#but i think it would kind of be cool if there was a melting aspect to it

[otamatchi]

i completely forgot about this... ive been wanting to draw bloody rachel from viewtiful joe for a while and found this sketch i did a while back!

[0mg-bird]

All the Good Stuff ~ B. Floyd x Fem! Reader

Summary: This is basically a list of little imagines of what it would be like over the course of yours and Bob’s relationship.

Warnings: Bob’s the best partner, sweet fluff!, suggestive content, language.

• Bob would be so nervous on a first date because he’s struck out in the past, so when you ask about a second date, he is in shock at your enthusiasm. He’d play it cool around you but would go home and fist bump.

•Being the perfect gentleman he is, he doesn’t expect anything on the first or second date. So when he drives you home on your second date, he’s a little shocked at the way you melt into him at your front door. As soon as you show it’s okay, he’s holding your waist, pulling you into him as he kisses you slowly. He’s the kind of guy to take his time so you’re standing there with your arms around his neck for a while, while you both savor each other.

•This man is in love with you even before you sleep together and that scares him. When the two of you are calling each other boyfriend and girlfriend, he takes you to a beach day with his squad and everyone watches how enamored he is with you. Jake says “The sex must be good if you’re acting this hung up on her” when you’re away with Natasha, and Bob gets soooo red. The boys make him explain his weird behavior and when he admits you guys haven’t had sex yet, they all blow up. They’re asking so many questions like ‘why not?’ and ‘what if it’s bad?’ and at one point Bradley actually shakes his shoulders and asks if he’s stupid or just dumb. Bob explains that you don’t seem like you’re ready and Brad and the guys all share a look like ‘what an idiot’. Then they explain all the signs you give that you want him.

•The sex is not bad.

•It all starts with an argument, you finally break down and ask if he’s just not attracted to you. Bob is so confused and has to ask why you think that, then you just yell ‘because you won’t fuck me!’ and that snaps Bob out of his overly nice guy headspace. You guys end up going most of the night, because by the time one round would finish and you’d rest for a second, you two were back at it again because it just felt too good.

• Bob said ‘I love you’ first, on accident. You’d been dating for a month, maybe a little more, and he’d leave your house after a night in together. You kiss him goodbye at the front door, watching him step away from the threshold. You lean against the open door, looking utterly peaceful and cute to him. “I’ll text you in the morning.” He says because he is always up before you, so you like to wake up to a good morning text. You nod and bite your lip. “Okay, good night.” You’d say, then laugh as he kisses you one more time. When he pulls away, he nudges his nose against yours and then turns. “Good night, I love you.” He doesn’t even realize it right away, he takes about four steps before he pauses with realization. You stand there in shock, realizing what he just said. “I…didn’t mean to say that.” He tries to take it back but you just grin widely. “Do you mean that?” You ask, and when he sighs and nods, you rush back into him.

•Bob never thought that he was a very physical person, but since being with you, he loves affection. He’s like a puppy, honestly. He’s always on you in some way, his hand on your back, knees pressed together when sitting beside each other, his finger twisting around a strand of your hair. You are much like him in this aspect, he makes you feel so comfortable and safe that you are utterly relaxed in public when you’re with him. He lets you play with his fingers, trace shapes on the backs of his hands or on his arms, your head finds a way to rest on shoulder, your finger hooks in one of his belt loops.

•This man is calling his Mama and talking about you, it makes him feel like a teenage kid because of how twitter-pated you make him. He could go on and on about how you’re such a kind person, how big your heart is, how you are so intoxicating. He wants to take bigger steps with you but doesn’t want it to be too soon. His mom has to reassure him that when it’s right, it’s right and when he knows, he’ll know.

•You guys move in together at the six month mark.

•This is when he discovers he has a housewife kink. He comes home to you unpacking a few boxes in some sweatpants and one of his t-shirts? He’s hard. Watching you fold towels or wash dishes? He pushing you up against the counter and dipping his head to your neck.

•You’re trying so so hard to be perfect for him because you just want to take care of him, but somehow you burn dinner often. You never had to cook for another person before, you were completely fine with a cup of ramen noodles. But you loved your Bobby, you wanted to prove you could do this. You got so frustrated at yourself when you mess something up, it honestly broke Bob’s heart. He’d ask for seconds on purpose, just to make you feel better.

•Bob buys a ring a month before your one year mark and he’s so sure about this decision. On your year anniversary, he takes you out to dinner and then you guys walk across the beach as the sun is sinking. Natasha planned everything out, her and some of the boys were hiding on the platform trail that’s on a hill above the beach. Even though Jake pretends it’s too sappy, he is standing with binoculars, watching every move you two make and reporting it to Bradley who’s trying to get the camera ready to record. Natasha ends up snatching the phone from Brad because he’s got his finger in front of the camera. Bob is so nervous that his hands are so shaky and he can hardly breathe. At one point, you stop to walk closer to the waters edge to pick up a pretty shell. When you turn back around to show him, he’s down on one knee, holding a velvet ring box out to you. When you agree to marry him, he pulls the ring from the cushion and goes to slide it on your finger, but he’s still shaking so much that it falls into the sand. Jake is making fun of him for it for two weeks.

•You’re so obsessed with the fairly large diamond on your hand, Bob catches you always looking at it. Even during the times you’re on top of him, hand on his chest while you’re grinding down on his lap, or when you’re gripping his shoulder as he’s knocking you into the headboard, you’re eyes are watching the shiny rock on your hand.

• The crew thinks something’s actually wrong with the two of you because you’re always a ‘yes honey’ couple and never quarrel, but everyone gets to their whits end at some point. You and Bob hardly fight, but when you do, it’s all heated arguments and frustrated sighs. You guys fight when the other is feeling a little insecure about something, the problem is you don’t communicate right, until everything bubbles over. You could be feeling that Bob is hiding problems from you, claiming he’s okay because he doesn’t want to stress you out, then he’ll go and have long conversations with Nat or Brad. You guys eventually spiral until every other little thing that’s annoying you is spilled, and by the end of it you’re crying and storming off. Only once did you ever throw your engagement ring at him and claim that you will not be with someone who won’t take you seriously as a partner, and that broke Bob. He was so hurt that he lashed out and said some unkind words he’d never ever mean, then left home to clear his head. When he came home after about an hour, he found you curled in bed, face red from crying so hard. You guys talked it out, he slide your ring back on and once you two understood each other, he made you promise to never do that again, no matter how mad he made you because it made him feel absolutely horrible.

•He loves waking up on days where he doesn’t need to go anywhere or do anything. You’re always curled into him or sprawled across his chest. He used to sleep with a tank top on because for some reason you could not understand, he was a little insecure about himself. You hated that, he was built to absolute perfection, you could spend hours just running your lips and fingers over his toned chest and the muscles the lightly ribbed his stomach. So, Bob slept in mostly just boxers, flannel pants in the winter. You had convinced him to be bare when you told him you liked feeling his skin on yours, it also helped that you hid those white tanks from him until he felt normal to have you pressed against him.

• He’s always been modest, but you found out just how much Bob had in savings when he told you that when you got married, you didn’t have to work if you didn’t want to. Then, when he bought you the wedding dress you had your eyes on since you first searched through bridal shops, no questions asked. You called your best friend and determined he was sent from above. You were never impressed by money, and you’d love Bob if he didn’t have what he has, but knowing that you were financially secure, it made you want to show your appreciation for all he does, every day.

•The bachelor/bachelorette parties went crazy. You and your party are bar hopping, you’re wearing a plastic tiara that says ‘bride’ and Bob’s never seen you drunk before so when you run into him at the hard deck, all he does is laugh at you. You were scared that he wasn’t going to have fun because all his friends drink and he doesn’t, but he spent the night making Payback and Fanboy do stupid stuff for him.

•You never were a fan of over the top weddings, you liked elegant things but didn’t feel the need for an over the top day. You had planned for what seemed like forever, then the day finally came and everything turned out beautifully. Bob was a nervous wreck, he’s got a little anxiety so that didn’t help his nerves. He stood at the end of the isle, watching all the groomsmen and bridesmaids come down, then when everyone stood and a piano rendition of your favorite song played, he looked up and there you were.

• You’re trying not to cry the entire time even though he is.

• Bradley gets drunk and cries during the first dance and Nat has to make him sit down and drink some water before he makes a fool of himself.

• You and Bob honeymoon in some place like Greece or maybe Rome because you both are huge nerds for pretty sights and history. It’s so peaceful that he totally forgets you guys have a life back home and he has a pretty important job.

• When you guys come home, he drives in the other direction of your house so you think he’s lost his mind. When you ask what he’s doing, he just says you’re going home and then pulls into the driveway of a gorgeous two story house that has a very rustic charm to it. This man had your little two bedroom house packed up while you were away and had everything moved into this gorgeous house he picked out.

• You fall in love with life, everything seems so perfect. You’re closer to your family and friends, the sun soaked hardwood floors are always supporting your bare feet as you dance around. Bob loves music, there’s a book shelf full of records and CDs and he’s always twirling you around or slow dancing you in the kitchen.

•He makes sure you have everything you need before he deploys for over a month on a mission. This is the first deployment you experience with him and it’s the first real test on your marriage. Going from sleeping beside someone every night to falling asleep alone was a strange adjustment. He calls you when he can, you’re always lying in one of his shirts, listening to him talk about his day. “I miss you, Bobby.” You’d say, making him smile on the other line. “I miss you too, honey.” He’d say.

• When he comes back home, it’s like a wrecking ball. Bob’s never been an overpowering dominant person, but there’s nothing calm about him when you two get home after not seeing each other. The front door is practically knocked down, it’s slammed shut so hard that you yelp, afraid the hinges might just snap. He’s pushing you up against the wall in the hallway, backing you up against it so hard that one of the framed pictures falls from the place it was hung. You’re so utterly at a loss for words at his animalistic behavior, yet you’re so excited and turned on because he isn’t like this. You’re pulling at his uniform, leaving parts of it on the stairs. Your sundress is thrown onto the bathroom tile as he pulls you into the shower with him, both of you still half dressed. Soaking wet, peeling fabric off each other, it may start in the shower but it doesn’t end there. He’s carrying you to the perfectly made bed, hair still wet, he’s pushing you into the mattress, his dog tags are hanging above you and you wrap your finger around the chain to pull him closer. The house looks like a tornado ripped through it buy the time both of you are too tired to continue. You honestly think you black out because when you wake up on the living room floor, you don’t remember exactly how you got there.

• You might just die when Bob goes to answer the door, hopping into a pair of sweatpants. You remember getting dressed when you thought you were done…then you remember tearing those sweatpants off of him. He opens the door, eyes immediately widening as he looks at who’s on the other side. “Hi.” He greets awkwardly. “My daughter hasn’t answered my calls, I was just seeing if she was alright.” The woman says, hugging her son in law. You hear your mother’s voice and panic, trying to stand and search for a hoodie to slip on to cover yourself. You limp over, very aware at how sore your body feels, and hide yourself behind your husband. You have to explain that your phone was dead and that’s why you didn’t answer…nothing else. But she looks between the two of you and then behind you to the catastrophe of a home. “You’re going to get pregnant.” She tells you. “That’s sort of the goal, ma’am.” Bob responds.

• You took sex ed in school, you know what happens when you have unprotected sex, but truthfully you believed the birth control that you mixed up the days on had your back. You start feeling a little funny, then when you’re late on your next cycle, the fear sets in. You don’t know why you’re scared, you have no reason to be, but you still are. Standing, looking at all the different tests hung on the shelf, you decide that one of each couldn’t hurt. You debate on who to call, once you decide, your best friend is there within ten minutes. “Why’d you buy every single one to ever be made in the world?” They ask as you lay them all out on the bathroom counter. “I didn’t buy every one in the world…just the ones made in America.” You respond. It’s the longest five minutes you ever experienced, you sit on your bed crying and freaking out, hashing out every little thing that could go wrong. Your best friend is there to call you crazy and debunk every fear. “It’s too soon.” “You got married after only knowing him a year.” “What if Bob decides he doesn’t want this?” “That man sends you onesies with planes on them all the time.” “What if he doesn’t love me after I give birth?” “He’d love you if you were a worm.” “What if I can’t do it? I’ve never raised a kid before.” “You’ll be fine.” After the timer goes off and you dry your face, you two walk back into the bathroom slowly. Every single test you took is positive. “Oh fuck. Oh fuck, oh fuck, I’m pregnant.” Is all you could say, first in fright, but soon you’re jumping up and down and screeching like a teenage girl.

