#believe it or not: writing something that's about 50 words of one voice speaking is much easier

[bookshelf-in-progress]

Honors From the King: A Short Story

The sword felt strange in Mia's hand. It fit perfectly in her grasp, but it still seemed impossible that it was hers. A few days ago it had made her into a hero, but in the confusion of the battle, she barely remembered making the lucky blow that felled the giant who had terrorized the Southern Forest for ten years.

Now she, an ordinary eleven-year-old from Iowa, was the hero of a fantastical realm, waiting to receive honors from the king himself.

Elbera bustled around Mia in the antechamber-turned-dressing room of the village hall. The elf woman—barely taller than Mia—had served almost as a mother to her since the strange wind had left her in the elfin village. "Now, my dear, as you're being honored for valor in battle, it's right for you to carry the sword, but you must never put the point toward the king. If you're nervous about it, you'd best sheathe it."

Mia sheathed the sword before Elbera finished the sentence.

Elbera continued, "Since you've slain a well-known terror, it's customary for the king to offer a boon. If he offers up to half his kingdom, don't take it—it's only a polite phrase. Best to ask for something useful—perhaps a sum of gold to rebuild the bridge outside the village."

From what Mia had heard of the king, he'd do that anyway. No, if Mia was to get a boon, she would ask for only one thing.

She wanted to go home.

For nine long months, she'd been stuck in Athelor. The cheerful, dainty elves had been kind to her—sheltering, feeding and teaching her without complaint—but they weren't her family. Her parents had to be frantic about her. And her six siblings—what had they done when that strange summer wind took her away from them? An entire school year would be gone by now. If she stayed away much longer, she'd be so far behind, and it would be harder and harder to fit back into ordinary life.

The elves had been unable to provide any suggestions about how to get back home; they only told Mia to wait for the wind. But the elves had sung praises of King Edonniel's library, spoke with awe of his scholarly works about Athelor's history. If anyone knew how to get her home, the king would.

The door to the chamber opened, and a palace guard escorted Mia into sunlit wooden expanse of the main hall.

At the room's far end, the king stood among his guard. Though over fifty, he was tall and fit, with a reddish-gold beard and a noble bearing, resplendent in royal armor. He was like the good king in every fairy tale Mia had ever read, like her father, and she forgot to be afraid of him. The king was a great man—warrior, poet, scholar, diplomat—but Mia knew in an instant that he was kind enough to help a lost girl.

The assembled crowd—all the elves and talking beasts from the village—cheered as Mia approached the king. Mia tried to ignore them, instead focusing on the king’s kind face.

The king stared at her. He stood frozen for several moments, then stepped toward her. “Mia?”

Mia stumbled to a stop. "Yes?" This seemed an informal greeting from a great king.

In a blink, Mia found herself in the king's arms, crushed in a warm embrace.

"I can't believe it." The king's deep voice sounded right next to her ear. "I thought I'd never see any of you again, not here."

Mia tried to push him away. King or not, this was too weird to put up with. "Any of who? What are you doing?"

The king pulled away and looked into her face, drinking her in. "I'm sorry. Of course you don't know me. Mia, I’m Danny. Your brother."

*

In the privacy of Elbera’s good parlor, Mia sat alone with the king. Her brother. Her ten-year-old brother. Who she never in a million years would have connected with the great scholar, warrior, and king the elves, in their musical accents, called Edonniel.

She couldn’t doubt that he was Danny. He remembered their parents, their farm, all their family, even the dinosaur village she and he had created two summers ago. With only a year and a day between their ages, they had often been mistaken for twins, but Mia had always reveled in her superior age. Until now.

Danny seemed so dignified; he made Elbera’s soft chair look like a throne. His eyes had wrinkles around them. His red-gold beard hung down to his chest. He sat so steady, so still, gazing at her like she was his long-lost child—instead of the sister whose hair he pulled when she beat him at Mario Kart.

As Mia sat across from him on Elbera's other chair, the only thing she could think to say was, “You’re older than me.”

The king guffawed. “I’m older than Dad. But you—you don’t look a day older than when I last saw you. How long have you been here?”

“Nine months.”

“It’s been forty-eight years for me.”

Mia’s head spun at the idea. “How?”

“The wind that carried us into a different world carried us into different times. I landed on the shores of the Beryl Sea forty-eight years ago. Ever since I became king, I’ve made a study of Athelorian history, trying to find the rest of us.”

“Us?” Mia had been with her siblings when the wind had taken her, but she’d assumed they were back home in Iowa. “How many of us are in Athelor?”

“All of us,” Danny said with surprise. “Didn’t you know?”

Mia shook her head. “I couldn’t see much.”

“And when you landed here alone, you had no reason to guess that we weren’t all safely at home,” he said, understanding.

“Is anyone else here?” Mia asked, half-hoping another brother or sister would pop out from behind the furniture.

“I crossed paths with Thomas not long after I arrived, but you’re the only one I’ve met in person since. Everyone else, I’ve had to track down in history and legend.”

“You met Thomas?”

“He landed among the trolls of the northern mountains,” Danny explained. “Became a master smith—the greatest in Athelorian history. He forged that sword you carry. I have no idea how it got into the elves’ hands; I’ll bet there’s a story there.”

Danny never could stick to the point of a story. “Where is he?” Mia asked in frustration.

“He was a very old man when I met him,” Danny said. “A hundred and twenty-seven, by some counts. Some say his life was extended by working with the stones from the heart of the world.”

Was? Her little brother had been only six years old when she’d last seen him. He couldn’t be—

Mia sank back into her chair, stricken.

Danny, caught up in his story, didn’t seem to notice. “Jane lived among the centaurs and elves of the Skyveil Plains seven-hundred years ago. Became a legendary warrior and explorer, defender of the weak. Beloved by all the beasts. First to step foot on the Daybreak Isles and meet the talking mice.”

Seven-hundred years?

“Now Ben,” Danny said with a laugh, “has popped up all through history. Rarely seen for more than a day or two, but he always has some dramatic effect. Some scholars speculate he’s extraordinarily long-lived, but my theory is that time is playing with him in a different way than the rest of us.”

He said it all so calmly!

“Nora?” Mia dared to ask about their oldest sister.

Danny’s gaze turned dreamy, his voice hushed and reverent. “The legendary Queen Eleanor, present at the waking of the world.”

Danny was talking about Nora—bossy Nora!—like he was in awe of her.

Her sister—all her siblings—had become legends. They weren’t waiting for her at home. They were long dead, had been dead ever since she’d arrived, which meant they were gone forever, and there was no way home—

Mia burst into tears.

Danny reacted about like how she’d have expected him to react. He sprang up from his seat and hovered awkwardly over her chair. “Mia? What’s wrong?”

Through tears, despair, and frustration, Mia blubbered something that included the words, “They’re all dead!”

“Dead?” Danny asked. “Who said they were dead?”

Mia wiped her tears on her sleeve and glared up at him. “You did! You said Thomas was ancient, and Jane lived seven-hundred years ago, and Nora’s as old as the entire world!”

“That doesn’t mean they’re dead.”

“I’m not stupid! No one can live that long, not even here!”

Danny crouched down next to her chair. He placed both hands on her shoulders and looked straight into her eyes. “Mia, look at me. I’m telling you: they’re not dead.”

Before his fatherly gaze—even with the beard, he looked a lot like Dad—Mia’s sobs became mere sniffles. “Then where are they?”

“They’re home. Safe. I promise. The same wind that brought us here brought them back home after their adventures were over.”

Just like the elves had said. But when Mia had thought she’d have to wait to go home, she’d thought it would be a few years at most, not—

“You said Thomas was more than a hundred years old.”

Danny said, “I’ve done a lot of reading about people like us. We’re not the only people who’ve come here from Earth—or gone home. The stories all say the same thing. No matter how long we spend here, the wind takes us back home to a time only minutes after we left, and we’ll be just the same age we were then. Reunited from across history, as young we ever were. A foretaste of heaven.”

His voice had gone dreamy again. The elves had said he was a poet.

Mia dried her face and sat up straight. “We’ll all be together? At our normal ages? Like we never left?”

“Exactly.”

“You and me and Thomas and Ben and Nora and—“ Mia realized something. “You never said where Claire was.”

“She’s the only one I haven’t found in history yet. That means her story’s probably still in the future. Maybe we’ll run into her someday.”

That did sound exciting, but Mia didn’t like the idea of waiting decades like Daniel had.

“How long do you think it will be? Before we go home?”

Danny stood and walked toward his chair. “I can’t say. Whenever the wind blow lately, I get the strangest feeling that I won’t be here long—maybe five years.”

Five years—half her life—not long?

“For you,” Danny continued as he sat down, “I can’t say. But I have a feeling that your adventures are just beginning.”

“I don’t want more adventures,” Mia said, as another tear dripped. “I want to go home.”

“I know,” Danny said, his voice husky with sympathy. “The first year is the hardest, and you’re so young.”

The idea of Danny—Danny!—treating her like a little kid! “I’m older than you!” Looking into his very-much-not-a-kid face, she amended, “Well, I should be.”

“You will be again, one day. But until then...“ Danny leaned forward, his hands on his knees, and suddenly sounded more like an American kid than he had all day. “This sounds so weird, but if you like, I can adopt you. You can live in the palace under my protection, and I can show you everything about Athelor. Maybe name you my heir if you like the whole royalty thing.”

He was planning a whole life for her. Plotting out a future. Here. Even without the weirdness of Danny acting like her dad, it was too much.

Danny noticed her hesitation. “You don’t have to, if you don’t want to. I know we’re all called here for different purposes, and I don’t want to keep you from your intended mission.”

“I thought the giant was my mission.” Mia had constructed such a tidy tale—and now it was unraveling. “I came here, I slayed the giant. The story should be over. I should get to go home.”

“It will always be waiting for you. Until then, you have Athelor.”

“Athelor isn’t home!”

“It can be,” Danny said. “It’s been a good home to me. It can be a better one, now that you’re here.”

Mia suddenly realized how old her little brother was. How long he’d been waiting, searching for his family through books. And now she was here, after all this time.

Maybe that was her mission. To help this great king while he was here caring for the people of Athelor.

“I guess I can try,” Mia said. Even if she had to stay a long time—well, Danny had managed to do some amazing things, and she couldn’t let her little brother outshine her. “When we do get back home, I don’t want you to have a better story than me.”

Danny grinned—and for just a second, he looked a little like the kid she remembered. “Mia,” he said, “I think you’re going to be fit for legend.”

[differentpostrebel]

Lost and Found: A Pirates Promise

Chapter 50: Not Enough

This part when he finds out about pudding and the truth makes me so sad, like I just want to hold him.

A/N:  And we are back at it again with another chapter! This is the most gut wrenching chapter I have written by far, as temptation and weakness occurred. This will quite literally shape the whole dynamic, remember that pudding is 21 for this fanfiction. And when I tell you shit is hitting fans as we speak! we got a bunch of POVs, Sanji, Y/N, Nami, and Ichiji. Thank you guys so much for following, reading, commenting, liking and reblogging this fic! I love writing it so i'm glad you guys are enjoying it too! Now without further ado let the adventure begin! 

Sanji x Reader, One Piece X Reader, Sanji X Y/N

Nami POV… 

“Let me go! You bastard!” Luffy gritted his teeth, struggling against the bindings that kept him trapped. The frustration in his voice was palpable. “Hey, warty head! Let me out! I gotta go save Y/N and wait for Sanji!” He kept biting at the bars of the cell, his desperation only fueling my own.

“Oh, fancy seeing you here! What’s the occasion, Pudding?” said one of the guards, sneering as he looked at her.

“Pudding?” I repeated, my heart racing. “Good, now get us out of here! He’s making me mad!”  urged Luffy, glancing at me, who was still trying to shake free.

“Could you open the book? I need to say something to Luffy and Nami before the wedding,” she said, making her way inside.

“Pudding…” I began, but her sad demeanor halted my words.

“This has gone all wrong,” she said, her voice tinged with sorrow.

“Hey, what gives? We went to the coast just like you said! And in turn, Y/N got taken!” Luffy’s frustration boiled over.

“Shhh, Luffy,” I hushed him, trying to keep the situation under control. “Pudding, just tell us what’s going on.”

“My brothers and sisters… they’ve done terrible things to you,” she continued, her tone heavy with regret. “I’m sorry… I’m sorry I couldn’t make it to the coast like I promised…”

“We don’t blame you; just pick your head up,” I said, though doubts crept into my mind. Y/N always thought something was off about Pudding. She wasn't even mean, was she?

“There’s something I need to tell you… the truth is… I met with Sanji, and he proposed to me…” Her confession hit us like a thunderclap, leaving us all in shock.

“He made me so happy…” Pudding continued, but her smile looked forced, as if she were trying to convince herself. “But still, I know Sanji said that to be nice to me, and I’m not the only one he truly wants… he wants that prin—”

She hesitated, her expression shifting. “He wants Y/N,” she finished, her smile still plastered on her face, but there was something unsettling about it.

“That’s odd,” I thought, glancing at Luffy, who looked just as confused.

“But you don’t have to worry. I’m not going to marry him… listen… I plan… to kill Sanji and Y/N…” Her words sliced through the air, and I felt my heart drop. Tears brimmed my eyes as the weight of her revelation sank in.

“What…” I whispered, disbelief coursing through me.

“So Y/N was right about you…” I murmured again, my voice barely audible.

“Pudding, wait!” Luffy shouted, trying to make sense of it all, but it was too late.

“Well, goodbye,” she said coldly, turning on her heel and walking away from the cell, leaving us in a cloud of confusion and dread.

Ichiji POV…

"I can't believe you, idiot!" I growled, glaring at Yonji, who had once again disrupted my evening with Y/N. The frustration was palpable as we made our way to our room on the 6th floor. "This is like the third time you've interrupted!" I said, still fuming.

Yonji just laughed it off. "Relax, besides, after the wedding, you'll have plenty of time to enjoy yourselves," he said with a smirk. "Now comes the important matter—your bachelor party." He raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying his role as the instigator.

"Has anyone seen Reiju?" Yonji asked, glancing around.

"No clue," I muttered, still annoyed. "Guess she had something to take care of."

"Black tea or green tea! Choose, please!" sang the animated teapots, bustling about.

"I'd rather have some booze, really," said Niji, sitting down in one of the chairs, causing the teas to freeze in shock.

"But like if you had to choose..." they asked hesitantly.

"Black," Niji answered, and the black tea cheered. 

"Anyway, here's the real question: Where are Sanji and his nutty wife going to live after their wedding?" Yonji asked, mischief twinkling in his eyes. "And on top of that, where are you and your wife going to live, Ichiji?"

"Sanji and Pudding will live in Germa, of course. And as for me and Y/N, we'll also live in Germa," I said confidently, knowing my place in the family’s grand scheme.

"Good. That'll give me plenty of time for payback when it comes to Sanji," Yonji said, laughing as if already plotting his revenge.

"Sanji's wife is collateral," Father added, stepping into the conversation. "We'll keep her as a hostage, just in case our demands aren't met. After all, we are dealing with pirates."

"Ichiji's wife-to-be is also a pirate, Dad," Niji chimed in, leaning back with an amused grin.

"She's... a different element," Father replied, his tone more measured. "She's far too valuable to us."

"Nice, you're really on top of things," Yonji said, smirking as he exchanged a glance with Niji.

"What if Big Mom wants to keep Sanji as her hostage?" Niji asked, throwing the question out casually.

"What the hell are you saying, Niji? Sanji is useless as a hostage. Even if Big Mom were to take him, no one would give a damn," I said firmly, annoyed at the thought.

Yonji burst into laughter. "It’s going to be fun… having our little brother around," he said, grinning from ear to ear.

Niji smirked, leaning forward. "Speaking of which, Ichiji, are you going to finally claim your wife-to-be?"

I shot Niji a sharp glare, but this time, a smirk played on my lips. The challenge was there, lingering between us, but I wasn't about to let anyone push me into anything, especially not when it came to Y/N. The thought of her kept my mind sharp and my control intact. I was about to retort when there was a knock at the door.

"That's probably Ichiji's fiancée," Yonji teased, his smirk widening. "'Don’t keep her waiting,' remember?" he added.

I straightened up, casting a sideways glance at him. "Maybe it is her," I said coolly, though my pulse quickened. "We were rudely interrupted, after all."

I opened the door, expecting Y/N—perhaps ready to finish what we started—but instead, a group of women stood there. Their faces were painted with flirtatious smiles, and one of them purred, "We're the barmaids, here for the bachelor party."

"Yonji!" I growled, realizing his plan. He clearly had this all set up.

Yonji grinned widely, leaning back in his chair. "Relax, Ichiji. Let loose for once. Besides, have some fun." He waved the women inside, and they wasted no time entering the room, their voices giggling as they settled in.

"You know I don’t have time for this," I muttered, glancing at Niji and our father, who were already eyeing the drinks being poured by the barmaids. The room filled with laughter and the clink of glasses as the drinks began to flow. Soon another set of barmaids walked in. 

"Loosen up," Niji chimed in, swirling his glass. "It’s a bachelor party, not a funeral. Y/N will still be there after this."

I sat down reluctantly, my mind still on Y/N. The drinks came around, and despite my initial irritation, I took one. I wasn’t about to let them think I couldn’t handle myself, but I also had no intention of fully indulging.

"Besides," Yonji continued, smirking as a barmaid flirted with him, "you might as well enjoy this while you can. After the wedding, things will change, won’t they, Ichiji?"

I raised an eyebrow, taking a sip of my drink. "I’m more than capable of handling whatever comes after the wedding," I said, my tone calm but laced with warning. "Including her."

"That’s the spirit!" Niji laughed, raising his glass in a mock toast.

The night carried on, filled with laughter and teasing, but through it all, my thoughts never strayed far from Y/N. No matter how many drinks they pushed my way or how many barmaids tried to capture my attention, my mind kept circling back to her. The night may have been for celebrating, but I knew my real focus lay elsewhere.

As Yonji, Niji, and even Father indulged more, I maintained my distance, never allowing myself to be fully caught up in the revelry. I watched, calculated, and waited. The drinks may have flowed, but my control remained unshaken. This was just another part of the game, and I always played to win.

Soon enough, I’d make my way back to her. And when I did, it would be on my terms.

Y/N POV… 

The silence of my room felt unnerving. As I stared up at the ceiling, the storm outside seemed to mirror the turbulence in my chest. I was about to hit the shower when a knock echoed through the quiet. "That’s probably Reiju," I muttered to myself, heading toward the door. But as I opened it, there was no one there.

"Strange..." I murmured, closing the door and locking it, trying to shake off the unease crawling up my spine. The storm outside crackled with lightning, the flashes illuminating the room briefly, casting long, eerie shadows. "Damn storm," I whispered, feeling the unsettling weight of being alone pressing in on me. As I started to remove my dress, another knock came.

This time, irritation boiled in my chest. "I swear if this is a prank..." I thought, frustration evident in my steps as I opened the door again. Still, no one was there. I glanced to my left, then to my right, noticing Sanji’s room door slightly ajar.

Sanji… He had been avoiding me since that night, the night we were intimate. I thought back to the moments we shared, moments that felt raw and real. But he had vanished afterward, leaving me wondering what went wrong. My heart sank with the weight of those unanswered questions.

I made my way toward his room, each step heavy with dread and a stubborn flicker of hope that maybe—just maybe—I’d find solace, reassurance. But as I pushed the door open and stepped inside, my heart plummeted.

There, under the soft glow of the dim light, was Sanji. But he wasn’t alone. Pudding was there, entangled with him, her arms wrapped around his neck, her lips pressed against his in a way that shattered everything I held dear. My world tilted, and every ounce of trust and warmth I had for him crumbled.

