#don't mind the eraser marks I had a different idea before changing

[joshplayssboi]

Fun little Oswald drawing I did last night

Hope y'all have an amazing day

[gingerteafairy]

Hii, I had an idea about Dave, I don't know if you could do something between him and a female reader. where the reader has always been used for her body, and the boys have classified her as 'ugly face, beautiful body'. She is in a relationship with Dave and feels very happy and safe with him, until at a party she goes to get something to drink and when she returns she hears how several guys ask her if he has already slept with her, or things like that. She gets angry and leaves, Dave notices and they solve his problem. It ends with something very romantic and with a lot of fluff

ugh, loved this. sorry for taking so long, college's crazy rn

𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬

“You’re worth it, my love. You’re priceless to me.”

tags n warning: dave lizewski x reader, language, verbal harassment, self deprecating, violence, hurt/comfort. word count: 2.9k masterlist

“You have worth.”

Those words, so simple yet so profound, were truths that were difficult to accept. Your entire life, you had felt like a useless object, a shadow without identity, without purpose. Your existence seemed like a mistake, as if you were invisible to the world. Men had become monsters in your mind, and the reflection in the mirror, with each passing day, seemed more distant, more unrecognizable. When you met Dave, something inside you sparked, but your heart still carried the scars of a painful past. Your body still felt tainted, as if the marks from others' gazes and judgments could never be erased.

It was as if, with each step, the shadow of who you had been, of what they'd made of you, was chasing you. That confrontation in the college courtyard, when one of the guys who had been with you before decided to challenge Dave in front of everyone, was the final straw. The pain tightened in your chest, a mix of anger and helplessness.

“Are you dating her? How bold. She’s worth nothing.”

The boy's words were sharp, like knives, but Dave, with the calm of someone who knew exactly what they wanted, stood firm. He was different from all the others, not just because he didn’t care what people thought, but because he saw you in a way no one else seemed capable of seeing. He didn’t view you as just a body, an object of desire. He saw you as a complete person, with feelings, with untold stories, with complexity.

He saw you as beautiful, but not in a superficial way. He saw something in you that others would never be able to perceive. That’s why, when he responded so firmly to that idiot, you felt a wave of gratitude and admiration.

“I want her, no matter what you think. I believe in her. I won’t accept judgment from someone as rotten as you.”

He stood there, unwavering, like the hero you knew he was. The others laughed at him, thinking he was a fool for choosing someone with a past like yours, but he didn’t care. He only cared about you. He knew your past, but that didn’t define who you were. To him, you weren’t your past; you were what he saw in your eyes, what he felt when he was with you. And that made him stronger every day.

With a sigh, you almost begged, your voice trembling, your fingers intertwined with his. “Dave, if you want, I’ll change for you,” you whispered, as if your words were a plea for forgiveness, a desire to be enough for him. “I’ll do anything. If you want me to change the way I speak, the way I dress, the way I have fun… everything. I don’t want you to feel insecure with me.”

But Dave, with his endless kindness, simply pulled you into his arms, enveloping you in a tight hug, and with a serene smile, he said:

“I never asked you to change anything,” he whispered, his words wrapping around you like a protective blanket. “I love you just the way you are, no matter what you say or do. I will always be here for you.”

Your eyes closed, and your body relaxed as you felt the strength of his embrace. You murmured, feeling the weight on your shoulders ease with each word:

“I’m so grateful to have you, Dave.”

And he, in a tender gesture, cupped your face in his hands and placed a soft kiss on your forehead, slowly moving to your cheeks, as if each touch was a promise. Instinctively, you mirrored the gesture, making the moment a small ritual of affection, just yours and his.

“I’m just worried about your safety,” he said, his gaze filled with genuine concern. His hands gently stroked your hair with a tenderness only he knew how to offer. “That’s the only thing that scares me.”

You looked into his eyes, feeling safer than ever. “I’ll go with you. I want to make sure you're okay.”

“Really?” you asked, your eyes shining with surprise and gratitude, when he nodded with a simple, reassuring gesture.

“You’re so good to me, Dave,” you whispered, your hand resting on his chest.

“You make me want to be the best version of myself,” he replied, with sincerity overflowing. In a sweet impulse, he pressed a quick kiss to your lips before pulling you back into his arms, sealing the moment with a soft kiss on top of your head.

The night was drawing near, and you got ready at Dave's house, with him helping adjust the details of your outfit, of your shirt, as if each gesture was a quiet, yet immense, act of care. When you both arrived at the party, something felt different. It wasn’t like the other parties where you felt out of place, like a piece in a pointless game.

With Dave by your side, everything seemed new. The music, the laughter, the movement of people—everything had a different glow. It was light, uncomplicated, as if, for the first time, you were really there to enjoy yourself, to live, without pressure or expectations. And in that moment, you knew: Dave Lizewski had transformed everything. He didn’t just love you, he made you see the beauty of life, and for the first time, you felt worthy of that beauty.

“Are you enjoying the party?” Dave asked, tilting his head slightly as he watched you dance. His smile was genuine, enchanted by your spontaneous happiness.

“Yes, I’m loving it!” you replied, your heart racing with the rhythm of the music and the energy around you. Without hesitation, you slid your arms around his neck, gently pulling him to dance with you. Your bodies swayed in sync, a brief yet intimate moment. “What about you?”

Dave leaned in closer, his mouth almost grazing your ear as he spoke, trying to cut through the noise of the music. “It’s good, but I think I’ll head to the bathroom.” His voice was almost a whisper, and you could feel the warmth of his breath against your skin.

“Do you want a drink? I’ll go get one for you,” he offered, his gaze soft and protective.

You shook your head with a smile. “No need, go to the bathroom. I’ll get us something!”

He hesitated for a second, as if he wanted to make sure you’d really be okay, but then he nodded. Before pulling away, he leaned in quickly and placed a soft kiss on your cheek. The light touch of his lips sent a shiver down your spine.

Then, he disappeared among the people on the dance floor, and a faint unease settled in you. It was just a moment without Dave—nothing to worry about. Taking a deep breath, you decided not to let that strange feeling take over.

You made your way to the kitchen, where the counter was scattered with cups and open bottles. You grabbed two glasses and began mixing drinks for you and Dave, focusing on the sound of the liquid splashing against the glass.

“And what’s up, princess?”

The voice came from nowhere, rough and filled with intent. You turned your head and met the intrusive gaze of an unfamiliar guy, who was eyeing you up and down without any shame. Your entire body tensed. The way he looked at you made you feel naked, exposed in an uncomfortable way.

“Back off,” you hissed, gripping the glass tightly in your fingers.

He made a face for a second, but then smirked mockingly, leaning in closer. The strong smell of alcohol radiated off him, nauseating.

“If you didn’t want attention, you shouldn’t wear clothes like that,” he murmured, his voice low and laced with malice, too close to your ear.

Your stomach churned with disgust, and without thinking twice, you raised your elbow and hit him hard in the stomach. The impact made him let out a grunt of pain, bending slightly forward.

“Ah, you—”

Before he could finish, another voice interrupted.

“Hey, babe, long time no see.”

Your body immediately froze. You knew that voice. You turned your head and found Gary, your ex, leaning against the counter with a cynical smile on his face.

The guy beside you disappeared with a grunt, clearly recognizing Gary and not wanting to start any trouble.

“Hey, Gary. How’s it going?” you replied, trying to keep your voice neutral, even though you felt a knot form in your throat.

“I’m good, babe. I saw you walking around here. Since we broke up, you’ve disappeared, huh?” He took a step closer, invading your personal space without hesitation.

You automatically took a step back, trying to distance yourself from him without looking nervous. “What do you mean?”

Gary chuckled, a low sound full of something you couldn’t quite decipher.

Before you could respond, a few of his friends appeared around you, forming a small circle. One of them casually placed a hand on your waist, but you felt the touch burn, like a warning.

Your body stiffened, and your breathing quickened.

“I don’t like this, Gary,” you said, your voice firmer now, though your heart pounded violently against your chest.

He simply smiled. “Relax, we’re friends, remember?”

Gary’s voice had a fake tone of camaraderie, but it carried an underlying intention that made your skin crawl. He watched you with a confident smirk, waiting for your hesitation to convince you.

You, however, kept your gaze fixed on the ground, avoiding looking at any of the guys who had once been part of your life. The weight of their presence around you was suffocating, and each second felt like it dragged on endlessly.

Without you noticing, Gary grabbed a few cups and, with a swift and practiced motion, pulled a small plastic bag from his pocket. Quickly, he poured something into one of the drinks before offering it to you.

“No hard feelings?” He smiled, gently swirling the cup, as if it were a reconciliation toast.

You stared at it for a moment, watching the liquid swirl inside the glass. Your mind wavered for a second, considering the offer, but the bitter memory of who Gary really was sliced through any hesitation.

Without thinking twice, you raised the cup and splashed the entire drink into his face.

