weren’t rushing. You were just… here.

The crew was silently placing bets on when the captain would finally snap and kiss you.

Weeks later

“Here” Law’s voice interrupts your thoughts, his hand offering you a cup of tea, steam curling up from the top. His movements are slow, deliberate. There’s no rush. He doesn’t force you into anything.

You look up, meeting his gaze. His expression is calm, as usual, but there’s something in his eyes now, something that makes your chest tighten in a way that feels both foreign and familiar.

“Thanks” you say, taking the cup from him. It’s warm against your hands, and you bring it to your lips, the scent of the tea calming you. It’s nothing like the way Kid would’ve thrown a mug at you, or shouted at you if you didn’t take something immediately. With Law, everything feels… softer. You’ve realized that, over time, it’s exactly what you needed.

You sit beside him, leaning back against the railing of the ship. The sea breeze is gentle today, and the sound of the waves soothes you in a way that nothing else can.

For a moment, there’s silence between you two. It’s not uncomfortable, but it’s different. The quiet feels right. Unlike with Kid, who always filled the space with noise, with Law, you don’t feel the need to fill the silence. You can simply exist.

“How’s the crew doing?” you ask, trying to break the quiet. You haven’t spent much time around the crew recently, preferring to stay on deck with Law.

“They’re fine,” Law says, his tone easy, casual “They can take care of themselves.”

You nod, sipping your tea, the steam rising between you. You catch yourself staring at him again, and this time, you don’t look away.

At first, you couldn’t understand why Kid had let you go with Law. It didn’t make sense, not then. He pushed you away and seemed to believe that you and Law were a better match.

But as time passes, you understand. Law is patient with you. He gives you space, but he’s always there when you need him, like now. You feel safe with him in a way you never did with Kid. It’s not that you didn’t love Kid... you did, but with Law, you’re starting to see that maybe Kid was right.

“You’re not like him, are you?” you say suddenly, your voice almost a whisper, the thought finally breaking free.

Law looks at you, his brow slightly furrowed, waiting for you to continue.

“I mean…” You hesitate, unsure of how to explain what you’re thinking “With Kid, everything was always… loud. There was no room to breathe. But with you,” you pause, feeling your heart race for reasons you don’t fully understand “With you, I can breathe. You let me be myself.”

There’s a brief silence before Law speaks again, his voice gentle but honest “I don’t want you to be someone else. You’re enough as you are.”

His words hit you harder than you expected, and for a moment, your throat tightens. You’ve never heard anything like that before, not from Kid, at least. With him, there was always a push, a need to be something you weren’t. But with Law, there’s only acceptance. You’ve never felt more… yourself.

You lower your cup, feeling the weight of his words settle in your chest “I never understood why he pushed me to you. Why he let me go. But I think I get it now.”

Law doesn’t say anything, but you can see the smallest shift in his expression, like he’s pleased that you’ve finally figured it out. He doesn’t ask you to say more, doesn’t press. He simply leans back, watching the horizon.

There’s something in the way you’re looking at him now that makes your heart race again, but this time, it’s different. This time, it feels like a warmth settling inside you, one you didn’t expect to find.

For the first time since everything happened with Kid, you realize that maybe Law is exactly who you were supposed to end up with. He’s calm, patient, and steady in a way you never realized you needed.

And, just like that, you realize that falling in love with him doesn’t mean you’ve stopped loving Kid. It means you’ve found someone who fits you better. And the love you felt for Kid? It was real. But this? This is something different.

Something deeper.

“I think…” You pause, your voice barely above a whisper “I think I’m falling for you, Law.”

He doesn’t answer immediately, but when he does, his voice is low, soft “I know.”

Your heart skips a beat. Maybe it’s the way he says it, or maybe it’s the way he’s always been there, quiet but sure. Whatever it is, you know it now. You’re not just with him. You’re falling, slowly, steadily, into a love you never expected.

And this time, it feels like home.

One year later since Wano — Kid’s POV

The letter arrives without warning. Just a plain envelope, worn at the edges, smudged slightly with travel.

Killer drops it on the table in front of him without a word.

Kid eyes it like it might explode.

There’s no name on the front. But he knows the handwriting. He stares at it for a long time before picking it up, thumb tracing the edges like he’s not sure if he wants to open it. But he does.

The letter wasn’t special at first glance.

Just a folded piece of paper slipped between the pages of a merchant log, handed off by some wandering courier on a random island port.

Kid almost didn’t notice it. He rarely cared much for anything written, he wasn’t the type to sit and read. But something about the handwriting on the outside caught his eye.

His name. Just that. No crew insignia, no flourish. Just his name, scribbled in a way he hadn’t seen in a long, long time.

His fingers hesitated before unfolding it. And then, he started reading.

Hey, Kid. Didn’t think I’d be writing you, huh? It’s been a while. I hope you’re still alive and yelling at someone somewhere (Knowing you, the answer is yes). I just wanted to check in and say… thank you. And also let you know how things turned out. So... you probably know I’m with Law now, since people keep calling us the "power couple" or whatever. It kind of snuck up on both of us, honestly. He was just… patient, in that annoying calm way of his. He never pressured me, just gave me space to breathe, to think, to heal. I didn’t even realize how much I needed that until it was right in front of me. He treats me so gently. Not like I’m fragile, just… like I matter. And I know this might sound weird, but I think part of the reason I was able to even get here, to this version of myself, is you. You let me go that day in Wano. You didn’t fight it. And even though it hurt—hell, it really hurt—it was what I needed. You read through me better than I could read myself. You knew I didn’t belong in that life anymore before I did. So… thank you. For letting me go. For not holding on when I couldn’t make myself walk away. The Heart Pirates are like a real family now. I’ve found my place. I do miss the chaos of your crew sometimes, though. The yelling, the mess, the ridiculous fights over food. Heat, Wire, Killer… I hope they’re all doing okay. Tell them I said hi, please. I hope you’re doing okay. Really. I hope wherever you are, whoever you’re with, you’ve found something that makes you feel whole. Like what I have now. I guess that’s all I really wanted to say. Thank you. I hope you’re happy. I am, thanks to you. – Y/N

Kid didn’t move for a while after reading it.

He stood on the edge of the Victoria Punk, letter still in his hand, the breeze tugging at the paper like it wanted to carry it away. He could hear the crew shouting somewhere in the distance, laughing about something stupid, probably.

His jaw clenched. Not in anger. Not even in bitterness.

Just… something tight. Deep.

He read the last few lines again.

“I hope you’re happy. Like I am.”

You were gone. And you were happy.

He folded the letter carefully and tucked it into the pocket inside his coat.

Then he turned, walking back toward the noise of his crew.

He didn’t say a word.

But there was the smallest twitch at the corner of his mouth. A ghost of something that looked a little like peace.

[howi99]

From the Nest 23

Jaune: *sleeping in Glynda's class, Raven nestled in his hoodie's pocket* Zzzzzz~

Nora: *poking his head with a ruler* Sheesh, i don't know what kind of training Jaune does with the headmaster, but he's sure spent at the end, huh?

Blake: *reading her book* He spends the entire night pushing his aura to his limit; i'd be surprised if he wasn't fine-

Glynda: *speaking up* Next fight will be... Jaune Arc against Cardin Winchester.

Ren: *shake his friend* Hey, wake up; it's your turn on the ring.

Jaune: *unresponsive* Zzzzzz~

Nora: *shaking him harder* Rise and shine!

Jaune: *clearly not wanting to wake up* ...

Blake: *sigh, posing her book* Jau- *sees Raven rapidly shaking her head corvid head* -ne?

Jaune: *clearly growling* I swear to god; i'll rip off each page of your favorite book and force-feed a beowolf with them if you TRY waking me up AGAIN, Blake.

Blake: *wince, keeping her book close to her in a protective manner* Okayyyy....

Cardin: *passing in front of them, smirking* Oh, what's wrong? Does princess Jaune need a little kiss to wake up? *Smack his head* Wake up loser, we-

Jaune: *opening his bloodshot eyes* Cardin... *look Cardin dead in the eyes with a glacial expression, his left eye glowing slightly* I'll rip your guts out, dry them, use them as a bowstring and use the shit in them as fertilizer for my plants; that way you'll finally be useful for something in your miserable life. *Crack his neck* And i'll make sure you'll be alive for all of it, i can make organs grow back.

Cardin: ... *Turning to Glynda* I'm forfeiting the match.

Glynda: *who didn't hear what Jaune just said* Are you sure-

Cardin: *clearly on the verge of tears* Yes!

Glynda: *blink in confusion* Do you need hel-?

Cardin: I have to go! *Quickly run out of the classroom*

Jaune: *posing his head back on the table, closing his eyes*

Nora: ... You weren't serious, right?

Jaune: *eyes still closed* Do you wish to find out?

Nora: N-no?

Jaune: *voice as cold as the ninth circle of hell* Then let. Me. Sleep.

_ later, in team CRDL's room _

Cardin: *crossing in red marker the "forever fall plan"* We are NOT taking revenge on him! I will NOT die on that hill!

Russel: *sigh* Guess i'll have to send those rapier wasps back to my girlfriend.

Dove: *surprised* You have a girlfriend?

Russel: Oh uh, yeah. Faunus girl working in Vale with that guy i told y'all about. You know, the one with red hairs?

Sky: Oh right! She's that spider girl with the emo look, right?

Russel: Yeah~

Cardin: *curious* You're dating -

Russel: *roll his eyes* Oh shut the hell up! At least she didn't almost pissed herself in front of an entire class! Grow the hell up and stop being an asshole for once, Cardin!

Cardin: ... You are lucky you're my best friend since childhood, you damn fucktwat. I was going to ask since when you were dating, gee. I'm not a human supremacist, relax.

Russel: Oh, since a month or two before initiation.

[doctrined]

FIGHTER PILOT

synopsis; you had dreamed of this moment for years—joining the fleet force, flying among the best, and proving yourself in a world where only the strongest survived. being stationed under caleb, the renowned ace pilot, was an honor. he was sharp, disciplined, and impossibly skilled, a legend in his own right. everything about him demanded respect. but the moment lessons began, reality shifted. the excruciating world of fleet training was nothing compared to what lurked beneath the surface. caleb wasn’t just a pilot. he was something else entirely—something darker, something that watched you too closely, spoke too softly, and tested your limits in ways you never expected. you knew caleb as the perfect soldier, the controlled instructor. but perfection is a mask, and you were about to see what lay beneath.

in the cockpit, there’s no escape. and in his hands, neither is there mercy.

cw: this fic contains power imbalance (superior officer/instructor dynamic) and suspenseful psychological tension. expect aviation smut (cockpit intimacy, in-flight tension) with elements of authority kink, restraint/control themes, and explicit smut with detailed sensory descriptions. mind games and manipulation/gaslighting may be present as caleb pushes yn’s limits, blurring the line between training and something far more dangerous. additional warnings include breathplay/choking, danger kink (intimacy while flying), and obsession/possession themes as caleb’s control begins to take a darker turn. this is a corruption arc, where yn soon realizes that the perfect soldier isn’t just a legend—he’s something else entirely.

wc: 1.6k

chapter two:

p.s a light read for everyone. enjoy!