Her voice, soft and breathy, broke the silence as she moaned his name, “Sanji…” Her tone was filled with a smugness that felt like a dagger to my heart. 

My breath caught, my entire body numb with the mix of emotions tearing through me—rage, betrayal, heartbreak—all crashing over me like a violent storm. My legs trembled, threatening to give way beneath me, but I forced myself to stand firm, even as my heart bled. I backed away, my foot catching on something, and the quiet sound echoed in the stillness of the room.

Pudding’s eyes flicked toward me, and to my horror, a smug smile crept onto her lips, as if she’d been waiting for this moment, relishing in my devastation. But Sanji… His face was a mask of horror, his eyes wide and stricken as they locked onto mine, pleading in a way that made my anger burn even hotter.

“Y/N… it’s… it’s not what it looks like,” he stammered, his voice shaking as he scrambled up, fumbling to button his black slacks, his hands unsteady as though he were desperate to undo this nightmare. His mouth opened and closed, at a loss for words that might somehow salvage what was already broken.

My hand moved instinctively to the blade on my thigh, my fingers gripping the hilt tightly as my heart twisted with a fury so intense it hurt. The blade responded, glowing faintly with a green hue—just like when Sabo and I last spoke back in Dressrosa. It was as if the weapon knew my pain, shared in it, amplified the strength I needed to stand my ground.

Sanji took a step toward me, his face wracked with anguish, his hand reaching out. “Princess…” he whispered, his tone soft, broken, as if he could mend me with that single word.

But the sound of it only made the hurt sharper, cutting into me like glass. I slapped him before I even registered the movement, my palm connecting with his cheek in a burst of pent-up pain and fury.

“Don’t call me that!” I spat, my voice razor-sharp, laced with venom.

Sanji staggered, his face a mix of shock and shame, his eyes wide as he held a hand to his cheek where my slap had landed. His mouth opened, his voice faltering. “Y/N, please… let me explain. It’s not… I—”

I didn’t want to hear his excuses. The ache in my chest had become a burning pit of anger. “I hope it was worth it, Sanji. I trusted you. I loved you,” I choked out, each word searing with betrayal. “But clearly, I was never enough. Was I?”

“No, it’s not like that!” His voice was desperate, pleading, but I was past caring. His explanations, his apologies—they meant nothing now.I stormed out of his room, my hands trembling as I made my way back to mine. But Sanji was right behind me, hot on my trail, refusing to let me walk away.

Just as I was about to close my door, he barged in, locking it behind him. "Get out!" I yelled, not wanting to be near him.

"Not until you hear me out!" he pleaded, his voice a mixture of desperation and frustration.

"Fine, then I'll leave," I spat, turning toward the balcony. The rain was pouring heavily now, the storm at its peak. I stepped outside, feeling the cold rain drench me immediately, but it was nothing compared to the storm raging inside me.

"Y/N, what are you doing?" Sanji called after me, his voice cracking with panic.

But I didn’t respond. My left hand clenched tightly, my body vibrating with energy and fury, and without thinking, I leaped into the air, landing firmly on the soaked ground below. The rain fell in sheets, quickly soaking me to the bone, but I didn’t care. I turned back, my chest heaving with hurt and anger, the cold rain mixing with the hot tears that had finally spilled over.

"Y/N!" Sanji’s voice echoed as he leaped down after me, his figure drenched in the downpour.

I turned and ran, not knowing where, but knowing I needed to get away. Away from him, away from the pain. Away from everything.

As I ran, my heart raced with a mix of emotions. The cold rain slapped against my skin, but it couldn’t wash away the betrayal I felt. Just as I rounded a corner, I felt a hand grip my arm, yanking me back with force. I stumbled, turning to find Sanji’s intense gaze locked onto mine.

“Y/N!” he gasped, breathless. “Please, just listen to me.”

I pulled my arm away, my heart pounding in my chest. “What more could you possibly say, Sanji?” I snapped, my voice trembling with the weight of my hurt. “You just... you just betrayed me!”

“I know,” he replied, his voice a mix of desperation and pain. “It was a moment of weakness. I didn’t mean for it to happen. Please, I’m begging you… just forgive me.”

“Forgive you?” I scoffed, anger flaring inside me like a wildfire. “After what I saw? You think I can just forget about it?”

The rain continued to pour around us, lightning flashing above, casting a fleeting purple hue across his face. I could see the devastation etched into his features, a broken man standing before me, vulnerable and remorseful. The sight was painful, almost enough to soften my heart, but I couldn’t let it.

“And on top of that,” I began, my voice breaking slightly, “you left me alone that night… after we were intimate.” I swallowed hard, my mind piecing together the puzzle. “Oh god, you were with her that night too, weren’t you? You left me, and you never came back. So everything you told me… everything we had, was a lie…” I whispered, the realization hitting me harder than I expected. “Zoro was right…” The words slipped from my mouth, barely audible, but Sanji caught wind of it immediately.

“Zoro?” he repeated, his tone shifting, but I could see the hurt in his eyes at hearing that name. The tension between them had always been palpable, but now, in the midst of this storm, it felt like another wedge driven between us.

“I just need time,” I admitted, feeling exhaustion weighing heavily on my shoulders. “I just want to be alone.”

Sanji shook his head, his expression resolute, even amidst the chaos of the storm. “I’m not leaving you,” he stated firmly, stepping closer until the space between us was almost nonexistent.

“Sanji, I—”

“You can hit me, yell at me, scream at me,” he interrupted, his voice raw, “but I will not lose you. I made a mistake, and if I could take it back, hell, I would.”

His words struck a chord within me, a mixture of sorrow and anger swirling in my chest. I could feel my resolve beginning to waver, the rage battling against the flicker of hope that maybe, just maybe, he truly understood the gravity of what he’d done.

“Do you even realize how much you’ve hurt me?” I shot back, my voice thick with emotion. “You don’t just get to ask for forgiveness like that!”

“I know,” he said softly, his eyes searching mine. “And I’m prepared to face the consequences. Just… give me a chance. I’ll do anything to make it right.”

My heart raced as I searched his gaze, searching for a hint of insincerity but finding none. I could see the sincerity in his eyes, the pain he felt mirrored in my own.

As the rain continued to drench us, I took a shaky breath, forcing myself to remain steady amidst the storm of emotions. “I can’t just forgive you, Sanji. Not right now. I need time to process this.”

He nodded, accepting my words, but there was a flicker of hope in his expression. “I’ll wait. I’ll give you all the time you need. Just… please don’t shut me out completely.”

I looked away, the weight of his words heavy on my heart. “I can’t make any promises right now. I just feel so lost.”

“I’ll be here, Y/N,” he said softly, pulling me in closer, wrapping his arms around me in a protective embrace. The warmth of his body contrasted with the cold rain pouring down, but I felt torn—safe in his arms yet utterly betrayed.

As we stood together, wrapped in a storm of our own making, I felt a flicker of hope amid the devastation. Maybe in time, we could find our way back to each other. But for now, I needed space to breathe and heal, and he seemed willing to let me find my own path, even if it meant stepping back from what we had.

The rain continued to pour around us, washing away the remnants of that night, but I knew the scars would linger.

“Let’s head back; we wouldn’t want to catch a cold,” Sanji said, trying to lighten the mood with a soft smile, but it didn’t quite reach my heart.

I nodded, preparing to leap back to my room and create some distance between us. However, before I could take off, Sanji grabbed my wrist and, in an instant, used his Sky Walk ability to carry us back to my room. The sensation was familiar, yet this time, it felt heavy with unspoken words.

As we landed, he quickly closed the balcony window, shutting out the storm and the chaos from outside. I turned away, my heart still racing—not from the thrill of his ability, but from the turmoil inside me. The cold water from the rain had seeped through my clothes, and now the chill in my room wrapped around me like a heavy blanket, amplifying my discomfort.

Sanji handed me a towel, and I took it with trembling hands, drying off as best I could. “Sanji, I would like for you to give me space for tonight...” I said, my voice barely above a whisper as I felt the weight of my emotions crashing down.

“Y/N…” he started, but I cut him off.

“Please…” I murmured, my eyes pleading for him to understand.

He hesitated, the conflict evident in his expression. Finally, he nodded, but there was a sorrowful look in his eyes that made my heart ache. Then, he leaned in and kissed my forehead, a gentle gesture filled with warmth. It would have been enough to soften my resolve in any other moment, but right now, it only deepened the emptiness I felt inside.

“Goodnight,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion.

As he stepped back, I felt an overwhelming wave of longing wash over me. My heart yearned for the affection he had always shown, but the betrayal still stung like a fresh wound. I watched as he lingered at the door, his back turned to me, almost as if he wanted to say more but was holding back.

“Sanji…” I started, but the words caught in my throat. What was there to say? I felt so lost, teetering on the edge of forgiveness and fury.

He finally walked out, closing the door gently behind him, leaving me alone with my thoughts. The silence in the room was deafening, and the weight of my heartache settled in the pit of my stomach. I wrapped the towel around myself, feeling the damp fabric cling to my skin.

As I stood there, staring at the closed door, I realized how much I wanted to forgive him, how desperately I wanted to go back to the way things were before. But trust, once broken, was not so easily mended. I sank onto the edge of my bed, feeling utterly empty and exhausted, both physically and emotionally.

After a moment of quiet reflection, I changed out of my wet clothes into a fitted vest crop top and a khaki skirt. The cool fabric felt like a relief against my damp skin, yet it couldn’t fully shake off the chill of what had just happened.

"Maybe I can talk to Reiju about all this," I thought, a small flicker of hope igniting in my chest. Although I didn’t know her for long, I felt a sense that I could trust her. She did buy me time to find where Luffy and Nami were, and I found my blade, too.

With that thought in mind, I got up from my bed and began to search for Reiju in each hall of the mansion. As I walked, the echo of my footsteps reverberated through the empty corridors, heightening my sense of unease. Suddenly, I spotted a familiar figure with pink hair, walking with a slight limp, almost as if she was injured.

“Re…” I started to call out, but I quickly hid behind a corner as I noticed Pudding approaching her, a sly smile on her face. My heart raced as I watched the scene unfold, tension tightening my chest. Pudding took Reiju’s arm and guided her toward her room, her expression dripping with an unsettling mixture of concern and mischief.

Something’s off around here... and I’m going to find out what, I thought, determination surging through me. I carefully peeked around the corner, eyeing which room Pudding was leading Reiju into. It was crucial that I made my next move count.

Sanji POV.. 

I have no words to describe what I just did, let alone the enormity of my actions. It all happened so fast. One minute, Pudding was in my room, and the next, we were tangled in each other’s arms, sharing a moment of pure intimacy. Sure, she is going to be my soon-to-be wife, but still... I fell into a moment of pure weakness.

To make matters worse, Y/N walked in on us. I’ll never forget the look of pain and hurt I caused her. It wasn’t like the time I told her she meant nothing to me when Ichiji took her. No, this was pure and utter heartbreak. It was as if her whole being shattered in an instant.

How can I live with myself knowing I committed this?

Now, here I am, alone in my room, staring at the walls that suddenly feel like they’re closing in on me. Pudding must have left, frightened by the idea of someone walking in on us—especially Y/N. What was I thinking? I should go find Pudding and at least offer her an apology too, I thought, pacing back and forth, my third cigarette hanging between my fingers.

Maybe I can cook her a meal too... But no amount of anything could ease the pain and unworthiness of what I had done, how I had shattered Y/N.

My princess...

Suddenly, a knock on the door broke through my thoughts. My heart raced. Could it be Y/N? Maybe she had some time to think and came to say she forgives me? I opened the door, my breath hitching in anticipation, only to be met by a chess piece soldier.

"I have some news," he said, stepping into the room.

My heart sank as he continued, "Strawhat and the cat burglar have been caught, and the Jaguar and Soul King have been causing chaos."

Shock washed over me. This can't be happening. Big Mom gave me her word to let them go if the wedding goes smoothly. How could it be falling apart already?

The soldier's expression hardened, and he added, "Also, some of the soldiers and guards have been electrocuted, and the ties lead up to your crewmate, Princess Y/N."

The mention of her name caused my heart to flicker, a painful reminder of the chaos that surrounded us. But I stayed quiet, my thoughts racing with dread.

"That's enough..." I muttered, slamming the door in the soldier's face. I couldn't let this news shake me any further. Y/N needed me, whether she knew it or not.

I turned to the kitchen, my sanctuary, and tried to focus. Cooking always helps me think. I quickly gathered the ingredients, my hands moving instinctively. I had to make something special for Pudding—something that would show her I still cared, despite everything that had happened. But deep down, my thoughts were consumed with Y/N and the danger she might be in.

As I chopped vegetables and seasoned the meat, my mind drifted back to the sight of Y/N standing in my doorway, the heartbreak etched on her face. How could I have let it come to this? Each slice of the knife felt like a reminder of my betrayal, the weight of it heavy on my shoulders.

Nami POV…

"Luffy, stop! You can't keep this up!" I shouted, desperation creeping into my voice. My heart raced as I watched him struggle against the restraints, his determination unwavering despite the dire situation we found ourselves in.

"We'll sit here and suffer until Big Mom does what she wants with us! I refuse to die like that!" Luffy retorted, his eyes blazing with defiance. I knew that fire in him; it was the same spirit that drove him to fight against the odds time and time again. But this was different.

"I don't want to see you tear your own hands off!" I yelled, tears streaming down my face. The thought of him hurting himself—of losing him—was unbearable.

"Then let me do this my way! I refuse to die!" Luffy insisted, his voice filled with anger and frustration.

"No!!" I cried, my heart breaking as I pleaded for a miracle. I couldn't stand to watch him put himself in danger like this, especially after everything we had been through. The weight of our predicament pressed down on me, the walls of our confinement closing in.

Sanji POV… 

I looked at the bento box I created in shock. "Shoot, I carried away and made way too much," I muttered, taking in the colorful array of dishes I had prepared. "I don’t think Pudding’s appetite is this big… oh well, if she can’t finish it, maybe I can help." I began to place the wine, tangerines, and chocolate in the basket, imagining how the conversation would go. This meal was my chance to apologize, to make things right between us.

With the basket in hand, I walked out and made my way toward Pudding's room. As I approached the door, I could feel my heart race, anxiety mixing with hope.

"And just what do you want, lover boy?" came the sarcastic voice of the chocolate door.

"I came to see Pudding," I said, trying to sound casual despite the tension.

"Permission denied," she shot back.

"Please… you let me in earlier?" I asked, confusion creeping into my tone.

"No means no. Lady Pudding would like her privacy." The door sounded stubborn, and I felt my patience wearing thin.

Feeling defeated, I turned around and leaned against the wall, pulling out a cigarette to calm my nerves. "Wait a minute… I think there’s a balcony outside her room…" I thought, a flicker of determination igniting within me.

With the rain falling gently around me, I made my way toward Pudding’s window, hoping for a glimpse inside. I could hear her laughter float through the air, a sound that momentarily eased my anxiety. "Good, she must be in a good mood then," I mused.

But then something startled me. "Reiju? What’s she doing here…?" I muttered as I continued to look through the window into Pudding’s room.

Pudding’s voice rose, filled with frustration. "You cannot honestly believe I would marry that lowlife pirate?! You must be out of your freaking mind!" Her third eye peeked out, revealing the truth beneath her confident facade.

I felt my heart sink at her words. It was as if each syllable sliced through me, revealing her true intentions. I leaned in closer, listening intently.

Y/N POV… 

I couldn’t believe this asshole. Peeking once more at Pudding’s door, I spotted Sanji bringing her a basket of food. “So he brings her food, while I get left with a heartbreak!” The jealousy and frustration bubbled within me, but I shook my head, forcing myself to refocus. “No time to be mad now.”

I slowly peeked again, and to my surprise, Sanji walked in a different direction. “Great, now it’s my turn.” I thought, feeling the determination surge through me. Grabbing my blade, I noticed a new color begin to form—Violet. “Hmm, this is new.” It pulsed with energy as I emerged from my hiding spot, heading straight for the chocolate door.

“What do you want?” the door asked, its voice dripping with sarcasm.

With a swift slash, I sliced through the chocolate, removing the homie’s face. “Now, to listen behind the door,” I muttered to myself. “Don’t worry, Reiju…”

I leaned closer, hearing Pudding’s voice through the door. “You cannot honestly believe I would marry that lowlife pirate?!”

“She was talking about Sanji,” I thought, a surge of protective rage coursing through me. “Not a chance in hell!” she continued. 

“I’m one of Mama’s favorites, you know, because of my acting,” Pudding continued, her voice filled with arrogance.

“I knew this bitch was hiding something.” Rage ignited within me, but alongside it was a twisted sense of satisfaction. “I was right.”

“It was almost too easy tricking those Straw Hats! All except for one, that is... that bitch Y/N,” she said, laughter dripping from her words.

I chuckled lowly, “Just wait until I get my hands on you. It’s one thing to mess with me, but with my crew!”

“And Germa 66 is supposed to be an evil army! Keep living in your fantasy world! Mama only wants two things from you: your clone soldiers and your vast scientific technology,” Pudding said, her voice oozing condescension.

“Damn, so even they fell for the trap too, huh?”

“Do you always listen to Mommy, Pudding?” Reiju shot back defiantly.

I smirked at her bravery. “That is exactly why we don’t need you. You took the bait just like Mama planned. At the wedding tomorrow, the entire Vinsmoke family, which includes that princess,” she spat, “will be eliminated.”

“She’s planning to kill all of us?!” My heart raced. “I knew this bitch was evil.”

“I can’t wait to kill Y/N,” Pudding laughed, pulling out a gun. The shot rang out, narrowly missing me. “This gun is designed to hit the toughest armor and shields. Your technology, along with the princess’s weapons, are no match for it.”

“I heard what she did back at the library, and I also heard of her little ‘accident.’”

“I knew she was behind all that!” I muttered, fury boiling within me. It was time to make my entrance and save Reiju.

I placed my blade back in its thigh halter, clenching my left hand as I felt the violet flames course through me. Swinging my left arm back, I punched the door, shattering it into pieces.

“My, what a lovely party you’ve got here, Pudding. Looks to me it’s missing its star player,” I said with a smirk.

I noticed Reiju’s injury as she looked at me, and I felt a surge of protectiveness. “Don’t worry, sister-in-law; this fight has been a long time coming.”

“Princess Y/N, my, my, you really are as dumb as you look,” Pudding sneered, her eyes glinting with malice.

“Reckless maybe, but never dumb. God bless my crewmates, as they saw some good in you, but as for me, well, call it a woman’s intuition,” I shot back, my resolve hardening.

“You must be still hurt after finding out what Sanji and I have been doing. And let me just say, he loved every second of it,” Pudding laughed, her words laced with cruelty. 

I clenched my fists, both electricity and flames flickering around me, crackling with raw energy. "Are we going to talk or are we going to fight?" I growled, my eyes narrowing as I braced myself.

Raiban, the carpet, was first to attack, lunging straight at me. Without a second thought, I grabbed it mid-air and shocked it, sending powerful volts coursing through its fabric. Raiban crumpled to the floor. “Who’s next?” I challenged, glaring at Pudding.

Without hesitation, she lunged at me, and we crashed to the ground, grappling fiercely. Both of us fought with everything we had, but I managed to land a solid headbutt to her skull, rendering her semi-conscious. She slumped to the floor, and I stood up, catching my breath. My eyes quickly darted to Reiju.

“Reiju, don’t worry,” I reassured her as I rushed over, noticing her wound. “Once we get out of here, we’ll get that treated.”

Reiju blinked, her expression filled with confusion. “Why would you…?” she asked weakly.