The liquid dripped down Gary’s face, soaking his hair and splattering onto the collar of his T-shirt. He closed his eyes for a moment, his fists clenching by his sides. When he opened them again, his gaze was filled with pure rage.

But it didn’t compare to what you felt for him.

“See if I’m on the corner asshole,” you spat, your words sharp with defiance, raising your middle finger, without the slightest shame.

“You bitch! Go cry on that idiot boyfriend of yours. See if he knows about your history!” He growled, but you ignored him. The group of guys around you burst into boos against Gary, clapping and mocking him. Some laughed, others whistled, fueling his humiliation. Gary remained still for a second, his jaw clenched, his chest rising and falling with heavy breaths.

You were boiling with hatred, your entire body vibrating. You felt the hot blood pulsing in your temples, as if smoke could come out of your nostrils at any moment. It was then that Dave appeared, waving quickly to a few people as he approached. His usual playful look disappeared as soon as he saw your expression contorted with anger.

“Baby? What happened while I…”

“Let’s get out of here.” Your voice came out sharp and without room for argument. Before he could question you, you grabbed his hand and pulled him without looking back, away from that mess that should never have been part of your life again. As you walked through the door, you slammed it shut, the bang echoing like a full stop. But not satisfied, you kicked the wood, ignoring the fact that this house wasn't even yours.

You simply didn't care. You were furious. "Fuck!" You screamed, picking up a random can from the floor and throwing it at the door. "Shit! Fuck! Shit!" You growled, almost pulling your hair out.

"Hey, calm down. Hey! Babe, hey!"

Dave held your shoulder, trying to contain his outburst. But as soon as his eyes met yours, he froze. Your face was covered in tears, expression filled with emotions that seemed too big to fit inside you. Something inside him twisted. Anger. A cold, cutting hatred took over him when he realized that someone had hurt you like that.

Whoever it was, they would pay. But first, he needed to take care of you. “Babe, tell me. What happened?” His voice softened, but his grip on your shoulder tightened, as if he wanted to anchor you there, close to him.

“Those fucking assholes, Dave. They’re the ones who happened!” You exploded, throwing your hands in the air, unable to contain the scream of hatred stuck in your throat. Your breathing was irregular, panting, as if each word was fuel for your frustration. “They talk so much shit about you. So much shit about me that… that I’m starting to believe it. It seems like I’ll always be this. A bitch! You know about my past, Dave. I’m nothing but a whore, Gary’s right.”

Dave frowned, his eyes growing darker. Before you could sink any further into those thoughts, he pulled you lightly, forcing you to face him. “Hey, listen to me.” His voice was firm, filled with unshakable certainty. “You. Are. Not. That.”

Your eyes widened at his intensity. His grip on your shoulder tightened, not in a rough way, but as if he was holding you steady so you wouldn’t lose yourself inside yourself. You felt something different at that moment. The hatred Dave felt for the guys who had hurt you was clear, but more than that, he was furious because you doubted your own worth.

“You’re perfect. You don’t deserve anything from those fucking assholes. You never did.” His jaw clenched, his eyes burning with sincerity. “You’re worth it, my love. You’re priceless to me.”

The turmoil inside you seemed to slow down. As if, with each word he said, the thorns in your chest were being pulled out one by one. And then, Dave didn’t wait any longer. He pulled you into his arms, wrapping you tightly around him, as if he wanted to protect you from the world itself. You gave in, sinking into his warmth, allowing yourself to fall apart. His hands slid down your back, holding you tenderly, his fingers lightly digging into the strands of your hair in a soothing touch. You cried. Not out of anger, but because you felt you weren’t alone.

“It’s okay, let it all go,” Dave murmured against your hair, holding you tighter. He placed a soft kiss on the top of your head, like a silent promise that you would be safe there. “I’m here. Don’t feel like you’re worthless or whatever horrible thing they tried to make you believe.” His voice was hoarse, but full of tenderness. “You’re so much more than that. You’re precious. You’re my world, you know that. I say this single everyday..”

You laughed humorlessly, your eyes still watery. “What an ugly world you have,” you grumbled, your voice thick with self-deprecation.

The hug was suddenly interrupted. Dave pulled away just enough to look you straight in the eye, and what you saw there made you hold your breath. “Dave?”

“If you say that one more time, I’m gonna be so fucking angry,” he hissed, his jaw clenched. “Start to believe in the things i say to you! Believe me.”

The cute, loving Dave wasn’t there now. In his place, there was someone ready to fight to the end of the world for you. And it was in that moment that you realized… how much he loved you. “I’m sorry,” you mumbled, almost without thinking.

But he shook his head, taking a deep breath as if trying to dispel his anger. “Don’t apologize.” His fingers slid up to your face, brushing away a wet strand of tears. “Don’t apologize. Just change. Just see how much I love you and that you shouldn’t give a damn about these assholes.” 

The intensity in his voice made your heart race. “No one will ever reach your feet. You’re mine, and I take care of what’s mine. I’m capable of doing anything for what’s mine.”Dave’s words came as a shock to you, triggering a wave of uncontrollable emotions. Your lips trembled and, before you could stop them, new tears fell.

“No one has ever said that to me,” you sobbed, your hand instinctively reaching for his, which was still resting on your arm. “No one has ever cared about me this much.”

Dave leaned closer, and his eyes softened, returning to the Dave you knew. “I care,” he stated, his affection so genuine it warmed your chest. “I will always care. Even if it’s annoying, I will always remind you of who you are.” He smiled, his lips touching your cheek in a gentle kiss before murmuring against your skin, “My beautiful, perfect girlfriend.” 

You sniffed, laughing softly. “You spoil me too much, Dave.”

 “I have a lifetime to spoil you.” He kissed your forehead, then your lips in a soft, tender kiss. When he pulled away, he left a kiss on the tip of your nose and rested his forehead against yours. “Come on, let’s go home. It’s freezing in this hellhole.” 

You laughed, feeling the tension finally dissipate. “What a contradiction.” He squeezed your arm lightly in response, laughing along with you. “I love you, Dave. Forever.” 

Dave cupped your face gently, his eyes shining in the dim streetlight. “I love you forever, my angel,” he murmured, before kissing your wet eyes. “Always and forever."

divider: @strangergraphics

[l-in-the-light]

How do the Heart Pirates celebrate Christmas and the time around (if there's sth in the OP universe 😁)? 🎅🏻🎅🏻🎅🏻

I'm slightly late, but Merry Christmas! 🎄🎁🌟 Are you perhaps the same anon who asked about Law's birthday celebration? Even if not, I just wanted to mention it because both asks warmed my heart ❤

I will tackle your question in two, or actually, three ways. First, I will use my knowledge in the field of anthropology to try to break down Christmas-like traditions in the world of One Piece. Secondly, I will try to relate real-world customs to Flevance, basing it on (rather obscure) hints in the manga. You would be surprised what can be guessed about their culture just from a few facts we got. And lastly, I will try to sprinkle some ideas about how Hearts would choose to spend their Christmas ;) I hope you will enjoy the read!

Christmas in One Piece (seems it's actually Winter Solstice)

We don't get much information on that, not directly at least. Would they celebrate Christmas as the rebirth of the sun? That's the origin of old traditions (like Yule/Winter Solstice and Saturnalia); celebration of light and changing of seasons. It marks the end of the darkest days of winter, because days start to be longer so you see more sun around. Some folk traditions survived till today (like straw goats in the North or festivals of fire) or chosen elements got incorporated into Christian customs: wreaths, carolling, misletoe and gift-giving, among others. You could say in our world Christianity tried to get rid of "pagan cultures", but when it realized it can't unroot them, they started to incorporate religious imagery into their traditions. This way they didn't erase Winter Solstice, they instead stole it as their own custom, heh. Which is part of the reason why Christianity spread around the world so effectively. But this process wasn't peaceful everywhere.

But how does it relate to One Piece? I remember they mentioned a Winter Solstice in Elbaf: they eat semla, then are fasting till "sun gets reborn" (our advent used to be about fasting as well, btw. Nowadays that tradition died out). Winter Solstice is often tied to the Norse beliefs. There was also this legend about the two kings: Oak King (also sometimes called the Sun King) and Holly King, always fighting each other so one of them can rule the next season. Perhaps Giants, besides Semla, also cultivated the old Yule log tradition? I admit that would really fit right in. But I don't think every island in OP world has same traditions, because they're all so isolated from each other. So just because Giants have Winter Solstice doesn't mean it's celebrated everywhere and even if it's a widespread custom, it's likely it's not done in exactly same way.

Why are beliefs about sun god present among various people of the world (Shandorians, Giants from Elbaf, Bucaneers)? Is it the same like in our world, that in many cultures there's a concept of some kind of sun deity and sometimes it's even the most important one? We have traditions of various sun dances in native beliefs of North America (and a sun dance in one tribe can be drastically different from others, but a ritual called this way exists among most of Great Plains tribes). Ancient Mayan and Aztec beliefs also had their own sun deities, and even the most isolated tribes in Amazon Rainforest also had some. Egyptians and Japanese have their own sun deities etc.

