#i could have gone in so many different ship directions with this

[five-rivers]

This is the poll to determine the second main plot point for my experimental audience participation fic (search 'experimental fic' on my blog for more information). This poll is being held because the runners-up options were too close to call. While runners-up on this poll will not be included in the fic from the beginning as a main plot point, I will write a mini fic for each as a thank you for participating.

Submitted propaganda and prompt credits are under the cut below the poll.

Send me an ask if you have any questions!

Prompt credits: @axion-labs, @trinoxtrinox, @icos-x, @jackdaw-sprite

Propaganda for the Pitch Pearl prompt (via @axion-labs):

- Rivers said in the initial post that started all this that they wanted practice writing ships, so you’ll be doing them a favor (I can’t fathom why Rivers of all people claims to need practice, just look at the 400 fics they’ve written, but whatever) - The first place plot is Danny concerningly oversharing, which plays well into a toxic relationship (or a perceived toxic because ghost shenanigans? Lots of directions to go with it) - Over-possessive relationships are so much fun with ghosts involved! A ghosts’ obsession, the core of their being, becoming another person? - Please?

Propaganda for the Ancient Adoption prompt (via @trinoxtrinox):

Rivers is the ruler and monarch for soft body horror, they have already made many stories where Danny has changed slowly and those stories are always a beauty. Now imagine how far it would go when Danny is under the influence of MANY DIFFERENT GHOSTS, Danny truly is made of playdough and he's being molded by so many hands that anything is possible.

Propaganda for Amity Lair prompt (via @bonuscatart):

I've seen fics where Amity is Danny's haunt, but I don't think I've read one where it's his lair. It would be cool to see how Amity is affected by something usually in the Ghost Zone

Propaganda for Field Trip Gone Wrong prompt (via @jackdaw-sprite):

- It plays very well with the first place winner, which is Danny saying too many alarming things to the wrong person. Who is that person? Any one of his classmates, or Mr. Lancer. Or all of them! Imagine the chaos! - It's got a built in explanation for why Danny is even saying these things! He's trapped and can't redirect attention away from himself! It's got drama! it's got confrontation! - We don't torment Danny socially nearly enough - Imagine being a teenager who has managed to fuck up badly enough at keeping your mouth shut that at least one of your classmates and possibly your entire class is trying to get answers out of you. Despite being in a Situation. Mortifying! - It's even worse when you've got ghost powers you are theoretically very practiced at hiding. That you're worried might result in dissection if they come out - Only maybe half of Danny's classmates are normal about Phantom. imagine how Dash, Paulina, Valerie, and maybe even Wes would react in this situation. imagine all of them effectively locked in a bottle with Danny at the same time as he tries and fails to keep his secret. - We don't torment Danny socially nearly enough. I already said that but I think now you understand exactly what kind of torment this is, and how fun it would be to watch him squirm. - If you vote for this, we could get Rivers to do this to Danny. Imagine.

[mahoganyrust]

So Im new to the httyd fandom and I was curious about the hijack ship. I don’t think Jack Frost is in httyd. Was it just one of those things where you saw Rise of the Guardians and thought Jack would go well with Hiccup? I’m just curious. ☺️

Hiiii. So I’m definitely not the one that came up with Hijack XD The ship has been around for over a decade now it’s not exactly news. But I understand when ppl first come across it it seems strange so I’ll give you a rundown.

And you’d be right. Jack isn’t in httyd and nor is Hiccup in Rotg. So in the fanon community, this is what we call a ‘rare pair’ or aka, a ship that crosses fandoms and is made up mostly of fanon content. It might seem strange but it happens a lot. It’s fanon. And crossovers are the traditional crux fun of fanfiction so it’s not that weird.

Hijack is heavily associated with a very popular quadruple crossover known as ROTBTD or Rise of The Brave Tangled Dragons. This is an intersection between Disney Merida and Rapunzel with Dreamworks Jack and Hiccup. Rotbtd went craaaazyy in the 2010s and there’s a lot of different content with fics and fanart.

From this, some ppl often ship Jackunzel or Mericup or etc etc you get the idea there’s a lot of different dynamics.

I never really dove too heavily into the rotbtd stuff but I’m still familiar.

So that’s the history. As for Jack and Hiccup? They’re weird as hell I get it lmao. Like wtf is this? XD.

Hiccup’s married with kids. Jack’s in the modern era etc. They have a lot of canon hurdles so why do people ship them?

My answer?

They work.

They work together so well in so many different ways that it takes over your brain. Hijack grows on you bit by bit.

As for what they have in common. They’re both big fliers and adrenaline junkies. They both question their purpose. They both know what it’s like to lose family. They both have gone through years of loneliness. Jack is a guardian, Hiccup is a chief - they’re both protectors. They’re both fighters. They’ve both been suddenly shunned after feeling like they were finally beginning to belong. They both have issues with footwear (lmao sorry). Hiccup creates inventions, Jack creates frosty art and fun with his powers. They both do their character development by a lake in a forest lol. They both have burly accented father figures XD. Jack is the boy who fell into icy water. Hiccup is the boy who fell into blazing fire.

There’s a beautiful parallel in lines here.

Rotg: “Jack Frost is many things, but he is not a guardian.”

Httyd: “You are many things Hiccup, but a dragon killer is not one of them.”

And they both originate each from their own book series that got adapted.

And that’s just the factual stuff. When it comes to their personalities whooowheeeeee.

From the last decade I’ve seen lots of stuff that does them a disservice when ppl reduce Jack to the outgoing ‘jokester’ and Hiccup to the introvert ‘nerdy guy’. In the earlier days some ppl were shipping httyd1 Hiccup, which personally I find extremely weird. Never engaged with that lol. After httyd2 came out that disappeared mostly but still it’s unsettling.

Anyways I don’t like the simplification of their characters and prefer when maybe older creators can take them in a more emotionally complex direction and when they do ohhhh my goddddddd. You end up with storytelling masterpieces with amazing character dimensionality.

I could go on for hours. There’s just something about them. It’s hard to put it into a single word but when they’re done right they just work.

[goldenrulemotherfucker]

Ghoulcy: Why?

Okay, I've had this in my drafts for ages and I'm going to use the show's first anniversary as an excuse to hit post. (Important disclaimer that I'm just one person who enjoys this ship. Whatever appeals to you about ghoulcy and their dynamic is good and valid and worthy of exploration even if it's completely different from me!)

In my first watch, I immediately clocked this as the breakout ship for this show. She's a sunshine nerd with a lot of courage; he's a broody loner with a complicated past and a fucked up face. (Can I make it anymore obvious?) They have that ETL potential that is ship kryptonite for so many people, plus a lot of shared screentime thanks to a hostile forced proximity scenario followed by a profound act of kindness. When I hit the finger-sewing scene, where we see that Cooper will literally have a piece of Lucy attached to him him at all times, I laughed out loud. I wasn't actively on board yet, but I knew there was no way this ship wouldn't catch on like wildfire. Truly, if you watched this entire show and you've been active in fandoms for at least a few years, I genuinely don't know how ghoulcy's popularity could possibly come as a surprise at all.

So, there I was on my couch thinking, "oh yeah people are FOR SURE going to want them to take the F train to Pound Town," but that was still in third person since I was naively referring to other people who weren't me. ETL isn't typically my own weakness, so I thought I was safe. I loved all three main characters, but I wasn't feeling super shippy about anyone, just impressed by the show and performances and curious to see what unfolded.

Then I watched ✨ the finale. ✨

For me, Lucy and Cooper's final scene is the hook that makes them not just ship-worthy but brain-melting. Four eps earlier, the moment where she shows him kindness (and saves his life) by giving him the chem vials is a great scene on its own, but the show gives us an even better payoff: Cooper invites her to travel with him by choice this time, warning her that she's in danger and offering to help her find the answers she's seeking. And, fully of her own free will, Lucy does follow him. This could have easily gone differently! Lucy could have looked at him and said "I'm not going anywhere with you" and escaped in another direction. But after his final question, "You comin'?" (which is delivered with the soft earnestness an actor might also use for lines like "I'm sorry" and/or "Please"), she weighs her options and goes with him. This is, inherently, an act of trust for both of them, which is a brand new element for these two. Safe to say I wasn't laughing anymore. Ahem.

Oh, and it also turns out there are roughly 60493 parallels between these two that you only fully catch on rewatches, not to mention tons of foreshadowing, and suddenly their unlikely alliance starts to feel A LOT like fate, which............IS my kyrptonite. ❤️‍🔥

[hannahbarberra162]

Will EP omega reader meet the whitebeard pirates? How would shanks react?

Hi Nonnie!

This was originally the trajectory before I decided to take it in a different direction. Not all the WBP since this story is set after the Paramount Wars and they’re disbanded but I was going to have the Reader meet Marco….

This is an alternate ending so not as proofread / edited. This is set after Reader has come to from the heat (you’ll get that scene in the next chapter - which, yes, I am writing). Shanks is a bad boy in this one, don't come for me.

I'm not gonna do the tag list for this (except @mfreedomstuff ) since it's not a chapter of the main story. I do have a few more ideas / scenes I thought of for this maybe I'll write them eventually.

All the actual chapters

~

Shanks POV

Your first heat had gone well by Shanks’s estimation. The physical demands were rough on you, you had been sleeping and eating in excess since it ended to make up for the days on end with little of either. He’d also had to recuperate after your heat but because you began heat in a worse state it was taking you longer to get to your baseline. He checked on you every hour or so as you slept, bringing you food and water as you needed it. You protested with a groan as he checked your temperature and breathing but allowed him to move you as he pleased like a limp rag doll. 

