#blue shell incident

[vinesaucejoelfacts]

FACT:

ᶦᵗ'ˢ ᵃˡᵐᵒˢᵗ ᶜʰʳᶦˢᵗᵐᵃˢ

[puppetdaily]

Handio from Blue Shell Incident

[sneakyaxolotl]

HE'S GOT A GUN, DUCK!/ref

He's got a gun!

[thegreateyeofsauron]

HEY QUIET DOWN IM STROKING MY CANNOLI! WAHHHH! (splat) (fart)

[jonijo2001]

valentine for real gamers

[photondoesstuff]

Just a few more hours remain.

[inkskinned]

crows use tools and like to slide down snowy hills. today we saw a goose with a hurt foot who was kept safe by his flock - before taking off, they waited for him to catch up. there are colors only butterflies see. reindeer are matriarchical. cows have best friends and 4 stomachs and like jazz music. i watched a video recently of an octopus making himself a door out of a coconut shell.

i am a little soft, okay. but sometimes i can't talk either. the world is like fractal light to me, and passes through my skin in tendrils. i feel certain small things like a catapult; i skirt around the big things and somehow arrive in crisis without ever realizing i'm in pain.

in 5th grade we read The Curious Incident of the Dog In The Night-time, which is about a young autistic boy. it is how they introduced us to empathy about neurotypes, which was well-timed: around 10 years old was when i started having my life fully ruined by symptoms. people started noticing.

i wonder if birds can tell if another bird is odd. like the phrase odd duck. i have to believe that all odd ducks are still very much loved by the other normal ducks. i have to believe that, or i will cry.

i remember my 5th grade teacher holding the curious incident up, dazzled by the language written by someone who is neurotypical. my teacher said: "sometimes i want to cut open their mind to know exactly how autistics are thinking. it's just so different! they must see the world so strangely!" later, at 22, in my education classes, we were taught to say a person with autism or a person on the spectrum or neurodivergent. i actually personally kind of like person-first language - it implies the other person is trying to protect me from myself. i know they had to teach themselves that pattern of speech, is all, and it shows they're at least trying. and i was a person first, even if i wasn't good at it.

plants learn information. they must encode data somehow, but where would they store it? when you cut open a sapling, you cannot find the how they think - if they "think" at all. they learn, but do not think. i want to paint that process - i think it would be mostly purple and blue.

the book was not about me, it was about a young boy. his life was patterned into a different set of categories. he did not cry about the tag on his shirt. i remember reading it and saying to myself: i am wrong, and broken, but it isn't in this way. something else is wrong with me instead. later, in that same person-first education class, my teacher would bring up the curious incident and mention that it is now widely panned as being inaccurate and stereotypical. she frowned and said we might not know how a person with autism thinks, but it is unlikely to be expressed in that way. this book was written with the best intentions by a special-ed teacher, but there's some debate as to if somebody who was on the spectrum would be even able to write something like this.

we might not understand it, but crows and ravens have developed their own language. this is also true of whales, dolphins, and many other species. i do not know how a crow thinks, but we do know they can problem solve. (is "thinking" equal to "problem solving"? or is "thinking" data processing? data management?) i do not know how my dog thinks, either, but we "talk" all the same - i know what he is asking for, even if he only asks once.

i am not a dolphin or reindeer or a dog in the nighttime, but i am an odd duck. in the ugly duckling, she grows up and comes home and is beautiful and finds her soulmate. all that ugliness she experienced lives in downy feathers inside of her, staining everything a muted grey. she is beautiful eventually, though, so she is loved. they do not want to cut her open to see how she thinks.

a while ago i got into an argument with a classmate about that weird sia music video about autism. my classmate said she thought it was good to raise awareness. i told her they should have just hired someone else to do it. she said it's not fair to an autistic person to expect them to be able to handle that kind of a thing.

today i saw a goose, and he was limping. i want to be loved like a flock loves a wounded creature: the phrase taken under a wing. which is to say i have always known i am not normal. desperate, mewling - i want to be loved beyond words.

loved beyond thinking.

[nemesyaaa]

from the sea // pirate!rafe cameron x mermaid!reader

summary ; he was the too scary captain of the ship, and you were the too gorgeous mermaid of the sea. you were on his way, he was on your territory.

but mostly, you were not allowed to go on the surface alone since your mother's death because of dangerous and killer men like him. so when you unfollowed the rules of your father, you faced the consequences.

genre ; fantasy blurb. siren x captain dynamic.

warnings ; fantasy story ? possession. rafe has whip scars/and one eye. fear enthousiast. slight of violence. reader is a mermaid with tail. light gun play mentions and using. smut. gaslighting. dubcon. no shells on breasts reader. webbed fingers. lust as a sin.

author's note ; it's a 3k words. no songs inspiration for this one. i just wanted to make a fantasy au.

you were that kind of beauty that aspired to make all men go crazy over you, and it was for this reason that you had taken so many pirates adrift, to their bodies to their ships. you were beautiful and indeed the bewitching and seductive creature that legends and tales spoke of, but you were also the dangerous monster that the captains with monstrous scars on their faces and marks on skin who had survived your man-eating canines were whispering about in the back of a tavern to overly curious and drunk sailors.

you were the wife of all the gods but above all, those who defended their oceans. but only since your mother's death, your father firmly forbade you from going to the surface, either alone or accompanied. you were forbidden by the all-powerful sovereign of the seas. and his law was indisputable because he was the king and the monarchy. one day as his daughter, you will also be the head of the kingdom, and hold the power as him, even if you're not interested in it.

but like all girls your age, you had trouble listening to your father. no, you had this innocent and blind thirst to chase men. and, you had never had an incident before, so what could stop you ? you only had to slip into the clear waves, and let your magical and fairy body disappear through the eddies of the water which made your flowing silhouette as fast and shiny as a shooting star. the feeling of diving into the soft waves that play hide and seek with your sparkling and enchanted tail while the water gently embraced your mermaid skin was always the best.

you were the only dazzling thing of the perfect blue. the sweet and salty waves kissing your nakedness and long mermaid tail illuminated with colorful reflections ran alongside the rest of your bared chest in the flapping of a fin. you looked nothing like a fish that fishermen wanted to eat, but you looked like an underwater creature that captains wanted to capture.

one stormy evening, you decided it was time to go to the surface. you needed to break the rules to survive. with all the youth and rebellion of your free will, you had left the abyssal depths to face the dangerous world.

the sea was raging, and the waves were decidedly uncontrollable and violent. the shadow of a boat disturbed by the marshy assault of the storm on the waves wavered from one end to the other. that meant you were going to be able to have fun. you could also hear from here the agitation of the crew, the fear and the tension building. you easily spotted the captain because he was much taller and broader, the one who didn't frown a single eyebrow, and who remained calm as if it was the storm that should be feared. his voice shouted orders that you couldn't hear because of the raging sounds of the hard weather. he had a parrot on his right shoulder, and bangs stuck to the sweat of his forehead lightly sweeping his face. he looked delicious, you licked your bottom lip, flicking your mermaid tail to move.

you barely lifted your head out of the water in a crashing entry, emerging from the water by sending your hair flying back, a splash of water falling noisily into the waves and attracting the attention of the sailors above of the boat.

“ captain, captain, look !! there’s a siren ! ” said a sailor who pointed a finger toward you.

“ she's gorgeous ! ” replied another.

“ those tits…”

“ stop being horny, that creature can kill you. i don't pay all of you to do all the work so everybody on the ship move his fucking ass before i throw you all on that storm. am i clear ? and if i don't hear a yes right now, i will let that siren eat every single piece of yours. . ” warned the captain with a deep and somber tone.

“ captain yes, yes captain. ” echoed all the sailor voices.

“ man, you can't say that when you have a fucking boner while looking at her. ” commented a sailor.

“ shut your mouth, barry. it's not her at all. ”

“ do you think i'm dumb to think it's one of the men on the ship ? come on, you can lie with that mouth but that hard dick in your pants betrays you. don’t worry, nobody is immune to tits, especially when they're wet as a fucking pussy.”

“ mind your business. ”

“ as you want, captain. ”

a smile appeared on your soppy lips, as you disappeared again into the tormented waves. you had surrounded the ship, swimming only around the boat. you loved it when everyone was fascinated by you, catching with their eyes all your flawless moves as a show.

water being your domain and your home, you took the initiative to do some twirls by immersing your entire body in the water to bring out only your tail as you leaped to the surface with some back flips and observing your audience. you stood on an icy rock, resting your webbed and manicured fingers against the stone.

“ someone is gonna fucking do his work here ? ” shouted the captain. he was actually running out of patience because of his crew being so attracted by the siren. “are you all dumb on purpose ? this is exactly what she wants, to get all of your attention, and kill you. ”

“ captain accept there is nothing you can do. that woman is too stunning. ” cutted one man, literally drooling over his huge beard, giving up his activity for you.

“ do you think she cares about you ? you're just a prey for her. but right, this is not my problem. you can leave my ship and die. ”

once comfortable on the rock, , you begin to open your mouth to sing a sweet song that would bring them as well as this storm to their doom. your voice was just a trap to lure men.

you had no shells on your breasts as the tales loved to tell. actually, you were completely naked from the top, water running down your chest to your mermaid glowing tail. your skin was still cold and damp, like your eyes. but it shone through the moon, and the white pearls on your body lit up every inch of your flesh like stars. you were of a beauty that had thrown more than one sailor into the water. you were in the image of no god, no man, no woman, you were the angel of the sea. you had a throne in every wave, a kingdom wherever you swam.

your hair fell deliberately on your shoulders, and your angelic voice currently pierced all the foam. the storm was raging, and you appeared as their savior, a halo of light projecting above you to cover your superb figure. you were beautiful and unrealistic like a work of art.

when you weren't expecting it, one of the men you had guessed to be the captain had lowered a boat. he was certainly tall and imposing, a long coat covering his entire frame, and immense leather boots with roughly tied laces on his feets as he approached you. he had a pistol stuck in his glistening and leathery belt, and above all an eye patch over his face. you took a look at the cross scar hidden in his shirt of which you only saw the scary top of the burned mark of the probably iron.

he rowed up to you, until you felt his scent replacing the salty smell of the sea. you quickly understood that there was nothing like the other men you had managed to charm. not unlike the others, this man seemed to be able to corrupt anyone, men and women, humans and mermaids alike.

he placed his boat near the rock to look at you more closely.

“didn’t your father warn you not to come near men like me? i’m sure he did gorgeous, i bet you’re just not smart enough to listen to him. ”

you backed away but he put his gun on the tip of your tail to stand you still, making you shake. “y’know what that means? I’m in charge here. ”

“let me go!” you responded, waving your tail limply, but he pushed his finger against the trigger of his gun to scare you.

"you'll leave when i decide. so stand still because from now, all your rules are made by me. ”

“you should fear my father, he will kill you.” you replied.

he laughed in a mocking tone, and moved closer to you with a smirk. “you could kill me too though, couldn’t you mermaid ? but look at you, shaking like prey ready to die by my hand.”

“are you going to kill me?”

“ is this a question or a wish ? or maybe a dirty mermaid fantasy ? ”

“i don’t want to die.”

“If that pretty mouth can sing like it does then it can beg too, don’t you think? If you want me to spare you, you’re gonna have to be a bit more convincing.”

he lowered his gaze towards your glossy and watery body, his weapon buried in the flesh of your stomach, before slightly moving up to your breasts, your nipples arching against the gun. you shivered at the contact of the metal against your skin.

he slid the gun up to your throat, pushing the barrel against your vocal cords. you coughed, and placed a hand around his.

he had sworn "oh fuck...legends don't tell all the things siren can do to a man…"

your webbed fingers, surrounded by tiny fins, had found their effect on him. you looked so sweet and innocent, but you were a creature who knew how to be machiavellian so he had to keep an eye on you.

“you don’t want to die?” he asked, repeating your words.

rafe was not a man of morals, he made fun of laws and conventions. and above all, why would he deprive himself when a beautiful mermaid was willing to do whatever he wanted just to be spared.

you were desperate, and frighteningly attractive. rafe would be lying if he said it didn't stimulate him. his cock was clearly hard and painfully stretched against the leather of his pants, forming a bulge just below his belt. and it was starting to be so uncomfortable. he only wanted one thing, it was to fill your soppy mouth surrounded by divine dripping lips until he felt your throat tighten around his dick, because his girth prevented the air from passing into your cavity.

oh yes rafe cameron was cruel. he wanted you to die, but in a completely different way.

and what he wanted, he got. he was a captain admired and respected by all and who had a high reputation both on the seas and on land. he was rich and miserly. he had as much money as he had girls.

he pulled down his pants, freeing his thick length to reveal it before your eyes. you'd be lying if you said you'd seen one before. It was the first time you saw something that big, it was terrifying. you didn't even know what this sailor wanted you to do with it so you looked at him with curious and desperate eyes.

oh that innocence burning in your gaze had shot a charge through rafe's body and his cock had twitched, letting precum drop on your face and the blood inside him completely heated.