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⠀⠀⠀ Chapter One

Clear skies don’t mean safe landings.

You had dreamed of this moment for as long as you could remember—since the first time you looked up at the sky and saw those sleek fighter jets carving through the clouds, leaving a trail of awe in their wake. Joining the Fleet Force, becoming one of them. But now, sitting in the cockpit of a real fighter, your dream felt strangely suffocating.

Beside you was him.

Caleb. The man you had admired from a distance for years, the one who could twist a jet through the sky like it was an extension of his own body. The prodigy of the Fleet, with stories about him circulating throughout the academy—stories about his unrivaled skill, his unwavering discipline, and his control over everything in his path. Everyone revered him. Everyone feared him.

And now, you were in his cockpit, placed directly under his command. This was supposed to be a dream come true. But nothing prepared you for this moment. Nothing prepared you for the way he made you feel in the enclosed space of the cockpit.

“Hands on the yoke,” he commanded, his voice low, but not unkind. His tone was smooth, like velvet, but underneath it lay a steely edge. The way he spoke was controlled, calculated. There was no room for error in his world, not with him.

You placed your hands on the yoke, your fingers trembling slightly. Was it the height? The speed? The reality of flying? No. It was him. His presence. His quiet confidence that seemed to fill the space between you, suffocating the air until it felt thick with something else—something dangerous.

His hand moved over yours, almost casually, but you felt the heat of it instantly. A brush of his fingers over your knuckles, like he was testing you. The touch was nothing like you’d imagined—a professional, light gesture that shouldn’t have meant anything, yet it sent a sharp thrill down your spine.

“Relax,” he murmured, his voice barely more than a whisper, yet it rang in your ears like a command. “You’re flying like you’re afraid of it.”

He was right. You were afraid, but not of the plane. You were afraid of him.

His eyes stayed on you, unreadable but intense, watching every move you made as if he could read your thoughts, anticipate your next mistake before you even made it. The pressure was immense. His fingers remained where they were, brushing over yours, not guiding but testing, like you were just one more thing he could control.

“Good,” he said after a moment, his tone shifting just slightly—though still distant. “You’re improving.”

The praise should have made you feel better, but instead, it only tightened the coil in your stomach. You weren’t sure what he wanted from you, but the longer you spent in the cockpit beside him, the more you understood: this wasn’t just about flying.

He leaned back slightly, not taking his hand off yours, but letting the subtle pressure shift, just enough to remind you that he was still in control. You felt the weight of it—his presence pressing in on you, the intimate space between you both almost suffocating.

“You need to focus,” he said, and his voice was a little colder now. His hand moved from yours, but not without a lingering touch that left a phantom burn on your skin. You turned your attention back to the controls, trying to steady your breath, trying to focus.

It wasn’t enough.

The plane suddenly jerked.

Your heart leapt into your throat as the world around you shifted. Instinct kicked in, but your hands moved too late. The plane veered, and you could feel the vibrations of the metal, the rush of wind outside pressing against the hull.

“Don’t panic,” Caleb said, voice calm, as if this was a training exercise and not a potential crash. “You’re in control. Take a breath.”

You couldn’t breathe.

The plane dropped again, a sharp dive that made your stomach twist.

“Focus!” His voice cut through the tension, sharp as a knife. “You’re not a rookie anymore, you’re a Fleet pilot. You handle this or you don’t fly.”

His gaze bore into you, commanding, unyielding. You forced yourself to exhale, to concentrate. You gripped the yoke, fingers digging into the smooth, cold surface, and slowly, painfully, you steered the plane back on course.

When it leveled out, your heartbeat thundered in your chest.

“That’s better,” Caleb said, his voice smoother now, almost like a purr. “You didn’t think you’d be able to do it, but you did.”

He looked at you like he knew something you didn’t. Like he had been watching you all along, reading you, seeing how far he could push you before you broke.

And you were starting to feel like you were breaking.

“Let’s see if you can handle some real turbulence.” Caleb’s words were quiet, but there was a hint of something darker behind them. Something that made you wary.

You opened your mouth to ask what he meant, but before you could speak, the plane dipped again, this time even more violently.

You instinctively gripped the yoke harder, your hands now slick with sweat. Caleb didn’t react, didn’t move a muscle. He simply watched, his cold eyes never leaving you.

“Don’t freeze,” he warned. “Fly like your life depends on it.”

It did.

Your knuckles went white as you gripped the yoke harder, trying to force the plane back into control. You fought against the pull of the turbulence, your heart racing in your chest, your breathing shallow and panicked. But through it all, you could feel his gaze, like a weight on your shoulders, pulling you deeper into the turbulence of your own emotions.

When the plane finally steadied, the relief you felt was short-lived. Caleb leaned closer to you, his breath warm against your ear.

“Well done,” he murmured, his voice as calm as if you were simply landing in a controlled environment. “But we both know you’re capable of more.”

His hand brushed over yours again, more deliberate this time, like a promise. But the promise wasn’t of safety. It was of something else. Something darker.

“Let’s take a break,” Caleb said, sitting back in his seat, his voice casual, almost too casual.

You turned to him, your chest still tight, still shaky. He didn’t seem affected by the ordeal at all. In fact, he looked almost pleased.

“You handled it well,” he said, but there was no praise in his voice—only a calm, assessing look that made your skin prickle.

You nodded, but inside, you weren’t sure if you could handle much more. You weren’t afraid of the sky, but of what Caleb was becoming to you.

The lesson was over, but the weight of it clung to you. Every breath felt heavier, as if the air was thicker now, charged with something you couldn’t name. You tried to shake off the tension that still coiled around you, but it wouldn’t release. Your hands were still trembling, your mind buzzing, unable to process the storm of emotions that Caleb had stirred up in such a short time. You could still feel the ghost of his touch on your skin, a reminder of just how close he was.

Your gaze flickered to him, but he wasn’t looking at you now. He was observing something outside the cockpit window, his posture relaxed as if he hadn’t just put you through hell. But you could see the faintest curve to his lips, a knowing smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

You had passed the test. But you knew—this was just the beginning.

The lesson had only just begun. And you weren’t sure how much more you could take.

[reticent-writer]

Hear me out. Hear me tf out. A reader who is Tomioka’s fraternal twin and got separated from him when he ran into the mountains, with the relatives failing to find him but catching her. Anyway, she suddenly jumps out of the infinity castle during that one moment in the first episode of the Hashira training arc. Like, just as the door is about to close, this lady just appears and uses the demon as a stepping stone to jump out, and once it closes the momentum has her slamming onto the ground and rolling a couple of feet. And she just kind of lies there before rolling over and staring at the sky, before starting to laugh and cry at the same time, babbling about how she made it, she’s alive, she’s out of that place. Now, Sanemi and Obanai have no idea who this lady is, but they want answers as to why the hell she just jumped out of that place. She’s covered in scratches and had torn her kimono to knee-length for more mobility in there. Anyway, the Kakushi bringing her to headquarters to get her treated and during the Hashira meeting Sanemi or Obanai just mention this girl who was there in their mission and who is getting checked over by the butterfly girls, but she might have important information. Pls make a fic of this.

I liked writing this it was fun. Thank you for requesting ヾ(≧▽≦*)o

✿✼:*ﾟ:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟﾟ･**･ﾟﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*ﾟ:*:✼✿

It felt like an eternity since you were kidnapped by Douma but you remember your life before. You remember running with your sister and brother, only stopping when reaching a clearing in the forest. Your sister urged you and your twin to keep moving but when you tried to stand you found yourself in an unfamiliar place.

The Infinity Castle.

It's been years before since you've seen the sun but you didn't lose hope. Your sister and brother were out there, hopefully. They become your reason for living.

------

"Awww look at you. A rare beauty but so playful... please come out, I'm not gonna hurt you." Douma laughed.

You held your breath as you hid from the demon. Quietly maneuvering through the infinite rooms in vain. You've been playing hide n seek for hours, without food or water your body is sure to give out any minute now.

"I think I really lost you. Come out please, you'll be dead if Master finds you. Besides all that I know you're hungry, you haven't eaten in a few days. You won't last long if you keep with up." He pleaded, his voice becoming quieter the more you moved but you couldn't tell if it was a good thing or a bad thing.

As you walked through one of the rooms you saw a demon falling from what seemed to be different from the rest of the castle's terrain. It was an opening. Something that you had been tortured with, he would make an opening far enough way so that you would have to run to get to it. Of course, he was always faster and he wouldn't even let you get close.

But this time he didn't know where you were plus he didn't open it.

This was your chance to escape and you didn't waste it.

luckily for you the room you were in was close enough to make it even with your limited stamina.

You ran as fast as you could, taking the demon by surprise and using your momentum, propelled yourself through the opening right as the demon slayer stabbed the ground.

You made it.

You got as far away from the opening as you could. you laid on your back looking up at the moon. It finally hit you, You really got out. After years of being in that horrible place, you finally escaped.

You start to smile as tears welled up in your eyes. You gasped for air but a strained laugh left your lips when you exhaled. It quickly developed into deranged and uncontrollable laughter as the crocodile tears wouldn't stop.

The two demon slayers stared at you not knowing what to do.

"Hey, what were you doing in there?" Sanemi questioned as he pointed his sword at you.

It took you a moment to calm youut as you were about to speak you passed out.

---------

*two weeks later*

"Her injuries are minor but she has so many of them that she lost a lot of blood. Judging by her physical condition she's malnourished and has been sleep-deprived for a while. It's better to let her rest for now." Ubuyashiki's son read out Shinobu's note at a hashira meeting.

"Sanemi, you and Obanai found her while in pursuit of a demon correct? Was there anything unusual about her?"

"Yes sir, she jumped out of the infinity castle as a demon went in. She was hysterical before she passed out." Sanemi explained as everyone listened intensely.

"When she wakes up I would like to talk to her with all of you present."

The rest of the meeting was uneventful.

----------

Shinobu personally looked after you while you were recovering. You didn't wake up for another week and when you did, Shinobu ensured you were healthy enough before bringing you to a meeting.

She gave you new clothes and a nice meal before leading you to the demon slayers' headquarters.

You were met with a kind smile from the master which you returned. You sat on the gravel in front of the master.

None of the hashira had arrived yet.

"How are you feeling?" Ubuyashiki asked.

"I'm feeling much better. Thank you."

"That's good to hear. Do you have any plans after this is over?

"Hmm... I haven't thought about it. I have no home to go back to and my fam- I don't know what happened to my family." You muttered the last part.

"That's ok, we can talk about that later."

One by one the hashira arrived and sat in their usual positions.

"Hello, my children it's nice to see all of you in good condition. Now to the matter a hand, Ma'am can you tell us how you got into the demons domain." Ubuyashiki opened the floor for you to talk.

"I honestly don't know, one minute I was running with my brother and sister then the next I was in a room."

This caught Giyuu's attention.

"What was it like in there."

"Torture. I could barely eat, sleep, or even breathe without being watched. And the place was never-ending and constantly changing."

"DID YOU SEE KIBUTSUJI?" The wind hashira barked.