There was one thing that bothered him though - the bite mark from Kid still hadn’t healed. He’d given you his word during the heat that he wouldn’t claim you but he didn’t like seeing the bite from your former Alpha. He’d already spoken with Hongo about it already but the doctor said there wasn’t anything to do except wait.

Unless.

Shanks had known Marco the Phoenix since he was a child, the former Commander slipping in and out of his life like the tide. They weren’t friends exactly but Shanks had offered Marco the opportunity to join his crew many times. He’d slept with Marco a few times over the years and Shanks deeply enjoyed the experience - though they sometimes fought for dominance.

But there was something in Shanks that had always wanted to bring Marco to heel. Marco acted like he was above Shanks, like he was better than him. He always had too, enjoying being the golden child of Whitebeard for years after Shanks had to watch his own Captain publicly executed by Marines. Even after Whitebeard’s death Marco hadn’t joined Shanks’s crew which stung his ego. It didn't help that Marco’s Zoan form had an ethereal beauty like no other and it only elevated his charm and charisma. Marco was powerful, strong, handsome and well respected outside of his piracy for his skills as a physician. Unlike others, Marco wasn't fooled by Shanks's games and lackadaisical attitude and saw right through him. No, Marco needed to be shown his place in the world but the opportunity hadn’t arisen. 

Regardless, Marco could heal the bite on your neck in seconds if he visited the ship. Mulling over the idea, Shanks decided to call and see if Marco could fly out. The ship wasn’t that far from Sphinx, Marco could make the trip quickly if he so chose. Grabbing his snail off his desk, he dialed and waited.

“Oi, Marco. How are you?” Shanks asked the calm looking snail as the call was picked up.

“Shanks, to what do I owe the pleasure yoi? What do you want from me?” Marco responded dryly, already anticipating a request. The snail was looking over at something else as Marco continued to work through the call.

“Maybe I just want to see how you’re doing, call up an old friend,” Shanks teased before turning serious. “I am happy to hear you’re doing well, but you’re right, I need a favor. I have an Omega on my ship and she has a wound that’s not healing -”

“Is it not healing or not healing fast enough for you yoi?” the Phoenix interrupted, still not giving Shanks his full attention as he continued to read. Shanks’s irritation was rising but he buried it deep, he wanted Marco’s help.

“It was an infected claiming bite that didn’t take. She just went through heat and it was bothering her, she kept rubbing at it until it was raw. I had to Command her to stop before she left it alone. She’s still recovering - her previous Alpha beat the shit out of her, she was barely alive when I found her,” Shanks said with a frown on his face. Marco was a lot softer than people knew - he was sympathetic to weaker people suffering at the hands of those who were stronger. Shanks knew adding in the bits about your status would tip the scales in his favor. The snail sighed and looked at Shanks with its heavy lidded stare.

“How is she now?” Marco asked, the doctor in him rising to the surface. Shanks gloated internally as he knew he had Marco hook, line, and sinker.

“She’s sleeping a lot, eating when she wakes. It was her first heat - she’d been taking suppressants for years on end so it was particularly rough. I think she’d return to normal faster if she wasn’t also healing the bite,” Shanks mused aloud, knowingly ensnaring the former Commander further.

“Hm. And I suppose you want me to come heal her despite the fact that Hongo likely told you to wait it out yoi,” Marco said with a frown. Shanks smiled brightly, Marco correctly guessing the desired outcome.

“Well, if you’re offering…” Shanks said, letting the sentence dangle. He waited in silence, knowing Marco was going to accept.

“Where are you?” Marco asked in a huff, crossing his arms.

“Not too far from Sphynx, maybe a day’s flight away,” Shanks said jovially. 

“Fine. Head towards the island, I’ll get the coordinates from Benn. You owe me.” Marco said with finality before hanging up the snail. Shanks’s smile widened even further.

Your POV

You heard an unfamiliar male voice near the entrance of the cabin. New men weren’t something with a positive association for you but this voice was melodious, almost like a bird song, the person speaking with soothing calm. Listening in, you heard the Emperor speaking to the man like they were old friends. A knock on the cabin door alerted you that they were about to come in so grabbed the blankets and pulled them up to cover your nakedness. You hadn’t worn clothes since before your heat and all that you had were the Emperor’s.

“We’re coming in,” announced the Emperor brightly. As the door opened you saw a man as tall as Benn standing behind the Emperor. His teal eyes met yours and the world stopped for a moment. You’d never seen someone so beautiful in your life, his wanted posters not capturing his true essence. You knew it was Marco the Phoenix but you couldn’t bring yourself to say a single word. You nearly uncovered yourself to walk to him but stopped yourself at the last moment. He wasn’t speaking to you either, standing in shocked silence by the doorway with a stethoscope wound around his neck.

The Emperor looked between you and Marco and started talking but you weren’t listening. All you wanted to do was talk to Marco, to bare your soul to him, even though you’d never met before. He smelled like coconut, pineapple and a touch of spiced rum. You had the urge to lick his scent glands, to bask in the glorious smell of this Alpha. You’d never felt this way with any other Alpha - certainly not with Kid but also not with the Emperor. He walked towards you hesitantly, like you’d bolt if he moved too quickly. You watched his graceful movements as Marco approached, entranced by his very being. The Emperor suddenly put two fingers under your chin and tilted your face to his own. 

“Have you met Marco already?” he asked with a tight smile that didn’t reach his eyes. You noted his stiff shoulders and dominant body language. The Emperor was annoyed and in a dangerous mood, you thought to yourself. Marco forgotten for the moment, you nuzzled into his hand - an act that he’d praised you for before.

“N-no. I was just distracted,” you said quickly, afraid to admit you were staring at the handsome stranger. Your proactive touch mollified the Emperor somewhat as he dragged his thumb up and down your cheek.

“I apologize for startling you yoi. Like Shanks said, I’m Marco. I’m a doctor -”

“And a pirate,” Shanks added, giving Marco a smirk. Marco gave the Emperor a disdainful look.

“Yes, and a pirate yoi. I used to be Whitebeard’s First Division Commander, but that’s in the past. Now I’m just a doctor,” Marco said with a calm smile. 

“I’m not so sure, maybe we can finally convince you to join our ranks after all,” Shanks continued, giving Marco a strange look. Marco returned Shanks’s look with one of his own. You weren’t sure what was being communicated between the two men but you didn’t want to be in the middle of it. Cringing backwards, you covered yourself up further with the blankets. Marco’s gaze flicked to your face and his countenance softened. 

“It’s alright, I’m going to take a look at you yoi. I heard you have a wound that isn’t healing, is that right?” Marco said, pulling a pair of gloves from the pocket of his doctor’s coat. He sat down next to you on the bed, still towering over you with his tall frame.You nodded, moving your hair to the side so Marco could see the wound still left from Kid. He sucked in a deep breath through his nose and put on the gloves.

“I’m going to touch you now, just around the bite, OK?” he said to you softly. You nodded again and shifted towards him in the bed to allow him easier access to your neck. The Emperor moved and leaned against the opposing wall of the cabin, watching Marco’s every move with barely concealed interest. You weren’t sure what he was thinking but you hoped nothing bad came to Marco because of it.

Marco moved his fingers along the stitches Hongo had given you, pushing on the wound in a few spots. His assessment was clinical but it was the most caring anyone had touched you in a long time. He hummed to himself before placing the buds of the stethoscope in his ears. 

“I’m going to listen to your heart and lungs yoi. I’ll press the bell of the stethoscope against your skin a few times and listen, OK?” You nodded eagerly, waiting for the contact to continue. You knew what stethoscope usage entailed but it was thoughtful that Marco described what he was going to do anyway. You pulled the blankets down further than you needed to give Marco access to your chest and back.

“How’s she doing?” Shanks interrupted, sitting himself next to your other side on the bed and putting your hand in his own. Marco removed your hand and returned it to a resting position.

“Shh. I’m listening,” Marco said, dismissing the Emperor. You were sure Marco was hearing your heart beating fast from Marco rebuking the Emperor. You’d never heard anyone speak to him that way - even though his crew were relaxed and casual they always maintained an air of respect towards him. Marco on the other hand was irritated with the Emperor and didn't hesitate to make his feelings known.

Marco placed his fingertips on your back, his warm touch gentling you to the sensation of the cold stethoscope. As he listened, you saw his eyes rove over your well loved body from the heat. Your gaze dropped and your cheeks heated as you looked over all the hickeys and bite marks over your front from your heat with the Emperor.

“One more deep breath, there we go,” Marco said soothingly, rubbing a small circle on your back. You did as he said and he removed the stethoscope from his ears.

“I can heal the wound yoi. Like I already said, it was healing just fine on its own. You were too rough with her during her heat. Look at her, she’s covered in bruises and bites. If she’s already healing wounds you shouldn’t add more. Control yourself,” Marco continued, giving the Emperor a dirty look. You hugged your knees with your arms and ducked your head for the ensuing confrontation.

But none ever came. Instead you heard the Emperor’s laugh ring out in the cabin.

“Eh, it was more difficult than I thought. Would you care to find out?” 

Marco POV

There was no doubt in his mind the cowering little Omega was his fated mate. He wondered if you could feel the connection too but given your acute distress and prior experiences he doubted it. He felt a pull to you, he was drawn to you like a moth to a flame. It was like some missing piece of him had settled in his soul and he was finally complete, after looking for something he didn’t know was gone. You were absolutely breathtaking, even littered in the evidence of harsh treatment by other Alphas. His first instinct had been to whisk you away on the wings of the Phoenix far from Shanks, back to his home on Sphynx where he could claim you and keep you safe. Alas, things would not be so simple in the real world.