I smiled at her, trying to lighten the mood despite the situation. “You covered for me when I needed it. You even helped me. It's the least I can do.”

I carefully lifted her, preparing to make our escape. But as I turned to head toward the window, a sharp, searing pain shot through my side. I winced and let out a pained yell, my body instinctively dropping Reiju.

“Y/N! What’s wrong?” Reiju’s voice was filled with concern as she looked at me.

I clutched my side, blood seeping through my fingers. “Damn… bitch got me,” I muttered through gritted teeth, my vision blurring slightly.

Pudding stood now, her face twisted in a cruel smile as she cocked her gun. “You’re not going anywhere,” she sneered, walking over to me. “I could kill you now, but that would ruin Mama’s plan. So, it’ll have to wait until tomorrow.” She pressed her heel into my wound, twisting it, sending waves of pain crashing through me.

“Agh!” I screamed, still clutching my side as I struggled to keep from collapsing.

“Raiban, grab her,” Pudding ordered, and the carpet quickly complied, wrapping itself around me and lifting me onto a chair. Reiju was tied up once again, helpless.

I fought against the binds, desperate to break free. Pudding’s voice cut through the room, dripping with mockery. “Why do you want to save them? Why do you care about the failure, Sanji?” She laughed, her words stinging.

“It’s almost pathetic.”

I met her gaze, unflinching despite the agony coursing through me. “You don’t get it, Pudding,” I spat, rage boiling inside me. “Sanji may be a lot of things. Sure, he’s said hurtful things, and sure, he’s done things that have caused me heartache and pain…” My voice wavered for a moment, but I held firm.

“But I won’t let the bad things he’s done to me affect what I feel. And I won’t stand by while you continue to hurt him.” I glared at her, my voice rising with conviction. “I said it before: I’d rather die than let anyone hurt the people I love and my crew!”

Pudding’s laughter faded slightly as I continued, my voice unwavering. “Sanji isn’t a failure. He’s the kindest person there is. That’s what makes him so special. And even after everything he’s done, I… I still love him, and I still care about him!” A single tear escaped, rolling down my cheek. “No matter how many times you try to hurt me or kill me, I won’t hold a grudge against him. I smiled through the pain, feeling the truth of my words settle in.

Pudding’s face twisted in fury. “What do you know?!” she yelled, her eyes wide with rage.

I smirked, despite everything. “Because, Pudding, that man happens to be my fiancé.”

Her eyes widened in disbelief. My words seemed to pierce through her cruelty, momentarily throwing her off. But the moment of shock faded as quickly as it came. “Sad and pathetic,” she muttered bitterly.

Suddenly, I felt her hands on my head, and everything went dark.

Sanji POV… 

As I continued to listen to Pudding’s true intentions and her cruel words about me, it felt like I was punched in the face. “I really hurt Y/N... my love, my princess... for someone like Pudding,” I thought, my heart sinking deeper with every word. “But... she seemed so nice…” I murmured under the falling rain, my emotions swirling like a storm inside of me.

My mind raced with regret, replaying every moment I had hurt Y/N, pushed her away, all for the sake of this lie... for a woman who had nothing but malice in her heart.

Suddenly, a loud crash broke through the sound of the pouring rain, snapping me back to reality. I peeked out from the shadows, my breath catching in my throat as I saw her—Y/N.

She stepped into the room with a confidence that made my heart skip a beat. “My, what a lovely party you’ve got here, Pudding,” Y/N smirked, her voice laced with sarcasm. “Looks to me like it’s missing its star player.”

I couldn’t help but swoon, my eyes glued to her as I took in the outfit she was wearing. Despite the dire situation, all I could think was, “Ohhh my beloved! I was a fool.” I whispered, trying to keep my voice down so they wouldn’t hear me. “Y/N... you look like a goddess.”

Pudding’s sneer cut through the air, her hatred towards Y/N obvious. “Princess Y/N, my, my… you really are as dumb as you look,” she spat, her voice dripping with venom.

But Y/N didn’t even flinch. She stood tall, her head held high as she replied, her tone calm yet filled with fire. “Reckless, maybe... but never dumb.” Her eyes gleamed as she added, “God bless my crewmates for seeing some good in you. But me? Well, call it a woman’s intuition.”

Hearing her stand up so boldly, knowing the danger she was in, stirred something in me. My chest tightened as guilt and admiration mixed within me. “She’s risking everything... again.” All for me, for the crew, for the people she loves.

I had been such a fool to hurt her, to let her think that I didn’t care. Seeing her now, standing fearless in the face of Pudding’s malice, I felt that undeniable pull in my heart. Y/N was everything I didn’t deserve but everything I could ever want.

Then, Pudding began to taunt Y/N with memories of what we had done, and I winced, bracing myself as I saw Y/N shift from confidence to a seething rage. “Are we going to talk or are we going to fight?” she growled, and I could practically feel the electricity in the air as she faced off against Raiban and Pudding. I watched, mesmerized, as she headbutted Pudding, sending the woman staggering back. “She’s been itching to fight,” I thought, my heart racing at her boldness.

Soon, Y/N made her way to Reiju. “Reiju, don’t worry. Once we get out of here, we’ll get that treated,” she said, her voice filled with concern, even in such a dire situation.

“Why would you...?” Reiju started, confusion written all over her face.

Y/N smiled that same smile I loved, one filled with warmth and kindness. “You covered for me when I needed it, you also helped me, it’s the least I can do.” Her heart was ever so big, radiating compassion even when she was in danger.

I felt a surge of admiration as Y/N carefully lifted Reiju, preparing to jump out the window. But then a gunshot rang out, and I felt my heart drop.

“Crap!” My eyes widened as I saw Y/N fall to the floor, blood seeping from her side. “Damn bitch got me…” she muttered through gritted teeth.

“You’re not going anywhere,” Pudding sneered, her gun cocked and aimed at Y/N. “I could kill you now, but that would ruin Mama’s plan, so it’ll have to wait for tomorrow.”

“Y/N!” I whispered, helplessness flooding through me as Raiban dragged her back to where Reiju sat, tied up once more. Pudding continued her assault, her words sharp and taunting. “Why do you want to save them? Why do you care about that failure, Sanji?” she spat, laughing cruelly as her words stung me deeply. I had always been the family failure, never measuring up, especially without Germa tech.

But then I heard Y/N’s voice rise above it all. “Sanji may be a lot of things. Sure, he’s said hurtful things, and he’s done things that have caused me heartache and pain…” she said, her voice unwavering despite the pain she was in. “But I won’t let the bad things he’s done to me affect what I feel. And I won’t stand by while you continue to hurt him.”

“I said it before: I’d rather die than let anyone hurt the people I love and my crew!”

“She’d rather die…” I echoed her words, my heart swelling with admiration and something else—something deeper.

“Sanji isn’t a failure. He’s the kindest person there is. And that's what makes him so special. And even after everything he’s done, I… I still love him, and I still care about him!”

My eyes widened in shock at the revelation. “Wait?!” I thought, disbelief mixing with elation. “She loves me! She really loves me!”

“No matter how much you try to hurt me, Pudding, I won’t turn against him. I won’t hold a grudge. Because that’s not who I am.”

Y/N’s words were a powerful declaration, echoing with strength despite the pain radiating through her body. I watched as Pudding’s face twisted in rage.

“What do you know?!” she screamed, losing her composure, and I felt a surge of pride for Y/N.

Y/N smirked, a fierce determination lighting her eyes. “Because, Pudding… that man happens to be my fiancé.”

My eyes widened, and I swooned once more, my heart racing at her confession. “I know my beloved said that to have everyone back off, but now it’s meant to be!” I thought, flailing my arms in silent celebration. “She acknowledges me!”

But I quickly reminded myself to stay hidden; I couldn't afford to get caught.

“Sad. Pathetic,” Pudding hissed through clenched teeth, her anger boiling over.

Then, without warning, her hand shot toward Y/N’s head. I felt my heart drop as Y/N collapsed, unconscious. “The power of the Memo-Memo Fruit,” Pudding said with a twisted grin. “I can erase and edit memories in an instant.”

I could only watch in horror as she pulled at Y/N's memories, beginning to edit them like they were mere stories on a page. She erased the memory of our time together in the rain, the intimate moments we had shared, leaving nothing but a void in their place.

“You bitch, you slept with my fiancé!” Pudding spat, sneering as she cut away pieces of our history together.

“I’ll just take this out, place it here, and leave when you caught Sanji and I. That way your rage is still palpable, and I’ll even erase when you and Sanji were outside when it was raining after finding out. ” she laughed, a cold, malicious sound that echoed through the room.

“Now, I’ll make it seem like a soldier shot you on the side when you were fighting a few days ago. And another memory here, have you in your room alone And there,” Pudding finished with a flourish, leaving Y/N to fall back into unconsciousness once more.

I felt my heart shatter as Pudding turned her attention to Reiju. “Don’t worry, Reiju, I’m not done with you either.” With that, she used the side of her gun to strike Y/N in the head, causing blood to spill.

“Throw her somewhere,” Pudding commanded, and Raiban complied, carelessly tossing Y/N toward the wall. Her body hit with a sickening thud, but her blade remained intact, casting a soft white hue even in the darkness of the moment.

“Y/N…” I whispered, emotion choking me as I felt helpless in the face of this cruelty. Tears pricked my eyes as I fought against the urge to rush out and protect her, knowing I couldn’t expose myself just yet.

As Pudding continued her twisted monologue, I felt the weight of every word she spoke sink deeper into my chest. "Can you make it a point not to make too much blood when you all die? If that wedding cake gets one splat of blood, Mama will be mad," she said with a sickening smirk. "She'd tear the place down out of fury." Her laughter rang in my ears, each word mocking me and everything I had ever stood for.

My grip on the lighter tightened, flicking it absentmindedly even as my hands trembled. The flame refused to light, a cruel reminder of the mess I had created. "Can you imagine? Sanji, trusted me, even shared an intimate moment with me, and now I point a gun at him. He doesn’t suspect a thing!" Pudding laughed gleefully, the sound making my stomach turn. She continued taunting and ridiculing me, bragging to Reiju about the way I had proposed, how easily she had manipulated me.

Tears began to well up in my eyes again, despite my attempts to keep them at bay. "In that moment of vulnerability, all I had to do was act, shed some tears, and he became putty in my hands." Pudding’s words cut deeper than any blade. My lighter flicked, over and over, but still no flame appeared.

"Oh, what a riot!" Pudding exclaimed. "The nerve of you, trying to pass him off as some kind of prince. At least give me a proper one, like Ichiji!" Her laughter rang in my ears, mocking me. I felt like the biggest fool in the world.

"I really made a mess of things, huh?" I thought, as the flicker of the lighter mirrored the flicker of hope inside me. Y/N's face flashed in my mind—her smile, her laugh, her fierce determination. She had risked everything for me, and I had hurt her over and over again.

Yet despite everything, she still chose to stand by me. "Pudding is a fraud. My friends…" My thoughts were a jumble of guilt, anger, and shame. "I’ve failed them, all of them. And her…" I couldn’t help the tears that continued to fall. "I messed up with Y/N. I did all this, and she still chose to risk everything… again."

Pudding’s cruel voice snapped me back to reality. "It must be embarrassing to have such a dim-witted brother," she sneered. Rabian and Nitro chimed in, pointing out that Reiju and Y/N were losing too much blood. "Yeah, this one’s barely conscious," they commented, and my heart clenched at the thought of Y/N lying there, vulnerable and hurt.

"Neither of them can die yet," Pudding said, cold and calculating. "The whole world needs a front-row seat to the Vinsmoke family execution."

I winced, my fists clenched tightly around the basket. Every word out of her mouth made me feel more powerless, more trapped in this nightmare.

"Listen closely, dear sister-in-law," Pudding said, her voice dripping with malice. "I won’t risk you revealing anything." With that, she used the same tactic she had on Y/N, erasing Reiju’s memories of the meeting and her attack.

I felt my heart pounding in my chest as I realized what I had just witnessed. My family, my friends—they were all in danger, and I had been blind to the truth.

I grabbed my basket and left Pudding’s window, my head spinning with everything I had just heard. I needed a moment to clear my mind, to breathe. "What have I done?" I thought, the guilt weighing down on me like never before. "I’ve got to fix this… somehow."

Nami POV…

"No! Please, no more!" I yelled, tears streaming down my face as I watched Luffy struggle. He was relentlessly trying to break free, pulling at his arms with reckless determination. "Luffy, I'm begging you! Stop! That's enough already! You're destroying your arms!" My heart pounded in fear. He was hurting himself, and I couldn’t bear to see it.

But Luffy wasn’t listening. His eyes were filled with fury and desperation. "You think I care?" he shouted back, still straining against his restraints. "I have to warn Sanji and Y/N! Y/N was right about her intuition about Pudding! She’s evil!" His voice was filled with anguish as he kept trying to free himself, his determination unwavering. "Almost there," he grunted through clenched teeth.

My heart ached. I wanted to stop him, but nothing I said would get through. He was willing to tear his own body apart to save our friends.

Suddenly, one of the guards, covered in cream, approached me. "Alright, girl, time for you to talk," he sneered, his voice dripping with malice. I turned to face him, my body tense with fear. "Huh?" I muttered.

"Mama’s instructions were clear," he continued, his eyes narrowing. "You need to tell us where Lola is."

"I won’t tell! I’d never betray my friends!" I yelled, my voice shaking but defiant. I refused to let them break me.

His lips curled into a wicked grin. "Very well, guess you want to be tortured then. I’m going to shoot you every five seconds."

My blood ran cold. "Don’t make it sound so casual!" I yelled back in horror, my voice trembling. He pulled out an arrow, the tip gleaming dangerously in the dim light. "That could kill me!" I gasped.

Suddenly, I noticed a faint violet hue glowing from the satchel I carried. My eyes widened, unsure of what was happening. But before I could process it, Luffy’s voice snapped me back.

"Hey, warty! You’ll have to get through me first! Screw you!" Luffy snarled at the guard, his fierce determination shining through despite his pain. "Don’t worry, Nami. I’m almost done breaking my arms."

"I don’t want that either!" I yelled through my tears, feeling utterly helpless. "Please, Luffy, stop!"

Suddenly, the door creaked open, and both Luffy and I froze, stunned. Who was it? Was this another enemy? My heart raced.

"Woah! I thought you were forbidden to enter!" the cream-covered guard exclaimed, just as shocked as we were. Suddenly he was knocked out in a blink of an eye. 

Luffy and I turned to see the silhouette of someone stepping into the room. Our eyes widened in disbelief.

"Jinbei!" we shouted in unison, both of us filled with a sudden rush of hope.

"Oh, Luffy, Nami," Jinbei said, his deep voice calm and reassuring.

Luffy's eyes lit up. "Great timing! Why are you here?" he asked, sounding relieved but confused.

Jinbei walked over to us, his presence steady and strong. "We have some catching up to do, but right now, you must escape," he said, his voice firm yet kind.

Relief flooded through me, and I could barely hold back my tears. "Thank you!" we both yelled in unison, feeling the weight of despair lift just a little.

Sanji POV…

I made my way quietly to the medical ward where both Reiju and Y/N were being treated. The air felt heavy with tension, and I couldn't shake the anxiety building up inside me. "Notify the Vinsmokes, they'll probably be worried," I overheard the doctor saying. "Reiju should be well after a good night's rest, and the same goes for the princess. Although her skin isn't like Germa's technology, it seems her wound is healing fast." His voice was calm but professional.

I knew I had to act quickly. I couldn't let them inform my so-called "family." I knocked out the soldier standing guard, tying him up swiftly and making sure no alarm would be raised. "You won’t be telling them anything," I thought to myself as I locked the door behind me.

My heart sank as I turned to see them—Reiju, lying on her bed, looking battered but stable, and Y/N, bandaged and motionless. Her head was wrapped in bandages, and a thick one covered her side where she had been wounded. I approached her bed slowly, my heart aching. "Y/N..." I whispered, brushing a strand of hair gently from her face. My chest tightened at the sight of her like this.

Suddenly, I heard Reiju groan softly. "Where am I...?" she muttered, slowly regaining consciousness. She blinked a few times before her eyes widened. "Sanji!" she gasped, trying to sit up but wincing in pain as she moved.

I glanced at her but didn’t leave Y/N’s side. "I... I hurt my leg," Reiju said, pulling back the blanket to reveal a bandage on her leg. Then her eyes shifted to Y/N, and the concern on her face deepened. "Y/N!" she yelled, panic filling her voice as she took in the sight of her friend’s injuries. "What happened to her?"

I stayed silent for a moment, lighting my cigarette, trying to gather my thoughts. I knew what I had to say, but it wasn’t going to be easy. "Do you recall how you got hurt or what happened?" I asked her calmly, trying to ease into the conversation.

Reiju frowned, struggling to piece things together. "I remember shouting... soldiers saying something about an intruder... and then..." Her voice trailed off, her face clouded with confusion. "I must have gotten involved," she muttered, rubbing her temple.

I stepped closer, taking a deep breath as I exhaled the smoke. "Reiju, think hard," I said, my tone serious. "Your memories… they were overwritten."

Her eyes widened in shock as she stared at me. "What do you mean?"

I met her gaze, knowing what I was about to say would shake her. "I’ll fill you in, but let me warn you... the truth is damn ugly."

Her expression hardened as she nodded, bracing herself for whatever dark truth was about to come. I looked at Y/N one last time before turning back to Reiju, preparing to reveal the twisted reality that had been hidden from her.

[duality-in-spandex]

🎨 Headcanon time!

Thank you all for 150 followers! It's been wonderful and I'm glad my representation of Twice is something we all can enjoy together!

That being said, lets get into the headcanons 😁

First on the list

Alters

Basically the voices inside his head that come out because of his unspecified dissociative disorder.

Jin: the main alter, he uses punctuation properly and uses a lot of emojis. He is outgoing, friendly, and a bit naive. He is usually piloting the body. This is the alter we see most in the anime. "Jin would write a sentence somewhat like this, with an emoji too 😁"

Meanie: he speaks in all caps and doesn't use punctuation or emojis. He's basically the protector, so Jin doesn't have to hurt people. He lashes out and is usually the one coming up with insults. "THIS IS HOW MEANIE TYPES YOU FUKING ASSHOLE DONT TALK TO ME"

Hali: they're a little different. They are a little alter and hold many childhood memories. They are anywhere between the ages of 3 and 7. They are 100% simply a child and don't remember much past that other than what the rest of Twice tells them. They aren't usually seen, but if they are, they speak in all lowercase, don't capitalize letters, and have a smaller vocabulary. "hali would type like this and never use mean words like jin does"

There might be a few more eventually, but I have to come up with them first.

You can send asks about his alters if you have more questions about them, and I'll answer them out of character. I might make separate posts for them, I haven't decided yet.

Snacks

Twice is a snacker, his snacks are just... unconventional. Don't ask him how he's able to eat just about anything, because he will not be able to give you an answer. His favorite snacks are the ones no one else can eat. Like dirt and microfiber dish rags. Jin started eating dirt to try and quit his nicotine addiction. It didn't work and now he just eats dirt.

When he was living on the streets for a while, he had to eat strange things like rats and the occasional human carcass to survive. He is a cannibal, but he only eats creeps and bad people that gets cooked properly by his meat guy. (This one came about for shits and giggles and stuck around, I couldn't stop it 😂)

(Friend)Shipping

Twice ships his friends and knows how just about every relationship goes. Platonic or otherwise.

How does he know that?

He makes clones and shoves them together for his entertainment. When he's done with them, he just throws them into the basement and kinda forgets about them.

He has done this a lot and is unashamed of it. He's pretty sure the rest of the League doesn't know.