"Kibutsuji?"

"Muzan Kibutsuji. The demon king." Ubuyashiki explained.

"Oh, Douma kept me away from him. He said if the master saw me he'd kill me. Douma is a demon with long blonde hair, a golden fan and colorful eyes."

"Did he have a number engraved in his eye? If so what was it?"

"Number 2."

"Forgive me for being so rude but I forgot to ask for your name."

"It's Tomioka Y/n."

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i hope you like it

[awkward-tension-art]

Darkness on Umbara Chp.9 (Rex x Reader)

Chapter 8. Chapter 10.

Plans and Arguments

cw: Rex x Reader, Reader is a medic, incorrect military procedure, graphic descriptions of injuries, blood, swearing, death and battle, Spoilers for the Umbara Arc, Pong Krell is an asshole, reader insert, names of non-canon dead clones, Mentions of breakdowns, reader is gender neutral, no use of (Y/N), if i miss a tag LMK

Minors DNI

“Those missiles have a 100 megaton yield!”

Fives was exasperated at the new plan Krell had thrown at Rex, “We won’t even make it to the delta!”

“What can I do?” The captain met the ARC troopers eyes steadily, “I’ve tried to reason with him. Those are the orders.” 

March on the capital despite the massive missiles that rained from the sky. Fucking brilliant. 

Jesse sighed, “Great, another suicide mission.” he continued to inspect the console, typing on the screen, “The capital is too well armed.”

“Why does it seem like he has it out for clones?” Tup chimed in from where he continued to study the mechanics of the starships.

“Are we sure Krell isn’t, you know, fucking insane?” You mumbled, continuing to look at the data of the anomaly you saw earlier.

Dogma scoffed, “I think you're all overreacting,” He was steadfast in his belief in the general, “Obviously General Krell knows what he's doing. do you really think he doesn't care if he loses men?” 

Yes. you nearly responded, but opted to remain quiet. 

Jesse crossed his arms, “I’m not saying that,” He kept his voice steady, doing well at remaining calm, “But I do think his desire for victory has blinded him to the fact that there are lives at stake.”

You nodded, “Field doctors keep in contact with one another, and several doctors I knew have been killed under his command, not to mention the number of troopers,” Your hands were still as you focused on the conversation, “I’ve never seen such a high number of casualties from a single general.”

“He’s out of control!” Fives snapped, “He is not acting like the other jedi. He has no respect for us.”

I don’t think he has respect for anyone but himself. You thought bitterly. 

Rex stepped forward, trying to calm the ARC troopers ire, “Listen, I don’t agree with him either, but I don’t have a better plan.”

“What about using these starfighters to destroy the supply ship?” Fives continued, motioning to the ships that were in different stages of maintenance. 

“Our fleet has been trying, The Umbarans have it as protected as the capital.” The 501st captain rubbed his temple, clearly reaching his own limit. 

“But we've got their access codes and their own hardware,” Fives stepped up next to Jesse, looking confident. 

Rex, on the other hand, looked more surprised and hopeful, “You were able to crack it?”

“Mhm!” the ARC trooper gave a friendly punch to Jesse’s shoulder, earning a smile and a head shake from the other trooper, “We can sneak right past their blockade, get to where our ships can’t.” He clasped his hands in front of him, as if begging. 

The captain looked down and rubbed his chin, he remained silent, mentally planning and strategizing with this new information. 

Fives’ continued, as if trying to convince him, “If we take out that supply ship, then we cut off arms to the capital.”

Rex smiled, looking up and meeting his friend's eye, “This is why you’re an ARC trooper,” He put a hand on his hip, now with a proud smirk, “I’ll talk to Krell, see what we can do.” 

Fives practically cheered, and you laughed at his joyful display. The ARC troopers' energy and good mood always amazed you. 

The captain shook his head and gave a soft laugh before turning and walking out of the hangar. You, however, got up and followed him, “Captain, I don’t know where the barracks are.” you stated, with a small grin, “Can you walk me to them?” 

“Mesh’la,” he rolled his eyes but he matched your smile, “Of course.” 

Now that you two had semi-privacy, “Are you ok?” you asked him quietly. 

“Once this campaign is done, I will be.” He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, “General Krell is…a challenging General to work with.”

You brushed your hand against his as a small sign of affection, “You’re doing the best you can given the circumstances.” 

He gave you a grateful, yet exhausted look. 

In the far distance, potentially a mile away, Umbaran missiles slammed down, exploding into a bright green and orange light. Despite how far the strike was, you could still feel the vibrations in the ground. 

“Damnit, they never give up.” Rex sighed, “This won’t stop until that supply ship is taken care of.”

“Hopefully Krell will listen,” You said as the doors to another section, the living quarters, of the airbase opened. 

“He hasn’t so far.” your lover led you through the halls before pressing a button next to a door. They slide open, revealing Rex’s temporary quarters and office. To the Umbarans, the private room must’ve belonged to the leader of the airbase. Once the doors closed, he held your face in his gloved hands.

“I want you to rest, mesh’la,” He murmured, kissing your forehead tenderly, “Don’t think I haven’t noticed your exhaustion.”

“I can handle it.” you put your hands over his, “You and the others have been-.”

“We are built for this,” He interrupted you, “We’re clones, we can handle days without rest.”

You stared into his beautiful brown eyes, “Rex…”

“Please, mesh’la,” He whispered, “I can’t…I don’t think I can handle it if you're hurt again. Or worse.” He was pleading with you, gaze filled with an emotional desperation. It was rare to see him so unsteady. So unsure and even…afraid.

Your lovely captain was in despair. Yes, you’ve lost soldiers, but Rex has lost brothers. 

You moved your hand and stroked his cheek, “Ok…” your words were soft, “Alright Rex, I’ll get some rest.” 

He let out a small, relieved breath before kissing your forehead again, “Thank you.” 

As promised, you allowed yourself to sleep once he was gone again. It was comical how as soon as you laid down on the stiff bed, you were completely out. It felt like your brain just turned off. You didn’t even dream, so exhausted your consciousness just faded out of existence. 

When you awoke, it was due to yelling.

“Where is the honor in marching blindly to our deaths?!”

Fives.

You groggily sat up, rubbing your face in your hands with a pounding headache. You could hear Rex respond, but his voice was quieter and much calmer. It was hard to make out the words. 

However, you heard Fives loud and clear through the door, “I'm sorry. I cannot just follow orders when I know they're wrong! Especially when lives are at stake!”

Your lover answered him, and again, he was quiet. 

“I do support it. I do!” Fives was angry and frustrated, that much was clear, “But I am not just another number! None of us are!”

You admired the ARC trooper for his independence. He was a powerhouse on the battlefield and never backed down. Your friend was a very rebellious, free thinker, but intelligent enough to know when to fall in line. 

He was a good friend who you loved dearly. 

Surprisingly, you heard Rex’s voice, “Fives, where are you going?”

The ARC trooper responded with something, but you couldn’t hear him clearly that time. 

You sighed and stood, stretching your arms over your head. How long has it been…?

With a quick check of the time, it had only been a few hours. Everything was sore and you were still tired. It would take more than a nap to help, apparently…

The door to the captains quarters opened and Rex seemed surprised to see you, “You should still be asleep.” He approached to kiss your cheek. 

“I heard yelling. Is everything ok?” You asked, leaning into the peck. 

“The march on the capital will continue as originally planned.” He sighed, “the men are understandably against it.”

“You are too.” You pointed out. 

He nodded, looking downright tired, “I am, and if we had the time and the training, I’d go along with Fives’ plan. I know General Skywalker would with no question. But Krell has orders.”

You pet your lover’s cheek, “Rex, would you really follow every single order Krell gives?” 

“I am duty bound to follow.” He responded.

“Even if you know they’re wrong?” 

“I…” the captain sighed, “I believe in the Republic. I would fight and die for it without question.”

He’s avoiding the question. Pushing too hard might stress him further. You leaned forward and kissed his forehead, “You're a good soldier, Rex. but you're also a man with your own thoughts and feelings.”

He melted under your touch, “Without you, I’d probably have gone insane by now.” he mumbled, earning a small giggle from you. 

“You’re doing the best you can,” Your words were tender and filled with love, “I need to check on the med bay, but I want you to get some sleep. Even if it's just a nap.” before he could argue, you booped his nose gently with your finger. 

Rex let out a small chuckle, “Alright mesh’la, I’ll get some rest.” He pecked your cheek before you walked out of his private quarters. Getting to the med bay was quick and easy, and as soon as Kix saw you, he nodded in greeting. 

Back to work. You were the 501st field doctor, you had a job to do, “What supplies do we have?” 

Your medic friend listed everything you had. 

Bandages, tourniquets, laser cauterizers, laser scalpel, bacta, patches, emergency suture kits

It was better than before taking the airbase, but the amount of such items was the real concern. Perhaps in a standard battle you’d be able to help everyone, but with Krell’s overwhelming need to kill as many soldiers as possible, It would be difficult. 

You swallowed, taking in the low numbers. Triage would be crucial. Managing pain wouldn’t be the priority. Save bacta for critical wounds. Sutures and bandages for anything else. 

“I’m going to talk to Krell.” You informed Kix, “I’ll be right back.”

“Don’t get killed.” He called to you as you left. 

Your steps took you up to the tower. Were you nervous? Potentially. If he took a step out of line, you might end up snapping and laying a fist in his face. Your anxiety came from your lack of faith in your own restraint. You’ve hit your limit, and if the damn Jedi pushed you too far, you might break. 

Once the doors opened, you were met with Appo and Hick typing at a console while Krell looked over the Umbaran holomap. 

“Doctor,” He greeted you rather…politely, “I didn’t call for you.”

“I have concerns, General.” You stepped inside, “I am aware of the impending march on the capital, but Kix and I do not have the supplies to keep everyone alive.” 

Pong Krell looked up at you, eyes looking down right uninterested in what you have to say, “You have an extreme lack of faith in your skills, Doctor.”

“I am not doubting my skills,” You responded, tone becoming icy, “I am limited by the supplies I don’t have. I can save lives, but if I don't have the medical supplies to do so…”

The General pressed a button and the map changed. He went back to ignoring you, “And what do you propose I do about your misuse of much needed medical equipment?”

Misuse!?

You swallowed, “Respectfully, General, I think for the sake of the men, you should work with Captain Rex and think of another strategy to take the capital.”

“We do not have time!” he slammed his fist down, causing you and the other soldiers around to jump, “Every moment we waste, we are getting that much further away from taking Umbara for the Republic! Now I know your judgment is clouded by your useless feelings surrounding these clones, but winning this war is the priority!” 

“Respectfully, General,” You backed down. All that bravado you told yourself earlier melted away. He had the power to court martial you, or worse, “My…feelings are concern for my patients. I am a doctor first, before I am a soldier.”

“Is it duty you feel, or something else?” He raised his head, “You spend an awful lot of time with the Captain, don’t you.” 

Your blood ran cold. 

He knew.

Your throat ran dry. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Appo look up from his console. 

Back track. Now. 

“Captain Rex and I have known eachother since the beginning of the war,” you explained, “We are friends, and I trust him with my life.”

