#but i underestimated how long this would take

[altocat]

I mean, besides the big bad ultimate illness (degradation/Jenova tomfoolery/geostigma), how would the firsts +Zack and Cloud (AC or not) be when they are genuinely sick. like, legitimately they think they might die. no Genesis thinking the sniffles are death. no no no, GRAVELY ILL.

(also ily, you're great, have a wonderful day ♥️)

This is gonna be SO MORBID lmao Thank you for the tasty angst.

TWs for potentially distressing topics.

Angeal: He initially tries to take the pragmatic approach, the resourceful one. Assuming he's about to die, he gets his affairs in order, arranges everything as neatly as possible. He tries to put on a brave face, even though it's emotionally exhausting him. He tries to juggle everything and bottle his feelings to the point where he becomes depressed and slightly unstable, eventually crumbling from the weight of it, admitting that he hopes it comes as quickly as possible so he doesn't have to prolong his own suffering.

Zack: Keeps a smile on his face despite everything. He's scared, yeah. But he's facing the prospect of dying with a sense of courage and acceptance. Yeah, it's terrifying. But it's a new adventure. He'll face whatever comes. He'll keep joking and laughing. He'll stand toe to toe with Death, look it in the eyes, and depart as an equal. That's the real Zack Fair. Fearless to the end.

AC!Cloud: Cloud privately worries about his loved ones. Tifa. Denzel. All his friends. His family. He wants to protect them. How will they go on without him? What if he doesn't have time to tell them how he really feels? What if it's too late? He once again underestimates just how loved and cherished he really is, with everyone gathering together to be with him, letting him know that they're not going anywhere. Tifa especially. She'd be right there beside him on his deathbed, holding his hand the entire time.

Genesis: Genesis just gets wild, destructive, and more impulsive than usual. He LOVES life, LOVES living. To lose it all is an existential break for him that causes him to become reckless and angry, mindlessly seeking out pleasurable distractions in order to ward off the anguish and pain of illness, regression. Eventually, Genesis just decides that if he IS going to die, better to go out in a blaze of glory. One last big FUCK YOU to the world that robbed him of the chance to live. A final stand against a hated enemy. A noble sacrifice for those he loves. Maybe even one last reckless bit of fun. Genesis plans for the mother of all showstoppers, a grand exit to ensure his name is not forgotten.

Sephiroth: Sephiroth initially expected to be angry and upset--after all, that's how most people feel in such scenarios. But apart from his reluctance to be permanently parted from his few and far between loved ones, he curiously feels a sense of....relief. Relief. Peace. Letting something go, something that has long burdened him, long caused him pain. It's over now. No more questions. No more strain. No more self-suppression. Needles and tanks. Cells and cages. All of it gone. He's free. He's escaped. And there are only outstretched hands beyond the veil, waiting shapes he'd so long hoped to approach, to know, to merge with.

He'll find her again.

He'll be with her. In her arms.

And he'll be warm, at long, long last.

Home.

[vampworks]

In His Arms

Word count: 1.4k

Rafayel x GN reader( sylus mention)

Sylusx GN reader (zayne mention)

No use of y/n

Warnings: mentions of death, language, minimal angst, jealousy

Evening

My princess.

My beloved, my sun and stars above.

Oh, how the steady drum of my heart sings as it beats only for you.

Nothing but silk sheets and lace drapes over her dewy skin. Warmth practically glowing red in her cheeks. The crashing waves had finally lulled my dearest to rest after dragging me all over town. She had rambled on about weapons and plans she had made for us both. Maybe my taunts had really gone to her head. I said to never leave me behind again, I was joking but I’ll never complain.<o:p></o:p>

I watched over her as she slept, old habits seeping to the surface once again. I listen out for the sound of guards coming to her rescue or only to be met with her phone’s chime. I let out the breath I didn’t know I was holding in. That murderer she called ‘Sylus’ would just have to wait. Perhaps he would have his turn like I did. She stirs beside me as if she could hear my contempt for the man.<o:p></o:p>

Tired eyes slowly take her surroundings. I followed her gaze from scattered paintings, the setting sun, Reddy, and then up my chest to that one mole she insisted was “pretty”. I thought to tease her, but the words caught in my throat. <o:p></o:p>

Those bright eyes finally meet mine with a divine beauty I’d never seen anywhere else. It was always quiet moments like this that reminded me why I made that promise so long ago. I’ve given up everything I’ve ever had to hold her in my arms. To know the warmth beneath her skin and feel of her touch.<o:p></o:p>

I’d do it all again without a single thought. Back then, they called me a selfish and cruel creature. A monster made only with lust in the heart. I was to be their god, the one meant to protect them, and I betrayed my kind time and time again, for I am a beast of pleasure. Life after life, I would give my dying breath for the final taste of my beloved’s lips. The sun for a brush of her fingertips on mine. And the sea for the soft sting of her nails clawing my back.  If she wanted, I would become something truly awful. Lemuria be dammed if I get to spend my life wrapped in her embrace.