He has done it for everyone in the League and even some in the PLF. He has learned a lot by doing this.

Trumpet and Skeptic make out. Twice thinks it's odd, but he can get behind their relationship.

Shigaraki and Spinner are a bit awkward, but overall cute. Not at all degenerates. Twice wants them to kiss, but they're weird about it.

Shigaraki and Dabi on the other hand got really messy really fast. They're both nasty, and Twice almost needed bleach to clean the experience from his mind. They did say something about destroying the world for each other though.

Hawks and Shigaraki just try and kill each other. It's a 50/50 on who wins every time.

Hawks and Spinner stare at each other. They clearly don't interact much and are just really awkward.

Hawks and Dabi try to kill each other and transition to making out sometime. Twice isn't sure what happened either, but now they're going to die for each other.

Compress just tries to get along with anyone Twice puts him with, and they always end up having tea for some reason?

Muscular is pretty chill if he doesn't think who he's with is stronger than him.

Re-Destro and Skeptic are just weird and Twice believes there's some weird dynamic happening between them. He hasn't actually seen it though.

Jobs

Twice has had a lot of jobs in a lot of different fields, but he's never really been able to keep any of them.

He was a zookeeper, a plumber, a hotel secretary, he taught gymnastics and yoga, he was a science tutor, he accidently became a substitute teacher, a tailor, he did a lot of security work, he babysat for his drug dealers, he was a drug dealer, he was a bouncer, taught dance classes, was a stripper, became a wedding officiant (the licence is still valid somehow), he was a lifeguard, a 911 operator, and he dropped out of both pharmacist and paramedic training.

And those are only his past jobs.

His current jobs are a GrubHub driver, a door to door salesman, and a freelance contracting agent. He also manages his own accounts on 'adult websites'.

Miscellaneous

He is the reason for all of Giran's connections, they were all Twice's friends first.

He was homeless for a while, and was always ready to give up what little he had to someone who needed it more. His warm soup? Given to a mother and her children. His dry place to sleep during a storm? Given to a couple of runaway teens with way less clothing than he had.

There is a group of young adults/teens who call him "Hero Twice" because he helped them out when no one else would.

He is a cannibal, and he knows a man who butchers pedophiles and cooks them. Twice is usually the one who tests new recipes.

He did and occasionally still does hard drugs like cocaine. He started smoking to get through his addiction.

The reason he was so nice to Hawks is because when he was experimenting with clone pairings, he saw how happy Dabi was with Hawks, and Twice thinks everyone should be happy.

Back before his clones killed each other, he would give a lot of what he stole away to people, even when they were just using him for free stuff.

Twice is the kind of person who will wholeheartedly support your bad decisions, and then comfort you when they go wrong.

He is planning on officiating Toga's wedding when they win the war.

Jin (the alter) has tics. That's why he has his random outbursts and twitchy moments. He is the only alter who does this.

[wisteriaiswriting]

Omg I love your Pan writing. Can we get some headcanons for him? Sfw and nsfw if you’re comfortable! :3

ℙ𝕒𝕟 𝕙𝕖𝕒𝕕𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕠𝕟𝕤

Words: 634

SFW and NSFW (First nsfw post)

𝕊𝔽𝕎:

He will translate any nickname into greek you can’t understand them (Ελάφι - Deer, Αγάπη - Love) Falls harder if you return these.

His love languages are Physical Touch and receiving gifts. (Will fold if you give him something clearly handmade.)

Has a step-by-step routine that he will not forget, 10 just for his face and 5 steps for his horns.

Starts off in the ‘sweetheart's cradle’ and ends in either ‘loosely tethered’ or the ‘cliff hanger.’

Pan’s wardrobe is full of suits and anything similar. Pants, skirts, dresses. As long as they are fancy and/or business like he will wear them.

As God of The Wild he has gained a habit of collecting items, mainly ones that the animals bring him occasionally. So over time his collection has slowly grown, mainly rocks, now wilted leaves and flowers and even crystals.

I believe he is pansexual. He hasn’t gained a preference over time, as long as you keep his attention and interest he’s good. 

If you need to talk to him, call. He wants to hear the others' voices rather than stare at a screen. Plus with calling he can facetime you.

Over time he has gained an appreciation for baking and bakers. Loves to visit bakeries to get some fresh bread and treats. Wants to bake but can not for the life of him so it safely. (Has burnt a kitchen or two.)

Is surprisingly a cat magnet, maybe it’s because he is the God of The Wild but who knows. If he sits on a bench cats will find him and lay next to him, from strays or wandering house cats.

ℕ𝕊𝔽𝕎:

After a night together he will have the best aftercare planned. Will run a bath with salts and lotions, heating up some pre-prepped meals before cuddling together as you fall asleep. (Only sleep after you do.)

Is really possessive, (Not surprising.) So he will throw his jacket over you, place his glasses on the bridge of your nose. Any clothing he has can and will be use to show your his.

If he deems you are being too loud he will find any piece of cloth nearby, (Normally his gloves or tie.) and stuff it into your mouth.

The base of his horns are sensitive, touching them will put Pan into the mood. It is the same with his tail, grabbing or brushing against it is enough to have him pull you aside.

Along with being sensitive, he does not tolerate being teased, only he can do it. If you still decide to, he will make you regret it. (Will also tease you back for however long he deems good.)

If he is feeling rough he might throw in some words of degradation but normally it is praise. Whether it’s in the bedroom or on the way it is all praise.

Pan likes to have some sort of power, and with his partner he will have it all if not most. If it’s in the bedroom or in scenes he wants to have power over you.

Speaking off power he likes to also have his partner restrained, giving him more power. Even if he has ropes or cuffs available, over everything else he prefers his hands.

One of his favourite kinks is marking, he doesn’t care how he does it as long as it’s done. Simple hickeys and bite marks covering your neck and down your chest. Using his nails to leave scratches along your body, even using the ends of his horns down your chest and thighs. (Always careful to not hurt you too much.)

The public, always 50-50 about it. On one hand he is possessive about you, so anyone seeing you will not end well. But again, the thrill of being caught, (Especially in the underworld) keeps him going.

[justashuckingsimp]

Bad Luck

Summary:

(TAKES PLACE DURING THE SECOND BOOK) After falling in love with Minho in the Maze, y/n can never seem to get good luck when she's around the guy while they trek through the Scorch.

Dear Diary,

I never had time to think about my feelings in the Maze, and I never thought I would need to. being surrounded by 50 or so teenage boys with only one other girl around was hard enough, but my job as a builder brought the most stress on me. And so I've decided to write in this little book about all my emotions and journeys. I've even taken the risk of writing about my feelings for Minho.

With that I closed the book as I heard Teresa calling my name. We quickly became close after she awoke from her coma. Though we didn't really have much of a choice because confiding in one of the boys was definetly not an option. She's the only one that knows I have feelings for Minho, even if I'm not even sure how to label them yet. As I walked towards her voice I saw Winston laying on the sand with a gun on his chest, I guess everyone had already said their goodbyes. Fry was already in tears, the poor guy. Winston had been scratched on his stomach by one of the monsters I believe Rat Man called "Cranks". What a wicked name. Winston said something to Thomas as Newt backed away. Something only the two of them would hear. Winston shooed us off so he could die knowing his friends didn't have to watch, and soon later as we were walking away, a gunshot. We stopped, as if all trapped in the same thought. I don't remember if I cried. I do remember Minho holding my waist as we walked to steady me.

~Time Skip~

I wake up in a abandoned building, almost but not entirely alone, Minho and Fry were with me. But otherwise there was no one else on the first floor. The building seemed to have multiple levels and we were in the far corner of the first floor.

"Min?" I wondered if he was awake or just resting.

"Yeah y/n, I'm up."

"Oh."I paused unsure how to ask "What happened after...?" I let my voice trail off. I didn't want to speak about what happened to Winston,I know he didn't either. "Well, after you passed out-" "I passed out!?" I interupted him. "Yeah" he cleared his throat "And I had to carry you all the way here sweetheart", I felt butterflies at the thought of Minho carrying me. "But where are we Min?". A long silence. "We're just a mile or two out from the Safe Haven" I saw a tear slide down his face in the glow of the flashlight. I had never seen Minho cry. Not ever. I crawled over to him and laid my head on his chest, hoping to comfort him. We laid there silently.

My mind cleared for a moment. My book. My diary. Where was it? I shot up and started frantically looking around. If someone other than Teresa had read it I'd be dead. "Uh hey Min have you seen-?" I stopped when I saw the book in his hands. "What?" he stopped reading to look at me with a sly gin on his face. This mother-shucker. "Min..give me my book please" He went back to reading "Book or Diary y/n?" He said the word playfully. "Can you just shut up and give me the book?" He eyed me, still smirking, "No." He sat up and put the book to his side. "When were you gonna tell me y/n?" His tone was quiet almost a sad whisper. "I- I don't know I just had some bad luck everytime I got around to telling you, and I never knew if you were going to feel the same. So i had the book to-" I exclaimed as he cut me off with a kiss. I relaxed into his touch and kissed him back, it was a slow gentle kiss. Filled with all the feelings we could never say before.

"Well it took you two shanks bloody long enough." We broke apart at hearing Newt's voice. I saw Thomas, Newt and Teresa whom was wearing a bigger smile than mine an shaking her head. "It took you guys long enough" This came from Fry.

"I guess we just had some bad luck" Minho said winking at me.

[dfwpastor633]

An Open Letter to The NDA Era of Church

              This is a letter I’ve thought about writing for years but finally had the courage to pray and put words to paper. I am currently a pastor at a large church in the Dallas Fort Worth Area. At this time, I will keep my identity confidential, but to those close to me this will not come as a surprise. I have worked for multiple churches that are currently in the top 100 largest churches in the country. While I recognize that myself and no one is perfect, I can stay silent no longer with what I am seeing. I do not believe the American Church is the reflection and representation of Jesus that it should be and we should continue to hold our spiritual leaders accountable until real change takes place. I want to list a few things that have really hurt me to see and then by the end of the post offer some options. I hope that while this will be uncomfortable for some people to hear, it would ultimately help to reform the church into what Jesus wanted it to be originally.

I have with my own eyes have seen too many friends due to fear sign NDA’s because of what they seen take place within the walls of a church behind the scenes.

Friends being black balled because they had to courage to report work place harassment or incidents.

Millions of dollars poured into buildings and “Disney like experiences or services”, while sex trafficking, homelessness, and the people near our churches are dying. *But don’t worry we will pick one time a year to do a donation, plan missions trips to foreign countries, and do a “Serve Day” to quiet down the voices in our souls that are telling us something is off.

I have seen too many ministry friends be able to barely afford rent and groceries while Executives and Lead Pastors are making in the hundreds of thousands of dollars annually with extravagant sabbatical, vacation, and housing allowance packages.

I have been in too many meetings about how churches can increase the giving brought in financially or the weekend attendance numbers all under the umbrella of “We just want what’s best for people”. While secretly staff members or volunteers who do not hit certain giving or attendance thresh holds are labeled as “not bought into the vision”.

I have seen pastors expense things using church finances that have nothing to do with ministry or pastors have inappropriate relationships with people from the church. In some of those cases churches refuse to be transparent with the church members and those same employees are honored on the way out. Again, in today’s church almost anything can be solved with a NDA and some cupcakes in the lobby. 

              Truthfully, I could continue to share stories. The reality is I think you get my point. I want to talk about the time of history that we are in and what the men and women who are leading these churches can do.

First, if you are currently on staff at a church and things feel off, please have the courage to speak up. Even if it means losing your job and unkind things will be said about you. This is a dangerous time in the history of the church. When the NFL or NBA does things aggressively to make sure their brand, money, and power are protected most of us don’t truly care. But the church should be about Jesus and the people near us, correct?

Secondly, To those with real influence that can start making immediate change within the walls of these churches. Our request are below and I would contend they are biblical.

Start spending 50+ % of your budget on local and foreign missions. I know that you really like the light shows and big stages. But people are dying near our churches and need our help. If you need that kind of attention or validation, start a podcast.

Be more transparent with church members on what goes on behind the walls of their church and what you are doing with the money they give to you.

Stop paying your ministry buddies thousands of dollars to come and speak at events. Our people do not need more events, they need help and real discipleship. I don’t recall Jesus or the disciples making 50,000 to speak at a Conference. Raise up Godly leaders within your church to speak on occasion and use that money to actually help people.

Stop or at least significantly decrease the amount of NDA’s. I actually don’t remember Jesus having to use one. But maybe I just have the wrong translation.

Make lead pastor and executive teams, similar to elders in most cases, term positions due to their importance. If we have to vote for presidents every four years, why not significant spiritual leaders?

              Finally, we live in an era, especially in the technology age and AI coming around the corner, where people want to know what is real or not. Dear Church Leaders, please don’t make Church and Jesus one of those things for people. Matthew 5:14-16 says that the church should, “Be a light unto the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but a candlestick, and it giveth light to the entire house.”

Stop trying to impress people with physical light shows and be a church that the community around you knows loves and supports them at their worst moments. Introduce them to a real God and a group of people who no matter what happens in life will love them very much. That I believe, is the church that Jesus wants for us and the people in our communities. A church where staff meetings are more focused on how to fight real issues in our community, not just how to make a event more fun and we have enough snacks in the break room. A church where staff members to not have too turn those in need away because of how small the “benevolence and missions fund” is. One day we all will be held accountable for how we spent this life and stewarded what God has given us. It is not yet too late to change. Please, for the sake of God and the place near you, change for the better and become a church that we all would be proud to invite friends too.

[thehorrortree]

Deadline: March 1st – May 1st, 2024 Payment: $50 Theme: Writing that attempts to salvage something pure from the collision of warmth and cold, that says what it can about the world it finds itself in. A Note on Our Aesthetic We believe there is beauty in scars on smooth skin, in the small fissures where things begin to break apart. Sundogs are not the sun itself but phantom stars appearing on the horizon, illusions produced by the play of the sun’s heat with crystals of ice. They shed their light all the same. Many are tinged with color. We look for this same quality in poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. We want writing that attempts to salvage something pure from the collision of warmth and cold, that says what it can about the world it finds itself in. We seek a diversity of voices speaking from visceral, lived experience. We like truth we can stare at until our eyes water, words so carefully chosen we want to reread them as soon as we have finished. Schedule We publish two issues a year, September 1 and March 1. We accept general submissions for poetry, nonfiction, and fiction between two reading periods, and the first 300 submissions to each are free. We also run a collaborative writing contest in August. We also accept visual art all year. General Submissions: March 1 – May 1 General Submissions: October 1 – December 1 Collaboration Contest: July 15 –  August 31 Payment We are thrilled to finally be able to say that, starting with issue 17, we will be able to offer our contributors a small payment of $50 upon publication. Practical Matters We are grateful to be a part of a literary community that is taking action against systemic racism. We will also be donating submission fees from our current reading period towards Black-led organizations and anti-racist collectives. In the next year, 25% of our submission fees will be donated, as well. Thank you in advance for helping us work together for change. The best way to know the preferences of our individual editors is to read the journal. Our genre editors also take over our Twitter from time to time to discuss work we’ve published and why. Check it out at #editortalk. Sundog Lit is serious about representing the literary scene and supporting diverse and underrepresented voices. We want to hear from women, people of color, queer and trans writers, and every community who pushes our world away from the oppressive status quo. This is our commitment to literature; hold us to that standard. One submission at a time, please. We happily accept simultaneous submissions, though please withdraw immediately if accepted elsewhere. If part of a packet submission, note the withdrawal in a note on Submittable. We do not consider previously published material nor do we accept email submissions. Please address your submission to the appropriate genre editor, and be mindful of correct pronoun usage in your cover letter.  Genre Specifics Summer Collaboration Contest Writing doesn’t have to be a lonely business. Sometimes teamwork is what makes the dreamwork, so this summer we want to see what you’ve created with another writer (or two or three⁠ — there’s actually no limit) for our annual Collaboration Contest. Between July 15 and August 31, submit your wildest, most inventive work of any or mixed genre. Just keep your hybrid masterpiece to 1,000 words or less. Winners will receive a $300 prize and all the glories of publication. Refractions For our blog, we accept short-form work that fits a given topic or theme that asks you to see–and write about–familiar things differently. We want you to play with perspective. A little distortion, in our opinion, is a good thing. Please check Submittable for the current prompt, which we will change up on a quarterly basis. Fiction We want muscular prose, authenticity, and a real beating heart. Play with form and show us the humorous absurd. Submit short stories of no more than 3,000 words or up to 3 flash fictions of less than 750 words each in a single document. 

Nonfiction We are cool with traditional personal essay, memoir, etc. We LOVE us some experimental, research-driven stuff. Segmented. Lyric. Essays written in a bowl of alphabet soup. Surprise us. Play with form and content. If you hybridize some poetry and nonfiction, send it our way. Submit a single piece of no more than  4,000 words or up to 3 flash essays of less than 1,000 words each in a single document. Poetry We want vivid, vibrant poetry. We like prose poems or straight poetry with prose elements. We like traditional poetry. Submit up to 3 poems in a single document. Visual Art We’re looking for beautiful, fascinating, devastating cover art for our upcoming issues. Submit up to 6 pieces at a time.  Via: Sundog Literature.

[ukrfeminism]

To mark the 50th anniversary of the group’s formation, the writings of the BBWG have been brought together for the first time and published as a book. Described as “unique and essential” by Booker-winning author Bernardine Evaristo, Speak Out! is made up of writing from the group’s newsletter. Also called Speak Out!, the newsletter “was a way to reach out to other women who may have had a similar experience” according to Lewis. It contained everything from reports on the work the group were doing and political explainers to reviews of plays, films and novels.

Fifty years ago, a group of women who were part of the British Black Panther movement were fed up with being ignored. In male-dominated discussions there was a distinct lack of interest in women’s issues, and hierarchical structures meant some members felt they did not have a voice.

“We had a women’s caucus,” but it “was not universally popular with the Panthers”, recalls retired academic Beverley Bryan. “Why are these women getting together?” some of the men would ask.

So Bryan and her friends founded the Brixton Black Women’s Group (BBWG), which set out to campaign and raise awareness of the issues affecting women of colour across the UK. For example, 1970s Britain saw the trial of the Mangrove Nine and dozens of women from Indian and Pakistani backgrounds subjected to virginity tests by immigration officials when entering the country according to Home Office documents, while the 80s witnessed the Brixton riots.

“Because of all that was happening at the time we sensed the urgency for a group like this,” says Nigerian-British writer Amina Mama, an early member of BBWG. “People were being attacked and locked up, amid a backdrop of the Brixton riot uprisings.” The level of violence the group saw spurred them into action: “Women pushing pushchairs [were] being dragged into the back of vans”, Mama remembers.

“We arrived in Brixton Black Women’s Group hungry for something, but it was also a place where we could come to know ourselves differently”, says writer and academic Gail Lewis, another early BBWG member.

Mama agrees – she joined the group having spent the previous four years in Scotland. “I had the same hunger to be among like-minded people. It was amazing finding sisters and having that sense of solidarity.”

To mark the 50th anniversary of the group’s formation, the writings of the BBWG have been brought together for the first time and published as a book. Described as “unique and essential” by Booker-winning author Bernardine Evaristo, Speak Out! is made up of writing from the group’s newsletter. Also called Speak Out!, the newsletter “was a way to reach out to other women who may have had a similar experience” according to Lewis. It contained everything from reports on the work the group were doing and political explainers to reviews of plays, films and novels.

Milo Miller, the collection’s editor, began gathering archive material in 2016, when they came across the group’s work as part of their PhD thesis. One unusual thing Miller discovered was that the articles were written collectively, with no singular bylines used. “The young ones cannot believe it. We had to think about every word and it was a collective,” says Lewis.