“Just friends?” He rubbed his chin, “Your judgment is indeed clouded, Doctor. Your bias is hindering your view of the reality of this war.” The volume of his voice picked up until he was damn near shouting at you, “You can’t have friends on the battlefield! If you worry about those clones, you’ll never achieve victory!” 

Wrath burned under your skin. You wanted to shout back, but you didn’t have Fives’ courage, “I understand General, but these men, not just Rex, have protected me. Saved my life on the battlefield. In turn I do my best to keep them alive. It’s my duty to care for them. Because of this, I am able to view things objectively during battle.”

Krell was silent for a moment before he gave a slimy smirk, “Rex, huh?” 

Shit.

“Captain Rex, sir.” you cleared your throat and you caught Hick pausing in his typing on the console, “Since we are not currently on the battlefield, It’s easy for me to forget rank and titles. Forgive me, General.”

“I suppose you call General Skywalker by his name as well,” He turned to face the window, indicating he was done with you, “I am a General, Doctor. You will do well not to make that mistake with me. You’re dismissed.”

You saluted and turned, leaving the tower as quickly as possible.

Once on the ground, you spotted Fives and Hardcase walking to the hangar where the starships were being kept. With a glance back up to the tower, you followed the troopers. 

Oh what trouble were they about to get into?

[the-flower-ranchers]

It's finally time for a Beach Vacation Arc!!!!!

Jimmy felt his wings shake with anticipation as he and his partners exited the rift into the Limited Life server. The open air washed over them, shaking up the canary's feathers, flickering through Tango's flames, and ruffling Scott's dress. Just as he'd told 💜, he wore an elegant silver-sky blue sundress that came down to his knees.

"So we left the cattle in the pasture with the dogs to look after them, the chickens have enough feed and water to survive the till monday, I turned off all the redstone before we left... Oh! Did anyone let the Anons know we weren't gonna be home?"

"Of course, Jimmy. I left a note on the front door, the door to the Ranch, the barn door, the kitchen counter, the living room TV, the-"

"I get it, I get it- Thanks Scott." He took his boyfriend's hand as they walked.

Tango smiled, gazing around at the server. "I'm gonna run ahead and see if I can spot anyone!" Without waiting for an answer, the blazeborn took off in a bounding sprint. Just as Jimmy and Scott caught up to him by the clock tower, Jimmy spotted the familiar frame of one of its former residents just a couple hundred blocks away. He dropped the bags he was carrying and clumsily flew after them. He exclaimed in delight as he slammed his entire body into Scar's muscular back. "BAM!"

"Oh my goodness!" Scar said quickly in his fright. "Man, you scared the living daylights out of me!"

Grian turned around, wincing as the startled cat on his shoulders dug her claws through his red sweater. "Yippee, Tim's here!" The three of them exchanged greetings for a moment as Jimmy's partners finally caught up to him.

"Sup G!" Tango fist-bumped the avian and immediately started petting Jellie. The five of them arrived at the small pocket beach just as the sun hit its peak in the sky.

Scott immediately began gushing about how much he loved the colors of the green grass against the crystal blue water, and how the rainbow tips of coral were like sprinkles. Joel must have arrived long before any of them, as he was already setting up a bed in the pavilion. Scott teasingly waved to him, and the man instantly rolled his eyes. "Heyyyyy Joeellll." Scott called. "Love the fake abs, did you borrow them from your hermitcraft skin?"

"These ones are real, you prick. Unlike your lashes!"

Scott gasped mockingly, but giggled to himself quickley after.

As Grian flew overhead and dropped off his and Scar's bags, Joel chuckled gleefully. "Oi! I thought you were a seagull for a moment there!"

"Haha." Grian landed next to him without warning, making the man flinch unexpectedly.

"Where's Lizzie? I-" Tango asked, coming up the the water line as he shouted for Joel's answer. He is was interrupted as Scar raced past him, flinging himself into to the water.

"Cannonball!!!!!"

Jimmy put his wing over Tango for a moment as some water splashed out of the river. "Maybe we should set up an umbrella for you, just in case." He jokingly suggested.

Joel called back to Tango. "Oh, Lizzie? You'll see her in a minute!"

Scar still hadn’t resurfaced, causing Grian to lean over the fencing of the pavilion as his eyes darted across the surface of the still water. "If I have to jump in after that fool- Scar!"

At that moment, the head of his partner popped out of the water. "W- woah woah woAH-" Scar's entire body was lifted out of the water by a giant blue hand. The three hermitcrafters were stunned as Lizzie, wearing her empires skin, surfaced.

Jimmy struggled to fly up and greet her while she held the very confused man."MY BAMBOOZLERS-"

"BAM!" She interrupted as she playfully knocked him out of the air. The canary and the vex-hybrid plunged into the water as she laughed somewhat maniacally.

"Wow, you are massive." Tango shook his head clear. "Is this an Empires thing?"

"Yup, I'm the Ocean Queen." She tried and failed to sassily flip her drenched hair. Joel called from the island, "You look amazing, babe!" He then turned to Grian and whispered something to him eagerly.

Jimmy crawled out of the water with his wings dragging heavy behind him, laughing and yelling with his Wild Life allies. Grian grabbed Joel's arm and carried him down to the beach. "Tim! Shake off and get over here, we got something for you!" Grian stood back as the canary shook buckets of water off his feathers.

"What's up?"

"Close your eyes." Joel said, taking something out of his inventory. Jimmy hesitantly obliged, and once he did Joel slid something onto the canary's face. "We figured it was gonna be fairly sunny while we're out here soooo-"

When he opened his eyes, all three of them were wearing mathcing black sunglasses. At first, Jimmy flinched, but he quickly lunged forward and scooped the other two into a giant hug.

"Ayyyyyy!!!! The bad boys are BACK!"

(Ooc: ASKS ARE BACK OPEN 🥳 I kid you not y'all, I was in physical pain going without posting on this blog for so long. We are in our beach episode arc, and I am so excited!)

[hyukassubi]

🍪01 | Your Eyeliner Sucks But This Ceremony Doesn't

♡𓂃 Pairing -> (Former) Knight! Huening Kai x Seamstress! Reader

♡𓂃 Synopsis -> Growing up, you never believed in purpose, nor destiny. Simply following the path of life, becoming a royal seamstress didn't at all seem like a bad idea. Only thing is, it wasn't your idea.

Your best friend who just so happens to be the crowned prince knows what it's like to grow up having limited choices, and Prince Kang Taehyun doesn't want the same happening to you. The commander knight, in turn, has other plans for the future. After Huening Kai closes a profound chapter of his life, he seeks refuge from the chaos of his past, opting for a cozier lifestyle instead.

... And it just so seems that those plans wouldn't be fulfilled without you.

♡𓂃 Wc -> 851

Twenty-two years old, having been the Royal Seamstress for the last six years, expert hands when it comes to stitching and sewing together fabrics, beads, jewels, other materials others couldn’t possibly deem as ‘wearable’, crafting together the strongest bulletproof armors for hundreds of knights, and you still can’t do a perfect eyeliner wing.

Dipping, stroking, erasing on repeat for the past hour or so at the prince’s vanity but you can’t cry and rip your hair out because someone is on a stallion coming in from the east at a hundred miles an hour back home where he belongs.

Commander Knight Kai Kamal Huening is coming home, or Kai, for short.

Prince Taehyun, pink haired and silver-tongued, wearing that deep emerald green corset over his white flowy blouse and tight-fitting black leggings designed by none other than you, perched cross-legged on his cloud-soft silk-satin bed, blowing over his black-painted nails. “Y/n, stop.” How endearing of him, truly.

“Not until my eyes look like they can cut through fruits, dramatic and beautiful.”

Childhood best friends, the two of you were, which explains everything.

“Honey.” Taehyun said the word per syllable. “You already look dramatically beautiful without all that cakey face paint junk.” And that was the truth.

Your wing on your left eye had a higher arc than the one on the right, a slight tilt, a ten degree angle difference.

You can’t leave this room until you look like a model, there’s no way. Not after you pieced together an outfit just for this occasion.

You scrubbed that black ink right off. “Taehyun, I can’t unglue myself out of this vanity—”

“—my vanity—”

“—Until my look is complete. It’s a one time thing, okay? Kai’s coming home after like, what? A whole year? I have to look good for his ‘Welcome Back’ ceremony.”

Taehyun threw himself onto his bed completely, arms flailed, sighing, deep in thought.

Some part of Taehyun couldn’t believe this was real, then again, he feels hopeful. Having that burned hole in the trio filled again after all these years feels surreal, to say the least, but wasn’t that all he hoped for all those years ago? Kai’s quick and safe return? So that both you and him wouldn’t have to spend your days under the sun longing for his presence ever again?

You still had Taehyun, and Taehyun still had you. The prince had his seamstress, the seamstress had her prince… but perhaps the palace did feel a little less sunny, a little more spacious without the knight’s presence.

“I wonder if Kai had changed.” Taehyun stared blankly at the high ceiling of his elite bedroom, getting used to the view of an oil painted spring sky. “I wonder if he’d changed after his year-long quest of dragon slaying and all of that… God forbid they made him shave his head and grow a beard like all the other knights that my father have set on extreme voyages.”

You grimaced at the vivid imagination you had in your head, continuing on a more hopeful note, “I just hope he’s okay.”

“He can be bald and bearded up and still be okay.”

“I will actually rip the pink roots out of your hair.” Your left wing swooped the wrong way. Again. “Unless you have anything better to say, stop painting that picture in my mind.”

Taehyun chuckled and you hated how cute he has to look whenever his lips crease up into a smile like that. “Whatever you say love, whatever you say.” The prince can’t help but feel proud for raising his best friend to have a smart mouth, just like him. Perhaps not as sharp or quick-witted, but still an all rounder in sass. “Are you done, by the way? The entire kingdom is literally right outside the castle gates just… waiting… for us.”

“Waiting for Kai.” You corrected, reminding him that the main character of today is Kai Kamal Huening and not Prince Kang Taehyun. “I hope his ten thousand fangirls won’t trample over him and his pony once he arrives.”

“I doubt that'll happen, not when Kai will probably be trampling over you of all people.”

You closed off the half-full eyeliner container. “Taehyun, do my wings look decent?”

“More than decent.” He hopped out the bed onto his feet, walking to the door. “Now, come on, we've got a ceremony to attend to and a knight to meet.” He unlocked the wooden door to reveal a long hallway, as most castles do. “After you, Royal Seamstress.”

You curtsied, fanning your closed eye in the process. “You're very welcome, Prince Taehyun.”

Walking out of the prince’s room, your heels clicking on the marbled floor and down the set of stairs passing the prince’s bedroom and your design studio, the faintest cheer of a crowd from up ahead, your heart races just thinking about Kai’s return.

The last time he'll ever return.

Masterlist | Next

♡𓂃A/n: Taehyun being sassy. That's it. That's the author's note. (proofread this once and dipped but I hope everyone enjoyed this nonetheless! Taehyun may not be the love interest in this story but his sassy bestie energy is unmatched, solomons can't miss this.)

