#he's the Very Last person from east blue to show up

[nemesis-is-my-middle-name]

also on the subject of "whoops the main character got written out of the story," if luffy isn't there, then there's nobody to go after arlong and stomp him immediately after he has the marines seize nami's savings, meaning she's just stuck in that situation where she's just been crushed and also everyone she's been trying to save has now decided to go throw themselves on arlong's crew's blades.

so maybe after that happens, she does manage to talk the cocoyasi residents into waiting a little bit longer, but only until, like, the very next time she returns. so when she goes out again with zoro (who i guess at this point is in the know about her situation), they're like, ok, fuck, we gotta pick up the pace. we can't just keep scraping up pennies anymore, we gotta go Big. what's the biggest most lucrative thing we can go after rn. ...so maybe they wind up pursuing the krieg pirates to the baratie

[hwasoup]

Tale As Old As Time

Playlist to read along with !!

songs used for inspo: The First Branch, Belle, Nice and Airy How Does a Moment Last Forever (music box), No Matter What,

art credit goes to Marbipa

this au is very heavily inspired from the 1991 movie, 2017 movie, and the musical, some things will seem similar and at times different, some parts of dialogue will be familiar, however it's for the sake of the plot. to summarize, this is basically a retelling of the story. I hope you guys enjoy!!

also let me know if you want to be on the taglist!!

<< prev. | ch.2 >>

Warnings: brief mention of character death, slight misogyny

word count: 1.9K

summary: life as the inventor's daughter

Chapter 1 : The Village

In a small province, east of the castle, there was a small village called Arachna,

This village is quite unique on its own as there are many people of different personalities, Men go to work and get an education and the women stay at home to learn how to be housewives and tend for children. Reading was considered wrong for women to read…Men didn’t want them to develop ideas or think for themselves and only solely focus on the children… However…At the edge of the village, at a small house lived an old inventor, he knew how to fix clocks, create music boxes, and most importantly invent. He would slave the day away just tinkering and figuring out new ideas on how to make life more comfortable and convenient, he proposed his ideas constantly to the villagers to help them make their lives a bit easier, but alas…the villagers called him a loon and demented for frivolous ideas. He would go home dejected, but his greatest pride and most precious invention would be at home; Y/N…

He had raised y/n all on his own after his wife passed away when y/n was 5. To his precious daughter, He promised himself that he wouldn’t shun her from her curiosity and instead showed her all there is to know. Y/N learned how to read, write, speak, analyze, and even sing a little, all due to her father’s promise that he made to her dying mother and to his daughter. Eventually, Y/N grew to be a lovely and beautiful woman. She’s kind, compassionate, loving, and even imaginative. She even has a huge affinity for reading and especially having a bit of a collection of books at home. 

You may wonder, what is Y/N’s life like at her village

well it goes a bit like this…

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

A rooster crows in the distance, as the sun rises, signifying the day to begin..

Y/N has woken up and looked at her book beside her bedside table and smiles “well now...time to return this to the bookstore” she says softly to herself. She opens her curtains and opens the window, smelling the morning dew from the fresh air. Y/N gets dressed in her favorite blue dress, tying her hair in a low ponytail with a ribbon and walks downstairs to cook some breakfast for herself before leaving. She puts her book in a little basket and walks out and heads for the village. “Any moment now…before I hear-” she gets interrupted by the waking village “BUENOS DIAS MI GENTE” 

Y/N rolls her eyes as she sees the empty streets quickly fill up with people with errands and work to do. She smells fresh wheat from the bakery, and she smiles as she thinks how the baker always sells his bread right on time. “Ah, Buenos Dias Y/N” the baker says. “Oh Buenos Dias, señor”, The Baker looks at her and smiles and asks, “where are you off to?” Y/N smiling and excited to tell him says “Oh I’m going to the bookstore! I just finished reading this amazing story about an ogre, a donkey, and a cursed princess-” she gets interrupted “oh that’s nice. OYE MARIA, LOS BOLILLOS” he ends up yelling to his wife in the bakery. Y/N shrugs and moves along her day.

The villagers see her and start whispering amongst themselves, they gossiped about how she would always read, always having her nose stuck in a book.However, they could all mutually agree that despite her odd personality, she’s truly a sight for sore eyes, a truly beautiful woman who sadly knows how to think. 

Y/N arrives at the bookstore and opens the door, the bell on top of the door chiming, announcing her arrival. “Buenos Días señor ! vine a devolver el libro que me prestaron” she says handing the book back to the salesclerk with much care. The salesclerk laughs “ Already? Y/N my dear, it's only been since yesterday.” Y/N who was already on the ladder searching for another book looked down at him sheepishly “yea, well I couldn’t exactly put it down…” Her hand lands on a familiar blue book, she pulls it out of the bookshelf and hands it to the salesclerk “I’ll borrow this one !” The salesclerk looks at the title of the book and shakes his head, amused by her antics “you’ve read this book almost 2 times already, are you sure you want this book again ?” he says, while helping Y/N down the ladder. “Well I can’t help it, faraway places, tense sword fights, magic spells, and a prince in disguise” 

The salesclerk chuckles and hands her the book “well if you like it so much it’s yours...” Y/N holds the book in her hands in excitement “I-I… are you sure?” she asks hesitantly. “I insist, please take it” he tells her. “Well then thank you, thank you so much!” Y/N leaves the bookstore happily, immediately opening to the first page.

While Y/N is in the distance walking with her new book, next to a tavern there is a strong, tall, blone, handsome brute of a man, checking himself out in the mirror, making sure that his looks are impeccable. “BEN! I caught your uhh…whatever this bird is, oh and some girls told me to tell you you’re an amazing hunter” says a shorter looking pudgy man to him.

“Why thank you Eddie for reminding me how perfect I am,” Ben says. Eddie nods as he pretends to agree with his own statement. “I bet that not even a beast or girl can handle you,” he says, feeding the man’s ego. Ben looks down at Eddie and grins “oh and that’s true as well, but my next hunt is that one over there” he says pointing at Y/N. Eddie looks at him a bit appalled and says, “the inventor’s daughter?” Ben then inhales and goes on a tangent “Why yes, Eddie…she’s the one I’m going to marry, the most beautiful girl in town. As soon as I met her, I knew that I have to make her my wife, a handsome man like me and a gorgeous woman like her are meant to be together” Eddie agrees with him reluctantly as he sees Venom speed walk to catch up with her.

Ben goes through a bustling market in order to reach Y/N who is easing her way through the crowd despite reading a book. “Please let me through” he said exasperated, not wanting to let Y/N out of his sight. Eventually he does finally reach her by climbing the roof of a house and landing right on his feet like the man he is. “Hello, Y/N” he says as his eyes scan her from head to toe. “Hola, Ben” she says in response while still focusing on her book. ben then smirks and quickly takes the book away from her hands to get her attention. 

“Ben, por favor give back my book” she says politely. Ben ignores her by butting in her way and flipping the pages in the book “How do you read this… there’s no pictures…” 

“Well if you read books then you would know that some people have something called an imagination” 

Ben looks at her and throws the book somewhere as he tries to charm her “well Y/N, I believe it's finally time for you to stop reading books and pay attention to more…attractive things, like me” he says. “The whole town talks about it. It’s not proper for women to read...besides women thinking means they develop ideas and start assuming things” he says with a bit of a grimace on his face. 

“Ay, Ben you’re so antediluvian.”

Y/N then reaches down to pick up her book and wipes the dirt off with a handkerchief. She turns around to keep on going back home but is stopped by Ben yet again as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder, mentioning how she should join him at the tavern so that they could talk and bond. “Oh, but I can't. I have to go help my father, goodbye now” she says, as she walks away as fast as her feet can take her away from the brainless man.

A few minutes later after speed walking, Y/N sees smoke coming out of the basement and rushes there quickly. “PAPA!” She opens the basement door to let out the smoke and searches for her father “ay papa, que paso? estas bien?” she asks as she helps him get up from the floor “Ay Hijita, I'm fine... I just can’t get this piece of metal to start working” Y/N chuckles and kisses her father’s forehead “papa you always say that when you’re frustrated… Besides, if you get this to work… you can finally go to the contest and win that prize you’ve always wanted.”

Her father thinks for a while and nods “ you’re right…i shouldn’t give up, i’ll get a patent on this and i’ll finally be Mauricio, the greatest inventor ever seen!” Y/N smiles and hugs her father before leaving to let him finish his invention. “Oh right, papa did you…” she looks at him with a knowing look “yes I did mijita, it's upstairs at the kitchen table.” Y/N nods and dashes up inside the house and speeds to the kitchen. She stops when she looks at the table and smiles fondly. It was her mother’s old music box…now fixed after so many years…

Y/N sits by the table and winds up the music box and hums along to the melody being played remembering the lullaby her father used to sing to her before going to sleep as a child. She then looks up and sees her father smiling at her, enjoying the melody as well. “Papa���do you think i'm..odd ?” she says softly to him. Her father raises an eyebrow and sits beside her “y a donde sacaste eso??”

“People talk papa…” she says looking to the side. “Solecito…they talk about me too, we’re not odd at all…” He brings his hand to her shoulder to console her “you’re my daughter…and you’re mother’s daughter as well, They’re the common people and you…you’re unique Hija. No matter what you do I’m always on your side ok?” Y/N smiles and chuckles “are you sure that’s just not you being biased?” Her father laughs and shrugs “Maybe…maybe not…don’t ever change who you are, ok?” Y/N smiles and nods “ok papa” A few days later, Y/N’s father was finished with his invention and had prepared the wagon, placing some food, medicine, horse fodder, and his invention all neatly placed inside the wagon. As he adds the saddle onto Felipe’s back, placing the reins properly on the horse’s side. He then looks at Y/N and smiles “Hijita…what do you wish for me to bring back for you? Shall it be jewelry, or dresses, or new perfumes?” Y/N thinks for a minute and says, “A rose, like the one mama had embroidered on her dress” He chuckles “But, you ask for that every year. Y/N smiles as she looks at her father “and yet every year you’ll bring it...” “Fine then, you’ll have my word, adios por ahora y/n” he says as he gently caresses his daughter’s cheek. “Adios Papa...” Y/N would watch her father ride up the hill into the distance. 

“Stay Safe...”

taglist: @cupcakeinat0r , @miguelhugger2099, @mcmiracles, @xxsugarbonesxx,@codenameredkrystalmatrix,@deputy-videogamer,@lxverrings,@miguelzslvtz,@itsameclinicaldepression 

[semyla]

The Meeting

Summary: You meet for the first time the swordsman Mihawk had told you about and the Ghost Princess Perona.

The beginning of you becoming a parental figure started when you meet Roronoa Zoro and Ghost Princess Perona at your lover's castle, it was very surprising, but that wasn't the only surprise too, them finding out you were Mihawk's partner was more surprising too.

It was a normal routine for Mihawk and you to be away from each other. As you both had gone out in separate ways, agreeing to met at the castle again. Today was your last day and had set sail, before coming to the island you had restock supplies such as food, water, gardening supplies, small decoration for the castle and date nights and books.

As you put the boat on land you took the supplies that you are able to carried back and started walking. As you walk back to the castled you see your lover, which excites you to see him, but it find it strange to see him outside, he seemed to be talking to someone. You walk closer to him and call out his name.

"Mihawk! I'm back!" You yelled, making everyone turn to look at you.

You put everything down and you look at two people, they all look at you and you moved to look at Mihawk confused of what was going on.

"Love, who are they?" You said standing next to Mihawk.

"Love!?" A girl with pink hair and piggy tails repeated and a guy with green hair looked at you, both of their expressions in shock.

"Roronoa Zoro, the east blue swordsman I told you about, and Ghost princess Perona"  Mihawk said, you remember Mihawk telling you about Zoro, but you never heard of Perona.

"What are they doing here?" You asked him.

"Kuma.." He said in a low tone to you.

"I see" You said.

There was silence for a moment. You looked at them, and they looked back at you, Zoro finally making memory on who you were.

"Wait, I know you" Zoro said, recognizing your face.

"I know you too! I saw you at a fashion magazine!" Perona said flying towards you.

"Eh?" You said, confused. Did she say fashion magazine?