“I think Speak Out! is a good testament to the ideology of our movement but also to our practice – the very fact that we didn’t publish our names on the newsletter really showed how flat and equal and nonhierarchical we were as a group,” says Mama. “Having Speak Out! was a really important thing in terms of ideological corrective, as we were a group that regarded ourselves as part of a movement, so this was our tool for outreach and for mobilising other people. You can’t have a movement without a communication tool and this was ours”.

Although the BBWG was only active for 16 years, its legacy as both a community hub and political organisation inspired many other feminist and anti-racist groups in the years after. It was instrumental in establishing the Organisation of Women of African and Asian Descent, for example, which existed between 1978 and 1982, which was also the first national Black women’s organisation in the UK.

But despite its outward focus, the group was seen as first and foremost a community. “The group were incredibly supportive and helpful, and they really honed our abilities to argue, and to discuss what was important” says Sona Osman, a barrister who joined the group in her early 20s. Although modern activist groups are being organised, Osman doesn’t think that same sense of community evident in the 80s can be replicated.

“If a group like that still existed I would be there in a heartbeat.”

[clouds-rambles]

hello!~ o(〃＾▽＾〃)o

can i request headcanons for kaeya, diluc, childe, and venti on what they would while their s/o dies in their arms? (if thats okay with u <3)

thank u sm! :))

BESTIE THE PAIN I FEEL RN!!! Omw to make hurt some of my faves hope you enjoy <3

Also guys I’ve been here for a day how are there almost 50 of you following?!

Pairings; (Separate) Kaeya, Diluc, Childe, Venti x reader

Warning(s); hurt, big hurty, reader death, vague wound description, cursing, talk about dead bodies

Keep reading under the cut!

Kaeya

This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. You were meant to live forever with him. You were supposed to grow old with him and become a parent to your future children. You were-

“Kaeya” you choke out smiling at your partner above you. The man shakes his head mentally pleading with you to not die “Kaeya I will always be on the wind” you tell him, a shaky, bloody hand raised to his cheek to weekly caress it

“Please” he pleads “Please don’t die on me [name]” you smile at him feeling the breaths in your lungs disappear

“I’m sorry Kae--ya” you apologise before passing away in his arms

He doesn’t move for a long time. He doesn’t feel for a long time. The one person he could share his secrets and his love to gone. Away with the wind

Kaeya doesn’t remember the last time he cried, but he’ll remember this one. 

Your beaten, bruised, broken, dead, and beautiful body slumped in his arms as his tears fall from his face as he feels an absence in his heart

How is he supposed to live on if this is the pain he feels right now?

Jean eventually stumbles upon Kaeya out in the wilds, still clutched to your now cold and even more lifeless body

Jean manages to get the man up with your body held close to his chest

“Jean, I can’t, I can’t let them go” he pleads as if he’s waiting for you to simply wake up in his arms

“Kaeya...” Jean says in a concerned tone having never seen him in such a state, even he seemed to quickly recover from his fathers death

Eventually Jean coaxed Kaeya to go back to the city and leave your body in the hands of the sisters. Where they dressed you up and prepared a funeral service for you

The funeral was larger than Kaeya was expecting, you had affected a many more people than he realised from your small jobs around the city. Kaeya can’t help but be awed at how many people you’ve helped while you were in Mond

The usual chatter of Mondstat is quiet and in a time of grieving for about a week or so, many people have wonderful memories of you and Kaeya seems to be collecting them all, that and bunches of flowers. Many of which find themselves laying on your tombstone as Kaeya tells you about his day

A month passes and it seems like everything's back to normal, Kaeya is back to his outgoing self. He spends more nights at the tavern, but even Diluc doesn’t have the heart to cut him off. 

Jean seems to pick up on the smallest things, goddamnit Jean, the extra nights at the tavern, the eyebags, the weeping she can hear from his room. In it’s own right is heart-breaking, the acting Grandmaster cannot imagine what it’s like to be actually experiencing that kind of pain

-

Diluc

No, not like this

You had both decided that night to join each other in your little vigilante escapade. Which was fine you had both done this before, but tonight resulted in something very different

Here you are, head on Dilucs lap. This could be considered romantic, and often was, were it not for the fact you felt like you choked up a mixture of your lung and your bloody supply

“Diluc” you speak with a much worse for wear voice, the red-head looks into your eyes, eyes already gaining moisture. A similar scene has befallen him before, a Diluc knows how this ends

“Please” he pleads his voice wavering “Please don’t leave me” he chokes back a sob and tears fall off his face the salt hitting your own

“I love you so much” you start, Diluc shakes his head. Must you hurt him so with last words? “Don’t blame yourse-” another set of hacking befalls you as you lose more blood

“Please” he pleads again as the grip you had on his arm goes slack indicating your loss of life

Diluc screams, he cries and he hugs you close. He screams into the air of Mondstat until his voice hurts and he cries until all he’s doing is dry sobbing and he holds you close until you’re broken body is pried from his own broken mind

A wondering Jean heard his screams into the night sky and hereby answered them. She never expected to see Diluc, still in his vigilante getup, crying over your body

She calls for more guards who take your body from his and Jean helps Diluc get back to the estate. At one point during the walk Jean can feel DIluc shaking and hyperventilating. So they stand for a moment, Jean holds and comforts the wine-master before they move again

Jean has never seen such emotion from Diluc before, and she wholeheartedly hopes she’ll never have to see it again. Seeing Diluc so raw and rife with emotion is enough to make anyone cry. And Jean nearly did on more than one occasion.

Your funeral is small, much to Dilucs request and really only were attended by the estate and Jean. Diluc didn’t want to cry again in such a large audience

Though the maids often hear pained sobs coming from Dilucs room as he contemplates and often blames himself for what had transpired. Maids daren’t speak up about what they hear though, Diluc’s pain is more than understandable

Diluc throws himself into work opting to man the bar most days of the week and fighting for the city as often as he can. People around him are more than concerned

Diluc’s stoic nature seems to be intensified now, not wanting to let another person in and die in his arms. He’s seen enough death for his life and wishes not to lose more loved ones

Everything seems to have moved back to what life was before you arrived in your life, depressive, monotonous, boring, mundane for the most part and sad. So very sad

He wishes for a day where his heart isn’t strife with grief, but he doubts that day will not be coming anytime soon

-

Childe

You grin up at him, feeling close to naught pain coming from the gaping wound thanks to the excess of adrenaline that’s pumping through your body

“Childe” you say the smile still on your lips in an attempt at not making the situation as dark and horrific as it is. Childe speaks your name in return

“I love you” you tell him mustering the strength to cup the mans cheek, who immediately nuzzles into it. The situation almost doesn’t feel real to him. He’s going to be shaken awake by a very unwounded you in just a moment and inform him he’s having a nightmare

But that moment doesn’t come. Nor do any words come from you. Your slow rhythms of your heart remind you that he’s still got time, but you’ve expended all your energy. Your smile you’re wearing seems to be dropping

“I love you [name], I love you so much, you are everything I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you” he rambles bringing your body to his chest

“Live for--- me” you sputter out into his chest, a dying wish that Childe isn’t too sure he can uphold. Is it really living if he’s an empty vessel.

You go limp in his arms and he can no longer sense your heartbeat. Death had finally laid claim to you

Childe sits with you for hours, you’d expect him to be wailing like a banshee if you knew his personality but that’s rather not the case. Sobbing quietly is a better word for what happens. Most of his sobs and hacks for air are hidden in your hair. He pulled your body to his shoulder just to weep

Eventually he finds himself mustering the courage to walk back to Liyue Harbour. You firmly held in his arms. He knows that if he walks too plainly the Millelith would pry and ask too many questions for his fragile heart to answer

Childe ends up barging into the wangsheng funeral parlour, which surprises Zhongli a little. He’s about to go on a rant to Childe about how he must book an appointment, until he sees your lifeless body in his arms

The funeral is arranged quickly and neatly. There aren’t many people who attend, Childe is okay with that, he secretly wants to see his family and cry on their shoulder a bit

Instead he opts for a letter, which arrives to the family tear stained and lacking the usual penmanship ‘I’m sorry, you won’t be able to see [name] after all. They passed away not too long ago...’ he basically writes your arbitrary in the letter. And his whole heart is in every word he writes

Determined not to let anybody in Childe finds himself in a pattern, when he’s not throwing himself into battles he’s doing paper work or yelling at his subordinates and when he’s not doing that he’s doing his weekly fight with the traveller. Childe gets next to no sleep and instead opts to reading and rereading every letter and note you’ve ever given him

If Childe passes out at his desk nobody bothers him either in fear of getting yelled at by the harbinger or an understanding of losing a loved one

They never said being a harbinger was fulfilling work. Yet, he let himself believe that he could be fulfilled and content with a lover. What a shameful lie

-

Venti

He’s awfully quiet. He hasn’t experienced death in so long. Especially one he thought would be forever.

He couldn’t even get to you to hear your last words. Ironic isn’t it? He hadn’t heard that guys last words either. And yet this pains him so much more

Sure mortal lives are fleeting but he was certain he had more time with you. More time to see you grow old, more time to put off your inevitable mortality. More time to-

He’s hyperventilating, Venti’s body shakes as he finds nothing to ground himself not even the person he loves so dear is there for him. He feels like he could explode, breaths caught in his throat refusing to surface and come up for air. Despite being an immortal archon, the breaths that refuse to surface don’t fail to make him feel like he’s choking

A bard he is. And one that knows every song from the past, present and future. Suddenly the pained songs from the future make sense to him. He knew what was written. A love lost

Suddenly he finds himself crying and hunched over your deceased form making promises to the wind that he’ll never forget you. Much like he’ll ever forget that bard

He isn’t sure how long has passed but he’s still sobbing over your form, there aren’t many tears left for him to cry but he can’t find himself stopping. He feels like they’ll never stop. 

Maybe he could lay beside you and sleep for another thousand years. But that would only delay the inevitable. The inevitable sinking feeling.

Maybe it was his fault for letting himself fall in love with a mortal, but in the moment he could truly see you living life with him. He could see a marriage, children. He wanted you to have it all.

Damn celestia and all things above for not letting you ascend, at least when he inevitably ascends you’ll be there to greet him. Curse that and your mortality

Jean eventually stumbles upon him during a recon mission to find him covering your body in various flowers, a crown made of cecelias don your head. He’s quiet, but he’s saying goodbye. Who would blame him? Jean doesn’t interrupt him and only wishes you a farewell

News of your death spread around town like wildfire, your grave donned with more flowers than Venti can count. He almost feels bad about not doing a public service after seeing how many people are truly in mourning

Diluc doesn’t push Venti to pay his growing tab no matter how much he should. And Diluc doesn’t say no to Venti singing his happy tunes in the tavern

It feels like his life has retuned to normal. Though Jean can’t help but look out the library window to see Venti sat atop his statue with an expression, as Jean can only guess, of sadness.

Venti finds himself going back to an old schedule again but he can’t miss the nagging feeling of somethings missing. The something being you

Sometimes he half expects you to hug him from behind, or join him up at the statue, or kiss him on his nose, or-

Venti can’t quite comprehend how he feels, he just knows there’s a hole in his heart where you belonged. And he doesn’t want to let anyone find their way into there

He doesn’t want to lose again

It’s happened too much

[pocket-lilies]

When Someone Flirts with You | Shiratorizawa Boys

Hiii! As mentioned in my first ever post here, this is my favorite type of headcanons to write! I love this subject and who doesn't want their husband rescuing them? Enjoyyy - Pocket♡

✧ Includes: Wakatoshi Ushijima, Satori Tendou, Eita Semi, Tsutomu Goshiki, and Kenjiro Shirabu

✧ COME ONE! COME ALL! See what happens when someone flirts with you in front of your mans!

➺Wakatoshi Ushijima

He’s a very private person, so you won’t often find him flaunting the relationship around. He’s not embarrassed by any means and will tell people he’s dating, he just won’t tell EVERYONE. This leads people to be confused about your relationship, which can lead to misunderstandings.

Have you seen Toshi? He literally RADIATES intimidation. He’s terrifying! He stands at 6’3 and his face just makes him look like he’s angry all the time. If you need help just look at him and he’ll come to stand by you. Sometimes he’ll speak, sometimes he won’t.

Now, this method yields results 80% of the time. Toshi is just a scary guy so he doesn’t need to do much. He’ll just move and stand in front of you, allowing you to slide behind him and grab his shirt. There are just some things that he’s noticed that make him angrier than usual. One of them is when you get scared enough to grab his shirt when you’re behind him.

Of course, this method can fail. There’s always one dumbass who just wants to try Toshi. There’s gotta be something wrong with them, but hey some people just learn their lessons the hard way and you know what? Toshi doesn’t mind helping them a little bit. There was one time when someone rolled their eyes and grabbed your hand, tugging you into their chest. You stumbled and fell but before you could touch them an arm stopped you.

Ooh, the second Toshi saw that jerk grab your arm and pull you into them, he kinda lost it. He was able to stop you before you touched the person, breaking the grip that linked you two together. This allowed you to move away from both of them as Toshi grabbed his collar and just glared. In a low voice, he said “you’re upsetting my partner”.

10/10!! NEVER FAILS! The only thing scarier than a scary dude is a scary dude THAT CAN KICK ASS!! You best believe Toshi’s whooping ass if he can. Have you seen them serves? After that, he’ll usually turn to you and ask if you’re ok. He’ll be as gentle as he can, choosing to comfort you with words before touching you. These things can be very problematic and the last thing he wants to do is overwhelm you after what you’d gone through.

“Let’s go home. I was getting tired of this place anyway.”

➺Satori Tendou

Hmm, Tendou is in the middle when it comes to showing you off. There are days where he’s telling everyone you’re dating him and is practically all over you. But then there are days where he’s either holding your hand or just standing a little too close. You have no issue with either and if there are days where PDA is just too much, let him know and he’ll give you space.

Now, Tendou has always been made fun of and people still do it to this day but he doesn’t get as offended. Let’s be honest, most people are just scared of him and nothing else. Does that matter to you? No, because you love him. Anyway- if someone’s bothering you, Tendou just waltzes up to them and latches onto their arm. “Oh, who’s this cutie? I like them too!” It’s a little odd, but just having him there brings you ease and boosts your confidence to tell the offender to leave.

This works 50% of the time. Sometimes people are freaked out enough to the point where they just leave. They always act all high and mighty, but we all know they’re just scared. It depends on how they leave, because once someone left saying “freak who likes freaks” oh boy. Tendou yanked them so hard and forced them to bow before whispering “apologize”. And they did. Repeatedly before they were allowed to leave.

Like I said, it’s 50/50. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. Tendou likes to play with people, so when they don’t leave, he laughs it off. Sometimes people just need a rougher lesson. It really depends on what they do next (like the previous point).

If they make fun of him while claiming they’re better, Tendou will grab them and threaten them to their face. If they touch you, Tendou opts to force them to their knees with a kick to the back of their leg. He’ll hold their head down and demand they apologize. Tendou’s stronger than he looks and it’s terrifying!

10/10 THEY’RE GONE once Tendou lets them go. No one sticks around longer than a second after. Tendou will turn to you and give you a big giant smile. He’ll know whether it’s ok to approach you or touch you just by the response you give him. Sometimes, you’ll just run into his arms and hug him super tight.

“I did really good, didn’t I? You’ve got the best boyfriend in the world (y/n)!”

➺Eita Semi

Eita doesn’t mind light PDA such as hand-holding, arm around your shoulder, and a kiss on the cheek. But that’s about it. He won’t go further than that, but all this heavily depends on the atmosphere. If it’s a night at your friend’s house or something, he’ll let you sit on his lap or just have his arm around you all the time. But if it’s a professional setting, such as a formal event, he’ll only stand next to you and look pretty. You don’t get hit on in these events, but when you’re out at the bar or something with him and the boys… you best believe someone's taking their chance. You’re a cutie and everyone wants to shoot their shot with you.

Usually, people at bars are really pushy. The second you’re away from your boyfriend or his friends, someone will take their chance. They offer to buy you drinks or pleasure you in bed, either way, you turn them down faster than the speed of light. But, they don’t listen. You’ll look towards Eita and somehow, he’s already found you. He’ll walk to you and demand to know what’s going on. He just KNOWS you uncomfy.

6/10. This is kinda effective. Eita’s not as scary as Ushijima, but he can look pretty intimidating. So usually, just that is enough to scare them away. You’ll also get someone once in a blue moon who claimed they had no idea you had a partner before profusely apologizing and leaving. Then… there’s THAT group. You know. The drunks who think they’re better than Eita. Ugh.

Eita isn’t a jealous person- I know, he’s competitive, not jealous. Like he doesn’t get mad when he sees you talking to other men or women, but he does get upset when you’re talking to someone who CAN’T TAKE A HINT. Can they not see how uncomfortable you are? Can’t they see that you don’t want to be in that situation? Or are they just ignoring all that, which makes all of this even worse?

Eita will warn them once again, but that’s it. If they continue with their bs, he’ll just have to deal with them… in a rougher manner. Eita’s go-to is grabbing their shirt and pulling them close. He’s actually pretty strong and he looks the part too. His scowl is usually enough to send shivers through them, so the second he lets go, they scurry away. In even more serious situations, Eita has thrown a punch, but only one before the person is either unconscious or gone.

10/10! This never fails! They’ll always leave you alone and everyone else in the establishment also understands that you’re taken with a protective boyfriend nearby. However, the two of you don’t stay very long. If he can touch you, Eita will either wrap his arm around you or gently take your hand and lead you away. If he’s worried, he’ll gently coax you into following him outside.

“I’m sorry you had to see that. Are you ok? Do you need anything? Let’s go buy some (fav dessert) so I can make up for it?”

➺Tsutomu Goshiki:

Tsutomu loves to show off and you’re no exception. He won’t do it if it bothers you, but if you don’t mind then he’s 100% showing you off. He does get shy, so PDA is eh. He’ll hold your hand, let you hug his arm, kiss your cheek, and keep an arm around you. But if someone points it out or teases him, he’ll move away with the reddest of faces. He also doesn’t like getting too intimate in public, that stuff’s for the bedroom and besides… he doesn’t want people to see that face of yours when you two do get intimate.

When someone’s bothering you, Tsutomu will often watch you. He knows you can handle yourself, but there are just some people that are too much for one person. If you have anxiety with this, you best believe he’s at your side in a second. He’ll usually tell the person you’re taken, aren’t interested, and to “buzz off”.

Have you seen Tsutomu? He’s not exactly “scary”. He’s cute and even though he’s 6’1, he’s just NOT scary. 0/10. Maybe like 0.001/10 cuz, there was ONE time where someone apologized and quickly left, but that’s only ever happened once. Usually, people just laugh at him and look at you and say shit like “come on, sweetheart, let’s get outta here”. Ew.

Tsutomu’s prepared because he knows the first way just doesn't work, but that doesn’t mean he’ll quit. Tsutomu’s main goal is to always keep things passive, he doesn’t want to become violent right away. One, it sucks, and two, you don’t like it. So if he can end the situation by just talking it out, that’s great. But then some people just… force his hand.

Question: have you seen his spikes and serves? Remember that power? Yeah, so imagine that exact same power against the person’s face. Perfect! That’s right, Tsutomu will fight them if he has to, and trust me, he’ll win.

10/10 NEVER FAILS. He’ll yell at them as they’re running away before slowly turning around to you. He’ll apologize if he scared you and ask if it’s ok to touch you. Sometimes you need a hug, other times you need some air. Either way, he’s stuck to you like glue for the rest of the day.

“Are you ok? Do you need some water? It’ll be alright, I’m here now. They won’t bother you again.”