"open your mouth...yes, like that. show me your tongue, i'll help you, gonna tell you how to do it.”

he had thrust himself into your mouth before giving you instructions, telling you how to make him feel good, while his dick found a way to your throat. you were even wetter inside than a real woman and it felt perfect and insane. you started to suck him, your lips vibrating around his throbbing girth that stuffed you real quick.his tip was slightly salty from the precum dripping from it that you had swallowed, making the ship captain above you groan.

pushed by his grunts and his tight grip through your hair, you pumped him faster because you were starting to understand how it worked. he never tired of your lips that foamed, and fully encircling his cock which as you licked got bigger and bigger, your naked tummy spiraling as the growing feeling.

with one hand, he had plunged himself completely into you, your head completely trapped between his firm fingers, and your nose buried in his pelvis. you gagged on him, a spurt of drool coming out of your mouth when he pulled out, as you gurgled strongly . your saliva hung from his glistening tip down the length of his hardened dick, all the way to his heavy balls.

he re-positioned himself inside you, his massive dick now dripping inside your soaked mouth as you continued to suck and lick with the fear knotting in your stomach of being killed. but you could feel that his body was relaxed, his muscles were loose, and you could hear every deep sound of pleasure coming from his lips.

he was both fascinated and over the moon, because your wetted tongue twirling around his hot cock was perfect. oh if he could have fucked you, he would have. he couldn't help but fantasize about how he would have fucked you on this rock, his large hands on your tits caged them like bra and pressing them against his thick fingers that would easily crushed them.

he also loved how your throat was so capricious, clenching around him while your tongue hungrily brushed his entire growing bulge. the feeling was intense, and you could hear his breaths become harsh.

that's what he liked about corruption, you were too good for him, a creature blessed by all the gods who had nothing to do with a mortal as rich as him, because you were too divine , too wonderful but at that moment, you were in the same rank. you were at his mercy.

you placed your wet hands on his hips, leaving trails of water on his body and impressive marks of whip that left scars on his skin. rafe could have sworn it was the gentlest touch in the world. the tiny fins around your fingers, tracing the straight line of his waist, down to his firm ass as you sucked him to death, drove him so crazy with your long soaked tongue that made him gasp.

and even if he was not a believer, he was convinced that heaven could not be so wonderful.

a few minutes later, his dick had convulsed around your mouth, and you felt large hot streams filling your throat down to your tummy. you swallowed, and he smiled before stroking your hair gently.

“ good job, little mermaid. don’t you deserve a reward for that ?”

you didn’t really know what that meant but you nodded.

he had taken a long pearl necklace from his pocket. “turn around. let me help you. ”

and you complied. he had hung the expensive and luxurious jewel around your neck, the length of which was so long that he had to make several turns until a hundred white pearls covered the entirety of your bust, dangling around your handsome tits.

“do you know what that means?”

you moved your head to say no, and he responded. “that now you belong to me. you’re my prized possession. you need to understand that now you can't leave. without me. ”

he had found a treasure and he was going to keep it. after all, he was a pirate, he stole everything the ocean had. and sirens were not an exception to the rules.

“i want to see my father.”

“mermaid, you are mine, and mine only.” he responded while caressing your soppy cheek. “ you don't need your dad anymore, just me. ”

you lifted your gaze to meet the most beautiful blue eyes you ever met. he was handsome as the devil, and you couldn’t deny it. but you were a mermaid, you belonged to the ocean, not to a man.

you tried to run away but he stopped you by placing his leather boot on your mermaid tail with a smirk, before leaning forward to grab you by the throat, your upper body was arched, his biceps caged your vocal cords tightly, his thick fingers pushed further in your mouth to forced you to behave, your drool dripping over your hanged jaw.

“what did I tell you about making silly moves, huh? behave, unless you want to die. you know what’ll happen if you act up? what you did earlier, with that pretty mouth, we’re gonna do it again. except this time instead of my cock, it’ll be my gun and if you stop, I shoot. And I know you don’t want that, right?”

" no…”

“ yea ? better to be alive. ”

you nodded. because it was true.

"now i have my men waiting for me. but don't worry, you're coming with me.”

“ that's a kidnapping — ”

“ do you think i care ? because listen to me, i don't fucking care. do you know what it means ? that you can pout, cry, scream, whatever tantrum you want to shout, it will not change anything. ”

you shivered when his hands stroked your shoulders, the icy metal of his silver rings brushing your skin. “ don't you want to be cherished ? see that world ? look up, because it can be yours. ”

“ you're not afraid that i can eat you ? ”

“ didn't you see my scars ? i fear nothing, even if you dig those canines in my skin, you will be the only one to be scared of what i can do to you. because babe, be mean to me, i dare you to, and i will be meaner. ”

“ where are your scars coming from, they're huge. and it's not sirens. ”

“oh, it’s a horrible story for a little mermaid like you. stick to your fairytales. so are you gonna come with me willingly or do we have to do things the hard way?”

“ sound like a trap. ”

“ sound like you're smart. ” he mocked.

“ i'm gonna follow you. but don't be too happy, my dad will find you before sunrise. so you're soon a dead man. ”

“ such a mean baby, already wishing that i'm dead. but careful, don't make me correct that mouth myself. it's not the kind of thing you will like. ”

“ because there is a good thing you can do with my mouth ? ” you were curious.

you turned your gaze toward him, and he lifted a brow, not believing your words. “ mermaid, you never kissed a man ? ”

“ show me what kissing is. ”

“ Why would I kiss the mouth that curses me ? ”

“ Should i ask those men on the ship? ”

because of his possessive side, categorically refusing to share you with his crew full of grotesque men, he had leaned down to grab your jaw and press his lips against yours.the feeling was so strange, but your mermaid tail was waving on the cold stone. “seems like you enjoy being kissed. ” he said, as his tongue swirled with yours. “ want to be kissed endlessly ? yea ? then don't make me repeat myself and move that fucking tail to the ship. ”

[asliceofzosan]

in which Zoro takes the blame for not paying for the food at the Baratie (sequel to Sanji witnessing the riceball incident in Shells Town)

Ribeye steaks piled one on top of the other, a massive helping of mashed potatoes with boatloads of gravy, salads, soups, and fancy dishes with names Zoro can't pronounce — all made up the massively long order list that he knows Luffy has not a single Berry to his name to pay with.

Zoro looks around the place, tuning out the story of the giant goldfish that Usopp has told them before, his eyes resting on the blonde waiter flitting about and flirting with every woman at every table.

Sanji was his name. Zoro didn't recognize it. But when he arrived to their table and saw Zoro, it looked like their resident waiter recognized him. Zoro's reputation in the East Blue is not a laughing matter, so it didn't bother him at first. But the way Sanji stared at him, wide blue eyes and with a touch of a smile on his lips, told Zoro that there's something a lot more than recognition swimming in that man's head.

He can't put a finger on what it is exactly though. It's driving him crazy.

"Waiter, can I get a beer and something for my friends?"

Sanji turns to him and nearly steps back in shock. Zoro quirks an eyebrow, confused and a little annoyed. He wore his best clothes today (Captain's orders). And he's pretty sure he even took his mandatory once-a-week bath before they went inside (Nami's orders). Still the waiter looked at him like Zoro had grown a second head. Like he couldn't quite believe his eyes.

"Maybe there really is something wrong with your eye," Zoro muses, crossing his arms as Sanji quickly straightens his posture and shoves his hands into his pockets. "Got a problem with me, waiter?"

Sanji coughs out a laugh. Zoro notes with narrowed eyes that there is the slightest tint of pink coloring his cheeks. Is he blushing? The fuck?

"None at all, sir. I think I was just seeing things." The look in the waiter's eyes betrays his statement but Zoro chooses to say nothing. With a practiced smile, he turns back to Nami and asks her how she'd like her water that makes Zoro stare at him this time like he's grown a second head.

"And um..." Zoro is surprised Sanji hasn't left yet and is once again directly addressing him. "We have a few specialty riceballs not on the menu today. I'll bring them out... on the house."

Without even explaining what the fuck that meant, Sanji turns on his heels and beelines straight for the kitchen.

"I think Nami's boyfriend might be yours too, Zoro." Usopp teases him with a snicker and the glare he gives him is sharper than the blades of his swords.

Now, here Zoro is, letting Ussop's words affect him more than they have any right to as he downs his third bottle of beer.

The specialty rice balls haven't come out yet. Zoro's starting to think it's just a sick joke. But he doesn't let it get to him. Or tries to. Why offer free food when you can't deliver on it? Fucking ridiculous. And no, it's not like he suddenly craved rice balls when the blasted waiter mentioned them. That's not it at all. Bullshit.

"Didn't the waiter said he's coming by with rice balls?" Zoro finally snaps and the conversation his crew was having died down immediately at his statement. Ah fuck. He probably should have just kept his mouth shut because Nami was now looking at him with a shit-eating grin not entirely unlike the one he gave her when he teased her before the meal.

"How would you like them, oh great swordsman?" She teases with a glint in her eye. She cups her cheeks with her hands in delight at the irritated snarl Zoro gives her.

"With or without seaweed?" Ussop chimes in.

"Cubed or crushed?"

"Fuck off," Zoro hisses between his teeth. Nami and Ussop share a look before bursting into laughter. Zoro looks over at Luffy who was swinging his feet and obliviously sipping his milk. When Luffy makes eye contact with him, he just tilts his head with wide blank eyes and it makes Zoro question all his life choices.

"You wanna ask him?" Luffy says, already clamoring over the booth and waving at the object of Zoro's unexplained irritation. Zoro sinks into the seat as Sanji approaches with the bill for their meal.

"Your bill, sir."

"Zoro's asking if you're gonna bring the rice balls you promised." Zoro just stared up at the ceiling and thought of a million different ways to cut a hole into the floor so that the ocean could take him.

There is a headache inducing silence that follows Luffy's question. Zoro can't help but finally look at the waiter and he doesn't know how to explain the feeling that bubbles up when they make direct eye contact. Maybe it's indigestion. It's probably indigestion.

Instead of bringing up the damn rice balls, Zoro just grabs the tray with the bill from Luffy's hand. Just as expected, his annoyingly endearing captain put down an I.O.U for the ridiculously long list of food they ordered. Several possible scenarios could happen from this. And Zoro doesn't want to think about Luffy wreaking havoc in someone else's kitchen.

With a deep sigh through his nose and a knowing look at Nami, Zoro wrote down his own name in place of Luffy's.

"Zoro, what—" Luffy almost took the bill back when Zoro stood up and handed it directly to the waiter, who looked just as dumbfounded as the rest of them.

"If your head chef's got a problem with that, he can talk to me directly. Tell him that for me, won't you?" Sanji takes the bill, reads what's written, and there's a phantom lurch in his chest that happens when Sanji looks up at him and smiles. Zoro doesn't want to describe it. He'll allow himself to firmly believe that it's a side effect of eating too much food. It's indigestion. You're just constipated. Never mind that the feeling is most prominent in his chest and not his stomach.

"Of course, sir." Sanji purrs and the sound runs like a cold river down Zoro's spine. There's a hint of mischief in the gleam of his visible eye. Every instinct in Zoro tells him it's dangerous. He should take his crew out of here, onto the Merry, and run.

But he stays rooted to the spot, wrist limp on the hilt of his sword, as he watches that damn waiter walk away from him.

"WHO THE HELL IS RORONOA ZORO?!"

The steady routine of washing the dishes helps quiet Zoro's racing mind.

It's a very welcome distraction. The clinking of the ceramic against metal utensils provides a cacophonous symphony that helps drown out all of Zoro's waking thoughts. The sooner he starts to think, the sooner he starts to notice how that stupid fucking waiter has just been sitting at the table behind him, cursing Zoro with his mere presence.

Scrub scrub scrub...

"You sure you don't want any help?"

Scrub scrub rinse...

"No."

Scrub rinse dry...

"I really have nothing better to do."

Zoro's eye twitches.

"Good for you."

A long silence follows this and Zoro thinks the waiter finally gave up. That was until...

"Are you still mad about the rice balls?"