"You are even prettier in person!" Perona said, sounding a freaked out, in a good way.

"I appreciate the compliment" You said, still you didn't understand what she was talking about.

"What are you doing here?" Zoro asked.

"I'm guessing you both will be staying with us for a while" You said, you move very close to Mihawk, both of you looking back at each other.

“I live here with my lover-“ You were interrupted. 

"MIHAWK HAS A LOVER?!?!?" Zoro and Perona yelled with their eyes and tongue cartoonishly poking out as you went to kiss Mihawk's lips, but he moved and ended up kissing his chin instead.

"So that magazine was telling the true along!? They were right!? You two are dating!!" Perona said still so surprise to what she was seeing.

"What magazine?" You said turning to look at her.

"That doesn't matter, my dear. We have better things to worry about" Mihawk said.

"Ah! Is that couple thing again!" Perona yelled at the pet name, still more surprised.

"How did you two even met?!?" Zoro yelled, surprised too.

                                   ~~~

The first few days was pure chaos, Zoro trying to leave and Perona being her bratty self, not only that.chasing after Zoro too. Mihawk told you not to worry about it, that he will handle it, while you worry about the practical stuff, like food. You had food yes, but you will be feeding more mouths now, and prepare the guest rooms. It made you very happy you didn't have to deal with all the crazy, this was one of the things why you loved him so much, but somehow it manage to affect you in some indirect way.

You looked at the destroy boat MIhawk decide to lend Zoro, who he destroy. This was right after he left, you came back looking for it, to which MIhawk showed you what had happened to it.

"We needed that boat" You softly said as you saw your now destroy boat.

"You can use mine until we get a new one" Mihawk said.

"It will still inconvenience us" You said, you sight.