♡𓂃Tags: @imcringebutimfree @i-like-to-read-at-4am @pengningie @marloree

Reblog & review if you like my work !!

[idk-im-just-here-now]

Had a thought about writingthat applies in a lot of places, no matter if it's original characters or fanfic:

Do you want that redemption arc? That arc where they come back wrong? That arc where they slowly develop into a better or worse person? That arc where it seems like they come back wrong, but they actually came back better? LITERALLY ANY MAJOR GROWTH OR CHANGE FOR THE CHARACTER?

If that is what you want to write, and that is what you want for the character you have, you have to understand this one tiny little thing, especially if the experience for a character is traumatizing in some way (and let's be real, it probably is.)

If you want to remold the character you're working with in any major way, if you want them to develop them in some shape or form, you cannot be afraid to break them.

When I say break them, I don't mean just a small moment or a typical low point in stories. I don't mean just a little heartbreak over something or a painful injury that goes away after a while. I don't mean an epiphany that happens in the span of a second, and they suddenly become different people.

When I say break them, I mean find their limits, push them there, and then push them even further.

When I say break them, I mean scrape away something about themself that they value and bury it so far below the ground that no matter how hard they look, they will not find that piece ever again.

When I say break them, I mean hit them with an event so mentally and emotionally destructive that it has them curled up on the ground wailing. Leave them crying alone dirt, leave them sobbing their grief to the sky by themself.

Take away the thing about the character that's stopping them from changing. Hold it in front of them - maybe it's something they want, something they believed, a core part of their personality - and just as they reach for it...

Shred that thing into pieces before their eyes. Make it vanish so thoroughly that there will never be hope of returning to it or finding it again. If you're going that far, take whatever part of them is still intact at that point, impale them with your pen, and write in their blood.

Major personality changes, major character growth, does not always have to stem from trauma. It can be from a character having a realization about something one day and being motivated to change that way.

But if the changes are that drastic, if the events relating to it could be considered painful, and you want to write them struggling to become better and struggling to let go of the thing they lost? To give them that push through the trauma, to change in whatever way they need to?

Don't be afraid to hurt your characters.

Don't be afraid to hit harder, and hit where it hurts.

And if you need to, don't be afraid to shred them to pieces.

Destroy them if you have to.

But don't be afraid to do it.

[flameleads]

@galeleads asked: A tempest beyond any imagination. That's the best way to describe Aurora if she lost Roy so abruptly. She wouldn't be the same; a shell of her herself for months if not, years. He'd leave such a hole in her heart, and if he were killed by someone else, she wouldn't stop until they were in hell. Death Doesn't Discriminate | Currently accepting.

His footsteps were silent behind her when she walked into her apartment. As the door shut behind him, coal eyes watched as she haphazardly discarded her coat and boots. No one else was home, it seemed. Amelia likely had work, and Mar--where was she? Friends? Out on the town? Trespassing on private property again? That would be like her. The Hahns were always busy people with busy lives.

Speaking of which, it was close to dinner time, wasn't it? Again, he looked to her. Had she eaten yet? He didn't see takeout in her hands. Perhaps she had leftovers in the fridge, or she planned to cook? No, she didn't linger in the kitchen after she walked inside. Where was she going?

"Aurora, you need to eat," he told her, his footsteps silent again as he followed her once more. "Something. Did you even eat any lunch?" He couldn't recall. His memory wasn't what it used to be.

She did not walk back to the kitchen to acquiesce his plea, though. Instead, she led them both to her bedroom, the sheets cocooning around her as she climbed into bed. Frowning, he walked to the other side of the bed, past the chaise where his pajamas sat with a fine layer of dust, and he lied next to her. Her comforter didn't move an inch.

"I'll stay here with you," he murmured. Hesitantly, he reached a hand out to caress her hair. Yet, his fingers couldn't feel it, and not a strand moved out of place. Unlike before, calloused hands from too much fire could not feel the softness of her curls. She couldn't see him, nor could she hear him. On the empty half of her bed, cold and uninviting, his ghost lied next to her. unable to keep her warm.

"Lo lamento, mi cariño. Lo lamento mucho."

There weren't embers this time. There was no fuel. No heat. No oxygen.

The flame was gone.

[flicklikesstuff]

Can we see more of your RFTS AU? Does your Starboy have a name?

EEEEEEE!!!!! CONGRATS!! You’re my first ever ask! 🎖️💖

And I’d love to!

(I’m just so busy irl but I’m never abandoning this passion project of mine just so y’all know)

1.) I’m going to leave some details out for spoilers but here’s the gist!

Asha:

Design/Backstory:

- Asha has amber eyes with a North African purple and white colour scheme that contrasts Star’s.

- She just turned 18 a few months prior to the story.

- She grew up as a servant to the king and queen to owe up to Magnifico’s generous request to have her and her mom to stay at the castle’s spare rooms after a “fiery incident” took her house and father’s life away.

- Thus, she has a muscular build from all the experience she had running errands for them.

- Sabino is not her blood-related grandpa in this AU. He used to be the prev king’s and Magnifico’s royal advisor before retiring at an old age. He used to be close friends with Asha’s father. (I’m debating whether I should make Tomás the king’s prev assistant.) In a way, Asha still views Sabino as family.

RFTS! Asha’s design is basically inspired by my fav concept art of her <3

Personality:

(Asha’s main arc is that in order to ‘reach for the stars,’ she must first learn to trust in her capabilities and decisions. Because every single person has great potential that grows the more you have faith in yourself :)))

She develops from being an insecure servant girl to an admirable leader.)

- She’s TERRIBLE at organising her thoughts into words when she’s nervous. She finds it easier to sketch positive and negative things that she can’t say out loud into her sketchbook and vents there often.

- Asha is a daydreamer. (I plan on having her daydreaming sequences in 2D while when she snaps back to reality, the story goes back to 3D.). She likes imagining and drawing about her dreams and desires. It’s an escape from life and a stress-reliever

- She makes a bunch of promises to herself and others but often finds herself chickening out, afraid and unsure on how to take direction. (It’s a subversion of the brave princesses we had. Besides, I think we can all relate to this at some point, right?)

- At the same time, Asha beats herself up for still feeling afraid.

- She’s very observant with her surroundings. It’s why she manages to find something was off in the castle and catch on if people are hiding something

- Highly empathetic, allowing her to form deep bonds with people who struggle with verbal communication. She finds it easy to sympathise and is slow to anger and pointing fingers.

- She remembers limited sign language for being childhood friends with Dario, who is hard of hearing in this AU. But now, it’s been a while and is kinda rusty with it.

- Asha struggles in appreciating small things around her, believing that the prize at the end and achieving the wish is the thing most worth it. Initially believing it’s the only way people can be truly happy. If a wish isn’t granted, then what?

- Very creative, witty and quick on her feet.

- Tends to be indecisive due to the initial habit of being a people-pleaser, fears making a mistake, and due to having grown up where most decisions are already made for her (as a servant of the king and queen). She is insecure about her own capabilities.

- Can be playful at times and can take a joke/prank. (often with Valentino, who she adopted after his mother abandoned him from being born sick.)

……….

Star:

Design/Backstory:

- Tan skin colour with freckles across his face. Has wide hazel eyes. (Blue to brown, reminiscent of the sky)

- He’s 22 yrs old. Wishing stars don’t age physically but they still age mentally the same rate as humans.

- His hair looks like it’s made of stardust and it constantly has sparkles flying off it like sparks from a fire. The back of his hair is black like space. (I’ve show it already but it’s basically this:)

- His colour scheme is black and yellow in contrast to Asha’s. He wears a capelet and a cape that’s black on the outside and yellow sparkles under it. When he flies super fast, his cape looks like the tail of a shooting star.

- Light dims when upset and glows brightly whenever he’s happy. Sometimes, he glows red when he’s angry (Ref to Ray and Tinkerbell)

- Mute/Nonverbal. Communicates through sign language, light manipulation, animating sketches in Asha’s book, and drawing in air with stardust.

- He shapeshifts by rearranging the stardust that makes him up. This also means he could change his clothes very easily. In his numerous forms, the most notable thing is that there always has to be a star shape somewhere.

- He’s a young wishing star in the sky that was captured by King Magnifico to use his magic as a power source. He’s been kept locked up for nearly a decade until Asha freed him. However, on his wrists are green bands, similar to what the Genie in ‘Aladdin’ has. It’s the spell casted on him for extra measure to make him unable to return home or stray far from Rosas.

Personality:

(Due to being under Magnifico’s cruelty for a while, Star mistrusts humans and initially wonders constantly if they have ulterior motives. Srsly, the only thing he wants to do is go home to the sky and never go back down again.

But his arc over the story has him discovering how similar humans are to stars. How they shine a light and inspire one another to do great things. And most amazingly, with no magic! Over the story, Star reawakens his wonder of this beautiful world.)

- Wishing stars like him are the only creatures that have Wish magic. An unpredictable magic that not even the best astrologists and researchers know its limits. The way it works is that Star connects with a wish essence first, and then the passion and faith the person has with that wish determines the power and how long-lasting his help would be. It’s up to the wishing star then to decide their own unique method of granting that wish.

(It’s like training wheels. It would help guide you and then goes away once you get the hang of reaching your wish on your own.)

- A heart of gold who can’t resist saying no to a desperate face for long. While hesitant at first, he’ll slowly soften up. He’s actually a very sweet guy who loves making people happy under that defensive mask.

- Overly cautious and paranoid at first (like Rapunzel when she first got out the tower) but his wonder gets the better of him eventually.

- Greatly fears Magnifico to a high extent.

- Claustrophobic asf. The look he gave Asha when she proposed the idea for him to hide in her satchel while travelling through the kingdom was almost personal.

(It’s funny to think his initial dynamic with Asha is somewhat similar to Moana and Maui. Well…Not completely.

Basically, the only way for him to return home to the sky was return to the castle (which he JUST escaped-), find the artifact that casted the spell on him and break it, then he’s free. Though, Asha asked a favour that FIRST, he helps her find a way to free a few wishes first.

Honestly, this is frustratingly the best she could compromise with him because he’ll stubbornly refuse anything that involves direct confrontation with Mag. Asha secretly hopes she could change his mind on the way.

And because of that dread of going back anywhere near Magnifico again, Star would “accidentally” stall their journey there, which annoys Asha.)

- STUBBORN. Asha would tease him at times that he’s getting attached to Earth things and he’ll deny it because “Nooooooo~ I don’t. I am going straight back to the sky and that’s it.”

- Star would annoy or make fun of people harmlessly to express his frustrations with them. (He gets creative with his shape-shifting forms)

- Wish magic is unpredictable. So whenever he’s feeling highly emotional, like highly excited, scared, mad, or depressed, things happen out of his control. A rock turns into a giant orange pumpkin or a mushroom grows to 10x its original size.

- Impatient and gets distracted easily

- Star initially avoids touch at all times because of his mistrust in humans. He flinches at sudden advances. But progressively gets really affectionate as he learns to trust in certain people. That not all humans are selfish after all.