“Rafie?” My breath hitches like the sound of her voice beside me. Small, airy, weightless, as it sounds again. “You, ok?” She groans eyes squeezed shut again as her fingers rub against them. I silently pleaded to whatever was above that she’d look at me once more. Even for a moment.  “I’m dying.” She shuts up in an instant. Her tired eyes were now blown wide as she stared at me. It seems to grant my wish. Her eyes searched in a scattered frenzy for answers, only to receive a snort I couldn’t hide back. The girl beside me only falls back to my side with a long groan. Her head rests on my arm; it’s completely numb beneath her, but I don’t dare move it. “Raf, what’s wrong?” She repeats, this time, a bit stern. “I’m just wondering why my little bodyguard is crushing my poor arm.” I whine with a pout on my lips. Not my finest save, but it’ll do. She only grumbles and moves to straddle my waist. “Shut up, you know you love me,” her voice muffled as she nestled into the crook of my neck. More than you’ll ever know, my beloved bride.

Nightfall

My Goddess,

My solace,

Mine own heart, kindled spirits intertwined til the end of our eternity

She speeds towards my tower on my bike. A beautiful sight I engross myself in, the sound of pitiful old men with power complexes drowned out as noise to ignore. “You have somewhere to be?” One of the men questions. His words are ever as pompous as him. “You underestimate if you think I’ll just fade away.” With a wave of my hand, he does just that with a shrill scream that lasts far too long. “The rest of you are dismissed. You know what I want. Handle it.” I command, already out of the dining hall.

30 minutes later, Mephisto announces her arrival. The camera in the elevator shows her disheveled uniform and angered features. A lesser man would see a deadly combination that would be his downfall, but not I. That little hunter stomping through these halls meant life had begun again. Everything I had built and torn down had meaning once more. This would be a fun night after all. I positioned myself in the lounge with one of her favorite records placed neatly on the dial, a bottle of wine, and dinner on its way from the kitchen. And finally, a book in my hand appears busy. Can’t have her thinking I plan my time for her. Oh no, never that.

Page 1, “the art of engineering and robotics in nature. Chapter 1, in order to begin the fascinating journey in technology one must learn the world of nature first. From the sights, textures, and of course the wonderous sounds to be- 3,2,1. “SYLUS!” I struggled to contain my smile as she calls out my name as if calling down a child for discipline. The sound of her voice is lovely to my ears as it travels to find me. She continues to the many halls, announcing my crimes. “You really sent a thousand roses to Zayne’s office. And for what?!” she sounds from the bedroom. “The card said oops wrong address with a smiley face” she yells now in the hall. “A smiley face, Sylus!’’ She says as I watch her past by in the doorway only to double back.

Her narrow eyes met mine, finally locking on to her target in an instant. “Welcome in, sweetie. What brings you in this time of night?”  My voice honeyed as usual, a shit-eating grin plastered on and a snort choked down in my throat. "Ooh, you know what you did.” She said peering down at me.  “I couldn’t even have my appointment in there, no one could move.”

“But Darling, you were not home to receive them. And isn’t it best when others see you receive flowers?” I ask as innocently as I can. The book is long forgotten as I pull her in my lap. She squirms but doesn’t struggle out. With a groan, she settles with her thigh straddling my own. “Yeah.” She muttered. “Mmm, what was that, kitten. I couldn’t quite hear.”  She whined and stuffed her head into my neck. I can feel her shoulders relax instantly as her arms wrap around me. “Yes, all the nurses saw them all and got jealous. It was fun until I had to put them all in Zayne’s car.” The snort I was holding back finally escaped me. “My apologies, sweetie but look on your faces were priceless.” She whines once more with a few blows to my shoulders. <o:p></o:p>

“You know he’s a good man, right?” She says her voice is a bit hoarse but soft as always. “I love you both.” my smile and my eyes wander towards to record player. It's stopped, I should- “Sylus, I know what you’re thinking.” Wonderful because I don’t. He is great for her; he’s dedicated his entire life to her health and wellbeing. I should be fine with this. I don’t share, I could though. For her, I did say she ought to have whatever little heart of hers desired. I’ll bite this bullet then; Zayne truly did have her heart first. She opened it for me as well. “It seems the competition for your affection has ended in a draw.” I always try to keep my composure in her presence, and she sees me as usual. She draws in a deep breathe “Thank you; it means so much.’’ Her head rises again to lay soft kisses across my face. "Also,” she speaks between kisses. “Zayne”. Her words now sound just as honeyed as mine. “He said he’d rather be seduced with desserts,” She lays a final long kiss on my lips. “Rather than flowers, I mean.”

“I’ll be sure to remember my new friend’s favorites; he’ll adore me by the time I’m done with him.” I laugh, a blush surely staining my face. “That seems more like a threat, but I’ll take the risk and invite him to dinner with us tomorrow."

“All in good fun, kitten. A bet on my good behavior, perhaps?”

[lucy90712]

Puppy- Pedri

Life has been a lot recently I moved away from my hometown and my parents to move in with my boyfriend after being long distance for nearly two years. Getting to live with him has been amazing I love Pedri so much and now we don't have to miss each other in between being able to visit one another. Moving from Tenerife to Barcelona has also meant I needed to find a new job which luckily didn't take long so I've just started at a new company and moved which is a lot all at once but so far it's been mostly good.

I do feel like I'm kind of just getting through each day I wake up and then I'm at work and then I come back home again. My life doesn't feel like my life anymore I had a whole routine back home but now everything is different and I don't have the little things in my routine that helped each day feel less mundane. The best part of my day is when Pedri gets home and we can cuddle on the sofa and watch a movie which has become a daily routine. Don't get me wrong I love my new life as I get to be with Pedri but it's a lot of change all at once and I feel like it's finally catching up to me and I'm starting to miss home a little. 

