#combined with his dream of sailing around going on adventures

[2baddiesfanfics]

Rescue Me

Pairing: Nami x Robin

Tags: Love Confessions, Confessions, Oral Sex, Vaginal Fingering, Inappropriate Use of Akuma no Mi | Devil Fruit Powers, Akuma no Mi | Devil Fruit, Post-Enies Lobby Arc, Comfort

Summary:

After the crew rescues Robin, Nami has some time to think about what the archeologist means to her. Now that she's finally back where she belongs as a Straw Hat, will she keep her feelings bottled up inside, or navigate the inner workings of her heart to confess how she feels?

Read on Ao3

It had been a solid week since the Straw Hats had saved Robin from the clutches of the world government. The physical injuries of that day had finally started to fade, but everyone knew the mental toll the event took on each crew member would not be so easily overcome.

Their new ship, the Thousand Sunny, waited to welcome them aboard. After escaping Garp’s attack and bringing Usopp back where he belonged, it was time for them to set sail for their next adventure.

Nami stood on the deck looking out over the water lost in thought. So much had happened at Enies Lobby that she hadn’t really had the time to process it all fully. She turned around and leaned on the railing as she scanned the deck. Her eyes stopped when she glimpsed Robin, the newest crew member, talking with Chopper.

Her heart fluttered at the sight of the archeologist. Over the time she had gotten to know her, she could always tell there was an unspoken something between them. She had ignored her feelings until they had almost lost her. Now that she was with them for good, she still couldn’t decide whether to tell her or leave it be.

Feeling a familiar set of amber eyes on her, Robin looked in Nami’s direction. With a warm smile, she waved before heading toward the cabin they now shared. The navigator smiled in return, her cheeks warming as she watched her saunter away.

“So you going to talk to her, or what?” Zoro asked.

“Ah! Where the hell did you come from?” Nami responded.

“Don’t ignore the question. You just gonna stand here gawking at her, or do something about it? You were an emotional wreck when you thought we were gonna lose her.”

Nami rolled her eyes. She hated it when he was right.

“You’re worse than Sanji, you know…at least he’s transparent about how he feels.” Zoro chastised as he crossed his arms.

“Don’t you dare compare me to him. It’s not like that. It’s…different.”

“Just go talk to her,” he instructed while nudging her in the right direction.

She reluctantly made her way to the women’s cabin, her mind racing all the way there. There was no combination of words that would be able to convey how she really felt. As she approached the door, a part of her said a silent prayer the archeologist had decided to go read in the library.

When she entered the room, Robin looked up from her book to see who her visitor was. With a nod of acknowledgement, she carried on. Nami took a seat next to her and nervously fiddled with her hands. The two sat in an uncomfortable silence as the navigator tried to determine how to best move forward.

“R-Robin…can we talk?” Nami stuttered.

Marking the page she had stopped at, she set the book aside and turned her attention to Nami. “Of course. Is everything alright? I feel like we’ve been distant since…everything that’s happened.”

Of course she’d notice. She’s too damn perceptive.

“Yes, everything’s alright. I just want to talk about the situation, if that’s alright?”

“Sure,” Robin said. “You’ve all gone through so much to ensure I was safe. It’s only fair.”

The navigator took a deep breath before continuing. “I was a mess when I thought you’d abandoned us. I couldn’t understand what we did wrong or why you didn’t confide in me. At one point I even thought I was the reason you left.”

A look of concern swept over Robin’s face. “I’m so sorry…I never meant for any of you to feel like it was your fault. I was doing what I thought was best for the crew. I simply wanted you to live and continue pursuing your dreams.” The archeologist placed her hand atop Nami’s and gave it a squeeze of reassurance.

“Well, as they say, hindsight is twenty-twenty. We know the real reason behind why you did what you did. But when I was running around trying to get the key and then trying to get to you on the bridge, I realized...” Nami paused, afraid of how the woman might react to what she was about to say.

“Go on. I’m not going to bite you, I promise.” Her wry sense of humor calmed the navigator and gave her the encouragement she needed.

“I realized I didn’t just see you as a crew member or sister. I was so upset because…I love you. More than I’ve ever loved any other person.”

“You…what?” Robin asked, confused. This was not something she was used to hearing. She’d been told many things and called many names, but no one besides her mother had used that word in reference to her.

Nami’s words were now infused with courage. “I love you, Nico Robin. All of you. I don’t care who comes after me because of it. I’d go to war with the world government for you. Oh…I mean…I guess I already have, kind of, but…you get what I mean!”

With a warm smile, Robin responded, “I love you, too.”

“I understand if you don’t fee- wait…what? You do?” Nami asked shocked.

The archeologist couldn’t help but chuckle. “Yes, I do. While I love the entire crew, it’s not the same kind of love I have for you. The whole time I was captured, the one person’s face I kept seeing was yours. I wanted to keep you safe. When you all came to rescue me, I couldn’t help myself from hoping it was you who would get to the bridge first.”

Nami could navigate many things, but this was not what she had expected. She felt like her heart was going to explode out of her chest. Without thinking, she leaned in and kissed her.

Immediately realizing what she had done, she quickly pulled away. “Oh, gosh! I’m so sorry! I should have asked before-“

She was silenced by the archeologist’s finger on her lips. “It’s quite alright. I liked that.” Nami visibly relaxed now that she knew it was ok to proceed. Again, their mouths met, only this time, their kiss was far more heated than the initial peck.

The sensation was overwhelming. This was the first time they had given themselves over to their desire, and the experience made them both lightheaded. Robin paused to catch her breath. “Would you mind if we moved to the bed?”

“I thought you’d never ask.” Nami practically jumped off the couch and onto the mattress, pulling Robin with her. Sitting on the edge of the bed, they eagerly undressed each other before lying down.

“You’re gorgeous, Robin…” The navigator gawked as she took in her naked form beneath her.

“You flatter me, but…thank you. You’re quite beautiful yourself,” she chuckled. Nami kissed down her jaw to her neck, sucking at the smooth skin. A dark patch bloomed at her intensity, causing Robin to moan in response.

Her lips trailed to Robin’s chest, her tongue slipping out to lick her nipple. The archeologist let out a quiet gasp of pleasure to urge her on. As the rosy bud raised against the hot wetness, Nami gently rolled it between her teeth.

“Ohhhhh, fuck…N-Nami…”

Ensuring the other breast got the same treatment, the navigator dropped her hand between Robin’s thighs. Gently propping one of her legs up, she coaxed her to give her space to play with her clit. Her hips bucked in response to the feeling, and she groaned for more.

“You like that, hmmm? I’ll happily give you more.” Robin’s slick already coated her hand and dripped down her fingers. She eased them into her and her head flung back into her pillow. Still concerned she’d be making too much noise, she turned to bite the cushion.

Nami was determined to get her to be more vocal. Slowly pumping her fingers in and out of her, she watched as the woman’s face contorted in pleasure. There were so many details she wanted to etch in her mind forever: The unique shade of pink in her flushed cheeks, the small wrinkles at the corners of her eyes shut tight as she rode the feeling, her mouth agape as she continued to please her.

She picked up the pace, her fingers moving in a variety of patterns. A fire raged in Robin’s belly and it only burned hotter when Nami whispered to her, “Love, it’s okay. It’s only us here. I want to hear how good I’m making you feel.”

The archeologist’s sapphire eyes snapped open to meet her auburn ones. Robin was so used to taking care of herself - being seen and not heard - that having someone longing to have her be open was entirely foreign to her.

Tears built on her eyelashes as she tried to control herself. Nami kissed them away before interlocking her fingers with hers, a wordless affirmation she was safe to be herself. Robin moaned out her lover’s name as she came, her walls clenching around the navigator’s fingers.

The younger woman held her close as the fog of what they had just done lifted from the archeologist’s mind. She couldn’t remember the last time she felt so cared for. So needed. So special. Looking over at Nami, the genuine smile plastered on her face was something she would never forget.

Afraid to speak and ruin the moment, Robin went in for another kiss. The action conveyed a promise of more. She wanted her just as badly, and the navigator could feel it in the way she gently coaxed her tongue between her lips. Nami moaned into her mouth as she felt her capture her bottom lip between her teeth.

Robin’s hands roamed, mapping the shape of the other woman’s face, the curves of her breasts, the tender skin of her hips. If this was a dream, it was one she’d never want to wake up from.

“What’s the matter, love? You’re not saying much…” Nami looked up at her with concern dimming the light in her eyes.

The archeologists snapped out of the trance she was in. “Oh, I’m sorry. It’s just…this feels so right. I’ve done many things in my life that were required for survival. To be here with you like this…I just don’t want to disappoint you.”

Nami cupped her face in her hands. “Robin, listen to me. Nothing you do could ever disappoint me. I didn’t think we’d ever even get to this point anywhere but in my wildest fantasies. Please…make me yours.”

This was entirely foreign to Robin. She was always the one longing to belong to someone, anyone. And now, lying underneath her was a stunning woman waiting to be hers.

“Gladly. But only if you promise to be mine forever and always,” she whispered against her neck.

“I’d be…ah…crazy not to.”

“It’s a good thing you’re not crazy, then,” the archeologist chuckled as she continued her descent. Her tongue dipped along the contours of her lower half, Nami whimpering under her touch. Sprouting an extra pair of hands, she carefully pried her legs open and held them steady.

“Is that ok? I won’t use my powers if it makes you feel uncomfortable…”

“I bet we can think of some fun ways to use them even better. You’re fine,” she answered suggestively. Robin laughed at her brazenness. Now she was even making her love her devil fruit abilities. Was there anything she couldn’t do?

“I’m very much looking forward to that,” she murmured before taking a long, lingering lick across her slit.

“Oooooooh…Robin…fuck that feels good…” Encouraged by her reaction, the archeologist took her time making her moan. With a steady finger, she toyed with her opening. As she sunk in deeper, she felt the navigator’s hips jerk upward.

“Where the…fuck…did you…learn this…?”

“Darling, books are the best teacher one can have,” she said between laves. Pursing her lips against her clit, she sucked in light pulses, driving a final loud screech out of her lover.

The two snuggled next to each other, the sound and feel of the waves rocking the Sunny relaxing them even more.

“Robin?”

“Hmm?” The archeologist turned to face Nami.

“Is it too soon to try out those other ideas I had about your powers?”

[an-aussie-button-masher]

Who Needs PvP? Five of the Latest and Greatest Singleplayer Adventures

   What’s the most annoying aspect of modern gaming? Is it all the greedy battle passes and microtransactions? The incessant toxicity of online playerbases? Games demanding your endless interaction with constant daily or weekly challenges that guilt you for deciding to play anything else? It’s probably a combination of all of the above, really. Well, if you’re looking for a break from all that games-as-a-service online nonsense, seeking something a bit more casual, why not try these singleplayer adventures?   These are a handful of the latest and greatest solo games, all enjoyable offline with no toxicity or microtransactions in sight. Of course, while they’re increasingly outnumbered by online titles, there’s still far too many of these types of games to list here - so, I decided to gather a small yet diverse variety to show off here: a sprawling fantasy RPG with endless possibilities, an action-packed rhythm platformer, a creepy eldritch fishing game, a pantheon-slaying titan of storytelling, and a game where you play as a cat. Take a look for yourself!

Baldur’s Gate 3    Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past year, you’ve definitely at least heard of this game - especially after it won 2023’s Game of the Year. Baldur’s Gate 3 is about as close as it gets to a full Dungeons & Dragons campaign on your PC or console - no need to organise all your friends to show up for a campaign session! In this massive RPG, you can play as a handful of pre-set characters, all with their own expansive stories and countless unique interactions, or make your own from a dozen different races and classes. Want to be a Fighter? A Wizard? Barbarian? Cleric? Bard? Some unholy mashup of everything? Perhaps you’ll play as a human, or an elf, or a gnome, half-orc, or dragonborn - there’s a practically endless list of possibilities, and that’s just in the character select screen!   Everything you do has some kind of impact on the hours of storytelling: who will you help, and who will you fight? Where will you go? What sides will you take in this absolute narrative feat? There’s an overarching plot, but the path you take through it is entirely yours to decide - for better or worse.

Hi-Fi Rush    Bethesda sneakily released this bumping rhythmic platformer early in 2023, and it quickly became a number-one hit. Play as Chai, a bit of a loser with ambitious dreams of becoming a rockstar - and when he accidentally gets his music player implanted into his heart and the whole world around him starts moving to the beat, those dreams start to literally become reality. Suddenly, Chai’s fighting off a dark corporate conspiracy with the power of music, friendship, and blunt force trauma with a sick guitar made of magnetised garbage. In this game, everything - everything - moves, jumps, flashes and swings to the rhythm of the music playing from Chai’s heart, and moving yourself and your attacks in time makes you stronger and earn higher scores.   Hi-Fi Rush is truly an earnest throwback to old-fashioned straightforward action platforming, with a linear level-after-level structure and no side quests or unnecessary padding to get in the way of the story or the rapid-tempo gameplay. It’s got a beautifully colourful and chaotic artstyle, genuinely entertaining characters and hilarious writing, and of course, a banging soundtrack to top it all off.

Dredge    Let’s take things down a notch for those looking for something a little more casual and slower-paced - assuming you can keep your anxiety in check, that is. Dredge is a chilling eldritch cosmic horror story, disguised as a simple little fishing game. Sail out in your little tugboat, pull up any fish you find (don’t worry about the increasingly-creepy and disfigured catches, it’s probably just your imagination) and make absolutely sure you return to port before dark - you’re not alone out there. You might catch glimpses of things much older and much bigger shifting just beneath the waves; how much of it is really there, and how much is just your paranoia getting the better of you? Are you willing to take the risk that there’s nothing really there…or that it didn’t see you?   Once you start collecting some decidedly-unnerving artefacts in the waters, a puzzling storyline begins to take shape, capped off with a stunning twist and a dangerous choice to make…or, you can just mind your own business and keep busy catching and selling all the fish from day to day, upgrading your boat and relaxing on the mostly-calm ocean. Just mind those lights in the fog - pretty sure that isn’t a town in the distance…

God of War: Ragnarök    Now, back to something a bit more blood-pumping with a true linear action titan - God of War: Ragnarök. Kratos, the former god-butchering Ghost of Sparta, is back, and (reluctantly) doing what he does best as he faces off the might of the Norse gods including Thor, Heimdall, and Odin himself, alongside his growing son Atreus. Between all the enemy-slaughtering and gallivanting across the Nine Realms, Ragnarök tells an emotional and engaging narrative of a father not wanting to lose his son, fighting against fate itself to protect his boy just a little longer. The game features graphics and visuals as gorgeous as its’ writing and acting is brilliant - it’s little wonder why Christopher Judge won 2022’s Best Performance as Kratos.   Besides the story is the fast-paced complex combat system God of War fans know and love, with Atreus joining his father as a playable character with his own array of skills and attacks; time to get that hand-eye coordination up! For returning players looking for a good reason to jump back into action, a recent DLC expansion adds a brand-new challenging mode if you’re after a true test of skill in the hallowed battlegrounds of Valhalla.