- Feels under-appreciated at times but doesn’t let it show. (A parallel to Magnifico who also feels under-appreciated. But instead of being vengeful, Star chooses to keep making others happy)

- Basically the entire embodiment of the therapist friend. (He keeps his issues to himself to avoid bothering others because “that’s not what stars dooo.”)

- He’s irritated that his inability to speak is misinterpreted as “stubbornness, uncooperativeness, and childishness.”

- This is AFTER he lets his defensive mask crumble down. Star finds appreciation and the beauty in the smallest and seemingly insignificant things, which he often brings to show Asha and his friends. (He’s the type to collect trinkets like Ariel.)

………….

Magnifico/Magnus:

Design/Backstory:

- Most of his design is summed up in this sheet I drew

- Magnifico is 38 yrs old

- His clothing is still white but with blue-ish patterns like the wishes he keeps stored away. Why is he storing those wishes? Let’s just say he and his wife have a big plan for Rosas’ 100th anniversary the coming month. ;)

- Mf has greying hair from all that stress

- I’m still keeping the backstory of him watching his village get destroyed as a young kid. Magnus was one of the few survivors who left the village alive on boat. They retreated to Rosas, where it held its reputation of being the most welcoming kingdom with each king being a grand sorcerer that serves his people. (So Rosas wasn’t built by Mag. It’s an already established kingdom)

- Being an orphan who had to turn to stealing to live, Magnus came across King Oliver, the prev king of Rosas. Feeling sorry for the boy, and having his wife and heir die from childbirth, he adopted him as Prince Magnifico. The name change representing a start to a new life.

- I want to make Mag’s backstory a subversion of the trope where the “MC rebels against their parent figure and is able to prove in the end that they are independent enough and their parent finally sees their POV and supports their child from then on.”

Growing up, King Oliver was admittedly not the best parent and was unintentionally dismissive in Mag’s trauma. “What’s past is past and sometimes it’s best to forget and move on.” Mag was enraged because he LOVED his original family and home and didn’t want to JUST forget.

- Mag fell in love with Amaya in the typical “Royalty x Commoner in the woods” fashion. But even then, King Oliver didn’t approve that. Not because Amaya’s a commoner, but because she’s a criminal who has intentionally broken Rosas’ magic safety restrictions for her alchemist experiments. This added more fuel to Mag’s hatred of him, of course. (Like damn, I wonder if Mag had anything to do with him passing away-)

- “After all, a king can do whatever he wants with his kingdom. Isn’t that right, father…? You did want me so desperately to be a good king…” (A quote that’s sort of a Scar ref?? Idk)

- Mag feels like he deserves the power due to his tragic past. He’s so sure that as king, he decides what everyone deserves. He feels like the world owes him for what happened.

And he will give the world and all those ungrateful brats, especially his dear adoptive father, what they deserve on Rosas’ 100th Anniversary. The day he shapes Rosas into the perfect land that he and Amaya were denied from. And after Rosas, the rest of the kingdoms will follow.

- He’s a vengeful spiky ball who thinks he deserves the credit for any problem he “solves.” Has Hero syndrome.

Personality:

- Psychopathic: Entitled, arrogant and impulsive

- Magnifico craves excitement and rewards. He smiles at the slightest compliment and gets a little bashful with flirts.

-He definitely runs his hands through his hair and plays with his cape as stress-relievers.

- Anger Issues. Yep.

- Superficially charming towards people as a manipulative tactic. Though it’s easier to break his facade compared to Amaya because of his temper.

- Remember when I said he’s almost similar to Lotso in Toy Story 3? I’m not giving too much details but do whatever with that knowledge.

- He genuinely believes and hates the Wishing Stars for ignoring his pleas as a child on the night he lost everything. It’s why he’s so harsh with Star himself.

………

Amaya:

In all honesty, I have not finished the queen’s redesign much. Oof- 😭

Here are some brainstorms I have with her though:

- Amaya is 37

- She aids Magnifico with spying and starting accidental tragedies.

- She’s usually in charge of the servants in the castle. Asha looks up to her since Amaya’s the nicest monarch to her and someone in the castle she feels safe around with. Like a second mother. With Mag, Asha feels like she’s walking on eggshells.

- Amaya secretly uses some animals and prisoners kept in the dungeons as subjects for her experiments.

- Being an alchemist (and more skilled in it than Mag), her magic is a substitute so that they can quickly save more wishes for their grand plan for Rosas’ 100th anniversary. (I forgot to mention that Mag uses the wishes to make his magic stronger.)

- She’s a strong parallel of Asha, presenting the dangers inflicted upon others when one gets too ambitious with their own goals that they are apathetic towards how it affects other people

- An independent woman who is very ambitious like Asha. However instead of keeping it to herself, Amaya goes beyond lengths to reach her goals. To become the most skilled alchemist, alongside her powerful husband, the world has ever known and prove it to those who doubted her. Like Asha, Amaya has her own notebook she keeps her notes in.

- Skilled at disguises and coming up with fake stories that are easy to believe in. (Ref to the Evil Queen, Jafar and multiple other Disney villains who utilise deception)

- Holds the calculating and intelligent skills in her power duo with Magnifico. Mag is more on delivery, force and image. (The Brains and the Brawn duo)

- Her family was against her interest in learning magic/alchemy. So Amaya heavily dislikes company that she perceives as holding her back from her full potential.

- Fled to Rosas for more opportunities. While magic isn’t forbidden at the time she arrived, there were safety restrictions such as certain spells and potions that aren’t allowed to be made and casted, which she loathed. (So she stole and found ways to gather ingredients for her experiments in the woods, prior to meeting Magnifico.)

- Probs just think of her as being as curious and innovative as Zarina from ‘The Pirate Fairy”, but you know, eviler.

…….

2.) Now for RFTS!Starboy’s name in this AU.

I’ve mentioned this in a previous post I had before but his name issssssss 🥁🥁🥁:

✨ Star ✨

No, I’m not kidding. That’s it.

Yes, Wishing Stars have names but not in a way humans understand. Their real names are in a language that is incomprehensible and ear-damaging levels of loud for humans to hear. While yes, they know English just fine, there’s not really an equivalent in the human alphabet for their real names.

Wishing Stars still love to listen to the names humans would give them from below though. Either individually or as a constellation. They love it! Ursa Major? Alpha Crucis? Awww.

Anyways-

Star hasn’t received a name growing up in the sky because he’s small and easy to miss. When they first met, Asha was not in a creative state of mind at the time and meant to put “Star” as a placeholder name for now.

However, the magical boy got attached to the name and stubbornly refuses to hear any other attempt at giving him another one. It’s so simple but it’s HIS name now. He claims it. I find it cute that a supernatural being with literal outer space as his home, appreciates the smallest things given to him. So “Star” it became….

Though, Asha did introduce Star as “Peter” (Pan) to certain people to hide his identity. Because ‘Star’ is too obvious, you know?

And then Star jokingly pretends to not know who this ‘Peter’ is whenever she refers to him as such. Asha would just roll her eyes and stifle a chuckle.

Friendly reminder that some details may change as I develop the RFTS!AU more. Hope ya’ll like it so far!! 💖

[definetelynotavampire]

Oooh sorry if you've already shared them but I'd love to hear some Nikolai headcannons you have!

My Nikolai theories/ headcanons

I have been waiting for someone to ask me about this :D

(also spoilers for Gogol's "The Overcoat")

1. Born with an Overcoat

In his speech about true freedom he goes on about wanting to „fly like a bird“ and to „not be bound by gravity“. I know he also meant this in a mental/ emotion-bases sense but it got me thinking... is he stupid? His ability is tailor cut for this? By all means, he should be able to fly.

His ability can manipulate space and by extension also gravity (to some extend), thats basic physics. He even uses this to save Sigma when he fell off the sky casino – Nikolai reduced the gravitational force on Sigma by manipulating space.

This got me thinking - Couldn’t he technically fly if he adjusted his portals, so that one is on the ground and the other is in the sky/ under his feet?

Well, why hasn’t he done this? - Because his ability is limited by his Overcoat.

Which is strange, why is his ability affected by something external? Is he lying? Is this a mental thing? Can it be any Overcoat or just his cape? If it’s really a necessary part of his ability, then either it’s not his own and someone else made this restriction for him or his Overcoat is part of him - he was born with an Overcoat . Personally, I think it’s both.

At this point I decided to look up the source material, and by that I mean I read the wikipedia article about „The Overcoat“...

The main character Akaky is described as „being born in undress uniform“ and that basically, since the day he was born, his future was already decided. This obviously plays into bsd’s Nikolai's arc of freedom/ not following a predictaple path. But still it’s a funny simile.

Like I said, my theory is that he was both given the ability and that he was born with it. This seems like an obvious contadiction unless you say Nikolai is, like Sigma, a product of the book.

In conclusion i think that the Overcoat/ his ability is both his freedom and also the very thing he has to ‚overcome‘ in a sense.

2. Nikolai is self aware

This is kinda like a continuation from the first theory. I think it would make so much sense for his character, that he knows he has a set role in the story, especially when you look at his desire for true freedom. Maybe I just like the tragic irony, that no matter what, he can never get to that point.

Anyways, if we assume he’s self aware, his actions and idea of sanity is much more interesting. What would you do if you know your actions and emotions are pre-written? I have no idea, but whatever Nikolai has going on seems like a pretty valid reaction to me.

Also what does the conversation with Fyodor mean then? Is the book a God symbol? Why does Fyodor know? Is he older than the book? Is he affected by it?

2.1 This is a bit silly and I’ve talked about this before. Nikolai teleports his right eye to observe everything like a movie. Where he himself is, again a character. This fits well within the theme of his depersonalisation.

3. His Freedom in the context of „The Overcoat“

The obvious comparison is, of cause, „Nikolais obsession and desire for freedom“ and Akakys’ obsession with the Overcoat that he wants. Further than that i have honestly no idea. Akakys irony is that, after he gets the overcoat, it is taken from him immediately and he dies but I’m not sure how that could translate. What i mean by that is, i don’t want it to because i want Nikolai to get a good ending. Which would probably mean an ending that he chooses for himself. Okay thats basically also not very good… well shit... ._ .

4. The silly headcanons

4.1 Nikolai has no idea what an overcoat is, that’s why he wears a cape and calls it his Overcoat

4.2 Nikolai and Ranpo are brothers, i have no reason for this besides it’s funny and i like them both.

4.3 Nikolai does not know how to use public transport because he always teleports everywhere

4.4 He has a disney princess hair care routine (for obvious reasons)

4.5 He has very normal hobbies

5. The "Is it really silly tho?" headcanon (yes it is)

5.1 „We all came out from Gogol’s Overcoat“ - a quote by someone, idk by who

Nikolai is, or will be the author of the book. Idk how or when, but at one point he makes a decision about abilities or ability useres and it affects everyone. Maybe that could be his moment of freedom, because it would be a paradox if that decision wasn’t truely made by him. And then it’s something like he burns the book so abilities and everyone created from the book is gone. I can see that happen.

okay these are just the things i could think of rn, there are probably more ._ .