Your scent soured as Shanks extended Marco a crass invitation to have sex with you. Marco highly doubted that he’d shared you before - Shanks was covetous and jealous by nature. Even now while Marco was attending to you as a medical professional Shanks was inserting himself unnecessarily to gain your attention. Shanks hid his true colors under the guise of an easy going and amicable nature but Marco knew better. He was cold and calculating, always seeking what he didn’t have. Which is why he’d never joined Shanks’s crew despite the many offers or dallied with him more than a few times. Shanks never let something that he wanted slip through his fingers and Shanks wanted Marco.

Marco’s hackles rose but he pushed the feeling down. He needed to play nicely with Shanks and think his plans through before he acted. No matter what Shanks did or said, Marco wasn’t strong enough to take him on. He’d lived with an Emperor for long enough to know that Shanks was in a class of his own and even the Immortal Phoenix could be killed by his hands. Instead, Marco put his hand on your shoulder and stood up, inserting himself between you and the Emperor.

“I’ll heal her now then let’s chat outside for a few minutes yoi,” he said to Shanks with a neutral expression. He turned to you and gave you a warm smile, trying to convey his love and kindness in a single facial expression. He thought he saw the flicker of a smile on your sweet mouth.

“I’m going to use my Devil Fruit powers to heal you. It won’t hurt so you don’t need to worry,” Marco said, already trying to heal your growing anxiety. You nodded at him and your shoulders relaxed slightly, revealing the ugly bite on your neck. Something part of him was pleased you weren’t claimed by Shanks but Marco didn’t think it was due to benevolence on Shanks’s part. Marco knew you’d be claimed in the next heat whether you wanted it or not. His gift worked best on skin to skin but he didn’t want to make you too uncomfortable. 

“I’ll be on the deck. Don’t enjoy yourselves too much,” Shanks said with a wink. Marco wanted to throttle him right there - couldn’t he smell what his remarks did to you? How afraid and small they made you feel? But even so Marco was thankful for the reprieve from Shanks’s presence. The Captain swaggered away after patting your head like a beloved dog, slamming the door to the cabin behind him.

“Nothing is going to happen that I haven’t already told you. I’m going to heal you with my powers and that will be all. I do have to touch you and it works best if it’s nearest to the injury. May I heal your neck?” Marco explained in a calm and patient voice. Giving you expectations of what he would do might quell your anxiety. You nodded once more, still not speaking. Marco reached slowly for your neck, one of his hands large enough to wrap around nearly the whole thing. The other he placed on your upper back to steady your erratic breathing. In his heart he wanted to pull you in for a soul searing kiss but he’d have to deal with Shanks first.

“Easy, easy. I’m going to begin, alright? It might feel strange but it doesn’t hurt,” Marco said as his flames began to rise over your neck and upper chest. Your eyes opened wide and you tried to swivel your head as you were engulfed in his power but Marco kept you steady. “It’s alright, shh, it’s alright. Relax, just relax, nothing bad will happen yoi,” Marco cooed at you as you ceased looking around like a frightened rabbit. He didn’t want you to struggle against him, nothing in him could ever hurt you. You soon allowed him to heal you without worry, closing your eyes and leaning into his touch.

Marco focused first on the bite but extended the flames to the rest of your body as well. He healed all the marks Shanks had left until there was no sign that you’d ever been intimate with the Emperor. Before removing his hand from your neck he felt something unusual.

“Do you have an old injury here yoi? To your larynx perhaps?” Marco asked quietly while palpating the area, not wanting to alarm you. You looked down and nodded again. 

“Would you like me to heal it? I’m not sure it will work completely but it may help,” Marco offered. He’d learned over the years that some people preferred their scars and marks to remain as momentos or as badges of honor. Though injuries like the one you had to your throat were rarely something worth remembering. 

“Yes, please,” you rasped. Marco tried to heal your broken vocal chords and damaged neck to the best of his ability, sending wave after wave of healing flames to the area. All too soon, the healing was complete and he had to go deal with Shanks.

“How do you feel now?” Marco asked, removing his hands completely from you. They itched to remain on your skin but he wanted to give you the space you needed.

“Much better, thank you,” you said, reaching to touch the now healed bite on your neck. He’d only heard your voice briefly when you were trying to soothe Shanks’s ego but it sounded smoother already. 

“Unfortunately it did scar a bit due to the age and severity of the injury but the scar should fade somewhat over time,” Marco said as your nimble fingers probed the area. You stretched your limbs and gave him a ghost of a smile, looking up at him through your lashes.

“Thank you Marco,” you said softly. Marco had so much he wanted to say and do but the Emperor was waiting for his audience.

“I’ll be with Shanks if you need me,” Marco said, rising from the bed. He felt your eyes watching him as he crossed the messy cabin and left, closing the door softly.

Shanks was sitting at the circular table on the deck, his ochoko filled with sake. His calves were resting on the table and his arm was behind his head in a relaxed pose as he watched the sea. To most, it would look like he didn’t have a care in the world. But Marco knew Shanks was toying with him, like a cat would a mouse before the death blow. Benn was reading the paper next to his Captain and gave Marco a pleasant nod when the two made eye contact. Marco returned it. 

“We have a lot to talk about,” Shanks said, still gazing at the sea. Benn took that as his cue to leave, folding his paper in half and tucking it under his arm. He gave Marco a clap on the shoulder as he passed.

“She had greater injuries than you told me yoi,” Marco complained as he sat down in the now unoccupied chair. 

“Yeah, she was pretty busted up when I found her. I took her from Kid - not sure if you knew him, I didn’t before then -” 

“She’s my fated mate,” Marco cut off Shanks, wanting to get to the heart of the matter. He was loath to play Shanks’s games but for now he’d have to endure. Shanks grinned a toothy smile and lifted his feet off the table, planting them on the deck. He crossed his legs at the ankles and sat up, picking up his ochoko.

“Hm, fate is a cruel mistress. Since the Celestial Dragons interfered with the mating process, fated mates have become an old wives tale, a bedtime story for children. They say when an Alpha finds their mate they would do anything to stay by their side and keep them safe. That a bonded Alpha and Omega share the same lifeline, their chests beating with the same heart. So how fitting that a myth should become real for someone so mythical,” Shanks said, swirling his sake in the small cup. The Emperor’s eyes danced with mirth as Marco watched him take a drink from the ochoko. Marco felt like a snare was tightening around his ankle, like a wild animal stuck in a trap it would never be able to get out of. 

“You’re not going to release her yoi. Are you going to claim her?” Marco asked, already knowing the answer to both questions.�� 

“No, she’s staying with me. As for claiming,” Shanks said before draining his cup, “I will during her next heat. But so can you.” Marco didn’t react outwardly, keeping his face still as his heart threatened to burst out of his chest. Shanks refilled his glass to the brim with sake.

“I did some research and it seems Omegas can be claimed by two Alphas. But I found out something even more interesting. Did you know Apex Alphas can claim other Alphas?” Shanks said, pouring sake into an empty ochoko. Picking it up, he extended it to Marco. The implication was clear - Marco would be able to claim you if Shanks claimed Marco. Marco would never be able to leave Shanks though he was unsure of other possible ramifications.

“We’ve had fun before, eh Marco? I think adding an Omega would be beneficial for both of us. You’d be able to stay with her, tend to her, care for her…along with my help, of course. What do you think?”

Marco knew he had only a few moments to consider the proposition or Shanks would revoke it and think of something worse. Marco tried to engineer a solution to his problem in the short time frame but Shanks had him backed into a corner. The Alpha in him couldn’t leave the Omega on the ship, he needed to be near her and protect her like he needed to breathe air. He wasn’t strong enough to challenge Shanks for her and win. He couldn’t leave her and he couldn’t take her. Marco’s eyes met Shanks’s triumphant gaze and broad smile.

Shanks had finally won.

Marco extended his hand and took the ochoko from Shanks. Every moment spent with Shanks further sealed his fate but it also brought him closer to you. 

“Welcome to the Red Haired Pirates,” Shanks said, draining his cup with a cold smile.