• Bob comes home from work, unzipping his flight suit as soon as he walks through the door. You come to meet him in the foyer, kissing him sweetly. “Hi.” He smiles. “I’ll go take a quick shower, then I’ll be down for dinner, okay?” You just nod, keeping quiet so you didn’t burst into tears right away. You hear his shower going, and you pace back and forth in the kitchen, shaking. Every shape and color of the tests you took are laid on the table, you don’t even know what to tell him when he comes down. He’s starting to tell you about something that happened when he pauses, curious as he walks to the table. “What…what’s all this?” He asks, picking one of the tests up, looking at the two pink lines. Then he picks up another, and another before it starts to click in his mind. He looks at you, eyes full of hope. “You’re pregnant?” You nod, starting to cry. “Yeah, Bobby, I’m pregnant.” He immediately wraps his arms around you, kissing you sweetly. He’s so over joyed, he can’t even think straight.

• For nine months, he treats you like you’ll break and though you love him for it, you think it’s all a little dramatic. He’s so gentle and understanding throughout everything, even when your hormones are just totally unbalanced and you’re crying or yelling for no reason. He’s so caring and helps you with anything he can, and when the baby is born he makes sure you’re the top priority too.

•Dad Bobby is hot.

[cozage]

Hi Coza. I sent a request in for a part 2 for a lifetime promise, but after reading what you said about writing second parts, I decided to change my request. Instead of writing a part 2 for a lifetime promise, could you do a Ace, Sabo x female reader headcanon where the reader is a water devil fruit user. Like how would a water user and fire user mix as a couple? Thank you. You work is amazing and always love to see what you do! 😊

This was really cute to write about! Thanks for the request!

Characters: female reader X Sabo, Ace Word Count: 600 CW: none :)

Ace

You are constantly putting out his fires, literally and figuratively. Ace loves to make a big show of his powers, but he isn’t always aware of his surroundings. 

The ship is of course always the biggest concern. But he’s also been known to accidentally burn down buildings and allegedly, a forest. His destruction rate has been 0 since you came around. You’re always right behind him, watching for stray fires he may not have noticed. It happens more frequently than you expected.

Whenever he says something ridiculous, you always spray him with a little bit of water and tell him “you need to cool off,” or “you’re getting too hot there.”

Water beats fire, of course, and you never let him forget it. He kind of likes that you keep him grounded. 

He feels a little bit more like a person and less like an element when he’s holding your hand. You have to admit you feel the same. You balance each other. 

People on the crew tease him relentlessly about how much he shows his love for you. In response, he’ll throw an arm around you and always say “She’s my weakness, what can I say?” You try not to let him see how much that silly statement makes you want to MELT into a puddle (sometimes literally you begin to melt. You can’t help it.)

After particularly spicy makeout sessions or…other things, the room is FILLED with steam. It’s basically a freaking sauna in there. Sometimes you can hardly see anything besides each other. And when you finally have to open the door and the steam spills out into the hallway, everyone on the floor knows what you guys were up to. No way to be sneaky about that, unfortunately. 

Sabo

Whenever Sabo comes up with some insanely exuberant plan, you always flick water in his face. “Don’t get cocky,” you warn. You had done it when he demanded to go to Dressrosa, but he had gone anyway. 

You’re delighted to discover your water flick still works on him (and is perhaps more effective) after he comes back from Dressrosa with a fire power. 

You find that since Dressrosa, Sabo has been kissing you a lot more frequently. Even his quick “see you at home” kisses turn into three or four. When you finally ask him about it, he just shrugs and says “I dunno how to describe it. It’s just so refreshing. You’re so refreshing.”

When he gets particularly frustrated in a meeting, he’ll look at you and say “cool me down, babe.” It makes everyone laugh as you pat his face with water, but you know he actually needs you to do it to stay calm. 

Sabo has always been a confident person who is independent and likes to take charge. After he comes back from Dressrosa, he’s still all of those things, but he likes being near you while he does them. You aren’t sure if it’s because of his fruit or if it’s because of whatever happened in Dressrosa, but you like him leaning on you a bit more. 

As he works to perfect his moves, he likes having you around. It takes him a while to get the right power level for the moves he has ideas for and he doesn’t want anything to burn down. Some days he even requests a little water barrier (think like The Birdcage, but with water and not malicious).

Now that Sabo has fire powers, sensations are definitely more heightened for both of you. Even when you all touch each other, the feeling is different compared to when he didn’t have a devil fruit. It definitely adds a new exciting and fun aspect to your relationship, one that both of you are extra eager to explore further.

[clovermarigold]

Hot water bottle

Requests open!