"Oh my god!" Zoro nearly slams a pile of dishes onto the floor. He turns to Sanji, who is just casually smoking at the table, and stomps over to him. Once he was right in front of him, Zoro snarls at him, one hand on the hilt of his sword.

"Talk about those damn rice balls one more time, I'm gonna chop your head clean off for them to use in tomorrow's ramen stock."

Sanji blinks, then turns his head to the side to blow smoke away from Zoro. Zoro tries to convince himself that he isn't staring at the way Sanji's lips purse around the cigarette in the process.

"I can still make you the rice balls," Sanji says without a single ounce of fear in his body. "I just couldn't do it while the old man was around." He then stands up and steps around Zoro with a practiced grace. "Are you willing to wait ten minutes?"

"I'm not hungry," Zoro hisses but his stomach betrays him with a loud grumble. He's been washing dishes for so many hours. He probably missed dinner.

Then, as Zoro straightens his posture, Sanji does it again — he smiles and Zoro doesn't know what to do.

"Sit." Sanji gently nudges a chair out with his foot. It lands perfectly in front of Zoro at a perpendicular angle. "I'll have them out in five."

"You said ten minutes." Zoro found himself saying, only to be contradictory. Sanji laughs this time and the resulting smile pierces Zoro's heart with a million cursed swords.

"When someone's hungry, I feed them." Sanji says simply and that's the statement that ends their conversation. Zoro still refuses to sit on the chair, instead finding himself gravitating towards the counter that Sanji was preparing his ingredients at and leaning against the marble.

Before Sanji found them at their table, he brought down a marine and a fearsome pirate with just his feet. Zoro was fascinated by his fighting style even if he didn't want to admit it out loud. But he's always been curious. Especially now, with Sanji whipping out the sharpest knives and using them effortlessly as Zoro would wield the Wado Ichimonji.

"You're good with knives," Zoro says before he could stop himself. Sanji chuckles.

"Of course, I am. I'm a chef. Best one in the East Blue."

"What's a chef doing waiting tables, then?"

"Cause I was kicked off the line this morning. It's a weekly occurrence, nothing special." The way Sanji scrapes his ingredients into a bowl betrayed how he felt about it despite his nonchalance. "I can cook better dishes than everyone in this damn kitchen but Zeff refuses to acknowledge that. It's always 'your food is crap', 'slice those carrots thinner', or 'needs more fucking oregano—"

Sanji throws the knife onto the cutting board, its tip now embedded neatly straight down the middle. It stood perfectly still, like it was afraid of what Sanji could do if he added more pressure. Zoro raised an eyebrow, looking up at the now irritated cook with a smirk.

"Sorry," Sanji mumbles, taking the knife and cleaning it carefully with a cloth. Zoro says nothing. He just props his elbow on the counter and places his chin into his hand as he watches Sanji in his element. Eventually, it's down to just shaping the rice balls with his hands and Zoro asks the question that poked at his mind during Sanji's mini outburst.

"If you're so dissatisfied cooking here why don't you just leave?"

Sanji pauses. His head is down, his blonde fringe obscuring one eye as his fingers twitch against the rice ball.

"It's not about that."

"Yeah?" Zoro leans as close as he could get with the counter between them. Sanji still refuses to look up. "A hot-headed cook who claims to be the best in the East Blue settling down here — where he is not head chef — is as contradictory as it gets."

"You don't know–" Sanji snaps but stops himself immediately. He looks up to glare at Zoro through narrowed eyes. "You don't know why I still stay."

"Enlighten me then, cook." Zoro leans his hip against the counter. "Because really, someone as good as you claim to be has got to have some ambitions. Dreams." Zoro holds the man's gaze. "Do you hate the old man?"

"No!" Sanji counters immediately. "The man fucking raised me. I owe him my goddamn life!"

"Owing him your life isn't the same as giving up your life to work at a restaurant that barely lets you cook."

"You don't know shit!" Sanji nearly slams his fist down on the counter, pointing a finger at Zoro with his face beet red. "This restaurant was his dream—"

"But is it your dream?"

Silence. Total utter silence.

Where color is nothing but a dark void of black and grey, a sea of blue greets him from the pages. Vivid pink skies and tangerine mangroves burst to life. All types of fish swim in his mind's eye but if he reaches out to touch them, it certainly should be real. A phantom breeze kisses his cheeks and water laps at his feet. He's drowning but he swims in delight. He's falling but he feels the clouds cushion him with warmth.

There is a vast ocean out there, one that contains delicacies and species from all four seas. Creatures of every kind, spices that have never been tasted.

The All Blue.

In Sanji's world of black and white — he strives to find the one place that's in screaming color.

There are tears in Sanji's eyes before Zoro could comprehend what was going on. But he wipes them away before he can get a good look at him. The kitchen was quiet around them. The only sound peeking through was the faint music from the bar outside. Though Zoro's heartbeat was louder in his ears than his own breathing.

But he could hear each footstep Sanji takes, the scrape of the plate as it's pushed in Zoro's direction, and the click click of Sanji's lighter as he helps himself to another cigarette. Zoro looks down and sees the rice balls presented in front of him — three heaping helpings, all coated in a different topping, all different flavors.

Zoro takes one.

And it's the best rice ball he's ever had in his life.

"I have a dream," Sanji murmurs, cigarette hanging loosely from his lips. One glance and Zoro could see that whatever his dream is... it still burns like molten lava in the heart of this chef. "I'd just rather give up on it than die searching for mine."

Zoro swallows, turns around, and takes the cigarette from Sanji. The ashes fall into his palm, its embers dimming as he squishes it between his fingers.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Zoro says, looking up to make eye contact with Sanji. He can see it almost immediately — the longing for something that seems near impossible to achieve, the acceptance that it's hopeless — but Zoro sees it, clear as day, that the flickering flame of hope still shines in Sanji's eyes. That he's just waiting for his sign to let it once again consume his soul in a roaring fire, brighter than even the sun could be.

Zoro wants to see him shine.

"Come meet my captain," Zoro instinctively wraps his hand around Sanji's wrist. Surprisingly, Sanji doesn't pull back. "I think he'd really like to get to know you."

Sanji doesn't protest.

Zoro takes the rice balls to go.

Never waste food.

[nekrosdolly]

haunting you - a. wesker x reader

you're a stripper and he's a scientist who's never felt the touch of another.

a/n; first wesker piece i've written in a whiiiile so i'm sorry if this is a little clunky!!

content warnings; set in 1998 before the mansion incident, jill moonlights as a bartender, virgin!wesker, stripper!reader (no set stripper name), wesker is in his late thirties (38), reader is 21, loss of virginity, brief dry-humping, sex (p in v), dirty talk, technically bottom/sub wesker, top/dom reader, this might be ooc (im rusty), light petplay (you call him a puppy and he almost creams), whiny wesker, slight condescension from the reader, not proofread as always lol

terms of endearment; darling, sweetheart, dear, puppy (wesker)

wc; 2.460k

You stare at your reflection in the vanity mirror, one of many workers tonight who are less than strapped for cash not unlike yourself. Since you were legal, you’d made the choice, albeit degrading, to start stripping. That was three years ago. Now twenty-one, you’re less naive and smarter with your money, but still lacking financially. Not to mention, you’d been at this club for three years, why change that? No real job would take you if you told them what you’d been doing as a makeshift career anyway.

And so you stare. Your makeup is kept simple but alluring enough for most anyone to be drawn to you, but your outfit is the real showstopper. Strappy and black, you’re nearly naked, but you’re used to that by now. The usual pre-performance jitters have struck you once again, leaving you with cold feet and nerves that aren’t much warmer. Even in the back rooms, you can hear the bass-heavy music and high whistles of men vying for more of whomever’s attention. It’s enough to draw you from your shell and with a few deep breaths, you force yourself away from the vanity. The path to the stage is short, much to your chagrin, and the lights are hotter than hell when you step out to the shiny stage. While you get no cheering, you get your own special welcome of drunken customers whistling lowly and the occasional whoop. 

You know from experience that, while intoxicated, watching someone work the pole is hypnotic at the least. Your audience can hardly take their eyes off of you, rolling your body against the chromatic steel pole. It’s still warm from the previous dancer. Your anthem for tonight is seductive and slow, as most dancers’ songs are, and your face is the peak of seduction even as the inebriated crowd douses you with cash of all varieties.

After the dance, you’re slick with the slightest sheen of sweat. Nobody ever said dancing was easy, even the exotic kind. You walk to the bar, swaying your hips with every step. Despite the money you’d earned from your on-stage performance, you’re hounding for more. You refuse to leave with less than your month’s rent tonight. So you saunter to the bar, your sultry gaze scanning the sea of people carefully.

“A drink?” Jill, the bartender asks as you lean against the bar. She’s always liked you, so she slips you a free drink now and then.

“Please,” you nod softly and she smiles, ready to make your usual as a platinum-blonde man approaches you. He offers you no smile, just a somewhat menacing stare. You’d be scared if there wasn’t something so virginal about him. Otherwise handsome, with pale skin and blue eyes behind slightly dorky prescription glasses. Not to mention, he’s dressed in a suit.

“Lovely show,” he says with a somewhat nasally voice. Like clockwork, you smile and sip the cocktail Jill slides over to you. His lips twitch slightly at the corners- a smile by his terms in return.

“Thank you, honey.”

“Of course, dear.” He takes a seat on the stool beside you, flagging Jill over for a cocktail of his own. He seems confident, though you’re not sure if it’s because he’s got money or because he’s talking to someone attractive. Your gaze remains steady on his face, although his trails much lower on you before flicking up to meet your eyes. Weird, you could’ve sworn they were blue just a moment ago…

“Do tell, darling,” he ghosts a pale, elegant hand over your shoulder, “how much would a few hours of privacy with you cost me?” 

Just looking at him, he seems like he has money. He reeks of crisp bills that can hardly fit in his overflowing wallet. Part of you wonders just how much you can get out of him. Your performance left you with roughly $360- not quite enough. Should you play your cards right, he could be your last customer for the night.

“Three hundred per hour.” You say with that same smile. He doesn’t flinch at the number like most men might. Then again, you get the feeling that he’s not like most men. He seems respectful, too- maybe you were wrong and he’s a regular, or maybe he doesn’t want to get kicked out. He nods and you finish your drink quickly. He does the same.

“Shall we?” He gestures to the back of the club where there’s less light and doors that lead to private rooms. If he were allowed to touch you, he’d offer you his arm.

-

You can always tell the experience level of men when they’re alone with you, away from friends whom they might try to fool with a hyper-masculine persona. This man- whose name you still don’t know- is similar to that. He grows a bit more fidgety, maybe out of impatience, and when he sits down on the plush velvet booth surrounding the stage, he struggles to stay still. He clears his throat quietly and looks away from you as you straddle him.

“So tell me,” you purr, cupping his jaw and guiding him to look at you in all your seductive glory. The way your hair is styled compliments your makeup, the curve of your pliant flesh between the straps of your skimpy bikini bottom that’s adorned with black gems, and your top decorated with those same gems. His cheeks heat up at the smooth sound of your voice, red tinging his alabaster cheeks. Nervous eyes trail up your body to meet your own, your heavy gaze inflicting arousal upon him. The heavy feeling pools in his gut, his cock twitching to life in his boxers.

“What’re you looking for? A lap dance? Something a little more?” It’s a little late to be asking that but you get the feeling he doesn’t mind. Even though you’re just hovering, you can feel a hint of the bulge in his pants.

He swallows thickly.

“What would a little more get me?” He asks quietly, his hands unsteadily hovering around your waist. Seeing such soft skin begging to be touched makes his mouth water. Little do you know- you might, given how anxious he seems to be- he’s had very few chances to touch someone as gorgeous as you. He’d taken none of those chances and to this day, remains a virgin. He’s not used to being so close to someone like you.

“Sex, sweetheart.” You rub his cheek with your thumb, resisting the urge to tease him into oblivion. Technically, soliciting sex is against club rules, but what your boss doesn’t know won’t hurt her. “Would that cost extra?” “Yeah, it would. You buying?”

“H-How much?”

“An extra three hundred.”

He rushes to grab his wallet from his pocket and dig out the three hundred. You smile as you take it from his trembling hand and tuck it into the waistband of your panties.

“Thank you…”

“Albert.”

“Thank you, Albert,” you settle your full weight onto his lap, really feeling the extent of his boner under your clothed cunt. He groans quietly, biting his bottom lip as he stares wantonly at you. A soft giggle escapes your throat, “just a few rules though.”

He gulps and nods, trying his hardest to pay attention in favor of rutting against your warm, inviting cunt like a dog in heat. You let go of his face.