[rootspiral]

Agatha All Along deep dive: episode 7 part 3

(Wandavision entries: [1][2][3])

(AAA entries: ep1 [1][2][3][4] ep2 [1][2][3][4] ep3 [1][2][3] ep4 [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][+1] ep5 [1][2][3][4][5] ep6 [1][2][3] ep7 [1][2][3][4][5][6] ep8 [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9] ep9 [1][2][3][4][5][6])

chat what would be *your* reaction if you woke up and found agatha straddling you? (love that she has sensible pants under the skirt)

this is what sex after 50 looks like ladies, take notes

regular timeline: lilia has already joined the trial and was just doing a reading for billy.

lilia's pov: this is the first time she sees billy after he kinda sorta tried to kill her

this delivery from sasheer destroys me

lilia goes from anger to shock to recognition while billy reads her mind and responds to her thoughts

billy sounds so young here. of course he would have saved alice, if he could. of course he's reading her thoughts: he can't help it. he cannot help any of this. it's up to his coven to help and guide him, it was never the other way round.

now that the sigil is gone, lilia recognizes the lost boy from three years ago. not a scary monster, not the son of the scarlet witch. just a boy in a lot of trouble.

and look what jen does here. now that she knows what lilia's going through, she can step in and help her along

meanwhile agatha is making a scene, per usual. and lol she puts the hat back on, she really likes that outfit

love how jen is now 100% lilia's champion. same, girl, same

and jen being jen, she doesn't coddle or anything, she's very practical. she's like, hey girl, focus! you were in the middle of something important. I got your back and I'm going to fill the gaps for you. we can do this together.

yes I know babe the glinda halloween costume is cultural appropriation. could be worse. jen's dressed as snow white's fugly witch forchrissake.

does she have an eye on her crown? that's so neat

THIS shot. billy supporting lilia with his physical strength. jen supporting lilia with her no nonsense attitude. hell, even agatha just jumped in to save her from the falling sword.

agatha realising all that lilia did to protect billy. but also detective agnes getting another precious clue re: billy getting a new body.

lilia cast the sigil to protect billy from any external threats, and to give him the time to adjust to the shock of a new body and new life. again, lilia knew this was the son of the scarlet witch, someone that on paper terrified her. but when she actually met billy, she didn't see danger. she saw a young member of her own community in an impossible situation, and she stepped in. you know if she had met agatha as a teenager in salem she would have done the same thing.

pay attention now. lilia needs to find out what was her past/future self's mistake while reading for billy.

something interesting happens: while looking for answers, she jumps in rapid succession to episode 5 and episode 2. stop, stop, stop, stop, she repeats, like she is trying, for the first time, to direct her jumping. before, she was just a passenger. she's starting to become the Traveler

and where does she land? back to her maestra, where she can find answers to her current problem. she brought herself there, and only half accidentally.

and there's the crucial question.

che peccato, what a shame. a witch requires a coven.

the latin sentence on the table, in nave expeditus sis tam celer quam ventus, translates to something like "on a ship, may you be unimpeded and as fast as the wind". but there's another sentence in front of lilia, we can only read the first word behind her hand: mors. Death.

it's sure not going well now. despite the little step forward with jen, lilia still feels the odd person out, the one that's just too different to fit in. I know many of us, especially on this site, especially with our various but similar issues, have felt like that.

lilia's words are angry, resentful. but she's not angry, she's afraid. she's lashing out because looking in is too much. but like lilia herself said to alice: sad is better than angry.

when an actor gets that single tear forming in their eye... that's the good shit.

YOUR TASK IS NOT TO CONTROL, BUT TO SEE. you were born with a burden? turn it into power. if people don't accept you, show them what they were missing. do it in your own, unique way.

go to episode 7 part 4

[algebraicpizza]

i'm seeing a lot of what is probably misinformation regarding the 15th doctor's departure. so to be clear: based off of everything we know, it is very likely that Ncuti chose to leave.

this is not a defense of the absolutely atrocious episode that The Reality War was, nor of the very real cases of racism in RTD's writing that people have rightfully been calling out. i still can't fucking believe they put Belinda in a box for half the episode and reality warped her entire character into being obsessed with a baby she never even wanted beforehand. but i also think it's not good to additionally blame the show/RTD for racism for 15 regenerating after such a short run when that was very likely Ncuti's own decision. i think we should keep it to the facts — the facts are already bad enough.

i say likely, not certain, because well, it's entirely possible that every behind-the-scenes rumor is wrong, and that Ncuti's own statements are false for the sake of PR, and a bunch of other circumstantial stuff points in the completely wrong direction. but based off of all of that, Ncuti is probably the one who chose to leave.

Ncuti outright said he wanted to leave because the stunt work was too much, which is a notorious part of the role and is why Matt and Peter chose to leave (both got knee injuries from the role!).

behind-the-scenes rumors have been circulating for months about Ncuti choosing to leave. the reasons varied from him having too many Hollywood prospects that the show was getting in the way of, to him not wanting to stay attached when the show is going to be in limbo for a few years (thanks, Disney!).

the show is basically outright confirmed, by leaks, to have gone back to do reshoots to completely change the ending of The Reality War, specifically to have 15 regenerate. now, to be fair, that doesn't prove that Ncuti was the one who wanted it. but we can at least say that this was not the plan.

(by the way, it's very likely they wrote the entire getting-Poppy-back sequence to make him regenerate. it's very possible that Belinda's original ending was entirely different. if Ncuti was the cause of the changes, then it is NOT his fault that Belinda's character was done this dirty — they could have just written something less stupid.)

RTD has outright talked about having a three season plan for this era and 15. and the Rogue subplot was clearly intended to be picked back up. like it is amusingly awful how the show literally left 15's boyfriend in hell, but also i feel like it's pretty fair to say they were expecting to be able to write him coming back.

RTD clearly really liked Ncuti and was into him? this is not even a defense of RTD so much as it's just trying to be accurate about the way in which he's problematic. but it's very clear he picked an actor he found very hot. he literally wrote 13 commenting on how pretty 15 was in their scene together.

if i've gotten anything wrong in that, or if there's additional information that contradicts what i've said here, then please let me know. but as far as i can surmise, Ncuti very likely chose to leave. the reason the first black Doctor got such a short run of episodes is that he decided to get off this sinking ship.

[grandline-fics]

Chocolate-covered Strawberries with X-Drake please! You can write it with either a pirate reader or marine or whatever you want, I don't care, thank you!

DESCRIPTION: Chocolate-Covered Strawberries- Unable to resist temptation anymore, they act

WARNINGS:  none

CHARACTERS: X-Drake

WORDS: 1,116

A/N: Hey there anon! Thank you for this request. X Drake is still new for me to write for so I hope I did a good job with this Valentines Event prompt for you. Hopefully this suits what you wanted and that you all enjoy

*REQUESTS ARE OPEN*

DIRECTORY | PROMPT LIST | KO-FI | VALENTINES EVENT MASTERLIST

———————

The life of acting as a double agent had its risks. Drake knew that and accepted it, throwing his full commitment to the cause. There was always the worry of being caught out by the wrong people at the wrong time. That with his true allegiance being discovered and the consequences of the deception falling on the shoulders of those he wanted nothing more to protect. Most of the time he knew his cover was solid, and that those he surrounded himself would never doubt him. To consider that there could be a weak link in his resolve and that the mask would slip was laughable. That is the case certainly, but only because you aren’t around him a lot. Because whether Drake wants to admit it or not, you are his biggest and weakest link. As much as he missed you, part of him was glad that your mission took you in a different direction from him for his own sanity and covert professionalism.

“Need to be careful here, Captain.” Drake glanced over his shoulder to one of his crew as they approached. “Apparently this island’s had a massive Marine presence for the last few months.”

“It’s fine. So long as we keep a low profile we can avoid them unless engaging with them is the last option.” Drake explained as he looked back to the island steadily getting closer. “We’re only here to resupply after all. We’ll dock in that eastern cove to stay hidden. Only a small group is going this time.”

“Understood.” Drake only nodded in response and listened to the subordinate leave him be, returning to his tasks until it was ready. As the ship drifted silently and undetected to their hiding place at the cove, Drake mentally prepared himself for the many different scenarios of what could be awaiting him on this next stop in his journey.  

With a small group of his crew, Drake sent each of them in different directions of the town with individual orders of what supplies they needed. He waited a little while before venturing into the town himself while leaving the care and protection of the ship to the rest of the crew in his absence. Knowing how Marine’s tended to perform their patrols and the common patterns, they were easy to avoid and go about his own tasks. For a moment he believed that if things went this well, he and his crew would be gone without anyone even knowing they’d been there. Then as he stood inspecting a market stall, with his back to the street he overheard the two patrolling Marine’s mention your name in passing, excited to have someone of your rank on the island for a while. Drake’s eyes widened and he quickly glanced over his shoulder to see their backs getting further away. Were you truly here on this island?

He tried to ignore the way his heart leapt in a sudden frenzy of mixing nerves and excitement. No, he couldn’t risk seeing you. You were here for a mission and he was branded a wanted man. It was reckless, selfish to try and find you. If the wrong person saw him and you, you would be the one to suffer. You could be branded a traitor and stripped of the titles you earned through your strength and hard work. He had to be strong, he couldn’t let his weakness win. Quickly he made his purchases and forced his mind to stay firmly on the task at hand; get the supplies, go to the ship, leave. Simple. He could do it. He would do it.

Drake left keeping out of sight of the Marines to his base instincts and muscle memory because his entire focus and mental endurance was being used to fight every urge and fibre in his being to try and find you. Anytime the little voice in his head tried to convince him that just a little peek at your face would be okay, he had to tell himself no. But every step and every mental argument that crept into his mind was harder and harder to fight. Because really, what was the harm? If he kept his distance and just saw that you were okay from afar then he could continue on his way, reassured in the knowledge that the person he loved was still safe. That was fine. Right?

Blinking out of his stupor as his mind sharpened with the resolve to just get a passing glance of you he blinked in surprise to see he wasn’t headed in the direction of the cove like he thought he had been. Instead he was deeper in the town’s layout, one face amongst many in the crowd of civilians and tourists. Drake couldn’t help but subtly laugh, it hadn’t mattered what his mind tried to fight, his body had already subconsciously made the decision to seek you out. He looked around and sure enough through the throng of people he found you immediately. The rush of love and longing coursed through him powerfully and he ground his teeth together as he now faced the fact that he couldn’t just see you. It wasn’t enough. It was never enough.

Quickly he slipped through the crowd, following you as you walked down the street. Then when it seemed to be quiet enough, he acted. Pushing power into his leg, Drake got to your side and pulled you into a small and shadowed side-street before anyone else came along. Immediately you reacted, disengaging from his hold and drawing your weapon. Just as you were about to attack you froze, breath catching in your throat to see the love of your life standing in front of you. The both of your stared at the other for a second before closing the distance and kissing eagerly, pouring every ounce of your longing for the other into the moment, desperate to make up for the many months since you’d last crossed eachother’s paths.