Stray    This is a game where you play as a cat. Need I say more? Well, if the feline gimmick isn’t enough to interest you, how about a surprisingly fascinating world and endearing characters? Stray pits the cutest protagonist in gaming against a dark, treacherous world that’s much, much bigger from the perspective of our tiny fuzzy hero. In this game, you’ll climb, jump and sneak across a neon-lit city populated entirely by robots, all carrying on with their jobs long after humanity is gone in a tale that explores questions of sentience and societal growth - and collapse.   Come for the adorable little kitty, but stay for the interesting story, beautifully haunting visual style, quirky robotic characters and some thought-provoking puzzles. How far can this cat go to reunite with its lost family? Will this unlikely hero be the key to helping its new mechanical friends find freedom from the massive locked-down city? What happened to humanity in the first place? There’s a lot of questions to answer, and yet you’re just a cat. Additionally, the game also features the best button prompt ever: Press O to Meow!

   Like I said, there’s plenty more solo adventure games to be found beyond these standout examples - which one is your favourite? Are there any more worthy additions to this list you know? Let’s hear it! Feedback, reblogs and likes are all much appreciated!   Thanks for reading!

An Aussie Button-Masher

[mist-the-wannabe-linguist]

1 and 7 from Owl's Asks for Ernest

What natural setting suits them? Which is their favourite?

Ernest in general spent a lot of time in nature whenever he could, especially rowing on the lake and climbing the hills, and the forests around Geneva where he'd often spend time with the older kids, climbing trees etc, especially since Ferret as an arboreal animal would love climbing and chasing through the trees. Over time after William's death the forest ironically became a place of comfort for him and no matter how much time passes he still has it as his go-to place when he needs some time for himself (I've already explained the development here in some previous posts)

And during the voyage he also develops a love for the sea, even though its vastly different from the mountains he grew up surrounded by and much, much larger than the Geneva lake, he really comes to enjoy sailing as it combines both the activities he enjoyed as a child, with the added bonus of the sea air being really good for his health.

And even design-wise, while his clothing is mostly browns and blacks, his associated colors are cold, pale blues which is kinda fitting for the Arctic, even though the area itself is even deadlier for him than for most others

Which story is their favourite?

Since Henry was a major influence when it comes to literature not just for Ernest but for pretty much everyone in the Frankenstein household, he discovers a new book and immediately drags everyone along with him, most of Ernest's favourite stories are somehow related to Henry's. Though he never paid much attention to the romantic plotlines like Henry did, Ernest was all about the Adventure™, he definitely adored the Robin Hood stories ever since he was little (pretty sure there was a time as a small kid when he wanted to be a professional outlaw in the woods when he grows up), the legends of Heracles, Odysseus, Amadís de Gaula, The Stories of Thousand and One Nights, Sinbad the Sailor and similar kinds of books mostly centered around adventures in far away exotic lands with strange creatures, dragons, monsters, wizards and brave knights. Often it was a form of escapism since he rarely got to leave the house and sometimes even his bed. When he got older he was quite disappointed that most of those fantastical things are not real.

As a teenager he had a collection of stories of Baron Munchausen which he adored for the comedy. He would often read them to William and they always had a good laugh.

Most of these books along with some good ol' propaganda (it was a time when France's revolution was in full force just across the border and all surrounding countries were slowly preparing for potential war) were major influences for his dream of becoming a soldier

[ymiwritesstuff]

Return

Oki once again I suddenly got an idea that I wanted to post asap so apologies if this feels idk rushed? But anyways I hope you enjoy!

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 7: Steel Ball Run

Gyro Zeppeli x Fem!Reader

Summary: Ever since Gyro sailed all the way to America in order to take part in the Steel Ball Run race, you had been eagerly waiting for his return.

Notes: Angst, SPOILERS FOR PART 7

Gyro’s emerald green eyes lit up and his lips curl into a wide grin that shows his golden teeth when his gaze falls on the envelope in his hands. With an excited chuckle his drops everything he was just about to do and sits down on his sleeping bag. Johnny glances at his friend a smile of his own apparent on his features as he has a pretty good guess about the contents of that envelope.

“Another one?” The blond asks, laying on his sleeping bag with his head leaning against his hand. The scene before him was nothing new as Gyro had received letters like this one many times in the past and judging by the Italian’s expression, he had been waiting a long time for this one. 

“Yep.” He says as he opens the envelope, carefully enough so he doesn’t tear apart the letter itself, but swiftly so he can begin reading the contents of it. He had been waiting for so long to receive a response to his previous letter and the excitement bubbling inside is so intense it feels like it’s about to burst out. He can’t help it though. This letter had been delivered to him all the way from his home country and once he got the envelope open, Gyro wasted no time in reading it:

Ciao, Handsome!

How’s the race been treating you?

Upon reading the first lines of text Gyro’s smile only grows when he notices the familiar cursive handwriting of his lover he had seen so many times throughout Steel Ball Run. He missed you so much and wished he could see you in person but for now had to rely on this distant form of communication. He didn’t complain, though as frankly any contact with you was enough.

Good, I hope, you know how worried I get. I can’t help it! I love you after all.. When I read your last letter and you wrote about all that crazy shit you’ve been through I.. I couldn’t help but to feel a bit worried. I know what you’re going to say, “I promised to come back after I win this race, cara. And I won’t break that promise”.

He lets out a quiet chuckle upon reading your words. You knew him so well. The letters you sent him made him feel that familiar warmth he felt whenever he had been in your presence before his admittedly painful departure. He remembers you shedding painful tears as you watched his ship slowly move closer to the horizon. As much as he hated seeing you sad, he knew he had to do something in order to save the innocent boy’s life. However he didn’t leave before promising to return home as soon as he grasped victory.

I laughed just now, you know. And it only made me miss your laugh. I miss you so much, Gyro. I think of you every day and I can’t wait for you to come back. Honestly, a part of me wants to hop on a ship and sail to America just so I can see you again. But based on the things you’ve told me.. Perhaps it would be better for me to just stay here and try to wait for you patiently. I just want you to be safe. I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you.

Gyro frowns his brows as his eyes scan the text before him, his fingers lightly brushing over it. He had told you about the bizarre events he experienced during the race quite openly, but a part of him wonders if it was alright to bring you so much worry with the dangerous tales. On the other hand, he had promised to always be honest with you and thought it best not to sugarcoat any of the events that occurred. Gyro was sure you respected his honesty, but it still, he couldn’t help but to question it.

But I believe in you. I know you will return with the prize money in your hands and the joy of victory by your side. I will cheer you on, even from the other side of the world. You will prevail, I am certain of it. I just can’t allow myself to forget that so easily. I know it’s dangerous and I know anything could happen, but I have faith in you, Gyro. I love you so much and I can’t wait to hold you in my arms again. Please, take care of yourself and stay safe. I’ll be waiting for you, Gyro.

Love,

(Name).

Gyro smiles to himself, your letter being able to awaken so many emotions inside of him. At this point they didn’t feel like mere letters anymore. Whenever he read them, he could hear your voice and feel your emotions, which was why he had saved every single letter he had received from you. They were like pieces of a puzzle that would combine into something bigger when all of this was over. They were memories that both of you shared and cherished. With each passing day he would think about you. Your stunning smile, your beautiful (E/C) orbs that put the stars to shame and those soft (H/C) locks he had so often ran his fingers through. He missed having you next to him, but knew that this grueling time away from you would all be worth it, because when he finally returned he’d get to pull you into an embrace he had been yearning for so long.

With a sigh, Gyro folds the letter and immediately begins to write a response on a piece of paper. There was always some delay with the delivery due to the great distance between you two so Gyro made sure to always begin writing as soon as possible. Johnny looks at his friend and smiles to himself. Gyro was often stressed and tense due to everything that had been going on, but would show signs of relief and happiness whenever he wrote his letters or read one of yours. It always managed to put a smile on the blond jockey’s face. Gyro was madly in love with you, and that love would carry him through whatever the race dared to throw at him.

~

When your hands touch the fresh paper of the envelope, you immediately sit down and begin to open it. It had been a good month of sending letters back and forth just like usual and Gyro was sure that it would all be over soon. Things had gotten quite a bit hectic and to quote the Italian’s own words; “It’s a shitstorm over here, but we’ll get through it.” Reading his letters in which he told you about all that was going on was like reading a story, a very dangerous, bizarre story. But it helped you to feel connected to him in a way, as if you were there with him, experiencing those events.

Upon opening the envelope and unfolding the letter your brows frown at the unusually short length of the content. It was odd considering just how long his previous letters have been and a deep part of you starts feeling something akin to concern. But that feeling quickly fades away when you start reading:

Ciao, beautiful!

Listen, I’m gonna need to keep this one a bit short simply because it won’t be long before you can actually hear my words instead of having to read them. Yep, you read right, cara. Everything is going to be over soon. The President has gotten a bit out of control with the corpse but me and Johnny are gonna take him down! Soon it will all be over and I can finally come home to you and hold you tight.

You smile at the text, relieved to hear that everything was well. Gyro had mentioned the President’s plans and initially it did hit you with a wave of concern and worry but with his letters came a reassuring wave of relief as according to his words, things had been turning for the better.

I know how much you worry, but I assure you, I will kick Valentine’s ass AND win the race so I can happily return home. Return to you. I miss you so much, you don’t even know, but the fact that this won’t last for long keeps me going. You keep me going, (Name). I can’t wait to hold you, kiss you, hug you.. I can’t wait to see you, cara.

Your reading gets interrupted when a single tear you didn’t even notice drops on the paper. The words stick onto you like glue and caused a storm of strong emotions to erupt within you. Dammit, Gyro! How dare he make you cry?! You giggle to yourself and quickly wipe your tears and continue reading:

And perhaps.. We can discuss the future. Because I want it to be with you, (Name). A future with you sounds like heaven and I really hope you feel the same way. Well, we will have time to discuss this when I return. But, feel free to consider it! If you ask me, a little Zeppeli running around would make me the happiest man in the world! But yeah, we’ll have time for that. Take care, my love and until we see each other again, 

ti amo.

Gyro

The amount of tears rolling down your cheeks only increases after you finish reading his letter. Those tender, loving words he used were so rare, but they managed to cling to you and you wished nothing more than to feel the man himself next to you. The thought of having a family together with Gyro filled you with so much joy and warmth it felt like torture not having him here to make that dream a reality. Not yet, at least.

Soon, your long wait would be rewarded. Because once this would all be over, you could finally live with the man you loved so dearly. His voice, his eyes oh, how you missed them all and you could hardly wait any longer. Patience was key here. He would return, just as he promised and you’d never have to be without him ever again. 

And he did return. But not in the way you were hoping. And when your (E/C) eyes that were filled with joyous tears, meant to express your happiness in finally seeing Gyro after so long land on that wooden box that Johnny was dragging behind him with a dark, sorrow-filled look dulling his blue eyes, those tears froze for a split second, only to be filled with devastation.

He promised. And he didn’t break his promise. But he broke you. Because upon his return, he didn’t hold you, kiss you, hug you, instead, you were met with a lifeless corpse that once belonged to the man you loved. Your entire world crumbled, it felt as if your soul had been dragged out of your body with him. This couldn’t be happening. But the sight before you didn’t lie. And no matter how much you cried, wailed, sobbed or screamed, deep down you knew, Gyro never returned. 

And the last memory you had of him, was a letter that painfully reminded you of a dream that never became a reality.

[themoonstarwarrior]

PLAYLIST SHUFFLE TAG!

Okay, so @viterbofangirl tagged me in this and I need to start learning to post my own shit, so what the hell, why not?

Rules: you can usually tell a lot about a person by the type of music they listen to! put your favorite playlist on shuffle and list the first 10 15 songs, then tag 10 people. no skipping!

(I couldn’t stop at 10 so I added 5 more, sue me)

I have very random music taste and I listen to my music on shuffle alot, so I made a playlist of the ones I like the most (that way I don’t hafta skip 150 songs to get to the one I feel like) so I’m gonna use that one.

1) History of Violence - Theory of a Deadman

Hoo boy starting off light huh?.... Yeah so, I was in the drive thru at Sonic when I first heard this on the radio and was immediately like “holy shit”. Instead of like metaphors and poetic subtlety, it’s just straight up like “here’s a poor abused woman who resorted to murdering her shitty boyfriend/husband cuz she couldn’t take it dum dum dum”. Even though the actual situation is not the same, this song is perfect for getting across the internal issues and turmoil of my character Mikey. Its so perfect I’m even planning to animate something for it...... if I ever get around to learning animation that is.....     

2) The Vengeful One - Disturbed

Two songs in and I look kinda emo.... But hey this song is soooooo cathartic! I love me a good heavy rock song, and the drums and electric guitar are perfect for my ears to absorb. This song gives off a feeling of overwhelming power mixed with a coldness and disdain for the bad in the world. Obviously, thats not my usual temperment, but its an interesting one to explore! Especially when I’m trying to get into the head of characters that exude that like my OCs Spark or Ryu. Plus its fun to sing in the car X)

3) Enter Sandman - Metallica

Okay this one is just a classic! Same thing with the drums and guitar they both slap SOOOOO GOOD. I don’t really associate this song with any of my characters or fandom favorites, but it DOES give me a super strong urge to learn the drums. EXXXXXXXXIT LIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT! OFF TO NEVER NEVERLAND!!