GN Reader x Sova (Sasha)

~~~~~~~~~

Your teeth grit as you pulled even more of the covers around you, careful not to move; lest you move onto the colder spots of the sheets.

In hindsight, perhaps agreeing to go to the middle of nowhere in Russia, IN FALL, despite having never experienced so much as snow in your life was a poor decision. Ah, the things we do for love.

You had been with Sasha for a little over a year now when he suggested you join him on his visit to his grandmother. And stupidly you agreed with little thought. It's not that you regret meeting his Babushka, she was a wonderful woman who you were ecstatic to find out Sasha didn't exaggerate about.

That being said.... Now, lying in bed and struggling to fall asleep despite wearing your thickest set of PJs and under two sets of covers. You would be lying if you said you weren't a little tempted to hop on the soonest flight back home.

A laugh brought your attention away from your desperate mission for warmth. "Can you breathe under all of that?" Sasha stood in the doorway, back from his trip to the store. You were certainly a sight to behold, a cocoon of mismatching fabrics and quilts lying stock still on your half of the bed.

"Better to suffocate than to freeze to death" Sasha frowned, stripping out of his heavy coat and into some lighter sleep ware. You had no idea how he could do it. Sleep in THIS weather in nothing but a thin loose white shirt and boxers. Sure, he grew up here, but surely even he had his limits.

"I'm sorry" you huffed a laugh from your blanket fortress, momentarily forgetting the cold as you got a glimpse of his toned back. "Don't apologize, I agreed to come".

He smiled, walking around the bed to his side, "Is there room for me under there?". You whined at the idea of having to expose yourself to the cold even momentarily, "fine".

You hissed when the covers opened, cool air hitting your skin, only to relax when his warm body pressed against yours. Sasha chuckled at the way you melted, "better, да?". "How the hell are you this warm" you quickly turned over to leech off of his heat, throwing your arms and legs around him, the blankets beginning to fill with insulated warmth.

"You'll get used to it eventually" your eyes widened. "Oh no. Absolutely not. Don't get me wrong, I love your babushka. But I don't have it in me to do more than a week at a time! So don't get any ideas, we are not settling down here".

Sasha raised a brow "You plan on settling with me?". You went quiet for a moment, embarrassed. You and Sasha had never really talked about the long-term aspects of your relationship. But it wasn't like you didn't see yourself with him in the future. Quite the opposite, Sasha was easily the best partner you had ever had. Kind, attentive, caring, sweet. Though you could live without his unwavering stubbornness when it came to making you exercise.

"Well, we've been together a year now, and I just met your babushka. So, I would think we were...." you cut yourself off not wanting to say anything stupid.

Sasha pulled you out of your thoughts pressing his lips to your head. "I would love that". His arms wrapped themselves around your waist burying his nose into the crook of your neck.

"Well.... maybe a summer home wouldn't be a bad idea" who were you kidding, it was terrible. But it made him happy, and if you didn't love that. Because you loved him.

Ah, the things we do for love

[quirkwizard]

Quirk idea for protagonist: Heat-force (I hope this makes more sense) 

The user has the ability to take in heat, store it, and release it from their face as a beam. This quirk can be very flexible by focusing on the individual aspects:

Heat attraction and absorption:

Putting out fires (since fire needs heat)

Lowering temperatures to zero

Attracting objects by pulling their heat (easier with hotter items)

Limited flight or levitation by drawing energy from nearby heat sources

Heat immunity

Facial heat beams:

Heat vision or breath

Combustion or melting 

Concussive force

Heated body (using stored heat instead of sending it to the head):

Electrical resistance (by warming the body)

Limited physical enhancement

Limited resistance to cold weather

Limitations:

The user can't generate heat only utilise absorbed heat and may resort to using their body heat, risking hypothermia.

Vulnerability to cold environments

Suffocation when heating the body due to lack of oxygen

Finite capacity for heat storage

Emitting heat can cause recoil that may injure the neck if not managed properly

Excessive heating of the body can lead to muscle expansion and potential tearing. (Needs strong body)

Recommended support items:

Infrared goggles for heat detection

A black suit designed to enhance heat absorption

A breathing mask to mitigate oxygen deficiency.

(The quirk looks so versatile because thats what it can do when fully mastered)

Inspirations include cyclops (X-men), superman and kaioken (dbz)

I just read over your review for heat force and was interested in how you thought it wouldn't really work as a natural quirk for Izuku. Reading it over I realized just how much I like the whole idea of Izuku being born with a fire/heat based quirk rather than obtaining One for All. So do you think fire manipulation would be a more "fitting" combo between his parents' quirks? Something more like Pyro from the marvel universe.

do you think if midoriya was born with a quirk it wouldve been like getens but for fire? like within a certain radius, he can manipulate the fire around him? i dont think hes be able to change it temp like geten can or have the kind of range that geten does but i think id still be an interesting one to explore

Trying to spell it out for me doesn't change what I said or think about your Quirk. Your idea, as presented, is still an overtuned mess that stretches the concept so far as to be unbelievable. Saying it's from the user training doesn't change anything. You want to see what Izuku would be like with a cool Quirk? Try these. While I do admittedly bend what both parent Quirks are doing, they stick to a single idea while remaining interesting as Quirks.

[skygemspeaks]

opla episode 6 is definitely my favourite so far. here are some thoughts:

the music in this is so good! i'm the kind of person who doesn't often notice the soundtrack unless it's a song i know well (like binks' sake or we are, both of which we've heard snippets of so far), but i did really like the funky beat we got in the luffy vs arlong fight

the character work in this was well done, specifically when it comes to luffy and sanji! one really good way to have emotional impact is to establish a certain aspect of a character's personality, and then subvert it to make a point. like we all know that luffy loves to eat, but then at the beginning of the episode when nami tells him to go to the baratie and he replies that he's not hungry right now? that's really cute. but later on in the episode, when sanji is preparing food for them, and luffy doesn't even notice it, because he needs to properly care for "wada itchy monkey" (ASKDLJASDJK) for zoro, that made my heart melt. he loves his crew SO much

and i really like that sanji was there to see it! it really gives more credence to his decision to leave his father and his whole life behind to sail off with a crew he's known for like two days. he sees luffy struggling with making the tough decisions, he hears luffy say that he would eat both arms and legs to save zoro's life, and he sees potential in him as a captain. he trusts luffy with his dream

also, the relationship between zeff and sanji was subtle but very sweet. sanji says "oregano is for savages" and you kinda laugh, but then you see in the flashback that it's a callback to the very first interaction he ever had with zeff, and it takes on new meaning. you hear them calling each other "shitty old man" and "little eggplant" and at the end of the episode when zeff finally calls sanji by name, it hits you like a punch in the heart. and sanji immediately picks up on that and calls zeff by name too! their love for each other is so obvious, and i really appreciate it.

it was really cool to see nami reading the story of noland to zoro! what a fun little thing, and again, i would love it if we ever got to see the payoff for this!

the live action really benefited from having the context of worldbuilding that's established later on in the series, namely what we learn about fishmen in the sabaody arc. i like that they included those scenes of arlong interacting with the humans, and it was especially cool to see the interplay between him and the fishman that works as the maitre d' for the baratie. it's playing on this whole feeling where when you're a person of colour who takes pride in your heritage, it can feel almost like a betrayal when you see another person from your culture just throwing it all away and adapting to the culture that they live in. there's nothing wrong with either of those choices, but for the person who takes pride in their culture, it feels almost like losing to the racists who want you to "just be normal" (ie assimilate). it's a very complicated and nuanced topic, and i like how they addressed it in the show.

garp's conversation with mihawk was another point of interest for me! i've been joking about it all this time, but i really do think that he's clinging to this idea that if he just manages to apprehend luffy before he reaches the grand line, before any OTHER marines take notice of him, he can still get through to luffy. maybe he can keep his grandson safe. because he knows that luffy already has the odds stacked against him, what with his father being the leader of the revolutionary army, and he doesn't want his grandson to die. then mihawk refuses to bring luffy in, and all garp can do is laugh in despair, and tear his office apart because it feels like everyone in the world is trying to stop him from keeping his grandson safe, and he's running out of TIME as luffy gets embroiled in more and more pirate bullshit and gets closer to the grand line, and he just needs to bring his grandson back. and then koby just pops that bubble by telling garp that luffy would rather die than take orders from anyone else. he'd rather die than be a marine. and garp can't deny it anymore, so he just gives up. and who knows what koby was thinking here. maybe he's still a bit naive. he loves his friend, and he thinks. what. maybe garp will just let luffy go? ignore him because he's not a threat? he's not like OTHER pirates after all. but garp has been a marine for 50 years, and he knows that's not how any of this works. he knows that he did everything he could to stop luffy from being a pirate, and maybe he's feeling a little bitter that luffy never listened to him, maybe he thinks it's what luffy deserves. if luffy wants to be a pirate, then garp will do his fucking damnedest to treat him like a fucking pirate. and later on, you can see koby's despair, because this is not what he wanted, not at all. but what did he want then? this is what i mean when i say i don't know how they're planning on resolving his character arc. because the way things are going now, it would seem to make the most sense for him to become disillusioned with the marines as he realizes they're not what he's been glorifying and idolizing all his life, right? so what happens? maybe it IS a set-up for that kind of story arc, the way it is in the manga. maybe this, plus later during marineford when he stands up to akainu is the setup for the long game. maybe koby's going to become a revolutionary in the endgame of the manga. i think he'd get along well with sabo.

in the aftermath of the arlong fight, when sanji is helping clean up the dining area and he has that conversation with zeff, it becomes obvious that all along, zeff has been trying to push sanji away. zeff demoted him to a waiter because he knows that sanji loves cooking, and zeff wanted him to LEAVE. zeff called his cooking shitty, said it wasn't good enough to serve to guests even though sanji is his sous chef, he was trained by zeff and you know zeff would never accept anything but the best. because zeff is proud of his restaurant, he really is, but he also doesn't want sanji to waste away his life in this little restaurant in the east blue. that's not the future zeff gave up his leg for. and it hurts, but he needs to push sanji out of the nest so that he can fly

the vow that zoro makes to luffy when he wakes up is really nice! i love that zoro seems to have finally accepted that these are his people, these are his family, and he's not trying to hide it anymore. that soft, indulgent little laugh he does when usopp is recounting the fight he totally had with the fishmen is that much sweeter after he's been so aloof and stoic all season. i like seeing him finally loosen up, and it feels so much more deserved now

[mercymaker]

Tav NSFW Questions

As seen here, compiled and posted by @tragedybunny

What is your Tav’s sexuality/orientation preference?

Mal is very much bi (or pan, I guess?). She is weak for the ladies because they're so pretty and it can make her flustered so she tries to combat that by pretending that she's all calm and cool and unbothered. An absolute dork.

What are their biggest ‘NOs’ they will never consider doing during sex?

I'd say anything you'd consider "extreme", or anything that would seriously hurt her. The mental aspect is also quite important to her, so any words or actions that would harm or degrade her would be out of the question.

Are they a Top/Bottom/Switch?

At first, she's quite passive and submissive when it comes to sex, purely based on her inexperience and just being unsure of what to do and how to do it. There's a little bit of that pride in her that wants to do something well that prevents her from even trying in the first place, but eventually, as she gains more experience (and encouragement), Mal becomes more assertive and less passive, even when she lets someone else take the lead. So, I guess, once she gets to the place where she knows what she wants, she's kind of a switch? Maybe with a slight preference to letting her partner(s) take the lead?

Favorite Position?

Alright, so one time Astarion pinned her to the wall and fucked her till she saw stars and the whole thing is etched in her memory forever. There was something about that lowkey claustrophobic feeling of being trapped combined with his body pressed firmly against hers, getting overwhelmed by all the sensations and also not having to worry about finding support. Just wrapping her legs around him and enjoying the ride. I think that's the one.

Do they prefer giving or receiving? 

God, I can't believe I'm doing this to my own beloved character, but I do think that Mal's a wee bit of a pillow princess. At least at the very beginning. She just sort of... relaxes and enjoys whatever she's given. BUT! With time and experience her role does shift, especially when she realizes that her actions can absolutely melt her partner under her, so that newfound sense of power is very intriguing to her and in some way a bit intoxicating. Maleane becomes much more active and wants to learn how to give and be good at it, so in the end it depends on the day and the mood.

Tits or Ass?

Tits, chests, torsos, tiddies, boobies, all of that stuff! It's where the heart is! It's where love lives! But nah, Mal likes seeing, touching, suckin, lickin, all that good stuff, she might bite your nip nops a bit, so watch out!

How experienced is your Tav?

Before all the tadpole business and getting involved with the pale elf, Mal was a 100% forest-grown virgin, so not experienced at all! She does eventually pick up a thing or two from her vampire boyfriend but having no and then one partner for quite a while doesn't really make her someone I'd consider experienced.