                               

~~~

This lead to both of you having a private conversation when everything had finally calm down, and the two guest had finally stop being pain, but rather now your future worry, Mihawk being defeated. Could that be possible? If so, the day it happens what will happen?

You poured Mihawk coffee into his cup and put some treats next to it, in case he got hungry. You poured yourself something too, but you never drink it, even if you had it in your hand, you look lost in thoughts, briefly looking at Mihawk and then at nothing.

"Is something bothering you my dear?" Mihawk said as he put the cup down.

"Yes, that swordsman plans to beat you, I know you want that, I do too, but.. i'm worry about you getting killed, you know my feeling for you and you know” You said, he knew how dear he was for you, just as you were for him.

"Do not worry, he may be determine, but he will need lot more time to get to my level. If you are worry about me dying then don't be, it would have happen sooner or later" Mihawk said to you, it still didn't bring you any comfort.

"You know my feelings about dying, still i’m scare by what will happen, I still have my hopes up that he will beat you, since it’s something you really want" You said, looking away for a second contemplating and then back at him.

"What happens next would not matter, we will both together buried in the deep slumber of death, now why don't you give me a kiss? I have missed you" Mihawk said and putting a smile on your face, making you immediately stand up and go up to him for a kiss.

You gave him a kiss, but not even a second your lips touched a scream sounded, you immediately backed away, looking around for the source of the scream, only to see Perona and her ghost flying around the room.

"They’re doing it again!" She yelled, next to her was Zoro a bit less surprise, but nonetheless his expression of surprise was still there, leaving you and Mihawk bit annoyed by it.

This was the beginning of you becoming their parental figure, and the annoying screaming every time you both try to get romantic.

[stormruff]

Jealousy (Red Hair Pirates x Child!Reader)

Synopsis: you get jealous of your little sister.

Warnings: none, I believe.

A/c: Sorry for the grammatical errors and the way of writing. as it is not my native language. My English is not that good and it's been a while since I wrote in English.

Part 2

Part 3?

At first, you wanted to have a sister. Biologically, you didn't have one, but since Shanks saved you, you were five years old, and you were happy to have a little sister. Uta was a year younger than you, you got along well, despite the sisters' fights, but you didn't attack each other, you were both familiar with the music she sang while you played your flute, on your island most people played it then you played too. you performed together over the years. but you had different personalities: Uta was talkative, she sang well, she had an easy time talking to the crew and everything, everyone loved her, while you were closed off you couldn't talk to everyone, you had the longest conversation with Beckman, of in a way he understood you

Over time, a feeling grew that I want to be like her. envy. envy of your younger sister. she had Shanks' love and everything. You even asked if Shanks had adopted you as his daughter or just took you in out of pity. you weren’t his daughter, not like Uta was.

you were in a village in East Blue called Foosha Village. Uta befriended a street urchin, Luffy. He was cool, he was 7 years old, but he was annoying, every day he came to ask you if you could ask Shanks to let him join his crew. The answer to that question, two huge cocks on his head. You weren't very calm.

He and Uta always played together. You didn't care much. You liked the windmills, and you climbed up there a lot to feel the wind. you were born in a windy village and you missed it and this island reminded you of home.

At night, the crew gathered at the bar to eat and drink, Shanks, Uta, and Luffy were at the counter. You were far away suppressing a cough that started last week. Maybe you got an allergy.

you picked up your plate but didn’t feel hungry. You ate half the food and waited for Makimo to show up so you could ask for a glass of milk. You were too embarrassed to ask. Makimo is busy with the other children. She didn't pay enough attention to the bar. but you stayed until Uta started singing. You left your plate in a corner and left the bar.

You took your first steps and smelled cigarettes.

"Uncle Beck? What are you doing outside?"

"I came to smoke and watch little girls going out without permission." He laughed and knelt down next to you. "Where are you going?"

"Red Force. I'm going to sleep."

"So early? Well... you know the rules, you can't walk outside alone at this time."

"Uncle Beck, can you go with me?" You couldn’t hold back your cough.

"Are you sick? it is good too? I’ll call Hongo to give you a check up.”

"I'm fine, don't worry Uncle Hongo now."

"But-"

"I'm just want to sleep Uncle Beck"

The bar door creaked Uta burst out of the bar along with Luffy with a huge smile on their faces.

"(n/n)! (n/n)! I find you! Come on, I wanna sing Binks no sake, and I want you to play with me! Luffy wants to see you play! Come on, cheer her up, Beck!" You looked at Beck with a tired look.

"Y/n, I want to see you play!" Luffy shouted. You went to speak, and immediately, you were bombarded with a severe coughing fit. "(Y/n)?" You looked at Luffy

"Enough, I wanna call Hongo, you not well." Beck says as he picks you up, scooping you in his arms while you snuggle up with him.

"(n/n)... you sick? it's impossible! big sisters don't get sick."

"Can you two do me a favor?" Uta and Luffy nodded. "Can you call Hongo? Tell him it was me who asked. If he asks, tell him I'm going to Red Force with (y/n), tell him she's not well. "

The two kids run into the bar and Beckman didn't wait and went with you to the ship, while you went into a sleep.

....

"How bad is it?" The first sentence you listen to after you wake up comes from Shanks mouth. You feel his hand stroking your hair.

"Her chest was very heavy and squeaking a lot." This time was Hongo. You feel something cold in your chest. It was the stethoscope, probably. "It wouldn't be anything serious if this cough wasn't so frequent. There also the fact of her low immunity"

"she coughed even in her sleep. She wasn't well." You listen Beck, this time.

"she is a bit hot. A light ferver." You feel a hand on your forehead. the doctor sighs. "I'm gonna find some medication for her."

You decided to open your eyes, finding a concern look from the captain and the vice-capitain and slight smile from the doctor.

"Uncle Hongo, my cough..."

"How long this cough has been boring our little runt?"

"Last week..."

"Last week?!" Shanks says in surprise."And you didn't tell us?"

"Boss, she just woke up. Better not speak so soundly." Beck says as you sit up.

You rubbed your eye and sat up. "I'll be fine, Uncle Hongo?"

"You'll feel better in some days, but for now... Why don't you get some rest, while I get some medicine for you?"

"Okay..."

"What about some soup? If you want, I will ask for Roux made for you what you think?" Beck suggested, and you nod. "I will be faster, little one."

You see Hongo and Beckman leave, leaving only Shanks and you.

"Where's Luffy and Uta?" You coughed.

"Sleeping, it's 11:00 PM, these brats won't leave your side..." Shanks sits on the bed. "She was very worried. She didn't believe you were sick. She said older sisters don't get sick." He chuckles. "You said this for her?"

"No." You said coughing again. "She says I'm her older sister."

"She says she's jealous of you, how strong and fearless you are, and that she wants to be like you. In other words, she wants to be a troublemaker too..."

Your eyes widen, astonishment took control of your expression.

"just like me? But why does she want to be like me? She is perfect"

"so that's it... are you jealous of Uta too?"

"Why did you ask that?"

"Because she told me the same thing as you: she's perfect." He chuckles. "I already suspected that there was a little jealousy, there is no way two children could live together without at least being a little jealous. But I expected that from Uta, because she was the youngest, but you surprised me, (y/n)." He runs a hand for your hair "Do you wanna tell me why?"

You sigh. After all, you are a crewmember and a kid.

"She is my perfect opposite, she is communicative, nice, everyone stops just to listen to her. She gets attention so easily, she makes friends so quickly… Of course she would get attention so quickly, she's been here with you since she was a baby, and you're father and daughter after all, of course she gets everyone's attention and…"

"Stop right now." Shanks interrupted your little monologue, holding your hand. "Uta may be more extroverted than you, but you are also incredible, you are super intelligent, an incredible flutist, Uta may be full of life, a great singer, but not because she is my daughter does she get all the attention, if If you stop to think about it, you would also have privileges too…"

"Me? why?"

"it is not obvious? When I heard Uta call you big sister, I thought you considered her as your little sister, Since since I saved you I took care of you, I even taught you how to speak again... Isn't that enough to be considered your father figure?

"Of course you are... But you always give more attention to her than for me... I thought..."

"Uta and you are so different... Uta always gotten into problems when we lost the sight for her. As for you… you barely get into trouble, always following the rules, sometimes your tantrums take over your personality, but other than that you're just a girl who feels alone. It's my fault, because I always thought you were more reserved, but I was wrong, can you forgive me, (y/n)?"

"Uncle Beck told you? When?"

"While you sleeping..." You coughed again. "I'm sorry that I didn't give you enough confidence to open up to me, but I love you… you don't have to be like her… I adore you just the way you are… I know that doesn't make the jealousy go away although, but I hope you feel more confident, you are my daughter (y/n), as much as Uta."

Your tears started running down at your face.

"Shanks... Thank you for everthing... I'm really sorry for not telling I'm sick..." you coughed as you hug him.

"It's okay...but I think you should be taking Hongo advice and rest... Soon you will get delicious soup along with bad medicine…" He put his hands under your shoulders and lifted you, taking you out of your sitting position and placing you lying on the bed. "Time for bed… little one." He smiled and kissed your forehead, stroking your hair.

"Good night, Shanks..." You closed your eyes. Coughing again.

"Rest Well... Soon you will get better. I promise."

[l-in-the-light]

The most embarrassing series of posts about Lawlu you will ever read: edition Whole Cake Island (part 12)

Lawlu in Whole Cake Island? There is none! Actually... do we really need Law to be present to analyze it, come to think of it? Luffy is really all we need; to watch his behaviour, things he says, his determination, to guess how Law's influence would show and how partying ways with him (even if temporarily) would impact Luffy.

This is the Alice in Wonderland Arc of One Piece, which means Luffy's main struggle will be to face himself, his own weakness, fears, and maybe even his own self-hatred. Which is why this time it won't be the usual scrutinizing analysis of frame by frame, but instead I will take a deep-dive into Luffy's mind. Are you ready? :D

Luffy starts Whole Cake Island arc in a rush. Because why wouldn't he feel in a rush? There's a wedding to stop! There's a chance they won't make it in time, after all. But... seeing how Zou ended, there's probably one more reason why Luffy is so irritated and wants to get things done as fast as possible... there will be someone waiting for him in Wano, alongside the rest of Luffy's own crew. Luffy could tolerate being seperated from his own crew for two years, but this two weeks trip to Whole Cake Island seems like a torture to him. What changed exactly between timeskip and now? Oh, right, Law got added into the picture ;)

"See? She didn't have any problem with my yeeting!" and I wish he could add "Law also had no trouble after I yeeted us in Dressrosa, you should be more hardboiled like him!", because I swear, this feels like the thing he actually means. And he is right, Law hated being yeeted, but he dealed with it just fine in the end, keeping his clear mind and sense of direction intact.

And then, out of nowhere, Luffy gains an interest in cooking. Luffy, of all people! The very same Luffy who thought a musician is more essential on the crew than a cook!

He even compares Nami's nutritional knowledge to a doctor instead of a cook. For Luffy, a cook is just someone who makes your food look and taste extra great, but it's not neccessary for a kid who grew up in a jungle eating everything the way it comes or simply by roasting it over a fire. So why is he suddenly so interested in cooking?? Is he missing Sanji that much? Is he trying to make his crew miss Sanji so the reunion is more emotional? Good guesses, but they have one flaw: they don't take Luffy's personality enough into account.

Back in East Blue, Luffy agreed to recruit a cook before a musician only because his crew wanted one and also because he's a freaking glutton.

"You guys are really rude, I made this food for you!" now that doesn't fit with Luffy's personality of "I want to eat all the meat". Suddenly, it's for them, hm?

Then he tries his own "kitchen sink curry", spits it out, shouts that's it's inedible and flips the table! Why so mad? Oh yeah, because as we learn soon after, he tried cooking multiple times and it's still something that can't be eaten. He tried so many times that he wasted a stock of food they had that was supposed to last them for a week, for all of them! And it's all gone in one day.

Luffy's frustration is understandable then, because this is what he considers to be "his best attempt". As we learn from SBS, Luffy's best dish is just a bowl of meat (in other words: pieces of meat put in a bowl lol), which means he would not prepare "curry" or any sort of exquisite dish for himself. He indeed did this dish with others in mind. He would be more likely to just roast whatever he caught and shove it towards them, asking "you want some?", if it was only about him.

Despite his constant failures, he's still not getting discouraged and wants to learn how to cook edible things for people to enjoy. Nami though stops him and tells him "to never go into the kitchen again", ouch. They have been starving for days as the result of Luffy's "cooking attempts" and Luffy almost lost his life as the result (eating poisonous skin of a fish they finally caught), so her reaction is understandable. But this should make us realize that Luffy, thanks to this whole (mis)adventure, understands Sanji better without even realizing it. After all, Sanji was also told to "never cook again" by his father.

But I think this adventure has one more meaning. Whole Cake Island is basically a tale about the good and bad sides of food industry, but also how food creates connections between people. And I think XxXholic covered the latter part better than I could ever put in words, so forgive me for the unexpected crossover here. You don't need to know XxXholic, its plot or characters to be able to follow the quotes, they also don't spoil anything from the plot, so don't worry. We're just following one of the many, many side characters there.

First of all, if you want to repay a debt or show your gratitude, the best way is to offer food and good drink. And the best way to do it, is to offer stuff you cooked yourself, because they require your own time and effort, and include your feelings (of gratitude and love) for the person you cooked it for. If someone does you a favour, it's a good idea to say "thanks" by preparing a dish they like, for example.

"I would like to cook with you and then eat it together. And then I would really like to know more about you. And for you to learn about me, as well" says the protagonist to one of his clients. Cooking together is a big thing because it creates an equal, mutual bond: you get to know me, I get to know you, and we can both try to become better at cooking together, but also better people for each other as well. Because by cooking we learn more about what the other person likes and dislikes, but also about their personality: their usual way of problem solving, about their patience, flexibility, stubborness, ability to learn etc. Your prefered way of cooking can also reflect your personality this way and you try to offer your best through a dish you put a lot of effort to make, for someone to enjoy.