4) We Are Giants - Lindsey Stirling ft. Dia Frampton

I don’t really to listen to music by band or artist, but I LOVE Lindsey Stirling!!! She’s probably my favorite musician! This is such a good song, especially for someone like me. Its a positive song that talks about feeling alone in a crowd and unimportant to the world, but how you really do matter and shouldn’t be afraid to dream big and shoot for the stars. It really speaks to me and the vocalization is so good (especially for singing), not to mention the official music video is animated and AMAZING!

5) Cetus - Lensko NCS

I dunno if anyone knows this song, but damn its good. Its one of those Royalty-Free songs that people look up for their channels, which is how I found it in the first place, but I loved it immediately. Its a peppy 8-bit electronic bop that turns a little Irish jig at the end and honestly I think if I ever start an animation channel I’m totally gonna use it! (Also go support Lensko he make good beats!)

6) Sanctuary - Utada Hikaru

I did not grow up with Kingdom Hearts, and only played KH2 within the past year n’ a half. But good God, the moment that Cinematic Opening came on and this song started playing I swear I astral projected into a daze of feelings without names. I know that “Simple and Clean” is the quintessential Kingdom Heart song that gives everyone feelings, but IMHO Sanctuary blows it out of the water. As beautiful as the animation was, or how curious the occasional backwards lyrics are, or how weird it is having high-res Goofy and Donald in what is essentially an anime opening, I really can’t be distracted from this song when I play.

7) Chemical Plant Zone (Rock Remix) - Zerobadniks

Chemical Plant Song is like, one of the TOP Sonic songs by popular vote (and we know how awesome the Sonic series is musically so thats saying something!), but I could never quite vibe with the normal 8-bit version. I think I first heard this as someone’s ringtone and was immediately like “THATS PERFECT THATS EXACTLY HOW I NEED IT!”. The rock makes the song soooo much better and honestly gives the song the perfect vibe. Unfortunately, it took FOREVER to find cuz none of the Rock Covers of this song were the right one. In fact, tbh, I’m not even sure whether Zerobadniks is the correct artist..... that’s just who everybody was crediting when I found it. 

(imma include the link i found since its a little hard to find: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqJiZEM6aPI )

8) The Wolf - SIAMES

YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT ANIMATED MUSIC VIDEOS???? THIS IS A GOD-TIER ANIMATED MUSIC VIDEO. I found the video first, and seriously, if you haven’t seen it YOU NEED TO!!! The beat works perfectly with the images on screen and the story being portrayed is really intriguing, with the lyrics adding to atmosphere without necessarily describing the visuals shown. Even without the animation, the song itself is a banger. It bring to mind the feeling of intense motion forward, but unable to decide whether its movement TOWARD something or AWAY from something. I love listening to this on a nighttime drive.

9) Burn the House Down - AJR

If you ask me, the best way to make a pop song better is to add either violins or trumpets. For this song, it was definitely the trumpets that first caught my attention, and the rest of the song kept me listening. I don’t really know how to describe the vibe of this song, and I don’t have a specific character or story in mind when I listen to it, so its a little hard for me to talk about it. I think the best way I can describe this song and what draws me to it is a feeling of nonchalant go-with-the-flow attitude to shenaniganry. Almost an undertone of “We’re hooligans in a situation that we probably should get out of, but hey we’ve got life and each other so why worry?” At least that’s the closest I can get to a verbal description heh...

10) Slim Pickens Does the Right Thing and Rides the Bomb to Hell - The Offspring 

DANCE, FUCKER, DANCE, LET THE MOTHERFUCKER BURN!!!

So this also has a KICKASS animated music video, but its technically combined with the song “Dividing by Zero”. Now the video works SO well with both, and the shifting artstyles reflect the differing tones of the songs PERFECTLY. However, I have a preference for both the animation and the song on the Slim Pickens half. Its fun to listen to and sing at the top of your lungs and its SO CATHARTIC. Again I cant really describe what my head does when I hear it, but I think you can probably feel a similar vibe if you watch the music video. 

11) No Heaven - DJ Champion

The first time I finished the original Borderlands, I had been playing for days on end, had just finished a long battle with the Destroyer, and sitting back relieved to have beaten it and reflecting on how much I had enjoyed the adventure. Then this song started playing. For what I believe was forty minutes this song looped on my TV while the credits rolled. By the time the credits finished I was pulling up the song to listen to again! What an absolutely PERFECT cherry to add to this experience. This song perfectly encapsulated the chaotic, trigger-happy, morally ambiguous craziness that I had enjoyed and absorbed in this game. Every time I hear it now, I imagine myself in the wastelands of Pandora, driving haphazardly across the sandy dunes as my companions and I shoot and blow up everything in sight. You know, living the dream.......     

12) Hit & Run (Wolfgang Lohr Remix) -  The Electric Swing Circus

I fucking LOVE electro-swing! The electronic beats and rhythm blend so well with the wild and energetic freedom of swing. A lot of electro-swing gives me a vibe of wild movement, reckless abandon, and freedom from constraint. I think this song melds all of these feelings the best! As the last song might have indicated, despite my general nice and sweet temperament, there is a part of me deep down that is an absolute gremlin secretly enamored with chaos, insanity, and a general disdain for law and authority X). But whereas anything Borderlands related has a more “morality is an illusion blowing shit up is real” air about it, this song is far more peppy. More of a “good-hearted but insane” type of chaos, like an 100mph car chase where you end up sailing over the train tracks JUST as the train passes.

.... I may have gotten a bit off track lol 

13) Kickstart my Heart - Motley Crue

I love this song, but I have to be VERY careful when and where I listen to this. I love songs that make me feel like I’m going a million miles per hour, like I’m gotdam Sonic the Hedgehog. Unfortunately, I may or may not have had multiple instances of listening to this song in the car and abruptly realizing that I’m going like 15mph above the speed limit...... So yeah, regardless of absolutely perfect it feels to play this song while speeding down a nearly empty highway, please be careful and drive responsibly!!!

14) I’m Born to Run - American Authors

Imma just up and say it. This song is a Sonic song; like not like actually from the series but a song for the character. This song encapsulates Sonic as a character better than some of his ACTUAL THEMES (and remember Sonic music are bangers!). Its a song about freedom, living life as it comes, and not letting anything slow you down. Frankly I’m surprised they didn’t make this song FOR the Sonic series, or even the movie! Speaking of which, ironically I heard this song right after watching the Sonic movie in theaters, so yeah there’s no way I can associate it with anything else. 

15) Opa Opa - Antique

Oh, what a PERFECT way to end this list! This may be one of my absolute favorite songs of all time! I don’t remember exactly how I found this song... I think I had just relistened to Dalar Mehndi’s “Tunak Tunak Tun” and was looking for other catchy non-english songs and BOY HOWDY I found one! I know nothing about the band or what the song’s about (its in greek and i dont speak it), but this song is just a masterpiece of retro, pop, and dance sounds. This song feels like the musical and lyrical manifestation of dance and movement. I really REALLY wish I could dance JUST so I can express how happy and free this song makes me feel! This is the BEST song for me to end this list with!

***********************************************************************************

JESUS, this got long..... Sorry about that XD. It was fun though, and hopefully somebody was vaguely interested in my ramblings.

Guess I need to tag people now? How about @tharkflark1, @rockmilkshake, @neonbuck, @drawingsdrawingseverywhere, @birthgiverofbirds, @puccafangirl, @kalcat, @biblestudybussybopsbabey, @monstrous-milktea, and @memecage! I think there are a couple of people here I haven’t talked to though soooooo..... hi, I hope you don’t mind the tag X)

 Anyway hope you enjoyed and/or want to do this too! This took for-fucking-EVER to type, so imma go fuck off and watch youtube or something now...

[radiojamming]

I feel like the low-hanging fruit of a prompt to give you is something around the canonical presence of the Franklin Expedition in TMA lore. Everchase fic?

[GRABS THAT FRUIT AND SCURRIES BACK UP MY TREE WITH IT BEFORE U CAN EVEN BLINK]

also i picked my 3rd favorite franklin expedition boy as the main dude here :3c and this isn’t terror-centric so much as it lines up with MAG 133!

- - -

Tom doesn’t understand what possesses the men he sails with. Some of them have such a want; such a craving and a desire that he cannot fathom, what with his simple daily tasks and basic training. He sees it, sometimes, when he’s tying off ropes or painting or tarring. He sees their hunger, spies it when they look out at where the sea is caked in ice, threatening the end of a cold summer. Out beyond the grey mountains and glaciers, the knife points of broken ice, the strange creatures, the dancing lights that curtain the stars, he knows they see the Northwest Passage. They see it so clearly that they’re blind to what’s in front of them now.

He sees a job. He sees chores and things that years in the Navy have taught him to do. 

Of course, he also wants things. Everyone does. Tom wants to make it through the expedition in one piece, whether it end in the Sandwich Islands or England if they have to turn tail. He wants to collect his double pay, count it out from his hands to his mother’s, and feel safe and warm again before the next set of sails and ropes entices him back to the sea. 

And once, he wanted adventure. He wouldn’t have had the thought to sign onto Erebus if there wasn’t some part of him that craved it. It didn’t capture his senses the way it does for some of the men, but there was a thrill that ran a gauntlet through his heart when he saw something truly strange, like the auroras or the twirled horns of narwhals peeking up through the ice. Sometimes, he would eagerly run down to the orlop after his watch ended and pen out a quick letter to his sisters, his brother, his mother, or his cousins—just hurried observations of the Arctic and how different it was from Gillingham. 

He wanted adventure. The past tense is deliberate and fierce. He wanted, because the only reason it was ever in the present tense at all is now buried under six feet of frozen gravel some two hundred miles north. If he must want something presently, he wants his brother back from the dead.

No, he doesn’t understand the men who seek the Passage like hounds on a scent. What’s the use of wanting something you’re not meant to have?

- - -

They freeze in for the second summer in a row. The sun kisses the horizon, pressing rosy lips to grey shale and pink ice—then draws back up into a powder blue sky to wink above them. 

That’s when people start to disappear.

First, it’s Sir John. He dies in June—or so Tom’s told. He apparently dies in the night, long after the dog watches take place. Captain Crozier tells the men that they’ll be burying Sir John right away, but Commander— no, Captain��Fitzjames’ face is fixed peculiarly when the announcement is made. Dreadfully ill, Crozier tells them. He can’t be seen.

It doesn’t make sense. Many of the ABs echo the sentiment, but the mates and lieutenants are quick to quash their concerns. The burial is hasty, committing a simple wooden box to the gravel with only a large stone to mark the grave itself. This strikes Tom as stranger than all the Arctic’s oddest traits combined. His brother, a lowly able-bodied seaman, was afforded more decorum than Sir John Franklin. 

More disappear after that. Fairholme and Osmer apparently die on a hunting expedition. Aylmore, Goddard, and Kinnaird aren’t far behind, disappearing into that sun-soaked horizon with only whispers left behind. 

Reddington makes the oddest display before his disappearance; honestly, he’s the best hint to Tom that something very, very strange is happening. The night before he goes missing, he wakes half the ship up with a maniacal laugh, practically screaming in pure incoherence before Lieutenant Le Vesconte drags him into the Wardroom, presumably to calm him. Le Vesconte opens the door only once to ask for Captain Fitzjames and a glass of brandy before he shuts them both in and the screaming starts again. All Tom can catch is the howl of, “It’s there! It’s there! I’ve seen it!” before Fitzjames arrives.

The next morning, Reddington is gone. Fitzjames says he broke loose and ran off after the second dog watch, presumably having gone mad.

A few days later, Crozier says they’re going to abandon ship and begin a long walk south.

- - -

The craving begins in September, Tom thinks. 

If there even is such thing as September. 

In his mind, it’s The Craving, titled like a book. In this book, he thinks the plot would be about men so far gone in their hunger that all the humanity in them decays to nothing, leaving them crazed husks searching for the impossible. At this point, what with men falling into the stones and dying halfway through the descent, he feels they shouldn’t be like this. They should be tending their wounded and ill, making camp more often. But The Craving is in Crozier’s eyes, dragging them further and further towards… something.

Tom doesn’t think they’re looking for the Passage anymore.

He follows along, as he always has. Ever the seaman, now ever the AB, following orders from a boatswain with lips scarred from his whistle freezing to the flesh and tearing away. 

Then, The Craving gets carnal when their last food stores begin to dwindle. Tom barely notices, watching as if in a dream as the man who used to be Daniel Arthur cracks marrow out of a bone, greedily clawing it out of the hollows with his frostbitten fingers. He eats like an animal, and stops only when they begin to move again. 

Tom doesn’t eat with them. Every time he thinks of it, his mind plays some terrible trick. He thinks of John, entombed in ice and rock, emaciated and torn open like an animal was the one who pried his ribs from his body, and not a surgeon. He thinks of what John’s marrow would taste like, and imagines his brother watching him, eyes unfocused behind the mists of death, jaw unhinged in that silent scream of a corpse—judging him.

Tommy, he thinks John would say. Always stealing off my plate, huh?

He doesn’t eat. When the hunger saws at his stomach with iron teeth, he bites his hands, his lips, the wool from his coat, the copper-tasting metal of his buttons. He swallows snow until he vomits. 

And somehow, impossibly, he lives on.

- - -

There are no days.

No weeks.

No months.

Maybe years, but Tom’s stopped counting.

There are only steps, one after another. There are bloody footprints thousands of miles behind them. They abandoned the sledges back in the snow and gravel, leaving useless cargo and a trail of broken bodies. Men still die, but there seems to be no real reason why they do. Tom should have been dead… ten? Twenty? Fifty years ago? He can’t remember. All he knows is that he’s still walking, following behind Crozier and Fitzjames and a dwindling party of men still dressed for the Arctic weather.

They’re in a desert.

Surely they should have found the Passage by now? Tom thinks this as he sees a lizard scurry up a strange plant, spiked like a well-used pincushion. The sun bites his blistering flesh, scrapes its glowing teeth along the back of his neck. Still, he’s never felt the need to take off his slops. There’s something comforting about the What Was, after all.