➺Kenjiro Shirabu:

Kenjiro’s a little shy when it comes to PDA. He doesn’t mind holding hands and such, but he’ll blush a lot. He does get a little… peeved when Tendou teases him because of the way he responds. Even Ushijima finds it a little funny. Tendou will poke at you, saying he can snatch you away and Kenjiro will fly in faster than ever and just hug you. You’ll always laugh and hug him back. It would be difficult for someone to say they didn’t think you were dating unless they didn’t see him, especially since he’s always with you.

Your mans ain’t scary. I’m sorry, but he’s just not. So whenever someone is bothering you and you can’t handle them alone/anymore and you ask for his help, he’ll quickly step in. It starts out with “(y/n) are you ok?” Then he’ll tell the person you’re not interested and to leave you alone. Now if you saying the same line didn’t change the situation, he won’t either. But he can still try.

0/10. Never works. Ever. Like I said, if you tried and it didn’t work then why would it change if he did? People will usually just laugh at him or something and start pretending he’s not there. Even if you hide behind him, they’ll just completely ignore his existence.

Kenjiro doesn’t get angry, I suppose. He doesn’t like it, but he doesn’t get angry. Not yet. He wants to keep things to a minimum and not attract too much attention, so he’ll stay quiet. He’ll roll his eyes if they laugh at him or claim they’d be better than him. Now, there are a couple of things you do (when you’re upset or hurt) that piss Kenjiro off. It’s like a switch and he doesn’t know how it works half of the time. One is when you hide behind him. Who tf had the audacity to make you so scared that you needed to hide behind him? Two is when your hand clenches his shirt in an effort to not get taken away. Who thinks they can just scare you like that and continue breathing? Three is when you whisper “please stop” while your voice cracks because you’re about to cry. oH MY GOD HOW DARE THEY HE’S BOUTTA TEACH EM A LESSON THEIR MOTHER WON’T FORGET-

Ahem, anyway. When any of these happen, Kenjiro doesn’t care about subtlety. He wasn’t trying to draw attention then, but now he is. He’ll usually urge you to back away a little and ask you to either cover your eyes or ears before (if you can't handle physical altercations) just beating tf outta whoever still didn’t leave. Now, there’s a little grace period before the ass-kicking. As you’re backing up, Kenjiro will glare at the person and tell them to walk away. This is effective! Kinda! It bumps up the success rate to 5/10! Some people… some people stay.

10/10 THIS WILL NEVER EVER FAIL!! Kenjiro has gotten stronger and he’s learned to take people out in less than 3 hits. Sometimes it takes longer, but usually, they’re down within seconds. At this point, everyone would be looking at you and your friends would immediately defend him by saying the person wouldn’t leave you alone after Kenjiro asked numerous times. Your boyfriend then looks at you to gauge how well you’re doing before asking you to follow him or take your hand before leaving. Usually, he’ll drive you to your favorite park or this flower field he loves (doesn’t matter the time of day). He’ll let you cool off before offering to buy you snacks before heading home.

“Are you ok, baby? Hey, look at me. It’s ok. It’ll never happen again. I’ll make sure of it.”

[hyperfixatinator]

WAIT!

I don't know if I'm behind the curve on this, but I just noticed something important in Gerald Robotnik's last diary entry!

There are not one, not two, but THREE different sets of pronouns (excluding the "I")! This means that Gerald was referring to three different things, or in this case, three different people.

Let's talk about that.

3 Identities, 2 Wrong, 1 Missing

We'll start by addressing an assumption everyone, even the characters, made.

The assumption that Shadow is the project Gerald was talking about in this entry. I'm here to say that's not the case.

I'm not saying the diary itself is wrong. Even the grammar is correct. The mistake was how these words were read.

These diary entries were being read out loud by Rouge while they were on the ARK. Gerald's voice may have came in part of the way through, but it's not actually Gerald speaking. This is confirmed when we hear Rouge finish reading, showing that it was still her the whole time. This Gerald voice we're hearing in the cutscene is how the characters interpret his tone to have been when he wrote his thoughts.

Tone is a crucial part of language. A simple shift in tone can give identical sentences completely different meanings. The tone in which Gerald's entries were read made it sound like he was talking about Shadow as the project.

However, that doesn't make sense. Why would he flip flop between calling the same person both "him" and "it", especially in an alternating pattern? Sure, it's becoming a little more common in today's era, but that would be way less likely back in the 50s. It's more likely that Shadow would've been one or the other, not both.

But even that's incorrect. Look at how the first sentence of Gerald's last diary entry was written.

"I was able to complete my project, Shadow".

Now bear with me as I give an example of a sentence structured the same way. This time, used in different ways.

"This is my dog, Max". (Talking about their dog, Max, to you. In this scenario, the dog is named Max.)

"This is my dog, Max." (Talking to you, the person named Max, about their dog. In this scenario, you are named Max.)

Do you see where I'm going with this? Gerald wasn't writing about Shadow, he was writing TO Shadow. This last diary entry was a message for Shadow himself to read!

It would be a little odd if Gerald was simply talking to whatever stranger happens to read his diary. He went insane, but he still must've known GUN could find it. Why would he give away his plot so recklessly and risk it being thwarted prematurely? He's not. He's actually being pretty vague in his last message. "My project", "Release and awaken it", "I will leave everything to him", none of these have names or details of what he's talking about. It's like he expected the intended reader to understand the context.

Shadow being the "you" Gerald was talking to makes sense here. Shadow knew the doctor personally, and spending a lot of time with Maria means he spent quite a bit of time with her grandfather as well. Gerald believed Shadow would be the only one left that understood who "him" was. Also, they both loved Maria deeply. If there was anyone who shared Gerald's grief, anyone who would be able and willing to carry out this plan to avenge her, it would be Shadow.

With that in mind, it's time to move on to the "it", Gerald's true final project.

Before that, though, I would like to debunk one more thing.

The Gizoid, Emerl, is ALSO not the project!

I'll be honest, I was almost convinced he was. When I remembered him in Sonic Battle, I looked into the game and came across Gerald's journal entries, one of which said this:

"If it were to have all 7 emeralds installed, it might destroy the whole planet".

Because of how that would fit pretty well with his destructive plan later on, I got the thought that maybe Gerald was talking about him. I was wrong.

There a couple things we can deduce about Gerald's final project.

The diary entries in SA2 were written after the ARK incident took place. The fact that this project was only mentioned in the last one implies that it was just completed recently (at the time). This becomes more apparent with how he was scrambling for ideas in the entry right before that.

The project was "based off his original projections". To be based off the original must mean that the original came first, not the thing based off of it. On top of that, it being based off of Gerald's projections means that he's the one who designed it. This new project was based on something he made before.

Gerald's journal entries in Sonic Battle disqualifies the Gizoid from both of these.

The Gizoid existed long before Gerald began Project Shadow. He wasn't even the one who created it. He discovered the Gizoid after it had been buried since ancient times, long before Gerald was even born. To call something like this HIS project would be blatantly false.

Gerald himself said he had too little understanding of the ancient technology the Gizoid was made from, so it's not like he could've done anything to "complete" it, anyway. The only thing he did to alter the Gizoid was reprogram it's A.I to override it's default code.

The A.I wasn't the project either. The A.I in question was changed to prevent the Gizoid from becoming a weapon of mass destruction, and we see that this A.I was still active when we met the Gizoid as "Emerl" 50 years later. Gerald never went back to undo it, even when he went mad after the ARK incident.

The project isn't Shadow or the Gizoid. It also can't be the Biolizard on account of that coming before Shadow was created, and also before the Gizoid was discovered. This project was brand new and has never set foot on the ARK.

Gerald told Shadow to release and awaken his creation before starting the plan. However, what Gerald didn't account for was Shadow's amnesia. The subtle hints in Gerald's last message to Shadow completely went over his head because he no longer knew what they were referencing.

Shadow never went searching for this mystery creation, meaning that it must still be sealed away somewhere, forgotten.

Ok, we have covered "you" and "it". There is one more person left: The identity of "him".

Before Gerald instructs Shadow to awaken his latest project, he tells Shadow "I will leave everything to him". Like stated before, the use of "him" without any further detail suggests that Shadow should be able to figure out who that is. It almost sounds like the beginning of a scavenger hunt, with this unidentified man being the first crumb on this trail that was left behind.

The three candidates that immediately come to mind are Eggman, the Commander, and Black Doom.

Eggman was the one who had Gerald's diary, and blood relatives are often the first choice for things to be passed down to. There are two problems with this. First off, Eggman was just a child at the time. I don't think Gerald would like the idea of trusting the fate of his world-ending scheme to a young child, whose future is still uncertain.

Also, if Eggman really did have the diary handed down to him from his grandfather, he would've learned about Project Shadow years ago. Seeing his classic fights with Sonic proves that he already had enough fire power to get through GUN's security. I think the reason he only started in SA2 is because he found the diary shortly before the events of that game. The diary wasn't deliberately left to Eggman, nor was anything related to the project.

With the Commander, the same logic applies. Tower was just a kid, and he wasn't even related to Gerald. Sure, the Commander was friends with Maria and mourned her death, but Gerald had even less reason to believe someone else's child would grow up to go along with this.

The reasons the Commander went after Shadow in his game also weren't related to Gerald's genocidal plan. He wanted revenge against Shadow for being the cause of the ARK incident, and he saw that Shadow was created from Black Doom's DNA.

Speaking of which, Black Doom can't be who Gerald was referring to. Gerald and Black Doom may have both wanted to ruin humanity, but their methods of doing so conflicted with each other. Black Doom wanted to keep humans alive as slaves and food, while Gerald wanted all life on the planet to be obliterated. Black Doom would've interfered with this plan if he knew.

There's another glaring issue that encompasses all three candidates. Gerald was in a high security, government prison at the time of his final project's development. Gerald no longer had the advanced technology to contact the Black Arms in space, and the other two candidates were little kids. None of them would've been in contact with Gerald after the ARK was shut down.

There's something interesting about this picture of Gerald in his last moments. You see Gerald chained to a chair, no doubt by GUN. What I want to focus on is the wall behind him, the one completely covered with handwritten equations and calculations. Earlier in the game, we see that it's the same cell Sonic was kept in.

Gerald was definitely working on something during his imprisonment. Unfortunately, I can't read what any of it says, but it's fairly safe to say these were the calculations used to plan out the ARK's collision course and speed.

I don't know how he managed to hide all this from the prison guards. Come to think of it, did he really have to? Without access to a computer, it's not like it could go anywhere. I highly doubt GUN would give a super technological genius prisoner a fully functional computer. That would be like them begging to be hacked. And if he did have a computer, he could've typed all of this onto it instead of writing on the walls in chalk.

If Gerald was imprisoned during the development of his plan, and he had no computer to connect to the ARK, how did he reprogram it to collide with the planet? I think I may have an answer.

During Gerald's arrest, GUN stripped the doctor of all his technology. Any conceivable threat of being hacked or outside communication is ripped from his possession. At least, that's what they thought.

There is one thing they overlooked. Something that they may have allowed him to keep due to mundane medical reasons. Something so ordinary that it hid in plain sight.

The glasses. Granted, the ones shown in the picture belong to Eggman, but it's a real possibility that Gerald's glasses could've had similar capabilities.

However, we're talking about the 50s. Devices this small and thin wouldn't be enough to connect to an enormous government laboratory orbiting the planet. Gerald's technology was advanced, but there must've been limits. Besides, Eggman's glasses give us a hint on what their intended purpose was.

These glasses collect and process information. If they're able to do that, then it would be reasonable to assume they can also send that information elsewhere. I think that's how Gerald's plan made it out of Prison Island.

Accessing the ARK to send it there is improbable, if not nearly impossible. Not only is there a tremendous distance between the island and the outer reaches of orbit, but the ARK was shut down. Everything was turned off and it wasn't online to receive anything wirelessly. Again, this is the 50s, even the technology of a genius can only go so far without proper resources.

But there was another way for Gerald to go about this. If he can't reach the ARK directly, then he can get someone else to do it instead. He could send these formulas and calculations to "him".

Gerald sent his plans to someone on the outside, and that person followed the instructions. That's why they're all written on the wall. He needed it to be legible for the person on the receiving end, and since it's chalk, he can erase whatever parts he'd already sent and replace them with other important details.

That must be what he did for his final project as well. "I will leave it all to him". Gerald's not just giving this guy a new code for the ARK. He's also leaving the recipes and steps he used to create the Ultimate Lifeform, as well as new adjustments to improve upon them. Gerald was leaving "him" everything, to ensure that his revenge can live on.

Eventually, Gerald was executed, but not before leaving a promise of loss and despair. As for the identity of the one called "him"? I cannot say for certain. Although, we can piece a few things together.

Gerald put a lot of faith in this person.

This person's scientific prowess rivaled that of Gerald's, making "him" a fellow genius.

This person wasn't one of the scientists on the ARK who were arrested.

This person is someone Gerald expected Shadow to recognize, or at least someone he knew about.

Sadly, I can't think of anyone meeting all of this criteria ever being introduced in the games. That said, I'll end this post with a rough guess.

There is someone who could theoretically meet this criteria that was never mentioned in any Sonic game to date, yet we know had to have existed at some point by default.

What if "him" referred to Gerald's son, Eggman's father?

[dreamsclock]

okokokokok. so.

i have this au where a bunch of the dssmp members are gods - and dream is teh god of dream's, ironically enough

but it's the kind of gods where if you aren't worshipped, you start to vanish, because obviously if people dont worship you you arent needed to the people, right?

and so dream is this relatively small god who not many people know about- he's got maybe three temples left compared to techno's 50+, and he's rarely giving any offerings. he's frail and weak and not doing well.

parts of him start to fade. the end of his nose, his fingertips, the edges of his ears and toes. sometimes, an entire hand will fade until someone puts some kind of offering on a flame to him. he has to hide those days, so that nobody will see his translucent flesh and panicked breaths when he cannot move his fingers or when things fall through his hands.

he's been surviving almost entirely off of offerings that are directed towards all gods.

and the other gods - techno, god of blood and war, tommy, god of destruction and mischief, quackity, god of gambling and alchohol, sapnap, god of flame, so on and so forth - start to notice.

i hope you don’t mind me writing something for this WBDJFSDJ,,, god aus are SO fun and i couldn’t resist, especially with such an amazing description - don’t mind me brainrotting over this forever, fantasy aus and god aus are my JAM

warnings: dying, alcohol + violence mentioned, temporary character death (angst with a happy ending!)

"Nobody has time for dreams anymore," Quackity tells him blandly one day, eyes swirling whiskey and derisive pity, "they live in the real world now, Dream."

Dream has to bristle at that, body lining with abrasive tension. "You don't know what you're talking about," he replies, voice cool, "mortals always dream, and always will. It's part of who they are."

Quackity rolls his eyes. "Get with the times. Mortals dream, but their dreams are set in what reality can offer them." With Dream's sharp eyes still on him, he lets a poker chip roll over his fingers, twirling once, before disappearing into his pockets with a razor toothed smile. "They want to dream of winning big, Dream. They're not spending hours dreaming of fantasies."

"That's- not true." It's hard to deny, but, temper peaking, Dream steps forwards, making sure he gets in Quackity's space, and it's good to see the younger god backing off a little, eyes wary, because despite everything, Dream is still a force to be reckoned with. "People sleep. And people have to dream. And as long as there are families who still pass on my name, then-"

Quackity's hand shoots out, viper fast. He locks his fingers around Dream's wrist, and smiles pitilessly when his fingers close in on themselves, Dream's wrist little more than smoke. Staring in horror, Dream barely hears the other's next words.

"Better start reminding people," Quackity tells him casually, "or you'll end up like this a lot more than you want."

And then he's gone in a swirl of rattling poker chips and the smell of liquor, leaving Dream lurching forwards, breath hitching, skin clammy--

.

"You're not lookin' so good," Techno notes a week later, unease settling into the indifferent edges of his voice, "rough week on offerings?"

Rough decade, Dream thinks bitterly, but keeps his eyes trained ahead, stifling a snarl of jumpy irritation when Techno sits down next to him. He doesn't like other gods being around his temples anymore - they're so sparse nowadays that he much prefers to be alone in them - but as far as other gods go, Techno isn't so bad. "Something like that."

"Rumours are going round." Techno, after a few moments of companionable silence, speaks up. "'Bout you and divinity. They say you're runnin' low on offerings."

Dream's jaw clenches hard enough to break teeth. "They," he says, "you mean Quackity."

Techno grunts an affirmative. "Others are beginning to believe him," he replies, "you're not exactly saying anything contrary."

"Nothing to say." With an effort, Dream keeps his voice neutral. "I mean, people are going to find out eventually."

"...It's true, then."

Glancing over to his sort-of-friend, sort-of-rival, Dream watches the emotions flicker over Techno's face, all of them lightning-fast and impossible to decipher. "Mmn," he agrees, "but... it's a temporary thing."

Techno doesn't look convinced, but doesn't refuse his words. Instead, he lets Dream shuffle closer to him, and doesn't move back or complain when Dream rests his head against his shoulder. "Your head is still as big as ever," is all he says noncommittally, "I don't see that changin' any time soon."

Dream snorts, eyes watering, chest heaving, bustling relief, because this is normal, and Techno has faith he'll survive.

He wishes he had Techno's faith.

.

Two years later, Dream is lying inside his last surviving temple, eyes closed, wisps of smoke and children's dreams, when someone enters with a flame.

His energy - what's left of it - is drawn to it instantly, eyes flickering open for the first time in months to float towards it, divinity reigniting itself with a splutter and a spark. For the first time in days, he breathes - energy rushing into his lungs and veins and bringing him very much to solidity.

And to his surprise, when he looks down, the person pushing his candle into his temple is not a person at all, but a cat, eyes big and knowing.

All Dream can do is stare, for the longest time. The cat blinks at him, before continuing its mission to paw the candle into the temple, careful not to touch the flame. By the time Dream is coherent enough to speak, the candle is in the centre of the room, and the cat has brought friends - six other cats, all of them pawing round about his feet and ankles and legs as he sits crosslegged next to his candle, absolutely lost for words.

“Thank you,” he whispers, voice croaky and hoarse, “I don’t understand.”

“Animals dream too, you know,” a voice says softly from the entrance, “and they want to pay tribute to their god. It’s about time that they do.”

Dream glances up, and his eyes widen.

“Niki.”

She smiles at him, a cat in her arms and two twining around her feet. “Hello, Dream. I’m glad you woke up.”

And though he’s weak and translucent, though he’s frail, defensive about his own weakness, bit by bit he and Niki dust the temple. They light little torches that the cats lounge around in, some of them sleeping - dreaming, Dream thinks in wonder - some of them awake, watching dotingly. With each torch that is lit, Dream feels a little of his strength come back in bursts.

A long, long time ago, he had been the strongest god of all, living off dreams mortals gave him freely. He’s not that god anymore - he may never be again, in a world where broken dreams lie shattered at ungrateful mortals’ feet.

But one cat slides into his lap, falling asleep, and if Dream taps into her mind, he can see her dreams - soft edged, bubbly, of being pet and being warm, and he decides to fulfil that dream, gently running his hands along the cat’s fur.

“Her name is Patches,” Niki tells him, sitting next to him after a long day of hard work cleaning the temple with him, “I think she likes you.”

Tapping into Patches’ dreams, Dream can see her dreams have changed again. The indistinct hands petting her become two tanned hands, faintly freckled, faintly transparent. His own smiling face, mask and all, forms above her in the dream, and in the real world, Dream can feel the smile forming on his own face.

“I think she does too,” he agrees, and holds her closer.

He’s not the god he used to be. People with dreams are few and far between now - the naive, the foolish, the children, those with nothing left.