Do they have any traumas around sex? 

It's not necessarily a trauma, but the first time Mal had sex was quite a complicated experience that left her somewhat hesitant to do it again. While she did feel attraction and wanted to experience getting all wild and dirty, Maleane was also pretty scared (there was a very real possibility she might get killed) and nervous, but tried to compensate for it by playing it cool and looking confident. In turn, she made it worse by encouraging roughness as she thought it would mask the fact that she's just a wee lil virgin girlie. So yeah, it was a mixed bag, and Mal would probably like to go back and change the way it happened, but not the fact that it happened. They got better at it, eventually. Mutual trust and all that stuff.

Do they have any taboo kinks?

I've been on this site so long, I honestly don't even know wtf is considered a taboo kink. Like.. is getting blood, biting, and ropes involved in your bedtime activities considered too nasty these days? Or is it the other way around? 🤷‍♀️

Would they want a polyamorous relationship? 

I don't think she'd necessarily seek a polyamorous relationship, but I also don't think she'd be completely against it. Mal wants to try so many things, so being with more than one person, when all the parties involved are cool with it? Yeah, pretty sure she'd be down to try. But then again, I'd consider Maleane a somewhat jealous person and considering how she doesn't exactly have a basis for a super healthy relationship, I'm not sure how long the whole shebang would last.

How do they feel about voyeurism? And would they do it?

Not to be a complete freak, but watching other people from afar is kind of her whole thing. Growing up, Maleane was not allowed to approach others, so she mostly just watched and observed them while being unseen herself. She witnessed some sexual acts as well, and that was sort of her first look at sex and intimacy. It doesn't feel weird to her at all, because that was just a part of her life.

How big is your Tav’s sex drive?

Mal struggles a bit with disconnecting her overthinking noggin, so it can make it quite difficult to relax and just fuck. As with most things, she learns how to manage it better with time, but she never quite catches up with Astarion. They find ways around it, though.

How many rounds can they last?

Not that many. I see her as someone who gets overwhelmed and overstimulated pretty easily, once it gets to that point. And considering how often times fighting discomfort in her intimate life is a pretty significant issue, the last thing she wants is to get more of it by pushing herself past her comfort zone. That being said, though, Mal does have her moments that surprise even Astarion, but those aren't very common.

What is their aftercare like?

Lots and lots of touch. She might not necessarily need a word of reassurance, but a touch with the same intent is what Mal needs. Holding hands, cuddling, soft caresses, all that. She wants to feel safe and appreciated, and it goes the same both ways.

What lingerie does Tav wear?

Coming from someone who lived nearly three decades in the woods wearing whatever the fuck was available to her, Mal quite likes all the pretty fabrics and clothes. I'm pretty sure that, when they can, Astarion likes to indulge this side of her by getting her pretty things, including lingerie. He gets to peel all of it off of her, after all. Maleane quite likes all the lacy stuff, but it's pretty expensive and not that common, so.. yeah. It's a bit of a special something.

Double penetration?

Gods, when I think of Mal she always seems so tense and tight, like a little clam, especially in the early days. I think it takes her quite some time to open up, both physically and mentally. She would like to try and maybe with some proper prep it could be achieved, but it's no easy task. It also depends on the, uh... dimensions we're working with here sdfsdfdsf.

Least likely person they’d ever consider themselves sleeping with.

Mal does have a bit of an issue with her fellow drow, so it takes her a looooooooooooooooong while to be comfortable to even be around them, let alone sleep with any of them. It's a lot of trauma in that department, so it's understandable.

How long since their last sexual encounter?

Considering she's in a relationship with Astarion, probably not that long, lmao.

Ok with period sex?

I think, yeah. Mal's nasty, she grew up in the woods wading through all sorts of stuff. The blood itself might not be an issue, but feeling like utter crap might not be the best premise for some "fun times", however, hormones work in mysterious ways so.. yeah!

Are they loud or quiet during sex?

She is surprisingly quiet in her little moans and whimpers. Which Astarion, naturally, takes as a bit of a challenge, he wants to make her truly sing. And yeah, eventually, Mal does let go a little bit, it helps her with the overall "shit, why am i constantly in my head through all of this?" problem, and allows herself to be just a tab bit more vocal.

Alright with Dub-con/CNC? Role Playing? 

I think Mal sits at the very edge of this very definition to the point of getting into the semantics of the word. Role-playing? Yes, that's one of her fantasies. But even that whole scenario comes from a place of tremendous trust, as she's quite fragile and just a single thought on how the situation could be real entering her mind would cause her to absolutely crumble. She doesn't want to be forced to do anything, but she does find the idea of pretending to be in certain risky scenarios very appealing.

Are they more serious at the moment? Are they humorous? 

Oh boy, at first, she's too serious. All tense and overthinking and making it more serious than it actually is. As with her general attitude, her views on it shift with time. She allows herself to have more fun, both in everyday life, as well as her sex life.

If your Tav has a vagina, do they like anal?

I wouldn't say she's someone who'd enjoy it often, but considering some of her kinks and fantasies, there are situations where it feels fitting and Mal prefers it in those scenarios. Like when she's feeling particularly submissive or when they're role-playing something or when she's feeling very naughty and wants to give someone "a treat".

Does your Tav want other people in a relationship? 

Yes and no. On one hand, she wants to experience a lot of new things and what life has to offer, just explore what's out there, so getting other people involved does sound tempting. But on the other hand, she's also quite jealous, so it depends on which devil on her shoulder wins that day.

How well groomed are they? Shaved completely? Does the carpet match the drapes? Etc.

I'm actually not sure how it all works with elves and stuff. Slippin' n slidin', no?

What is your Tav’s favorite place to have sex?

Mal likes to be comfy and relaxed, so... bed. But! A patch of nice comfy grass somewhere in a private location works just as well when one's not available. I know, quite boring, but you argue with her!

What about quickies?

She's not a big fan of those, but when you're on the road a lot getting into all sorts of situations, they just happen! When you're someone like Mal, it takes a bit of preparation to get her to a place where things feel good, so she tends to lean more towards, uh... less rapid scenarios.

Would Tav like to participate in orgy?

I think so! Just to see if it's something she'd like or not. After all the game events, Mal is out on a journey to explore the world and everything it has to offer. And I do think getting sandwiched between two bodies would do her good, maybe allow her to relax a little bit. She would need to build up a little bit of courage and experience for it beforehand, though.

Would Tav like to use gags?

Yes, if the situation calls for it.

Soft and slow or hard and rough?

It depends on the day and the mood. Considering how difficult at times it is for her to get into the right mindset for sex, it helps when things move slow and she's allowed some room to breathe and keep track of things. That being said, there are days when she's just horny and wants to be bent over and pounded. And then we have those situations where things start soft and slow and eventually lead to hard and rough.

What’s their favorite toy?

Considering that she spends a chunk of her time alone in the woods, I think a very simple dildo does wonders for her. The good ole reliable, as they say.

Does your Tav have sexual fantasies?

Oh, yes! For the longest time that's the only thing she had. Just imagining scenarios where she gets to experience all those things she read about or observed in the outside world. It helps that eventually she gets a boyfriend that she trusts enough to share those fantasies with, so they can both work on bringing some of them to reality.

Is there a companion they would sleep with but not want to date and why?

I'd say it's probably Wyll. He is incredibly attractive to her, but their personalities would lead to constantly clashing over things. She could put up her good girl appearance, but who wants to build a fake persona for a relationship to even have a chance of lasting?

Can your Tav not have sex for a long period?

Yes, I'd say so. Being able to be on her own is one of her core strengths, so not fucking someone for a while wouldn't bother her too much.

Who was your Tav’s first sexual experience?

It was Astarion. And it was stressful and scary, but also kinda hot at the same time? It's very complicated, but they managed to more or less figure it out, eventually.

Blood kink?

I mean, she's dating a vampire spawn, so you can't really walk around the whole blood thing, can you? Mal does indulge him in quite some blood-drinking during their activities, but she's very uncomfortable with Astarion putting those fangs on her neck, so he makes do with what he can: shoulders, wrists, thighs, tits, etc. And then one night when he returns from a particularly messy hunt, Mal opens the door to her boyfriend being absolutely drenched in blood and that, uh, that very much turns her on! So not only does she kiss his bloody mouth, tasting all that sticky red on his skin, Maleane also gets a bunch of it on herself when she fucks him like there's no tomorrow.

Spanking?

A cheeky slap on the bum every once in a while, especially during the act, I can see her entertaining. Anything more than that, she would probably decline.

Will they want to have sex during pregnancy?

Does she want to? Yeah, those hormones be wildin, after all. (Un)fortunately, for ms. preggers Mal she's all alone in the woods with no one to smooch, so wish all you want lmao.

What was the worst moment your Tav felt lust?

I mean. She finds watching Astarion doing his thing very attractive. They also kill a lot of things on their journeys. You put two and two together.

What is your Tav’s class and how does it affect their sexual life?

She's a storm sorcerer, so magic's always brewing somewhere within her. However, Mal tries to not involve it in her sexual endeavors as her type of magic is quite dangerous and a lot of it is tied to her emotions so creating an association between those sort of feelings might lead to some literally explosive orgasms sdfdsf. Besides, while traveling with Astarion, she already uses quite a lot of her spell-power, so there's usually not that much left for the, uh, extracurricular activities.

How naughty are they? Does Tav like to tease?

I think somewhere along their journeys she finds quite a bit of mischief in her bones. It's sort of hard not to when you're constantly volleying with someone like Astarion. She does like to tease him quite a bit, especially in order to "provoke" him to do things to her. Often times, he doesn't need much, but he enjoys seeing her get all playful, so at times he pretends to be much more resilient to her charms.

What is your Tav's safe word?

It has to be "red", no? Because blood and vampirism and all. Yeah, I think that works.

Does your Tav like oral? Giving or receiving

Yes yes yes, Mal loves getting her pussy devoured. With Astarion, at times it comes with some nibbles to her thighs, but she considers it a fair exchange. When it comes to giving, she's a little bit more hesitant because she's not very experienced and also she can't handle a lot. But she tries, god bless her heart, she tries so hard!

Does your Tav like handjobs? Giving or receiving

She actually does! Considering Mal's not always comfortable or willing to do penetration, sometimes she chooses to employ her hands to please her partner. And with a lot of pointers and questions, she gets pretty good at it!

Does Tav like bondage? Being tied up or tying up your partner?

If there's enough trust between them involved, then absolutely yes. She likes being tied up, pinned down, restricted, but she also likes to tie her partner up when it's her turn to take the lead. And because early on she's a bit unsure and not that comfortable in a dominant role, restraining her partner gives her a bit of a prop to work with.

What does Tav consider “cheating”? 

Probably getting involved in any sort of sexual or emotional situation without her knowledge. After all, her and Astarion go on some wild adventures that involve sucking and fucking a bunch of other people, but as long as they keep communicating with each other, it's all good.

What spells does Tav use during sex (i.e. “silence” because they are too loud)

I have a feeling she would try to keep the use of magic in the bedroom minimal, BUT I can also see Astarion coaxing her into trying some things out. Definitely everyone's favorite Mage Hand and something like Hold Person for some uh... fun times.

Is your Tav into breeding?

No, she already took one creampie too many and had a case of a baby. Though, she does brew some plan b tea alongside all of the other potions and poisons, so she doesn't particularly mind her partners coming inside (for some tea dgdfg).

What makes your Tav absolutely horny?

Not to sound like a nun or something, but seeing her partner naked and doing some suggestive shit. When it comes to Astarion, him + a blade does something to her she cannot fully understand. Just the way he handles a dagger, how quick and precise he is.. HIS FINGERS???? HMMMMM YES.

What part of their partner’s body does Tav like the most?

Arms, hands, fingers, cock. Maleane gets a bit mesmerized watching Astarion do things with his hands. Picking locks, playing with cards, handling a dagger, all that good stuff. Mal's all heart eyes over that.

I've also answered this before in an ask so I'm just gonna drop it here as well:

From the moment she met him, Mal thought that Astarion was absolutely beautiful (yea, peak drow features - red eyes and silver white hair sdfsdfsd). But very quickly she gets somewhat obsessed with his arms and fingers. The way his muscles flex when he holds a bow? How quickly and precisely his fingers move, making all the traps and locks just crumble under his delicate touch. The way they eventually find what makes her body quiver too.

And then I reckon it would be fair to include Halsin since Mal's actively smooching him in my mind as I'm typing this. She loves his chest! It's so warm and fuzzy and when she rests her head against it, she can hear his heartbeat and it feels very intimate and calming. It's also a pretty good base to rest her hands on when she's on top of him.

What parts of Tav’s body does their partner love the most?

I also answered this before soooooo:

Astarion loves her mouth, her lips. He's quite in awe how she makes other people open their doors the way he does with locks without a key. And he soon finds out that often times it's that smile, one that could only be described as "disarming", that makes people drop their defenses. Sure, there's something playing behind her pale lilac eyes as well, but the man's focused on her mouth more often than not. And throughout the years he notices the very subtle differences when that smile is honest and when it's not. He's drawn to the way she laughs around him. How her lips feel and taste when she kisses him, how warm they are when she presses them against his skin or when they're wrapped around him.

Lights on or off?

I mean, they both have darkvision, so it's not like it matters too much.

How sensitive are your Tav’s nipples?

The normal amount?

Does Tav like using sex potions \ spells? (which make them more horny or allow to make more rounds)

Honestly, I kind of see them experimenting with some things, for sure. Just to try them out. Like shrooms that makes you mega horny? Why not?

Does Tav initiate sex more often than their partner?

While Mal does initiate it at times, it's nothing compared to Astarion. I think it's also because he's much more comfortable and suave in that department and Maleane feels like she's stumbling in the dark more often than not.

i'm tagging either the closest pals OR any of you that encouraged me to do this ♥ if you don't want any part of this, let me know and imma promptly remove your tag!

@ruinbringer @euryalex @arduath @baldursgaye @sorceresslodge @vspin @kiaransalee @ansburg @sageofthestrange

[arisenreborn]

Going to start posting some of my pawn lovers guild qotd answers here for archival purposes (and to fondly look back on the Pain).

Todays question was... well, I think it was something about what music would play in a fight against them which turned into "Design a Boss Battle" 😂

Emrys Boss Battle

Okay so he’s a pain in the ass. He’s taken the form of the dragonsplague dragon evolution pretty much; similar features but a little more physicality to him, bigger than a drake (not as big as Grigori), very sexy and fucked up. More aerial a bit like a wyvern, he’s frustratingly fast and fights like an archer/thief: pelting you with briney arrows that leave corrupting puddles where they hit for a small period, or darting in close and lashing you with his tail or talons before dipping back out. He shouldn’t be able to move so fast for something so damn big. 

Poisons, fire breath, duh, but it has a cool briney effect to it and will have an acidic-like effect around it (similar mechanically to poison really). He’ll occasionally control one of your pawns. Higher chance of dragonsplague infection just fighting him in general.

I like to think he wanders the world and is kind of a “random” encounter. Gonna segue a second about the music: Lux Aeterna is the inspiration but definitely a twisted up version that ‘grows’ with every encounter; it starts out discordant and hard to pick up on the melody, with sort of Silent Hill-ish vibes woven through it. With each encounter (three MAIN encounters depending on how each fight goes) it grows in intensity, frenzy, and drama. It becomes more ‘clear’ but also more ‘violent’, the final version has an aspect of ‘anxiety/fear’ - a creature torn between fight or flight. 

Getting him in a ‘downed’ state in the first two fights is just him hovering feebly closer to the earth and making him an easier target.

Each encounter can be ‘failed’ or ‘succeeded’, failure is him flying away, success obviously when you defeat him results in him basically divebombing the ground which almost seems more like a kamikaze/escape…he crashes and bursty-melts into a plaguey, brine-like substance in the ground you shouldn’t touch until it gradually goes away -will have the same effect as genuine brine. You get exp but frustratingly no loot, alluding to the fact he’s not actually gone yet. Each success grows the difficulty (and music) of the next encounter. 

You probably get garbled dragonspeak also: mostly just cursing you as the Arisen, the second fight gives you a ‘you won’t take … from me…’ as he fades away. 

Third fight will be the most intense - and he’ll try to escape often. He’ll lose -some- of that physicality and be more of a dick to hit without magic/enchanted weapons. A lot more briney attacks, can control up to two pawns if you’re not quick about dealing with the first one. 

However once in his downed state he’ll actually slouch down on the ground on all fours, and his ‘heart’ will be revealed, a cavity in his chest leaking out what looks like a woman wrapped in black and red tendrils and fleshy sinews.

Yeah, it’s Olivia, though she looks a bit, yanno, like she’s become the pseudo-heart of a plaguedragon. So you’ve gotta attack her while he’s downed and you will hear him make… awful awful sounds when you do. He may even beg you to stop. 

But you won’t, of course, and once you’ve broken his heart sufficiently he’ll gradually crumble to mist and dust with the final words "Olivia... forgive-..." and leave you with all the gold and wyrmslife crystals you could have hoped for, you monster.

Also a ‘Corrupt Dragon’s Aegis’, idk what it’s stats are (probably not *super* different from the usual) but it’s probably neat. And depressing. Probably a description along the lines of ‘A shield once carried by the brave Arisen of another world…’ Finally, a wolf fang necklace… (it was a gift Emrys gave to Olivia. It can be given to an NPC for high +40 affection)

The description on the necklace is: "It seems to exude an aura of love, whoever once owned it treasured it dearly."

[flowersarefreetherapy]

Hold On: There's Bones in My Closet

CW: none, just a lot of fluff. Or light angst if you think about the future

“I don’t wanna be here,” he whines, tipping his head back. The ceiling above him glows bright white with elaborate designs surrounding the trim. 

There’s a name for this kind of trim. Ker probably knows.

“I know,” Kerry says. He stares at the map in his hands, eyes wide as he takes in the map of the museum. “But you also knew this field trip was coming for weeks.”

“I know, but I’m tired.” He flops onto his boyfriend, resting his chin on Kerry’s head. “I’m gonna melt into the floor!”

“Did you stay up late?” Kerry asks. 

He’s not even looking away from the map. Boring. 

Around them, the rest of the class spreads out across the lobby. The teachers and chaperones try to hand out maps and programs, but make little progress. Kerry’s older sister disappears into the dinosaur exhibit with a handful of her friends and the rest of the football team points at a few of the exhibits about early archeology.  

“Maybe,” he answers. “I might have been out with the boys.”

“Hmm.”

He kisses his head and moves to rest against his shoulder instead, looking over the map. Some of the exhibits look interesting. But this is Kerry’s day. He’s been talking about this field trip for months.

“Where do you want to go first?” he asks.

“You aren’t going with the team?” Now Kerry turns to fully face him. Their faces inches apart and he can so clearly see the light bands of gold in his brown eyes. “I thought for sure you would-”

“Why would I go with them when I have such a wonderfully smart and attractive boyfriend right here?”

Kerry ducks his head and shrugs. After a moment, he points to the Roman and Greek exhibit. “Could we start there? I’m writing a paper about political marriages in Greece and they might have some good information.”

“Sure, but are you sure you aren’t learning about the Greeks for other reasons?”

“Shut up,” Kerry laughs, shoving lightly at his shoulder. “I’ll have you know most of that was not safe or consensual and is mostly glorified by the media because it’s scandalous, but then again, what part of Greek and Roman life wasn’t that way? Plus, we should be looking at their politics instead–”

“Oh clearly,” he says, grabbing his boyfriend and pulling him along. Kerry squawks in protest, but hurries to catch him. Two steps in and he realizes that he doesn’t know where he is going. “Um, Ker?”

“To the left,” his boyfriend sighs.

He makes his way to the archway lit with sconces designed to look like oil lamps. The paint is rough and reminiscent of plaster. Kerry hurries ahead of him beelining for the closest exhibit. He follows along at a slower pace, holding the straps of his backpack and taking his time looking around. It’s history, as to be expected. There are some cool old coins he looks at but nothing gathers his attention.

Maybe you should have gone with the guys?

But then he looks over at Kerry and how excitedly he explains some marriage arrangements between people he’s never heard of. His face lights up in a way he will never tire of seeing. It’s so cute and he pulls out his phone to snap a quick picture. 

“What was that for?” Kerry protests, ducking his head so his braids fall over his face.

“What? I’m not allowed to take pictures of my smart and handsome boyfriend whenever I want to?” He pushes the braids out of Kerry’s face and kisses his forehead. Kerry flinches. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to–”

“No, I know, I’m sorry, that’s on me.” Kerry sighs, shrugging one shoulder. “I forget there are places where it’s safe.”

“Yeah, like Greece,” he laughs, trying to lighten the mood. “Man, could you imagine just getting some guy off in an alley and no one caring?”

Kerry won’t meet his gaze. “That-um, like I said, a lot of that aspect has been glorified when really it wasn’t-”

“Just jealous I didn’t specify it would have been you?”

Now Kerry really won’t look at him, twisting a corner of the map. “You can’t say things like that!”

“Why not?” He wraps his arms around Kerry and squeezes him close. “I love you, Ker. And teasing you is just too much fun.”

“You’re insufferable.”

“You love it.”

He smiles and throws his arms around Kerry, turning him towards the exhibits. “Tell me about each and every one of these people.”

Kerry’s face brightens. He points at each exhibit and does a better job making history come to life than any teacher or book has accomplished. He listens closely, leaning over exhibit cases and nods along to what he’s saying. The first question he asks rewards him with Kerry’s smile and another ten minutes of explanation. 

They move on to the plants and animals, then to modern history, and end in the science section. They mess around with the fake space walk and he does his best to knock Kerry over. Despite being a full four inches shorter, Kerry stands his ground. As they make their way to the lunch area, he lightly coughs. 

“Ker?”

“Hmm?”

“Can I hold your hand?” 

Kerry glances at him. Silence for a moment and his heart plummets. Though they’ve been dating for a year, he still asks. The scars Kerry’s parents left have yet to fully heal and new ones are being created every day. Public affection remains a struggle. One they work through together. 

This time, Kerry reaches out and locks his pinkie around his. He smiles and swings their hands back and forth. 

“I have the best boyfriend in the whole world,” he says, bumping his shoulder against Kerry’s. He smiles and returns the gesture. 

“Even when I ramble about history?”

“Especially when you ramble about history. It’s hot.”

“History isn’t attractive.”

He smiles. “It is when it’s you. You could make arithmetic sexy.”

Kerry ducks his head, trying to hide his face behind his braids. “That’s stupid.”

“It’s not. Come on, you want pizza?”

They split a few pieces of greasy pizza and walk to the rest of the museum. After a while, they meet up with his friends and Kerry’s sister, and finish looking through the museum together. He does his best to balance where his attention falls, joking with his friends but pulling Kerry into the jokes, talking about college with all of them, and telling his sister he’ll text her later. He needs to know what ring size Kerry wears. 

They leave the museum before dinner and pile into the school bus. He sits near the back, Kerry at his side. He rests his head on his shoulder and plays a matching game on his phone. He helps him occasionally, but mainly focuses on the passing scenery. And the ring he has to buy. He checks his bank account once again, offering the excuse that he wants to buy new shoes when Kerry asks what he’s doing.

“Oh nice,” Kerry mutters, not fully paying attention. 

“Yeah,” he agrees. “They’ll be as green as your sweatshirt.”

Kerry huffs and doesn’t say anything more. He kisses his head. He’s successfully done it. There is enough money in his account to both buy the ring and put down a payment on an apartment. So close. They are so so close to having the life he’s always wanted for the two of them. 

“I love you,” he whispers, kissing Kerry’s temple again. “I love you so, so much.”

Kerry wraps his arm around his shoulders, pulling him close. One bead on his braid knocks against his face with each pothole they hit. After a moment, his boyfriend whispers, “I love you. Will you be my boyfriend?”

He snorts. “Will you watch Batman with me?”

Their first conversation. When he had thought Kerry was asking what movie he wanted to see. Hard to hear him talk over Dolly Parton blasting in his ears. It’s now dissolved into one of their many, many inside jokes. Something that never fails to make his heart warm. 

“Only if I can talk about the plot holes.”

“You’ve got yourself a deal, my historian.”

He rests his head on Kerry’s shoulder. His boyfriend leans against him and the two of them drift off to sleep, hands intertwined. 

Tagging: @blood-is-compulsory @darkthingshappen @whump-for-all-and-all-for-whump @whumpinggrounds

@pigeonwhumps @cepheusgalaxy (let me know if you want to be added/removed!)

[brilliantfantasticgeronimo]

rewatching the idiot's lantern

visuals: this episode's direction is amazing, ya'll. really underrated. the use of slanted angles gives what could be a standard period YA story stand out, and it gives it a kind of... splashy, noir-but-colorful vibe. it also fits really well with the whole "telly gone wrong" thing the story is going for. the faceless ones effect is simple but effective, the telly lady is iconic, and don't get me started on rose and ten's iconic rockabilly outfits... colonialism / hegemony: some interesting lines: "we may have lost the empire, but we can still be proud" / "only an idiot hangs the union flag upside down". there's a line from ten that's really funny about "this is the queen's england! not being men in black or stalinist russia",,, stealth anti-communist propaganda is always hilarious but specially hilarious in november 2023 when sunak is pushing the "anti-terrorism" card to jail palestine marches (and starmer would rather be die than call for a ceasefire). this ep is interesting also in that it's a good example of brittish pop culture trying to re-build a sense of identity after being "beaten" as an empire. so in the story, the coronation itself must retain its importance, the monarchy can't be questioned... but it seeks to reframe its importance in "the domestic" and entertainment sphere ("this is history right here"). make no mistake tho, it is still very patriotic. the dad gets called out not for being a Proper briton and not hanging The Flag Correctly... overall tho it's fun to see a conservative ass get his own rhetoric used against him (by the doctor, by rose, by tommy, and by the mother). And i think this episode makes the correct analysis in showing how the "patriotic veterans" ideology is fueling the neo-facists of today's uk (See: the "poppies sellers are afraid to leaver heir home" circus last week). themes: i used to think s2 didnt have much of a cohesive theme compared to s1 or s3 but now i think im starting to notice one emerging: the resistance against modernity and the passage of time. this episode is a good partner to rise of the cybermen/Army of steel with one talking about "phone updates and blootooth but they can mind control" and "what if tv melts ur brain"... in both the evil bug eyed monsters make those fears literal... but the real moral crutch is, pherhaps more than "phone bad"... that people become complicit and compliant to everything happening on the world around them. and that those who rebel against this apathy are virtuous in doing so (see The Preachers, tommy, etc). I also think this theme fits really well with School Reunion (sarah jane coming to terms with her ageing, rose coming to terms with her eventual death / the death of her relationship with the doctor, the "disco" aspect of k-9 being ridiculed but then showing to have value) and then with GiTf, with the clockwork robots being a probable (unintentional?) metaphor for monarchy and "obsolete" technologies that linger on.