“One; you cannot leave bruises- no hickeys, scratches, bitemarks, etcetera. Two; no kissing, I need my makeup to be perfect. Three; I’m in control and if you have a problem, speak now or forever hold your peace.” You give him a moment to voice any protests, but he’s quiet as a mouse.

“Fourth and finally, if you cum inside of me, you’re paying me an extra hundred per load. Do you consent to all these rules?”

“I do.”

“Good man,” you feel his cock throb at the praise. Albert sucks in a sharp breath as you slowly roll your hips, a shaky exhale following when you guide his hands to your waist. His hesitance feeds your confidence like fuel to a fire. He tips his head back, each movement against his clothed cock forcing a pathetic whine from the back of his throat. He bites his bottom lip hard and true to a virgin’s ways, his climax is approaching quickly. Sure, he’s masturbated before, but this is much different. You’re so pretty and wet, your dripping arousal soaking through the gusset of your panties. Watching him slowly come undone, the menacing facade melting into the mess he’s trying so hard not to be is satisfying. You’re relatively unphased, even as his cock bumps your clit with the perfect amount of pressure. He’s getting too close to cumming.

“I-I’m going to- Wait, please,” he grips your hips tight, making you still, “I need to be inside of you.” You nod softly and scoot back a little, allowing him to unzip his fly and shove his pre-cum stained boxers down so his cock stands free. Pale fading to pink at the tip, weeping with sticky, salty fluid- he’s long, about three fingers thick, and clean-shaven. He looks down at your hand as you grab his length, cooing quietly at him with faux sympathy and stroking him once, twice.

“Please,” his hands ball into fists with the effort of his restraint. Needy, half-lidded blues meet yours again, “please fuck me.” 

“Sure, sweetheart.” You chuckle softly and push your panties to the side, careful of the cash hooked on your waistband, and shuffle closer. He nearly cums the moment you lower yourself onto his achy length, his mouth dropping open. You wince slightly at the stretch- it’s on you for forgoing prep, but how can you deny him when he’s so pliant in your hands? His hands shoot our to grab your waist firmly, struggling to maintain what little composure he has left. Panting, his cheeks are bright red, and he can’t stop looking at you. 

He allows you a moment to adjust- though it’s mostly for himself to will himself to avoid cumming on the spot. You’re wet and warm, gummy walls surrounding his length perfectly. It’s even better when you start moving, rolling your hips smoothly. Hands on his shoulders, you keep yourself steady as you ride him. Soft moans fall from your lips, his cock brushing against your spongy g-spot deep within your velvetine walls. He’s all but whimpering, his perfectly aligned teeth digging hard into his pale pink lower lip so hard he might bleed.

He does once you lean forward and move faster, your face just inches from his. If you hadn’t set the rule of no kissing, he’d be pressing his lips to yours to hide his pathetic noises. 

“You know,” you murmur, locking his eyes to yours again, “you look kind of like a puppy.” His cock kicks inside of you at that, a stray moan slipping from his lips. He shouldn’t like that, really. He’s a scientist- a virologist to be more specific-, a professional, uptight man, and yet he’s acting so subserviently. It would be bothersome if he wasn’t balls deep inside of you and nearing his climax quickly. 

Panting, he struggles to restrain himself. He can’t help himself as he leans forward and wraps you in his (oddly) strong arms, burying his face into your neck to stave off his orgasm for just a little longer. The obscene squelch of your slick makes his head spin, each roll of your hips making him grunt or groan louder and louder until-

“C-Cumming- cumming-” he rasps, his pulsing length spilling hot, sticky seed deep within your gummy walls. The moan he lets out is downright shameful, his grip on you tightening exponentially.

You gasp quietly at how much he cums and how deep it is, nearly reaching your cervix. You pause for his sake, allowing him to relax against your soft body as he recovers from his high. In attempt to soothe him a little more, you rub his upper back. He grumbles and pushes himself against the back of the booth, huffing. His once-perfect hair has become a bit mussed, likely loosened due to the light sheen of sweat. He can’t seem to look at you as he slips another hundred into the waistband of your panties alongside the three other bills.

“Do you want to-” He gestures to you, still straddling him with his soft dick inside of you. Like a nice man, he wants you to finish, but you know you shouldn’t. It would likely increase the chances of you getting pregnant and you simply can’t have that, birth control implant be damned.

“No, it’s fine.” You shake your head softly and get off of him, fixing your underwear as you turn away to give him privacy. He tucks himself in his boxers and zips his pants up before fishing for his now-thinner wallet, though it’s not completely empty yet. If you didn’t know better (and you don’t, he’s a stranger after all,) you’d think he gets off on this kind of thing- his wallet being drained.

Albert hands you three more hundreds and mumbles a quiet “thank you” for your services. It hasn’t even been an hour, but it’s not like he cares. Who wouldn’t want to give their money to someone as pretty as you?

He’s satisfied by the looks of things, his face less red now that he’s calmer and more composed. You take the money happily, watching him walk to the door with a smile on your lips.

“What’s your name, dear?” He looks at you over his shoulder.

“Come back soon and maybe I’ll tell you.”

Albert leaves with that, his dignity shattered and his pride dismantled. 

Weeks later and you’re at home sitting on your couch, watching the news late at night after one of your shifts. You’re barely paying attention, looking through missed calls on your motorola cd930 when you hear a familiar name come up on the missing persons list. The news anchor is reading off a list of names from the most recent tragedy- a mansion exploding in Arklay County, where supposedly some members of the local S.T.A.R.S team got trapped and barely made it out alive (so you’ve heard.)

“Albert Wesker, Joseph Frost, Richard Aiken, Edward Dewey…” The tired man drones on, listing off the rest of the names as pictures start to pop up. Only one face sticks out to you.

“No way,” you sit up straight and lean closer to your television, your eyes focused on Albert’s picture. Save for the sunglasses, that’s him. You’re shocked and honestly a little disheartened. 

In your dreams, you see him again.

[thatmultifandomartist]

My friend broke into my home and made me post this/j

Rise Of The Teenage Mutant Ninja turtles oc‼️‼️‼️🙏🙏

She is meant to be a hybrid between a Papua Giant Blue Mantis and a Devil's Flower Mantis, and in my character lore, Devil's Flower Mantises are demons in the form of a mantis.

She would start off as a Nexus Fighter champion as a young girl, becoming one of Big Mama's best for a shortwhile before Draxum took her to make a new warrior, years after the incident with Lou Jitsu.

He took his chance to take her when she was gravely harmed during a match, and many in the hidden city would believe she died of her injuries, not knowing where she truly was. In the lab, her exoskeleton would be replaced with a strong metal shell as natural impenetrable armor. And unfortunately, many of the procedures resulted in May's memories to be blocked, as means to put her in the mindset of a devout warrior.

Though when the Turtles and April break in, she would catch faint glimpses of the five before escaping to New York.

May will be a member of the Footclan that is on the same rank as Cassandra Jones, making the two often exchange between mission shifts. On one night, the Footclan leaders would deploy May to fight the turtles, and she would attack Raph head on, sensing him to be the strongest. Their battles however would trigger memories of the night she escaped, and would realize that those she is fighting are ones she should be thanking. Of course, she didn't want to leave the Footclan as she saw it as safety, so during the day, when she is disguised as a human, she met the turtles and befriended them.

Deep down, she'd feel bad for lying to them in this way, but after getting close to them, and maybe closer to Raph, she'd finally gain the courage to try and come clean, about to visit them one night. However, an emergency meeting would be called with the Footclan, and May would be told the news that someone she thought she had escaped will return, and finally gain his hands back onto his escaped warrior.

[i-am-vita]

At the Bathhouse

A Shanks x Ghost Rose Oc (FemReader)

👉 Masterlist

(Now in AO3 too)

Fic based on my OPLA older guysxfemreader headcanons here and certain scene from this FanaticSnail's fic.

Because when Shanks makes a sexy cameo at a bathhouse, I need to write a oneshot of Shanks getting sexy at a bathhouse.

If I said I didn't intended for this to go as NSFW as it got... I would be lying. Of course I wrote a fic with Shanks at a bathhouse with all the intention for things going NSFW. You can thank @fanaticsnail for the idea and the moodboard. Thank you so much, gurl, you inspire me so much!!!! Everybody go give her some well deserved love.

Moodboard by FanaticSnail 💞

Summary: You found yourself separated from your crew after a plan going sideways. Stranded in this little island with a bathhouse and no signal of your captain through your phone, there's exactly one person that you can always count to pick you up. Warnings: NSFW, sex in a public setting, voyeurism, some unconsensual voyeurism due to public setting. Somehow, I managed to not use the word fuck. Is it progress? Expect: That ex-turned-bestie that always appear out of air when you need him. Lovers to Friends to Friends with Benefits. Shanks gets affectionate and handsy with you being a cool pirate thief. Brief Mihawk cameo because I'm trash and need to make him suffer. Use of You not Y/N. Bad english, consistent time tenses not detected.

11-ish years ago...

If there was one person in all the Blues that you can always count to somehow be exactly where and when you needed him was Shanks.

On the rare occasions in your young adult life since you parted ways that you found yourself in a bad place, be it literally or metaphorically, he'd be at enough short distance to pick you up, also literally or metaphorically.

Like right now when you are stranded in this whatever-island after the worst job in your pirate history.

Not that you have failed. The intel you were acquiring now in your captain's hands, unlike you that had to ditch some last minute inconveniences and resorted to your only-emergency escape plan for the first time which consisted in telling your team to get the hell out of there with the catch while you took the roll of bait, found your own way out of the Marine Base and back to your crew on your own... eventually.

You didn't know it yet but this would be the job that finally gets you your current wanted poster thanks to the one knife with rose carvings that you left behind at the scene and the fact nobody was able to catch a glimpse of you, them naming you The Ghost Rose from now on.

Hence your current predicament. Having taken the first fishing boat you found that would take you to the next neighboring island and so on until you found yourself in this little rock, almost empty except for a bathhouse and some B&B's. One of those little hot spring resorts only known by enough people to keep them going.

Perfect to lay low for a few days until you could send a message to your Captain… or it would be if the damn Portable Den Den Mushi just connected your calls.

"Damn, not again." You mutter after the fifth attempt to call your crew.

You were currently in the personal room you purchased for your stay. The architecture and interior design of the building inspired by those of Wano with its minimalist wooden interiors, sliding doors and low furniture for sitting on the floor where you lay comfortably in a light bath robe while considering your options.

There was still the possibility of calling Shanks even if the odds of him being close enough to pick you up were low, he'd probably be better equipped than you to contact Captain Erik.

The ringing tone of the call finally connecting made you sigh in relief.

"Hello?" Came the familiar voice of Benn Beckman through the shell. Because there was no way that he would allow Shanks near their own Portable Den Den Mushi after THE incident from six years ago.

"Beck! You have no idea how great it is to hear your voice right now." You answered to the Redhead Pirate's First Mate.

"Little Rose! Please, tell me you’re coming back at last so I can finally retire." How the man managed to sound so defeated at his age was a mystery to anyone who wasn’t aware of Shanks' antics. Beckman had been asking you to come back since you left to sail with the Phantom Pirates arguing how much more manageable his captain was when you were around.

"Hold on there, old man. You still have plenty of time to become the grumpy grandpa." It had become an ongoing joke between you two to mock him for being the oldest and “designated dad” of the crew. Beck didn't have time to answer when you heard a little commotion on the line and the telling sound of the phone changing hands.

"Sweetheart!!!" Shanks's excited shout was so loud you could swear it reverberated in your own walls.

"Hey, dear."

Even after you had officially ended your romantic relationship years ago, it was impossible to stop the man from calling you lover pet names so you had go on with it too.

"Where's the fight, love? I'll be there in a heartbeat." You could hear several male grunts and indefinite clothing background sounds.

"Is it a bad time? I just need you to pass a message to my cap' so they know I'm fine and on the low. My Portable Den Den doesn't connect."

"More like a bath time!"

"Hey, didn't they say the mushies didn't connect with the outside?"

"You on your own? Say no more! Where are you, babe?"

"Shanks, there's no need..."

"Nonsense. Coordinates, now." You had forgotten how much you liked when your ex lover got all commanding. He was so carefree and easygoing most of the time.

"Aye, sir." You answered with a sultry voice you know always drove him crazy. "It's this little rock with a bathhouse and hot springs..." You explained and started giving him the numbers when you felt the air getting all heavy, almost electrified, with a powerful haki seeking your presence.

Oh...