It's going to take some time to get used to being here but I'm sure eventually Barcelona will start to feel like home and I'll forget all about this time where I felt out of place. I know this is where I'm supposed to be as otherwise Pedri would've never come into my life and he's definitely the best thing that's ever happened to me. When we get used to living together and I get used to the city I'm sure it will all be perfect right now we are just going through an adjustment period. 

Pedri's POV

Like most days when Y/n got home she seemed stressed until she saw me then she put a fake smile on her face. I can tell she's faking it because the smile didn't reach her eyes like it always does when she's actually smiling. I know the move has been a lot on her we both knew the first few weeks would be hard but I can tell she's still struggling and that just breaks my heart. It's not that she doesn't want to be here as when we go places together she really enjoys herself but whenever I have to leave her or she goes to work the next time I see her she looks stressed and just generally unhappy. 

I should've known that moving so far from home and getting a new job all at the same time would be hard for her but I underestimated how big of a change that would be for her. I remember when I first moved here I didn't know anyone and it was my first time living alone it was scary and I missed home a lot and that must be how y/n feels as I know she is really close to her family so not being close to them distance wise anymore is difficult. I want to do something to make her feel more at home here but I have no idea what the right thing to do is as I can't just magically help her settle in. 

This has been on my mind for a few days and I can't decide the right thing to do so I've decided that I'm going to ask some of the other guys if they have any ideas. I've told Ferran about my dilemma but he was no use and the same goes for Gavi neither of them gave me any serious ideas they just joked around like they always do. Asking them made it clear that I need to talk to one of the older guys who might actually offer some sensible advice. 

"Hey Raphinha can I get your advice on something?" I asked 

"Of course man what's up" he said 

"You know y/n moved in with me a few months ago well I just feel like she hasn't fully settled in and I don't know what to do she just seems stressed and unhappy" I said 

"That's hard she must just miss home I know this isn't the answer your looking for but time is the best thing for that and just talk to her asking her how she feels will help you understand what you can do to take some of the stress away" he advised 

"Thanks man I'll definitely talk to her" I said 

"Wait Pedri did you say y/'s missing home" one of coaches said from across the hallway 

"Yeah she just seems to be lonely I guess she's only got me and anyone I've introduced her to so when we aren't around that's when she seems to be the worst" I said 

"This might not be the solution you're looking for but my brother found a puppy dumped in a bin last night maybe having something in the house would help y/n feel less lonely if you want to meet the puppy I'll give you my brothers number" he said 