You can learn a lot about yourself as well through cooking. If you compare your own cooking to someone else's, you can realize your own personality traits you wished you would have never noticed (for example impatience, like Luffy flipping the table in anger: even Nami called him out on it, Sanji would not approve of that action!). You might also realize that someone preparing food for you did it with lots of feelings, of kindness and love, and that's why that food tastes good. And if in comparison your own food is terrible, bland, without flavour or personality, it just shows you don't really share your own love with the world through the act of cooking. In Luffy's case up there, his food was so terrible (though definitely full of his personality lol) despite him putting in his best effort and feelings. How did it make him feel about himself? Perhaps like he has nothing good to offer to people he loves? But his final reaction is always this: try to be better and do better!

Luffy offering his failed attempts to his crew serves the same purpose: he's offering them what he has, even if the result is disgusting. But this is the kind of person Luffy is at the moment and he has nothing better to offer!

The sidestory in XxXholic has a happy ending, the struggle continues on and the woman's significant other supports her efforts and says they will wait for as long as it takes. Now, what does that have to do with One Piece? The reason this woman couldn't cook something that would taste good wasn't because she's clumsy, or didn't put any effort in or lacked knowledge (she actually studied cooking like it's an university subject, it clearly mattered a lot to her!).

What she lacked in the end was love, not for others, but for herself. She hated herself so much that she believed anything she would do would turn out bad (which is exactly what happened over and over), almost like she was subconsciously self-sabotaging her own efforts. And since she didn't have love for herself she had nothing to give to others either, despite caring for them and being so grateful to people who loved her the way she is, imperfect, disbelieving in her own worth, broken. She just didn't feel like she has anything to offer to all the great people around her.

Sounds familiar?

"What can you do?" Arlong asks Luffy. "You can't do anything, you're a disgrace as a captain". And Luffy proceeds to say he has great people who support him (which means he does not think of himself as great, he knows he lacks in so many ways), but there is one, just one thing he can do for them back: it's to beat up people like Arlong.

And yet despite that, in Whole Cake Island, Luffy attempts to do what he literally can't do: to cook. He knows he can't do it, but he tries it anyway, knowing very well what the end result will be. It's not that he lost his mind. We mustn't forget why he's doing a stealthy mission on WCI. It's exactly because he can't do what he usually does: beat up Big Mom. He promised he won't do it. But what *can* he do then? It's his struggle to become better and get out of his comfort zone, and he starts that from attempting cooking. It won't be the first or last time that he will fight against himself in this arc, even denying things he had the most confidence in. This is the arc in which Luffy loses the sight of what he can and can't do, and needs to come up with a new answer or rediscover the one he already had all along. This is Luffy in a crisis.

Now is that related to Luffy being seperated from Law and dealing badly with it? Or Luffy realizing how much he knows Law has faith in him and he wants to live up to it? Because like we established before, Luffy is doing this stealthy attempt only for the sake of his alliance with Law, he would not bother usually and would just destroy Big Mom because she's in his way. I can only imagine Luffy's inner struggle when he tries to come up with a new solution here but can't get any, nothing works out if he just can't beat up the bad guy and move on. Luffy's later refusal to eat anything that isn't Sanji's cooking, not even the syrup rain, must reflect how Luffy feels about himself in this moment: he feels pathetic and useless and he must hate himself for it.

There's one more angle to it. Luffy suspiciously wants to cook as fast as they're seperated from Law. He thinks nutritional knowledge is something a doctor does and he's impressed with it. Law is a doctor. It's not a stretch to think that Luffy wants to learn something new to impress his favourite person upon return. It's highly likely he wants to cook for Law as well (and he's using his crew for taste-testing for now), because he has feelings of love and gratitude he wants to convey to him, but he doesn't know how to do it. But Luffy always had Sanji who used his cooking exactly for that: to show his feelings of love for people (and was very vocal about it!). Luffy is just trying to do the same, but he realized he can't do it no matter what. By the end of the arc he comes back to terms with himself and finds the old truth again: he will leave the cooking to Sanji and rely on his crew. He can try to be a better person in other ways, but he will keep on searching for a way to show love and gratitude to them.

And we will not talk about Luffy suddenly remembering people smooch each other and talking about it in context of Sanji's wedding, uhum. If that's on his mind all of a sudden when it wasn't even once for last 80 volumes, then you can guess why it suddenly would be. People who love and care for each other smooch, so maybe he was considering... things...

Another odd thing Luffy does, which is to check on the map and comments, frowning "it's weird". He has a point, because we learn later it was a deliberate trap. But he's paying attention here because he tries to be useful and does things he usually wouldn't be doing. Just like with cooking.

Same here. It's probably the first moment in which Luffy realizes that having a longterm plan would be actually a good thing. Yeah, Luffy of all people. That's because he must be thinking "if it was Law, he would definitely have one". I feel like other people were pointing it out to Luffy before, but it's the first time he actually shows that he kinda cares and isn't answering with "I'm just here for the adventure. And become a king of the pirates, no plans included!".

Look here. This is Luffy in a crisis. "I have to get back and I'll destroy everything in my way if I have to!" Not only he's not supposed to destroy everything or beat up Big Mom, which he points out a moment later, but Luffy is clear here, he made his decision: if he can't go back, he will simply get rid of everything on his way. Getting back is the most important thing, everything else be damned.

Except... are we really talking about Sanji here? Get back where, Luffy? To Wano perhaps, where your crew and Law will be waiting?

"I'm not going to die in a place like this!!", "I made him a promise, but it's not here!!". I'm just saying, this applies both to Sanji and the promise Luffy made "to meet up in Wano". And if he wants to get back no matter what, it's because he knows he can't die here, he can't force a certain someone to go through a big loss again. He would rather tear off his arms than not return at all and break his promise.

And we get Sanji with his "I didn't tell you to wait..." and Luffy just laughs in reply. This particular laugh he used only once before, btw, and I don't recall anywhere else:

When he was telling Zoro how much he's worrying about Sanji. Because why wouldn't Luffy know that Zoro and Sanji are the most important people for each other? Zoro is his best friend and his first crewmate, Luffy just knows what's in his heart, the same way that Zoro probably knows who is so important for Luffy as well.

Do you still think Luffy-Sanji scene was *only* about Luffy and Sanji? That the whole promise talk was only about Sanji? And not two particular people waiting for both of them in Wano? It was always about both reasons.

Luffy says he can't be the king of the pirates without Sanji. And demands that Sanji says how he really feels (which is "to go back on Sunny" ❤). Imagine if Luffy said both of those lines to Usopp in Water 7. Maybe a lot of the conflict could have been avoided. Especially if Luffy would also follow his very own advice, because he was not saying his true feelings in the quarrel with Usopp. What changed since Water 7 in Luffy? A lot, actually. Ace, timeskip, Dressrosa, Law... All those things are huge milestones in Luffy's development. But there's also the promise he made. He promised Zoro his crew to bring Sanji back. And that promise also changed everything.

WCI is also the first arc in which Luffy says he is ready to drop everything, even his own dream, and go save whoever needs to be saved for his crew's sake. It's very ironic how in this scene he also needs to struggle against himself, this time with his enormous hunger, that seems to sabotage his ironclad determination. For once Luffy doesn't do things for food and that despite the whole arc being exactly about food. That's how serious he is.

Now we have to talk about the alliance with Bege. Here is Luffy's initial reaction: "what an awful person", "Bege is gonna get it!". He does not like Bege at all, he also wants to punch him for what Bege did to Pekoms. In other words, Luffy doesn't think Bege is a good person, at all.

But just a moment later, when Jimbei tells him "you should work together with Bege", Luffy changes his mind immediately. He's all up for this alliance. His crew, that has been with Luffy the longest (Nami and Sanji) can't believe their ears. What an interesting change, isn't it? Like I argued at the beginning of this post, Luffy has to do things differently this time instead of doing what he usually does. The problem is, he's not good at anything else than "beating the main bad guy". That's why in this case he's determined to do something he would usually never do. And forgive me for the callback again to XxXholic, because I can't resist:

Luffy has the same idea as the protagonist here. "This is all I can do", and "if this person was with me, they would be able to find a better way". In other words, Luffy agreed to this alliance because he thinks this is something Law would do as well. Luffy is constantly wondering in Whole Cake Island how Law would handle the situation and he knows he can't come even close to his level, but at least he will try to follow in his footsteps.

Of course Luffy wants at first to punch Bege for Pekoms. He's still trying to make this alliance a friendship, and if he hits Bege then they will be even, so they can try becoming friends. That's basically the idea.

But he doesn't get to do that and in the end, Luffy agrees to alliance based on "common goal" or "allignment of interest". He did not become friends with Bege in the process and didn't make things even between them. This proves Luffy knows what an alliance is and it's not friendship. I wouldn't say this means Luffy finally learned what an actual alliance is (though it's tempting, ngl). I would rather say he always knew that, but he chose to make it a point that whatever he has with Law, is friendship firstmost, alliance second.

And here is Luffy listening to Bege's plan. He's trying, okay. Not his fault he's constantly getting distracted, sidetracked and overfocused on making a silly entrance party trick (jumping out of the wedding cake). Bege is just not Law, and Luffy's tiktok's level span of attention is struggling here, heh. Also please notice Luffy's unusual focus on the smooching lol.

Oh, so that's Luffy's idea for the wedding surprise. He just wanted to do ninja's shadow clonining trick, definitely inspired by Raizou's show in Zou.

Coincidentally, that's the technique that was Law's request and made Law so damn impressed. Yeah, this is for sure a coincidence, that Luffy chose to do it like that, even though he didn't really have to have multiple copies of himself here to make it work. I bet he just thought "if Law would be here, that would impress him, I'm sure!" and I bet he's looking forward to telling him all about this adventure later on and seeing his face.

But it was essenstial for his plan to create chaos! He didn't do it just for fun! Are you sure? Because it was Brook who hid himself in the midst and did the deed with Mother Carmel's photo frame, and Luffy did not tell him to do this. Luffy simply wanted to be cool, okay, he didn't think that far ahead. He was supposed to cause chaos, he delivered.

And in his fight with Katakuri, Luffy is the one who has to have faith. Law had his faith moment in Dressrosa, now it's Luffy's turn.

Luffy found his answer about what he can do and how to become a better person for someone. It's to master his observation haki. Which, coincidentally, is Law's forte.

Luffy's curious, very strict words to Jimbei. "Don't let even death stop you, we'll be waiting in Wano!" It's basically Luffy's own promise he made before leaving Zou, just said in more deadly serious manner. That's because his experience in Whole Cake Island made him realize it himself: he will go back to Wano and not even death can stop him from achieving that. Because he promised that to Law people.

I'm sure for Law this would be indeed the most important thing, not to lose anyone ever again, especially Luffy who he (miraculously) managed to save all the way back in Marineford. I don't know how Luffy knows this or if he knows at all about Law's deepest fear, but he's determined not to die on him, that's for sure.

This is also the first big seperation for Luffy and Law. Luffy deals with it, treating everything like an adventure to tell Law later so it feels like Law is there with him even though he's not. But also treats it like a challenge, to become a better and stronger person so he won't disappoint him.

Still convinced there was no Lawlu in WCI? Oh well, if that's the case then all I can say is: I tried my best :D

If anyone wants to read all the parts of this series without going to my masterpost, then just click "love is a hurricane" tag :3

[wild-dagon]

A little peak at what I’ve been writing for the Everyone’s loved ones get send to BOTW Hyrule

He lead them over to the entrance of the East Winds store when his Sheikah Slate suddenly let out a shrill tone. He pulled the device from his hip and opened it immediately to see the screen flashing.

“Is everything okay?” Sky asked as he and twilight approached Wild. The rest of the group hung back knowing better than to crowd Wild.

“Don’t know.” Wild whispered not taking his hands or eyes off the slate. The screen stopped flashing and brought him to the map function. Everything looked normal. Except there was a new symbol on his map. One that looked uncomfortably familiar. “Time!” Wild called out for their unofficial leader.

Time moved quickly to his side taking Sky’s place. Wild wasted no time showing Time the slate. It was open. To the map feature and zoomed into Hyrule field. There on the map was a cartoon symbol of a cows head flashing in light blue. The same symbol that Lon Lon Ranch used to market their milk. Time pulled the slate closer hoping he was wrong. But it was identical even down to the shade of blue.

“What is this?” He asked turning to look at wild his heart racing.

‘I don’t know.’ Wild signed. ‘I’ve never seen it before.’ He looked back at the Lon Lon Ranch symbol shining brightly on his map screen. ‘I’ve never heard it make that sound either.’

“How far away is this?” Time asked looking between the screen and Wild.

“How far is what?” Legend asked tired of being left out of the conversation.

Time looked up to see the rest of the chain looking nervously between his white knuckle grip on Wild’s slate, an item he rarely let others touch, and Wild’s slightly shaking hands.

He blew out a breath. He didn’t like anything about this situation. “The Lon Lon Ranch symbol just appeased on Wild’s map.”

“But that can’t be.” Twilight said as color drained from his face. “We’re thousands of years in the future.”

“How far away is it.” Warriors quickly stepped into his captain role. Something wasn’t right here. They all turned to face Wild once more.

‘It would take days to get there.’ The group winced at the answers. ‘And that area is full of guardians.’

Time hand tightened on the slates handle. If this had something to do with Lon Lon Ranch he couldn’t ignore it. He didn’t care how far or what dangers there were he was going. He took another look at the map before he turned in his heal. “Then we better start walking.” He started heading towards the town exit when Wild ran in front of him halting his progress.