You took the shell out of your ear and calmly put your Portable Den Den Mushi away before a powerful kick sent the delicate woody and paper wall away revealing the figure of one of the most infamous pirate captains in all the Blues, almost naked save for a small towel at his hips, disheveled red hair and his signature straw hat hanging from his neck at his back.

"Sweetheart!!!" Came the man’s thunderous shout for the second time. His arms outstretched, offering warmth and anticipation, eager to envelop you in an affectionate hug.

"I am not paying for that..." You said pointing to the destroyed wall.

Yep. That was Shanks, always coming out from wherever whenever you needed him, no matter the odds.

.

Five minutes later, you found yourself sitting on Shanks lap in the spring waters. He had picked you up in his arms and hasn't let you down since then. Like a kid with his favorite transitional object. But you couldn't deny that his affectionate embrace was contagious. You had missed him dearly too.

You two haven't seen each other in almost two years, since you broke up with Kuro to the everlasting joy of the redhead who had hated the guts of the young Black Cat's Captain, knowing from the beginning that the psycho could never deserve you. Shanks was still delighted in the fact it had been him who snitched the identity of the pirate captain to the Marines after his little stunt with you. Nobody messes with his friends, he thought while embracing your almost naked form over him.

It had been even more years since he had felt your skin against his and it was getting him giddy.

The rest of the crew was scattered around in different states of contentment but no one as deeply relaxed as Beck who laid floating with a towel over his eyes, completely zone out with the knowledge that he wouldn't be babysitting his captain as long as you were there. He was always in his best behavior around you; you’ve been a really big positive influence in the past, helping him mature into the man he was now and making the First Mate’s life a little more manageable. Until it was party time and Beck had to be the “designated babysitter” of his captain to prevent him from making some extravagance.

Poor man almost never got a proper break during vacation.

"So, rosie, you said you're on the low." Said Yassop perched belly up on a rock, an arm and leg in the hot water. "What've you been up to?"

"Yeah, must've been a big score. We've been dodging battleships for three days before docking here." Added Beck from his floating spot.

That made you feel better. If the Marine was still searching the waters, it means they hadn't caught the Angel of Music, Phantom Pirate’s ship.

You started telling them how things had gone a little sideways with your last infiltration and you had to resort to the only-emergency plan so your crew could get away with the intel.

Shanks smiled even more widely, proud of your abilities to get away from an entire Marine Base all by your own and without being seen. Such a long shot from the spoiled little socialite that had run away with him all those years ago.

He knew the moment he saw you standing up to a bunch of assholes at that bar that you were a wild card, a diamond in the rough wasting away in a privileged life. And when months later, Captain Erik, a seasoned and mysterious pirate captain, infamous for dealing with the most valuable information and treasures of all the Blues, the main intel dealer of Gold Roger himself, saw the same potential in you, Shanks knew he had to let you go to bloom, even if it was away from him.

And bloomed you had, not just in abilities but in beauty. Shanks could swear you got even more gorgeous every time he sees you.

"Ah, that's my girl." He murmured against your hair, inhaling the sweet scent of flowers and berries you favored, unlike the elegant roses everybody relates to you, and still make his mouth water. Your hand entangled in his red locks with your fingernails caressing his scalp while you tell your tale wasn’t helping… or was helping too much.

"So that's why you needed to send the message to..." Roux almost choked on his turkey piece when he caught his captain's stare, the only warning before he buried his face in your neck.

"Yeah, the lady at the desk said the mushis didn't receive or send signals from outside the island. Only the big tower at the beach can make outside calls..." Commented Beck in blissful ignorance that you didn't get because Shanks had started to leave a trail of kisses on your neck.

He draw his hand from your shoulder down your back, removing the towel that covered your torso, following a delicate pattern with his fingers over your skin to your side while his lips found a certain spot behind your ear that made you arch your back, almost revealing your full bosom out of the blurring water if not for his other hand wandering from your thigh to your belly and up to your chest. His big palm and long fingers enough to cover and fondle a breast.

The crew started making a hasty exit from that part of the springs.

Yassop rolled to the other side of his rock and dropped into the water with a soft splash. Meanwhile the rest of the men walked or swam away through the rocks that formed a natural barrier to the other side of the springs. Roux managed to catch Beck by his foot and started pulling him across the surface of the water. The First Mate lifted the edge of the towel on his face to give his crewmate a questioning gaze but a female moan uttering Shanks’ name was enough to make him cover his face again and let himself be dragged away, letting his captain be re-acquainted with his not-so-former lover.

“Sha… Shanks… they…”

“Gonne, babe, you know they know better.”

Oh, yeah, all of them did. When it came to their captain, all the crew knew that when he got frisky with a woman it was everybody else who had to get another room, not him. Shanks became an immovable being just living the moment. Something you learned too some weeks after meeting him and decided that you in fact wanted to be more with him. You had to get rid of your inhibitions very early in your relationship.

“So… did you hide a blade under your towel or are you that happy to see me?”

“Ecstatic, love. Let me show you how much.”

.

When Yassop had roll over his rock to get away from the image of his captain starting to frolic with his old flame (not that the sniper blame him, he knew what it was like to decide to separate from a love to fulfill a dream of your own), he didn’t expected to find himself face to face with Dracule Mihawk drilling him with his yellow gaze for splashing him in his escape.

“Why am I not surprised that it was you, noisy lowlifes, the ones behind all this scandal?” The swordsman voiced in his bored tone while removing some plugs from his ears at seeing the Redhead's Crew appearing literally from among the rocks.

He had just arrived this morning, seeking some relaxing time after 3 days of receiving calls from some lowly Marine Captain for him to go and get some thieves that had infiltrated his office and steal who knows what. Their only clue being a brief description of a ship getting away into the fog and a forgotten knife with rose carvings from some mysterious figure. The knife was new, but that ship and the fog? He had told him to just forget about his stolen goods. The Phantom Pirates were untraceable and he was in no mood to go hunting ghosts.

Mihawk’s gaze passed over the men currently occupying HIS space, finding the absence of a certain red hair individual.

“Isn’t your captain among you? It sure was his haki I felt ten minutes ago. I could use some exercise.” He said standing up and looking over the rocks.

“No, wait!”

“You don’t want to…”

Upon looking beyond, the warlord came across the image of the redhead captain in a passionate embrace with the most exquisite woman his eyes had ever seen. At that moment, Shanks took the exotic beauty by her small waist to get her out of the water and tenderly laid her onto the surface of the nearest rock with the perfect shape to support her body like an offering. Her long dark hair barely obscured the view of her glorious body. His hungry eyes traveled over golden tanned skin, from her long shapely legs to wide hips and full breasts.

Mihawk had never considered that he had a type until that same moment.

He was about to seek the face of the woman of his dreams, when she moved one of her legs expertly, using her foot to get rid of the flimsy towel around Redhead’s hips, getting Mihawk abruptly out of his reverie with an image he was certainly NOT desiring to live in his head and a strong need for a brain bleach to clean it from what he just unwilling witnessed.

He turned around hastily to find himself with the stare of the entire Redhead’s Crew going from judgemental to “told you so” looks that got immediately diverted by the death glare of their captain’s rival who decided to take his leave and left the duel for another day… or several months.

.

Half an hour later, you laid over Shanks’ wide chest, both of you floating in the warm water in postorgasmic bliss.

It had been years since you had felt this safe and sound in the arms of a lover. The level of trust and affection Shanks inspired on you never having an equal even if those feelings came from friendship and respect instead of romantic love. Your young broken heart was still too tender at that time to let yourself fall for the redhead when you met. A blessing in disguise since you’re fully aware now that Shanks isn’t someone who would settle with just one lover for a long amount of time and you both have different life goals.

“Where were you headed before all the turmoil we caused?”

“East Blue. I found this little village months ago. It’s a good place to hide and I promised I’d go back soon.” Explained Shanks remembering a certain little kid that was surely counting the days until the arrival of the Red Force. “What ‘bout you? Where’s your meeting point with old Cap’ Erik?”

“If all else failed, Oykot Kingdom.”

Shanks' grin intensified upon hearing that.

.

That evening, Benn Beckman walked to the tower at the beach to borrow their Den Den Mushi and made a call to a certain Shostakovich Eriksson and left the message of his assistant being safe and sound and that she will reunite with him in the agreed location but to don’t count on them arriving very soon.

The Redhead’s First Mate had all the intention of taking his sweet time enjoying this unexpected vacation.

.

.

.

[stormsthatrage]

Have three (and a half?) ideas/sketches for the very beginning of the Two Idiots and a Temporal Incident Bleach AU. I made Ichigo a girl in this post because I have a deep-seated desire for more female Bleach characters that a) aren't constantly being rescued and b) aren't hyper-sexualized.

Snippet 1:

Two months after she killed Aizen, Ichigo came to the abrupt realization that she was ready to murder again. 

“Grimmjow,” she said, “if you don’t eat that somewhere else, I am going to kill you.”

Grimm lifted his head to look up at her. The rotted arm hanging from his mouth twitched as he ground down, evidently severing some sort of muscle between his teeth. This was unfortunately the last straw for the limb’s integrity; a large chunk of slimy skin sloughed off, landing on the bare dirt with a horrifically wet plop.

Ichigo told herself she was not going to vomit. 

The back of her throat tightened and her mouth filled with saliva.

She was not going to vomit.

Grimm locked eyes with her. Reached out a clawed hand to pick up the goopy chunk. Brought it towards his lips.

Ichigo contorted herself, leaning out over the side of the boulder she was sitting on, and heaved. Breakfast came up — a protein bar — and so did lunch — another protein bar.

Over the sound of her own gags, she heard him say, “And you think I’m disgusting?”

She gagged one last time, gave herself a second to be sure it really was the last time, and then reached out blindly for her sword hilt. Her fingers scrabbled over cold stone and found Zangetsu’s pommel, and then she was leaping down from the rock, fueled by the blood-thirst of someone a little too far past done with another person’s shit.

Grimm laughed as she crashed down on him, his breath powerful enough that she smelled the sound as equally as she heard it — but he had dropped the arm, and now she got to try and beat his face in, so it was a victory even if it was a Pyrrhic one.

Pantera caught Zangetsu’s edge (a brief connection, a split second of perfect understanding: grief pushed down and buried deep; a growing restlessness, born from the pointless question of now what; desperation to pretend the world remained as it was, before the war, before it was all broken, before they two were the last-) and Grimm shoved upward. Ichigo moved with the force of the block, springing backward and landing in a crouch. He grinned at her, more of a baring-of-teeth than a smile, and lunged forward.

And off they went, the two of them, playing pretend in a forest that was shrinking every day, the unraveling of reality itself closing in.

Snippet 2:

The sky was a perpetual, vibrant blue. 

Ichigo hadn’t stopped to ponder the color of the End of Everything before, well, everything ended. But she thinks if she had, she would have expected it to be black.

Black, like nothing. Black, the color of absence. 

But it turns out that the threshold of the apocalypse — where spacetime was being ripped apart, atoms and quarks torn open and destroyed — glowed.

Hat-and-Clogs had explained it before Aizen had killed him. In a twist of cosmic irony, blue was the color of sunny days and also nuclear fission. And so above them burned a spherical shell of brilliant blue, eating its way closer through the fabric of reality.

And beyond the shell, past the threshold? No color at all there, not even black, just a complete nothing.

There was a pun there, about moths and Aizen’s monstrous transformation and the destruction of fabric and possibly an emperor left wearing no clothes. If Renji had been there, he would have made it. Ichigo wasn’t drunk enough to do it for him. 

Spirits, she missed him. She missed them all, with their stupid jokes and annoying — 

“Can you shut up?” Grimm said. “I would, actually, like to fall asleep sometime this year.”

Ichigo stopped staring at the sky to roll over onto her side, squinting through decaying grass to peer at him. “I haven’t said anything?”

“But you were thinking. I know because I could hear you straining.”

Ichigo considered that, and then rolled over twice more, until she was close enough to Grimm to kick him.

Parallel to her in the grass, he tensed, bracing for a strike.

The joke was on him, though, that wasn’t her move. She let out a horrid, caterwauling wail, doing her best approximation of a drunkard trying to perform an aria. In her opinion, she managed the imitation quite well; the sound was positively, excruciatingly awful. 

Grimm launched himself across the remaining ground between them, landing on top of her and desperately trying to muffle the noise leaving her mouth. “Shut up, shut up, shut up - ”

She laid off screeching in favor of employing a technique all siblings learn early in life: licking the hand trying to silence you.

Grimm recoiled, skittering away and frantically wiping his hand on the ground. “I hate you!” he cried.