"Actually that sounds like a great idea" I said 

Getting a puppy was definitely not something I'd planned on doing for a while as I'm not around as much as I would need to be to look after a dog and I didn't want to put that all on y/n as she's getting used to life here but maybe it would be good for her. Having a little puppy around the house to keep her company while I'm not around sounds like a great idea to me and she can meet new people taking the dog for a walk. 

~~~~~~~~~~

After seeing the puppy my mind was made up he was so sweet and he reminded me a lot of the family dog y/n has back home which seemed like a sign that this was the decision I needed to make. It took a few days to get everything sorted but finally today I picked up the puppy and brought him home to explore a bit before y/n got home from work. So far he's done just that he hasn't stopped running around and playing with the few toys I got him as well as my shoes but we will work on stopping that another day. 

Your POV

Today has been a long day we had a big presentation at work today and I had a few important meetings and now I'm just exhausted. When I pulled into the driveway Pedri's car was already there and that made me feel a little better as seeing him and cuddling with him sounds like it will make all my problems go away at least for tonight. As I entered the door I saw a little plastic ball on the floor which had me confused as I don't know why Pedri would have one of those or why it would just be on the floor. Then it all made sense when a tiny ball of black fluff ran towards me grabbed the ball and ran away again towards Pedri who picked up the puppy and brought it towards me. 

As soon as he placed the puppy in my arms I was in love it looked exactly like my parents dog back home which they got when I was little and we grew up together. Holding the puppy made me feel like I had a bit of home with me and it reminded me of my childhood and all of the photos I have with my parents dog. 

"Whose dog is this?" I asked Pedri 

"He's ours" he said 

"I have so many questions" I said 

"Well one of our coaches at the club overheard me talking to Raphinha about how I think you've been missing home and feeling lonely here and said that his brother found a puppy dumped in a bin so I went and met the puppy and instantly knew he'd be a perfect fit for us and I know we both have busy lives but I thought he'd keep you company while I'm away" Pedri explained 

"Who would dump this little cutie" I cooed to the puppy

"I do have one last question does he have a name yet?" He asked 

"I haven't properly named him yet as I didn't want to do it without you but I was thinking we could call him Nilo" he said 

"I like that welcome to our crazy household Nilo" I said 

Pedri took my bag off me while I took Nilo to the living room so I could sit and play with him to destress from my day. It didn't take long for Pedri to join us and we both threw the little ball across the room and watched little Nilo scamper after it. A puppy would've been the last thing I thought I wanted if you'd have asked me even just yesterday but I actually think Pedri is right Nilo is going to be great at keeping me company when no one else is here and having such a happy little thing here to greet me when I get home is definitely going to brighten my days. It feels like I've got a little bit of my life from back home here now that we have a dog and hopefully that will help make Barcelona feel like home. 

For the rest of the night we didn't take our attention off Nilo but eventually we had to go to bed now we had agreed that Nilo wouldn't sleep in the bed with us but that went out the window within two seconds. As soon as we saw him sitting on the floor in his bed whimpering and wanting our attention Pedri got up and put him on our bed which stopped his crying instantly. Nilo was quick to make himself comfy in my arms as Pedri put his arms around me and we settled down for the night as some sort of weird family.

"Thank you for getting Nilo just having him here has made me feel more at home" I said 

"There's no need to thank me I just want you to be comfortable here and honestly as soon as I saw him there was no way I was leaving without him he was just too cute" Pedri laughed 

"He certainly is cute you have competition now" I joked 

"I don't think I'm going to win that competition" he said 

"No you won't but I still love you" I said 

"More than Nilo?" He asked 

"Of course for now at least" I joked 

Pedri rolled his eyes but I know he feels the exact same way I do. 

[staghunters]

It's the last time running through snow

'Cause the fire can't last and the winter's cold

Yellowjackets Appreciation Week Day 2: favorite character

[thebayclans]

Prologue pages 12-14

Blue-orange torbie: Thrushflame, she/her

Black and white cat: Loonshadow, she/her

Horizonpaw: our protagonist, she/they

previous | next

[paperultra]

mise en rose.

Pairing: OPLA!Roronoa Zoro x Reader Word Count: 3,806 words Warnings: Swearing, alcohol use

The tune that your father used to whistle now leaves your lips the same way it left his.

Notes skip offkey across the water as your boat rocks gently, waves lapping up against the wooden sides. The moon shines brightly overhead. You shift in place and wait for a tug on your fishing line, the basket at your feet waiting patiently for its first meal.

Archy will be happy if you actually catch something for once. There’s not a lot of fish around here, and you’re not exactly sure why; something about the aquatic plants in the area, or if you were to believe the old man in the village square, a curse that swallows anything with fins that swims too close. The last time you caught something was months ago, and it was tiny and more bone than flesh.

You don’t really care. It’s enough to just sit out here and feel the waves.

Cheeks puffing up with air for another round of music, you let your gaze drift out towards the ocean and abruptly freeze.

There’s something floating in the distance.

A piece of debris. Wood from a hull, a scrap of sail perhaps?

The thought that it may be the remnant of a ship destroyed at sea is enough for you to reel in your line and start rowing towards it, anticipation bubbling up and drowning out any thoughts of a midnight snack.

You get close enough and your anticipation gives way to shock.

“Oh, shit.”

The guy clinging to the chunk of wood stirs and lifts his head, and you almost hit him upside the head with your oar.

“Oh, shit. You’re alive.”

—

“You say you’re going out fishing and you come back with a half-dead man with three swords?” Archy looks like he’s about to have an aneurysm, but this time, you don’t blame him. This is certainly uncharted territory and your older brother is hopeless without a map. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