Why is he here? He doesn’t Crave the way the others do. They always talk about the Passage. It’s over that hill, surely. It’s along this river. If we just walk over there, it will be within sight. He knows it won’t be. It never is.

So why does he walk?

Because you Want, something tells him. It’s a deep, odd thing set in his soul, prone to ring out when struck like a bell, reminding him that he Must Always Walk.

For what?

For the Wanting, it says. And what do you Want, Thomas Hartnell?

Somewhere beyond a flat-topped mountain the colour of blood and bile, he thinks about that question. What does he Want?

He wants his mother to kiss his forehead and tell him good night. He wants Charlie to take apart their father’s pocket watch and put it back together, just in time to proudly show it to Tom. He wants to hear Mary Ann sing old shanties while she kneads dough on Friday morning. He wants to sit at the base of an apple tree while Betsy throws down the fruit, giggling as she does so.

He wants John to come back from the dead.

He wants to go home.

And Home is over that next mountain, says The Craving. Tom looks up at another blood-red mountain, the winking sun pressing a kiss to the slant of its neck. Don’t you want to see it again? Gillingham? Kent? The River and the Sea?

Of course he does, but it isn’t—

Well, maybe it is.

So Tom Wants, and he Craves, and he Walks.

[britishassistant]

I had a dream last night dealing with your fic. It was after the Fourth Ninja war and Mayu's friends were huddling around a table trying to figure out what to do for Mayu's birthday. Sasuke realizing what would be perfect to do with his new dimensional traveling ability. Plans with the others to get about a month off and get a ship together while he goes dimension hopping to search for one specific dimension (part 1)

Sasuke eventually comes back in a few days later after finding the dimension he was looking for, and soaking wet and smelling of ocean water. Sakuke changes his clothes into something dry and tells the other plan brithday surprise is a go with the most disgruntled look on his face hair still dripping wet with ocean water that makes the others laugh. They manage to get 3 months off instead of just the one from Kakashi as his part of the gift since he can't come with because Hokage (part 2)

A few weeks past as they get the ship and supplies they will need and on the special day, Mayu is dragged blindfolded to the ship. The ship they got together was gorgeous grown from Hiroshima trees Mangrove Edition and shaped in a similar style to the Mary Go a living ship made by Tanzo for this special adventure, wood painted bright colors and sails made of leaves a ship with the ability to heal itself and grow, her name? The Will of Fire. (Part 3)

Mayu was so Confused but Happy this is a ship she always wanted a ship but she knows her friends this can't be it, also if it was just the ship why would Kakashi tell her she has the next three months off? And to enjoy herself? and why would Kami Straw-hats be laughing so much everytime she prayed about her friends acting strange? She asks but all she gets is a we'll explain when we get there now get on the ship. Which of course she does (part um what part is it 3 or 4 i think im going guess 4)

She is getting ready to explore the ship because thats just what you do, when the ship lurches forward despite being in the middle of a lake and the next thing anyone knows is the Will of Fire (now shortened to just Will) is dropping a few feet into open ocean just outside a VERY familiar island that she's only ever seen in a comic book and an anime. Mayu gets her bearings fast enough to hear Ino complain to Sasake about the rough entrance. (Part 5 wish their was a way to tell the whole thing)

Mayu looks around her friends are eagerly waiting and looking at her. Naruto is smiling extremely wide, he was clearly influenced by the Kami-Luffy with that grin and getting out a blank flag and paints. Ino is still complaining to a really dizzy Sasuke, who comments moving a ship full of people and who knows how much supplies is really tiring just be glad he didn't drop them 20 instead of 3. Mayu takes it in and asks that's loungetown[sp?] isn't it? In the East Blue? (Part 6)

Naruto somehow grins even more wide and replys yup and yup, been planning this trip for weeks since the end of the war, for your brithday unfortunately the friends we made in the other Villages couldn't come with but we were lucky Sasuke managed to find this Dimension so quickly it only took him 3 days, and a 'Nami blessed me' was called by the still recovering Sasuke. Anyway what's our flag going to be Mayu? And then I was woken up by dog which sucked (the last)

Oh my lord I??? Love this??? SO MUCH???

Aside from the fact that you’re dreaming about this series (which seriously made me blush aaaaaah), this is insanely sweet and amazing and. I barely have the words for how much I love it.

This would seriously be the dream ending for Mayu right here— having all her friends leave their ninja duties with her (even if its only for three months) and all become PIRATES.

And in actual ONE PIECE as well, she would probably be incoherently squealing for so long. Many hugs would be in order.

Though that does lead to the question of do the kami Straw Hats remain separate from their mortal counterparts? Or do their memories combine somewhat so certain members of the Straw Hat crew in the New World are suddenly sitting up like “why do I remember dumbass ninja and killing gods”

What would the flag be? That is a tricky one, because while they could sail under the Konoha leaf, ex-missing nin Sasuke would probably pull faces at it. The Ushizo spiral may have to be used as a compromise, perhaps the Ketsugi Pelican with the Ushizo spiral on its breast? I’d love to hear any ideas you have on the matter!

There’ll definetely be a debate over whether they’re called the Lunchtime Pirates or the Ninja Pirates.

Thank you so much for sending me this!! I’m really excited to recieve asks, writing or fanart about this series, so you really made my day!

[smuttymess]

bts astro soulmate reading | for ellen

sign: leo sun | aries moon | scorpio rising

lover: Park Jimin | soulmate: Kim Seokjin

This reading is for the beautiful, smart, lovely Ellen! I really had fun writing this one as I think this is truly a match made in heaven. Hope you enjoy too :)

Action-oriented, strong-willed and enthusiastic, Leo Suns are truly a force to behold. Add in a fiery Aries Moon and you've got yourself a powerhouse who will work tirelessly to achieve any goal they set their mind to - be it a seemingly impossible project at work or playing matchmaker to a notoriously picky bestie. A big-picture thinker, you live in the here and now, focusing less on fantasy and more on the expansive potential of your reality. Supported by your innate self-confidence that radiates from your soul, you are a naturally charming and strong leader, bringing people together and making beautiful things happen (see: events!) Scorpio is a curious sign as it has the intensity of fire, but all within the magnificent depths of water as its core element. While your Aries Moon and Leo Sun is a roaring fire that burns passionately and bright, your Scorpio rising - which dictates how you present yourself - often results in a cooler exterior, with an incredible emotional current flowing just beneath the surface. To those who first meet you, you are seemingly reserved and aloof - avoiding frivolity and small talk like the plague - preferring instead to simply listen, observe and absorb before revealing your true self. This is to your benefit, as your Leo/Aries combination often lends to bluntness, sharp words, and sometimes hurt feelings - the Scorpio rising dials that back a bit, making you more cautious with your language but also perhaps standoffish at times. Despite this occasionally ice exterior, you are very keen to connect with people on a deep, emotional level, and nobody knows this better than the people closest to you. While you have many friends and admirers, there are only a select few that get full access to your heart - and to them you are unfailingly loyal, warm, compassionate, reliable, and generous. Once your trust is earned, you are likely to give your all in your work, familial, and romantic relationships - your love is big, bold, and boundless. Unlike more passive, agreeable signs, you definitely expect equal love in return - Leo/Aries needs praise, recognition, and appreciation for all of your fabulousness, and like a true fire sign, you're not afraid to ask for it. A goal-setter, there is nothing you do in life that isn't deliberate or without meaning. Your desire is to leave an impact, making your mark on the world with your own fiery personal brand, and its likely that your influence already spans further than you realize.

A true connector and creator, you naturally seek ways of construction experiences that meet your expectations and exceptional taste levels - who better than you? Being a lover of fantasy and spectacle, nobody is surprised when you create a Studio 54-inspired pop-up party, wherein you show off your curves in your best 70s get up. Blissed out in a sea of glitter, sequins, and champagne, you are simply shining beneath the dazzling lights as disco floats through the air. The tone of the evening is simply fabulous, and surrounded by friends new and old you are truly in your element. You are unstoppable, the star of tonight's show, and the only thing that could make it better is a dance with the beautiful stranger sauntering around the club in his perfectly tailored bellbottoms and silky button down shirt like he owns the place. Wanting nothing but the best in your life, you are attuned to the fact that you want him, strategically positioning yourself in the middle of the dance floor as the music plays and meeting his eyes with an inviting stare. With ample confidence and mysterious aura in your arsenal, Park Jimin does not stand a chance once your sights are set, and it is not long before you two find yourselves immersed in each other's company under the flashing lights and the sheer electricity of the evening you've created. You tend to leave people wanting more, so you are not surprised to find the flirty Libra boy in your DMs the next morning. So, when is the next party?

Developing from a flirtatious friendship into something a bit more fun, Leo and Libra are an instant hit. This is a combination of fire and air, with Jimin acting as the wind beneath your sails as the easy, go-with-the-flow, partner in crime for all of your big schemes. Possessing an innate love of beauty, of fantasy, and romance, Jimin provides a level of optimism that your fantastical mind requires - he genuinely believes that there is nothing you cannot accomplish, helping your dreams along to become a reality. A Libra's extremely affable, adoring nature is like kryptonite to the romantic Leo who does not know the meaning of too much praise. It is no surprise when these two meet it is nothing short of a whirlwind relationship, with Jimin doting on your every wish without hesitation. The combination of Jimin's Libra Sun and Gemini Mercury makes him expertly aware of how to charm you, giving you exactly what you need at the right time. A true people-pleaser, you are delighted to find Jimin highly amenable to your emotions and desires, wanting nothing more than to ensure you are content. When you feel the genuine nature of this person that simply wants you to be happy - and unwavering loyalty of his Gemini moon - you are able to fully let down the walls posed by your more mysterious, reserved Scorpio rising that initially avoids vulnerability so soon. As Leo and Libra falls in love, there is an infinite level of romance and adoration. Suddenly, you find that you are in fact a hopeless romantic, loving being that sickening couple that sits next to each other in the corner of wine bars. He helps you slow down to access a more sensual side of your sign, your fingers intertwined underneath the table in a playful exchange while his hands graze your thigh despite. Jimin's Gemini Mercury allows for a bit of mystery and impulsivity, and there is something exciting to you about not knowing what you're going to get from him on any given day - while he can easily seduce you, is more than happy to let your more assertive Aries Moon take control when the mood strikes.

While Leo and Libra are typically quite compatible, there are some underlying issues presented by your charts. While you enjoy Jimin's free-flowing nature and desire to please, you become unsettled when this behavior is not just limited to you. His eagerness to please makes him quite susceptible to peer pressure, something that you simply cannot relate to with your heightened sense of independence. When he shows up late for date night, flushed and tipsy after a couple of extra rounds with the boys, you grow less amused by this side of his persona which you begin to see as inherently weak. Additionally, his moody, sensitive Moon in Gemini combined with a Venus in Scorpio makes him an especially possessive partner, not fully allowing you to be the social butterfly you are at your core and also requiring a level of affection and attention that you cannot always provide. When you feel that your needs are not being met to the level you expect, your Leo bluntness alongside the sting of your Scorpio rising are likely to hurt the softer Libra who is effectively allergic to criticism or discomfort in their personal and romantic lives, causing him to retreat. This only serves to exacerbate the problem, leading you to end the relationship on a swift and final note.

Always on the move and averse to any type of wallowing, Leo Sun/Aries Moons are constantly ideating, creating new ways to have fun and enjoy life to the fullest. You are truly the architect of your life, moving on your own terms which often leads you in the pursuit of food, travel, music or any other experience wherein you can connect on a sensory level with the world around you. Travel to another city for a concert? Consider tickets booked. Try a foreign cuisine completely unknown to you? Why not! Your friends are more than happy to go along for the ride, knowing that wherever you're going is where they want to be. You enjoy activities which showcase your profoundly adventurous, spirited nature. Independent and proud, you adore a challenge but not known for asking for help even when you need it say, during your first foray into rock climbing experience at a facility in the mountains. Despite your assuredness that you've got this (you don't!) it is when you're stuck midway through the advanced wall you insisted on climbing that a pair of big, strong hands are firmly grabbing the harness around your waist and steadily guiding you back down to earth. Before you can even process all that just occurred, your eyes widen at the sight of the gorgeous man in front of you shaking his head in disapproval. "You weren't listening to my instructions at all, were you?" His words are stern, but his eyes bright and lips pursed into a smile as he senses your competitiveness. In true Leo form you're soon able to charm your way out of what potentially could have been a lawsuit, enjoying taking to the smoke show who reintroduces himself as Kim Seokjin before explaining the basics you so diligently ignored. Impressed, you remain composed despite the incredible visual of Jin swiftly scaling the wall with ease. Like this, see? Our Sagittarius Jin is not always extroverted, but certainly has the confidence to ask for what he wants, and it's not long before he's proposing a 1:1 lesson in the very near future. Your Scorpio rising knows to play it cool but also when to seize an opportunity, and undoubtedly this one is too good to pass up.

This is a duo that may play a few games in the early phases of dating, but one ignited there is no extinguishing this spark.  Jin's Sagittarius Sun is an ideal match for your Leo Sun as you share a warm, good-natured aura that you exude in every area of your life - its one of your signature qualities that you find most attractive in yourself and others. While there is a lot of ego in this pairing - both of you aware of your individual greatness but also in each others - you find a true partner matching your profound level of adventure, curiosity, and genuine experiences. This manifests itself in somewhat of a condensed dating phase, equipped with elaborate dates wherein the sky truly is the limit. Such a fiery countless hours together bonding over both new and shared interests - think skiing in Aspen, racing on a closed-course, a food tour of Rome - allowing them to show off their own skills while igniting their competitive fire while learning something new. Initially there is likely to be more of an investment in fun than an emotional commitment - a Sagittarius's specialty - and were it not for your other placements this could easily dissolve into a longstanding friends-with-benefits or fun summer fling. Luckily, your compatibility is deepened exponentially by several specific pairings that overlap and compliment each other. Two Moons in Aries are equally ambitious, fair, independent and honest, and you both take pride in this character trait that you are so appreciated for and allows you to be extremely successful in work and your social circles. Once you begin to explore the "why" behind your ambition - your desire for connection, improving humanity, making an impact - you are both able to open up into a deeper level of emotional understanding that few others get to access.