Ichigo cackled, and he turned his head to stare at her, shoulders hunched and eyes wide, posture all offended-cat. But there was something else in his eyes, too — something a little self-satisfied, maybe.

She huffed. “Go to sleep, moron,” she said, and closed her eyes. 

Snippet 3:

They stood over Aizen’s corpse. Just the sight of it was enough to make Ichigo’s hands shake with a mixture of fear and anger.

Soul King.

They had avoided this place by unspoken agreement, before now. Had wandered through what little forest remained, staying as far away from here as they could without getting too close to the boundary.

After all, why return? All it was was a reminder of how they had failed. How they hadn’t defeated him. Hadn’t killed him until he had already won in every way that mattered.

So, naturally, their return was prompted by nothing less than what Ichigo suspected was the stupidest plan to ever be created, synthesized from pure frustration, a deep lack of comprehension of kido theory, and the complete assurance that whatever they did, they couldn’t make things worse.

“The bastard didn’t even have the decency to rot,” Grimm said.

It was true. Aizen’s body lay there, perfectly preserved by the hogyoku, as the universe decayed around him instead.

“Looking at it makes me want to kill him again, you know?” Grimm added, kicking the side of the corpse. It was not a gentle kick. Something audibly crunched under his toe. “I feel like once just wasn’t enough.”

Ichigo breathed out. Breathed in. “Well,” she said, and her voice was as still and steady as Hat-and-Clogs could teach her, “if this works, we’ll get a second chance. Better make it satisfying, though, because I sure as hell don’t want to do this a third time.”

Grimm’s fangs glinted blue in the light of The End. “Oh, I have no doubt I will enjoy the opportunity immensely.” 

He crouched down and put one hand over the spot Aizen’s heart should have been. “You sure you’re up for this?” he asked. “Your gargantas have always been shit, you know, and your kido is worse.”

“Oh, fuck you,” she said. “Just do it already.”

And so Grimm unsheathed his claws and plunged his hand into Aizen’s chest. With a series of crunching snaps, a wet sucking sound, and a tide of the stench of iron, he ripped the hogyoku out of Aizen’s chest.

He cradled the tiny ball of divinity between both palms. Ichigo’s hands wrapped tightly around his. The two of them dripped gore and power from their fingers.

Focusing together, with neither array nor incantation, they imagined a clock, spinning backwards, and wished.

The hogyoku glowed, awakening from its sleep.

Blue light turned blinding white.

And everything came undone.

Snippet 3.5ish:

In a shocking turn of fate, the two’s methodology was successful.

But there was one factor — one small but vital factor — that they both forgot.

The type of time travel they embarked on required so much energy because, at its heart, it required undoing. In order to write a different book on pages that have already been printed, the pages must first be erased.

Under normal circumstances, the energy required to do this to a whole universe would be so immense as to be prohibitive. 

With a hogyoku, doing so became possible, but very, very difficult.

Doing so with a hogyoku, with the entirety of the universe already undone, save for few cubic miles?  

Well. The energy for that, dear reader, is peanuts.

And so the two time travelers, who had poured all the energy they could into the hogyoku in the desperate hope of landing far enough back to make a difference, found themselves flung back not two months, not two years, not even two decades, but about two centuries.

… There was, perhaps, a reason, that when everyone was still alive, those two were never put in charge of strategy.

[mooni]

based on one idea i had, wrote this a little while ago and finally decided to post here

At some point, Jay stopped.

Stopped caring. Stopped trying. Just.. stopped.

Talking was all but torture, so he didn't talk. Eating felt pointless, so he didn't eat. Going outside became a chore, so he didn't bother.

Instead, he just existed. Look ahead with empty eyes, eat the food the others left right outside the door for him, throw that up, sleep, repeat. He didn't want to die, not really, but he didn't have the energy to live.

After doing nothing but stare at bedroom walls and old pictures for days, Cole and the others had staged some stupid intervention. Told him that they missed her too, that they understood, but that what he was doing wasn't healthy.

Something like that, anyways. It happened only a few minutes ago. He couldn't remember the details. (He didn't want to.) All he knew was that a mountain of words later, he'd found himself sitting outside.

He looked up at the sky. Today was a sunny day, blue untainted by a single cloud, temperature warm but not hot, gentle winds blowing every so often.

How strange it was, that the world could be so perfect and yet so very destroyed.

Everything about his own was ruined. Ever since.. the incident, it felt like all eyes were on him, and First Spinjitzu Master were the stares terrible. Pitiful things, words whispered behind closed doors and told right to his face, blank apologies that didn't mean anything to their owner or their recipient. The empty, yawning pit that could never truly be filled, signed away to deep brown eyes and childhood dreams years ago. Those stupid voices that stirred, pulling him down, down, so far down. That feeling, that godawful, terrible, freeing feeling when he didn't resist.

But the worst part? Nya was still out there. They'd held a funeral for her, but she wasn't dead. Gone, but not dead. Not dead, but not truly alive.

His yang had left him. (The wind got just a little more aggressive.)

Everyone left him. (Gray began to blanket the sky.)

Why did everyone leave? (The blue wasn't visible anymore.)

Jay clenched his fists, seething in silent rage. And they all said that they knew, that they understood. Kai was the only one who came anywhere close, and even then he didn't really get it. They dared to insinuate they felt what he did, dared to look him in the eyes and tell him they missed her just as much, dared to even suggest that he'd heal. He didn't need healing, he didn't need fixing, he needed gentle kisses and annoyed smiles and nighttime comforts where she'd wake up when he woke up and yeah dreams were terrible but the only dream he needed was right in front of him.

A yin to a yang, the eye of a hurricane, a love everlasting. Jay needed Nya, Nya needed Jay, and that truth would live long after they died.

He still needed her, but she didn't need him anymore.

Then he cried. Sat down on the steps since when had he been walking away and sobbed. Not just for Nya. Selfishly, he also wept for himself.

Because Jay Walker had disappeared into the sea with a thing wearing the face of Nya Smith, and all he'd left behind was a shell calling itself human.

The sky cried with him. First gentle, soft kisses of rain, the tears of heaven falling on his skin and tracing gentle patterns down. Then a little harder, harder, until harsh wind and unforgiving torrent of water was all that surrounded him.

Jay probably could've put a stop to it if he tried. But he had tried before. He'd been trying.

Fate was not kind to those who tried.

So he stopped.

[bluesgrxce]

Yandere Trainer Red x Reader

[Part 2]

As arrogant as Blue could be, you had forgotten how fun he could be as well. Hours flew by as you spent time together in Pallet Town, catching up with him and other old friends. It was nice, but you knew you had to start making your trip back up the mountain before sundown or else Red would get concerned. And when he got too concerned... Events like this morning's incident happen.

You gazed at Blue. "Do you wanna go to the store with me? I need to get some supplies before I go back."

"Ahem?" He cleared his throat obnoxiously loudly. "Don't you think there's anything more important to do before you leave?"

He gestured towards the two-story house in the distance. It was one that made you hard swallow everytime you saw it and now was no exception. Your eyes widened, but when you caught him peering at you, you averted eye contact. "I forgot about that. Completely forgot."

"Hah! You can't fool me! You were avoiding Red's mom-- your future mother-in-law!" He accused. 

Your face heated up at that last part, making you cross your arms and turn away. "It's just been a while, okay? I dont know how she'll react if I come back after all this time.'

"Oh, you're avoiding her because you're scared? You're scared of an old lady?" He jeered. 

Your light glare became harsh. "I should tell her you called her old."

"Maybe you should, but you won't! Because you're scared!"

You rolled your eyes. "Fine, you're right. I won't. Not today. I can come back later and talk to her then."

"You and I both know how unlikely that is." The teasing lace in his voice vanished. His furrowed eyebrows and large frown conveyed nothing but disappointment. "You wanna know the main reason I came to get you? It was because of how worried she was. She really missed you."

You paused, discomfort creeping onto you. You tried to brush it off. "I'll come back tomorrow. I really just don't feel like it today."

Blue groaned and shook his head. You turned around, ready to head for the store, seeing him reach for a pokeball out of the corner of your eye. You looked through your bag to make a mental list of everything you needed--

"Blastoise, use hydro pump!"

Freezing water hit you. You screamed. Blue laughed, making you turn around with burning rage. Blastoise now stood next to him with an empty, innocent gaze and a goofy smile. Nearby townspeople gawked. 

The unwanted attention made embarrassment replace your rage. You stomped towards Blue, water droplets flicking around everywhere in the process. "That could've killed me! You know how strong Blastoise's cannon is!"

"He didn't leave a single mark, you crybaby. He likes you, and he's good at controlling the pressure!" He patted Blastoise's shell.

"But why would you even do this?!"

"Because you need new clothes now, and the closest place to get some is..." His gaze wandered back towards the house. 

It didn't seem possible, but your embarrassment managed to get even worse. Painfully aware that everyone around was watching, you lowered your voice. "You're lucky Red wasn't here to see this."

"You're lucky that I'm looking out for you. Clearly, you don't know it, but you need to see her again. She needs to see you again." 

You tried to muster up some anger at that, but you couldn't. Images of your boyfriend's mother kept popping up instead, of her looking out the window longingly and praying for any sign of life from either of you. That's what finally drove you to just give in and go see her, even though the initial awkwardness would suck. Just like how images of your boyfriend being upset drove you to go back to him as soon as possible, even though you geniunely enjoying yourself for once. 

You marched over to the house's doorstep. With a triumphant laugh, Blue returned Blastoise to its Pokeball and followed behind. You knocked on the door before waiting with crossed arms and a sour expression.

"Coming!" 

The voice was muffled from within the house. Blue leaned against the wall. "See, a doorbell is a good investment."

You scoffed, "I think you've reached your maximum amount of spoken words today."

"If I shut up now, I'll just have more to say tomorrow!" He smirked. Luckily, he couldn't blabber about anything else before the door swung open. 

Red's mother appeared. Her eyes popped open when she met your gaze, jaw dropping. "My! What a pleasant surprise! I didn't think--" Her lips clamped shut when she caught sight of your clothes. "Oh, dear, what happened to you?"

"They fell into the water. They're so clumsy just like when we were kids," He sighed tiredly as if he were a parent irritated by their child's antics. 

"Liar! You made Blastoise soak me!"

"He was giving you a much needed shower, obviously!" He retorted, not even bothering to stick with his story. "When's the last time you took one of those, huh? Why do you think I'm always saying 'smell you later'?"

"It really is just like when you were kids." Red's mother laughed cheerfully. "Well, no matter what really happened, don't just stand there! Come inside! I have some clothes you can borrow."

You were hesitant to do so since your clothes were sopping wet, but Blue was practically shoving you in. You apologized in embarrassment. "Sorry about coming in like this."

She smiled warmly. "Don't be. I'm just glad to see you."

"Who isn't?" Blue said.

"She was talking to me," You deadpanned.

"Oh, I like seeing both of you. You're both such rare faces these days!" Then she looked around with naive optimism. "What about my son? Did he come for a visit too?"

Blue flashed you a passing look that said 'it's your problem, not mine.'

You held back the glare he definitely deserved and replied, "Uh, he was busy."

Yeah, too busy being a petty jerk. The memory of Red turning away from you was still fresh in mind. When her warm smile washed away, you knew that you weren't the only one wounded by him. She said, "Ah... I knew better than to get my hopes up. Maybe next time, then."

As if to distract herself, she hurried you both inside. The house's warmth enveloped you as an enticing scent from the stove lured you into the kitchen. Her soft hand grazed your arm when she floated by to tend to the meal. 

This sort of coziness was foreign after having not experienced it in so long, and yet your stress was already melting away. She told you to just take some clothes that Red left behind in his old room, which Blue naturally wanted to make fun of you for, but you didn't even give him a chance. 

Once you returned from changing, Blue already had a foot out the door. "Sorry to leave so suddenly, but I gotta get going. I have people to talk to."

"What people?" You gave him a perplexed look.

"Don't worry about it! You take your sweet time and don't leave too soon." He leaned over and whispered, "Gramps told me she never gets any visitors."

Oh, great. A guilt trip. This was probably his plan all along-- Forcing you to spend some time with his lonely neighbor just so Professor Oak won't make him do it himself. 

Or maybe he really did just want you to see her again, so she wouldn't be worried like he claimed she was. It was easier to believe the first explanation, though, so that's what you told yourself after he finally abandoned you. 

She turned the stove's heat on low before turning back around. "I see you brought your bag with you. Why don't you let me fill it up for you? In return, you can tell me everything I've missed out on."