We have no idea why everyone worshipped the sun, even though we can guess as to why they found sun important in general. And I think that mystery will probably stay unsolved in OP universe as well. We might find out that the origin of Nika comes from one, specific culture (be it Elbaf or something more ancient - my guess is on the latter), or we might find out there were always multiple sun deities beliefs in the world and the source of it's origin can only be speculated. But we still should keep one fact in mind: we saw Government use Mother Carmel before to spread religion around, which could be the analogy to Christianity swallowing up native customs, like it happened in our world as well. That could suggest the sun god church is a religion spread by the Government and would explain why they really wanted that Nika devil fruit so badly (but that would mean they want their own, acceptable version of a sun god, not Nika - that name is apparently forbidden). But at this point, it's just a speculation.

But back to the main topic: Law and Hearts are mostly from North Blue, so they might share similar traditions, not counting some of the crewmates they likely recruited on the Grand Line. I suspect traditions are somewhat similar in their respective Blues, but might wary drastically between, let's say, South Blue and West Blue, thanks to the impenetrable wall seperating them for centuries. North Blue seems to be based on wintery regions of our world, so their customs might be reminiscent of those as well (for example, focus on illuminations, lights and candles/lanterns).

Situation gets more tricky with the rest of the Blues actually, we know very little about South and West Blue. South has some regions looking rather exotic (Torino Kingdom or Baterilla) and some appear to be very dangerous places, suffering from high criminal and poverty rates, like the home country of Kid Pirates. We have also region clearly inspired by Russia and Brazil there. There's a lot of disproportions, but the mash-up of different cultures suggest that each of them probably has their own, unique traditions. In comparison, West Blue is home to many rich-looking kingdoms, as well as having some world-wide recognized heritage like Scholars of Ohara, Kano (with it's long standing traditions like China), mysterious european-looking Thriller Bark before it became an actual Thriller Bark, there's also a country based on Hollywood. It's not much to go by, but Christmas in rich countries tends to be more consumption-focused and multicultural (doesn't mean it erases the differences between cultures, but it makes them become less distinct). Even Bege, who comes from West Blue, is based on Italian mafioso who has taste in expensive things (I'm basing it solely on his clothes and hat choices, but also him being big on keeping appearances and high hygiene standards, lol).

We saw plenty of East Blue, and I would say they're the poorest, but also homogenous and peaceful region of the world (people living in small villages like Foosha or Coco Village, depending on harvest from groves or getting most income from "travellers" - mostly pirates and bandits - since Foosha is a really small place but has an actual bar and it's probably because it's also a port town. And port towns are usually richer than inland cities thanks to trade etc.), close local communities in small towns (Orange Town), and the only truly flourishing place is Shell's Town, because it has a Marine base, and Goa Kingdom (wouldn't really call it flourishing, more like parasiting). Most of their traditions would be probably centered around village life and agriculture. Seems it's also never snowing there, so Christmas celebrations are probably absent, but there are most likely feasts shared together as a community instead.

Heart Pirates would try a lot of different, traditional food and customs from all around the world while travelling the Grand Line, and that sea is for sure even more unique when it comes to cultures (it has Egypt and Spain and old Japan!). Maybe some countries don't really celebrate Christmas and instead focus on New Year (like in Japan, all they do for Christmas is eating christmas shortcakes, look at illuminations and go on dates. yes, dates. Often they also eat chicken from KFC, because it became trendy there in Christmas season. Of course, Christmas is an imported holiday there, they didn't have anything like that before). Maybe on some islands they have unique traditions akin to the Diwali, the Festival of Lights? Or perhaps they do Christmas picnics or barbeque outside (Franky would love the latter!) in summer-like weather, like in South Africa, accompanied by some mango and palm trees decorated with ornaments; after all each island has it's own distinct climate! It's also possible there are many different dates for Christmas on Grand Line, spanning the length of two months - which means a Christmas-focused tour would be possible, to experience all sorts of different traditions and food one after another :D

Does Santa Claus exist in One Piece world? (canonically - not yet!)

Santa is probably not widespread belief in One Piece world, judging from the Drum Island arc.

There's no guy with long beard dressed in red and white, riding sleigh, going down the chimneys and giving people presents; just some rumours of a doctor travelling with a pet reindeer curing people of illnesses and taking their money for it. If Santa Claus was a thing, it would be mentioned in this scene or in the arc, but it wasn't, not even once. Instead of being called a fake Santa abomination, Kureha earned herself a witch nickname. For me that's a proof Santa Claus never existed, not even as just a random story from some winter country.

But not all hope is lost yet! Now, that I think about it, Wapol made a fortune by making specifically toys for kids. Doesn't that ring any bells? And he comes from Drum Kingdom originally! If he ever gets back to his country and starts giving those toys for free, that would be the One Piece's own Santa's origin story, haha. All the pieces are fitting lol. And we would still get Kureha with the sleigh distributing the gifts! Like I know, Wapol is a terrible person and a coward, but he's also going through second biggest crisis in his life currently. If he ever gets brave enough to reveal the truth to the world about Imu, his hair might go white as the result of all the accumulated stress and anxiety, lol. Wapol becoming the future Santa Claus is not something I expected to foresee for the end of One Piece, but it sure is a delight to imagine, haha.

Short answer: YES, he would be grumpy, but he wouldn't try to destroy the fun for others!

Hearts Pirates celebrating Christmas-like traditions on their voyage around the Grand Line

I mentioned before that Law doesn't seem the type who celebrates his birthday, and considering his reasons for it I think it would be likely that he would avoid Christmas-like celebrations as well. They might remind him of his home and the family he lost, because those are family-centered holidays. But let's face it: even if he's the captain he wouldn't be able to ban his own crew from celebrating Christmas. But whenever Hearts do a celebration on the Polar Tang, Law will probably try to vanish quickly, to his cabin or to the deck (I assume they wouldn't celebrate while submerged, because then part of the crew would have to work on maintaining the submarine instead of celebrating, you know).

One of the possible compromises Law might agree to would be celebrating unique traditions on different islands, which means they stay somewhere on land to celebrate. This way his crew gets to enjoy stuff, Law is less grumpy, and they also experience some adventures. So, instead of doing the same thing every single year, they would make it a point to try out a different tradition each year! (a dream come true tbh) After they decide which island they visit, they start preparations, asking for local traditions, creating ornaments or baking cakes together to contribute. I mean, it's Law's crew, they're a bunch of planners, right? I bet he taught them well.

On the day of celebration they all go to the land and have fun together, dressing up Christmas trees (if the place has that tradition), taking part in the feast, participating in eating contests, getting souvenirs like a true tourists from Christmas markets etc. I bet you at least once they ran into Strawhats and maybe also Kid Pirates (or heck, half of the worst gen, because why not, lol). That ends in some idiotic competitions. For example, our traditional Christmas soup is borscht with dumplings, so they could be taking part in "who eats the most bowls of borscht wins". You would think it would become a close battle between Kid and Luffy, but surprisingly enough Law would stay in the run, probably thanks to cheating on the side (shambling his portions of borscht away as he pretends to gulp down bowls in one go, lol). Because he can be a brat as well and would use his skills to his advantage :D they would have to really blackmail him hard into agreeing to even take part in this contest in the first place though.

They would for sure convince him into secret santa gift exchange and he would dread it, because he has to get something for someone like Usopp or Urouge, and he doesn't know much about them. Thankfully he can get advice from Penguin and Shachi who became best buddies with Usopp in Wano and they end up choosing something together. Law himself receives a figurine made out of straw that oddly reminds him of someone and he is convinced Kid gave him that, to mock him about his hidden adoration of a certain pirate-king-to-be (the gift was actually from Killer, lol).

At the end of the day the Strawhats would make a family-style feast on the Sunny and invite everyone, and then in the middle of the night Luffy and Usopp would try to catch Santa putting gifts under the Christmas tree, but they end up falling asleep while waiting. After witnessing that, Law, who rarely gets a good night of sleep, would have mercy on them and ask Jean Bart to dress up as Santa Claus and leave some presents under the tree. Zoro caught him and teased him about it, thankfully Law had some alcohol he could bribe him with to keep it a secret. He decided to ask Jean Bart to do the same for the Heart Pirates, who are in tears the next morning as they shout excited to each other that there are mysterious presents under the tree. Some guess Law was behind it though, but some never find out (Bepo, for example, lol, who ends up believing in Santa ever since).

Mining customs of Flevance and celebration of the sun; advent was likely a big thing

Ever wondered how Flevance would celebrate Christmas? I sure did. Considering that Flevance had a church and the only religion we know of in OP is centered on the sun god, I would assume Christmas was slightly more Christian, with kids carolling, visiting the church at midnight to give thanks to the sun god, having a feast with families at home, traditionally without meat. They would have Christmas markets though, because German vibes. But since Flevance is also a mining country, I would assume mining traditions were important there. For example, miners parades (it used to happen as the grand finale at the Christmas markets, miners played some musical instruments as they walked around the town square, maybe even marching all the way from or to the mines). We saw that parades are part of celebrations in Flevance (and Law mentioned as a child that celebrations are common in his town in general), so this seems canon-accurate (and also close to our real world mining customs which often include parades of miners playing musical instruments!).