It is here that you find true romance, with his Venus in Capricorn appealing to your sensitive, dreamy, and romantic Pisces rising/Leo Sun. True to your Leo brand, you also need to be praised, worshipped and adored. You rule with your emotions, so acting up out of sheer passion is not unlike you. Not everyone can handle this wide range of emotions, but adaptable Jin is up for the task. He is perfectly able to navigate your moods, with the patience of a saint combined with a Mercury is in Scorpio which makes him extremely observant and strategic in terms of his communication. There is no staying mad with a Sagittarius (no matter how annoying he may be) as his need to move forward at a rapid clip makes it nearly impossible for problems to fester too long. With Venus in Capricorn there displays of grandiose affection you adore: two dozen roses at your door just because, renting out your favorite restaurant for a private meal on a random weeknight, a fully packed suitcase at the edge of your bed with an accompanying note. Madrid tomorrow morning? This is a couple that fucks like rabbits, often beginning the foreplay long before they reach the bedroom. He certainly enjoys watching you slink around the room at any party or event, entertaining the crowd with your charm and basking in the limelight, looking absolutely stunning in a dress he's gifted you. There is an air of excitement as the night goes on, knowing full well that he will be the one that has his hands all over you as soon as you get home. Its likely that the two of you get off on being the power couple that nobody can get enough of, and even more satisfying is that is just comes so naturally to you - there is no faking this level of chemistry! A mutually impulsive nature exists at the core of this dynamic, meaning you may not wait until you get home (why would you, when there's a car?)

Fiercely independent and fast-paced, more than anything you need someone who can both keep up with you and challenge you as well. Jin the Archer is notoriously hard to lock down, seeking someone who will let him be his fully adventurous, fun-loving self, and he successfully finds that in the equally on-the-go Leo. Your sensitive Leo thinks funny guy Jin may initially be a bit over-the-top in his playful teasing of you, enjoying pressing your buttons a little bit, but over time you learn that this is simply how a Sag shows love. It is this highly humorous element of his personality that opens you up to access a more playful and lighthearted side of yourself that embraces your humanity and flaws without taking them too personally. Together, Leo and Sag guide and drive each other in your respective careers, acting as partners and confidantes, while innately understanding the others need for space like few others can. At the core, this pairing has a strong foundation of friendship upon which everything else is built, creating a very open and respectful relationship which allows the other to stay true to their deeper selves without fear of judgement for being "too much". The life created between this pairing is one of fun, great wealth through your many successful enterprises, and the strongly rooted presence of family. Fiery, bold, passionate selves, this pair grows even stronger as they move through life together, inevitably making their mark on the world through charitable and culture contributions with their infectiously energetic personals and uniquely creative minds.

[marshmallowbee13]

Just a short thing I wrote for Asra's birthday

Having family over was the best part of any birthday. For so long, Asra was alone. Growing up, he missed his parents dearly. But now, they were here with them. He had a bigger family than he'd ever dreamed of having. Two beautiful spouses, three adorable kids, his parents, Muriel, Nadia, Portia, their spouses and kids... It was more than he could ever ask for. It was perfect and he wouldn't want his life any other way.

This birthday was no different. He didn't need any fancy gifts, or cake, or parties. Okay, maybe a little cake... But spending time with the ones he loved was all he ever wanted. Of course, they would insist on getting him more, just as he would do for them, but in the end, they made a compromise. They would take the ship they had gifted Julian in the past and the family would sail down to visit Nevivon. The twins had been curious about where their Papa grew up and Julian had been more than willing to tell ridiculous tales of his childhood.

So here they were, readying the ship and having a combination going away/birthday party. He hadn't been on a ship since they all traveled for their anniversary. But that was before the kids were born. Now, they had three little munchkins to watch over.

Speaking of munchkins, they were being awfully quiet... Faust was up in the rigging, having too much fun to bother with the party down below. So where were the kids?

Looking towards the snack table, he caught little hands reaching up and taking cookies, one swiping a finger through the cake's frosting. Found them. He walked over to the table and crawled under it. His kids froze, caught red handed. Or jelly handed, as they were stealing the jelly shortbread cookies Nadia had brought.

"You realize I can't let you get away with this, right?" Asra said. Rose hesitated only a second before offering him a cookie. Asra laughed. "Bribe accepted." He took the cookie and bit into it. Mmmmm... Strawberry! Asra let the kids finish the cookies they stole before shooing them out from under the table. Salim caught Asra leaving last.

"You're how old now and you're still stealing cookies under the table?" his father teased. Asra offered him a cookie, as Rose had done to him. Salim glanced over to his wife, who was currently busy cooing over baby Aerin before taking the sweet.

"Don't tell your mother." Asra laughed. The apples truly don't fall far from the tree.

After a bit of socializing, it was time for cake. Ilya sang that god awful birthday song, but Portia's and Ramona's voices added into the mix made it sound so much better. After cake, his friends each gave him presents they had made. Muriel gifted him with a colorful tapestry that he had learned to make since traveling south to reconnect with his roots. It featured their family and friends as different animals, hand stitched with care and precision.

Portia gave them a new tea set, beautifully painted with pink and purple flowers. Their old one had cracked after falling from a child-doing-magic accident. That had been a very messy three days...

Nadia gifted him a rare crystal that was incredibly hard to find. There had been stories of only a small handful found on the entire continent. Even Asra had never seen one outside of book illustrations. The possibilities of new magics to try out...

The kids each gave Asra a painting they had made. Asra treasured these above everything else. Rose painted a fox sitting in a colorful world. It seemed the Magician favored her as he once did Asra and visited her in dreams. Nikolai gave a picture of a butterfly, and Aerin had made a very abstract painting of colorful marks on his paper. Very advanced for a baby, Asra remarked.

All too soon, the party was over. The guests packed up and left, save for Mazelinka and Asra's parents, and it was time for the Devorak-Alnazar family to set sail. The twins watched excitedly as the home they grew up in grew smaller and smaller on the horizon, taking them on to a new adventure. Asra still felt the same. Traveling to a new place was always exciting. He was so glad he could finally experience it with his kids.

Asra looked over and it seemed the kids had found some accessories to go with their trip. Rose wore a captain's hat that was much too big for her and Nikolai stumbled around with eye patches over both eyes.

"Baba, look! I'm a pirate! Look at my funny sword!" Rose called to him. Asra panicked upon seeing it. Oh no. That's where they found the accessories.

"Rose, no! That's not a sword!"

[blackphoenixalchemylab]

Harvest Moon + Friday the 13th

The Harvest Moon is sailing toward us, arriving nonchalantly on Friday, 13th 2019 as if that’s a perfectly normal and acceptable thing to do. The nerve!

But we are here for it, and you, with a cluster of Lunacy offerings to sweeten the season and ward off any unnecessarily hard luck. 

Here’s everything you’ll need!

++ A LITTLE LUNACY

HARVEST MOON

Harvest Moon is celebrated in almost every culture, and the bounty of the season is marked in a myriad of ways. Harvest Moon touches the Equinox, the festival of Janus, the culmination of Homowo, the “crying of the neck” in Cornwall, and the Women’s Festival of the Moon. This is a day that celebrates abundance and beauty, fertility and progress, and the light of this full moon blesses new undertakings and reunites lost loves.

The Harvest Moon, by definition, is the Full Moon that falls closest to the Autumnal Equinox, and thus, it shares some of that Sabbat’s characteristics. This Full Moon was thus named because it rises within half an hour of the sun’s setting, in the Northern Hemisphere, and at this time farmers are able to work longer into the night by the light of this Moon. As the year draws to a close, the Full Moon rises an average of fifty minutes later each night, with the exception of a few nights surrounding the Harvest Moon, which only rises 10-30 minutes later. This moon is also, to the human eye, the fullest and largest of the year’s Moons, hanging gloriously huge, yellow and low in the night sky, and many lunar illusions play tricks our eyes at this time.

The Harvest ushers in many celebrations, including the Equinox and the Festival of Janus, God of Doors. Janus is the Roman Lord of Gateways, beginnings and endings, and transitions. Thus, the Harvest Moon is a time for blessing new ventures, the onset of new and progressive phases in one’s life, and rites of passage into adulthood. This time of year also marks one of the Festivals of Dionysus, Lord of Ecstasy and the Vine.

This Harvest lunacy blend combines the autumnal scents of dry leaves, mulling spices, balsam fir, pine needles, cedar, juniper berry, clove, saffron, damson plum, white sage, yarrow, and lily twined with Dionysus’ sacred grapes and ivy, a bounty of apple, black fig, and pumpkin, and the amaranth and lingum aloes of Janus, all touched by a gentle breath of festival woodsmoke and sweet wine.

(Don’t forget, you can also purchase Dan Santat’s Harvest Moon illustration, pictured above, as a tee shirt!)

++ DUETS

A fresh batch of simple, two-note perfumes!

👯 LIME AND WHITE MUSK

Startlingly invigorating!

👯 RED AMBER AND OUD

Fierce, warm, and animalic.

👯 TUBEROSE AND MANGO

Sweet and strangely sensual.

👯 BOURBON VANILLA AND YELLOW CARNATION

An absurdly happy scent.

👯 RED ROSE AND TOBACCO ABSOLUTE

A filthy, heady bouquet.

++ FRIDAY THE 13TH

13

13 is significant, whether you consider it lucky, unlucky or just plain odd. Many believe it to be unfortunate…

…because there were 13 present at the Last Supper.

…Loki crashed a party of 12 at Valhalla, which ended in Baldur’s death.

…Oinomaos killed 13 of Hippodamia’s suitors before Pelops finally, in his own shady way, defeated the jealous king.

…In ancient Rome, Hecate’s witches gathered in groups of 12, the Goddess herself being the 13th in the coven.

 Concern over the number thirteen echoes back beyond the Christian era. Line 13 was omitted form the Code of Hammurabi.

The shivers over Friday the 13th also have some interesting origins:

…Christ was allegedly crucified on Friday the 13th.

…On Friday, October 13, 1307, King Philip IV of France ordered the arrests of Jaques de Molay, Grand Master of the Knights Templar, and sixty of his senior knights.

…In British custom, hangings were held on Fridays, and there were 13 steps on the gallows leading to the noose.

To combat the superstition, Robert Ingersoll and the Thirteen Club held thirteen-men dinners during the 19th Century. Successful? Hardly. The number still invokes trepidation to this day. A recent whimsical little serial killer study showed that the following murderers all have names that total thirteen letters:

Theodore Bundy

Jeffrey Dahmer

Albert De Salvo

John Wayne Gacy

And, with a little stretch of the imagination, you can also fit “Jack the Ripper” and “Charles Manson” into that equation. 

More current-era paranoia: modern schoolchildren stop their memorization of the multiplication tables at 12. There were 13 Plutonium slugs in the atomic bomb that was dropped on Nagasaki. Apollo 13 wasn’t exactly the most successful space mission. All of these are things that modern triskaidekaphobes point to when justifying their fears.

For some, 13 is an extremely fortuitous and auspicious number… 

…In Jewish tradition, God has 13 Attributes of Mercy. Also, there were 13 tribes of Israel, 13 principles of Jewish faith, and 13 is considered the age of maturity.

…The ancient Egyptians believed that there were 12 stages of spiritual achievement in this lifetime, and a 13th beyond death.

…The word for thirteen, in Chinese, sounds much like the word which means “must be alive”. 

Thirteen, whether you love it or loathe it, is a pretty cool number all around.

…In some theories of relativity, there are 13 dimensions.

…It is a prime number, lucky number, star number, Wilson Prime, and Fibonacci number.

…There are 13 Archimedean solids.

AND…

…There were 13 original colonies when the United States were founded.

Says a lot about the US, doesn’t it?

This version of 13 is a departure from our usual theme for this ongoing project. So many of us are going through so much right now; it seems right to make an oil that contains 13 herbs, flowers, and resins of peace, tranquility, and grounding: lavender, litsea cubeba, sandalwood, ylang ylang,  king mandarin, patchouli, blue tansy, Roman chamomile, bergamot, Oman frankincense, angelica, hops, and borage.

++ VIRGO SEASON

VIRGO LOCKET

The Zodiac lockets have returned! Exquisite, elegant, and exclusive to Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab.

These are heavy lockets, thick with silver, and are perfect for use as a perfume oil conduit. Dab your favorite Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab concoction onto muslin, velvet or cotton, and place the swatch inside the locket. Your body will warm the silver, and the locket will exude pure, unadulterated scent.

The Zodiac lockets are hand cast 925 sterling silver that has been partially gold washed using a method popularized in the 19th century, and each is adorned with at least one stone corresponding to the sign the locket represents. Each locket’s bale sports one of the BPAL logos: the alchemical symbol for brimstone. Portions of the face of the lockets have been deliberately tarnished. They measure approximately 1.25″ in diameter. These lockets are heavy. They are not fragile, filigreed pieces; they are durable, extremely weighty with silver, and are suitable for your most adventurous airship excursions.

These lockets are exclusive to Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab, and were created by and for Black Phoenix. They cannot be found anywhere else in all of Heaven and Earth.

Each piece is hand cast.

Our lockets come with a 24″ nickel-plated iron chain.

The Zodiac lockets were designed by Alicia Dabney of Elements and Artifacts.

VIRGO SOCKS

Created in the USA by the wonderful people at Sock Dreams for Black Phoenix, these socks are exclusive to Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab!

They’re made from 80% cotton, 15% nylon and 5% elastic!

...Also, PSST! Guess what? We’ve freshly restocked our REVENANT RHYTHM!

[madlymiho]

@thefreedomisouronlyrule-op or @rule987 Ai! 💕 Oooh yes indeed this topic brings a lots of memories lovely one ~ hehehehe

Alright it's a sin once again! So let me put my fav warning here

Warning : Heavy NSFW

Shanks Scenario - Reunion with his long distance relationship s/o

One year already since he hasn’t seen your face. Sometimes, he wonders what you do. Where did you sail. Who did you meet. He knows how you crave adventures and how brave you could be. He smiles when he remembers your face, with this everlasting fire in your young eyes, and this plea to be alive and adventurous, no matter what. Clearly, you are something. And he can’t really forget about you. It’s a promise you have both made. Keep the other one somewhere warm and safe in your hearts. And one day, you will meet again.