Breaking apart and catching your breath you smiled as Drake set his forehead against yours. Softly and knowingly a small laugh broke from your lips as you leant into the feeling of his arms around yours. “So how long between knowing I was here to finding me did it take this time?” You grinned at the feeling of Drake’s body tensing and the sudden flustered warmth of his skin at being so predictable. It was why you loved him so much, to everyone else he was such a mystery or they only got to see one version of him and it was usually false. You, however got to see and know the real him. “That quick, huh?”

——————————————-

TAG LIST (If I’ve missed anyone or if you want to be added just let me know) @3v37773, @tsaaps , @i-am-all-love-puns-and-lazy , @fiery-captain-spider-santa, @kabloswrld , @atanukileaf , @ane5e , @stuckinthewrongworld , @cloudysunset04 , @chillerkiller , @extremely-ashtridic , @decayingpizza , @liesatemyocean , @ace-for-ace , @nerium-lil , @destynelseclipsa , @dreamcastgirl99 , @my-name-is-heartache , @iamn1ya ,  @yunho-leeknow , @hinata7346 , @h0oouwlss , @missrandomdreamer , @sleepykittycx , @ddawn111 , @jaygrl22 , @sylum , @acehyacinth , @resident-cryptid , @treelogirl , @maellem , @thulhu , @appalost , @dindjarins1ut , @irumawife , @laidenbreecatchall , @redwolfxx , @jevoislesbrasdemer , @schanwow , @pao198391 , @glitchtricks94 , @nina-ya , @48daisies , @sagyunaro , @artemis162534 , @rosemary-lungs , @thecraftywriter , @rorozorolover , @yagirlsmuchelle , @engenemoazen , @sukunasstomachtongue , @nico-ith

[vee-vee-writes]

Alien Invasion (Frieza x gn!reader)

Request: “Idk if you write for him but could we please have a Frieza x female human reader pls? Idk why but I am starved of this! Spare a few crumbs pls?”

AU (events of DBZ don't happen)

Earth was gone. Destroyed in a meteor shower. Officials had predicted the meteor shower and in conjunction with Capsule Corp had made preparations for the evacuation of the population. A random ticketing system had been rolled out to fill spots on the evacuation crafts. Y/N had been fortunate enough to have been allocated a space on one of these ships. 

They had set off on a voyage amongst the stars, searching for a suitable but uninhabited planet for resettlement. After several months of exploration in the dark void of space a planet had been located and settled upon. The ruins of an ancient alien civilisation were present but no sentient species seemed to inhabit the planet. A bad omen that was reinforced by piles of weathered bones strewn across paths and huddled in houses. Genocide, At least that’s what it looked like. Yet after observing the planet for a month and sending scouting teams out no particular evil could be found. Whatever had caused the atrocities seemed to have moved on.

So the remainder of the human race dutifully cleaned up, burying skeletons in neatly dug graves and erecting memorials to pay respects to the unknown peoples. What could be restored of the ruined cities were marked out and the rest cleared to make way for temporary capsule homes and communal structures. Life seemed to be settling, humanity adjusting to their new home. 

After a year on the planet the sky had filled with UFO’s. They’d opened up and the sky had swarmed with alien soldiers all uniformed in the same armour. In the middle a striking white and purple alien floated upon a throne. After it was sure that it had captured the attention of all nearby humans it spoke, “My my isn’t this an interesting sight. This planet was occupied and cleared by my soldiers many years ago after the population refused to kneel to my rule. Such a shame really, they could have flourished under my command. No matter, they got what they deserved for the disobedience. Yet, here I find your species, settled in on the ash of a once great civilisation. I must say you’ve done a marvelous job at rebuilding in such a short time.” 

It’s voice was shriller than expected given its muscular form, yet under different circumstances Y/N would have found it enticing. “Oh how rude of me, I haven’t even introduced myself. I am Lord Frieza, Emperor of the Universe and the owner of this planet. It seems that despite being such a weak race you are rather technologically advanced. So if you point me to your leader or leaders I am willing to strike a deal. You will work for me, as part of my Empire, creating new technologies or you will perish as those on this planet who refused me before you did” Frieza declared his voice laced with amusement, “now who will point me in the direction of your leader?” 

Not a sound was made by the large crowd who had gathered underneath the shadow of the looming invasionary army. “Very well maybe I should show you a small taste of my power to motivate you” Frieza declared. Simply raising a finger towards the largest tower the alien shot out a pink beam of light. For a moment nothing happened and the crowd watched on with bated breath. But then a blinding beam of light flashed followed by an ear bursting boom as the tower was eviscerated. With a smirk Frieza turned his attention back to the crowd. Before Y/N could even process what they were doing, they heard their own voice ring out, “Excuse me Lord Frieza, I can show you the way to Capsule Corp. It’s the location of the family who built the ships that got us here and our provisional government is located there while a new building is being built for them.” 

Frieza’s eyes locked on to the human before him, assessing the being. They weren’t powerful by any means but in truth he admired their bravery in the face of such overwhelming danger. After all, the rest of their race was either too stunned or fearful to react or had begun to dash away screaming. “Very well. Zarbon you will accompany me. Dodoria you will stay here and keep an eye on our soldiers. I am a man of my word after all and no harm is to be done without my orders” Frieza barked out, “Do you know how to fly human?” The stunned expression that danced across their face over the revelation most sentient life forms could fly told Frieza all he needed to know. Lowering his throne slightly he beckoned the human over sharply. “What is your name?” he queried. Frieza was returned with a simple “Y/N, my lord.” “Very well Y/N, we will need a good run down on the current state of the planet, the extent to which you’ve settled, and a great many other things. Since you’ve already proven yourself far more useful than these other humans you will come with us to this Capsule Corp and ensure I am as informed on everything I need to be” Frieza asserted, “now be a dear and tell us exactly where it is we need to go.”

After giving a detailed description of what Capsule Corp and its surrounding area looked like paired with detailed directions Frieza seemed satisfied. “Very well. Zarbon, you are to carry our guest. Gently, these humans are delicate creatures” Frieze commanded. With that Y/N was scooped up by the muscular green alien, cradled awkwardly against his cool armour. “Excuse me” Y/N squeaked, “wouldn’t it be better if I could see where we were going so that I can direct you? I can’t really see anything like this.” Zarbon scoffed at being questioned, “No. With the speed we will be travelling at, your weak eyes won’t be able to see anything anyway. We’ll be travelling off the directions you already gave to get to the area and then figure it out from there.” Nodding Y/N clung to Zarbon. “Let’s go” Frieza ordered, levitating up higher into the air. Following his lead Zarbon took to the air and at jet-like speeds the trio took off leaving the rest of the army staring in their wake.

Read Part Two here

Masterlist

[yayasvalveplay]

i feel like we need to talk about dw jazzprowl more.

I feel like we should bring up Prowl's mental state.

Consider that : he is definitely broken and it doesn't matter if Jazz wanted to save him (he would probably prefer to be dead. This isn't life). This is the worst kind of situation for Prowl. This is situation where he has no choice, no power, no exit. And worst of all is the fact that mech who put him in this situation is the same mech he wanted to be forever with. But now. Oh, Primus, no.

As i have already said, he doesn't care if Jazz wanted to save him. He made him go through too much. If in the past Prowl probably wanted to have kids with him, now he can barely look at them. They look too much like Jazz. No games, no affection. Just basic care and that's it.

So sire is the one who is forced to explaine his younglings why their carrier doesn't talk to them. Why is he so sad. Telling them that carrier isn't mad at them, he is just very very sick.

And then sire is forced to look how his children are trying their absolute best to make Prowl happy. They draw pictures, chase academic achievements, bring him hand-made gifts and earning only a simple nod on the good day.

It hurts. Seeing his kids starving for love and acknowledgment from their carrier hurts. Seeing his mate completely broken, blankly staring into the walls for hours and wince from every touch hurts.

But he can't do anything about it.

He can't complain.

He can't demand anything from Prowl.

He did that to them all.

-blind anon

You are so right about most of this.

But He actually does love his kids. Much like Op. He loves the kids, he just hates the situation they have been put into.

He can't look at Jazz, or love any feeling he does at him. Em field, spark pull, even light touches.

Like he understands where Jazz had come from. If he didn't do what he had to do. he would of been shipped away somewhere else. But at the exact same time. He can't help but be hurt because he was forced into all of this.

Despite all of the Sorry s. wishing things were different. It can not bring back the Joy he once had when seeing Jazz. That love for him is gone.

If things were different. If things had gone differently. if he had the right to choose when They did it and how many kids they could of had. all of this feeling of hate would be different. Directed towards Megatron then at Jazz.

But none of that happened. He was forced to carry 6 sparklings in a small window of time. (he knows Jazz wanted them to get there as quickly as they could. But it still hurts. It still fragging hurts he was technically forced to Say yes to it every single time.) he was forced to becime a 'trophy wife' for Jazz.

Everything was forced. he hates it. he hates Jazz, but he hates Megatron more.

Rare occasions. he ill sit next to Jazz, laying his helm on his shoulder, Just wanting to feel like they were somewhere different. Yoketrons Dojo, teaching their kids Master Yoketrons moves. But then he opens his optics, and see that none of this is real.

He goes back to hating it all.

He goes back to just loving his kids, despite how much it truly hurts.