‘That could take close to a week.’ he signed aggressively.

“If you have another option I’m all ears.” Time was trying very hard to keep his composure. In any other situation he probably could. But Lon Lon Ranch was his home. It was Marlon’s home. Where she was supposed to be safe. He didn’t know why Lon Lon’s symbol was suddenly appearing in Wild’s map but he had to get there as soon as possible.

Wild paused thinking over what to do. ‘We could teleport.’

“Cub no.” Twilight stepped in. “Last time we were here you said you couldn’t teleport with more than one person.” The last time they were in Wild’s Hyrule Wind had asked if they could teleport to the nearest town and Wild had explained to them the limits of the teleport pads. By himself there was no problem. But adding a guest put a strain on his body. The more guest the hard it would be on Wild physically. A group their size would probably lead to Wild passing out after teleporting them. Something none of them wanted to force him to do unless it was the only option.

‘So we don’t take the whole group.’ Wild signed cutting off the argument. He held his hand out to Time for the slate. Once in hand he showed them the map. ‘I can teleport Time and myself to this shrine over here.’ He pointed to the Wahgo Katta shrine next to the Riverside stables. ‘We can take two of my horse and make our way to the ruins.’ Wild continue showing them the path they would take. ‘It be close to two hours on horse back. Once we figure it out we’ll come back. It will take a few hours tops.’ He finished his plan while trying to reassure them this was the fastest option.

In any other situation Time would have refused the plan. Anything that put one of the boys at unnecessary risk or separated their group would have been an automatic no. But Hateno was safe, the others would be alright, and something g was affecting Lon Lon Ranch. “Are you sure you’ll be alright?” He asked giving Wild his best stern face. The one the boys had named his dad face.

‘Positive.’ Wild confirmed with a determined head nod.

[cursedvida]

SAD EYES, BROKEN SMILE IV (Buggy x F!Reader)

PART III HERE // PART V HERE

WARNINGS: NSFW minors DNI, little smut, Buggy being nasty, swearing.

A/N: Part 4 of this and finally some smut. hope you enjoy!

You still can't believe you kissed Buggy. It was not in your plans to be so direct. You have never been so emotionally exposed, but is also true that you have no experience in romantic matters. You haven't been attracted to anyone before, or at least not in that way. Buggy brings out your most primitive instincts and clouds your reason, it's something you can't avoid.

But actions have consequences and so does kissing your captain. Buggy still hasn't recovered from the shock. The last thing he expected from you was a confession followed by a kiss. Ever since you joined his crew he noticed how you didn't quite fit in. You didn't seem very excited about show business, nor did you seem to be up for the shows. He didn't quite understand why you were so eager to be part of his crew, but it didn't seem strange to him either: he is Buggy the Clown, he is famous not only in the East Blue but also in the Gran Line. Pirates fear him, Marines hate him. He is a genius of deception and persuasion, his fame precedes him enough to attract new challengers. You might not quite fit in but it made sense that you didn't want to leave.

He still wasn't sure whether to trust you or not. Your confession had left him totally baffled and that kiss directly disarmed him. He would never have imagined such a reaction from you, do you really like him the way you say you do or is it just a strategy? Buggy is a really suspicious person, especially when good things happen to him. He doesn't want to believe that you like him because he knows that, if he does, he'll probably end up being disappointed. There's no way a girl like you, who could have anyone, really has feelings for him. Although she'll never admit it, of course, because he's a renowned pirate and people should consider it an honor to have him around.

Nevertheless, he is unable to take his eyes off you. He watches you as you clean the deck of the ship, he follows your movements at mealtimes with his eyes. He is able to count how many times a day you yawn or make that bored face that characterizes you so much. The more he looks at you, the prettier you look to him and the harder it is for him to control himself.

You notice his gaze fixed on you, although you don't know why he watches you with such intensity. Sometimes you have the feeling that at any moment he will leave you stranded on the first island you see, that your days in that crew are numbered. You think he might be very angry, Buggy's character is fickle and unpredictable at times, if he has taken the kiss badly he won't hesitate to make you pay for it. He shouldn't see it as an offense either, you may not be the most exceptional woman in the world but he might see it as a compliment just the same.

You try to avoid it or pretend nothing happened. Yes, the best thing will be to pretend, as you have been doing so far. But he keeps looking at you, all the time, and you start to get nervous.

"Y/N, I have to talk to you" you hear him call after lunchtime.

You tense up at that moment, you feel all your muscles stiffen, as if you were preparing for a fight. You have a strange feeling in your stomach, as if you were nauseous. The walk to his cabin is the longest you've ever walked, and it's only a few meters. When you finally find yourselves alone, you realize that you are unable to look at him. You, who are used to always looking the enemy in the eye, suddenly shy away from Buggy almost instinctively. You realize that deep down you are dead embarrassed.

"Did you call me, Captain?" you ask rather sheepishly. This whole thing is starting to get on your nerves. You're not like that, you're not a softie, not a shy, insecure little girl, you're a ruthless killer with several dozen deaths behind you. You don't understand why he makes you feel so weak, but when he's near you your head stops obeying you.

"Why did you do that?"

No beating around the bush, straight to the point. Buggy didn't want to waste any time. When you finally manage to look at him, his eyes look distrustful and at the same time somewhat hurt.

"It was a strategy, wasn't it?" he insists "You think I didn't notice?"

"A strategy?"

"Yes, to see if I forgot about what happened a couple of days ago. You were trying to divert attention."

You raise your eyebrows in disbelief. Come on, don't fuck around, did the asshole really think you kissed him on the mouth as a confusion strategy? But is he really an asshole or did he fall out of the cradle at birth?

"But are you stupid or what's wrong with you?"

That response on your part, so aggressive, so angry, makes Buggy totally bewildered. In his mind, the only plausible explanation for a girl like you confessing and kissing him is that you are, in effect, trying to gain his trust so that he will forget the suspicious things about you. He doesn't understand why you seem so infuriated.

"I find it amazing that you brag so much about how wonderful you are when then you're not even capable of believing that a girl can like you" You blurt out to him, crossing your arms.

"I've liked hundreds of women, I'm Buggy the…"

"Yeah, I know, we all know that" you cut him off coldly "You pretend you're so full of yourself, but deep down you have very little confidence in yourself."

"Be careful what you say, sweetie, the consequences can be very bad."

"Is it that hard for you to accept that I like you?"

That question catches Buggy totally off guard. It pains him to admit it, but it really does. Of course he's aware that many women are attracted to him, but they're always passing flings, people he's barely seen for a couple of days. People who, in the end, don't know him. You've spent months with him, you've seen him fail on several occasions, it's clear that you're talented and may one day become a really strong pirate. Besides, you're gorgeous and you're hot, he really does find it hard to believe that this whole thing isn't a hoax.

"If you're not attracted to me that's fine" you tell him "we're both adults, I can handle rejection. But stop underestimating my feelings, that's cruel."

Buggy is silent for a few moments, something quite unbecoming of him. Then he looks at you, still in disbelief.

"So you were serious about yesterday?"

"Of course it was serious!" you exclaim, exasperated "I've been doing a lot of-"

But Buggy's mouth won't let you finish. When you want to realize, his lips are on yours and his tongue, agile and curious, tries to enter your mouth with desperation. It's the first time someone kisses you in such a passionate way, as if somehow trying to eat you whole, so it's a little hard for you to react to his momentum. You move your lips to match his and your tongues begin a contest of strength. Buggy's kiss is deep, tastes like salt and face paint. It has a metallic aftertaste that hooks you and its smell of gunpowder and sea manages to numb your senses. Just when you think you're about to lose your balance, a hand detached from his body grabs you around the waist, pulling you closer to him, so close that you are only a few millimeters apart.

You'd been fantasizing about something like this for a while, but your wettest dreams were nowhere near as exciting as the real thing. Having Buggy kissing you as if the world was going to end at that very moment makes your stomach shrink and your legs shake as if they were made of jelly. You've never felt so vulnerable around anyone before, but you don't hate the feeling, it makes you feel good for the first time.

You wrap your arms around his neck. You want more of him, you want to hold him closer. You need to cling to him with such desperation that the slightest almost imperceptible draft that can fit between the two of you hurts. He senses that need of yours and automatically pulls you tighter against his torso. His kisses are deep, wet and with a slight hint of anger that makes them intoxicating.

"Fuck" he exclaims, pulling away slightly for air.

You let out a small moan, something that makes Buggy smile.

"What's up, little girl, do you want more?"

Now it is you who kiss him. Buggy responds with momentum, placing his leg between yours. His hands begin to explore your body over your clothes. You've never let anyone go this far, but with him you just want more and more. When you notice one of his hands stop at your crotch you freeze.

"I'm actually really looking forward to you" he comments, whispering huskily in your ear as he begins to rub between his hand and the fabric of your pants "I've been wondering for some time what it must be like to have you in my bed"

"What a liar you are" You manage to say, almost in a whisper. You notice how the fabric of your underwear is getting wetter and wetter "When I came you didn't even know my name".

"You're right" he nods, giving you a couple of kisses on your neck while his fingers press your most sensitive parts "I just knew you were a pretty face. Little girl, you're like a chocolate candy."

He then attacks your neck, making you moan. He slowly pulls down your pants, now the only barrier he has are your panties.

"Fuck, little girl, your panties are so wet" his voice sounds husky and very excited "I've barely touched you and you're already like this? Fuck, what a delight."

"Buggy…" You sigh. It's the first time a man has managed to get his hand on you and the feelings you are now experiencing are totally new. The pleasure, the swelling, the wetness… You feel like you're going to explode, that you need more contact, more intensity. You move me a little to make friction between his hand and your most intimate part "Buggy, I love it."

"I'm going to eat you whole, princess."

Buggy then removes his glove with his mouth and it is at that moment that he slips his long fingers under your panties. You open your eyes as you feel the direct contact between his skin and your most intimate area.

"So wet just for me, this is a treasure" he murmurs, quite pleased.

At first he just slides one of his fingers all over your intimate area, making your skin crawl with goose bumps. You swore you wouldn't let anyone have you at their mercy, but you've totally surrendered to him and when he finally locates your clitoris, gently caressing it with your own natural lubrication, you can't help but let out a moan.

"That's it, little girl. Yeah, moan for me" He smiles, quite pleased.

"It's… God, please Buggy don't stop doing it" you ask him, almost beg, because the pleasure is enormous.

Buggy starts stroking you faster, now you feel like your whole body is on fire, with a kind of heat right in the center of your belly that intensifies every time his fingertips brush against your skin. You start moaning helplessly as he slides his tongue down your neck until it reaches your cleavage.

"Buggy…" You can barely say anything, just moan his name, but that seems to delight you.

"I'm going to make you mine completely, Y/N. I hope you know what you've done."

But just as Buggy is about to slip one of his fingers inside you, someone knocks loudly on his cabin door, completely breaking the mood. You both tense up, giving a little gasp. Buggy lets out a huge growl, looking really pissed off.

"But who the fuck is it now!" he shrieks, hands still shoved between your legs.

"Captain" Cabaji's voice is heard "We have a problem, there's a Navy ship nearby".

"Fuck" Buggy roars, he'd probably love to beat the shit out of Cabaji for interrupting him at a time like this, but the reasons have been more than justified.

He looks at you with an annoyed look on his face.

"We're not done yet" It's not an apology, it's a warning.

You smile at him.

"I hope so, Captain."

[daenysthedreamer101]

Daughter of Steel and Bronze ~ HOTD

Ch 11 - The comforts of home

HOTD x Targaryen!OC, Targaryen!OC x Harwin Strong

Warnings: This chapter includes physical violence, attempted SA, sl*t shaming, threats of SA, cursing, and descriptions of the inflicted wounds; but I swear the first half is cute 😭

HOTD masterlist

"In 114 AC, Princess Rhaenyra started her royal tour with the goal of finding a potential husband. She first toured the Crownlands and the Reach. She then visited the Westerlands and the Riverlands. Her next stop would be the Stormlands and after that, the Vale.

During that time, her cousin, Princess Daena, returned to her birthplace of Runestone. She was joined by Ser Harwin Strong, her new personal guard, and his sisters, Hanna and Joy who were the Princess's maids.

In the Princess's entourage was also her grandmother, Lady Rowena Redfort, a famed beauty throughout the Vale, during her youth. But beauty was not the only asset she possessed - a sharp tongue and a quick mind is also something she passed on to her daughter and granddaughter."

(Fire & Blood, Being a History of the Targaryen Kings of Westeros, by Archmaester Gyldayn)

~

On a peninsula east of the Eyrie, north of the Bay of Crabs and Gulltown, lies the castle of Runestone - the seat of House Royce. They were a proud and noble house and one of the oldest and most powerful families in the Vale of Arryn. 

The current ruler of Runestone was Lady Rhea Royce, daughter of the late Lord Yorbert Royce and Lady Rowena Redfort, wife of Prince Daemon Targaryen, and mother to Princess Daena. 

In her entourage were her ladies-in-waiting, Joy and Hanna, her grandmother, Lady Rowena, and her sworn protector, Ser Harwin. She was very excited to show the Vale to the Strong siblings, seeing they were from the Riverlands. 

~

114 AC, Runestone

Harwin watched in amazement as they neared the castle of Runestone. It was situated on the western shore of the Narrow Sea, was seated on the cliffside, and hills surrounded it. It was nowhere near as big as Harenhall but it was still a large, well-made keep.

It was a bright, sunny day, though it was also pretty windy. The castle gates were open and he could see the Royce banners flapping in the wind. The guards at the entrance let them in and they entered the outer courtyard. 

He was on his horse while the Princess, her grandmother, and his sisters were in the carriage. He saw someone who could only be Lady Rhea standing in the middle of the yard - she was a comely woman with dark, curly hair that was cut short. She was wearing the famous bronze armor of House Royce and riding breeches. Her brown eyes bore into his blue ones, almost like she was sizing him up. She moved toward him once he got off his horse.

"You must be Ser Harwin. Be welcome." She greeted politely.

"I am. Thank you for your hospitality and for hosting me and my sisters."

"Of course. I have heard so much about you and your sisters. I know how fond my daughter is of your family."