Character of the day highlight: The telly-lady is such a good one off villain. Every time she says "IM HUNGRY" "FEEEDMEEE" it was hilarious and great. The whole family is also all get a moment to shine. "I did what I thought was right" and "That's my mother" were really arresting. On a negative point though, I would have cut the inspector guy, his death did not hit hard enough because he just didn't have enough screentime in this one. The Timeless Child bonus: Ten's bonding with the kid serves really well as parallel to himself. Tecteum would have a lot in common with the dad this episode so it's kind of cool that in that way, The Doctor gets to stand up for themeselves.

Companion watch: Ten and rose are very clever in this one.not in a wow million years of techbobabble clever or high functioning psychopath clever way but like, good ol fashion connecting cues, knowing how to push ppl's button and who to talk to get information. I would say these are about apathy, and [falling in line]. there's also an interesting character point of her being more invested in things working out for his family which as i said in another post, honestly takes off some of the sensationalism i've seen around her telling the kid to talk to his dad.

Misc: Missed a trick by not having ten say NOTHING IN THE WOKR DCAN STOP ME NOWW in That Scene. this ep also vibes well with s1 in that tommy is Inspired to save the day (i wish he had more time to bond w/ 10/rose so this Hit more, but as it is, it's perfectly fine. it's more of a "this person was already great and they didn*t *need* the doctor and co, but it's nice that they helped anyway").

[hyusolk]

I am your personal therapist, now..why do you like jay so much, go on write a whole ass paragraf :)

oh fuck im really bad at typing out what im thinking but ill do my best

WHY DO I LIKE HONG JAEYEOL SO MUCH?:

I love blonde fictional characters

Does not fight often, therefore he never looks... bad. (like those weird ass faces when they get punched im sorry it gives me the ick 😭😭) I'm actually not too interested in the fighting styles and shit, Jaeyeol doesn't seem to be either so I wonder what he just does daily. (honestly, probably just studies)

Already said this before but my favorite characters end up being the quiet mysterious ones. We unfortunately don't know much about him so he's very mysterious. Yes, I am very curious about him, but I like to keep the mysterious aspect of him that I love so much. Honestly, I get worried that I won't love him as much anymore when his whole character and past is revealed. That is why I prefer to fawn over him rather than spend my time trying to figure him out.

I've realized that I lowkey kind of relate to him... except for the fact that he's filthy rich. I am also very reserved and I'm not good with communicating my feelings or thoughts. Also, he seems to prioritize Daniel over everything else. I relate to that a lot because I find myself having a "favorite person" that I would take extra care to. The obvious favour for Daniel over anyone else -> he's just like me.

The fact that he just doesn't talk. I find myself loving characters like this. I believe in actions > words supremacy. I really love shit where you don't necessarily have to read text to understand what's going on or what the characters are trying to say. Or actually that might just be because I dislike reading text and prefer looking at pictures.

He is hot. He is cute. He is handsome. He is beautiful. This man is absolutely perfect. Like I'm gonna be deadass when I say that I literally just spend a few minutes from time to time looking at pictures of him and melting. LMAO THIS REMINDS ME OF WHEN I USED TO BE A HUGE MIN YOONGI LOVER BRO LOOKING AT PICTURES OF THAT GUY INSTANTLY MADE MY DAY BETTER (my friend knew that too and legit tried showing me pics of him to make me feel better 😭 twas cute tho)

HE IS SO DAMN COOL. LIKE THIS MAN IS SO UNEXPECTED. HE'S UNPREDICTABLE IN A GOOD WAY. Examples: him pulling out a gun, his systema style getting introduced, fucking pulling up on a motorcycle to save danny, smoking n looking all hot after beating the shit out of burn knucle members, etc etc etc)

anyways thank you for this ask zenin i had fun thinking about it!! i honestly probably have more reasons i cant think of rn 😭

[iwanttoplayagame20]

100 favorite horror movie deaths PT 5!!

41. Stu Macher- Scream

He was easily one of my favorite villains. And he got to go out in a cool and funny way. TV fell on his head and he got electrocuted. I think it wasn't a totally horrible way to go but it could've been faster.

42. William Easton- Saw VI

I AM UPSET THAT HE DIED. Even if he may have deserved it. He went out in a horrific fucking way, hydrofluric acid was pumped into his back and he melted in half. Another fucked up aspect was that his sister had to fucking watch this happen.

43. 12 Children (Including Constance Berman and Henry Fier)- Fear Street Part 3: 1666

This is a terrifying way to go, having your eyes gouged out by someone you thought you could trust. Fucking Solomon Goode sucks ass. And I don't necessarily think you'd die right away either, it'd be a minute or two which just adds onto how much it would suck to die that way. Though it looked cool.

44. Loretta- Leprechaun 3

She should've wished to be younger and beautiful again. It was turned against her and she blew the fuck up because she got too big. I loved how it started with smaller things like her chest, lips, and butt and then everything got bigger and then she just fucking exploded.

45. Gary Amaan- Wrong Turn: The Foundation

He's a kind of forgettable character to be honest. But he went out in such a bad way. A huge log came tumbling down and his skull was absolutely smashed. Though you could still clearly see the damage that had been done. And that adds onto how horrifying that is since everyone else had to see the result, including his boyfriend.

46. Snakehips- Shaun of the Dead

Nobody will remember him unless you have seen this film repeatedly and I can guarantee it. He was basically a nothing character Ed made fun of to cheer Shaun up after getting dumped that showed up for one single scene alive and one quick scene while dead. And when you do see him dead you see zombies nomming on his guts and insides and it's very visible when you do see it so I think it looked good and cool.

47. Glen Lantz- A Nightmare on Elm Street

Highly memorable death for a highly memorable movie. He's sucked into his bed and a geyser of blood just shoots up from his bed and absolutely covers the ceiling in blood. And there's so much that it actually starts to fucking drip from the ceiling and it's all moving around.

48. Ian Pierce- Curse of Chucky

I hate this character but he definitely had an interesting death. He had his jaw chopped of with an ax, and only his jaw. The bottom half of his head was still there and his tongue was hanging out still attached to whatever in his mouth. It was nasty.

49. Carly Numan- Wrong Turn

I feel so bad for her, first she watches her fiance get killed and then she fucking dies. I liked her. But she went out in another memorable way, half decapitation. This franchise is more known for its kills than anything else really. And then after her body tumbles down the tree she's in and we get to watch that happen.

50. Ian McKinley- Final Destination 3

My man is splattered because of a sign. He's ultimately cut in half because he's standing in the wrong spot at the wrong time chewing out Wendy for something, about how he's never gonna die or some shit. And I love how this was mostly practical, and that makes it so much cooler.

[mangodestroyer]

Now that I hang out in older spaces, I see the concept of "love language" get discussed a lot. And ngl, I kind of wish I knew what that was before getting into my first relationship.

I mean, I know it was unhealthy, but I also seriously had no clue what I was doing and don't feel like I was a great partner either. And I also had no idea what I wanted.

I think my ex may have been more of a gift/acts of service/quality time type. I love spending quality time with others, but not ALL THE TIME. I'm an introvert and my social battery is limited. I need my alone time. I think gifts are cool, but it gets very overwhelming when you're not making much income and you have a partner who wants to go on vacations and have lots of things. Personally, I just want a nice coffee now and then and to go out on hikes and enjoy nature. A book would be a nice Christmas present imo. I also just started feeling guilty over the fact that I was a student, who wasn't making much money. Idk if I even want to date another person while I'm in school. As for acts of service... I think that's a great way to show love! And tbh, I think I really fall flat with this one because I'm terrible at knowing what other people want (I'm trying to work on being more mindful).

Tbh, I think all five categories of love language can be great, but I think I personally wanted more physical touch? Like, we never kissed the entire time we were dating. I get it, it was long distance, but I think we could have at least kissed. I also really like cuddling. Idk if I'd want to date another person who isn't really into that. I've come to find that intimacy is an insanely important aspect of love for me. I'm the type who will melt if I have my hair stroked and all that.

Needless to say, we were definitely not meant for each other, and who knows, maybe that's what caused some unhealthy dynamics and resentment? I thought we had more in common in the beginning, but by the end of it, I realized we're completely different people.

[caffeineandsociety]

As a Proud Weirdo and kinda narrative-minded person, and I say this with equal parts amusement and seriousness, I'm starting to feel like the conversation about "be normal" as internet slang was almost a kind of foreshadowing.

To be clear: I'm totally cool with calling right-wingers weird, because they ARE fucking weird. That's not the ultimate problem with them, but it IS fundamentally at odds with the way they present themselves. Their whole damned thing is their belief that they're actually, secretly, just saying what we're all thinking. That they're the normal ones and the world has "gone mad". "Weird" is not inherently bad - but it is not, and by definition will NEVER be, the silent majority that these, well, fucking weirdos want to think it is. There will never be a silent majority that wants to roll around in Cybertrucks emblazoned with the most pathetic tryhard "patriotic" symbolism of all time. There will never be a silent majority of "straight men" who would huff another "straight man"'s chair for being sufficiently good at hating women. There will never be a "silent majority" that wants to be ground into dust along with their entire families and take pride and honor in the money they're generating for the ultra-wealthy in the process. That shit is, in fact, by all possible definitions of the term, fucking weird.

Pointing that out takes the wind out of their sails. It prevents centrists from being radicalized, because that "we're just saying and doing what EVERYONE wishes they could" thing is such a load-bearing aspect of their strategy.

Of course this has the potential to backfire when people think "weird" IS the ultimate problem with this...

There's a neutral, even good kind of weird - stuff that is morally neutral at worst, but simply not part of the majority mindset and in many cases never will be - and then there's a bad kind of weird - stuff that is abnormal because it is actively harmful and people have made it socially unacceptable for a damned good reason. A lot of the shit we're pointing to in Republicans, in a vacuum, is honestly the neutral-to-good kind of weird! Who cares whether or not JD Vance fucked a couch? Who cares if someone wants to drive the gaudiest, ugliest truck of all time? That's fine! And the fact that having this pointed out makes these people utterly MELT THE FUCK DOWN is very useful...especially if we're not even SHAMING them for that part. Like. You're weird. it's fine. But you can't be a secret silent majority and be fucking weird at the same time. That's the point of acknowledging how fucking weird that shit is. Yes, Aunt Susan, it IS in fact more normal - both statistically and socially - to live in a city and mind your business than it is to deck your house out in American flags and act like a single politician is the messiah, sorry!!

And then there's the bad kind of weird. The QAnonism. The wellness mysticism and antivaxx shit. The insistence on getting all up in everyone's private life if they catch your eye as even superficially slightly unusual. The open hate. The rampant sexual harassment and general creep behavior is, unfortunately, one of the most normal things about these guys, but even that's taken to a level that's just plain fucking weird. We teach people not to do that - not to be bigots, not to reject doctors and get all their public health info from snake oil peddlers on Facebook, not to creepily pry into and try to micromanage strangers' sex lives, and so much more - because it actively hurts both them and people around them. It works for the majority! For normal people! But it doesn't work on everyone, and when people fall through the cracks...it's weird. That's not WHY it's bad, but the weirdness is born from the fact that this is bad, and so we try to prevent it.

All this to say: My thinking? We gotta play up that it's FINE to be harmlessly weird when talking about this - because that will both prevent people from taking this talk in the "conformity is a virtue" direction, AND come off as even more condescending to the rude, nosy, creepy, WEIRD people whose illusion of normalcy we're no longer playing along with.

[aspenforest732]

Bello Licentiae Chapter 9: Even Mistakes Can Be Wonderful

Summary:

tw: ableism, quirk elitism, trauma mentions, torture mentions, electroshock 'therapy' mentions, security threat, discrimination, audism, medical bias, grief, loss, deadnaming, death, mourning Second half of provisional licensing exam 'text' JSL Text thoughts

The tension snapped as Midoriya and Katsuki's groups burst into the room. Akira swiftly stood and snapped, ' Consider the second factor helping you get your license. ' They stalked over to their classmates as the room settled back into chatter, although a bit quieter than previously. Looking over the group, they nodded at the lack of serious injuries and turned to lead Kaminari and Hitoshi to their table when Midoriya stopped them.

"Hey, I know we're not on great terms right now, but I wanted your thoughts on a quirk I ran into," Midoriya babbled. "I think Camie has a Stranger quirk, although I'm not sure what its source is. She can turn into other people! Isn't that cool?"

Akira tensed and slid their gaze over Camie, who slunk into the room around the two groups. ' Really? What'd it look like when she shifted? '