[seasurfacefullofclouds1]

I’m an OG fan. I ship L/H but how ships are meant to be - your fave pairing, fun, fantasy, fandom activity, not something to discuss publicly much less with the celebs - but I never interacted much in fandom bc I disliked the bizarre obsession with ships being “real”. The “truth” of their sex/love lives is none of our business & was never their value to me. (i’d be much more interested in the truth about their friendships/coworker dynamics but we’ll never get it.) I drifted from the fandom when they went solo bc I saw how Harry was “Timberlake’ing”. No one seemed to see how calculated & ruthlessly ambitious he is, vapid, & fame obsessed. how he only befriends/dates rich, well-connected people. It’s refreshing to learn that blogs like yours exist - that people see him & see what he did to the other guys. Zayn, Louis, Liam - were all at times villainized and scapegoated while he’s treated like a naive princess who can do no wrong. His interviews are so pointless bc he never answers anything honestly. he’d never admit to being a cokehead who purposely deceived & fucked over the others to make sure he could launch his solo career without competition. Zayn tried to outmaneuver him but didn’t have the powerful team behind him & has too much integrity to ever be the kind of “star” Harry is. tbh I enjoy how much it irks harry that Zayn sees through him. It’s wild how sincere the others stayed, how they matured, how they have bigger priorities than money or fame. Harry mimicked Louis’ personality when they were younger, pretending he couldn’t wait to have kids & marry - when really he just wanted to be as rich, promiscuous, and famous as humanly possible. He bootlicks anyone in showbiz, so he has a glowing reputation in the industry - it’s laughable. “TPWK” unless it’s your bandmates who you can’t deign to acknowledge unless it benefits you - hosting SNL or winning an award? ok, mention the band so you get headlines. But like one of their promo posts or even follow them back on IG? heaven forbid, bc that won’t benefit him more than them. It shows his true character that he’s SO successful but still won’t be openly supportive or even seen with them. I don’t think he’s evil but I do think he’s lost to the industry… which is sad, bc there’s once a lot of sweetness there. His eyes have lost their sparkle; he traded it for “success”.

Hi anon,

I was reading this ask and nodding my head right along each sentence. A lot to unpack here, but mostly you’ve said everything I’ve tried to say. I’m not sure if anyone is listening, to be honest! Like you wrote, blogs who don’t worship Harry never become popular. So here I am talking to the air lol. Insanity.

I don’t think Harry is evil either. I think he realizes the trade-offs now, watching his ex-bandmates’ careers slowly build with intentions very different from his, their old ties fading to nothing except when tragedy yokes them back together. He has gazillions in wealth, industry kissing his feet, a lot of women (+ a few men) fantasizing about him, but nothing inside, the lights gone from his eyes years ago. It must feel awkward to stand next to his bandmates again?

Here’s the thing. I’m sure in every circumstance, forever for the foreseeable future, Louis is always going to be the bigger man and speak well of Harry. No matter how many times Louis refutes the idea of Larry, Louis has always said he’s proud of Harry, and I am sure he means it. 100%. No matter what Harry says or does, Louis considers him part of One Direction, his band, and that concept is sacrosanct to him. “We move as one.”

What Louis has in his heart is worth a million Manchester Co-ops. It is priceless. No one can take it away— no Kardashian money, no Rolling Stone cover, no Anna Wintour, no A-list actress or acting role. Nothing. What Louis has is the feeling of loyalty and unity that is the epitome of the song he wrote, Strong. “I don’t care, I’m not scared of love.” It’s not romantic love, at least not anymore, but what Louis describes in Only The Brave— the love that comes from the deepest pain, from uncomfortable truths, alienation, grief— broken beaks and dead birds— the love that requires moral courage. “Because love is only for the brave.” Louis earned it by going through fire, the love that endures because he chose to respect it, intentionally, over all the other things.

Last, Zayn’s intentionality is also transparent for those who open their eyes and see. I’m glad to see that Zayn is touring, and choosing to play the same smaller venues as Louis when he first started his tour. I’m also glad to see Louis communicating via social media. It’s not actual friendship, but a step! It means so much.

Louis and Zayn aren’t perfect people— far from it— but they chose to stay grounded and chose to preserve some part of their humanity. I know they haven’t always been their best selves. But who they are, especially who Louis is, is so endearing, and so inspiring.

[zubzooks]

would love to learn ur sifloop thoughts............. also what ur game theories on loop were before u did 2hats!

OUUHH OKAY cool awesome yes

so. i remember i made an entire list of theories i had for the game as i was playing it with friends. this included silly names for the theories. one was called piss theory insertdisc5 was really good about putting lots and lots of hints toward many different directions for loop while also putting great foreshadowing for the reveal? but i remember for the majority of the game i was just so stumped on loop, i had many opposing theories on them. i thought they could have been the person who wished the Country away, thought they could have been someone who was looping in time trying to save siffrin (i had watched madoka magica), thought they could have been some kind of magical tulpa, thought they might have been a deity of the universe belief, etc. MANY theories happening. i did at one point think they could have been siffrin? but the dialogue where siffrin gives their own theories to loop on who they are sort of pushed me off of that idea. i guess i didn't foresee that loop would outright lie about it!!! but it makes sense now!!! cause they are. not exactly siffrin anymore are they? really love the way the game gives you a sort of ship of theseus to ponder about, is loop still siffrin in there? are they somebody completely else? are they only partially siffrin? it circles back around to the nature of the change belief and what it means to change, are you still you?

as for sifloop it's. definitely changed a lot over the course of the events of the game, and since 2hats i don't even know if i can fully articulate the brainwaves.... but oh my god they're so fucked up.... toxic yaouri something or other. before 2hats i was like... so sure it might be something like a dynamic between something holy and a follower, or idk something like what homura and madoka have going on, but i was sooooo wrong holy cow. but like... i personally find the idea of interacting with an alternate version of myself to be a terrifying concept. i feel like once siffrin makes that realization it would lead to a lot of complicated feelings. i mean it explains why loop is so strangely distant to siffrin despite claiming to want to help them too. that's .... you. sort of. and siffrin already feels uncomfortable with themselves, and loop is even MORESO uncomfortable with the thing they've become? longing to be once more what this other siffrin still is? didn't know what they had was them until it was gone, and now what are they? what are they, together?

it makes me ponder SO MUCH about the nature of identity and how one connects to themselves. sifloop as a ship is nothing short of complex as hell to me. i guess to me sifloop functions in a way that's like... they understand each other better than anyone ever could. and that makes them drawn to each other, as they mutually have felt like nobody has ever understood them like that before. maybe they might have some hidden answers for one another. maybe they could figure things out together... oh my god its almost like that was their dynamic in the game gaaasssppp.... insertdisc5 you...... but like, the more that either of them think hard about how its literally. that they are kind of the same person or came from the same person. there's a weird almost repulsion or disconnect. maybe its my dpdr talking teehee. but when they aren't thinking about that, it's a subconscious draw to one another... when they feel as though they just need comfort and don't have anyone else, they can provide that comfort to one another. i don't think they'll continue to really vehemently fight after 2hats, i think that got a lot of the hate out of their system? they're not fine after that of course, they're both. so mentally traumatized. but siffrin at least wants to make sure loop is included and wants to try and facilitate loop creating bonds again, and working through how yes they're changed against their will but they can still try to live. they're not just a corpse. it's recovery after trauma. it means so much to me as a trauma survivor okay

sorry for the insane ramblings I HOPE THIS. SORT OF ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION

[somanyratsinthewalls]

Congrats on 700!!!! You absolutely deserve it!!!!!

I'd eat up anything eggshell, but can I get bat please 👉👈

HI FRIEND thanks for requesting! This is only my second or third time ever writing Killer sooooo I'm still getting into it, but I tried my best!

Pairing: Massacre Soldier Killer x Female Reader

Prompt/Trope: Exhibitionism

Summary: You opt to join Killer on an exploration trip instead of drinking with the rest of the crew. It takes some convincing, but Killer decides to loosen up a bit.

MINORS DNI!!!

WC: 2100

TWs: voyeurism, non con voyeurism but they're all open about it, unprotected sex, p in v sec, size difference ah!!!! steamy hot spring onsen sex, killer keeps his mask on sorry yall I'm feeling canony

Take a Dip (+18)

— — 

You sit at the kitchen table flipping through your old pile of gossip magazines for what seemed like the billionth time. You had your head in your hand while you finished up reading “Hottest Ramen Spots on the Grand Line” for the 5th time. You let out a long sigh. 

Killer, who was cleaning out the refrigerator across the room from you, picked his head up and turned in your direction. 

“What plagues you, tiny thing?” Killer stands up straight and wipes his hands off with the dish cloth that was slung over his shoulder. 

“I’m so fucking BORED!” You slam your magazine closed and toss it haphazardly towards the end of the table. Kid promised you would make land today, which delighted you to no end. It had been weeks on this stuffy ship and you were excited to get off and stretch your legs for a bit. You had gotten ready to go early in the morning, basically skipping through the Victoria Punk’s hallways as you made sure you had everything you needed for an excursion. 

That was until Kid decided the safest thing to do would be to head to the town after nightfall. He thought the crew would attract less attention if they arrived under cover of darkness. 

“But I want to go now!” You whined in protest. 

“And I want to be King of the Pirates!” Kid had shouted back at you. “Sometimes things don’t go your way!” 

And this was how you ended up slumped at the kitchen table nursing a warm, half drank beer while going through trashy magazines. 

“The sun’s gone down already, I’m sure we will get off soon.” Killer begins wiping off the kitchen counters with disinfectant. 

“I can only read ‘6 Vibrators You Need to Buy RIGHT NOW’ so many times before I stick my head in Victoria’s coal engine.” You sigh. 