Harwin couldn't help but smirk at her words. His sisters have indeed bonded with the Princess and quickly became good friends. As for him, he cannot deny that he too quickly became fond of the Princess. They became even closer once she named him as her protector.

"Mother!" The Princess exclaimed once she exited the carriage and sprinted toward her lady mother. She hugged her mother tightly and placed her head on her mother's shoulders. It reminded Harwin of his late lady mother and how she held his little sisters when they were young. 

"Oh, my sweet girl. Look at you! You're a woman grown!" Lady Rhea said, cupping her daughter's face. The last time Rhea saw her, Daena was 12. Now she was 16. 

"You cut your hair! You didn't tell me!" Daena exclaimed surprised. Lady Rhea laughed. She looked Daena up and down, clearly very proud and happy that her only child was back home. 

Then, Lady Rowena stepped out of the carriage. Lady Rhea hugged her mother and kissed her hand. "Mother."

Lady Rowena was happy to be back in the Vale as well. Harwin watched as grandmother, mother, and daughter held hands and happily talked with each other. It was beautiful, seeing the three women together. He knew how much the Princess missed her mother and how much she wanted to leave King's Landing. 

It was strange, the Princess at first glance shared no physical similarities with her mother or grandmother. But on further inspection, Harwin could see she had the same nose as her grandmother and the same curly hair her mother did, except hers were silver. She was also the tallest one out of the three and had the fairest skin.

"Ser Harwin. Come. Let's go inside." The voice of his Princess brought him back to reality. He looked at her and she chuckled at his dazed expression. He loved the sound of her voice, especially her laughter. 

"Come on." She repeated softly and he followed her inside. 

~

115 AC

For the past eight months, Daena has been staying at Runestone, her birthplace. With Rhaenyra going on tour, she had no real reason to stay in King's Landing. So, quickly after Rhaenyra went on her royal tour, Daena too left the Red Keep.

Today was a special day - it was Daena's 17th name day. And luckily for her, she would be able to celebrate with her family and friends. She was disappointed Nyra wasn't here, but she already received a letter from her. Last she heard of her cousin, Nyra was in the Riverlands where she made a stop at Riverrun and was heading for the Stormlands.

She also received a letter from her father. She hasn't seen him since the egg incident on Dragonstone years ago. Then he went on to participate in a war in the Stepstones. She didn't know where he was, but he wished her a happy name day and that she shouldn't worry about him. He wrote he would soon visit. She wanted to believe it was true. 

~

"Don't move!" Amanda scolded Daena as she braided her hair. Daena chuckled but stopped moving. She couldn't help herself, she was excited to go out and celebrate. She played with her heart-shaped pendant; she decided to wear it to feel closer to her father. 

"You should rest. Not stand for hours braiding my hair." Daena said as she looked at Amanda's swollen belly. Amanda fell pregnant a couple of weeks before Daena's arrival. She was now over 8 months pregnant and the maester predicted she would give birth in the next couple of weeks.

Amanda just waved her hand. "Nonsense. I am braiding your hair because I want to. You are a woman grown and today is a special day. I want you to look perfect. Maybe you catch the eye of a handsome lord." She said suggestively.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Daena replied, rolling her eyes and Amanda chuckled. 

"Oh? Let me be more specific then. A tall, handsome lord with dark curls who happens to come from the Riverlands and is currently our guest." 

"No. No idea who you're talking about." Daena said, looking at her nails. 

Amanda clicked her tongue and chuckled. "He fancies you, you know." This made Daena stiffen her back and turn her head. 

"He does. It's obvious as day." Amanda added as she tied the last braid. 

Daena looked at herself in the mirror - she wore a stunning gown made of velvet and silk; the top was made of red velvet with long cape sleeves and a square neckline while the skirt was made of black silk. A big, chunky belt made of silver and decorated with rubies hung on her hips. Amanda masterfully braided her silver hair. Multiple braids connected at the back into a bun while the rest flowed down her shoulders.

Daena smirked, pleased with her appearance. She then added golden ruby earrings. 

"One more thing," Amanda said, handing her a mermaid-shaped perfume bottle. It was a gift she received from her grandmother. Lady Rowena imported it from Lys. Daena smelled it - it was a sweet, heady scent. She could smell lemon and spice-flower and cinnamon. 

Amanda took it from her and applied it to Daena's neck, behind her ears, and her wrists. "There. When he bends down to talk to you, he'll be hit with this lovely fragrance. You'll have him wrapped around your little finger by the end of the night." 

"Amanda!" Daena exclaimed, embarrassed. She sighed and shook her head. Why did everyone have to tease her about Harwin? Giving herself one final look, she exited her room and walked toward the Central Hall, ready to sweep the strongest knight in the Seven Kingdoms off his feet.

Harwin was in the Central Hall of Runestone where the feast in honor of the Princess's name day was being held. He was standing and talking with his sisters when the door opened. 

Princess Daena walked in and Harwin's heart skipped a beat. She wore a beautiful red and black gown that fit her body perfectly and her silver hair flowed down her back. She was a goddess in a mortal body, he thought as she greeted her mother. 

She then locked eyes with him and he felt his breath being taken away. She then proceeded to walk up to him. "Ser Harwin." She greeted him in her usual melodic voice. 

"Princess." He greeted back and before he could say more he was hit with a sweet, heady smell. It was heavy and it made his head spin, but he didn't pull back. No. He leaned in, wanting to be closer to her. 

He looked into her lilac eyes and could see a spark of mischief in them. She tilted her head and smirked at him. "I hope you enjoy yourself tonight, Ser." And with that, she left, her hips swaying from side to side. Harwin was mesmerized.

"Brother." The voice of his sister brought him back. Joy looked at him with a raised brow. He cleared his throat, embarrassed that he was caught off guard. 

But when he looked back, the Princess was still looking at him. 

This was going to be an interesting night indeed.

~

The moon was now high in the sky, but the castle of Runestone was still brimming with life. Daena was having the time of her life - talking with her friends, dancing, and feasting. She even danced with Harwin. It was exhilarating; being so close to him, feeling his breath on her skin, his eyes never leaving her face, hands barely touching. She was a blushing mess by the end of it.

She was also drunk for the first time in her life. Or maybe she was just really tipsy. She wasn't sure. She decided to get some fresh air and walked to the outer courtyard. The cool night air felt wonderful against her hot skin as she stumbled to a small garden in the back of the castle. 

In the middle of the garden was a heart tree; it wasn't a weirwood but a great oak. Nonetheless, it commanded respect and the carved face was not any less creepy. It always unnerved Daena, especially when she was a child. Though, in her drunken state, she paid it no mind. She sat on a small wooden bench next to the tree. 

"Princess? What are you doing here?" An unfamiliar male voice asked. Daena turned around to see a young man. She couldn't remember his name or his house but she recognized his face; He was one of many lords who tried wooing her tonight. She politely rejected all of them - her heart was already set on someone. 

"Oh, I just wanted some fresh air. That's all." Daena replied politely but kept her distance. 

Unfortunately for her, he didn't keep his distance. He came closer and sat next to her. She was immediately hit with the stench of alcohol. She moved away discreetly.  "Ser, please. Leave me alone." 

"You looked so beautiful tonight, Princess. A true...V-Valyrian beauty." He slurred. She gave him no reaction and just sighed. 

He then proceeded to grab her hand and pull it toward his breeches. Disgusted, Daena tried pulling away but he was stronger and harshly twisted her hand. She gasped in pain. 

"A silver-haired beauty and a silver-haired whore." He hissed. Daena angrily pulled her hand away and pushed him. She quickly stood up and distanced herself. 

"How dare you talk to me that way!? My uncle, the King, will have your head for these words!" She exclaimed, offended. Who was he to talk to her that way? What was he even talking about? 

"You don't think I noticed? You rejected every lord who approached you save for that brute from the Riverlands. What would your uncle say when he learned his niece was throwing herself to men like a common whore?  You're nothing but-" He insulted further but was cut off by a fierce slap across his face. 

"HOW DARE YOU!? I'LL FEED YOUR BODY TO VERMITHOR MYSELF AND I'LL BURN YOUR HOUSE DOWN! YOU DARE QUESTION MY VIRTUE!?" 

He looked at her stunned, surprised that she would slap him. He moved closer to her and under the moonlight she could see that the rings on her hand caused him to bleed. He grabbed her long hair and harshly pulled it. He pushed her toward the heart tree and blocked her with his arms. 

"LET ME GO! NOW! LET ME GO!" She yelled but he covered her mouth with his hand. She did the obvious thing and bit his fingers harshly. He cursed and grabbed her neck, choking her in the process. Fear began to set into her heart. Gods, spare me, she thought as her eyes began to water. 

She usually carried a small dagger on her person, but she didn't think she would need it tonight. Oh, how wrong was she. She kicked him between his legs and this allowed her to run away from him. She didn't get far. 

He grabbed one of her long sleeves and pulled her back. He held her tightly and ripped the upper part of her gown, exposing the chemise she wore underneath. 

"GUARDS! GUARDS!" She remembered to yell again. He covered her mouth again and continued ripping her gown. She was desperately thrashing, trying to push him off her body. 

"You little slut! You dare hit me! I'll show you-" Before he could finish his threat, he was harshly pulled from Daena. In the darkness of the night, she could barely see who came to her rescue.

Before she could say anything, the man was getting beaten to the ground. The horrible sound of bones breaking made her realize who it was - Harwin. 

"HARWIN! STOP! STOP IT, PLEASE! YOU'LL KILL HIM!" She yelled but the knight made no effort to stop. He continued beating the man's face. 

"What is the meaning of this?" Her grandmother's voice rang through the night air and made everyone stop. 

Her mother, Joy, Hanna, Amanda, and the castle guards also came. Her mother was quickly by her side, covering her with a shawl. The women led Daena back into the castle while the guards dealt with Harwin and the assailant. 

She didn't even realize when she started crying. 

That night, no one slept. Daena was in too much shock to do anything besides crying. She felt horrible. She felt disgust, anger, and guilt. She felt...sullied. Why? Why did she leave the feast by herself? The only thing on her mind was Harwin. He was the one who saved her, the one who protected her virtue and defended her honor. She wanted to see him, to talk to him. 

Rhea and Rowena, with the help of Joy, Hanna, and Amanda, managed to get Daena to open up and tell them what transpired; all the vile insults that were hurled at her and how she tried defending herself. Rhea was infuriated that someone dared attack her daughter in her home. 

"I shall write to Lady Jeyne Arryn and His Grace. This miscreant will be dealt with. Either he loses his head or I'll have him sent to the Wall! I shall not settle for anything less." Rhea announced, determined to get justice for her only child and heir. 

Daena refused to let the castle's maester inspect her body. She wanted no man near her or her body. After some persuading, she let the castle's septa, Arabella, look at her wounds. Her neck was red and bruises started appearing alongside her jaw and arms, her left wrist was sprained and she had scratch marks on her shoulders. 

Lady Rowena was pained to see her granddaughter in such a hysterical state; she ordered the measter to make some tea and put milk of the poppy in it. The twins were sad their Princess was so viciously assaulted and they did everything they could to help Daena. 

~

"You should rest now, my lord," Maester Cerion said to Harwin as he finished bandaging Harwin's hand. The measter left and Harwin was finally alone. He sighed and looked at his bandaged hand; he beat the idiot's face so hard it caused his knuckles to start bleeding. But he would do it all over again if it meant his dear Princess was safe.

A couple of minutes after the Princess left, Harwin had a weird feeling in his gut telling him something was wrong. To his horror, once he walked outside he heard screaming and shouting from afar. He barely made it to the godswood, just as the miscreant was about to tear the Princess's gown completely. 

Rest was the last thing on Harwin's mind; the only thing he could think about was Daena. From what he's been told, the measter has given her milk of the poppy to calm her down. Every time he closed his eyes he saw her terrified face, her lilac eyes wide with horror and shock.

He felt awful and extremely guilty he wasn't there to protect her.  That was his job, to be her protector and he couldn't even do that. Would she dismiss him from her service? Would she banish him to Harenhall? Would she yell at him and curse him out?

A knock on the door banished such thought from his mind. It was Hanna. She gently closed the door and sat next to him. Her eyes appeared to be red and glossy, which was unusual for her since Hanna was the more aloof one of the sisters. 

"How is she?" He asked desperate to know. Hanna shook her head and sighed. 

"She...there are bruises all over her body and her wrist appears to be sprained. But the measter said it would heal and she's not in any danger. She just needs rest." 

Harwin could feel his heart breaking; his darling Princess, his sweet angel bruised and battered. All because of him. How could he ever look into her eyes? How could he ever come back from this? He felt a great sense of shame wash over him.

"Harwin...It's not your fault." His sister said softly. "She doesn't blame you." 

This made Harwin look up. "She doesn't?" 

Hanna chuckled. "Of course not. The only thing she talked about while she was awake was whether you were alright. You were the only thing on her mind."

His sister picked up his bandaged hand. "Are you alright? You almost beat him to a pulp." 

"I would've if I wasn't interrupted." 

Hanna clicked her tongue, obviously not pleased with his words. "Look. It's been a very eventful night. Rest and try to get some sleep. You know she would want that." 

And with that, she left and Harwin was once again left alone with his thoughts. The last thing on his mind before he fell asleep was Daena. 

***

This was a very sad, angsty chapter. Our poor Daena was attacked and on her birthday no less 😔 Next chapter we'll see how people in KL react to this horrifying news.

Thank you for reading! 💕💕💕

If you have any opinions/questions feel free to ask.

[riding-with-the-wild-hunt]

"Their task was to circumvent Sauron: to bring help to the few tribes of Men that had rebelled from Melkor-worship, to stir up rebellion. . .and after his first fall to search out his hiding (in which they failed) and to cause [?dissension and disarray] among the dark East. . .They must have had very great influence on the history of the Second Age and Third Age in weakening and disarraying the forces of East. . .who would both in the Second Age and Third Age otherwise have. . .outnumbered the West." - J.R.R. Tolkien, The Peoples of Middle-earth, "Last Writings"

@ainurweek day 5 ⇢ THE BLUE WIZARDS

[ID: an edit comprised of four posters in teal, grey-blue, and shades of brown. All have a beige background.