[cowboyhorsegirl]

Not My First Rodeo (An 1872 SteveTony Fic Reclist🤠💫)

This reclist is a fill for the @stevetonygames bingo square "Consequence" and the Resolutions Challenge for Team Future :)

a slow ticking wilderness by @starvels (2.4k, M)

Three weeks ago, Tony burned his hands in his forge. Since then, he's been unable to use them, useless and listless. Relying on the kindness of strangers ain't exactly his expertise. Luckily, Sheriff Steve Rogers has good hands and a heart hale enough to keep offering bits of help and hope to Tony, no matter that he ain't all that good at accepting them.

RATING: Five out of five heart-happy cowboys, 🤠🤠🤠🤠🤠

What if I told you this was literally the first (The First!!!) 1872 fic I ever read, which may have been a mistake on my part because it simply set the bar too high, devastatingly high, stratospherically high! This fic feels like wrapping yourself up in a warm blanket fresh out of the dryer while you sit by a beautiful, roaring fire and drink a delicious cup of spiced hot cocoa. Please fulfill all your wildest h/c dreams and desires in the embrace of this lovely window into established relationship 1872 stevetony.

To Break the Bridle by @deervsheadlights (25k, M)

If anyone had told Tony a year ago that he would be herding cattle up on some god-forsaken mountain, in deep winter and out of his own free will, he would've laughed in their face. Were they to show him the blond and blue-eyed reason for his sudden lapse of judgement, however, he might've just understood.

RATING: Two cowboys who are frequently secretly very fond of each other + a new appreciation for the pavlovian potential of duck fat, 🤠🤠🦆

Everyone gather round and say thank you deervsheadlights!! Thank you deer for writing the 1872 Brokeback Mountain AU that we have all been begging for since the moment 1872 comics hit the shelves! This fic was another early 1872 find for me and I simply cannot recommend it enough: the slow burn, the hurt comfort, the romance-this fic does it all masterfully.

but come ye back by @s-hylor (1.2k, T)

When the night is cold and the sky is open, Tony goes to talk to the past Sheriff of Timely.

RATING: one broken cowpoke's heart, but the hurt is tempered by the knowledge that the love perseveres on, 💔

If you have yet to heal from the hurt of 1872 Issue 2, then this is the fic for you. This fic is the best deconstruction of emotion following the Sheriff's death that I have read yet, savage in both it's sadness and it catharsis, and I cannot recommend this highly enough.

A Handsome Stranger Called Death by @isozyme & @sheshopelesse (3.5k, M)

Steve Rogers was an optimist, and he had no sense for the limits of one man with a six-shooter and a strong will, but he was canny enough to know that he wasn’t getting any good done as pig food.

RATING: 10/10 shakes of a rattler's tail 🐍🐍🐍🐍🐍🐍🐍🐍🐍🐍

Close your eyes and imagine a story that combines Western gothic and desert mysticism and monsterfucking and domestic bliss and now open your eyes bc that fic exists and you're looking at it! The prose is gorgeous, the mythology is arresting, and the characterization is stunning. Plus! This fic comes complete with its own podfic, ready for your joint reading & listening pleasures.

Somebody's Darling by @laireshi (12.9k, T)

Steve wasn't always a sheriff, and Tony didn't always spend his days halfway down a bottle. They met long before Timely.

RATING: the best 1872 rom-com of all time, if rom-com was short for Romantic-Commentary on the Inherent Despondency of War

This fic!!!!!! Is wonderful and delivers a years-long sweeping arc of a wartime romance before dropping you off at the front door of 1872 canon. It's such a heartfelt exploration of love blooming amidst the chaos and tragedy of war, of the way two people keep getting drawn back to each other again and again, of second chances and third chances and fourth, all culminating in a freedom both precarious and precious to be found in the West.

The Strangers You Call Friends by Mireille (1.4k, T)

Stark frustrates Sheriff Rogers, but that doesn't mean he wants to see the man drink himself to death. Timely needs a blacksmith, after all.

RATING: two out of two prettiest blue eyes this side of the Mississippi, at least according to the cowboy locked in the Sheriff's cell for tonight 👀

An incredible pre-canon character study from the POV of Timely's favorite Sheriff. I feel as though this fic is so true to canon characterization and setting that it could honestly constitute the first page of an 1872 novelization. You really sink into Steve's mindset and his perspective on not just Tony's perennial drunkenness, but on his duties to the town as a whole.

Say My Name by citsiurtlanu (2.6k, G)

Steve reminds Tony that there's more to him than the war his weapons were used in.

RATING: a whole cowtown who has been irrevocably changed for the better by the love of two men, 🤠💞🫡🤠💞🫡🤠💞🫡🤠💞🫡

A beautiful canon-compliant fic that pulls at the thread of romance hidden in the rough, vibrant fabric of 1872. There's so much tenderness in this story, it aches in the best way :')

Paradise Blue in 1872 by @cowboyhorsegirl (oh hey that's me!) (500w, T)

Steve imagines this is what it feels like to commit blasphemy, looking at Tony Stark.

RATING: Sheriff Rogers' extremely Catholic-coded erection 🤨🤨

It's about!! the wretched devotion of love, the purgatory of the West, the discovery of a new God in the listless eyes of the saloon's resident patron! A bite-sized character & relationship study that slots itself very neatly within the first 5 pages of 1872 Issue 1 that I hope you read & enjoy :)

whistling dixie by @starvels (1.4k, M)

“Well,” Steve says, voice rough. He takes in another of those sharp breaths and when he exhales, Tony feels it like the forge, billowing heat out into his chest. “Mayhap you best keep that dry, Stark.” He sounds like molten metal, like the best slather of butter over a butt of bread, sounds fair peckish for something more than trail gruel and he’s looking at Tony like Tony’s the place he’s gonna get it. Yes, Tony thinks. It is. Take it. Take me.

RATING: one cowboy (me) who is so, so hungry for stew now 🤠🍲

A masterclass in the 'Food as a Metaphor for Love' ao3 tag, I recommend to all who are hungry for a bit of domestic Western romance or a hearty desert stew. At least one of these appetites will be satisfied by the end of the story, I guarantee!

Blacksmith's Hands by @everybodyilovedies (3.3k, E)

Based in Marvel's 1872 Western Universe, where Tony is a blacksmith and Steve is the town Sheriff. Blacksmith Tony hears Sheriff Steve's birth date is coming up, and decides to give him the present he deserves.

RATING: the number one best birthday present Sheriff Rogers has ever received 🤠🎁

The sweetest, tenderest and yet slightly rough around the edges 1872 PWP you will ever see. I adore Steve and Tony's banter in this fic, the dialogue at the beginning feels like it could have been ripped right out of the comic book panels. And!! There is simply nothing more delightful than the simple intimacy of going from "Stark" and "Sheriff" to "Tony" and "Steve" <3

Unseen, Unheard by @oluka (1k, M)

Tony and Steve have a furtive encounter. Tony wishes they could have more.

RATING: a Sheriff rougher to ride and wilder to tame than a stallion🐎

I could scream forever!!! about the parallels in this story between Tony's alcoholism and his addiction to Steve! The tug-of-war push and pull of their facsimile of a relationship, the hurt that Steve's internal shame over wanting a man inflicts on both him and Tony, the habitual way that Tony debases himself to play up the drunken act and protect him and Steve from any prying eyes. This fic does a truly masterful job of imagining what intimate encounters between Steve and Tony may have looked like within the real confines of the American West.

Going Blacksmithing by @bladeofthenebula27 (1.5k, T)

Blacksmithing only brings in so much money in a small town like Timely, so Tony has to make a little extra money through less respectable means. The Sheriff doesn't approve.

RATING: the prettiest cowpoke you ever did see 🥰🤠

Genderfuck!Tony with a side of possessive Steve all in the year of 1872, what more could one possibly want? There's absolutely nothing more that I love across the multiverse than SteveTony getting to explore their femininity, and this fic brings that dynamic to 1872 absolutely perfectly! :D

BONUS!!!

1872 Meta/Propaganda by @ghosthan

RATING: one out of one new, lifelong 1872 fan (me! 🤠)

An INCREDIBLE primer on the 1872-niverse, including panel screenshots as well as comparisons to 616 characterizations and backstories! I can personally say that this 1872 propaganda is extremely effective (after all, it convinced me to read!!), and gives you juuuust enough information on 1872 to acquaint you with the setting, the characters, and the dynamics at play without simply spoiling the series. In my opinion, this is a highly underrated resource for anyone interested in trying 1872 out, but unsure what to expect.

[silver-stake-through-the-heart]

Tag Masterlist

It's to help me find posts quickly so it's likely to not make sense for anyone else 😁

(It looks like there's a limit of links you can use in one post. Oooops.)

💚 Dean 💚

head empty just dean

dean's eyes • freckles • jewelry • outfits • soul •

dean + books • cooking • dance • food • hugs • pie • tv •

dean + pop culture • star trek • star wars

dean's room • baby

-

psychic!dean • angelic perception • angelic association • the bible

dean as humanity • dean + free will • dean + saving people

dean studies • dean + emotions • grief • guilt • loneliness • memory issues • self-awareness • sleep • vulnerability •

trauma • dean as bait • objectified dean • sex work • sexual assault • the cbgb story

young dean • parentification • < here's to crappy childhoods> • dean's 17th birthday • john winchester's journal • john winchester's a+ parenting

< boo hoo sorry your feelings were hurt princess > • < you couldn't put me out of my misery? >

dean's hell trauma • dean's hell trauma // moc-demon arc • < i can't be that thing again > • < to call it desire or love… it's not that > • alastair crowley parallels • alastair crowley amara

💙 Castiel 💙

cas + food • hobbies • tv • words

cas being badass • bitchy • dramatic • impatient • lone-wolfing

castiel trueform • art • castiel's wings

cas and the angels • cas and his ??? wives

cas vs sam • the soulless!sam scandal

cas vs raphael • vs archangels • vs doors

castiel cain parallels • cas as the angel's angel • cas + ruthlessness

cas studies • cas + avoidance • brainwashing • grief • penance • usefulness

💟 Emma 💟

all emma posts

texts • caps • gifs • dean and emma • original posts

dean emma parallels • cas emma parallels

art • edits • scenario • saving emma scenario • cas and emma

Destiel

bestfriendsnatural • dean and cas talk • offscreen destiel

cas and the bug • otherwordly castiel • dean and cas trueform

dean's crush for cas • < he's a weird dorky little guy > • dw thee cas apologist •

single minded angel •

rip personal space •

Destiel parallels

couples in other media

other couples

the caincolette parallel • the caincolette parallel (cas version)

Destiel text post (mostly)

destiel + romance tropes

destiel + bickering • birthday • dating • domesticity • enochian • faith • fake dating • healing • home • kissing • longing • marriage • music • possession • retirement • sleep • staring • touch • tv • words

destiel + miscommunication • cas + missing the hints

flustered cas • flustered dean • r rated destiel

codependent destiel • jealous cas • jealous dean

chivalrous castiel • macho man cas •

Exterior POV about Destiel

destiel vs sam • (sam's here too) • thirdwheeling •

heaven and hell know • < don't lose it over one man >

SPN

color saturation • filming choices • musics • references

back-to-back episodes • back-to-back scenes

color symbolism •

bees meta • car meta • nature symbolism •

heart meta • lamp meta • sunshine symbolism

Angels

angelkind and humanity • angels + emotions • angel trueform

soul and grace • sky and stars

Parallels

spn 7x03 // spn 15x07 •

Fandom things

canon vs fanon • different from fanon popular belief • misconceptions about dean • double standard • the weird world of deancrits

[tarithenurse]

Inhuman

Fandom: MCU Pairing: Loki x fem!reader, Stucky, more (some canon, some not). Word count: 1359. Contents: The bait is set. A/N: Any questions are welcome. Please comment and like and reblog. Let me know if you want a tag.