Midoriya grinned, "It was almost like she melted going from Uraraka back to herself. The in between was a kind of muddy, person-shaped blob."

Jackpot . Akira nodded thoughtfully, ' Definitely a Stranger quirk then. Possibly secondary Changer depending on her limitations. Could she use Float Girl's quirk? '

"I didn't see her use it, but it's possible she didn't know how," Midoriya descended into muttering. Akira could pick out a few words here and there about applications.

' I'm going to head back with these two. Congrats on passing, ' Akira signed. Kaminari happily described their fight with Seiji while they walked towards the table, and Akira pulled out their phone slightly to type Camie into their prewritten message and send to Aizawa. They startled as Kaminari explained the folding aspect of Seiji's quirk, but perhaps it was a more common manifestation where the kid was from. There were plenty of electrical quirks that functioned similarly to each other.

As they sat down, Akira kept an eye on Camie while checking on Yaoyorozu. ' You should stop there and wait ten minutes before getting solid food. That should give you enough to work with for the second half, ' Akira said as they took the tumbler back.

Hitoshi glared at his phone before showing it to Kaminari and turning to Akira. "So we're going to find out via news now?"

Akira huffed, ' That's not fair and you know it. They gave no notification of the press conference as far as I'm aware, and only their devoted reporters and ones trusted by the Commission were invited. Raven and Murder God know because of the hospital and League. I was planning on telling Mad Banquet shortly before the press conference once I knew when it would be. '

"So," Yaoyorozu started, a hungry glint in her eye, "you're a legacy kid? I never saw you at the galas."

Don't snap. Don't. Snap. Akira took a steadying breath and settled on waving a hand dismissively. ' I was believed to be quirkless until I was thirteen. They wouldn't have mentioned my existence. '

"You got fixed, though. There have been several since then, though," Yaoyorozu said, feigning passivity but eyes burning with curiosity as she leaned forward slightly. "Why-"

' Drop it, ' Akira signed sharply as their gaze hardened. ' I'm not interested in your bullshit teenage politics, and I'm not going to galas full of people who pretend to tolerate each other for ridiculous games. ' The two glared at each other, table waiting with baited breath.

"Hey, did you hear the rumor that a Quirkless is here?" Kaminari rushed on as the focus shifted, "It's pretty cool they want to be a hero, right?"

Yaoyorozu scoffed, "As if the Commission would allow one of them to get that far. They're not even really people at this point."

Akira shot to their feet, knocking their chair backwards with a screech . Kaminari jumped, falling slightly into Hitoshi. ' You're no longer welcome at this table. You're stable, so leave. Any who share that sentiment should leave now. '

"I was just stating facts." Yaoyorozu examined her nails oh so casually, expression almost bored. "It's not like—"

' Enough! ' Akira interrupted and stalked to her side of the table. Silence rippled outward as heads turned their way again. ' Figures that an ableist prick would be quirkist, too. Now get out before I make you. '

Yaoyorozu's face morphed into shock, hands frozen as they got in her space. With a snarl, their capture scarf rose, and she scrambled to her feet. Yaoyorozu brushed imaginary dirt off a few steps away and strode towards the buffet while Akira glared daggers into the back of her head.

Whipping back around, Akira snapped, ' Anyone else? ' Kaminari practically buzzed with curiosity while Hitoshi looked down with a slightly exasperated smile.

Uraraka stared after her friend but shook her head. "That's so weird, she's usually not like that."

"She is though, ribbit," Tsu looked thoughtfully at her girlfriend. "It's just not directed at you."

Uraraka started to protest, but Shouji and the others shut her down before Akira had to. Nearby students turned back to hushed conversations now that the theatrics were over. Capture scarf resettling, Akira's gaze drifted over the room then snapped back to Aizawa and a couple security guards escorting Camie out, who had slinked towards the door during the confrontations.

As they slipped back into their chair, they shot a text to Anka to warn her about Yaoyorozu. ' And yes, Electric Rat, I think it's great that she's going to become a hero. '

"Oh! Did you meet her? What's she like?" Kaminari started to lean towards them but stopped at Hitoshi's hand on their arm.

' Quite nice, very driven as you have to be in that situation, ' Akira found themself smiling a little.

"Does she use support items, ribbit?"

Looking around the table, Akira took note of Shoji's casual interest, Hitoshi's closed-off expression, Kaminari's open curiosity, Tsu's curious head tilt, and Uraraka's hesitant smile. After a moment, they signed, ' I can ask if she'd like to meet you, but don't treat her like a charity case or a museum or zoo exhibit. If you want to ask a question, first think about how you would feel if it was directed at you. If it would feel too personal, weird, or creepy, don't ask it. '

"Do people actually do that?" Uraraka recoiled slightly, expression twisted in hurt. Akira nodded and texted Anka with the offer.

Moments later, she flopped into the seat next to Akira. "Hey there! I'm Anka Fuji or Apex. Akira said you guys were cool with the whole Quirkless thing. What're your names?"

As everyone introduced themselves, Akira scanned each of them for any red flags. They nearly choked at the odd, knowing expression Hitoshi gave them and signed ' What? '

' First names? ' Akira just rolled their eyes and refocused on her.

Anka fielded a few blessedly standard questions, everyone steering clear of anything related to quirks. Until, that is, Kaminari blurted out, "Have you ever thought about forced quirk manifestation?"

Akira's jaw dropped as they stared at Kaminari. They leaned forward slightly to give a "what the fuck" look to Hitoshi, who looked mortified. Akira turned back to Anka, who was looking at them worriedly but otherwise just seemed a bit uncomfortable. Snapping their mouth shut, they signed so the whole table could clearly see. ' I'm going to assume you don't fully understand what that is because I would hope you wouldn't suggest that otherwise. Forced Quirk Manifestation is an extremely traumatic process and should be illegal. Do not ever say something like that to anyone, much less a Quirkless person. '

Kaminari frowned in confusion, eyes darting back and forth on the table as Akira relaxed slightly at the expression. "Sorry, I came across it when looking at the effects of electricity in different parts of the brain. The articles made it sound fast and relatively painless."

' Ah, Shaker or Brute FQM. The timing depends on a number of factors, but... ' Akira took a shuddering breath as phantom shocks coursed through their body. They gently rubbed their arms to help chase away some of the pain before continuing, ' it's always extremely painful and often deadly. '

Anka finally spoke, voice far less enthusiastic than before. "It's usually forced on us as children or happens when we go through something very traumatic. So Akira's right, it's either going to bring up horrible memories of what was done to us or others in our community." She quickly diverted, "Were you looking for information on your own quirk?"

Kaminari launched into the neuroscience behind why he had seizures and how theoretically he could target specific parts of their brain to increase productivity or turn off specific emotions. Hitoshi looked like they wanted to jump in with why that would be too dangerous, but Kaminari was already going into the risk factors and why he wasn't going to try it yet. The yet drew a concerned glance between Akira and Hitoshi, but they silently agreed to talk about it later. Maybe Katsuki or Kirishima can get through to him .

Anka recommended a regulator in their costume to keep the electricity away from his brain. Kaminari grinned broadly and tapped a note into their phone while launching into questions about her gear. Satisfied that the conversation was redirected from sensitive topics, Akira felt a small sense of relief at the text confirmation of Toga's capture from Aizawa. Now she can finally get some help , Akira thought bittersweetly as their heart panged.

"Pardon me," a Shiketsu student covered in hair walked up. "My name is Mora Nagamasa or Chewyee. Have you seen a blonde girl about this height? I'm trying to find my classmate."

Akira nodded and Hitoshi continued to interpret, ' You'll want to speak with security. If you're the class rep, they should be making their way back to explain the situation to you. '

"Is she in trouble? Camie's been acting a bit odd for the past few days, but I didn't think it would become serious enough for security to be involved..." he trailed off as Akira shot off a text to inform Aizawa of the timeline.

' Like I said, security will talk with you— ah, there they are, ' Akira waved security over. ' It's a bit complicated, and they'll explain. '

As the last group of students came in, including the rest of 1-A, the large monitors flickered to life and showed the battlefield they had been competing in crumbling. All the buildings and structures were destroyed to varying degrees, turning the arena into a disaster site.

"We will have you all perform rescue exercises as bystanders in this disaster site." Mera went on to explain the conditions and the paid actors from Help Us Company. Akira frowned, the name ringing a bell as they quickly searched the Quirkless forums for it. They winced at the less than stellar reviews for discrimination and showed it to Anka.

'You should probably pair up with someone in case they try to grade you unfairly,' Akira suggested, mouth pressed into a thin line. 'Although that could risk them accrediting everything to the other.'

"I've got first aid training and experience, so we shouldn't be grouped up," Anka said thoughtfully. She started digging through her bag and paused a few times with nods. "I have some items that would help with stabilization and finding people. Tailman would be a good pair up in both regards."

Akira firmly nodded and brought her over to the martial artist. ' Apex, this is Tailman. Tailman, Apex. Watch out for discrimination with HUC. '

As the room opened up, Mortis took off with their class, drifting over to run with Siren so they could act as an interpreter. Dynamight, Red Riot, Chargebolt, and Alien Queen split off towards the rock formations while the rest of them headed into the city. ' Tentacole, Earphone Jack, and Anima, spread out and inform us where people are located. Twinkling and Sugarman, you're on breaking up pieces of rubble that can't be moved. Tsukuyomi and Cellophane, the three of us should be in different groups for extracting people. Siren, with me. Creati, Shoto, and Uravity, you should focus on supporting unstable structures and moving rubble out of the way. Deku and Ingenium, carefully move people to the first aid station once that's set up. Tailman, Froppy, and Apex, you know what you're doing. '

When Tentacole sent the location of the first few sets of people over the coms, Deku moved to take a kid on the surface while Creati and Sugarman went off towards an elderly man further into the rubble. Mortis, Siren, and Shoto headed towards a larger cluster of victims as Tentacole and Earphone Jack called out more locations over the coms.

The group cautiously entered the partially collapsed building and, with a little more guidance from Tentacole, picked their way through the lobby and to the stairwell where four people were stuck amidst rubble. Eyeing a partially collapsed wall, Mortis checked the width and signed, ' Load bearing. Shoto, slowly reinforce it with ice before we move anything. Keep a flame going to avoid shock. How are you all feeling? Can any of you move right now? '

"Minus points!" one of the adults called out. "You shouldn't need someone else to talk for you. Heroes need to be able to work independently."

Mortis grimaced but pushed on, ' If none of you can move, that's fine. We're going to get you out, just need to make sure nothing's going to fall while we do so. '

"Looks like we're good to move most of this, but Shoto we need more support for this part of the stairs," Siren reported. As he did so, they started checking the victims for concussions. Once they were confident only one of the victims had one, they started moving the rubble with Shoto.

Noticing a spattering of fake blood on one of the pieces, Mortis gestured for Siren to take it while they activated their speaker, "Sir, can you move leg? Any pain?"

The HUC member frowned but said, "I can move it, but it hurts a lot. What if it's broken?"

Mortis carefully examined the leg first without touching it, noting the fake bruising and mock pained gasp as they put light pressure on the area. ' We'll get you to the first aid station once we get everyone out, but it doesn't look like a serious break. Does anything else hurt? ' At his denial, they gently wrapped and splinted his leg to keep it from getting worse. Once the rubble was cleared, the trio confirmed with Tentacole that this was the only group in the building and made their way to the first aid station.

As the group reached the first aid station, Mortis established what care had been done and what they'd observed. The blonde girl in charge easily accepted the new patients and started distributing work among the other two heroes. Just as they were about to move out towards another cluster of victims, a large series of explosions rang out through the stadium. Mortis immediately checked for loose debris, shielding a few people with their clones as another student batted the falling pieces out of the way.

As Mera announced the second phase of the rescue trial, Tentacole announced over coms, "Gang Orca and dozens of villains approaching first aid station. Send backup to that location."

Grand charged forward and set off an earthquake, throwing most of the minions off as Deku froze. Mortis rapidly signed to Siren, ' Try to get Gang Orca. I'll focus on—'

Eyes wide, Mortis rapid-fire multiplied their clones, creating a barrier between the villain's sonic attack as it threw Grand back. Shoto shot out an ice wall and covered the ground further back in ice, trapping the minions or at least delaying them. As more heroes ran up to the station, Mortis directed their clones to start moving the victims away from the fight.

While Gang Orca was distracted by Shoto, they quickly checked Grand's ears and chest, listening for fluid in his lungs. With the kid only paralyzed for now, Mortis wrapped their capture weapon to support his head and neck like they had with Pixie Bob and started half carrying half dragging him away.

As Siren stepped up beside Shoto, Gale Force neared on a personal tornado. Akira felt a few of their clones dispel early, so they carefully had them lower or hold out their victims and released them once another dispelled. They waved over Gale Force and gestured to the next group of victims that needed to be moved. ' The ones in that section have critical injuries that will need extra support to be safely moved. Only take ones you're confident will not be further injured by your winds. '

"No, I should help with the villains," Gale Force scowled, already starting towards the fight.

Mortis stared at him and sharply motioned to the victims. ' Shoto and Siren can handle Gang Orca, and I can provide barriers for minions who slip through. We need more on evacuations right now. '