1: A small rectangular image of Joel Adama Gueye, a middle-eaged italian-senegalese model with light brown skin and dark, tightly curled hair pulled back and decorated with small metal pieces. He is looking up and to the left with a serious expression, and wears a large silver necklace. A blue piece of cloth unfolds behind him. The upper right corner of the image is framed with a layered teal and blue decoration, and text in the bottom left corner reads "alatar," with the first letter larger and in a teal gothic font with a brown shadow, while the rest is just teal and in a cursive script / 2: A rectangular image extending from the top right corner of the poster almost to the left. It shows blueish mountains wreathed in clouds and extending down to water. Teal text in a frame of the same color, partially layered over the image, reads "alatar" in the same format as Image 1, and below it, "also called Rómestámo, or east-helper, and Haimenar, meaning one who fares far, was a Maia of Oromë before undertaking the journey to Middle Earth as one of the five Istari. He strove valiantly to bring succor to the peoples of the East and frustrate the encroaching power of Mordor." The same decoration as in Image 1 is on the lower right corner of the frame / 3: Same format as Image 2, but reversed. This time, the image shows a street of blue buildings in a traditional north african style, and the large text reads "Pallando," and below it, "also called Morinehtar, or darkness-slayer, and Palacendo, meaning far-sighted one, was sworn to the service of Nessa. They traveled to Middle Earth at the behest of their friend and companion Alatar, and alongside the armies of the East proved themself a great warrior." / 4: Same format as Image 1, but the central picture shows Dua Saleh, a young sudanese person with dark skin and braided black hair. They are looking down and to the right, and wearing a white collared shirt and a silver piece of jewelry that extends across their face, as well as silver caps on their ears. Text reads "pallando" //End ID]

[the-bar-sinister]

The One Piece universe is, by and large, extremely hostile to, and hazardous to children. Basically every character we see as a child has had to raise themselves and act as an adult from a very young age. And because of that, I feel that it's really unfair to judge the teenage characters of One Piece as "children."

By the time we meet them at the beginning of the story in the East Blue saga, none of them are kids. That is to say, none of them have been living like children. They've been living, for the most part, as independent adults for years.

Nami (19) has been working for a villainous pirate gang for the last 10 years of her life, which, at least in recent times has involved going out sailing by herself, and grifting and stealing and generally living by her wits. She hasn't had an adult figure taking care of her since she was little when her mother figure died in front of her.

Zoro (19) has been making his living as a bounty hunter when we meet him in the series. We don't know how long he's been doing this, but it's not implied to be a short time. We also see him as a child completely without parents, showing up by himself to a martial arts temple. Zoro has been making his own way for a long time.

Sanji (19) we do admittedly meet while he's working for his father figure, and thus, we could say he has a little less life experience. On the other hand he's been working in professional kitchens since he was about 10 years old when he ran away from his abusive bio-father. So I'm not exactly inclined to say "Sanji's just a kid" either, especially when he has facial hair and a smoking habit and a 9-5 job.

Usopp (17) you can also make more of a case for "being a kid" except then you remember that he's been orphaned and on his own since he was a small child. We don't see any particular person having raised Usopp, he's just on his own and people in the village consider him a nuisance. 

And then there's Luffy (17). Luffy who was raised in a bar until the age 7, whereupon his child-beating grandfather abandoned him to a bandit clan, and he ran away to live in the woods. Luffy is not a child, he's feral.

Robin? Living on her own from age 10, hunted by the government.

Franky? Abandoned by his parents at age 10 and has held down an actual job ever since.

Yamato? The less said about his upbringing the better. (locked in a cave)

Miss Goldenweek/Marianne is working for a criminal organization at age 16.

Baby 5 was abandoned by her parents as a small child and immediately became a criminal assassin.

Let's not talk about Law's childhood! We can definitively say he's been a pirate on his own since he was 13 though!

Buggy and Shanks have one of the softest childhoods and they were literally raised as violent pirates.

Doflamingo and Rosinante were hunted down and viciously beaten by a mob as ten year old children, whereup one became a gangster and the other joined the military.

Speaking of Doflamingo, did you know the ages of the executives in the flashback when we meet them? Vergo (10) Pica (9) Diamante (15) Trebol (18).

All I'm saying is that the world of One Piece is as openly hostile to "children" as it is to adults, and it's unfair to infantilize people who have been living and working on their own for years due to how we would treat them at their age in our world.

[pseudopigeons]

I came up with maybe not a theory but more of just an observation that the east blue 5 seem to parallel the 5 love languages and it's kinda reframed all of their actions and behaviours towards each other so much for me on my watchthrough. Got brainworms from that one oda interview where he said zoro doesn't like verbally expressing gratitude and prefers to show appreciation through actions and it got me thinking

The 5 languages:

Physical touch - Luffy

Acts of service - Zoro

Quality time - Usopp

Receiving / giving gifts - Nami

Words of affirmation - Sanji

Funnily enough in OPLA we definitely see a lot of physical touch Luffy. He's always playfully punching or hugging crewmates, despite having known the crew for such a short time he's just instantly clingy and physically present around them in east blue.

Zoro is very much an actions person. He's a little emotionally constipated and doesn't verbalise his feelings very much, in fact that seems like the last thing he wants to do, but he will always be looking out for any member of the crew silently, and is almost always the first to spring into action when it's called for. He shows he cares through acts of service and being there for his captain and crew.

Usopps language being quality time is shown pretty well in syrup village with his relationship with Kaya. Kaya is a girl who has everything she could wish for financially, but ussop provides her with a much needed friend, someone to support her and just physically be present and talk to her. He risks so much just to make her smile because being there for his friends is such a crucial and important thing for him.

Nami's love language being giving/recieving gifts means so much to me because it is so often seen as the most shallow of the love languages and I have seen so many poor analysis and digs at Nami's character, reducing her to just being greedy and money hungry. Did they watch Arlong park with their eyes closed??? For Nami, gold or money is a means for her to provide for the people she cares about, to ensure their financial stability and freedom and to keep her crewmates fed and afloat. She spent so long scorned and alone and (believed she was) hated because she created this money hungry persona to save her village and to best Arlong. Every piece of gold she bled to get was meant for that end goal. Nami deserves the financial freedom and gold that being a strawhat pirate could give because for years and years every bit she earned was tucked away for the well-being of others and was then stolen from under her nose. (This paragraph got very long but I'm not sorry I am the captain of the Nami defense squad.)

And finally Sanji reflects words of praise as a love language. I think it's the most clear to see with how Sanji is so quick to praise any female character he comes into contact with, especially Nami, but I think it also reflects his strained relationship with zef while working at the baratie. Zeff is always verbally critical of Sanji as a way to rile him up and to encourage him to leave the restaurant. Zef weaponises what makes Sanji tick to antagonise him and tries to get him to leave that way, but Sanji is far too stubborn and feels too great a debt to leave.

I think east blue definitely shows the 5 dynamics in a pretty clear way and kinda helped me understand what makes the characters tick. Also why some of the characters end up butting heads or getting into arguments. They all show and recieve love in different way, sometimes there are misunderstandings or clashes but at the end of the day they all trust each other with their lives and it's such a strong bond.

Anyways I'll eventually draw some more OP but I'd love to hear any thoughts or other people's ideas if they have any on the matter. Sometimes I get analysis brainworms, and I first shared the idea on discord, but figured why not post it to Tumblr too

ALSO please if anyone has examples from the series that fit the love languages PLEASE share it, makes my heart oougggghhghg.

[loud-sound]

(part 1 of part 2!!)

for shits n giggles, i tried my hand at redesigning dr stone characters (read: three)

i have too many emotions when it comes to this show's character design lmao. a vicious hate-love of the century

a couple of my process notes if anyone's interested: (vague spoilers up to season 3 of the anime)

there's a criminal lack of skin tones that i immediately wanted to take advantage of; and before Certain People start saying race-swapping; none is happening here, it's all just taking account of tanning and sunburns. sunscreen is a thing of the past here and a lot of time is spent outdoors in order to gather food

dramatic shifts in skin tones from what's given at birth happen pretty frequently in real life even with A/C and sunscreen; a huge missed opportunity to play with this in the color department methinks, but here we are (don't even get me started on the massive range of skin tones in east asian genetics alone)

so i played around a bit with contrast, nothing outlandish aside from giving Kohaku noticeable sunburns and freckles from (1) having caucasian blood in her to begin with and (2) not having access to any of the skin products our moderners would have

that being said, realism in the clothing color department was just about entirely thrown out the window. the blue dyes we know about are nowhere (naturally) near Japan, and here Ishigami village is in canon with deep navy on every villager; Inagaki and Boichi decided realism specifically here wasn't as important as color symbolism (which i personally think was a good creative decision), so cut me some slack-

so for colors it was just my personal taste on streamlining the palettes-

Gen in particular i thought would benefit from exposed shoulders without taking away how he needs bigger sleeves to hide shit up there. a lot of the guys have plain shirts and sleeves or just go shirtless entirely and i felt like it'd be fun to have him wear something in between to really push the magician/entertainer vibe

hairstyles were changed mostly to be easier to draw and to make their silhouettes just a bit easier to distinguish from each other. (hair colors were untouched except for Kohaku, purely because i have a personal preference for the more natural blonde color than any actual design significance lmao)

partial exception for Kohaku, cuz it annoyed me that the other characters say she has super thick, unruly hair...but then her hair is drawn no differently from everyone else's 💀

didn't wanna play into the stereotype of naturally curly hair being seen as something to be fixed (especially within the context of a makeover-), so i tried to imply chronically unbrushed hairdsjfsdf

can you tell from how many bullets are here about Kohaku how i feel about her design? last thing: body types.

Gen is supposed to be significantly tall, Kohaku is one of the strongest characters while being one of the shortest; it is very hard to tell that from their designs alone. it's mostly just the limitations of Boichi's art style,,,proportions that's i'm aware is nitpicky, but i wanted to show it here anyway 💀💀💀

smth smth disclaimer about subjectivitydsfsdfsd-

uhhhh, congrats for reading all that, have some silhouettes!

[damthosefandoms]

Umm will you please feed us (ME) more content about how Soda changed after the war because I’m obsessed with the shift in his personality and how drastic it would be for the rest of the gang and how not only is it soda having to cope with his new self but everyone else too….

Like the fics of him being in Vietnam are usually a little 🤨😬 but the character exploration of him post homecoming…. I eat that shit up (but I think mainly because I love angst and specifically Sodapop angst)

man I can’t even lie to you. 90% of it was I listened to (the Big Time Rush cover of) Revolution by the Beatles and went “post-Vietnam soda would’ve loved this song.” so do with that what you will.

actually i will! the Beatles are notorious for being a Soc Thing in the book, it’s stated that the Greasers like Elvis but the Socs like the Beatles, and I’ve mentioned this before probably in some tags somewhere but I think Soda’s guilty pleasure is that he doesn’t actually like Elvis, he likes the Beach Boys and the Beatles. Personally, my parents grew up in the 60s/70s so my music taste is whatever they played in the car for me growing up and this is entirely me projecting but it feels in-character to me for Soda to love all kinds of music, so anyway. One day when he’s home he’s driving around with some of the gang and Revolution comes on and they’re booing it telling him to change the station bc it’s a Beatles song but he just very passive-aggressively turns the radio volume up because that song is literally a fuck you to the world for the Vietnam War. Soda likes the Beatles now. Something is clearly wrong in the world. But they can’t tell him to turn it off now bc he’s belting the lyrics because it’s like cathartic for him. They cut his hair short when he joined the army. They cut his hair short and as a greaser that’s all he had, and now this song is all he has, too.

the rest is under a read more bc this may get long lol.

Soda would’ve turned eighteen a year after the plot (so 1966 in the book/movie timeline, 1968 in the musical timeline and the musical is the one I go by personally), and in my head it’s all pretty fast; he’s drafted and sent away as soon as he turns eighteen. His birthday’s in October and he’s gone before Christmas. He doesn’t come back until maybe the next Christmas, maybe right after—and I go back and forth on this depending how I wanna play it but I think for the sake of the rest of the gang still seeing the greaser/soc thing as something that matters, he’s just over nineteen when he gets back, and that matters bc they’re all still pretty young.

And Ponyboy’s probably still home and in high school and definitely is still in Darry’s care (he’s 16 now). and anyway at some point Pony & Soda are walking home and get jumped bc people are still mad about Bob’s death, and Pony steps in front of Soda bc Soda’s still injured from whatever causes his medical discharge from the army (I’ll get around to that) but when the socs pull a knife Soda just watches them tiredly, and he’s like “ain’t y’all realized there’s worse shit in the world than what side of town ya live on?” and that’s when they clock his knee brace and the bags under his eyes, the buzzcut hair that looks so silly on an east-sider walking around town in a too-big flannel and blue jeans, his hair’s shorter than Pony’s was after his trip to Johnny’s barber shop. Soda never ever let anyone cut his hair. He was so proud of it.

But now he’s there and they see the dogtags hanging around his neck, not the old rusty ones he wore in school but shiny new ones with his name and blood type and religion (yes, that used to be on dogtags, idk if it still is or was in Vietnam but I know it was during the Korean War so they’d know what kind of last rites or whatever it’s called to do for you if you died) (I also grew up on reruns of M*A*S*H can you tell. Soda would’ve loved that show btw) branded on there and they hesitate and Pony grips Soda’s arm tight and tells the socs to scram and they do, cause once upon a time soda was known around Tulsa for never having lost a fight and now he’s got military training and a shit ton of trauma and a bad knee.

and yes i think he went home after a year bc he got shot in the knee! I think he had a bad knee anyway (from the rodeo injury mentioned in the book) but now it’s kind of. he’s either on crutches for the rest of his life or once he recovers as best he can it depends on the day if he needs crutches or a cane or what. in an au where Johnny and Dally live, Soda post-war & Johnny bond over their legs not working like they used to anymore!!!!!!