Chapter 63

... Loki’s PoV ...

Loki knows that [Y/N] has hardly closed her eyes this night, she has been far too preoccupied with the fate of her friends and allies. Despite the many attempts at distracting the young woman, her heart and mind has been far adrift, and it is a relief when the hour is nigh. Both inside the Chitauri vessel, Loki has had to conceal himself, and as the options are limited, he is now standing in the small compartment that functions as a latrine. Even in Nidavellir would the facilities be better. At least he had a chance to hide the parcel somewhere else.

The muffled sounds of [Y/N] and Thanos reach him, too faint to hear the meaning of the words, and Loki prays to everything he can think of that she will be successful in her charade. A deep, mechanical growl followed by shaking and rumbling from deep within the belly of the machinery startles him. By Bor and Buri! The room tips, forcing him to brace against the walls of the cramped place before the distinct feeling of acceleration slides him sideways. Out in the cockpit, the woman is cheering briefly, before presumably closing the communications channel.

“You can come out now!”

Pushing out from the hiding spot, Loki feels like half the outer layer of the wall is sticking to his hands and clothes. On the other side of the cockpit’s window, the cloud-layer already gives way to a startling bright blue sky that curves softly as a reminder that this planet is a globe unlike Asgard. Old Asgard. As opposed to his brother, the once-a-prince has no illusions that they must find their own faith. Asgard cannot be rebuild in the shadow of an existing power. No, they will have to leave Midgard and find a home they truly can call their own.

“Wow…look at that…”

[Y/N]’s eyes are fixed at darkness ahead and above is growing, revealing it’s treasure trove of stars and planets. A few golden and silver flecks has turned her eyes into something beyond the world she comes from as she stares at the infinity.

Nudging her gently to her feet, Loki takes the place behind the controls. “Allow me.”

He maneuvers the small ship in a wide lazy arc, allowing them to see everything in a circle, before plotting in the course in the navigation system and the automated pilot takes over. Looking up at [Y/N], he recognizes her awe.

“You like what you see?”

She nods, still enchanted by the vastness of space. “It’s…beautiful.”

“It begs to be explored, does it not?”

The woman’s facial expression speaks volumes. Shaking her head, she suddenly pins him with a sharp look. “Why aren’t we weightless?”

“Artificial gravity,” he shrugs, “most ships have them nowadays.”

“Huh.” Something playful flutters across her face. “Can it be turned off?”

Not the course of dialogue I had anticipated. “Probably…but why would you?”

“Always wanted to know what it’s like to fly.”

… Reader’s PoV ...

Surprisingly, Loki had complied and turned off the gravity. Somewhere behind them, the Earth is drifting away, but you are drifting weightlessly around while the stars surround you and for a moment, just a short moment, things don’t feel so bad. Even the Asgardian seems to be enjoying himself as he floats elegantly as if dancing to unheard music.

Tugging your arms close, you send yourself into a pirouette across the cockpit, landing you head down at the dashboard, fingers gripping the back of the chair above you. Or beneath? Everything is relative. Curling up, your toes find a solid surface to push off of and once more you travel the expanse from one end to the other, this time in stomach-fluttering backwards somersaults, the braid tugging at your skull as it’s caught up in the centrifugal force.

Oh, this is too fast.

Limbs flailing wide, you try to slow down even as you brace for impact with the steely wall. An uncompromising arm around your waist stops you short, still upside down in midair resulting in a view of Loki’s pelvis. Instinctively, you grab hold to stabilize yourself and avoid a collision. Palms cradling the jaunty hipbones and fingers stretching towards his backside and you are overly aware that the man responds to the touch. Not again. Pushing off, you are able to get to the wall and right yourself.

“Sorry ‘bout that.”

“There is nothing to forgive…”

Some of the initial enjoyment has gone, been replaced by a lot of unspoken somethings and no weightlessness can chase that away. This is going to be a looooong trip.

… …

Below the spacecraft lies a dusty moon, its rocks and jagged mountains a shimmering grey. There are no signs of life on the barren surface, and you feel a bubbling nervousness grip your lungs. What if something went wrong on their way here? Next to you, Loki is dialing instruments and pressing buttons before flipping the little silvery switch above.

“The heroes have arrived.” The tip of his index finger is pressing down hard on the coms button.

A second that feels like an hour passes after he lets go, giving them time to study the thin silvery shell of the atmosphere.

“And what are we then? The back-up dancers?” Tony drawls.

“If only,” the Asgardian mutters softly to you before pushing the button again. “Ready to proceed?”

His question is answered with a loud pop hailing the arrival of Kurt, the mellow teleporting mutant. He nods quietly at you while waiting for Loki to reset the coms before flashing him out of there, leaving you behind.

Feeling more alone than ever, you seat yourself in front of the illuminated dash and you have to take several breaths before your hand is steady enough to flip the switch and press the button down.

“Lord Thanos?” Please, don’t hear the shaking in my voice.

A soft buzz tickles the airwaves before the deep voice of the titan rumbles out of hidden speakers. “I hear you, traitor of the Avengers.” The image on the screen flickers with static disturbance.

Hesitating for a moment to determine if there is a hidden accusation, you respond warily. “It’s what they deserve. I’m far from Earth now. As far as I can tell it should be possible to meet on the surface.”

“And you have come alone?”

“No one followed me, I’m sure of it.” Technically that’s not a lie.

“Coordinates, now.” He is used to getting want he wants without even asking.

“Tell me how to land this machine first.” It’s a bold demand, but necessary if you want to be able to lure him to the surface.

It turns out to be just as simple to land the spacecraft as it had been to take flight. Guiding it close to the surface and slowing down makes a button flash brightly, when it’s pushed, the automated landing system takes over and settles the metallic contraption gently on the dusty ground.

Next problem is relaying the chain of symbols that indicate the position, but with a controlled pattern formation across her forearm, even that problem is solved.

“I will be with you shortly.”

… Loki’s PoV ...

The various Midgardians and the ragtag band of alleged Guardians have been busy and Loki is almost impressed with the result. Without the use of magic, they have managed to establish a barrier shielding anyone beneath from view and the registration by any sensors. It is of no use as a ward against attacks, however the main purpose is to prevent detection until Thanos has landed.

A high pitch droning signals the landing of the spy vessel in the distance, and the solitary figure of [Y/N] emerges. Standing tall, it’s impossible to tell her state of mind. Her friends are already moving to greet her where she stands, but as sharp warning from the furry maniacal Rocket stops them dead. From out of nowhere, a massive necrocraft has materialized, lowing itself onto a ridge in the horizon, yet still dwarfing anything else…including the lone woman.

All they can do now is wait for her signal.

[drippingmoon]

Aquiver, Aglow: Beta Call Post

After being one of the biggest parts of my life for some years now, I'm very very happy to announce 'quiv is ready for its beta stage. I'm gonna echo my previous post: writing this story has been a soothing experience for me, and I'd love for this to apply to everyone. Never heard of 'quiv? No problem, new eyes are often wise. Old acquaintance? No pressure on you. Take a cup of steaming tea, or maybe not since it's summer, lean back and just tell me whatever crosses your mind. Believe me, it will help me enormously. And the stress is all with me, not you. So while I'm asking for help, I truly wish whoever gives me a hand to have a pleasant experience🥰

Sign-up period: till July? I might be more flexible, depending on the applicants, and there won't be any selection (a maximum of 7 people), which means you can start on the day you sign up

Deadline: October (SOFT deadline, since ideally I want to do another round of line edits then proofreading in November), with the possibility of extending until December (and don't sweat it if you need more)

Long story short: a human child restores faith to an angel, who in turn restores faith to Heaven.

Long story long: There's a place beneath Heaven where, in a shoddy little cottage, a mother and her child live. They are to wait for her promised day, when angels shall descend and devour their souls. For faith has been broken. Memories of kindness and warmth remain mere whispers, cracked under two centuries of prayers answered with bloodied chapels and trails of corpses, and callous wings plucking souls out of their once faithfuls' chests.

Tyrone knows his Mother is just waiting for the day the angels will come. She wishes to sacrifice herself to see her child out of the Promised Lands, so she fills his childhood with horrible stories meant to make him afraid and get him used to the inevitable. She succeeds. Tyrone is afraid, but of everything. Most of all, of the loneliness that keeps him company, and disperses only at night. Because, under the stars, he sees an angel on the rims of Heaven, taking care of her field of clouds, a mirror to how he toils over his wheatfield. That’s when he first feels they are the same. So when she falls one day, he asks not that she spare him, but that she stay.    And, slowly, the nights turn so very warm.

It’s been two centuries since the angels knew where they wished to go. They live suspended in time, caught between memory and hatred. Anne, their Angel of Lies, has only ever cared for Heaven. For them, she’d draw their anger onto herself, if only they acknowledged they were still hung up on humanity. She’s tired. She’s old. Even the stars have closed their path off to the angels, and she doesn’t know what to do. So when she is met with sincerity for the first time in centuries, she wonders if she’s found a way. If nothing else, anger would reanimate Heaven, and for a little while stop the angels’ slow fall towards death. She listens to a child’s quiet wish, and agrees.    Curiosity, she calls it.

They begin by using each other. With time, this no longer holds true, and they learn something. It was a thin line between that and caring about one another. And warmth, as it were, comes with sorrows shared.

GENRE: character-driven dark fantasy with humans, angels and stars interspersed with peaceful moments

WORD COUNT: 195k (standalone)

STATUS: sixth draft

WARNINGS: violence, gore, suicidal thoughts, abusive relationships, terminal illness

What I'm looking for

Content criticism, as in character arcs, plot development, your fav and least fav parts, and mainly if you think there are too many feathers in the story

The sky's your limit actually. Every thought counts 🙌

Typically you can ignore typos, but if any of them really pisses you off, feel free to shout at me

Same with line edits. The style is meant to be experimental at times, but not at the cost of intelligibility. So if I went overboard somewhere, please do shout but otherwise it's due a line edit

You get

Return betas! No time limit; and of course no word count limit

To save Private Jan (my penname lol) because there's no way I can afford editing prices, so we're pulling off an Atlas here no matter how many drafts I'll have to go through

Hopefully a great time?

You can just contact me in the DMs, but I'll put up a Google Forms as well for whoever would prefer that. Also, you can request a sample (the first/first few chapters) to see if it's your thing.

And that's it! Hope to see volunteers, and thanks so much for your interest! Have a lovely day🥰