That figure of a winged lady on a fountain is probably a Patron of Miners, that's why she appears to be holding a torch of some kind. In our world that could be the Saint Barbara or some Lady of Flevance (as a possible analogy to Our Lady of Lebanon, because church is also important in Flevance). Or you know, a Sun Goddess, if sun god has a different image depending on the country you visit. Why would a Sun God be a patron of miners? Because miners worked deep beneath the ground and as the result really yearned for sun, especially in winter months, when both days and nights were dark. That's how the famous light illuminations traditions got born, so they can lead husbands to their homes after their work shift is done in the mines. Those illuminations back in the days were candles or lanterns. That's why Lady of Flevance holding a torch makes a lot of sense (and yes, I'm gonna call her that for now, I kinda like the ring of it, haha).

In the backstory on Flevance it's revealed that people there were really good in craftswork, and mining towns often have ties to that field as well, so It's possible Flevance also had things like this:

In some mining towns they often put a figurine of a miner and an angel as candle-holders. They put them on windowpanes, so the light of the candles illuminates the darkness on long winter days. Some traditions mention that the angel figurine was for the wife, while they could be multiple miner figurines, each symbolizing one kid in the family (which means Trafalgars would get two). Some other sources mentioned an angel was for the girl child and miner for the boy child in the family. Other possible popular figurines and motives could be old guys smoking a pipe and nutcrackers. And of course the Angel Lady Patron.

Or instead of that, they could place some decorative wooden arches in the windows, depicting wintery landscapes, everyday life or mining scenes, with candles displayed, like this: Schwibbögen.

The wooden decorations would be, of course, white, because forests in Flevance were also white, even the fir trees! Ignore that they're not white in the colored version of the manga, haha. Or perhaps the candle-holders would take the form of Christmas pyramids, considering how Law's nationality would be German? (those pyramids also originated from mining traditions btw) :D

I bet you anything though, that whatever they would display in their windows in Flevance, it would be made out of amber lead, so ouchie. Beautiful, pristine white and deadly :/ Flevance was known for skilled craftsmen so I'm sure their decorations were very beautiful and full of exquisite details.

In my country mining traditions were centered around the 4th of December, it was called Saint Barbara Day or Miner's Day, and focused mainly on appreciating the patron. Saint Barbara was the most popular/universal mining patron, but there were some special, field-specialized patrons as well (Saint Kinga for salt mines in particular). There were some minor customs accompanying it, like fortune-telling: picking up special branches (of cherry tree or forsythia) that indicated different wishes for the future (good fortune in coming year, easy marriage etc.). There was also a special gingerbread bread baked for this occassion (yes, bread made out of gingerbread :D this is most likely an even older tradition originally). In Flevance they could bake some traditional white pastry instead, maybe meringue which is often powdery and white, so it would fit really nicely with the fairytale wonderland image of Flevance. On the day of the patron they also held a ceremony for new miners joining who had to go through a special rite of passage, which included jumping over a piece of leather or a special miner apron. They also drank a lot, mostly beer, but I'm sure mulled wine was a popular drink in mining towns too.

Flevance probably also celebrated Candlemas - 40 days after Christmas they officially took down Christmas decorations, also in the town squares. Before Christmas they also celebrated last shift - basically finishing up work earlier and celebrating, singing and eating together. Mining celebrations used to be cheerful, included lots of singing/playing music and drinking, and also light illuminations and parades in towns. Since Flevance became a rich country, I would expect some Christmas markets emerging as well as the result. Let's not forget that Flevance was also religious, and that also checks out for mining towns. Miners would usually start their day by giving prayer to a Mining Patron figure (in this case the winged Lady of Flevance) or attending the mass before work, on special occassions performed even inside the mines.

Special torches/poled lanterns used for special occassions.

Mining was a hard job, exposing people to dangers like cave-ins and extreme temperatures, risks like standing close to explosions (and their possible miscalculated consequences), toxic air from excavation, and some long-term health effects. People working constantly underground, aware that if something happens they might never get out unless a miracle happens, often turned to religion. They prayed for safety and protection, that's why church also becomes important as the consequence. I bet Law as a child saw miners often in the hospital; serious injuries and accidents are one of the most common risks coming with this job. Of course miners dedication and commitment delivers irreplacable resources, not only for one town or whole country, but global economy in general. And yet even nowadays miners face many problems, also related to no good health care and no proper support from the government. We saw what Government did to help Flevance... oh right, they didn't help. They instead waited like vultures for the situation to get worse, so they can be excused for executing drastic measures.

Coincidentally, Jail Island in the game One Piece World Seeker, is also a mining town, and it holds many secrets and attracts extreme interest of the Government.

Geez, I wrote a lot. Anyone actually finished reading this post? 😅

[windandglory]

What happened to Rose Quartz?

To clarify, I'm talking about Rose Quartz the Crystal Gem, not one of the many other rose quartzes.

Rose sacrificed her physical form to create Steven. That's a fact, and her physical form couldn't come back (we're speaking very hypothetically here since SU is over and there won't be any opportunity for any theories to be proved or disproved). But in Guide to the Crystal Gems, it's said that Rose made all her information (all the data contained in her gemstone) part of Steven. It's reiterated again, by saying half of Steven is all of Rose, and Rose says something like this in the show itself, though with less certainty. "I'm going to become half of you."

This, if true, means that all of Rose's data is still present. Her memories, her personality, her regenerations, all of it. We see that in Change Your Mind, when White pulls out Steven's gemstone. It forms into Pink, then Rose, then Steven. If Rose's data were erased, those forms wouldn't exist.

So, having established that Rose is in fact not fully gone, where is she?

I'd love to hear other people's thoughts on this but here are mine:

Steven compares Pink's relationship to the Diamonds to his with the Crystal Gems (at least around season 1). This, to me, is ridiculous. Pink was abused by her sisters. She was only a petulant child because she was treated as such. Blue claims to love her, to still miss her, yet when she thinks she's returned, she locks her in a tower, something she did all too frequently during Era 1. Pink lashed out at the other Diamonds because that was the only time they took her seriously. When the Diamonds were happy with her, it's because they treated her more like a spinel than a diamond and she played that part. She wanted a colony because to her that was the mark of an actual diamond, something she was but wasn't treated as.

On the other hand, the Crystal Gems sheltered Steven in the sense that they were hesitant to rope him into life-threatening Crystal Gem duties, something that's entirely understandable. He was thirteen years old and wasn't able to control his powers consistently.

However. Steven sometimes acted like Pink did. It's like he subconsciously conflated the Crystal Gems to the Diamonds before he even knew he held the gemstone of one of them. I was rewatching "Steven's Dream" and I was struck by the manner in which he lashed out at Pearl and Garnet. They didn't tell him about the palanquin. Perhaps things would have gone differently if they had, but the reason they didn't was entirely reasonable. It wasn't because they didn't trust him with the knowledge, it was because, in Garnet's case, she knew going there right then would be the worst idea ever, and in Pearl's case, she physically couldn't discuss it because memories of it were related to her secret. Perhaps things would have gone differently if they were able to be forthcoming, and I understand Steven's frustration, but the way he lashed out? They didn't tell him one thing and "at least something can give me information that I don't have to get out of them?" That was pretty unprovoked, unless you look at it from the lens of Steven being triggered by subconscious memories of the Diamonds.

And then you have Steven in Future. Steven was never a diamond. He grew up as a Rose Quartz. His powers took the form of Rose's bubble and Rose's shield. Pink/Rose/Pink Steven's shields in Change Your Mind are, for some strange reason, Pink's. Something Steven wouldn't have known how to do, if he was even capable of doing it. It's only after Steven fused with the half of him that is all of Rose Quartz, because that's what Pink Steven is, his gem half, the half that was referred to in Guide to the Crystal Gems, was he capable of tapping into Pink's immense destructive power. His pupils shape themselves like diamonds. He murders someone (though he did bring her back to life, he is, as Garnet says, a shatterer, a word she only uses in reference to Blue, Yellow, and Pink), he gets larger, he becomes Pink. It's like in those moments, Rose Quartz isn't buried. After a balanced, stable fusion, after all, all the components have equal power.