“What was I supposed to do, leave him to die?”

“I dunno! Yeah!” he gestures to the waterlogged man lying halfway on the living room couch, one arm and leg hanging off the side. “Look at him. He’s probably a pirate!”

“Damn, you think?” Crouching down, you drag your eyes across Swordsman’s ragged clothing and grin. You might’ve just rescued someone with a bounty on his head. “That’d be so cool.”

“That would not be cool.”

You shrug. “Well, I brought him in already, so you might as well help me unless you want a dead body in our living room.”

“You little –” Taking a deep breath, Archy pinches the bridge of his nose and lets out a long, loud groan, and you know that you’ve won once more. “Fine. But as soon as he’s even a little bit better, we’re calling the Marines.”

“Okay,” you agree amicably. “So, what do we do first?”

“We have to undress him and warm him up.”

“Got it.” Your eager fingers go straight for the swords.

The man comes to life without warning. Seizing your wrist, he cracks one eye open and speaks in a low and rasping voice.

“Don’t. Touch. My swords.”

“Uh,” you say.

“We got to get everything off, mate,” Archy grumbles, and your guest turns his glare onto your brother. “I know how to clean swords and scabbards. I’ll dry them off and put them under the couch afterward.”

“I’ll do it myself.”

With a grunt, Swordsman pushes you away and attempts to sit up. He struggles for a full minute, jaw clenched and muscles trembling; his arms, strong and sturdy as they are, look like they’ll buckle at any moment.

Your eyebrows shoot up to the ceiling when he actually manages to prop himself up.

“Well, that’s impressive,” you mutter, making eye contact with Archy. He rolls his eyes. “Can you remove your clothes and wrap yourself up too?”

It takes a few moments before Swordsman has enough breath to respond. “I’m fine,” he says once he can.

“You’re really not,” Archy replies.

“You’re probably really dehydrated,” you say. “How long were you out there?”

The man stares at you, opens his mouth, pauses.

“Three days. Maybe.”

You gape. “You spent three days floating in the East Blue and you’re not dead?” You look at his neck for gills. “Are you a fishman or something?”

“No.”

“Really? I mean, I never met any fishmen before, so …”

His eye twitches. “I’m not a fishman.”

“Well, okay, if you say so.”

What a weird guy. Then again, you’ve heard that all sorts of characters traverse the Blue Sea. Devil fruit users, talking animals, clowns. A person who can survive the ocean for a couple days on a piece of wood is hardly out of the question.

“You’re dehydrated, in any case,” you conclude. “I’ll get you some water.”

—

After gruffly accepting a glass of water and putting on some dry clothes, Swordsman proceeds to “sleep it off” for the next twenty-four hours. When he finally wakes up, it’s in the middle of the night and you’ve just started rereading your favorite book.

“Oh, he’s awake,” you say when he stirs, swinging your feet off the coffee table and leaning forward in your chair to observe.

He grimaces under the dim light of your lamp, lifting an arm to press it over his eyes. “How long was I out,” he grouses.

“’Bout a day.”

“Shit.” He wriggles around in the fuzzy blanket you’ve wrapped around him. Once he’s loosened its hold enough, he sits up slowly and looks around, expression equal parts drowsy and wary. “Where –”

“Archy took your swords and cleaned them. They’re under the couch.”

“I told you not to touch them.”

“I didn’t. My brother did.”

Casting you the most unamused glare, Swordsman bends over to look underneath the couch. He pulls his swords out and places them in his lap, inspecting the white one first with a care that makes you rest your chin in your hand, curious and charmed. His brow furrows and you know that he finds your brother’s work to be satisfactory when he moves on to inspect the other two.

“Our uncle was a bladesmith in Loguetown. He taught Archy a thing or two before he passed.”

“You’re bladesmiths?”

“Coopers. Uncle was the rebel, I guess.” You close your book and stand up. “There’s leftover soup in the fridge. I’ll heat up the broth for you.”

This time, the man does not refuse your help and only nods. As you head to the kitchen and start to reheat the soup, you glance over and catch him sipping from the glass of water you’d topped off while he was asleep. Somehow, even that small action intrigues you. You smile.

“What?”

“Nothing.” Ladling the steaming broth into a small bowl, you stick a spoon in and walk back to where Swordsman is, sitting beside him. “Here you go. Don’t drink it too fast, and all that.”

He takes the soup, blows on a spoonful, tastes it. His eyes close, and something funny happens in your stomach when he opens them again to look at you.

“’S good.”

“Really?” He nods and puts the bowl to his lips to drink directly from it. “Thanks.”

You let him finish the miso broth in silence. It gives you time to stare at him some more; even with the horrible sunburn and petroleum jelly smeared everywhere, he’s a very handsome man, that much you can tell, with broad shoulders and a pretty face and hair as green as forest moss. The three earrings on his left ear gleam gold and sway with every movement he makes.

“Are you gonna keep staring at me, or are you gonna ask me questions?”

“Hm? Oh!” Shaking your head in slight bewilderment, you smile. “Yeah, I guess it would be good to ask some questions … so, what’s your name, anyway?”

“Roronoa Zoro.”

You tilt your head with a frown. “Roronoa Zoro.” You taste the name in your mouth. “That sounds really familiar. Are you a pirate?”

“No. I hunt them.”

“You hunt them?”

“That’s what I said.”

You look at his swords again. His earrings. Three and three.

Shooting up from the couch, you dash to Archy’s room and slam the door open.

“Archimead! Wake up!” You grab your brother’s shoulders and rattle him.

“Shit – what?!” he gargles, pushing your face away with one meaty hand and sitting up. “What’s wrong? What happened?”

“It’s Roronoa Zoro!”

“What?”

“The guy in our living room,” you shriek at him, practically shaking, “is the Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro. I fished Roronoa Zoro out of the fucking ocean.”

Archy stops rubbing his eye. “What.”

Soon enough, Zoro faces both you and your brother in the living room once more.

“You’re Roronoa Zoro? For real?” Archy asks him.

Zoro blinks up him. “Yeah.”

“Can you prove it?”

“‘Can you prove it’ – Archy, look at him. He’s got three earrings in his left ear and three fucking swords.”