Seated on a bar tool, on a summer island, he looks at his drink, a bit nostalgic. The party, as always, is wild and pleasurable. It’s been a while since they didn’t stop somewhere and he knows that his companions needed it. However, Shanks can’t perfectly enjoy it. This summer island brings him various memories. After all, he met you in a place like this. There, he taught you how to fight, how to drink, how to love. You were so young, so wild, and impetuous. He has liked you the second he has met you. He doesn’t know why he feels harassed by his memories tonight, but he can’t help it. Time flies and you seem so far from him. It seems like he’s not a part of this world, the voices of his nakama echoing away. He just plays with the brown liquid of his drink in his glass, trying to remember every little details about you.

“Oï Shanks! What’s the matter?”

Benn wraps his arm around his shoulders, slightly merry. He looks at his captain’s face with serious eyes, and Shanks only offers him a reassuring smile.

“Nothing. Don’t worry, Benn. Let me slowly finish this one and I’ll go for another round with you!”

Shanks laughs, but it doesn’t sound real. Benn knows him enough not to insist at the moment. He nods and pats his back, taking his beer stein to join the others. Deep down, Shanks thanks him. It’s just a moment of weakness. Nothing dangerous. It will pass, he just needs to drink a bit and then joins his companions. However, things won’t work this way tonight. He’s still focused on his drink when someone takes place on the stool near him. He’s bringing his glass to his lips when he hears a soft laugh. He immediately stops his gesture and turns his head, confused. His eyes widened as he suddenly recognize you.

“Oh! Name!” He greets fervently, a wonderful smile lightening his features.

“Hi captain,” you laugh, looking at him. “It’s been a while.”

What an odd combination of factors. How were the chances to find you here? Grand Line is the longest ocean, and there are so many places to stop by, it’s almost impossible to meet someone by accident like this. But this one is wonderful. Finally! He’s with you again.

“I can’t believe it! Name! It’s really you?” He says, excited, looking at your face as if you just came out of a dream. “You have changed so much!”

Indeed, you have. Your hair are a bit longer than before, and your body seems in better shape and stronger. But also more feminine and appealing, with your gorgeous curves. Of course, you still have this lovely wild fire in your eyes, and for a moment, he just focused on it. You furrowed your eyebrows though, and analyze him. There’s something different about him and you just can’t picture what is it. You let your stare travelling on his body, until you stop on his shoulder. You gasp and open your mouth.

“Shanks…,” you whisper, noticing his missing arm. “What did happen?”

He waves his hand with a bright smile.

“Ah, nothing important!”

“What...How did you do that?” You ask again, a bit annoyed by his chilled attitude towards the situation.

“I gave it to someone important.” He answers, and you raise an eyebrow, not entirely sure to follow him.

And then, so easily, you both start to chat. He tells you about Luffy, and how did he lose his arm. He tells you about his journeys, his meetings, and how things are changing in the world. And you narrate him everything as well. Both of you driven by your old memories and what you lived during this year apart. He sees in your face that you’ve been through a lot. You met awesome people, and awful ones. You fought a lot, for your convictions, your friends, your freedom. You lost a few people, and he can perfectly picture the remains of your sadness in your eyes, and the spark of hope which won’t ever fade. Like he used to do before, he lets his fingers brush the skin on your arm, as you enjoy this contact. With the boose, you feel more at ease, your eyes travelling through his face, watching his lips moving as he speaks or smiles or laughs. It feels warm and good.

“So...You’re a crippled now,” you eventually tease after a few hours of talking, facing him so closely that his lips are just above yours now.

He smirks and raises an eyebrow.

“Harsh,” he smiles, putting a strand of your hair behind your ear, like he always did before. “I don’t remember this filthy mouth of yours, Name-san,”

“Then, I suppose my mouth isn’t so unforgettable, after all.”

He digs his eyes in yours as he perfectly knows what you are doing right now. Old habits don’t die so easily and between the two of you, this little teasing game has never stopped.

“It’s strange,” he whispers, looking at your lips with an envious look. “I do have a nice memory of your mouth. I must be wrong...”

You tilt your head as you bite your bottom lip, your fingers fondling his leg softly.

“And I do remember your fingers pretty well. Too bad there are missing five of them now.”

Shanks laughs as he grabs his third drink, swiping a swallow on it as he keeps looking at you. In front of your lusty face, he just grins, charmed.

“Perhaps I miss five of them, but I still got my five better ones.”

You smile, looking at his right hand fondling your cheek, tenderly.

“Is this some kind of invitation?” You softly ask, feeling suddenly so thrilled.

“Would you decline it?”

Shanks genuinely smiles, watching your eyes changing in something much more interesting. Something lusty which has never truly disappeared.

“You keep corrupting me, red-haired Shanks…,”

“As if I was the one responsible of your behaviors.”

And then, so easily, he gently pulls on the back of your neck to seal his lips with yours. You immediately open your mouth, a bit helped by the boose, and soon enough, you feel his tongue softly caressing yours. It feels just like before, when you have met him. It’s tender, soft, easy. Something you have craved for so long. Shanks has always pushed you away, at first, softly smiling anytime you shouted him that you loved him. You were too young to fall in love. Too young to embrace the piracy. And yet, you were so wild. So untamable. Like you still are tonight. Shanks didn’t have a chance with you ; you stole everything from him, even his heart. Tenderly, but with this intense urge, his hand grasps your wrist as he stands back up.

“Follow me,” he asks, looking at you with those everlasting playful eyes.

You nod, that grin on your lips extending on your jaw to the point that it hurts you. You know what he has in mind, and you want the same thing. He smiles as he hears a few cheers coming from the bar, certainly his nakamas, who have religiously eyed your exchange. He almost runs, dragging you somewhere far from the curious eyes. He makes you come on his boat, since nobody's around. His pace his fast, and you almost ask him to slow down. But you can’t ; you already reach where he wants to go. As he opens his bedroom, the very one he has taken you so many times, he circles your jaw and kisses you. He’s more impatient, already undressing himself as his only hand helps you to get off your clothes. You’re still standing, and he pushes you against his bedroom’s wall, unable to stop his gestures towards you.

“I’m impressed, you’re still nimble, Shanks,” you tease between two kisses, as you have only your bra and your panties on.

He grins at your remark, but continues his ministrations, circling your chest to grab the back of your bra and open it.

“You really think I’m a crippled, Name. It has to stop though.”

“Do you have...any...oh…,”

You freeze and quiver as you feel one of his finger slip in your legs, pressing that little nub of yours, already digs into your panties. You just bite your bottom lip and looks at his charming eyes, which are chasing every of your emotions on your face. Tenderly, Shanks goes south, sliding one digit against your entrance, until it gets in. He hums against your ear, torturing your earlobe with his teeth.

“I miss that…,” he whispers, curling his finger inside of you, slowly, but perfectly.

“Which part?” you breath, eyes closed, feeling his thumb gently pressing your nub, making circles on it. “Fuck, Shanks…,”

You let your head falls backwards until it hits the wall, giving him the possibility to bite the skin of your neck, putting kind kisses all the way down.

“All of it, Name-san.” He answers, his lips above yours.

With his mouth, he makes you open yours, his tongue slow and gentle. Your kiss is less urgent, and for him, it’s the perfect occasion to push another digit in. He smiles against your lips as he swallows your moans. He knows that he’s good at it. To make you quiver. To make you feel good. He just needs to curl his fingers, to slowly roll his thumb against your sensitive nub. He knows your body by heart. He knows what you like, and it gives him a little idea. He has missed you so much, he just want to please you right now.

“Come here…,” he mumbles as he parts his lips from yours, pulling his fingers away before he leads you to the bed.

There, he makes you lie, crawling between your legs to kiss your breasts. He teases your nipples with his tongue, his hand finding its way back to your core, as he pulls down your panties to give him a better access. He bites your pink circle, pulls on it, and you can’t help but arch your back, feeling his fingers penetrating you once again. You moan and he loves it. He leaves your boobs for a moment, and slides his mouth down, leaving burning and tender kisses on your skin. He’s so slow. He knows this pace drives you crazy, and he actually enjoys it a lot. He’s now kissing the skin just above your nub, and you almost want to yell at him to hurry up, because you can’t wait anymore.

But no. Not yet. Shanks breathes over your dripping core, but he doesn’t stop there. He prefers your inner-thigh, torturing your tender flesh with his soft lips. You grasp his hair, and he laughs a little, feeling your impatience in this gesture. With his hand, he parts your pussy lips, then slowly puts his mouth on it, to roll his tongue. It still feels so intense for you. The way he just lazily licks you, his wet muscle like a soft spare which keeps touching the most sensitive part of your core. He eats you slowly at first, enjoying your heavy breathing and your uncontrolled quivers. But then his tongue changes its pace. He comes on your nub, and now you know he wants to make you come. This is not a game anymore. Your skin reacts to his ministrations as you chase your own pleasure, grasping his red hair so much you could actually hurt him. You feel yourself at ease, your legs trembling, as this hot feeling start to grow in your belly. You moan more loudly, and Shanks increases his pace. You can’t hold it anymore and you come, intensely, twisting your body on the mattress as your fingers doesn’t leave his hair.

“Shanks… I’m…,”

This is too much. You still feel his tongue on your overly sensitive clit. His fingers are now entering you and you think for a moment that your heart is going to explode. He laughs when he feels your legs moving, but he doesn’t stop. He thrusts his fingers inside of you, and you just keep twisting your back, moaning desperately.

“What are you...This is…”

“You can’t take it…”

His voice is sexy, charming. You thought he was a crippled? But his five best fingers and his expert tongue just offer you your second orgasm in a row. Shanks smiles as he kisses your inner-thigh. He has enough stamina to play with you all night long. After all, he missed you so much.

[kyogre-blue]

Nanowrimo, day 12 (wc 1568)

“A trading company?” Alibaba repeated.

“That’s right. I’m going with Hinahoho and Rurumu, and I’ll take the chance to negotiate with the national chief to give us exclusive trading rights.” Thinking for a moment, Sinbad added, “And a fleet. Since we picked up so many people, we’ll need a bigger ship.” 

“Planning to scam him quite a bit, aren’t you?” Alibaba noted dryly. 

Sinbad grinned unrepentantly. “What, do you think I can’t?” 

“No, you’ll definitely do it,” Alibaba said. The level of charisma required was just unfair, but he knew that Sinbad would succeed. After all, the kingdom of Sindria had been born out of the Sindria Trading Company. 

It was kind of exciting to witness it himself.

Satisfied, Sinbad nodded. “Then once we have the goods, we can head back to Balbadd and open our first office. We’ll be counting on you for the local contacts.” 

“Hey, when did I agree to join?” Alibaba protested — nevermind that all of his supposed contacts would be a decade too early to use, and even his knowledge of the local trade laws wouldn’t match up exactly. However, as a merchant, he couldn’t help considering it. “Well, it’s a good idea to set up in a trading hub like Balbadd,” he said slowly. “But the distance will be prohibitive, especially if you want to ship anything perishable. Also, Imuchakk is not known in the southeast, so you will need to do additional work to build up interest.” 

“...” Somewhat at a loss over this sudden lecture, Sinbad could only lean back and listen. 

“Compared to that, starting in Reim might be a better choice,” Alibaba mused. “Napolia on the coast is no less of a trading hub, but it’s much closer. Reim is a major market in its own right too. And it’s much more familiar with Imuchakk… although maybe not in the most flattering light. On the other hand, you’ll need to find out what their trading requirements are and probably get a license. ...And you won’t be able to see Madam Esra for a while. What do you think?” 

“...Reim, huh? I admit, I’m curious about that place,” Sinbad said. “Why not? Let’s start there. Since you’re so knowledgeable, we’ll be counting on you!” 

“And I’m telling you, I don’t remember joining,” Alibaba shot back. 

“You don’t want to?” Sinbad asked, raising his eyebrows pointedly. “You don’t think it’s exciting? You love this merchant stuff, I saw you haggling and doing those investments at Balbadd. Think about it, we’re creating a whole new trading company. There hasn’t been one like ever before! And I don’t plan to stop with just Imuchakk, you know. I meant what I said — I’ll connect the world. This is just the first step. You don’t want to be part of that?” 

He looked infuriatingly sure of himself as he gestured with one hand as if holding it out to Alibaba. He really did have a way of pulling people along in his wake, making them believe in the shining dream he spoke of. Alibaba wasn’t sure whether it was better or worse knowing that he really would succeed in everything he claimed. 

It was very tempting. 

He really was very tempted. After all, it wasn’t like he had a way of getting back. So far, it seemed like it had been some kind of freak chance that landed him in this dimension. Maybe he was stuck there forever anyway. Maybe it was time to give up and accept it. 

...Like hell he could just accept it! 

He still needed to settle his debts in Balbadd, his Balbadd. He still had a promise with Aladdin to fulfill. 

And, frankly, he was tired of wondering whether he was messing up Sinbad’s legendary adventures. This wasn’t where he belonged. It wasn’t his place. 

“There’s still things I need to take care of,” Alibaba explained vaguely. 

“Mm-hm. So where are you going after this?” 

Alibaba thought for a moment, then had to make a face. “...Reim, probably,” he admitted. That was one of the two remaining leads Yunan had given him — a girl named Scheherazade and the Musta’sim magic academy. 

“Oh, what a coincidence!” Sinbad gave him a smug grin. “At this rate, I’ll start thinking you’re just looking for excuses to stay close to me. There’s no need, you know, my Sindria Company will always have a place for you.” Leaning in close, Sinbad tried to trick he had learned recently. “I need you. We can’t do it without you.” 

“Ha ha,” Alibaba said dryly — because he knew that Sinbad very much did not. Grabbing the side of his face, he pushed the troublesome future king straight into the nearest snowbank. 

~.~ 

Chapter 7: Napolia

There was no blockade around Napolia. That was the first thing Sinbad noticed. No navy ships patrolling every approach, no catapults and ballistas lining the entrance to the port, just a few watch towers that were barely distinguishable from the surrounding buildings. 