In my opinion, Rose is still entirely there. Not accessible as just herself, at least not without Steven's human piece slowly dying (when he does eventually die, Pink Steven might choose to still be Steven, but it would be Rose Quartz roleplaying the snapshot of her life in which she actually was Steven). But he's Steven right now. He compliments him, he gives his power to him. He integrates with him, keeps him alive. Sometimes he's triggered by something and accidentally lets Steven see some of his private data, but he's doing his best to ignore all the memories of being Pink or being Rose. He still loves the people around him the way Rose Quartz did, to an extent, but Steven gets to command who he is. It's harder after Change Your Mind, since instead of being a buried half, they've become a stable fusion, but this is kind of what Rose wanted. Kind of. Maybe she was trying to kill herself via childbirth because she's still the child who doesn't want to take adult responsibility for her actions, I don't know.

Thanks for reading all my shower thoughts. I'm working on this AU where Rose actually uses her diamond essence within her body, making Steven pop out an actual rose quartz/human hybrid and making her destabilize with no energy left to form. And then Pearl gets to come to terms with the fact that Rose was literally a slave owner willingly and never had the maturity to admit who she was to her best friends. And Pearl chooses to just keep Rose's gem inside her gem inside her gem inside her gem inside her gem inside the last memory of Pink being a diamond. Because catharsis is fun.

[13eyond13]

hi, not too long ago, i read death note one-shot 2020. i really enjoyed it, but i have a question. What would have happened if Minoru never died. Do you think Minoru and Near will have met each other. I hope you have a headcanons about them.

Hi! Thanks for the ask, it was fun to think about the 2020 one-shot again. I hadn't revisited it since it first came out, so I reread it again just now to have it fresh in my mind.

So I don't really think Minoru and Near likely would've met even if Minoru never died, because Minoru asked Ryuk to erase his memories and also made it really hard to trace everything back to him with how he planned the selling of the notebook. He didn't WANT to be tracked down by anybody, nor to remember what he had done, and Near said himself that it would be basically impossible for them to find him now after the transaction had taken place. The only clue L's team really had to go on after the auction finished was that A-Kira was probably one of the many hundreds of thousands of people under 60 years old who had a bank account with Yotsuba.

HOWEVER! I also do like the idea of Minoru and Near meeting each other, especially because Near expressed interest in meeting him due to his obvious intelligence and due to coming up with that kind of a plan with the notebook. And think it might have been fun to see how they got along.

("read more" cut because it's a bit long)

I also liked Minoru as a character quite a bit. He came off pretty chill and patient and peaceful and non-egotistical, but still pretty scheming and clever as a character as well. I also liked how he found a way to try to use it to benefit himself and his own country (I guess - it's up for interpretation, but that much money going to Japan would be "greasing the wheels" of the economy, as they said?). And to me he also seemed to be trying to entertain and placate Ryuk while also getting the notebook away from him and not actually using it himself to kill anybody. After all, Minoru really had no choice in the matter initially when Ryuk selected him for his next notebook owner, so he didn't ask to be put in that position, and he had all the history of what had happened before when Kira had the notebook to draw on. And Near points out that now that the world knows about Kira's power and its whereabouts that it will be a lot harder for it to be used sneakily by anybody, and perhaps that was something that Minoru had been anticipating too (I assume he had thought of many things like this before he chose this plan, seeing as he for some reason spends 2 entire years coming up with it).

Near in this one-shot is a bit of a question mark to me characterization-wise. He doesn't act a ton like Near did in the manga in my eyes, and comes off a bit more cynical and listless and self-centered than I thought he actually was back in the manga. He seems a bit less idealistic and less caring about the others around him to me in this one-shot, too; and I thought that the part where he says that he wants to meet A-Kira because he's smart sounds a lot more like something the original L would say than something Near would say. Much of the stuff that made his personality refreshing and unique to me in comparison to L just wasn't really that present in this one-shot for me. And I'm just not sure if that's because Ohba is intentionally writing him to have been changed by the Kira case and differently characterized now to how he wrote him in the manga, or what? Perhaps he is trying to show Near slowly becoming more like L over the years as he spends more time doing L's job? Or maybe I just interpreted Near's personality in the manga differently to how Ohba was actually conceptualizing him and writing him in the first place.

Anyway, whenever I imagine Near and Minoru meeting and interacting I tend to picture Minoru having a bit of a calming effect on Near for some reason, as Near comes off a bit depressed and cranky and lonely to me in the later one-shots. They're so far apart in age in canon and when Near first learns about A-Kira that I don't ship it, but I can imagine them getting along well as friends if they met (and if someone came up with an AU where they are closer together in age and/or both first met as adults that'd be fine for me shipping-wise as well). Maybe Near would do well to have a friend like Minoru who came off smart and relatable to him in an interesting way, and who also immediately understood that something like having the power of Kira handed to him wasn't automatic good news and didn't want to use it to kill anybody. Minoru could maybe be Near’s chill voice of reason when he gets a little too cynical and stubborn about things and get him out of the house a bit more, introduce him to some of the things the kids are into these days and see what he thinks about them. I feel like Near would maybe do well to not be so caught up in his role as L anymore as well, as it doesn't really seem to be agreeing with him that much later in life. I can picture them doing something fun and low stakes and nerdy together like hanging out at a board game cafe. Or maybe it'd even be nice to see them working together on L stuff, and maybe Near would be a happier person with an actual pal to hang out with.

[snow-143]

Water Coloured Tears | Jeon Jungkook

six- late night inspo (1.7k words)

'You're late.' I say without looking up at him.

'And you're as blunt as usual I can see.'

Finally, looking up at him, I squint my eyes before replying, 'Don't change the topic. Why are you late?'

'I had something to take care of.'

'Look, if you aren't going to take this project seriously just say that from the get go. At least that way I can prepare to pick up your slack, so I don't fail.' My voice is a little more accusatory than it could be.

'I'm only 15 minutes late. Chill.' He's finally sat down, across from me, levelling us out.

Managing to soften my voice, I return to my previous point, 'You are going to take this seriously, right?' 

'Yes, y/n, I'm taking this seriously. I really just had to deal with something.'

'Okay. Then lets get to work. I was thinking we could both brainstorm on our individual pieces today. I have a couple of ideas, and I'm sure you do to.' I can't help but smile thinking about the art we could make together. We used to always come up with the craziest ideas together, they may not have always come out as we imagined, but we always had fun.

'That sounds good. What do you have in mind?' He's smiling now too.

'Get your sketchbook out, and I'll tell you. That is if you remembered to bring it.' It was meant to come off as harsh, but it came out far to soft, as if I was joking with him like old times.

'Shit...'

'Jungkook, I swear to god if you tell me you've forgotten it again I will shove this eraser down your throat.'

It's silent for a minute before be bursts out laughing, retreating his beaten up book from his bag. 'Not funny.' And with that I fling the rubber off his head, hitting a perfect bullseye.

This does nothing to sober up his laughing, if anything it made it worse. He's now hunched over the bench making a massive scene out of it all. 'God. You're scary when you're angry, you know that?'

'I've been told once or twice.' I let out a little laugh at this.

When he finally straightens up it's my turn to laugh at the others expense. A massive red mark has formed right in the centre of his forehead. 'Damn I have an extraordinary shot, maybe I should've gone with sport. My talent is obviously being wasted here.'

'Very funny.' He rubs the red splotch on his head cursing, 'How bad is it?'

'What? Worried it'll put off the flock of women always surrounding you?'

'Oh, trust me, It'd take a lot more than this to deter them.' He's smirking now, and It's putting an end to my fit of laughter.

'Right, sorry. Forgot you were like some sort of Greek god here.' I scoff.

'You jealous? Because you sound jealous.' He's still smirking, god do I wish I could slap that smirk off of his face.

'Jungkook, I've seen you playing Barbies with your little sister. Trust me, I do not see in you whatever every other girl on this campus sees in you.'

As soon as I'm finished talking it's like his whole demeanour has changed. He's not smirking any more, so I guess I got my wish.

'So about the individual pieces, how exactly do you think we should go about it?' Is all he replies.

Ignoring the lump in my throat I open my sketchbook and show him what I've planned so far. They aren't very detailed, but they show the overall message I'm trying to put forward.

By the end of my little presentation he's smiling again, and I can't help but feeling a little shy. We've spent hours showing each other our art but after all this time I feel like I'm laying my soul out to him.

Art has always been the way I express myself, and I'm always worried that maybe I'm showing too much.

I've only done sketches for 3 pieces. Technically 4. One that I'm planning on making out of stained-glass, it'll be made up of multiple different parts that hang from the ceiling to make an overall image. The second one is a drawing of a man, that may or may not resemble Jungkook, comforting a little girl, who may or may not resemble me as a child- representing someone healing your inner child. Of course, I'll have to find a way to incorporate the photographs, but I'm sure I'll be able to make up some pretentious explanation.

And lastly there's a sketch of 2 sculptures, both resembling me and Jeon. I must say I enjoyed drawing him far too much, and I'm sure I'll enjoy sculpting his face even more. They count as 2 pieces as we will make them separately, but they also fit together. I've drawn them, so they have cloth covering their eyes that can be removed. I'm also planning on having LED lights in their eyes, so we can change the prospective of them. We can arrange them in many different ways; with them facing away with the fabric covering their eyes, them facing each other with different colour settings on the lights to represent emotions, etc.