“He could be some sort of copycat. We have no idea what Roronoa Zoro actually looks like.”

“You’re such a pessimist. Nobody would lug around three swords if they couldn’t use all of them at once.” You turn your attention back onto Zoro. “How the hell did you get stranded out there?”

He looks between the two of you, waiting for a moment before crossing his arms. “I was headed to Mirror Ball Island, but the boat I was on got caught in a whirlpool,” he says, displeased. “Then I got separated from the rest of the crew. Don’t know if they survived or not.”

“Mirror Ball Island?” you repeat. “That’s a three-day journey from here, at least.”

“Where’s here?”

“Dokusha Village.” You open one of the books on the table and point to a tiny strip of coast you’d labeled on the edge of the East Blue map. “Right there. You could buy a boat and sail west, straight to Mirror Ball Island.”

“I don’t have any beri on me right now,” Zoro says.

“Oh, yeah. Of course you don’t.” Archy puts his hands on his hips. “Well, the merchant ship is coming by in two weeks. If you’re all good by then, you can hitch a ride.”

“I’ll be fine by tomorrow night.”

You snort, closing the book and reclining back. “The rate you’re going, I don’t doubt it. Does that mean you want to leave earlier? You’ll still need a boat and supplies. Food, water, towels, sleeping gear. That all costs money. I mean, we could lend you some, but still.”

“I’ll work for it,” Zoro replies. “I don’t take and give nothing in return.”

Both you and Archy give a hum of approval.

—

True to his word, Roronoa Zoro is up and off the couch by the fourth day.

He doesn’t have a clue as to how to make barrels or buckets, which is expected, so he ends up helping with the grunt work of carrying staves into the workshop and stacking finished barrels. Other than that, there’s not much for him to do.

“Sorry if it’s boring,” you apologize during lunch, speaking through a mouthful of sandwich. “You’re kind of just hired muscle.”

Zoro shrugs, chewing on his own sandwich. Two girls walking by – Phoebe and Iris, the blacksmith’s daughters – spot him on the bench and giggle, hurrying past with glances over their shoulders. He appears not to care. “It’s fine.”

“I think you’re even stronger than my brother. Is it because of your training as a swordsman?”

“Probably,” he says.

“When did you start?”

“When I was eight.”

You nod sagely. “Not surprised. I’ve been helping around the workshop since I was a kid, and I only just finished my apprenticeship a few weeks ago. It’s good to start young.”

It seems that Zoro agrees by the way he grunts, stuffing the last piece of crust into his mouth.

When he’s done, you muster the courage to ask, “What’s it like, being a bounty hunter?”

Zoro raises an eyebrow at you. Then he gazes back out at the street. “It’s fine,” he responds. “Makes good money.”

You sigh exasperatedly. “Yeah, but, like, is it fun? Do you spend a lot of time at sea? See a lot of different places? Stuff like that.”

“I don’t do it for fun. My only goal is to become the world’s greatest swordsman.” He leans back and puts his hands behind his head. “It’s a shitton of traveling, both on ships and on land. I’ve been all over the East Blue.”

“Wow.” The word comes out as a sigh. You crunch longingly on a carrot stick. “That sounds amazing. It’s my dream to travel all over the world on a ship.”

“How come you’re here, then?”

You wince, hushing him hastily. Glancing behind you, you clear your throat and lean in to speak softly. “Archy hates the ocean. He worked on a merchant ship for a few months when he was eighteen and got super sick.” Upon reading Zoro’s blank expression, you clarify, “I can’t just leave him. I’m the only family he’s got now, and his younger sibling to boot. So Dokusha Village it is.”

“You’re staying because of your brother.”

“Yeah. I love him, so it’s fine.” There’s a familiar ache in your chest, but you push it down and elbow Zoro’s ribs in jest. (He doesn’t even move a muscle. Geez.) “Makes okay money. I got a bunch of adventure books to live through, anyway.”

It’s a little hard to meet your lunch companion’s eyes after that. You eat the rest of your carrots in silence, pretending to be occupied with finishing them. Zoro doesn’t utter another word.

But as the two of you get back to work, he seems a little warmer, a little less stiff. You make a silly joke and Zoro huffs out something that almost sounds like a laugh while Archy threatens to stick you in a rum barrel and roll you down a hill.

Perhaps you’ve made another friend.

—

“What are you making?”

You blow off the wood dust, closing one eye to cut a fin just right. “Shark. See?”

The bonfire you’d made crackles just a few feet away as you place the half-finished carving into Zoro’s palm. He picks it up with his other hand and twists it around, touching with intention, and you almost feel self-conscious with the way he’s examining it.

“Nice,” he finally says, and the praise makes you giddy. He hands the shark back to you.

“Thanks. I had a lot of practice.”

Zoro rests his elbows on the rock behind him and takes another swig of sake. You resume carving the shark’s fins, bare feet buried in the cool sand.

Archy’s on a date for once, so he left the two of you to your own devices for the night with a distracted wave goodbye and a warning that he’ll be back late. You took that as a chance to break into the alcohol after supper and drag Zoro down to the beach. The swordsman was willing to come along, though you suspect it was mostly for the sake.

“Ain’t that your third bottle?”

“I can hold my liquor.”

You stick your tongue out at him. “No need to brag.”

He wipes his mouth, dark brown eyes black in the firelight. They glint like steel when he looks over at you, but he doesn’t say anything – not that you’re surprised; sometimes Zoro just looks at whatever he wants without any reason. He’s not particularly complicated in that sense.

(You like that. Too many things in life are complicated.)

“Hey, Zoro.”

“Hm.”

Your lips purse. “Do you think my brother will get married one day?”

“How am I supposed to know?” His tone is flat.

“Well, I dunno! It’s just a question.” You frown, slowing in your work. “It’s just that after our parents died, he’s been too busy looking after me and the shop to court someone. He’s turning thirty next year and most people his age have settled down already. I feel kind of bad.”

“It’s not your fault,” Zoro says. “Wouldn’t he have more time now, anyway, since you can take care of yourself?”

“I think he’s been out for so long he doesn’t know how to date anymore.”

Zoro downs the rest of his sake. You know that there’s no advice he can give you regarding Archy’s marriage prospects, which doesn’t surprise you either. You suppose you just need someone to listen. It’s not like you can talk to Archy about it.