You complied and watched her scurry around the kitchen for supplies. You placed your head in your hands. "Hm... Well, it's been a lot colder on Mt. Silver recently, thanks to winter coming. The wild Pokemon have gotten a lot more aggressive since then and it's been tough getting used to it. Red has a lot of fire Pokemon, but even they can't keep us warm all the time."

She suddenly halted. A bewildered expression was on her face. "Hold on... You're not still living in that cave, are you?"

You curled underneath her gaze, practically feeling judgment seep into your bones. It took all your energy to maintain a straight face. And yet, it wasn't one that could fool her. 

"You're still in the cave," She concluded. You nodded and held your hands in your lap shamefully. 

She hummed sadly. "Have you talked about building a house yet?"

"I try to." You rolled your eyes. "But he never actually considers it. I think he's lived this way for so long that he isn't willing to change."

"Are you okay with that, though? You're putting up with it now, but one day you might..." She trailed off. Concern clouded her eyes, a frown weighing down on her. 

"I know," You winced. "And I tell him that all the time. He just doesn't listen to me."

Her pitiful gaze made the reality of the situation clear. You used to believe your living condition didn't matter as long as you were with the person you loved. You were willing to change for him. So you did. But... He didn't change for you.

This realization was caving into your chest hard, reaching your heart and making it palpitate. You were so sure that he loved you, or at least that's what you told yourself every day, because you probably would've left him by now if you hadn't. Why settle for a cold, lonely life if he doesn't even care to warm it up for you? 

Uncertainty spread within you like a plague. The anxious questions popping up in your mind quickly overwhelmed you. It got so drastic that a particular one slipped out without thinking. "Has... Has Red always been so quiet?"

She was initially caught off guard, but it didn't take long for a sparkle of recollection to shine in her eyes. "Oh, yes. Ever since he was a boy." She continued to fill your bag as she spoke. "He's always connected better with Pokemon than he has with people. Maybe that's why he doesn't want to get a house- so he can avoid others."

"Yeah, that sounds like him." You nearly groaned in annoyance. 

"That sort of behavior always made me worry that he would never settle down one day..." Her fretful voice shifted into a more optimistic one. "I think he's already changed his mind, though."

Her playful smile made you tilt your head questioningly. "What makes you say that?"

"Well, you spend so much time together. That says a lot, considering how much he likes to be alone!" She laughed lightheartedly. It went on and on, like a record on loop. Like she was waiting for you to join in. But you couldn't. Not when the memory of today's disagreement was still front and center. And what was worse--

"It doesn't mean anything if he's never said that he loves me."

Her laughter died out.

You processed her expression before you even processed what you said. Her face was frozen in a state of shock and concern. You immediately opened your mouth to apologize.

"Really?" She spoke first. The amount of astonishment in her voice was embarrassing. You nodded shamefully, feeling no choice but to explain yourself. 

"He's never said it, not even when I say it first." You were almost trembling out of vulnerability. "And he can talk, he's talked to me before-- But he won't tell me the one thing I actually want to hear from him." 

She went silent again. Your shame finally took over and forced you to look away from her. "Sorry, I know you probably don't wanna hear me talk about your son like this--"

"No, no. I know what you mean," She interrupted. "It's... difficult sometimes, isn't it?"

You paused, completely stunned. She laid your bag on the counter so she could approach you. She didn't just close the gap between you physically; She closed the gap emotionally, by simply acknowledging something you never thought you'd hear out loud. Now her words reached even deeper into your heart than before. 

"But... he does love you," She reassured. "I know how these sort of things go."

She finished gathering the last of the supplies and filled your bag so that it was comfortably full. Her smile was satisifed, but her eyes were oddly sad. 

"I know that every boy eventually leaves home to make their own journey." She zipped your bag up. "On that journey, they eventually become men."

She walked over to your seat. "And once they're men, they won't ever want to settle back down at home."

Lastly, she rested the bag on your lap, looking at you with a considerate expression. "Until they find someone to love and create a new home with."

You hung onto every word. The tone she used was so kind, so confident, so warm. She grasped your hands. "He chose you for a reason. Even if he might not say that he loves you, I'm sure that he has ways of showing it. Doesn't he?"

By that, the single memory of him turning away from you was replaced by multiple memories of him taking care of you. The many, many memories. Which soon triggered more memories where he protected you, had fun with you, and even smiled around you despite that he rarely did for anyone else. How could you have forgotten about all of that? 

Once that surprised expression was on your face, she nodded knowingly. "I also know that my son made the right choice. I know you'll take care of him. You're the only one who can now, since you're the only one who sees him anymore."

Her hands tightly squeezed yours, just like her words that an iron grip on your mind, and her pleading eyes that captured your gaze. The captivity was uncomfortable, but you couldn't turn away. After all, how could you be so disrespectful to such a sweet, generous woman?

How could you be so disrespectful to such a thoughtful, protective lover? 

Filled with regret, you said, "I understand."

With a tiny, satisifed smile she finally released your hands. Though she had parted, your hands didn't feel empty at all. You could just feel the responsibility she had laid out in your palm. Red is entirely yours now. Yours to take care of. Yours to love. 

In spite of all that, you didn't find yourself smiling back. 

× × ×

I know only calling her "Red's Mom" is awkward but she doesn't have an actual name as far as I know. And I didn't wanna call her by the name of Ash's mom because... Idk just didn't feel right ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

You know what really wouldn't feel right, though? Being the parent of a Pokémon protagonist. Imagine raising a child (especially as a single parent) only for them to set off when they're only like ten years old and forget about you by their first gym. They rarely return home, if ever. They become the greatest trainer in the region, but they never send you money or gifts or even just a simple acknowledgment because they're cheap. 

Now imagine being Red's mom in this story, in which your son does all those things + is a yandere cave dweller. Imagine being the parent of ANY yandere because they do not care about you at all bruh they just wanna get laid by their obsession 💀 She's been through a lot of shit so I gave her some attention cuz nobody else does. But ofc Red will actually appear again in the next chapter, so don't get too disappointed with me

[vacantfields]

Memories

HEYYY decided to also post it here in case you do not like to use ao3 which is so so fair (:

anyways enjoy!! (its a little sad, a little silly and a little soft)

--

You looked at your bright laptop screen in the dark of your room, your bottom half covered by the heavy blanket; you don't even know what you're trying to do here with your shitty laptop; the screen just showed the tab you were on, which was random cooking videos. 

Eclipse, the 9ft android, was wandering around your apartment, or so you figured by the footsteps and little noises that escaped the tall robot. You could tell he tried to be quiet with his movements as if not to disturb. 

It was sleepover night, or so it used to be. You used to have nights with all three where you would stay up and talk or watch movies or even play games. The virus broke the thing you had built up with the three animatronics. The three years of relationship stayed strong with Sun and Moon, but... Eclipse, who got a stronger virus, seemed to lose himself. 

And this was your first time alone with Eclipse after the incident. 

You hadn't really spoken to the android since he arrived. Sun and Moon explained via phone that they had a busy weekend filled with work, so they thought getting some alone time with Eclipse might be good.

But this isn't your Eclipse. Your Eclipse is gone. He is not in there anymore; he hasn't been in there for a long time. All there's left is the shell or faint memories of the robot you once adored.

You sighed ever so gently, moving your hands so the heel of your palms pressed to your eyes. You sniffled the built-up tears in your eyes poured over, and now you were that loser who cried in bed; you let the tears fall as you moved your laptop to the side next to you on the bed.

You removed your hands and sniffled; you turned your head towards the bedroom door; you could see some light through the crack, but something was blocking it; you furrowed your brows before tracing the dark length up and jumped in surprise when you saw a pale grey and bright red eye watching you. Eclipse had been standing there for who knows how long. You wanted to get angry or maybe be playful, but you were unsure how he would react to those emotions.

You part your lips to speak to him, but the tall android opens the door slowly and bends under the door frame to walk into your dark room. You watched him, a little afraid to move, but he didn't seem to notice as he placed himself at the foot of your bed.

Eclipse took a deep breath even though you knew he didn't need to do that; it was a feature the androids used to calm people from panic attacks, etc. 

His eyes fell onto you, and you could see a faint smile in the dark; it made your heart flutter, but you reminded yourself that this wasn't the Eclipse you were together with. This was a stranger.

But despite your hesitation, Eclipse reached out his dark blue hand and rested it on your blanket-covered knee, letting his thumb trace over the small form.

"You... You have not spoken to me since I arrived. You haven't spoken to me for a long time, Angel Eyes." He spoke so softly, and yet it felt like an attack. Your Eclipse never used that theme of names, but this one does, and you could tell he meant well that he cared in his own odd way.

"Hm... I thought sleepovers or slumber parties, you talked and were doing things together?" the tall android on your bed said in thought as his thumb still traveled lightly over your knee. You felt lucky the heavy blanket covered your legs, so he couldn't feel how flustered you were getting from his touch. 

You didn't look at him the entire time he spoke, but you decided to talk after some silence between you and him. 

"I didn't want you here. I'm doing this for Sun and Moon because they think I just need to get to know you again and-" You choked up, frustrated. You hadn't even noticed that you had begun crying again.

When you took a glance at Eclipse through blurry eyes, you could see the frown on his perfect lips, the furrow in his brows, and his eyes searching for something. You glanced at his hands; he had raised the one on your knee, and it was now hovering as if he wanted to reach out and pull you close, but you moved back against the headboard of the bed and wrapped your arms around yourself as you sniffled, the tears running down your cheekbones and jaw soaking the collar of your shirt. 

You whimpered, moving your shaking hands up to your face to wipe your tears away with the sleeve of your shirt. 

"Angel-" Eclipse had managed to scoot closer to you, but you held a hand out to stop him. "Please." you pleaded. "Please, Eclipse, you have to understand how messed up this is for me." You didn't see his expression, but you could tell by his voice that his mechanical heart was breaking into pieces. 

"I try to understand, Angel Eyes, but it is hard since you do not let me close enough to try. I lost myself, or so I have been told, so I am learning everything again." He put his hands back on his lap, fidgeting with the ribbon he was still wearing around his wrist. "I am sorry," he says your name; it sounds like a soft plea of... Something. Anything. "I feel a connection to you, a past of sorts, connected with strings, but my fingers fall through when I try to reach them..." He took a sharp breath. 

"My memories are... It was hidden from me, but there is a note attached to my memory folder stating that only 'Comet' may open it, and I have a feeling that it's... You. You're Comet." The way he looks at you, his eyes seem distant, unfocused yet knowing.

You were shaking at the words coming from his lips; they were digging deep into the grave in your heart where you had buried your Eclipse. Comet, that was what your Eclipse used to call you, lovingly, teasingly, fondly; oh, he used it in any mood. 

"You... You are right, Eclipse. That's the nickname you used for me." 

You knew your voice was trembling, your mind frail and on the verge of a breakdown, your breath quickening. You couldn't believe your Eclipse; in the heat of his doomed moment, he saved his memories of you in a way the virus could not get to. 

As you tried to calm yourself, a warm hand settled on your cheek, startling you. Your eyes flicked up to the pale grey and the bright red ones in the dark. "Deep breaths, Angel," Eclipse said softly. "Deep breaths," He began mimicking the act of taking deep breaths. His eyes remained tenderly on you as his hand stayed on the apple of your cheek. 

While you attempted to follow his breathing, Eclipse moved his hand from your cheek to your shoulder in a smooth and careful manner. "You're doing so good, Angel." He lightly praised; you could spot a tiny lift in his lips in the dim lighting his eyes gave off as you managed to take a deep breath. 

"I... I'm sorry, Eclipse, I didn't mean to freak out like that-" You say through a strained voice, almost gritting your teeth as if that could allow your heart to calm down further, but a pale yellow thumb poked underneath your jaw in a gentle, although playful manner. 

"Do not apologize, my dear Angel," Eclipse said with a slight hum before his thumb traced under your chin while the rest of his hand still lay comfortably on your shoulder. "I feel... Bad. I do not remember us," He said with a sorrowful look. "And I figured telling you about this could help soothe the open wound my leaving left you." 

His eyes roamed over to the laptop next to you, the screen having faded to black. 

Eclipse had a tiny smile as he looked back at you. 

"I have an idea, Angel. Maybe you can access the folder if I let you attach a cord from my neck to your laptop." 

Your eyes widened. 

"Eclipse- That's-" You swallow, nervous.

The android's smile became softer, his hand sliding down your arm as he slowly reached your hand and intertwined your fingers; he looked at your connected hands for a moment. 