I've explained all of this while showing him the drawings. Him adding a little hum here and there, never interrupting me.

The sculpture is the only one of his that I've planned as I wanted it to be a joint project and for the rest I don't want to control his creativity.

'I know I've planned ahead a lot, and we still need to incorporate the pictures, but I'm sure we can think of a way to incorporate them. And for the others we can centre it more around the pictures. It's okay if you don't like the sculpture idea it's your project too, but I just thought-'

'This is amazing, y/n.' He cuts off my rambling. Closing the book I look away from his gaze.

'It's just a rough idea. You can put in any input you like.'

'Actually, I have a couple ideas myself.' Looking over at him, hinting at him to elaborate, I notice he's still smiling. It's gentle, admiring almost.

After a moment he breaks from my gaze, focusing on his sketchbook instead. 'There not as detailed as yours but... I just had a burst of inspiration last night and this morning.'

He's rubbing the back of his neck now, a nervous habit of his. I'm the one smiling now, he always did get inspired at random times. He'd go months without even picking up a pencil sometimes and then seemingly at random times he'd get 'inspiration' and then you'd never see him without his face buried in a sketchbook.

'Is that why you were late?' Glancing at me, he gives me a shy smile.

'Sort of.' He says before opening his book.

While he's flicking through his drawing, trying to find the most recent drawings in the unorganized mess I decide to try and get a look at his other drawings. It may be an intrusion, but I'm curious on how his style has changed over time.

'What was that?' I ask after he rushes to turn the page.

'Nothing. It was nothing.' That was definitely not nothing. There is a high chance I have lost my mind because I can't believe what I just saw.

It was a drawing of me. A drawing of a picture I posted on my Instagram over a month ago at least. Except the background was different.

In the actual photo I'm laying on my bed, but in his drawing I'm in a field of flowers. One that looks suspiciously like one next to his childhood home.

And surely that can't be right. It makes a lot more sense that I've finally lost it.

Deciding that I did infant hallucinate it, I focus on the drawing he's stopped on instead.

It's a beautiful drawing. If he hadn't told me that he only started on it last night I'd easily believe that he spent hours on it.

It's a drawing of a girl. Me. This I can accept as the whole project has to revolve around the other person. Except it's not just a regular drawing of me. I'm sat in a dark room with my legs crossed and my arms up in the air, looking more carefree than I truly have felt in months. My smile is bright, blinding.

But the thing that catches my focus the most are the angel wings I've got. They almost look like they're shining in contrast to the dark background. There's a bright light coming off of me lighting up the surrounding space.

'I um, I already have a photo to represent this one.' Looking up at him, we lock eyes.

I don't even know what to say. It's beautiful. I look beautiful. He truly is an amazing artist if he could show someone he clearly has some sort of disdain for in such a positive light.

Before I can even compose myself to ask any questions he's clearing his throat and looking away. Getting one last look at the drawing, I watch as he turns the page.

The next sketch is one where we are hugging. I'm basically a rainbow incarnate, full of colour. Whereas he looks like the storm clouds that hide the prism of colour away from sight. There's a bright light in both of our chests. But where we're connected in the embrace my colour is leaking into him. At first, I think it's a beautiful concept until I realise that where he's gaining colour I'm losing it. He's draining me of it. Leaving those parts of me a dark void whereas he's being filled with my light.

'I also have a picture for this one.' This time I don't look up at him. I don't think I can.

'These are insanely good Jungkook.' Swallowing the lump in my throat, I ask what we should do this Wednesday.

prev | m.list | next

///////////

a/n: first saturday i haven’t been at work in like a year so i figured i’d write last night instead of sleeping :)

[ferditheas]

4,5,8, 12,22 for dorothea

(ask game here) ty for asking!

4. If you could put this character in any other media, be it a book, a movie, anything, what would you put them in?

I'd love to put her in a stat-raising visual novel... Tokimeki Memorial/Long Live The Queen/Jack Jeanne are the three that come to mind, although all three are really different LOL. It's just a favorite genre of mine, and I love the amount of micro reactivity it can give.

5. What's the first song that comes to mind when you think about them?

Broom People by The Mountain Goats.

8. What's something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you despise?

erasing her sexuality is an easy answer for me, LOL. But for a more specific idea...

I think a lot of people forget that one of her dislikes is herself...? They seem to portray her as somebody with endless confidence who has no doubts, which just isn't how I read her character.

12. What's a headcanon you have for this character?

This isn't really 'my' headcanon, because I got the inspiration from a fanfiction - What's Past Is Prologue by Roxyryoko. It's primarily a Hilspar fic, but it has a brief scene featuring Ferdithea. This is the bit that really got me thinking:

All but the infant girl were orphans who had lost their parents in the war and Dorothea had kindly fostered. It was more than most people would be willing to take on, but what impressed Caspar the most was Ferdinand's commitment to his wife's cause. He'd formally adopted them the day after their wedding, granting them the von Aegir name.

Obviously I have a bias for Ferdithea, but I really think the basic idea works for most Dorothea ships: the idea that she would foster children before her own marriage.

Because, well... hm. I think I'd need to do a full review of her supports before making any definitive statements. But for somebody whose entire goal is to marry rich and find stability, Dorothea is... kind of bad at it, actually? She wants to marry a noble and live in comfort. And as much as I support her and her hater lifestyle, the fact that she is so outwardly rude to a lot of nobles has always been a bit weird. She's in a weird position of being very practical (wanting to marry for stability) and very idealistic (needing her partner to overcome all of these hang-ups she has).

Anyway, I think the idea of her fostering kids prior to marriage would make this really come to light. To Dorothea, taking in these orphans means that she very well could be sacrificing her hopes of marrying noble. What sort of noble house is going to accept a woman who already has children, not even related to her by blood? Common orphans, just like she once was.

But she'd do it anyway, because she has been there. She's been that orphan. And then the fact that her partner is not taken aback by this is like, the final proof of her fairytale ending. That she has found a partner in life who lives by her own ideals.

22. If you're a fic reader, what's something you like in fics when it comes to this character? Something you don't like?

I love when fics show her adapting to her new life situation, whatever it may be. Marrying rich, moving to Faerghus, becoming a mom, etc etc - I think the end of the war will mark big changes for her, and I like when fics slow down and reflect upon all that.

I can't think of any huge gripes right now... I actually haven't been reading much Black Eagles fic in my big ao3 expedition.

[yuvon-writes-letters]

Hey Yuvon, Jake.

I am sorry if this letter becomes shorter than the last one, I am on my way to work for..yeah probably the last time for now. At least till it is safe to go.

I am a bit nervous, but I can go through it. Everything is done, my clothes, tickets, motel (for the moment, I have the feeling that staying in one place wouldn't be good. Dangerous.). Only the afternoon has to come...And that means I have to somehow get home without anxiety when I see a guy in mask near the street I live in. But that's fine. I have Jake and Max this time. It won't repeat itself.

As for the deciphering, I would say I'd love to try and help...But if you can't do it then I don't exactly know if I could either.

Yes, I imagine Yuvons behaviour could be because of Jessicas last letter. I really can empathise her actions if it is because of that. I'd love to do that, too, but then everyone who gets a look at my flat thinks I'd be kidnapped. Yah, no thanks.

You're right, I didn't think of that yet.

[A mini paper is taped above that, as if the sentence was just added later] (It seems Jake already did! But didn't get the chance to test it yet.)

No problem about the word association :) Even though I needed to stop, I got a bit dizzy again. Maybe I really need to live a bit healthier in the moment. Cannot say I ate and slept enough in the TSB timeline.

Yeah, I know you understand Yu. If it gets to bad, tell me, yeah? Then we can write a bit 'alone'. Like...Detective Inc. talk, okay? [A small girl giving a hug to another girl is scribbled, but far less detailed and sketchier than normal]

You never mentioned those two words? Are you completely sure, Yuvon?

(Jakes, if anyone except for my counterparts would kindly stop reading here as long as I write in purple)

Yuvon, are you really okay? What do you mean with 'You have no plan'. I am worried about you.

Dang, I don't have much more time. But Jake wanted to adress you again real quick :)

Lis🐾🔥

[Again the screenshot of Jakes message is glued to the back of the letter]

The 'part of who you are since birth' is something I completely understand. Social anxiety made my life much more difficult, but without it I wouldn't be where and who I am today. It is always interesting to figure out things in which we are similar to each other.

I am not overly concerned either, thanks to you I got some advantages. Also that we, thanks to 'Goldie' and the TSB timeline, know that the Man without a Face is possibly a hacker, too.

I am honestly not completely sure what to think of the word association. You also noticed how Liskas writing changed, right? And that she suddenly stopped.

How did you get the idea to give her this word association? And what did you intend on figuring out?

As for your last part...I don't think we should be that surprised about defying the laws of physics anymore. It becomes far too normal.