But Patches purrs in her sleep, and as Niki lights a candle for her, Dream thinks maybe this is more than enough.

[jemstarearrings]

S01E04 “Frame Up”

“Frame Up” ramps up the stakes in Ashley's arc, leading her to run away from Starlight Mansion and join the Misfits in terrorizing Jem in Las Vegas. Now, I wanted to write about what happens in Vegas, but the question that kept tripping me up as I wrote this was, “What is Aja’s relationship to Ashley?”

Aja and Shana were foster girls in the Benton household, but they’re never called sisters, but Jacqui and Emmett were their legal guardians, so are they Jerrica and Kimber’s sisters by law? Furthermore, if Jerrica is the legal guardian of the Starlight Girls after her father died, does she act as their mother? Does Mrs. Bailey, the caretaker, act as their mother? Are Kimber, Aja, and Shana also legal guardians, or is it just Jerrica? Then how did Jerrica get the legal rights to guardianship over all these girls when they initially lived in a run down old house without electricity and Jerrica didn’t have a job? Don’t you have to be married and have proof of regular income to foster even one child, let alone a half dozen?

Honestly I’m more concerned about the state of the 1985 foster care system than anything the Misfits do at this point.

Anyway.

Stormer's disguise at the casino was hilarious. It was so poor, but everyone fell for it! I think between this and the Jem/Jerrica distinction being so thin, everyone in this universe must be blind and deaf. They can’t tell who voices belong to, and even if you’re standing right in front of them with your face unobscured all you have to do is change your hair slightly and they have no idea who you are. It’s like Superman rules but even less plausible somehow.

Something a little more plausible, however, was that ending! The cliffhanger with Synergy being destroyed by the PI completely SHOCKED me the first time I saw this episode. Imagine being a kid in the 80s and having to wait a week after seeing that to find out what happens next. I would’ve given myself rug burn spazzing out about it in front of the giant TV on the floor in the living room.

Speaking of spazzing out, the last thing I want to mention before I get into the Misfits' crimes is how bad the animation gets in this one. "Too Close" has to be the worst music video visually in the entire series. The perspective alone gives me an aneurysm. I'm sure they must've put more effort into bigger numbers, like Music is Magic, so they cheaped out on less important ones, but man. I have no words.

I'm still giving this episode an A, because it was better than Kimber's Rebellion.

Roxy threatened to hit the show promoter with a poster, but didn't follow through. Believe it or not, that's also assault! 30 days, $1,500 fine.

The Misfits take Ashley to Nevada, which constitutes child abduction. This earns them 4 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

The Misfits, using Ashley, trapped Aja in the storage area of a coach bus bound cross-country. Something about this has to be illegal but I just can't come up with a charge. If anyone else knows what the charge would be for this, let me know!

The Misfits committed breach of contract, so they have to pay a penalty fee. It's never said what the fee is, so we'll just go with $1,000.

Eric committed criminal conspiracy again, and included the misfits by warning them, so each of them is charged for a cumulative total of 20 years and $1,000,000 in fines.

Zipper committed burglary by detonating explosive devices, so that's 25 years in prison and a $25,000 fine.

Finally, the Misfits tampered with a sprinkler system. This is actually illegal in California where the series takes place! The punishment is 1 year in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Total charges: 50 years and one month in prison, and $1,038,500 in fines. We finally broke a million in ONE episode! Woo!

[lathalea]

Hello My King! Yes, more questions for you!💙

8: What’s your favorite season?

50: Can you tell me about a fond memory of you and your brother Frerin?

👑 Welcome to Thorin’s Royal Ask Box! 👑

Good morning, my charming Lady Legolasse of the faraway Badass Forest!

I hope my letter finds you in good health. I hope that my last letter did not offend you. I assure you that both King Thranduil and his elk are well. One of them, the hairy one, may have a slightly sore behind, but the Queen of Mirkwood assures me that her husband will soon be right as rain.

When I write these words, I can feel spring in the air. If you do me the honour of visiting Erebor in the coming months, I will be more than happy to show you how both the Lonely Mountain and nature around it wake to life after a long and gloomy winter. I have always preferred this time of the year to others. Perhaps because of the hope it pours in our hearts as the sun melts the shackles of ice around our minds. Or perhaps because I know that it is soon time to leave the Mountain for yet another adventure. What about you, my lady?

Speaking of spring, it also reminds me of that time when Frerin was a tiny pebble. I myself must have been a lad of ten years or so at that time, but I remember those events quite clearly. Our Mother was constantly worried about my brother. He was almost four years of age and he had not spoken a word yet! She sent for all the best doctors from near and far but none of them could explain the reason behind it. They examined him, informed her that he was a very healthy boy with a clever mind who understood everything that one said to him – and yet he silently observed the doctors without answering any of their questions. My Father worried as much as my Mother, but he slowly began accepting the fact that his youngest son would never call him “adad”.

One day, my Father’s distant relative from the Iron Hills arrived in Erebor. She was his great aunt and I must confess that I, a lad dreaming of becoming a warrior and slaying monsters, was terribly afraid of her. When that lady insisted on me kissing her on her cheek, it turned out that her beard was unpleasantly scratchy. She smelled of mothballs and her shrieky voice made everyone freeze in horror. Servants cowered before her and our pets escaped whenever she entered a chamber. She was such an overbearing and haughty person that even my grandfather suddenly decided that it was high time to visit the King of Mirkwood (and he hated the King of Mirkwood).

The great aunt found fault in everything. She found our kingdom highly disappointing and her accommodation – much worse than the comforts of her own home even though she was placed in one of the most lavish apartments. For that reason, my Mother decided to keep Frerin away from her. A flaw in one of the heirs of Durin was something the great aunt would have been delighted to discover and gossip about to everyone who would listen to her. Unfortunately, that shrewd matron barged into the children’s rooms one day when Mother was spending time with Frerin and me. The lady from the Iron Hills quickly discovered that my brother did not talk.

“Four years and the boy does not speak a word?!” she exclaimed. “He must be a very stupid child!”

This was when Frerin opened his mouth and said: “And you are a very ugly lady!”

Needless to say, she felt truly offended and decided to return to her home at once never to come back again to Erebor. We had a great celebration afterwards – and Frerin sat at the head of the table, chatting with every single person who caught his attention. From that day on, he was the greatest chatterbox of our family, most probably making up for hirst first silent years. I like to believe that this is why Kili is such a prattle. It gets him into trouble but it is also a source of great amusement. Only… If you happen to visit us soon, pray, do not ask Kili to tell you any Orc jokes. They are almost as bad as goblin poetry.

Your humble servant,

👑 Thorin Oakenshield

📜 Thorin’s Ask Box question list

[zuluc]

im excited for the update tomorrow ☺️ the first chapter of dywc will be up @ 11 pm pst ! in the meantime, we can have another streamer steal out hearts for a little bit 🥴

kazuha doesn’t like to stream too much into the night because it cuts into the time he should be sleeping. he acts like he’s too old to stay up but denies all allegations about his late night writing sessions or 2am stargazings. but his chat convinces him to stay later quite often because, ot be very honest, his streams put them to sleep especially if they start at night.

if you guessed that it’s because of his voice, you are correct. 

it’s a bit like zhongli’s, someone friends with another streamer you know, in the way that it’s soothing to listen to. he doesn’t yell or shout, just mutters under his breath if something goes wrong or he gets scared by something. his laughs are light and airy that you could miss them if he isn’t that close to his mic. his chat likes to joke that he speaks in lowercase and he only looked straight into his camera in the middle of a game and spoke “i’m aware.” 

“you guys are like chairs.”

his chat: “aww because we give support??” referring to his gaming chair

“no. because i can’t stand you”

he gives a little hehe as the messages of shock come in

this also goes to show that he prefers to play chill games that require just clicking and no keyboard movement. he talks a little during games that do have those mechanics because he likes to focus on quick decisions rather than speaking in the moment. this happens during first person shooters and he stops for a moment after getting a kill for his team to say that he doesn’t want to play anymore.

“xiao showed me neko atsume last night and i want to play that instead of this”

if there’s one person left he just clocks out and lays back in his chair to just watch from behind a wall. gorou’s character comes into view and he just watches him before leaving and finding the opponent himself. 

“sorry gorou, i’m done. i want to go outside, the skies are clear and i can find constellations i was talking about”

he’s so comfortable with his streams and his audience that he can just up and leave at random times. despite streaming being what he does, he hates staying in one place for too long. some company sent him a vr headset to test out and that was all he played for a week straight at one point.

in one stream he does randomly bring up that he can play a leaf. everyone didn’t believe him so he made them wait for twenty minutes as he was looking for the right one in your backyard. he comes back with a straight face as he stays in the doorway to blow on it

“i told you so”

now this is where you come in ☺️

if you’re in the room but staying off to the side away from the camera, during a break he’ll lean over and kiss your forehead before standing up and going to the bathroom. sometimes his streams go late into the night and he’s been walking/moving around in his room so he gets tired, as one does. you come in with water and snacks to which he swivels around and smiles when he first sees you. forget the game and whatever he was saying, he wants the food and for you to sit next to him. 

or to sit on his lap because hey why not. 

if you’re there too you just watch and nod as he directs conversation towards you and you have to remind him that he’s streaming with a bunch of people watching. he turns back like “huh? oh, right” this happens often and he doesn’t even notice the comments about you guys in his chat

let’s move onto aesthetic,

besides his voice, people like to watch him because of how he presents himself. it’s a chill and calm environment despite some comments he may have here and there (he does have a soothing voice but the comebacks and roasts directed at his chat and friends,, he has absolutely no chill) it’s like he sounds like he’s complimenting you but the words say otherwise yk

in the back is a large fishtank beidou gave him and he has many in there named after his friends. it has its own lighting because he’s a sucker for decor with all of this being on a custom concrete table. the tank takes up like half the counter space so he decorates the sides with hanging plants and fairy lights. don’t judge him, he downloaded pinterest for a day and that’s what stuck

there’s a collectable katana hung up on the wall above the tank because he noted that every other streamer had a large piece of artwork. so why not a katana?

he’s a comfortable gamer anyway. full on hoodies and sweats because he likes to keep his room at -50 degrees for absolutely no reason. it does give him an excuse to throw you one of his jackets when you walk in so it’s a win-win if you think about it. on occasion, if he reaches a milestone or something, he’ll wear a silky dress shirt that’s cozy and nice. maybe he’ll even keep his hair down

but his hair is usually up with that red streak visible. a high ponytail is common if it’s hot outside (but with his internal room temperature of antarctica smh) or a low bun if he’s tired. someone sent him a maple leaf hair clip because he was dubbed as from canada after a stream with aether, and he wears it quite often

does he have piercings? yes. not on his ears though. :p

how do you think he can blow that leaf ?

[asthmark]

❝ chemistry ❞ o.st

synopsis → osaki shotaro moving to town means trips to the dance studio, boba dates, and the perpetual teasing of lee donghyuck. 

pairing → shotaro, reader

requested? → yes! based off @onlyjihoons​​’s shipping game answer ♡

word count → 5.5k (this was supposed to be 1k.... goodbye.)

a/n → i enjoy writing texting scenes WAY too much ;; tbh this is like 50% texts im cryign but i had to convey how much i love 00 line .... and also how firmly i believe in lee donghyuck devil supremacy. as always, feedback is greatly appreciated and enjoy! 

+

if someone were to ask you how you felt about your friends, you would without any hesitation, answer that you loved them to death. of course, if you were being completely honest, you would also have to add that you experienced the urge to strangle them from time to time. that might earn you a couple odd stares but you’re sure people would be more understanding if they knew who was in your inner circle to begin with.

for starters, there was lee jeno — tall, handsome, and the textbook definition of a gentleman. then, na jaemin, who you would consider to be the yin to jeno’s yang. an extremely energetic guy and, in your book, a total freak of nature ever since you found out that he inhales four shots of espresso on the daily. liu yangyang was a more recent addition to your group but, being as quick-witted as he was, he quickly fit right in. he also had a habit of going on somewhat aggressive rants in german which renjun found to be extremely amusing. speaking of, huang renjun was another one of your close friends — the shortest of the group, actually. (and, much to renjun’s dismay, that’s exactly how donghyuck liked to introduce him to people.) he was the type of guy you could trust to keep everyone in check which consequently made you mildly terrified of him.

however, it could never compare to the perpetual fear you have of lee donghyuck. 

of course, you love him to pieces but sometimes you really wish he didn’t find so much joy in, well, making everyone miserable. you couldn’t deny it was funny to watch him tease and taunt your other friends. you still remember him purposefully messing up renjun’s game at the local arcade just when he was about to reach his high score — and also the way renjun had tackled him to the floor right then and there, resulting in the six of you being banned from the place. or, that time he offered to pay for everyone’s starbucks orders only to tell the barista that jaemin’s name was ben dover. (to no one’s surprise, yangyang had found that joke particularly hilarious.) you can also clearly recall how hard you had laughed in both of those situations.

but, donghyuck never let anyone laugh for too long.

according to him it was ’only fair’ to make sure each of his friends was at the receiving end of his gags. so, despite laughing at his latest victim’s expense, each of you knew that donghyuck would make sure you were in the same position sooner or later.

you definitely weren’t expecting it to be your turn one dull friday evening.

things are going slow for you as you sit at your desk, typing away on your laptop. school has been out for hours and your professors have decided to be saints and leave you little homework for the weekend. beside you, your phone dings, alerting you of the new text message in your group chat.

[4:23 pm] hyuck: i’m bored 🥺

[4:23 pm] you: plz never use that emoji again

[4:24 pm] nana: it’s misleading dude

[4:25 pm] yangx2: yeah like when have u ever made a face that isn’t this 😈

[4:25 pm] renjun: donghyuck is the devil = confirmed

[4:25 pm] nana: CALLED IT

[4:26 pm] hyuck: u guys are literally so evil

jeno laughed at “u guys are literally so evil”

[4:27 pm] jeno: look who’s talking lol

[4:27 pm] you: dangg u know it’s bad when lee jeno disses u

[4:28 pm] jeno: ...ngl it kinda feels like ur shading me rn

[4:28 pm] you: u would be correct :)

[4:29 pm] hyuck: um HELLO can u guys go back to paying attention to me???

[4:29 pm] renjun: what do u want, diva?

[4:29 pm] hyuck: i just wanna spend some quality time with my best friends ;(

renjun disliked “i just wanna spend some quality time with my best friends ;(”

yangx2 disliked “i just wanna spend some quality time with my best friends ;(”

you disliked “i just wanna spend some quality time with my best friends ;(”

nana disliked “i just wanna spend some quality time with my best friends ;(”

jeno disliked “i just wanna spend some quality time with my best friends ;(”

[4:30 pm] hyuck: OH COME ON

[4:30 pm] yangx2: i think what u meant to say is that u wanna make one of us very miserable today, right?

[4:30 pm] hyuck: .....no comment

nana renamed the group chat “hyuck hate club”

[4:31 pm] hyuck: ok i’m honestly feeling so attacked right now

[4:31 pm] jeno: well now u know what it’s like to be friends with u

[4:31 pm] you: so true king omg ur on a roll

[4:32 pm] hyuck: hmm okay so either jeno or y/n is gonna be today’s target, got it

[4:32 pm] hyuck: anyway can u guys come down to the dance studio now??

[4:32 pm] you: what makes u think i would go anywhere near u when i know ur plotting ur revenge on me as we speak

[4:32 pm] hyuck: because maybe i’ll have mercy on u and just terrorize jeno instead

[4:33 pm] you: good enough for me! thnx bestie, see u soon!!

[4:33 pm] jeno: HEY

nana laughed at “good enough for me! thnx bestie, see u soon!!”

[4:34 pm] yangx2: u literally cannot trust anyone in this friend group

[4:34 pm] renjun: ikr isn’t it great???

you might have been slightly out of your mind to willingly go see donghyuck knowing you had teased him in your group chat earlier. although, if there was a slight chance he would show you mercy if you did hang out with him, you were going to take it.

the studio was where you had first met donghyuck, along with the rest of your friends due to the dance classes you attended. after bumping into each in between classes and during practice, you began to get well acquainted. turns out, the six of you actually got along incredibly well and after a while, you began to share routines and tips, even choreographing together from time to time. obviously, this led to the infamous group chat being formed and lots of time spent outside the studio as well.

but, none of you had lost that love for dancing. in fact, forming your little clique had only made it grow. as you opened the front doors of the building you had made so many memories in, you wondered if donghyuck wanted your insight on a certain routine or needed some help choreographing. of course, there was also the possibility that he really was just bored and wanted you to suffer with him.

what you did not expect, however, was to see him caught up in conversation with another person. you couldn’t clearly see them with donghyuck in the way; all you knew for certain was that your best friend’s mouth was moving a mile a minute. you tentatively tiptoe into the room, hoping to not intrude on their discussion. but, at hearing the doors creak open, donghyuck puts his rant on pause to enthusiastically wave you over.

you sigh, putting your belongings down and approaching the pair. as you near, you notice that hyuck has a huge smile — no, smirk — on his face. you internally curse yourself for believing that he would ever pass up an opportunity to torment you, especially in front of a stranger.

“this is a very dear friend of mine,” you hear him introduce to his acquaintance. “her name is y/n. she dances, too.”

“oh, that’s really cool!”

the stranger’s unusually cheery tone prompts you to finally peek behind donghyuck and put a face to the voice.

and what a face he has.

“this is shotaro,” donghyuck informs you. “he’s new to town and quite the dancer. caught him in the middle of a routine.”

your knees almost wobble as you take in the stranger — shotaro’s — kind eyes that almost sparkle. (you aren’t sure if it’s because of the fluorescent lights of the studio or just part of his charm.) his lips are curved up into a friendly smile that makes you feel slightly giddy. his hair falls into his face almost perfectly, not a strand out of place and you’re uncertain as to how that’s even possible since, as donghyuck had said, he was dancing. not to mention, there’s not a bead of sweat on his face. did this guy come straight out of a disney movie or something?

“excuse her,” donghyuck chuckles. “good looking people tend to make her freeze up. don’t worry, this happened when she met me, too.”

you offer your friend a glare and an elbow to the side and you swear you hear shotaro chuckle. you turn to him instead, putting on a welcoming smile.

“my bad, i just—”

“got lost in his eyes?”

you pinch the bridge of your nose. “donghyuck, please don’t make me have to attack you in front of our guest.”

more giggles escape shotaro. (you swear it’s the prettiest thing you’ve ever heard.) you curiously tilt your head at him.

“sorry, it’s just that, you guys are too funny,” he admits with a sheepish smile.

you mirror his grin, slightly relieved he was amused instead of weirded out. “yeah, well, just wait ’til you meet the rest of us. it’s like a circus show, you’ll love it.”

“hello, clowns!”

“speak of the devil,” donghyuck murmurs, watching as yangyang and renjun enter, followed by jeno and jaemin.

“woah, who’s the cutie?” yangyang asks renjun, in what you presume he thinks is a whisper. however, yangyang has never spoken quietly a day in his life. renjun simply shrugs at his question.

having clearly heard the compliment, a faint blush creeps onto shotaro’s cheeks.

“guys, this is shotaro,” donghyuck answers, tugging the sandy blonde forward.

he gives a somewhat shy wave. “hi, y/n’s friends.”

jaemin erupts into laughter. “uh oh, looks like he likes y/n more than hyuck.”

“don’t blame him,” jeno mutters.

shotaro’s forehead creases, face suddenly twisted in worry. “oh, i’m sorry, was i not supposed to say that?”