"I know, Angel. But it's okay. I want you to be able to see just how much I care about you." Eclipse lightly chuckled, his thumb tracing over your knuckles. "Or, well, how much my old version cared about you. I still care about you even though we are not at that level anymore." He spoke before looking into your eyes again. "Let's go to your desk, alright?" he lightly squeezed your tiny hand in his giant one. Before you could react, he let go of your hand and gently picked up the laptop beside you. 

Watching him move was wild. This giant was so gentle in everything he did, the way his arms moved at a slower pace as if he would scare anyone if he moved any faster, yet it didn't have the same warmth, love, and care the Eclipse you knew had. 

You watched as he held the laptop carefully in his hand; the laptop looked so tiny in his palm. Eclipse got up slowly and reached over to turn on the lights, which made you flinch as the light hit your tired eyes. He walked over to the desk, where he placed the laptop in its usual spot. 

Eclipse turned to face you, who still sat in the bed, half exhausted and half shocked by his words from earlier, but the android just smiled. "Do you need help, Angel?"

You let out a small groan and shook your head as you tilted your head down to rub the heels of your palms into your eyes for a moment; when you lowered your hands, you watched him before getting your blanket off. 

"No, no, I got it. Just... I just cried my eyes out and had a panic attack or a start of one." 

Eclipse hummed at your response, his arms behind his back, his hands folded in each other. A comforting pose for him, you guessed. 

As you got up from the bed, you stretched and yawned. "What if I can't get into the folder? I mean, if you can't, then why-"

Eclipse chuckled. "Angel, did you not hear me? It said only Comet could get into it, and as we have established, you're the Comet. So! I am sure it will be easy for you to get into." He spoke with a lighter tone, almost on par with Sun's more timid excitement. You raised a brow at him and smiled just a tiny bit. 

"Alright. Well... I guess we will see if I'm smart enough to crack a folder."

You walked over to your desk, sat down on the chair, and looked up at Eclipse from where you were now sitting. "You gotta sit down for this buddy, else I can't reach." A soft grin was on your lips as you attached a standard phone cord to your laptop and wiggled the other end to Eclipse, who watched you with amusement before slowly lowering himself onto the soft carpet and his hand moved up, ensuring his hair was out of the way of his neck. 

"Just be careful when you touch Angel. Bad memories." 

Your smile softened, and you gently put your small hand on his broad shoulder, which made him look at you. 

"I will be careful, Eclipse. Don't worry, alright?" you patted his shoulder, and for a brief moment, you could have sworn you felt him press into the touch. 

With the phone cord in your other hand, a nervous sigh escaped your parted lips as you moved over and opened a panel on the back of Eclipse's neck with a soft press of your fingers; he flinched but remained still as you plugged the cord in. Eclipse shuddered, and you heard him hiss out some air through gritted teeth, a soft groan from his parted lips, and his fans whirring loudly before settling.

You leaned back in your chair, tilting your head to look at him, but he avoided your eyes. You noticed he was flushed, making you snicker before looking at the laptop screen again, but you couldn't help asking about what just happened as the connection slowly loaded. 

"So... Was there a reason for those noises when I plugged in the cord?" You asked as your tired eyes returned to the screen to give him some sort of chance of answering without getting too flustered. 

Despite everything that occurred earlier, you felt calm and collected. Even though you didn't really know this Eclipse, he still had many of the same traits as your Eclipse, you mused before you heard him.

Eclipse huffed at your question. "You are together with two androids. I think you know the reason for that reaction. Angel." He said with a shy smile, but his tone sounded teasing.

"I see. Interesting to know that about you." You said with an exhausted grin, and when the laptop pinged, you saw the menu for his system pop up on your screen and rubbed your eyes to ensure they weren't blurred. "I feel as if this shouldn't be so easy to do. Like just using a phone cable to hook you up to a shitty laptop to look at your files." 

Eclipse shrugged a shoulder in response before grabbing an unsolved rubrics cube from your desk in his massive hands. "I don't think it's easy, really." He said softly. "I think you're the only one this body allows in." He said with a soft grin as he leaned his back against the desk next to you, looking at you with the same grin.

Now, it was your turn to blush. "Right."

Eclipse chuckled at your reaction as he returned to fiddling with the rubrics cube. "It should be under one of the memory cards. It is probably called Comet and a bunch of numbers." 

You nodded, then remembered he wasn't looking at you and spoke. "Yeah, okay, thank you," you said softly as you pressed a finger on the mouse pad to start clicking around.

"Ah! There it is," You exclaimed, though the sound was muffled by your hand as you were leaning onto it. You let your hand fall down into your lap and looked at Eclipse. "Are you ready? Tell me if it feels weird or hurts, okay?"

Eclipse looked at you with a slight smile. "I am as ready as I can be, Angel. I will let you know if anything feels off." He returned to the toy in his hand, though his shoulders tensed a bit; you could tell through the thin material of his white t-shirt.

Once more, you took a deep breath and clicked on the folder called 'Comet,' but before you could look at what was slowly unfolding, you felt Eclipse twitch next to you. "You okay, buddy?"

Eclipse nodded. "Yes. Yes, Angel. I shut off the security that was about to react to you opening the folder. You may continue." He spoke in short sentences like he was straining, and you were about to suggest that they should just not do this, but then Eclipse sighed, settled his back against the desk, and hummed. You gathered that he was okay again and turned back to the screen, though now you were just a bit more jumpy and aware of Eclipse next to you. "Okay... Okay, here we go." You said softly to yourself, but you heard Eclipse respond with a slight chuckle.

You moved your cursor over the picture files and clicked.

All of it was from your Eclipse's point of view, which was fine. You got to see how he viewed his world. 

And oh. All the pictures Eclipse had ever taken with his camera feature were of you. When you laughed at his jokes or whatever Sun and Moon were doing or when you were alone and on dates together. 

Again, you felt tears build up in your eyes, and you sniffled; oh, you were so tired, but you smiled just a bit as you flipped through the pictures. The guy had taken a ton, it seemed, and some were more raunchy, which you wish you could yell at him for, but alas, you couldn't. 

Wiping the tears on your cheeks away with your wrist, you moved on to the recordings. 

The first video was when you two first met, and you could tell he was so interested in you, almost as if he hadn't seen a human before. You let out a slight giggle when you heard his flustered voice asking you how the weather was, and past you in the video looked so confused, but you answered anyway, humoring him. 

You felt yourself smile more as you went to the other recordings he had in the folder, and when you clicked on one, you got startled. It was you on the bed and him on top, but you were too slow to click away, and a moan came from the speakers. You closed the video as fast as possible, your face bright red as you glanced to the side. You saw Eclipse staring at you with wide eyes, his cheeks flushed.

"I wish to spare you of the embarrassment, but... I do wish to know how many videos of that sort of thing are in my head." He said quietly as his face was almost glowing from blushing so hard.

You wanted to die or dig yourself down in a hole. 

"Uhm.. I.. I never knew he recorded those moments. I- So I don't... know?" You said softly as you cleared your throat.

"Hm. Seeing that video, it seems Past Eclipse must have done it more than once... Good to know I have a whole stash of... Playtime in my head." He joked.

"you cannot watch those Eclipse!" You said with a slight whine. 

"I won't." He chuckled. "I can't anyway. Remember how it's only letting you into this folder?" He looked down at the rubrics cube in his hands.

"Oh... Right. Sorry." You laughed a little awkwardly. "Uh..." 

You swallowed. "let's continue."

Out of the corner of your eye, as you turned to the screen again, you saw Eclipse giving you a slight nod as he tried to calm his fans down. You hadn't even noticed that those were whirring very loudly.

You clicked on the very last video, and before you pressed play, you took a deep breath and curled up on your chair, your knees to your chest as you clicked play.

It started with Past Eclipse laughing warmly, just the way you remembered. He was playing with one of the kids outside at the little playground that used to be there. He was building sand castles with a little girl in a star-dotted dress. She had a little bandana on her head that matched her dress, and you guessed it was one of the rare sick kids that came to the Daycare. She had probably wanted alone time with Eclipse, as sick kids often got to pick between the three to get one-on-one time.

"Dad?" The girl asked Past Eclipse as she kept shoveling sand into her bucket. 

You were surprised to hear her call him that, but it was probably something he let her do as a comfort thing.

"Yes, My bright star?" You could hear him smiling as he spoke while making a little sand tower with his giant hands, carefully, of course.

"... That nice Daycare worker... Do you like them?" She asked this so innocently, so curiously, it made you blush. 

"Oh." Past Eclipse said softly. "Oh, I do like them a lot, my bright little Star. They are my Comet, after all," He said with a grin, and the little girl let out a bright giggle.

"Does that mean they are my parent too?"

"Oh, we will have to ask them that, won't we? I'm sure they would love to have the brightest Star as their daughter, hm?" He said with a soft chuckle as he wiped his hand on his shirt before running a knuckle over the girl's cheek to remove some sand. You were too tired to cry, but you felt the sensation of it building in your chest. Your heart clenching in your chest, and a sob trying to get out past your lips. You hadn't noticed, but Eclipse was watching along with you; his expression was unreadable.

The video continued.

The little girl giggled joyously and moved away from Past Eclipse's hand. "Dad!" 

Once again, you heard his laughter. "What? You are my brightest little Star, aren't you?" She kept giggling and laughing the way kids do as Past Eclipse moved closer a hand behind her so she didn't fall back. 

"The most beautiful star in the universe," He said fondly, his voice cooing and warm. It broke your heart. You didn't even know if the girl was still around. 

The recording was a few years old. You don't remember that little girl at all, only that Eclipse would disappear for a bit, and you suppose this is where he went at certain times.

The video continued for a while, and you guessed it was a couple of hours of them playing and talking until you could see Past Eclipse got a message in the corner of his eye. 

The Eclipse next to you muttered a soft. "Oh no." 

You turned to look at him, your brows furrowed at his reaction to seeing the message icon before you looked back at the laptop.

Past Eclipse hummed at the message but had yet to open it. He turned to the little girl and smiled. "Seems like we have to cut the day a little short, my bright star!" he said with a bright grin, you guessed. "I will take you to Sun and Moon." He got up from the sand and helped her to the wheelchair, gently placing her before brushing off the sand. 

She looked a little sad. "Dad?"

"Yes, Star?" he responded, head tilted, you guessed, due to the view. 

"Will I see you next Tuesday after my hospital visit?"

"Oh yes! I got special permission to come and pick you up!" Finally, the little girl smiled again and clapped her hands together. "Yay!" You could almost feel how happy Past Eclipse was during this moment.

He wheeled her back into the Daycare and briefly spoke with Sun and Moon before heading to the three's shared room. He sat down on the beat-up couch before opening the message.

The screen flickered, and you could hear Eclipse hiss and groan before the recording cut out and turned off. 

You looked confused, and the Eclipse next to you sighed. 

"I think... I think that was when the virus did it." He hummed. "that's my guess, at least. I still have the message in my head; I can't delete it."

You opened your mouth to ask, but Eclipse cut you off. 

"No, it doesn't say anything."

You frowned, guessing you couldn't ask more about it, and wiped your face with your hands before sighing and sitting back in your chair. "I'm sorry... Sorry you lost yourself like that, I-" You sniffled. "thank you for letting me do this, Eclipse. It was nice to see... See my Eclipse again." You whispered.

Eclipse put the rubrics cube on the desk, then reached back, slowly pulled the cord out of his neck, and hummed. "Anytime Angel. Sorry, you lost him." He said it with a tender smile.

You rested your cheek on your knees, your arms wrapped around your legs. "... Want to play a game or something? We could play Uno?"

Eclipse smiled a little brighter. "After all that, I would love to play Uno with you, Angel."

You smiled tiredly. "only until I fall asleep, though... I might fall asleep during a game, but who cares? Moon isn't here to tell us to go to bed!" You said with a tired giggle.

Eclipse chuckled. "Exactly! Let's have some fun before bed, then!" He stood up and stretched a little before holding a hand out to you, which you took and smiled up at him as you stood and closed down the laptop with your free hand before following him to the living room. 

You played Uno with the android for a long while, and somehow you were winning, but you guess Eclipse was letting you win, though he played it up when he lost hands up in the air dramatically and everything, which made you laugh.

When you had played the last round, you yawned, and Eclipse, the gentle giant that he is, carried you to bed, where he tucked you in, and as you dozed off, you felt a soft press of lips on your forehead.

You were out like a light after that.

Eclipse moved the charging cord he had brought over to sit next to you on your bed, his back against the headboard. Luckily, you had a huge and robust bed that could hold him. He plugged in the charger on his wrist and then looked at you for a moment before moving his free hand over and softly smiled as he gently moved some of your hair away from your face with his fingers.

"Good night, Angel. Sweet dreams."