It was nothing like his old home. 

Perhaps it wasn't a fair comparison, since Contastia had never been hailed as the second most prosperous city in Partevia. But thinking about it, Sinbad wasn't sure if such a place even existed in Partevia to begin with. Everywhere had been drained dry by the war. Any ship going in or out of the country needed to pass through security checks so tight it was almost infeasible, and the few merchant vessels Sinbad had accompanied from one internal port to another had sailed with half empty holds. 

He'd heard once at the tavern after a job that it hadn't always been like that. Partevia had once had a bustling trading port as well -- an island, in fact, dedicated to trade with every corner of the world. But it had been judged indefensible and forcefully abandoned when the war intensified, before Sinbad was even born. 

Napolia wasn't very defensible either, and yet here it was, prospering.  

It took considerable effort for Sinbad to remain standing proudly at the prow without craning his neck at every passing ship, the buildings along the shore, and the tiny figures of the people in every imaginable garb and style. He didn't want to look like the small town hick he was -- because he was representing the Sindria Trading Company now, because looking lost and wide eyed was a good way to become a mark, and because Ja'far had already mocked him plenty on the way -- but it was very hard. 

“My goodness, it’s quite busy,” Rurumu murmured. “In all this, will we be able to dock safely?” 

“We’ll be fine. In a place like Napolia, they will have ways of managing it,” Alibaba assured her. “The port authorities will send someone over. Look, that’s them over there.” 

He pointed to a small ship sporting several rows on either side, quickly cutting through the waves toward them. A man waved a bright flag toward them and, receiving Alibaba’s acknowledgement, made some kind of gesture, which Alibaba appeared to also understand. 

“Okay, head toward that dock there,” Alibaba told the others. “We’ll be in the fifth spot from the end.” 

As Hinahoho and Mahad guided their ship toward the right dock, he and Rurumu began a quiet discussion regarding the management of major ports -- something that was apparently not entirely standardized, but there were certain conventions that could be expected. Part of it was to avoid any accidents and better manage space along the docks, but part of it had to do with politics and avoiding putting vessels from unfriendly countries next to each other of slighting a foreign delegation by leaving them to dock at a less used pier. 

Sinbad listened in with half an ear. There was still a lot that went over his head, no matter how much ground Rurumu had managed to cover in her merciless training during the journey. And there were things like this that even Rurumu didn’t know. Although the national chief Rametoto had given her an extensive education, international trading had not been widely covered for obvious reasons. She had made do while teaching them by combining economics and diplomacy, but certain things would naturally fall through the cracks. 

Now that they were getting closer to shore, the unique design of their Imuchakk vessel was beginning to draw attention from the masses rushing along the docks. Sinbad could imagine their whispers of interest, and he did his best to look even more dashing. 

Ah, he couldn’t wait to explore everything... 

Alibaba’s voice trailed off distractedly in mid-discussion, and his head turned as he stared, frowning, at a docked ship they were passing by. 

“What’s wrong?” Sinbad asked. “It’s got a Balbadd flag, but that shouldn’t be a problem, right?” 

“It has a coat of arms too. It’s an official vessel of the court,” Alibaba said, finally tearing his gaze away. He shook his head as if trying to get rid of some troublesome thought. “It’s fine. It’s probably just an ambassador or something. There’s no way it could be the king himself, he can’t travel this far...” 

For some reason, he laughed nervously and repeated, “There’s no way.” 

Sinbad exchanged a look with Rurumu. She shook her head. 

“Do you want me to buy a new headscarf?” Sinbad offered judiciously, and very seriously mimed wrapping up his head like ‘Ali’ had done in Balbadd. 

The flat look he received was completely undeserved. 

[gigis-ff-blog]

last time here we go

so you all probably expected this by now. but I’m not uploading this fic series anymore. I just cant find the motivation and with the amount I was planning to write its just became intimidating. I’m also going into my junior year(11th year) of high school, and that’s already stressful. and I’m really disappointed in myself that I never finished even the first book. but if you guys wouldn’t mind I would love to share my ideas and concepts that were supposed to be present. I might work on them in the future though.

CHARACTER DIFFERENCES

so unlike the anime, Dedede and Escargoon were supposed to act as good guys. Dedede was supposed to turn evil after being manipulated by Nightmare, who was so afraid by Kirby that he absorbed to much power than he could handle, became corrupted, and corrupted a king just to get rid of them. NME was supposed to be like a friendly group and were just supposed to be people that others could hire and pay for goods and services. Adaline would have been the salesman’s adopted daughter also. 

Characters like Marx, Dark Matter Swordsman, Dark Meta knight, and other villains would have had redeeming arcs as subplots. Susie was also supposed to have a more compassionate personality, albeit still snarky and all about herself. Necrodeus and Nebula were also supposed to be the co rulers of the underworld at a certain point. Axe knight was supposed to be related to them.

The Galaxia would have also had a spirit form, kind of like FI from Zelda, but more tired and motherly. This would have been the same for the mirror Galaxia as well. Sirica and Joe would have appeared as siblings under Meta’s care. Meta would have also had very cheap disguises (like an old fisherman’s disguise.)

Void would have also been reborn as a baby orb.

PLOT DIFFERENCES

The plot of Meta Knight Returns would have taken place just before that of Amazing Mirror. Where Meta knight would have left for the amazing mirror in hopes of regaining his lost family.However he would have been foiled by Dark Meta Knight and would have been trapped in the mirror world. Dark would have stolen the Galaxia and went to the Halberd to try and take over dreamland. The Galaxia would have been stored in a secret place in the Halberd as Dark wouldn’t be able to wield it. Eventually, the crew and Kirby would find this out and collaborate in taking him and the ship down.

Canvas curse and Rainbow curse would have had Adaline and Bandanna team up with Kirby. the stories would also lead in to Adaline’s past and character development.

A subplot between Morpho Knight and Meta knight would happen within the events of Mass attack. This would lead to character reveals like Aqua Knight being revealed. The Galaxia wielders would have had a big role in this story and it would have been the first time Galacta was seen.

The backstory of Sectonia and Dark Meta would have been explained. Dark would have taught Sectonia how to wield a sword and would have befriended her. Sectonia would have accidentally found a corrupt power within the Mirror that would have changed her to the evil queen bee she was.

Susie, Kirby, and Galacta knight were supposed to be part of a subplot in the Planet Robobot story, which would set up her and Kirby’s backstory which would take place in another dimension. In this, Kirby was supposed to be made of the same matter Void was made of, Except Susie would care for Kirby and tell them stories about her Dad and how she was always told that she was amazing. A cataclysm that would lead to a big crack in Galacta’s seal would have caused them to try and escape as Susie knew about how dangerous Galacta was. They would have eventually escaped on a ship Susie made, eccept she would have been hit off of the ship and found by The Haltman Company. 

Another subplot I Robobot would be how the halberd crew and the clones were both trying to work together and free Meta and take back the Halberd from Haltman. Eventually, Susie would join in becoming disgusted by how corrupt her father and the company were becoming.

Team Kirby clash deluxe would have been in a parallel dream universe visited by Susie

Kirby Star allies would have had each group of Dream friends given their own story in the narrative, eventually leading to a big climactic meetup at the end. Flamberge would have teamed up with Morpho and a fight would break out with the three sisters after Fransisca was hurt about “Why are we even in this cult? For Him. He took our hearts and hurt Fran. He’s not the same.”

The ancients, the GSA, the four heroes, Void and Galacta knight, and Morpho knight would have all had a big story of their own describing a war against Matter, and a gigantic calamity. There would have also been mentions of a war with Floralia and the Underworld. Meta would have been a child and one of the four heroes in the war against matter and an adult during the calamity.The calamity is what would have actually been the death of Garlude and Joes father. The war against matter would have involved the GSA and Nightmare on the same side. Morpho knight would have been related to Meta in some way before their demise. Galacta was also going to become corrupt with to much matter, causing a calamity that would combine all forces against one big death orb. Galacta, Kirby, and Void would have all shared the same person. This section of the story would reveal this. A prophecy involving Kirby’s adventures would have also been mentioned.

An ending was supposed to be written involving Galacta knight and the crumbling of the universe. This would be when they had broken free and started wreaking havoc. This would have painted an apocalyptic dreamland. Galacta would have killed off characters one by one GOT(I don’t watch or like this show) style with epic fights. They would have also consumed Kirby and Voids matters, including their souls. Galacta would have ripped holes in time and space and ruined everything till there was nothing left. Void and Kirby would have fused inside Galacta’s conscience and fought them there, Galacta’s soul would have been fought with Kirby and Voids combined soul. Eventually, all of them would become one and reverse time using the time ability and restore things to the second before the apocalypse started. From then everyone would live normal lives. Susie would also create a machine that would have brought back morpho knight from the dead to they could live a new and better life. 

Kirby café. It would have been a thing.

SAILOR DEE

Sailor dee was supposed to act as a main supporting character and secret Meta Knights spy, who would end up helping Kirby, despite being afraid of them in the beginning due to the GSA records Meta knight gave them.  Sailor’s backstory was supposed to reveal that they left their home and sailed away because they felt as if they were not wanted and forgettable once Bandanna started becoming closer to the kings court after his megaton punch world record break. this would lead to Sailor finding the Meta Knights. Sailor was supposed to get a more major character arc, becoming a more strong and confident person. Eventually Sailor would become the force that leads the Meta Knights when Meta is MIA. Sailor would have also been a Galaxia wielder. 

A feud during Amazing mirror would have led Sailor to go off and try to save the world themself, without Galaxia and the knights, who Sailor feels abandoned them. Sailor would get into a fight with Dark Meta, a fight where Silver Galaxia would create a blast that tried to save Sailor, but knocked them into another dimension with Marx, Dark Matter Swordsman, Nightmare, and Morpho. Together they would all work to make it out. They would all master different abilities. this plot would lead to the Morpho knight subplot in the Mass Attack story. Sailor would become Aqua Knight in the end.

ADALINE

Adaline’s backstory would begin as a lone magical waddle dee artist would travel to Shiver Star to test his artistic ability and reanimate the lost and forgotten life forms using soul matter paint. Adaline would be the waddle dee’s child and would grow up to watch her father figure create new sisters and even planets(patchland) out of magic. Eventually. The painter would become corrupt, and attempt to create a painting army to take over the galaxy. Vividria enlisted the help of NME to stop the galactic takeover before it started by separating paintings and sealing the painter inside the magic brush. The dude would have time to think in there. Adaline would then be taken in the Nightmare family’s care. They would also create a brother to her, Paint Roller. Vividria guards the artists moon.

MORPHO

morpho would have been Meta’s younger sibling. Both would try to escape the All Matter Castle after being hurt by Void after Void-a baby God ho had no idea what it was doing-was manipulated to hurt them. Meta made it out. Morpho didn’t. Morpho was killed and taken to the underworld. there they met Necrodeus, who gave them the role as a grim reaper. Necrodeus always felt sorry for Morpho. 

Morpho was trapped before they were killed. as Meta escaped he promised he would go back. However, Morpho was told in their final moments that Meta left them to save himself. This would spark their revenge.

After Morpho’s revenge failed, they would have had an emotional talk where they would basically hug and cry and clear things up before the light took morpho back. In the series end, they would be reborn with new memories in a new life around people that would love them.

HYNESS

Hyness would have started out as a normal part time cleric / part time nanny. He knew all of the sisters as he was their nanny. when families abandoned in blizzards, infernos took lives, and when all seamed gone. Hyness took them under their wing. But like literally anyone else at this point he became crazy with power. His dark powers left him after KSA and he felt guilty to the point of tears after he realized what he had done. He did everything he could to make it up to them.

VOID

Void would have been a baby God found by the ancients. Their power would be manipulated by other people until they were convinced that what they were doing was ok. The four heroes tried to reason with Void but to no avail.Once Void was sealed their manipulators were ended. Sir Arthur became the new leader and the era of control was over. Galacta Knight absorbed their power however and started the calamity…

GALACTA

Galacta was Kirby from a future time and history that had a cataclysmic event involving the fusion of Void and Kirby. Everything in the dimension was wiped out in this event. This dimension became “another dimension.” Galacta knight absorbed Void’s sealed matter and became overwhelmed with power. Galacta would be sealed tearfully by Meta as they both knew each other because they were both family to one another. Galacta would reawaken themself, and cause havoc throughout time and space. Galacta, Kirby, and Void would all fuse, fixing everything and ending off the series on the same hill Kirby crashed on.

THATS IT I HOPED YOU ENJOYED PLEASE COMENT AND REBLOG I SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON THIS I LOVE YOU ALL AND WHO KNOWS I MIGHT WORK ON THESE AS SIMGULAR STORIES LATER. THIS IS MY FF BLOG NOW. THANK YOU LOVE YOU ALL IM SORRY THANK YOU!!!!!!!!111111!!!!

[tanoraqui]

Homestuck for the fandom thing.

funniest moment: the real joke was the homestuck fans it made along the way

no actually, I am at all time on some level laughing at the Barack Obama slowburn crack subplot, and NOTHING will ever be funnier than Karkat’s first (from his pov) mile-long rant introducing himself and how he created your pitiful universe and how much he hates it, the stars burn with the fury of his hatred, the world will run with the rivers of your blood, etc…and John’s impeccable, “hi karkat!”

heartbreakingest moment: I’m a simple bitch who gets real sad thinking about, like, all of Game Over. Also, dream!John leaping towards his dad on Skaia only for him to wake up and fade out.

heartwarmingest moment: I am also a simple bitch who, like everyone else in the fandom, spent about 3 days straight reblogging nothing but fanart of The Dave/Dirk Hug, ft. Dirk Smiling Slightly 

most badass moment: specifically like 9:52 to 10:04 of Cascade

most…okay, you know how I sometimes scream excitedly about things like narrative parallels or intricately constructed plot arcs? top moment for that: *deep breath in* *deep breath out* *deep breath in* *….* I truly appreciate how, though the comic foundered at the end, the Epilogue was in direct response a 100,000-word-plus blessing to fans to go write whatever alternate version they’d like. Also, the whole entity was really, truly, utterly and absolutely masterful in its use of medium (ha!!!) to tell the story it wanted.

something I dislike about canon/change I would make: I archived a conversation once about my dream ending.