~ Jake

(There are eraser marks in the margins again.)

Lis,

You'll make it, I know you will. Just one day, and you can get out of there. Stay safe, stay alert, and stick to crowds where possible, and you'll be just fine.

Yeah, I took a glance at the cipher over Jake's shoulder and I've got nothing. It's just scribbles to me. I might get something on a closer look, but I sort of doubt it.

That letter thing would be cool to test sometime, but like Jake said earlier. Priorities.

Make sure you're drinking enough, okay? Especially if you end up going someplace sunny. But I'm sure the dizziness isn't going to be anything too important for the moment. We can address it later, when you're safer.

Thank you, Lis. I might take you up on that offer to talk later. But I can't now. And I never said those two words. Nor do I have a plan. Gur ragvgvrf znl or noyr gb ernq zvaqf, naq gurl qrsvavgryl pna ernq gurfr yrggref.

—Yu

(The handwriting changes to Jake's.) Hello, Lis.

As Yuvon said, exercise caution when returning to your workplace, but if all goes as expected and as planned you should have no issues. Once you are done, if you bring your phone on your vacation, do not answer calls from numbers you do not know, and especially do not answer the kidnapper's calls and messages.

Thank you for the offer of help :) However, I will manage alone eventually. It will simply take time. A lot of time.

At least I know the cause of her behavior now. I am somewhat at a loss for what to do about it, though. I will do my best to lighten her mood, but given that I am a living reminder of the issue, that may prove difficult.

I second Yuvon's suggestion of hydration. Dehydration has been proven to have several negative effects on the body.

That is all for now, Lis. I will speak to you later.

Jake,

As Yuvon was the one to come up with the idea, I will let her explain her thought process behind the word association.

(The handwriting changes to Yuvon's.) Lis said something a bit weird in the last letter. She was talking about how Goldie had likely helped things settle in the TSB timeline and mused that Goldie probably did all they could. Then Lis' writing grew neater (hope Jake showed you the word association thing so you know what I'm talking about) and she wrote "Like they always did..." before mentioning being dizzy, and seemingly forgetting she wrote that entirely.

I've known for a while that Lis had some memories relating to Goldie she couldn't access for one reason or another, but I hadn't seen the block waver until then. I theorized that I might be able to bypass the block at least partially if I approached it indirectly, and it seems I was right to an extent. It's only too bad I can't do anything with scents, scents are heavily tied to memories.

I didn't have anything particular in mind to uncover at the time, but I figured that if Lis let slip characteristics of Goldie or snatches of memories, those could be useful later. I hadn't expected to nearly get a name, though— see how the first letter is capitalized? Definitely a name. I think I have an idea what the name is, but I don't want to say or write it until we want Goldie's attention. It's probably Latin, though, and you might want to check the root of the alchemical symbol for gold on the periodic table.

I think the words we can safely associate with Goldie, however, are: best friend, past, safety, familiarity. Silver is another possibility, but that may just be an association with gold.

...I wonder when Goldie's going to send me the pissed-off letter yelling at me for meddling in the secrecy of their identity XD

Because I have such a good track record for respecting privacy and secret identities.

(The writing changes to Jake's.) I am back.

The similarities and differences are quite fascinating, yes. If only we could conduct some sort of study where we could learn how Jakes differ and how they remain the same from universe to universe. But that would require that they trust we are who we say we are, and that their Detectives actually open the letters we've been sending. So it seems unlikely that will ever happen.

Yes. The news about the kidnapper being a hacker is still troubling to me, even all this time later. He must be quite skilled, for the likes of us to only realize from his own mockery that he is one. We will need to remain on guard. I will also need to begin monitoring the situation in Duskwood again. If the kidnapper has been freed from the stasis, I will need to work rather hard to keep that group safe, especially now that I do not have all my equipment. And very limited Internet access.

I really should not be shocked at this point, especially given the experiences Yuvon has recounted to me and the fact that I have not needed to eat nor drink since coming to this place. I suppose that was simply the first time I directly saw the lack of logic, other than in Yuvon sending the letters.

I have little more to say. Goodbye for now,

Jake

(The letter tucks itself in the paper clip with the others.)

[trails-of-the-past]

TotP - Chapter 1 pt 1

The time of myths and magic changed, even if the 'mons still inhere the force the allfather Arceus gave them not everyone made use of them as they once did. Some used the force for one's own end, some used them to help others, so they could all live a happy life.

As the time of legends passed and even the legendaries were nothing more than a myth, the minor species who colonized the whole world, started to grow into a new society. Villages grew into cities and the monarchy vanished. They lived with rules who should protect the weakest of them so everyone of them would be equal. But even the best intention isn't enough if the mind of some 'mons is corrupted by their own ideals. But that's life. And even if some could buy anything they desire, they were also poor because they lost their heart.

The world changed at some points but not everything could be erased forever. So the way they would live their life would depend on the experience they went through. And there will be some stories who are worth hearing about, because even if they might have an equal fate, the way they went through wasn't the same.

The wind who rustled through the leaf canopy, the sun who shone right into his eyes. That was the only thing he could remember. There wasn't anything before this moment. Where was he? Where did he come from? Who was he? There were only questions but no answer in a forest, in the middle of nowhere, with a headache and without memory.

It was like the first time he stood on his own, the first time he tried to walk and the first time he tumbled, but it was strange how familiar this feeling was. But even if it was familiar it couldn't bring back the memories he might have lost. Without memories what should he do? Was there something he could do? Was there someone who searched for him? Where could they be? Where should he search for them or should he start to search after all? Would he remember them if he saw them? He wasn't sure about it but one thing formed in his mind. If he waited, he couldn't survive. To survive was an instinct deep inside of him and with time they would grow stronger.

It was stunning after he traveled through the forest, as he arrived in the first city he ever saw. So many 'mons at one place, so many noises and smells, who were all new for him. But even if it was stunning, deep inside he felt something new, it was something strange that came from his stomach, but he couldn't tell what this might be. The 'mon, old and young, looked at him and the feeling inside him was only made worse. The life in the forest has left its mark on him. The shirt he wore was worn out and bruises were all over his body. He was different and it was written all over those faces. But even if all those eyes lay on him he moved on and looked for someone who had a different look on his face, but there wasn't any one. In every face was the same look, they avoided him, but there was also something else. Something he couldn't identify.

As he got hungry he did the only thing he knew. They had the same berries he knew from the forest and so he took the one he knew to fill his stomach. The 'mon behind the booth raised his voice, but he couldn't understand the meaning behind them. The shop owner only became angrier, at least he wasn't aware that the boy in front of him couldn't understand his words. It was a fast movement and the boy hit the ground. His cheek ached and as he looked up he could see the shop owner right in front of him, his hands turned into fists. The boy jumped on his legs before he snarled at the older 'mon, like he learned from nature. Another punch, but he could dodge it, jumped back at the shop owner who countersunk his teeth in his opponents arm. He yelled, but the boy didn't stop it now. A loud click sound through the streets, followed by a painful yell, when the shop owner's arm yielded amongst the boy's teeth. An uproar went through the 'mons around them. The boy wasn't sure what happened, they yelled at him, they threw things at him and he didn't know the reason behind this, at least he only defended himself. The only thing he was aware of was that he had to run.

He escaped the city, full of strange things and 'mon who didn't want him around. The first time he met others and he wasn't sure if he wanted to meet others over again. They're strange, they're loud and they'll look at him so strange. So he would avoid the citys! With this decision the instincts he followed to survive solidify, at least it was the only thing he trusted.

Everytime he met another 'mon their reaction were the same, they would look at him and they would chase him away if he would defend himself against them. And so he learned from the experiences he made. He lived on his own like this, but there was one thing he had to learn. Not everyone is the same.

Rain fell in sheets and the little body quivered. He was soaked to the skin, he felt heat and cold at the same time. His vision became blurred and he started to breath heavily. He had no clue what was wrong with him or how he could help himself, his instincts couldn't help him now, this was something new, and so was the sound he could hear, it was a dull sound in his ears and a shadow appeared right in front of him. The boy tried to snarl and make a move, but he couldn't, before his vision blacked out.

Warmth. That was the first thing he could feel again when he awoke. It wasn't like the heat inside his body, it was more comforting. As he opened his eyes he couldn't see the leaves of the trees or a cloudy sky, something blocked his view that looked like wood. The boy arose himself before his ears winced as he could hear this sound again. He looked around only to face another 'mon, an elder Zoroark who looked at him, but it wasn't the same look as the others. He snarled and bare his teeth as he jumped on his feet. But the Zoroark wasn't afraid or yelled at him, it only smiled and said something he couldn't understand. But she noticed it, she could see that he couldn't understand her words. She raised one of her paws and held it near him, his snarl grew louder and he tried to reach a safe spot, but on this soft thing was no safe spot, there was only wood in his back who blocked his way. But the Zoroark didn't hit him. She only held her paw in front of him as if she waited for him to do the first move. With her other paw she touched her chest only to speak again, it was always the same until he could understand what this word meant, that she meant herself with it. 'Evangeline' It was the first word he learned.