“oh no, don’t worry,” donghyuck denies, quickly. “i’m sure y/n doesn’t mind at all, right?”

if you could crawl into a hole to avoid the embarrassment, you would. of course, donghyuck was 100% right; you really didn’t mind shotaro calling the group that if it meant you could hear him say your name over and over again. in fact, his sweet voice could probably make the dictionary sound like the most addictive song. but, donghyuck had no right putting you on the spot like that.

jeno suddenly speaks, catching on to your flustered state and donghyuck’s evil grin. “so, it’s y/n’s turn today? sweet, i’m off the hook!”

shotaro furrows his brows slightly. “huh?”

“oh, it’s just an inside joke,” jeno says, smile reaching all the way up to his eyes.

you wish you could strangle him right then and there for finding amusement at your expense but the last thing you want is for shotaro to think you’re some sort of psychopath. (although, with a friend group like this, you’re definitely beginning to think that’s where you’re headed.)

“got it,” shotaro responds, breaking out into a grin himself. “you guys seem like a really close bunch!”

“the closest,” donghyuck corrects, overly sweet, as he wraps an arm around you. (you resist the urge to shove him off.) “you’ll fit right in!”

+

you believed that the torture was over the day donghyuck introduced shotaro to your group. you would probably just see him from time to time and the studio (hopefully without hyuck around) and it would all be downhill from there, right? the latest notification on your phone alerts you that you are absolutely wrong.

hyuck has added one (1) user to the group chat

[1:05 pm] hyuck: welcome shotaro!!

[1:06 pm] unknown: oh hey guys! :]

the emoticon almost makes your heart beat right out of your chest. you roll your eyes in frustration at how easily affected you were by this guy. seriously, why did everything he do have to be so cute? regardless, you quickly add his number to your contacts.

[1:06 pm] hyuck: why don’t we do a little roll call so shotaro can save ur numbers to his phone

[1:07 pm] yangx2: YANGYANG

[1:07 pm] yangx2: HA I WAS FIRST

[1:07 pm] jeno: ...

[1:08 pm] jeno: anyway this is jeno :)

[1:08 pm] nana: jaemin present!

[1:08 pm] renjun: hi shotaro, this is renjun

[1:10 pm] shotaro: haha cool thanks a lot, i just saved all ur numbers!

[1:10 pm] shotaro: but quick question, is y/n in this group chat? :0

you almost drop your phone at reading shotaro’s message although you’re unsure why. he just typed your name, get it together, you urge yourself.

[1:11 pm] you: heyy shotaro! i’m right here :)

[1:11 pm] shotaro: oh yayy! i’m so glad ^^

hyuck disliked “oh yayy! i’m so glad ^^”

[1:12 pm] hyuck: shotaro plz return my love what does she have that i don’t T-T

[1:12 pm] nana: a heart

[1:12 pm] yangx2: a brain

[1:12 pm] jeno: a conscience

[1:12 pm] renjun: a functioning moral compass

[1:13 pm] hyuck: wtf

[1:13 pm] shotaro: ahahaha it’s like i’m watching a comedy

[1:14 pm] you: told u it’s a circus

[1:14 pm] you: i say get out while u still can

[1:14 pm] shotaro: whaatt and leave u behind? no way!

nana renamed the group chat “shotaro x y/n supremacists”

[1:15 pm] jeno: my thoughts exactly

[1:15 pm] renjun: took the words right out of my mouth

you cringe at your friends’ blunt behavior, praying shotaro didn’t find their antics to be too strange.

[1:16 pm] shotaro: 😳

[1:16 pm] nana: aww someone’s shy

[1:17 pm] renjun: he wouldn’t last a day in itzy

[1:17 pm] yangx2: HELPP

you shake your head, laughing silently to yourself as you mute the group chat and place your phone back down. although, moments later, you receive a direct message. you presume it’s one of the boys trying to rope you back into the chat but the moment you see the contact name, you’re forced to do a double take.

[1:21 pm] shotaro: i hope i’m not bothering u but i just wanted to make sure ur okay .. you kinda went quiet in the gc :>

[1:21 pm] shotaro: it’s shotaro from the dance studio btw!

you can’t help but find the fact that he seriously thought you wouldn’t remember him adorable. how could you ever forget a face like his?

[1:22 pm] you: that’s so kind! i’m okay, i promise. i’ve just had to put up with those dorks for way too long, sometimes i just ignore them haha

[1:22 pm] shotaro: lol yeah they do seem like a handful! but i look forward to getting to know them better!!

[1:23 pm] shotaro: and u too ofc~~

it takes all your willpower not to spam dozens of heart emojis in an attempt to show shotaro just how he has reduced you to a lovesick fool. instead, your response is short and sweet.

[1:23 pm] you: right back at u, taro! ♡

+

“okay, take five,” donghyuck pants, pausing the music blaring from the speakers.

you gladly obey, wiping away the light sweat you had worked up from the latest routine you and hyuck were constructing.

you both belonged to the same dance class and frequently paired together for partnered projects. the rest of your friends attended different classes, which you constantly joked was for the best since there was no way one dance instructor could possibly handle the six of you together.

“how do you feel?” donghyuck asks you, running a hand through his tousled hair.

“the choreo’s great, i’m proud of what we got so far,” you reply. “of course, i would be happier if i didn’t have to get so up close and personal with you.”

donghyuck scoffs at your joke. “i can’t do anything about that. the teacher said the whole concept of the routine is supposed to be is intimate.”

you fake a gag, failing to contain a laugh when hyuck playfully shoves you in offense.

“i’m sorry i can’t be shotaro,” he adds, a smirk forming on his lips.

you roll your eyes. “oh, very funny.”

“c’mon, you’re acting like you wouldn’t kill to have him as your partner, especially with choreo as spicy as this.”

“well, it would beat being paired with you,” you remark, picking up your water bottle and taking a swig.

“hm, then looks like today might be your lucky day,” donghyuck replies, eyes trained somewhere behind you.

you follow his gaze, nearly choking on your water as soon as you catch sight of shotaro entering the studio. he meets your eyes, plucking out his earbuds and offering you a small wave.

“oh, hey guys!” he exclaims, cheerfully.

“hey ’taro,” you greet, rather quickly, earning you a knowing glance from your partner.

“’taro?” hyuck repeats, amused, as he folds his arms over his chest. “you guys are already on cute nickname basis?”

shotaro giggles, eyes squinting adorably as he does so. “it is a pretty adorable nickname, right? she’s the only one who calls me that!”

your heart beats faster when you see how oddly excited that seems to make him. did he somehow find it endearing?

“seems like the two of you are becoming quite close, hm?” continues hyuck.

shotaro nods enthusiastically before glancing at you tentatively, as if to check for confirmation.

“yeah, you could say that.”

your agreement causes yet another smile to grace shotaro’s lips — this time he seems relieved. you briefly wonder if the kid ever stops flashing those pearly whites of his. you certainly hope so, or else your heart may never catch a break.  

“well, since you’re comfortable enough with each other,” donghyuck begins, flashing you a grin.

you’re not even sure what he’s gonna say but you already feel the need to put an end to it. after all, nothing good has ever come of donghyuck’s mischievous grins. you subtly purse your lips and narrow your eyes in an attempt to get him to stop whatever chaos he’s planning to ensue.

nevertheless, he proceeds. “maybe you could help me out with this choreography?”

you want to facepalm at donghyuck’s lame excuse of a lie. however, on the other hand, shotaro’s face lights up in delight.

“you’re working on choreo? what for?” he inquires, curiously.

“for our dance class,” hyuck explains, motioning towards you. “i have a couple ideas so i was thinking you two could maybe try out some steps i’m planning to include. you know, to help me... visualize.”

“that sounds awesome,” shotaro responds, oblivious to your friend’s untruths. “i would love to help you guys out.”

“great!” donghyuck claps his hands together. “just a heads up, the theme of the routine is intimacy, so i wanna see all that charm of yours, shotaro. it’ll, uh, help me choreograph.”

you cringe at the obvious fib. meanwhile, it’s as if a switch has gone off in shotaro’s mind. his smile fades and his eyebrows knit together. “hold on, i-intimacy? does that mean—”

“that you’ll have to get a bit touchy-feely with her? yeah,” donghyuck interjects, innocently.

“y’know... i’ve really been wanting to dance with her.” he faces you, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. “just never thought it would be like this.”

you offer him an apologetic smile. “i know, it might be a bit... uncomfortable. you can back out if you’d like. i promise hyuck and i won’t mind.”

shotaro’s head shakes, vigorously. “no, of course not!” he must realize how quick he was to deny your offer, making him suspiciously eager to be close to you as he immediately adds, “i mean, it’s good practice.”

you suppress a giggle. “sure thing. hyuck, should we get started now?”

the boy in question dramatically picks at his nails, acting as if he had been waiting on you both for hours. “if you guys are done flirting, then, yeah.”

you roll your eyes, shooting shotaro a mildly annoyed stare. he grins, finding it to be equally amusing as it is endearing. (what can he say, the faint pout that appeared on your face was cute.)

“shotaro, how about you get in position right behind her.”

shotaro obeys, making sure to leave a significant amount of space between the two of you. however, donghyuck doesn’t seem to approve.

“closer!” he commands. “the concept is intimacy, not social distancing!”

shotaro shuffles forward, pressing his front into your back. you can’t help but notice how firmly toned his chest is. curse his dancers body, you think.

“okay, now, lemme see your hands on her waist!”

you feel the breath of shotaro’s shaky exhale on the back of your neck as he obeys, sliding apprehensive hands around your midsection. there’s silence on donghyuck’s end and through the mirror you watch him observe the two of you, no doubt acting way more pensive than he truly is. you know he’s just prolonging your flustered state by keeping you in this intimate position with the younger boy.

although, shotaro himself might know it too, considering the fact that he begins to rub comforting circles into your sides that he’s currently gripping, as per donghyuck’s request, in an attempt to calm you down. you nearly melt right then and there. at the same time, you hope he doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon.

donghyuck calls out your name, successfully startling you and putting an end to the peaceful atmosphere. “why don’t you go ahead and lean on his shoulder. just lay your head back nice and easy— good, very good! look at that chemistry!”

if you’re being sincere, reclining on shotaro feels way more natural and enjoyable than it should. he steadily holds you in place, almost as if he secretly wishes to never let go. you wouldn’t be completely opposed to the idea either.

“alright, last thing, guys! y/n, how about you hook your arm around shotaro’s neck?”

you do so, fingers brushing softly against his jaw. he shivers beneath your touch, erupting into giggles when you shoot him an odd stare.

“i’m ticklish,” he confesses, in a whisper.

you can’t help but smile widely. “is that so? hm, i might have to exploit that information sooner or later.”

“as long as donghyuck doesn’t find out,” he replies.

his comment certainly gets a chuckle out of you. “did you finally realize how evil he is?”

“if the torture he’s putting you through right now is anything to go by, then absolutely.”

“only a matter of time before it’s your turn,” you reply. you lean into his ear to add, “by the way, this is anything but torture for me.”

“hey! no whispering!” donghyuck reprimands.

for the first time, shotaro goes against the older boy’s orders to whisper back, “it’s mutual. if anything, i think this is the best thing i’ve done since i moved here.”

your heart melts at the sincere admission. you stare at shotaro in what you’re sure is a very obvious case of heart eyes. you’re taken aback to find that he, too, returns the lovesick look. perhaps he was immersing himself a bit too much in the intimacy concept...

“stop! pause! cut!”

you and shotaro (reluctantly) untangle yourselves from each other to face a seemingly unhappy donghyuck.

“can you guys please just focus on my instructions without falling in love with each other?” he pleads. “i mean, you haven’t even gotten out of the starting position yet.” he groans, exasperated. “actually, you know what, just take five.”

+

[2:03 pm] hyuck: good morning

[2:03 pm] nana: it’s 2 o clock in the afternoon but ok

[2:03 pm] hyuck: i just woke up, therefore it’s morning

[2:03 pm] shotaro: good morning :3 did u sleep well?

[2:04 pm] hyuck: i slept a wonderful 27 hours, thnx for asking!

[2:04 pm] yangx2: ?????? THERES NOT EVEN 27 HOURS IN A DAY IM SCREAMING

[2:04 pm] you: LOLLL WHY WAS HE HIBERNATING

[2:05 pm] renjun: i was just gonna ignore him but i am genuinely concerned now

[2:05 pm] shotaro: woww,, well at least you’re well rested now! :]

[2:04 pm] nana: shotaro, i am begging u not to encourage him

[2:04 pm] you: all it takes is one (1) supportive person and he becomes an unstoppable force of evil

[2:04 pm] shotaro: o_0

[2:05 pm] jeno: besides ur like the only other person here with common sense besides myself and maybe renjun. i can’t lose u to donghyuck :(

[2:05 pm] renjun: ykw i’m not even gonna argue with that

[2:05 pm] yangx2: yeah shotaro is a good guy™

[2:06 pm] hyuck: i hate u guys and ur goldfish attention spans

[2:06 pm] you: sigh what do you need hyuck?

[2:06 pm] hyuck: i want boba :(

[2:07 pm] you: that actually sounds really good but idk if it’s worth being around u

[2:07 pm] hyuck: i’ll pretend like u didn’t just say that <3 what if i paid?

[2:07 pm] you: ....

[2:08 pm] yangx2: LMAO HYUCK BEING NICE IS SUSPICIOUS BEHAVIOR

[2:08 pm] renjun: ikr it’s making me super uncomfortable rn

[2:08 pm] hyuck: can’t i do something nice for my friends? :/

[2:08 pm] jeno: no

[2:09 pm] nana: nope

[2:09 pm] yangx2: nah

[2:09 pm] renjun: absolutely not

[2:09 pm] you: never seen it happen before so no

[2:10 pm] hyuck: u guys are so fake :( shotaro do u wanna hang out with me? if u say no i’ll scream :)

[2:11 pm] shotaro: yeah i guess i could :]

[2:11 pm] renjun: oh this just got interesting.. i guess i could tag along

[2:11 pm] yangx2: me too, i gotta be there to record whatever happens

[2:12 pm] nana: i’m in

[2:12 pm] jeno: same

[2:12 pm] you: hhhhh okay fine.. only to ensure taro’s safety

[2:13 pm] shotaro: (^з^)-︎♡

+

due to the fact that you believed donghyuck was going to try and officially initiate shotaro into your friend group with one of his infamous pranks, you decided to head to the boba shop. you hoped that if you showed up, you would be able to prevent whatever mayhem he had planned or at the very least, provide some damage control.

you pushed open the door to the quaint building, the bell dinging to announce your arrival. your eyes immediately lock onto the table in the far back since it was where you and your friends always sat — you had practically claimed it. you expect to see all the chairs filled but, to your surprise, only one person occupies the space.

osaki shotaro.

he beams, probably relieved to finally have some company in the otherwise empty shop. (after all, you weren’t sure how long he had been sitting there all alone.) nevertheless, you allow yourself to wonder — just for a second —  if maybe he was just that ecstatic to see you. the way he enthusiastically waves you over seems to be in favor of that theory. it’s almost confirmed when you reach he table and he pats the chair beside him.

you let out a soft laugh. “the whole table’s empty, ‘taro.”

“i know,” he admits. “i just really want you to sit next to me.”

you swear you could break down in tears simply from the way he’s looking at you; like you’re all he needs. it’s pure adoration.  you wonder if that’s how you look at him too. you can’t help but ask yourself if he, too, notices your longing stares.

you decide that you would be a monster if you denied shotaro his wish, so, you internally prepare yourself to sit next to possibly the sweetest boy you’ve ever known. yet, that proves to be difficult as said boy stands up to pull out your chair like the gentleman he is. you shoot him a grateful smile, mentally dethroning jeno as the most well-mannered person you know and passing the crown on to shotaro.

“so, how long have you been waiting for?” you ask, resting your elbow on the table and leaning into your palm to stare attentively at the boy to your right.

“actually, i only got here a couple minutes before you. we did agree to meet up here a quarter before three, right?” he asks, slightly confused.

you nod in confirmation. “honestly, i think we got set up.”

shotaro tilts his head. “really? why would they do that?”

“might have something to do with our ‘chemistry’,” you explain, quoting donghyuck.

the japanese boy’s mouth falls agape, as he comes to the realization. “oh, so they literally set us up.”

“mhm,” you agree, smiling ever so slightly.

shotaro must be paying closer attention than you thought because he picks up on your grin. “what’s with the smile?”

you shrug, feigning uncertainty. “i guess i just don’t feel so bad about being set up if it’s with a certain cutie i know.”

“oh?” he raises a brow, cheeks growing as he too mirrors your lovestruck look. “should i be worried about this guy?”

“certainly not,” you reassure him. “i’ve only got eyes for one.”

you see a faded tint of pink rush to his cheeks and you find it adorable how your confession flusters him. you can’t help but caress the supple skin as gently as possible. shotaro leans into your touch, his own hand coming up to cup your own, almost as if he were holding you in place. after a couple moments of basking in the intimate moment, you retract your hand.

“maybe we should try and get hyuck to include that in the choreo, huh?” you suggest, a teasing smile on your lips.

shotaro chuckles, “sounds good to me. i might even ask if i can fill his position, too. if not, i just might get jealous.”

you playfully shove him and he raises his hands in surrender. you chuckle, grabbing one of the menus that litter the table, planning to offer shotaro some help choosing an item from the list that is surely unfamiliar to him but it seems something outside the window behind you has caught his focus instead.

“looks like we have an audience.”

you take a deep breath at his words, preparing yourself for whatever it is you’re going to see upon turning around. when you finally do, all you manage to catch is five heads ducking beneath the windowsill, in a weak attempt to not get caught.

“of course,” you nearly laugh. “they’re so predictable.”

shotaro seems to find the situation humorous as well, if his amused tone is anything to go by. “to be honest, we should be thanking them. they got us together.”

“oh, so we’re together now?” you inquire, raising a brow.

“w-well, i mean, if you want to. i-i definitely want to.”

“no need for stuttering,” you reassure him, reaching over to stroke that one ticklish spot on his neck. “to quote a very wise — and handsome — young man, ‘it’s mutual.’”

he smiles at his own words being recited to him. “i don’t know about you, but i think we should seal the deal.”

“interesting. how do you suppose we do that?” you ask with faux curiosity. you certainly had some ideas of your own.

“maybe... a kiss?” shotaro leans forward, eyes closed expectantly as he taps his cheek. you resist the urge to pinch his lovely, round baby cheeks. he peeks one eye open to add, “for the audience, of course.”

you giggle, completely and utterly love-struck by the boy before you. in fact, you are so enamored by him that you decide to go the extra mile and press a sweet, chaste peck to his lips.

it seems as if he himself didn’t expect it as his eyes snap open, hand coming up to cup his lips in shock. when he finally uncovers his mouth, you see there’s a dazed, giddy grin on his face that let’s you know the smooch was very welcome pleasant surprise.

your phones simultaneously go off, alerting you of incoming messages. it’s a given that it’s none other than the group chat.

[3:15 pm] nana: that smooch was romcom worthy i’m so impressed right now

[3:15 pm] jeno: shotaro is living proof that being a gentleman has its perks! everyone in this gc should take notes!

[3:15 pm] yangx2: HERE IHAVE THE VDIEO OF THE WHOELE THIGN IF ANYOEN WANTS IT

[3:16 pm] yangx2: attachment: 1 video

[3:16 pm] yangx2: SORURY FOR THE TYPSO MY TEARS ARE BLURRIGN THE KYEBIOARD

[3:16 pm] renjun: can we get boba now?

[3:16 pm] renjun: oh wait my bad, congrats to the new couple :-)

[3:16 pm] renjun: to celebrate they should pay for everyone’s drinks.. just a thought

[3:17 pm] hyuck: ur welcome, y/n and shotaro ;)