“Hmmm… can you order those straight from the magazine, or..? Because you’re a bit cranky, I guess I could get you an early Christmas gift. ” Killer says as he continues meticulously cleaning his kitchen. You can hear a smile in his voice, he must have a cheeky grin on his face underneath that damn mask. 

“Yeah yeah yeah okay whatever.” You roll your eyes. You feel your cheeks heat up a bit, so you turn your body away from Killer to hide your blush. You grab another magazine to further disguise your flushed expression. 

The galley door was kicked open and you whipped your body around. Killer turned around from his place at the sink, hanging up a pair of rubber gloves. 

A heavy thud of combat boots and a flurry of red hair had burst into the kitchen.

“Let’s go, assholes!” Kid grinned at the two of you before retreating to the deck. 

— —

The Kid Pirates strolled through the quiet, gas lamp lit streets of this remote town, Kid leading the way, no doubt towards whatever bar was still open. It was easy top spot, being the only business with their lights on and a hot pink neon sign blaring in the foggy window. It seemed this sleepy little town was so small that the main square seemed to only consist of a few buildings. 

There was a pub, a butcher, a general store, and few other essential businesses, along with an old school Onsen hot spring further up the road a bit on a grassy hill. Kid holds the pub door open for the rest of you but you noticed Killer staying back. You’re about to enter the bar but you turn around to shout at Killer who was still in the road. 

“You’re not coming?” You question.

“Yeah come on, loser, let’s get fucking drunk!” Kid shouts from above you, still holding the door. 

“Not tonight. I want to see if anything else is open. We could use some supplies.” Killer holds his ground and starts walking up the road. 

“Wait for me!” You call out and duck under Kid’s giant metal arm to hustle up to Killer in the road. 

“Oh come on, y/n! You’re my good time girl!” Kid pouts at you. 

“I’m sure there’s plenty of girls looking for a good time in there!” You give Kid a sarcastic smile and a wave as you jog down the cobblestone road. 

You finally reach Killer and keep your pace quick to match his… his legs were much longer than yours. You walk together in silence for a few minutes, nothing heard but the clicking of your boots on the road and the dull hum of grasshoppers. 

“Why did you want to come?” Killer eventually asks you. 

“I dunno. We sit and drink all the time, I’d rather do something different while we’re out.” You say as you watch your feet, trying not to trip over the craggy road beneath you. 

“I see.” Killer states plainly. 

You walk without saying anything for awhile again as the two of you reach the top of the hill. The onsen comes into view. You see the hot springs gently cascading down from one azure pool to another, steam radiating heavily out of the pool to dance upwards into the crisp air. 

“Oh, Kil! Come on!” You break off from Killer and run towards the pools. 

“Y/n, they aren’t open.” Killer waits in the road. 

“Okay? And we’re pirates? Who cares? Come on! Come get in with me!” You say as you skip over to a particularly large, stone pool and kick off your boots. 

Realizing you weren’t going to be swayed, Killer grunts in frustration and heads over to where you were undressing. 

“You realize anyone can see you like this out here?” Killer reminds you, not taking anything off himself, just watching you. 

“And? God, Kil you’re really being a buzzkill tonight.” You rip your shirt over your head, leaving you in your jeans and your bra. “It’s almost like you’re going soft…” You tease as you unhook your bra and toss it to the side. Your naked breasts bounce freely and you didn’t need to see through Killer’s mask to know exactly where he was looking. 

Killer lets out a long sigh. He then rips his blue t-shirt over his head, your eyebrows raising as his golden, washboard abs and pecs are exposed to you. You quickly strip off your jeans and panties and step into the pool. 

“Ohhh…” You groan as you sink further into the relaxing, hot waters. You felt your tired muscles release and the grit and grime of the sea melt off your skin. You hear movement in the water behind you and you turn around to see Killer already in up to his waist. You pout at him playfully, as you didn’t get to see him fully nude before he got in. 

“Happy now?” Killer chided as he stalked towards you at the other end of the hot spring. He slowly gets closer and closer to you. 

“Hmmm…. Almost…” You bite your lip and look up at the blonde’s hulking form that was now right in front of you. 

“Oh? And what would make you happy, tiny thing?” Killer asks as he brings his left hand to gently play with your hair. He was standing and you were sunk down into the pool… your face was so close to his hard cock, bobbing just under the surface of the water.. he could have pushed your mouth on it in a second…

You hop up and sit yourself on the stone edge of the pool and spread your legs, presenting yourself to Killer. 

“I want you to fuck me, Kil.” You reach your hand down and spread your lips with two fingers, showing Killer exactly where you wanted him and how badly. Killer takes a split second to decide what he was going to do before pouncing on you entirely. He pulls your head into his chest and uses his other hand to line his throbbing cock up with your hole. 

“You want this, little one?” You feel it rumble through Killer’s chest. 

“Please…” You whisper out. 

Killer hikes you up fully into his embrace. Your wrap your arms around his neck and lean your forehead into his mask. Killer sinks you down onto his cock swiftly, plunging it into you in one smooth thrust, holding you up with your knees over his forearms as he impaled you on his member. 

“Aaah… fuck!” You cry out and throw your head back as you feel yourself being stretched so deeply. Killer grunted as he gripped your ass cheeks even harder to toss you up and down on his giant cock as he stood in the hot spring. 

You tangle your hands in Killer’s long blonde hair spilling out from behind his mask. He gave you an extra hard thrust in response which made you yelp. 

“Such a tight little thing…” Killer huffs out to you as he pumped his hips upward into you at an unrelenting pace. “Must have needed this bad, huh?”

“Y-y-es! F-fuckk so g-good!” You slam your eyes shut and you can barely get out coherent words with how fast Killer was slamming into your cunt. Suddenly you were spun around and felt yourself being lowered on your back onto the stones lining the hot spring. Killer ripped your legs apart by your knees and moved to stand between them, tapping his weeping tip on your clit teasingly. 

The hand that wasn’t teasing his cock against your sex was reaching up to grab at one of your breasts harshly. You start to moan under his touch when he abruptly slams his cock into you to the hilt again without warning. You yelp. 

“AH!” 

“Quiet, sweet girl… you don’t want the whole town to hear you like this, right?” Killer coos down at you as he thrusts into your messy pussy from above. 

“Ahh- K-kil! I-I’m close!” You feel your muscles squeeze and that familiar tingling in your lower half starts to reach its peak. This only increases the speed of Killer’s thrusts. 

“FUCK!” You ignore Killer’s warning and you let out a loud moan to the starry sky as your orgasm hits you. 

“That’s a good girl…” Killer pulls his cock out of your hole as he feels you finally stop spasming around his shaft. He steps forward to stroke himself quickly over your flushed body. Your eyes had hardly returned from the back of your head when you felt hot ropes of cum splatter against your chest and abdomen. 

After a few seconds of catching his breath, Killer scoops up your body from the cool stone and places you gently on his lap as he sinks the two of you into the hot spring. You feel the hard nuzzle of his mask against your forehead as he gently wipes the cum off your chest under the water. 

*clap* 

You pick your head up from Killer’s chest. 

*clap* …. *clap* …. *clap*

“What the fuck is that?” You say as your eyes scan the area. 

*clap clap clap clap clap* 

“Bravo!”

*wolf whistle*

*clapping continues*

“Nice show, kids!” You finally were able to pinpoint the unknown speaker. 

You were all but mortified as you see Kid, Heat, and Wire all hanging drunkenly off the wooden fence to the Onsen. 

“What the fuck! How long were you there- Kid… are you eating??” You shout as you cover your breasts instinctively, Killer’s protective hand coming up to replace it yours. 

“Yeah-“ Kid shoves another handful of chips into his mouth. “I didn’t think we’d come across something as interesting as you guys fucking in the hot spring, so I brought a snack.” 

“Yeah and honestly the chewing was really distracting.” Heat chimed in. “You should really close your mouth, dude.” 

“What? So you can perv-out over your crew members some more?” Kid spat back. 

“Captain, you were the one who suggested we ‘stay to catch the end.’” Wire adds. "Nice choice with the cum shot, by the way. I'd have done the tits too."

“I NEVER SAID THA-“ Kid spouts off but Killer interrupts him. 

“If you’re finished arguing, the show is over.” 

You feel Killer’s grip on your naked body tighten. 

The trio turns tail and continues squabbling with each other as they stumble back to the Victoria Punk. You can’t help but giggle a bit. 

“What’s so funny, little one?” Killer whispers into your ear. 

“Your jealousy is showing, Kil.” You laugh as you lay your head back against Killer’s bicep. You bring your hand up to hold his mask. “You know I’m yours.” 

“I know.” Killer says softly as he strokes your back. “I just think we should charge them to watch next time.” 