they also bond over knowing what it’s like to be so scared you end somebody’s life, but like, that is something I haven’t thought too much about yet and don’t have the energy to put brainpower into tonight lol but I know Johnny feels bad about relating to him for a bit about it bc Soda was “protecting his country” and Johnny just stabbed Bob to save Ponyboy and thinks it’s not the same. But Soda’s trying to explain to Johnny that the “protecting his country” thing is a load of crap and they never should’ve been in Vietnam in the first place.

I don’t think any of the gang would be pro-war at all, but it’s the sixties so we’re talking blind patriotism bc they just simply Do Not Pay Attention To Politics Outside Tulsa Very Often (they’d all be liberal in today’s society tho) but I think Soda is so radicalized into the anti-war movement by the time he comes home bc of what he experienced they’re all like “ooooookay slow it down and explain one more time.”

[natrogersfics]

The Anthology - Chapter 6: So High School

Artwork by @faith2nyc Read on AO3

“What are you looking at?”

A sheepish smile crosses Natasha’s lips. At some point, her head had found its way to his shoulder as they sat in the back of the cruising SUV, neither of them so much as flinching when his arm had come to wrap around her, holding her flush to his side. It’s dark save for the twinkling lights of the freeway, but if he notices the sudden rush of pink to her cheeks from having been caught gawking, he doesn’t say. “You.”

“Why?” he asks, and she can’t help but scoff at his genuine confusion.

“‘Cause look at you!” she exclaims with a giggle, only for the V between his brows to deepen further as he looks at her as though she’s absolutely lost it. She reaches up, cupping his face in her hand and running her thumb over the line of his jaw. The subsequent sigh that falls from her lips is a little too saccharine for comfort, but she can’t bring herself to care. She knows she’s not the only one that sees it. She could get out of this car at this very moment, walk up to the first person she comes across and know that they, too, would notice. “You, Steve Rogers, are frustratingly beautiful.”

He huffs, amusement coloring his expression. “You really are drunk outta your mind, aren’t you?”

She wanted to be. So damn much it hurt. At least then she could blame the alcohol for the warm, fuzzy feelings in her chest right now. That would be a more palatable explanation, surely. In reality, though, her buzz had started to subside by the time he’d put out the cigarette they’d been sharing, taking with it the courage she needs to actually speak the truth. But he didn’t have to be privy to that, so instead, she shows him her hand, bringing her thumb and index finger close but stopping just short of letting them touch. They both laugh – his sounding like music to her ears and causing her stomach to flutter with what feels like the wings of a million butterflies flapping away.

The arm he has draped over her pulls her closer, their faces so close now that she finds herself holding her breath. “Are you gonna kiss me?” she asks, the longing slipping right into her voice.

His lips quirk into a rueful smile. “No,” he whispers, but just as the sudden hurt from his response begins to wash over her, he adds, “But only because you might not remember it tomorrow. And I want you to remember it, Nat. So badly.”

As if she could forget. As if there’s enough alcohol in the world that could erase the feeling she got every time their lips met, their every kiss already seared indelibly into her brain. But admitting that now only feels as though it would hurt them somehow, so she chooses to simply nod, letting him pull her down to rest her head in his lap.

“Why are you doing this?” she finds herself asking a beat later, the playfulness in her tone and her will to keep up any pretenses suddenly gone. She asks because nothing about the way he’s been acting tonight makes any sense. She’s hurt him plenty these last few weeks with her lack of words and her every action. And while he hadn’t said it outright, hasn't accused her of doing so, he didn’t need to. She saw it – could still see it – in his face now, in the way his blue eyes just aren’t as bright as before. Even still, he’d been adamant about her not going home alone. Of shielding her from the cameras and the prying eyes, holding her close to him as he guided her out of the party and into the backseat.

This would cost him. He could be paying for this already, in this very instant, in fact. She’s as sure of it as the sun rising in the East come morning. The second the pictures of them find their way to someone’s screen, the collective rage will roar deafeningly. There won’t be a place to hide, and he has to know that, too.

So she wouldn’t really blame him if he changed his mind. If this is merely his way of extending a courtesy to her, one human to another. If, after he drops her off at her rental, she never hears from him again. It’s what others have done, regardless of how steadfast they had proclaimed their constitution to be. Sooner or later, her baggage always gets too heavy for someone else to bear. And yet, as she stares at him, her question hanging in the air between them, she finds herself desperately hoping – coveting – a different ending.

He runs his fingers through her hair, the sincerity in his eyes so frighteningly clear that it makes her own sting with tears. “You know why.”

It’s not until she stumbles out of bed the next morning, relying on her muscle memory to lead her as she pads her way out of her room in search of some aspirin, that she truly understands. For there, on her couch, she finds him slumbering still in his clothes from last night. Instantly, everything from her fears, valid as they still are, to the throbbing in her temples suddenly feels inconsequential in that moment. And for the first time in weeks, it’s as though she’s remembering what it’s like to breathe.

She makes her way to him, reaching for the throw draped on the back of the couch. He stirs as she lays it over him, and she watches as his eyes flutter open to reveal her favorite shade of blue.

“Hi,” he says, his voice still gravelly with sleep. “How are you feeling?”

“Better than I deserve,” she admits, prompting them both to smile. He shifts closer to the back of the couch, his hand patting the small space he creates, and despite her initial reluctance, she finds herself settling down next to him. “You stayed.”

His hand finds hers. “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”

Chapter 5 | Chapter 7

[skygemspeaks]

okay so after seeing all of the first three episodes again last night with friends and falling even more in love with the cast than before, i finally got around to episode 4 today. some thoughts:

i can't gush enough about the set design, it's all absolutely gorgeous. i was completely in love with the little clearing where young zoro and kuina have their match, just seeing the sunlight filtering through the trees...it really gives off that kind of nostalgic, romantic feeling that you get when you think back to a simpler time in your life. and of course, kaya's mansion is gorgeous! it doesn't look like yet another generic rich person mansion. it has character! i loved all the wall art in their dining room, i like the orderly yet cozy cluttered feeling of the kitchen, i love how it all feels lived in, like it has a history

talking more about the technical aspects, i love the costume design too! i like the slightly too clean look of the marine uniforms - it brings notice to the fact that these are new cadets who don't have much fighting history. i like that both nami and sham get to wear practical clothes! no stupid high heels for nami! no short shorts!

i didn't mention this last time, but i LOVE jacob's version of usopp. it's crazy that they managed to find a guy who can do usopp's over the top facial expressions in real life. they really lucked out with this entire main cast, i can't imagine literally anyone else playing our beloved straw hats. i hope we can see at least one more season, and i hope i adore robin and chopper just as much as i love these the east blue crew

as sad as it is, i'm glad that it seems like merry really is dead. i like this more brutal direction for the live action, because it feels like there are actual consequences for them, and i like that you can't take for granted that just because someone survived in the manga/anime, it means they'll survive in the live action too

the child actors are a little stiff, but i think they're really doing a good job given how young they are! young zoro's actor was definitely doing a better job that kojiro's. he sold his grief over kuina's death very well

speaking of koshiro, i still fuckin hate that dude. he did kuina so dirty with his sexism, convincing her she had no future as a swordswoman, making her believe that she could never stand up to men.

i think having koby and helmeppo show up at kaya's mansion and inevitably get duped by kuro was a good choice. it lets koby get a little more experience in a leadership position, and more than that, it helps establish usopp's distrust of the marines. from the beginning he was always interested in the romantic view he had of pirates because of his dad, but seeing that the marines failed him, even after they said they would help him, and that they didn't believe him no matter how much he begged them to, it helps establish a reason for him to go along with the pirates when they invite him to. the marines didn't do shit to protect kaya, but luffy and his friends did everything they could. they loved kaya, maybe not as much as usopp, but they wanted her to be safe.

side note, it's kind of hilarious to think about helmeppo trying to kill luffy, and then going back to the ship and finding out that he's garp's grandson 💀💀

when we are! started playing in the background as the going merry set sail for the first time with her crew...i cried, i'm not ashamed to admit it. gosh, i missed her, and i miss the first opening. it's so nice to see her get to go on more adventures with her crew in this new medium! i know some people were unhappy with her figurehead, but i just adore it, it suits her crew well

luffy's little shit-eating grin when kaya just gives them merry for free, and nami being just SO exasperated because he's gonna be so insufferable now, it made me laugh so hard! i love these idiots

when usopp and luffy were arguing about which one of them was captain, and nami just burst out laughing? and then zoro started chuckling too? that was so healing! they've already had good chemistry so far, and they've shown loyalty, but it's so nice to finally see zoro and nami kind of starting to admit that they do like these people they've become friends with, and it's nice to see that they're coming around to how much they care about luffy

i was a little iffy about them doing the garp reveal at the end. my first instinct was to be really annoyed by it, but after thinking on it for a moment, it honestly does make sense. in the first place there wasn't really a plot reason to put off the reveal until post enies lobby anyways. and then you also have to take into account that it would be a huge success if we ever even get a second season, let alone reaching post enies lobby. so it's not ideal, but i'm not too upset at them about it. ALSO, seeing zoro, nami, and usopp's reaction to the news was fucking hilarious. i hope we get some good dynamics in the next episode! i want to see garp call luffy his idiot grandson. i want that funny family dysfunction.

[buggyswritingcorner]

My huntress

I did a little bit of a twist on the readers parents :D

Neteyam x !RareColoringOmaticayaReader, sweet fluff

masterlist

You had been hunting in the forest for a good few days. Riding your Pa'li between the thick greenery of the rainforest. Your skin had been dealt a few scratches and your squad was getting tired.

As the leader of your hunter squad you had to know many things. Even knowing when to return to the safety and warmth of your home.

So you set out on the journey back. Your hunt had promised a feast the whole village. Na'vi only took what they needed so the gatherers would bring much more.

As you rode into the village your people cheered greetings, celebrating your return. Your cerulean eyes searched for one person only.

He stood next to his brother and sulked. He had gotten injured on his last hunt so he had to recover in the village the past few weeks. Thankfully his leg was not fractured.

You pitied him, you yourself wouldn't know what to do if you couldn't go into the forest.

You dropped off your horse and jogged up to the brothers.

The feast was soon prepared and continued long into the night. Soon the sky was covered in green hues and most of the clan sat around to watch the dance of colors.

Neteyam found you in the crowd, took your hand and led you through the forest.

"Come I know a good place."

You smiled casting your eyes onto the grass beneath your feet. His hand felt very warm and maybe a little sweaty.

You reached your destination as he led you onto the branches of a particularly massive tree. You looked to where the light was bouncing off the pond water the cyan blues reflecting in your eyes.

Neteyam couldn't look away. He was absolutely enamoured with you ever since he had met you as a child.

Your avatar - like that of Jake's had five fingers. What Jake did not share was your lighter tinted skin and eyes that resembled the coastal beaches of the east.

You were once a human child brought into life on Pandora. You were much too weak and so your mother a great scientist created an avatar from your DNA. As soon as your human body showed signs of distress you were transferred into the avatar.

His three fingered hands held yours. Even though your fingers surrounded his own, his hand was still considerably larger.

He stopped in front of a plant pod and climbed in. The plant resembled a hammock sofly swinging side to side with your movements.

Sitting with your legs crossed in front of each other you stared at him waiting for an explanation.

An then you got impatient.

"Why did you take me here Nete."

"Can I not enjoy time alone with my favorite huntress?"

"Not without reason I am a very busy woman."

"I have many reasons."

"Such as?"

Pause.

One heartbeat.

Two heartbeats.

Three hea-.

"I missed you."

His voice was quiet. Even the droplets of humidity were almost louder as they tapped on the leaves.

Your eyebrows scrunched in confusion. Not that you weren't glad to hear.

"Don't you always?"

"It's been different."

"How."

"I do not know myself. How can I miss someone.. so deeply." His ear twitched. His eyes were glued onto the bark of the tree.

"I am glad to hear."

"Glad to hear of my pain? You at least had the hunt to distract you but what of me and my limp?"

You giggled at his childish antics.

"It's your own fault you got ballsy my friend."

He frowned at that. Huh.

"What is it? Are you not happy to be called my friend." You held your breath in anticipation. Could his feelings have changed?

"I'm glad. Of course. Yeah." Five heartbeats passed before his eyes finally shifted to yours. Beautiful pools of honey illuminated by swirls of blues.

You knew exactly what he wanted. You recognized the solemm look from your very own reflection. Truthfully you had thought about it far too often yourself. Even feeling restless at night with worried thoughts.

And so with the confirmation you needed you proceeded to move closer. The pod wobbled with your attempts and you half fell onto Neteyam.

You mentally facepalmed. Eywa take me now you thought with embarrassment.

He just chuckled and hugged your frame.

"No need for jumping me my huntress I would offer myself to you freely." His smile was teasing. His eyes crinckled around the corners just the way you loved.

Rolling your eyes you pulled yourself upright careful to not hurt his almost healed leg. You leaned in slowly. He held his breath trying to contain his excitement, it was adorable. First kissed his eyelids, then his cheeks and nose and lastly the lips.

Gently pecking them at first soon your lips brushed like tiny waves.

His hands soon started playing with your braids and you reached for your braid. Placing it over your collarbone you pulled away and stared at him.

His eyes widened and he flushed.

"You.. I.. You would want to?"

You were very well aware of your gesture. Creating a Tsaheylu with another Na'vi meant you were mated for life, connected, inseparable.

"I see you, Neteyam."

And so the bond was made. And you knew your fates would be intertwined and you would both meet your end together.