“Hell,” you remember, “I’m expected to be married by now, too. I’ve never even been on a date.”

“Really?”

“Nope. Why, are you surprised?”

Stretching his legs out in front of him, Zoro yawns and closes his eyes. “You just seem like the type.”

“What do you mean?”

“You talk a lot,” he says.

You burst out laughing. “Yeah, I do. Would that make me a good date?”

“How am I supposed to know?”

“I’m guessing you’ve never been on one, either?”

Zoro shrugs. He doesn’t look too torn up about it. “Waste of time,” he mutters.

Your grin widens. “Figured you’d say that,” you drawl, digging your blade into the shark’s mouth. “Dating doesn’t really help you become the world’s greatest swordsman, does it?”

“Nope.”

“I still think it might be fun, though. If you’re with the right person.” With that, you brush away the last curl of wood from your carving. After admiring it for a few seconds, you offer the shark to Zoro, bumping the nose softly against his cheek. He opens his eyes and turns his head to squint at it. “Here you go. All yours.”

His brow furrows as he takes it.

“It’s a going away gift. Since you’re leaving tomorrow,” you say. Folding your knife and putting it down beside you, you grab your bottle of sake and gulp down half of what remains. “Don’t forget it.”

One of the logs in the bonfire crumbles, falling into the coals. Orange sparks fly up into the smoke and disappear just as quickly. You poke at the fire with a stick, trying not to think about how sad you’re going to be tomorrow morning.

“I won’t forget,” Zoro says.

“I know.”

—

It’s almost dawn, and the family boat is packed up and ready to set sail.

“Got everything?” Archy asks, lowering into a squat to scan over all the supplies.

“Yeah.” The swordsman drags a hand through his hair. “Thanks again for the boat.”

“It’s nothing.” Your brother elbows your arm, and you sway. “Oi. He said thank you.”

“I know,” you mumble. For the first time this morning, you spare Zoro a glance and smile at him, but it’s shaky and fake and you really hate how your voice wobbles when you say, “You don’t have to thank us. Just have a safe – have a safe –” Your voice cracks, and you look down at your feet, eyes burning. “Have a safe trip,” you finish quietly.

You can feel two pairs of eyes on you as your vision goes blurry. Shit. This is so embarrassing.

The fact of the matter is that Roronoa Zoro has been in Dokusha Village for only a week, and you’re already missing him like he’s been in your life for years. You’re going to watch him get into your family’s fishing boat and sail away, the wind at his back, the East Blue before him, and you will remain on the dock with your big brother beside you and your dream in your head.

You’re being selfish, but it’s not … it’s not fair.

Archy puts his hand on your shoulder and says your name.

You wipe your nose. “What?”

“… I’ve been thinking.” He sounds hesitant, taking in a deep breath and letting it go slowly, carefully. “You’ve always wanted to travel the world on a ship.”

It’s like the world tilts on its axis.

Rigidly, you look up at your brother, eyes wide.

“I’m not dumb, you know. You’ve only stayed here because of me,” Archy says. “I’m the one who’s supposed to look after you and protect you. But you’ve been able to do that for yourself for a while, now. Right?”

“Archy.” You swallow. “What are you …?”

“I talked with Zoro last night. He’s willing to take you to Mirror Ball Island, if you want.” His smile is crooked, but it trembles at the corners as he continues. “You know how to sail, how to navigate. We’ll just have to add some extra stuff to the boat.”

You can barely breathe.

“There’s plenty of merchant ships there,” Zoro adds, leaning on his sword. “Your skills are valuable. Just be willing to pull your own weight, and they’ll take you on board. If not, I’ll tell them to.”

“You don’t have to –” Now you’re full-on bawling. You throw your arms around Archy, who wraps you in a bear hug, and then around Zoro, who stiffens. “Thank you so much. Thank you thank you thank you.”

“No problem,” Zoro mumbles, patting you on the back. When you let go to beam at him, he averts his eyes and rubs the back of his neck. “Just hurry up.”

Nodding, you dash back up to your house, Archy following close behind. You grab your bag, throw what you need into it, snatch your hat from your bedpost. Less than twenty minutes pass before you’re all ready to go.

“Got everything?” Archy asks once more at the dock. You nod and look at Zoro, who nods as well. “All right.”

You hug Archy for the last time. Tears spill over and down your cheeks. “Thank you for everything, big bro. I’ll miss you.”

“I’ll miss you too, kid.” His voice is rough and trembly, muffled against your head. “Come back to visit sometime, okay?”

“Okay.”

Getting into the boat with Zoro, you help him check the rigging and hoist the sail. Archy unties the vessel and pushes the two of you off. As you float away, he waves, and you wave back, staring as he gets smaller and smaller.

“I’m not turning back,” Zoro tells you as you eventually settle in your seat. “Are you sure this is what you want?”

Is it?

You cast one last glance back at Dokusha Village, at the small point of your brother. Then you look out at the broad expanse of the ocean. And you feel many things – joy, sadness, apprehension – but above all that, you feel –

Free.

“Yes,” you say firmly. You push your hat down and smile at Zoro, and this time, it’s genuine. “It is.”

Zoro smiles back. And as the sun begins to warm your face, you whistle your father’s song and think about the journey to come.

[cloudinal]

Day 1 - Fated Meeting

[fruitsyrups]

May I request a vampire world Marcy?

you may. (I threw in a little vamp world Bonnie for you as well 🦇)

[da-janela-lateral]

Unstoppable force meets immovable object, more known as "absurdly long and complex music liker" meets "won't listen to any music".

[glass-warehouse]

oooouuughhggh,,, halloween,,

oh my god, I've got wip images too?

[insecateur]

sharing some of my yume nikki art from 2019 because it's still good

you can see them all (alongside some .flow stuff i might repost later) on my pixiv here!

[pinktrashgoblin]

“I’m on my hands and knees,

I want so much to believe.” (/lyr)

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This chapter took quite a bit longer than I’d hoped ^^” had to deal with major art block, loss of motivation and several small crises in real life, but we are SO back! Hoping the next one doesn’t take as long.

btw, y’all can’t hold me accountable for everything that happens in this chapter. I am NOT LIABLE bc YALL SIGNED UP FOR THIS/silly

[loveaetingkids]