1 unwritten fic idea I have for this fandom: oh, sweet WIPs…the last Homestuck fic I might actually write, in the forseeable future, is another little post/during-Epilogue idea I choose to accept as canon, and as discussed Andrew Hussie said fanfiction rights: in which Jake Harley and Jade English meet at some point, in their respective adventures in the Medium, and with their combined knowledge and chutzpah go around collecting all the other human Guardians, beta and alpha, after each one is no longer necessary to their charges’ stories. They grab a Nanasprite first, for Jane, bc they’ll need to resurrect most of the others. There’s some debate over whether to include Bro, because he was…a terrible parent and none of them are sure at all that they’ll like him. Alpha!Rose is getting Seerish feedback from Ascending!Rose as soon as she’s reanimated, so she has Jade and Jake build her a robot body asap. And they all sail off on a golden Prospitian ship together to either help save their alternate selves from, well, those themselves, or just to have their own adventures as grown-ass adults with all time, space, and story before them.

[lilyeontan]

Under the Sea 🌊

࿇Pairing: Mermaid!Jimin x Reader

࿇Genre: Fluff, fluff, and more fluff

࿇Inspiration: Waves feat. 6lack- Normani

⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞⁞

This strange warmth of darkness is all you know right now. Motion and thought seem like distant allies to you. The push and pull of the tide doesn’t stir you, nor do the screeches of overhead seagulls. The sour aroma of salt does little to make you gag. Your instincts have betrayed you. You sink deeper into the pitch blackness of your idle brain.

One of the only things you can rely on is your breath.

Congratulations. You are still alive.

You chest rises and falls with a shaky pattern of respiration. Some water has pooled at the bottom of your lungs, causing you to cough and sputter occasionally. This action may be the only indication that you aren’t some unlucky traveler whose just washed up on the shore.

The archaic fear of water is something that swims deep in your blood. A princess like you wouldn’t even dream of touching a body of water other than a bathtub, but here you are, almost dead from drowning.

Shipwrecks don’t happen often, but when they do, there are seldom alive who can tell their tales from firsthand experiences. But those people aren’t you...

You layed awake as the boat rocked you back and forth, doing nothing to aid your queasy stomach. Aquaphobia and seasickness are a lovely combination, don’t you think? Pondering what you may have eaten that could have ailed you, the clap of overhead thunder makes you jolt in fear. You lay still in your sheets, mentally hoping to atone for whatever may have caused the Gods to be this angry.

Seconds pass by. Seconds turn into minutes, minutes to hours. For what feels like an eternity, no more calamities or commotions disrupt the little progress you’ve made at trying to sleep. The growing weight of your eyelids lull you to slumber. You have actually succeeded in getting some rest. Soft snores echo quietly within your bed chamber.

“Y/n! Y/n, get up!”, a voice screams somewhere. A strong pair of hands shake you awake. Your awakening is a rather pathetic one. You can barely register your surroundings let alone the maid shouting at you. Everything is a blur.

“A fire! The sails and mast are on fire! Y/n we need to go. Y/n, please get up!”

Her words are enough to snap you to life. With one swift motion, the covers are off of you and you’re racing to the deck along with Jeanette, your maid.

When you reach the deck, nothing short of a nightmare unfolds before you. The ravaging rains do nothing the extinguish the sails or mast, which are blazing with flames at this point.

Your instincts tell you to run, but that seems foolish since you can’t think of a destination where you would be safe. You must remind yourself that you are on a boat, not land.

All you can think about is your whether or not you will see your parents again. Guilt and shame flushes throughout your system; the last time you had seen them you were yelling at each other. No articulated goodbyes. No formalities. No departing embraces. Just disappointed spirits and unspoken apologies. You almost feel selfish, disregarding their feelings about their growing daughter whose embarking on adventures all on her own. You forget that to them, you were drawing on the castle walls just yesterday. You never chose to see things from their side. Independence was a necessity to you, not a goal or option.

While your inner turmoil transforms your surroundings into a blur, you fail to recognize the absence of Jeanette, nor the fact that fire is spreading rapidly. The entire mast is engulfed in fire, weakening the wooden core. Slowly, but surely, the mast begins the sway back and forth. When it generates enough force to fall entirely, the pressure exerted when it hit the deck split the boat right down the middle. Gravity as you know it is nonexistent as you flail towards the fresh crevice. Your vision blacks out.

If you weren’t unconscious, you would hear the merman crying for you. He does have a weak heart, after all.

When he first saw your lifeless body drifting aimlessly in his ocean, he had mixed emotions. On one hand, he was grateful to have been blessed by your beauty. To him, your face was familiar, but he couldn’t pinpoint your first meeting. Then he remembered. He had dreamt of you before, but not in your human form. He dreamt of you with a golden halo and a pair of ivory wings. You were his salvation. His one way ticket to a better world. He wanted to make you his. He wanted to claim your soul for his own. And on the other hand, anxiety invaded his system upon realizing that your body was rather limp and pale.

He wasted no time in wrapping his arms around you waist and pulling you up for air. Oxygen intake was the only thing that the merman knew that humans required. The rain did nothing to aid his sight, but he managed to swim to the nearest shore with an impressive speed. He laid you on the damp sand and laid down beside you. He traced your facial features: your brows, eyelids, nose bridge, cheeks. He stopped himself when he got to your lips. You possessed lips that looked to be straight out of a Renaissance painting. Slightly red and wide enough to showcase a smile of pearls.

He laid there for what seemed like hours and with each passing minute, the more anxious he became. If he had known better, he would have pressed his ear against your chest to detect your heartbeat.

Tears of a lost love that was never known began to spring into his eyes. His heart is as big as his fin. He gasped and tried desperately to combat them as he lifted you into his scaly lap. As the rain lets up, he strokes your shoulder and rocks you back and forth because he thinks he’s comforting you, but he’s really comforting himself. When the assault of raindrops finally stops, his emotionally labored breathing and the low tide waves are the only sounds to be heard.

The clouds begin to part to reveal the sun, golden in all her glory. Rays of sunshine beam down from the sky, illuminating the shoreline that the pair of you currently reside on. One particularly shiny ray lands on the two of you. With one hand supporting your waist and the other shielding his sight, the merman squints at the sun.

Whether it’s some newfound courage or an instinctual inspiration sparked by the sun, the creature’s next actions are based off of subconscious desires. He feels something inside of him. This sensation is warm and pleasurable, but unfamiliar to him in its nature.

It is hope.

He leans into you and closes his eyes. His lips are slightly puckered and his hopes are high. He closes the space into between you two. And kisses you.

You don’t need to open your eyes to know that some great light source is behind them. As you begin to raise your eyelids, a foreign feeling rests on the tips your lips. The texture is soft and tender.

It feels...good. ‘This must be what a kiss feels like, but who the hell is kissing me?’, you think to yourself. While any other person in your situation would feel disgusted and violated, you however feel like you should feel thankful for the stranger. You kiss back.

The merman jumps back in shock of your sudden movement. You look up at him with clear confusion. Despite your bewilderment, you’re the first to break the silence.

“Who are you? Are you my guardian angel?”, you ask after you momentarily snap out Cupid’s spell. The young merman chuckles coyly. Suddenly, a pressure below you lifts you up. You look to see a fluorescent pink tail in the air, brashly moving side to side almost as if it’s waving a hello to you.

“I’m sorry to break your heart, but I’m from the water. I’m not your angel...”, he says. You smile at his charm. His eyes are pools of light turquoise, the color of Bohemian seas. They appear to be wet. His hair, like his tail, is baby pink. That same hue tints his cheeks slightly. His nose is simple, yet defined. And his lips... His lips are like succulent flower peddles begging to be plucked. They are perfectly swollen and appear to be made for kissing.

“.... but I can be.” And with that, he leans in again.

[fluorescentpipedream]

Character info

Yorgi:

-has several runes tattooed on the back of his neck, back and one on each shoulder blade.

-despite appearances, he’s actually in his early 30s when he first meets Sara making him a few years younger than Vance

-draws the black markings beneath his eyes with ink and there’s apparently a conversation with Sara on a good day about eyeliner pencils instead of the thin brush he uses.

-when the crew disembarks to clean the ship and resupply on one of the islands there’s a talk about the lack of modesty among the Vikings. Not necessarily from Yorgi, but in regards to him and the others by Jack.

-Yorgi is an unconventional fighter among his people, usually using a small hatchet and dagger. He’s very wiry and limber and tends to stand behind Rhaegar or even Vance and takes out anyone who gets close enough. If he gets bored below decks he also practices by throwing the hatchet at a target, often across the room.

-accidentally winds up falling in love with Sara and tries everything in his power to protect her from Vance, going so far as to steal her away with him, albeit briefly, to get married in the sight of their gods, with Rhaegar and Jack as witnesses. She is referred to as a shield maiden during the wedding and is given the white ceremonial dress and flowers braided into her hair. Their first night as a married couple is gentle

-very eccentric and tends to be a bit of a trickster. Most of the crew avoid him because of his reputation and his visions

-speaking of visions...he uses an opium pipe to sort out the visions he has and help him sleep

-he shares his opium with Sara after she gets especially beaten by Vance. He doesn’t have her smoke it though, more breathes the smoke in her direction while Jack holds her

-knows how to “cleanse” the female body and performs the necessary actions on Sara several times before taking her for himself.

-attempts to escape with Sara as she is time jumping to Greece, but ends up taking a stand between her, the portal and Vance. “Farewell, voyager. Farewell, my heart. Farewell... for now.” Are his last words to her before breaking the portal’s connection to their time, leaving him and Rhaegar to try to fight off Vance, even after he’s temporarily killed Jack by cutting off his head.

-though Vance wants to kill him, he believes exile to be a more fitting punishment and separates Yorgi from Rhaegar and sends him to live on a presumably barren island in the north where he is expected to die. The island is later “discovered” and named Iceland because there are large sheets of ice floating freely beyond the shoreline. Depressed by the loss of the woman he loved, he languishes there, alone, for nearly 15 years.

-in this time he also experiences his first death, from a combination of depression (unwilling to eat, or provide himself with any kind of care) and heartbreak. Though he feels the pain of starving to death, he doesn’t truly die from it, only wakes up several days late feeling slightly renewed and unable to find out why

-following his “death” he first believes Vance has cursed him in some way before finally he starts trying to reach out to the Gods, primarily Frigga and Odin for answers. This goes on for a while before he just sort of...accepts his permanence as their will.

-his second wife is a 14 year old child bride of the previous Jarl of another tribe. Her people believe her to be a curse as she is pregnant and refuses to serve the new Jarl, going so far as to threaten him. He is amused with her but still views her as a threat and has her sent to the island Yorgi has been on for 15 years. Because the area is deemed uninhabited, no one knows he’s there, so the people figure she’ll die there. Yorgi discovers her on the beach, pleading for death and cursing those who abandoned her. He makes a comment that the island isn’t Australia, which gets a strange look and he merely comments that it hasn’t happened yet, but it will.

-Their relationship is slow burning, they don’t really start anything until after she gives birth to her son and she begins to show affection to him while he has visions that sometimes cause him pain.

As Jorgen:

-Jorgen and his wife have been married for 4 years, and were expecting their first child (she doesn’t know he’s an immortal) though try a trial separation following a miscarriage. He’s not able to handle it right as he starts having visions in his dreams again and becomes preoccupied with their meaning. Depressed and fed up, she leaves him.

-he has a house in the Hills with a pool, large backyard and a dog.

-Creative writing professor, not history. He does teach a Norse Mythology class though. He has 111, 245 and 305 level writing classes and gives a writing prompt in the 111 he hopes people continue working on through the later ones. (Students don’t have to but it’s a way of teaching elaboration and fleshing our an existing story) It basically asks the student to select a time period and imagine themselves as a time traveler from that period up to modern times. Why does your character set out to see the future? What do they miss from their time or prefer in this one? Did they experience any historical moments and if so, did they participate or were they on the sidelines?

-Jorgen has written a story of his own involving his former life adventures and has included Sara’s involvement in it as well. He gives the story out as an example of jest can be done with the prompt, though in that case, the young girl is the time traveler meeting his “character”

-he doesn’t tell anyone he’s immortal or that he has visions, “this world is fucked enough without my help”

-Jorgen is his latest incarnation though he’s had countless others, every hundred years or so he disappears and sleeps in order to pass the time. He has several lines of descendants by modern times

Rhaegar

-Loses his tongue after he lied to one of the visages of Loki’s female form. He promised to love her forever, when he breaks his promise, she takes his lying tongue.

-has tattoos beneath his hairline and down the back of his neck, shoulders and one in the small of his back. One is a scar left behind by Loki

-Rhaegar is a strong swordsman, sometimes using a shield and sometimes not, though because he cannot speak he’s treated a bit differently.

-Vance tasks him with protecting Yorgi, though that plan often backfires as he is fiercely loyal and sometimes goes so far as to deny his leader for his charge

-Rhaegar seems to have followed Yorgi through immortality, once his protector, always it would seem. He has no real explanation of why he’s still around though

-he’s learned a form of written words and sign language in order to communicate with certain members of their tribe, though not all can understand it. Sara teaches him, Jack & Yorgi American Sign Language as well

-he later takes the last name Thursten, following along with the idea that he’s Jorgen’s younger brother

-the youngest of the Viking crew at the time they encounter Sara, he’s in his late 20s and he continues to age until about 35 where he stops for an unknown reason

-when he stands against Vance to protect Sara, Jack & Yorgi he is given a longboat and ordered to sail beyond their world. He ultimately winds up in the frozen north on the archipelago of Svalbard. Though this area remains unsettled until the Dutch whaling companies make their way there in 1590, Rhaegar has been living in the area since 874. What he does between that long gap is anyone’s guess.

-Rhaegar spends most of his immortality resting for long gaps in time, those has fought in several of the old wars both as a Norseman and as an English man.

-shows up again, seeking out Yorgi in England during the 16th century, presumably to warn him that Vance is still alive.