This was the routine of many days, even weeks, but even if he lived most of the time alone and in the wild the boy started to learn and he was a smart one. He learned to speak, to read and to write within a short time, but most of all he learned to trust. Evangeline was patient with him and wouldn't rush anything. She taught him everything she knew, after he could understand her words and wouldn't snarl at her, everything that would be necessary to live a good and healthy life, to treat wounds, his own and, so she hoped, the one of others. For some years it was only the boy and the elder who lived on the little farm, only sometimes someone would visit them, and they grew fond of each other, he even got his name from her. They became a real family.

But all good things come to an end.

Evangeline became ill. It was suddenly and unsigned, but with every passing day her power started to die down. The boy tried his best to use what she taught him but no potion or balm could help her. „Why? Why won't it work? It should be alright by now, I did everything right.“ He was desperate but the Zoroark only smiled and touched gently his head. „Don't worry my little child, it will be alright even if you can't see it right now, but someday you will understand. So please don't forget what I told you, my beloved little child.“ At this time he didn't know what she meant, she told him so much and he remembered almost everything, but what was the thing he should remember? Even if he wasn't sure the boy nodded before he leaned forward to her. It was the last embrace they could share.

After Evangeline passed away he was alone again and again he saw the sickening nature of the most 'mons. They lived for money and their own profit. He was expelled from the farm he called home because someone wanted to take it down only to raise a building they could use to heighten their profit. Everything his grandmother built up her whole life, everything he got to know and love vanished within seconds and he couldn't do anything against it, because he was filled with grief and too weak to do anything against it. He lost everything because of such 'mons and he would never forgive them.He grew older and started to ignore the eyes who followed him, he visited cities and only talked to others if he had to restock. But with time one idea formed in his mind, something he had to do, he wanted to make up for lost time, this was something he had to fulfill. But with this idea on his mind and as time passed he lost track of his grandmother's last words and so he forgot the words she meant, while his heart grew colder.

[paintedrecs]

You're such a good author!! What are you thinking when you're writing? And what's your editing process? If you don't mind me asking!!

Ah, thank you!! I’m very often thinking “wow I am not a good author” while I’m writing, so it’s always nice to hear positive responses once the finished work is out there. :)

This ended up (unsurprisingly) long, so be aware there’s gonna be a Read More.

My editing process is very, very nitpicky. To begin with, I edit a LOT as I write, so those two questions share some answers. 

I considered posting a photo of a page I handwrote this week, but I don’t want to subject you to that. Suffice it to say that if I’m writing in pen, there’s a lot of scribbling and paragraphs that branch off into the margins and spiral around the edges of the page as I rework sentences and expand sections. Before I switched to writing almost exclusively on my computer, I used to use a mechanical pencil to make all that a little less messy. Still, though. Eraser shavings. Everywhere.

It seems like most of fandom swears by writing sprints, and I can’t do it. I either write in long, tireless stretches where I forget to move for hours, or I spend an hour writing a sentence, frowning thoughtfully at it, tweaking a few words, tilting my head to the side, changing it back, muttering, “No I don’t like that,” and shifting the structure until it fits with the rest of the story.

I spend a lot of time reading my own writing out loud, which is part of why I’m not usually that productive when I try to write in public. (Although once I’m in the zone, I’ll write on my phone as I walk to the grocery store, take the bus to work, etc. I probably still mutter to myself.) At this point, my poor neighbor has probably heard the entirety of all my fics in scattered bursts. I’ll read a single paragraph to myself six times in a row to make sure the pacing sounds right and the dialogue feels natural.

I’m a start-to-finish writer: if I write scenes out of order, they won’t work in the final version. With tide pulls, I wrote all this emotional, ultra angsty dialogue that I was expecting to stick into one of their final scenes, but by the time I got there, it didn’t fit. I initially tried to squeeze stuff around it to keep those lines intact, but it’s never a good idea to force your characters into something that they don’t naturally want to do over the course of the story. It rings false, and I think readers can generally tell.

That’s not to say that I don’t plan ahead or map out certain arcs or important scenes. I just don’t write them in their full form until I’ve reached that point. PDIW was much, much too long to plunge through without an outline; if I hadn’t marked down and organized all the emotional points I wanted to hit, I would’ve lost control over the scope of it. (Which is ridiculous to say when it’s over 200k, but it had the most detailed outline I’ve ever made for one of my stories.) 

Still, though, pieces moved around a lot. I’d push a scene into a later chapter when it turned out that Derek and Stiles needed to talk to each other more before getting to that exchange. Or a conversation that was meant to be between Derek and Laura ended up being between him and Cora instead, catching both of us by surprise. Laura was always Derek’s best friend and confidante, but he turned out to have a lot more in common with his younger sister than he’d ever realized. Of course I had to let that play out. 

There are a few sentences I desperately wanted to get into the final version, but they’re clumped at the bottom of my notes doc, along with all the other unused or deleted material. Sometimes you think a phrase sounds really, really pretty, but if your character doesn’t want to say it, that’s all there is to it. 

I don’t have a beta for my shorter fics, because by the time I’m done writing, I’ve probably spent more time editing than actually putting new words down on the page. (Unless they’re tumblr fics or notfics, in which case please forgive the fact that they’re wobbly; they’re just me having fun!) That doesn’t make the final product perfect by any means, but I don’t have a regular beta set up to read over my fics for me, and I don’t like bugging people unless it’s necessary.

For my longest fics, I tried to rope in at least 2-3 betas. It seems like most people in fandom just share their fic’s Google Drive link, sometimes while it’s still a WIP, and have their betas all work in the same doc. It may be annoying that I don’t do that…but I want to get separate, unbiased responses. If multiple people tell me to fix the same thing, it definitely needs more work. With that said, I’ve found that there actually doesn’t tend to be all that much overlap, because betas have different styles in much the same way that writers do.

The fandom dream (or any writer’s dream) is to have a set, longterm writer-beta relationship, because it really does involve a lot of trust and communication. One of my PDIW betas was the wonderful @bleep0bleep​ , who prodded tirelessly at all my pronouns and long paragraphs but also took the time to learn my style and where I most need/want help. (She also laughed at me when I had conversations with myself in the comments while figuring out how to fix passages that she’d told me weren’t working.) She and other betas found gaps that you simply can’t see for yourself after spending that long immersed in your own story. I ended up writing a few extra scenes and expanding some other areas, and the final version is absolutely better as a result.

If this was going to be a published work, I would’ve ideally set it aside for several months so I could come back to it with fresh eyes. My posting schedule for PDIW was already months behind what I’d originally planned, and I was super eager to share it, so I rushed right into the next stage. I also very much wanted to start posting on April 1, since that was Stiles’s birthday in the fic.

So I finished writing the final chapter, gave myself about a day to celebrate, then went right back to the first chapter and started editing. My betas got those pretty-much-completed chapters, and I took their edits and suggestions and transferred them back into my central doc. Then I started drafting the fic on AO3, editing each chapter one final time as I was posting. 

It was…tiring. I wrote the fic in about 7 months and edited the entire thing twice…almost three times?…in a little over a month. I’m going to give myself more leeway if I ever do that again. Thank goodness for my speed-reading betas, though.

I don’t know if any of that was the kind of information you were interested in hearing. Welcome to my writing world, I guess? It’s a little messy, but it has pretty intricate organization if you know what to look for.

As for what I’m thinking as I’m writing…that’s a complicated answer. Is it weird to say that I’m kind of not thinking anything? Writing is a craft, but it’s also a strangely instinctive part of myself that I tap into when it’s going well. I absolutely cannot write if I’m busy thinking about where a scene should go or whether anyone’s going to like reading it or if I even remember how to string words together. That’s the kind of thing that makes me slam right up against writer’s block. Or, if I do manage to get words down, they’re clunky and I’m never really satisfied with them.

When I sit down to write, I do my best to clear my mind out. I tap into my characters. If I’m writing from Derek’s POV, I’m seeing him - all his gestures, mannerisms, the actions he’s taking in a scene - but it’s more important to me that I’m feeling what he’s feeling. The same goes for Stiles, or anyone else whose eyes I’m trying to see through. I guess I’m an emotional writer? I want to feel things as I’m writing, and if I did it right, my readers should feel things, too. It doesn’t always work, but when it does, it’s incredibly rewarding.

Reading has always been an escape for me. When I’m wrapped up in a book, I lose touch with the world around me and slide into the pages, living alongside the characters. Writing’s the same way. It’s an indescribable, addictive feeling. 

When I finished PDIW, it almost felt like I’d lost a part of myself, because I was letting go of something I’d been living with and dreaming about and spending so much time getting to know.

I’m glad I got to share it, though. It’s a wrenching, terrifying process, but you all made it worthwhile. The final step of a story is its readers. Thank you for being amazing ones, and for letting me share my words with you.