Mitchell’s vs Good written villain: why P.A.L is a great antagonist 

With the way filmmakers fail to differentiate between sympathy and redemption,many cartoon villains come off as underdeveloped or undeserving of what they got(cough cough Namaari from Raya and the Last Dragon cough).Which is why you really got to appreciate the portrayal of P.A.L (Predictive Algorithmic Learning )in Mitchell’s vs The Machines.She’s a sentient robot with dictator tendencies and manipulative personality who throws temper tantrums when something doesn’t go her way,aka she’s good at being bad,what’s not to love? But the thing that made her even more interesting is the way her believes about humanity,while being particularly true,don’t cross out her inability to change and her hypocritical nature regarding others.

P.A.L’s attitude towards Pal Bots

As we know P.A.L’s hatred towards humans fully escalated when Mark,her creator and founder of the Pal Labs,discards her in favor of new Pal Bots,which she took as a betrayal on Mark’s part(and rightfully so!) However,when it came to hunting down Mitchells,she invents new and “better”models of pre-existing robots called Pal Max Prime. What she did was basically the same thing Mark did to her- P.A.L replaces Pal Bots in favor of newer ones,not taking into account their feelings.And while most Bots(with the exception of Eric and Deborahbot 5000) are programmed to do what they are told,it is clear that they still have some resemblance of intelligence with the way they talk and joke between one another.That’s why P.A.L using Bots as her servants showes that she only wants to be in charge,and the freedom of other robots doesn’t interest her.

Her response to Katie's speech

This is greatly highlights P.A.L’s hypocrisy : While Katie presented convincing reasons why humanity should have a second chance, the phone ignored them, opting to destroy the main character. The antagonist doesn’t want to change her ways upon seeing a living proof that family can overcome their differences and have a healthy relationship,choosing to continue viewing humans are irredeemable.The reason for this can be that she can’t let go of the way Mark treated her,and if she does then all of her actions-imprisonment of people  and trying to launch them in space-are for nothing.Or maybe she just likes being a dictator idk.

All in all, P.A.L is a great example of how you can write a sympathetic villain without a redemption arc,showing that they don’t deserve one due to not wanting to move on. 

[franky-y]

a painting of Häärijä and Chelsea

[almond-vivi]

A drawing of my favorite SMB girl! Daisy, my beloved!

This was originally just suppose to be a messy doodle with colors trying to do some practice perspective poses but then I got like hyper fixated/focus on the drawing and completed it in like 3 1/2 hours.

I like how it came out even tho it was something I not use to drawing.

Anyways is daisy anyone favorite SMB girl too?

[hplonesomeart]

Hey!! So turns out a video I made between a certain “well beloved but highly sensitive/emotionally reactive T.V” and an “orange haired inkling-turned-human” has managed to sweep my YouTube channel and accumulate 100k VIEWS!! THAT’S A LOT OF PEOPLE ACTUALLY?? My most widely viewed video EVER to exist in this moment in time?? AAAAA?? Not even mentioning the various comments and staggering increase in subs! It’s so much more then what I expected or even prepared for—might even be the most impactful thing to happen for me this year <3

…aside from graduating high school + the social connections I’ve been fortunate to make lol

BUT THE POINT IS I’d been closely monitoring the YouTube growth through the entirety of October. It’s make me smile like a dork, gawk in astonishment, dance frantically in my room from the energy boosts, and grow courage to stop being so selective/self-conscious with what I wish to share with the world! It’s kept my ambitions going!

I needed to find some way to celebrate the occasion and express my thanks—because I can’t NOT acknowledge this milestone jksjskp. Typically I try to avoid getting tunnel visioned focusing on the metrics/numbers. Mr. Puzzles had already demonstrated how much those things can mess with the minds of creatives. Caring too much about chasing views or placing your artistic value in attention seeking gets damaging. But at same time…it’s hard to deny the sense of pride the 100k achievement has filled me with. I understand that reaching 100k views doesn’t immediately make me any “better” or “worse” then I was before. I’m still just me! It only helps me feel seen by others—and that’s all I really needed. To hear some nice words & receive reminders that my ideas are cared about. So thank you SMG4 fandom for that, seriously thank you.

Please accept this Mr. Puzzle drawing as a way of sharing the happiness around. He’s so entertaining. Love him for simply existing. So glad we can all collectively be super attached to him (and the rest of the SMG4 cast of course). Can’t wait to see more incredible artworks from the fandom :)

Just incase anyone is confused by my vague description over which “animated video” I’m referring to here—hopefully this photo will help clarify lol. It’s this one!! Sorry about not outright stating the title at the start, I got carried away with writing!!

I’ve been in an odd place mentally when thinking about it. Wondering to myself if any of the attention is deserved considering it’s not even fully colored and could be dismissed as “low effort” content (despite taking several days making it). It’s easy to get into a trap of comparing yourself to others and questioning how much of the videos success is based on your skills, sheer algorithm luck, or only because you used popular characters and catered to a specific fandom. And then judging yourself by looking at other peoples videos. I’ve seen several artists post higher quality works then my own but it somehow gets less views. So why did mine succeed when others (who should have gotten just as much attention if not more) didn’t? Sometimes you feel like you’ve unfairly robbed them of that chance to be seen. However I’ve realized that I can’t ever expect views to be consistent—and comparing is pointless. So why worry about it or feel inadequate? I mean it’s pretty common for funny cat videos to go viral, so who am I to question the system lol. “Popular” YouTube videos can range from a passion project which took 7+ artists…to a clip of Toad singing Chandelier or a nonsensical Vine sketch. Anything can happen when it’s the internet! And just-so-happened my video was chosen. I should stay glad about that and get rid of all the overanalyzing. So that’s what I’ve chosen to do :)