Shoto traded bursts of flame back and forth with Gang Orca's sonic blasts, using ice to block as Siren tried to goad him into responding. The minions gave up trying to free themselves from his ice field and held up circular weapons, calling them out as cement guns as they rained fire down the street. Mortis rapidly set up a field of clones as Shoto blocked a number of the shots with another ice wall and Gale Force finally started moving the victims. Between the several hierarchy levels and globs of quickly hardening concrete, Mortis was losing clones faster than they could safely make new ones for an effective barrier. Keeping an eye out for stragglers and any slipping through defenses, they took long dregs from their costume stores to keep up with their metabolism.

The faster rescue heroes returned, grabbing another group as Gang Orca tossed Siren aside and grabbed Shoto by the throat. SHIT. Mortis rushed Gang Orca with their clones, warping to start a new hierarchy chain even as the minions rushed forward.

Mortis flinched as a sonic wave tore through their clones, pulsing through their veins as they fought to stay afloat. Seeing Shoto's stiff body in Gang Orca's clawed hand, they fought every nerve in their body screaming to run. Come on , you can see he's not a Wren. Think. It's a cone, so... there!

Mortis warped just in front of Gang Orca, out of the attack. Shooting out their capture weapon, Mortis used the momentum of another warp to slam the villain away from Shoto, his grip loosening and eyes widening slightly in surprise. They darted back as the minions started to rush the area, only to be buffeted back with them as Gale Force rolled heavy winds their way.

Mortis unsteadily swayed to their feet, vision pulsing as they tried to get their bearings. Pain exploded in their left leg, and it buckled as concrete enveloped it. Mortis quickly warped, blinking through the haze as they checked on Siren, who definitely had a concussion. Knowing that would only make his quirk drawback worse, Mortis threw an arm around their shoulders and helped him walk towards where they left Grand.

Mortis bristled as Gale Force seemed to be working against Shoto instead of with him as their quirks that should pair well together instead dispersed each other. They tucked the two out of commission heroes into an alleyway and darted towards the pair, stopping short as Deku whizzed past, green lightning dancing across his skin.

"What are you doing? Dry him out together! Gang Orca probably struggles with hydration because of his quirk," Deku yelled at the two as Mortis extended their crutches to catch themself. Shifting weight off their left leg, they warped to the side as another earthquake broke up the minions. "Mortis, we need a front line to keep the villains back!" Deku called out.

Why is it always that leg. Gritting their teeth against the pain, Mortis warped more clones forward, rapidly building their numbers back up as Shoto and Gale Force boxed off Gang Orca with a wall of fire. The villains hesitated at their boss' containment and started towards him, only to be slammed into by Deku's Shoot Style and Mortis' swarm of clones. Reinforcements soon arrived, and just as Gang Orca burst free from the firenado, Mera announced the end of the test with the successful extraction of the last HUC members.

Akira helped Hitoshi and Shoto to the infirmary, insisting that if they were getting checked out the other two need to as well. The nurse poured dissolving solution on the concrete as he checked over them and a few others for injuries. After a few minutes, Akira could see their leg again and sighed at the large gash and inflamed area where the projectile hit at an odd angle. Gently pressing on the area, Akira signed, ' Either a nondisplaced break or bad fracture. I'll just keep it immobile and let Recovery Girl take a look. '

"You'd be in a lot more pain if it was a break, so don't worry about that," the nurse huffed as he applied a bandage to their cut. "Mild concussion for you, moderate for you two, so you need to be monitored for the next 24 hours. I've got worse injuries to deal with today, so I don't have the energy for your minor ones. Follow up with your doctor, and you'll be fine."

Akira cocked their head and corrected, ' There are a number of factors that go into someone's pain, including how they show it and what their pain tolerance is. I'm fine with your suggestion, but you should be more aware of this when talking with patients. '

Eventually, they made their way to the board, Akira standing a little outside the crowd with Mad Banquet to avoid jostling their leg. Everyone in 1-A except Katsuki and Shoto was on the board, and Akira glared at Yoarashi as he approached and apologized even as Shoto accepted. Anka was fortunately on the board, and the girl shot Akira a grin as their eyes met.

Looking over their results, Akira frowned at the points deducted for not talking, eating during the exam, and several other issues targeting their disabilities. There were a few normal critiques on their first aid and rescue protocol, but it still left a sour feeling in their gut. A 70 wasn't bad, but still. Other students with "undesirable" quirks and Anka received similar discriminatory marks, so Akira told them to report the results to their homeroom teacher.

As the class went to get their provisional license cards, Akira readied themself for the backlash. They stepped up between Fumikage and Koji and ran through their information.

The worker frowned and looked between them and the computer. "You're an Inoue, though. Why are you registering under your cover name?"

Akira sighed, ' My preferred name is Akira Mori. You don't need to know why, and that is my legal name. '

He frowned but entered it after a moment. "Hero name?"

' Umbra Mortis. ' Hearing the keys clack more than necessary, Akira added, ' May I review the information before you print the license? '

He gave them a bored look but shrugged and spun the monitor so they could clearly see "Umbra Mortis Wren." They pressed their lips together and stared at the man before firmly signing, ' Umbra Mortis. Not Umbra Mortis Wren. I am not taking the surname. '

"Don't be ridiculous, every Inoue does," he scoffed.

Akira sucked in a breath and shook their head. ' Not ones who choose to go independent. We're uncommon, but not unheard of, especially in the early years of the Wrens. '

"No one's gone independent in generations," the worker protested and went to turn the monitor back. Akira thrust a hand forward to stop it and leveled him with a steady glare.

' I am. So remove Wren from my hero name. '

"Is there a problem here?" Aizawa drawled, appearing beside them.

"No, sir, your student is just being unreasonable with their name."

' He added "Wren" and refuses to remove it, ' Akira explained.

"I believe they are being perfectly reasonable," Aizawa said, fixing the worker with a hard glare. "Fix their hero name and move on."

"What happened to Camie?" Hitoshi asked as they made their way back to U.A. on the bus. Kaminari echoed the sentiment while the rest of Mad Banquet looked a bit confused.

Akira glanced up at Aizawa, who subtly shook his head. ' She was sick or something, ' they signed vaguely.

Kaminari frowned and cocked his head, "Didn't you say something about security, though?"

Akira shrugged, ' I saw them with her, maybe she needed an escort. ' Fumikage started to say something, but Akira quickly signed ' sensei. ' His eyes narrowed slightly and his feathers ruffled, but he dropped it.

When they got back to Heights Alliance after the few injured students stopped by Recovery Girl, Aizawa stopped the class before they could disperse from the common area. "If you haven't seen the news already, you will soon, so let me make one thing clear." He scanned the tense students with a piercing gaze. "Akira Mori is their preferred name, and you are not to use any variation of Wren or their deadname. They do not owe you an explanation, and if I hear about any of you harassing them, the consequences will be swift."

Their class scattered, and Akira drifted to the kitchen to make hitsumabushi. As they finished setting out their prep, Sato slipped into the kitchen beside them. Akira shifted their ingredients to make more room as he quietly worked, gathering enough for the class.

"Is there something I can include to honor the person you're remembering?" Sato asked while Akira waited for the eel to cook.

They startled slightly and a small smile slipped on their face. Midoriya probably said something. ' Thanks. He liked konbucha, but don't feel like you have to include it. '

"Nonsense, that's easy to incorporate," Sato softly smiled. "Are you making his favorite dish or...?"

Akira shook their head, the smile turning bittersweet. ' We never got something like this, but he liked eel, too. This was the easiest to prep for ahead of time. ' A few minutes later, they put the servings into bowls on a tray and took the elevator to the roof. Akira nudged the access door with their foot and set their tray down in the middle of the roof next to a couple blankets.

Just as they started taking out the fixings, Akira looked down at their phone vibrating with a call from Aizawa. They picked up with video and signed, ' Is something wrong? '

"Mori, why are you on the roof? Are you alright?" Aizawa asked.

Akira straightened as they registered the pattern of his urgent run. ' I'm fine, are you alright? Why are you running? Is there an emergency? ' After a moment, they added, ' I just brought my dinner up here. '

Akira heard him slow as he sighed. "We get an alert when the roof is accessed for the safety of whoever accesses it. Please let me know if you plan to go up there in the future." After a moment, he added, "You're not in trouble. I was just worried."

' Okay, ' Akira signed as they relaxed, understanding washing over them. Although odd that it was directed at them. ' I can stay up here, though? ' At his confirmation, they hung up and resumed the tradition they'd started when they could do little more than set aside a bite of food for him. Like the other children lost to the Inoue forced quirk manifestation process, Minori never got a shrine, and the outside world never knew of his existence. Family members weren't allowed to openly mourn them for fear of the public uncovering a small part of the family secret. There was never even a grave to visit.

As Akira refocused on the rough drawing they'd made of their little brother, they watched night fall and the stars come out. They smiled sadly and told their brother about the constellations he never got to see and the space-themed hero they met. Akira spoke of their time at U.A., with Dabi, and the spark of hope they were cautiously letting grow as more opportunities opened for their plans.

As they finished their last serving, Akira signed, ' Happy Birthday, Minori, ' and headed back inside.

Notes:

today is not the day to mess with Akira lol so I wasn't planning on having a Quirkless oc but Anka just sort of happened. I actually rolled for both Akira and Minori's birthdays, and the latter's ended up being September 2nd. Decided to switch it to the 1st to spice up the exam a bit😊 I got the idea for what Kaminari's talking about from Electric Fool by drowningInWorkButStill on ao3 And we've got the last chapter title that's a Robin Williams quote. Fun fact I made Moss cry on live from the ending :) Me: ok quick lil interlude for Toga's capture then onto the rescue half 1300 words of conversation later... Me: oops

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[irishanimefan]

One Piece Anime Watchalong: Alabasta Saga 3/5

Little Garden (Eps 70-77):

Started: 28/7/23 Finished: 29/7/23

I said in the last post I would be quicker getting these posts out there, but real life and the video I just uploaded a couple days ago kind of distracted me from that.

With Vivi now apart of the Straw Hat pirates, the crew head off to their next destination, which is the Little Garden. However, when they get there, the realise that the island's inhabitants are not what they expect. Not only do they discover dinosaurs living there, but the island is also home to the two giants Broggy and Dorry, who have been fighting with each other on the island for 100 years. However, their evenly matched duel is disturbed when Baroque Works invade the island.

I don't really have a lot to say about this arc, mainly because for the most part it was a little uninteresting. There were some aspects that I liked a lot from it, but it didn't really grab me in the same way like previous arcs had. While the Straw Hats realising what was on the island and their interactions with the giants was fun and playful, it was a bit slow to start with. Then it's tied back to the main plot of this saga, which involves the Baroque Works preventing the Straw Hats from getting to Alabasta. I'll be honest, the Baroque Works are kind of a mixed bag for me. Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine are kind of dull as far as antagonists go. They have cool Devil Fruit Powers, Mr. 5 with the Bomb-Bomb fruit, and Miss Valentine with Kilo-Kilo fruit, and their designs are neat, but they don't leave a great impact. That being said, the higher ranking agents we see in this arc, that being Mr. 3 and Miss Golden Week, I found to be really entertaining. Mr. 3's over-the-top and extravagant personality juxtaposed with Miss Golden Week's very stoic attitude was a highlight of the arc. They have more unique Devil Fruit powers too, having the Wax-Wax and Colours Trap powers, respectively, leads to more interesting fights. The only issue is that I wish we could've seen more of them, as the way they were defeated in the end felt anticlimactic.

Onto the stuff I did like about this arc. Firstly, the reinforcement of the Straw Hats ideologies, namely Luffy and Usopp. It's stuff that we already seen before, but I always love seeing it. Luffy getting along so well with Dorry, hearing about their tradition, and feeling so passionate about honouring their duel is great. I really love Usopp in this arc and it's further solidifies why he's my favourite Straw Hat member. While he was initially terrified of Broggy, thinking that he might eat him, upon seeing the giant's duel Usopp's admiration for what Broggy does and what he stands for really affected him, to the point where he aspires to be just like him -- metaphorically not physically! I also like how he was the one responsible for saving Nami, Zoro, and Vivi from being further incased in wax by realising that heat can melt it. If it wasn't for his quick thinking, it would've been curtains for the Straw Hats. It demonstrates how Usopp is slowly but surely embodying that "brave warrior of the sea" mantra he respects so much. It is implemented very gradually, at points glacially, but that's just what makes him so relatable to me. These issues don't get magically resolved because of one singular act of bravery, it happens because of repetitive action. Even though the story is set in a fantastical world, where I have no doubt will get crazier from here, the emotions are still very much grounded and believable.

Other thoughts I have on this arc: Sanji and Zoro's symbolical dick measuring contest in this arc was pretty funny. The way Nami and Vivi emerged from the flames to save Usopp from Miss Valentine, and the close up shot of them with their backs against each other was so hot.

Overall, while this was decent, it wasn't my favourite arc. So far the Alabasta saga hasn't grabbed me like East Blue did, even though there are moments that I think are awesome. I'm hoping as we get edge closer to the end that I will be proven wrong. Onward to the next arc, which is Drum Island!