[birbleafs]

I really like how Alhaitham hung around long enough to listen to Kaveh’s concerns about Mehrak's disappearance, even listening to Kaveh discuss his candy tower designs—and all this when he's actually supposed to be busy working. And at one point, Alhaitham even led the way to the tavern Kaveh was supposed to meet the others, and he only left after Mehrak returned and Kaveh was feeling better true love lol. The popular interpretation that I've seen mostly on twitter is that Alhaitham had intentionally used work as an excuse to go all the way to Port Ormos simply because he knew Kaveh would be there, and that Alhaitham had set it all up just so that Kaveh would "accidentally" run into him. While that's seemingly plausible, I personally don't think that was the case here and would posit a different reading. Port Ormos may be quite a distance from Sumeru City but most of it is still under supervision and jurisdiction of the Akademiya. That is the main purpose of Wikala Funduq as the Akademiya's trading hub office, after all, to monitor trade and travel activity in and out of the port. I imagine that Alhaitham makes work trips to Port Ormos off and on, probably to collect research findings/materials from Wikala Funduq for further documentation and record-keeping, or perhaps to deliver trade ordinances he'd drafted out under the Akademiya's directives. There are also lines we can read on the Port Ormos bulletin board and NPC dialogues from the ship maintenance workers and the fishermen (Kira) that suggest Alhaitham visits Port Ormos enough for the locals to recognise him as the Akademiya's Scribe. So, presumably, Alhaitham was indeed there for work in this instance, and that Kaveh did indeed run into him by chance. And to be honest, I find this exceedingly funnier because Alhaitham has a reputation (which he's smug about) within the Akademiya for being someone who is extremely difficult to find, especially when he doesn't want to be found. But no matter how many times he manages to slip off and hide away like a cat, Kaveh is almost always that one person who can still serendipitously bump into him—either because Kaveh knows Alhaitham and his habits well enough to accurately guess where he would be hiding away or simply because the universe just cosmically wills it to be so LOL. (The other two instances I can recall where Alhaitham had gone off somewhere but Kaveh still finds him easily happened in Act 5 of the Sumeru AQ and the epilogue cutscene of An Odd Textual Mystery WQ. Including this one in the Sabzeruz Festival event, that makes it a total three times we see this happening in game canon). Anyway, I digressed hhjsdjsd but my original point was: Alhaitham didn't really have to accompany Kaveh to the meeting point at all. He could have just stayed put while they were talking in the streets. But no, Alhaitham decided to continue walking down the path while Kaveh was flustered, leading the way towards Djafar Tavern. And Alhaitham only turned around and went the opposite direction after Mehrak finally appeared and once Tighnari arrived. He stayed with Kaveh long enough until Kaveh's mood improved and until he was certain that Kaveh was reassured, and only then did he decide to head back to Sumeru City. I just think that's a nice subtle detail to demonstrate how Alhaitham looks out and cares for Kaveh in his own way :__)

[del-likes-writing]

Fools On Parade

Jean Kirstein x reader + mildly cannon compliant + 1k words

The daughter of a powerful nobleman and a brave soldier return to each other time and time again.

Forbidden romance + no use of y/n + no smut + princess x knight if you squint

Ch. 1 ♥*♡∞:｡.｡ ‘Not Enough to Stop’｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

The wind carried the cool summer night air through the open lounge window, making the curtains dance softly and sending a chill through your body. Pulling the blanket wrapped around you tighter, you remain at the windowsill, waiting. 

Not desperately- you weren't waiting in vain, but still sunset had come and gone and there you were idly, still; watching for a sign of your patron in the empty grounds of the Laurent estate.

Inside, the halls are silent. Gilded, polished, and completely still. You think, morbidly, that it resembles a mausoleum- built to host decadent parties and vapid nobles: showy grandeur with no substance except the shallow social alliances so easily forged and broken. How fickle. You’ve gotten used to it— learned to treat it like a stage. By now you knew your part well: the beautifully dressed, dutiful daughter of a high ranking MP. A diplomatic pawn pretty enough to be noticed by the spoiled officials and noblemen; charming enough to be remembered; sweet enough to be non-threatening.

Moments like these- real moments you treasured. 

And yet, the knock at the door interrupting the silence isn't unwanted.  

Rising from your post by the window, you grin.

You open the door and as expected are face to face with Jean Kirstein—hood up, brow furrowed, dirt still clinging to the cuff of his jacket.

“You came here right after today’s expedition?” you ask, tilting your head like you don’t already know the answer.

Jean sighed. “Don’t think it was a deliberate choice, it was that, or being even more late- there were complications.”

“Another ship from Marley? And here I thought you were just desperate to see me.”

He let out a quiet, knowing huff. “You’re impossible.”

“Yet here you are.”

You step back. Wordlessly, he enters.

—

The estate’s guest salon was rarely used. Too intimate and private for Lord Lauret’s tastes. Which made it perfect for this private meeting in his own home.

You hand Jean a cloth, he takes it and scrubs at the side of his jaw absently, watching from the corner of his eye as you light a lamp.

“I saw you at the last capital debrief” you start, settling onto the couch with deliberate elegance. “From across the room you looked well for someone on the front lines.”

Jean dropped into the chair opposite her, rolling his neck. “If you can call it that, it's not really a fair fight for the Marleyan ships when we have a titan ambush them.”

“I know you saw me too,” you say, voice light, but gaze steady. “I was hoping to catch you alone, but that proved difficult as always.”

“Forgive me for not making myself available to you, but I didn’t think you would appreciate the suspicion from being seen publicly.”

A grim smile crosses your face, “No, you were right, but it would’ve been nice.” 

You’d been playing this game for a little over a year now. Begging your father to take you with him on his visits to the Survey Corp headquarters; stealing glances from across meeting rooms; conversations disguised as polite exchanges—offering directions neither of you needed, lingering under flimsy excuses, hearts fluttering with the thrill of the quiet rebellion. You could afford to be more obvious back then. Back when all of paradis was hopeful with the eradication of the titans and too busy worrying about the threatening outside world to notice two lovesick teenagers. 

Now, things were different.

Now, Jean was... what was he now? A leader. A soldier. A man who had seen too many people die to believe in luxuries like timing or safety.

And you? You, the well-dressed daughter of a military official—valuable enough to protect, watched too closely to love freely.

Still, he was here. Dust and all. 

The light of the lamp cast a shadow on his face, making him look somehow more intimidating, a strange contrast to his boyish awkwardly long hair. 

“You look tired,” you say softly. What you mean is: are you tired of this?

He didn’t respond right away.

Meeting your eyes cautiously, “I am, but I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t want to be” he muttered.

“Then how come you pretend you don’t?”

You rise slowly. Crossing the distance between the two of you, fingers brushing his hand before sitting on the armrest of his chair. Jean didn’t move.

“Don’t—”

“You kissed me last time,” you say, smiling slyly. “Don’t act shy now.”

“I’m not shy,” he grumbles, clearly flustered. “I’m serious. If someone saw me—”

“Hitch let you in and no one else knows you’re here,” you reassure sweetly. “Times like these are so rare, it’s best to take advantage.”

He turns, your faces inches apart and his conviction slipping.

“I know that… better than most,” his face slightly flushed.

His eyebrows are raised and eyes intense, giving you a full view of the conflict going on within his own head.

You tilt your head, affectionately studying his expression and bringing up a hand to cup his face.

He places his hand over yours, meeting your eyes.

“Come on,” you pull back to stand up, “I’ll make sure the guards are gone-”

He kisses you then.

It’s messy and awkward- unplanned and real. You return the kiss, arms wrapping around his neck and pulling you closer.

He pulls back. 

“We’re going to get caught someday,” he whispered.

“I don’t care, do you?”

“Not enough to stop.”

♥*♡∞:｡.｡ End Ch. 1｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

[terapsina]

Ask Game: Agatha All Along:

Fandom: 1, 17

Ship: Agatha/Rio (Vidarkness): 7, 10

Character: Agatha OR Rio: 6, 7, or 8

(from this ask game)

Fandom:

1. ...the moment in the story that I started shipping my OTP from this world.

That whole scene where Rio blows in the door at just the most dramatic moment and the following throwdown fight made me pay attention. But this sentence? This sentence was a direct hit to alllllll my weaknesses.

It immediately gave me so much delicious information. Like, despite all that 'I want to see you burn... or hang... or drown' aggression? that this woman clearly was utterly gone for Agatha.

*be still, my beating heart 😍*

17. ...the world-building aspect of the story I have the greatest admiration for.

That SONG. I adore the way they used The Ballad of the Witches' Road in this show in so many ways. The way we kept getting different versions and the way they were so slightly and significantly different based on the purpose behind that particular version.

Like how the Sacred Chant version was all about the community of witches (and the way that hid the trap Agatha had used for centuries).

The way Lorna's version was full of a mother's unconditional love for her daughter and the lengths she'd go to for that love.

The way Nicky and Agatha's version was about their coven of two (and how even while Nicky was alive, the way Agatha had already kinda corrupted it even as her love for her son remained the one true thing about her).

Just. The way the song informed every aspect of the story... it's frankly incredibly impressive.

Ship:

7. ...the scene that I like to point to as proof that they're perfect for each other.

I could probably choose literally ANY of their scenes to make that particular point but I really like this one.

Like. Agatha has been angry and avoiding Rio for centuries. Rio has recently made it clear she wants Agatha dead (though admittedly knowing her nature this is basically at least 70% her wanting Agatha back).

But despite that, as soon as they know they have to do this particular ritual both of them know THEY are going to be the ones exchanging the brooms. They don't need to talk about it, or discuss it, or consider it, it's just... instinctual.

They are just always on the same wavelengths and it's both beautiful and really tragic.

10. ...rate the level of stupid they reach in their pining.

I mean... *murder threats* followed by...

*Agatha trying to claw Rio's face off* followed by...

*Rio painfully reminded Agatha she's never going to get her son back, a day ago* followed by...

*Rio saying she HATES ghosts* followed by...

(obviously not... no, she took a calculated risk on being able to continue irritating Rio for the next eternity).

Also just... we have one case of a dum-dum who fell in love with the literal embodiment of death. And another case of a literal embodiment of death who turned full dum-dum because she met a very pretty witch.

They're SUCH dumb. I love these pining idiots SO MUCH.

Character:

6. ...the scene that I think shows just how awesome they really are.

(I'll answer this one for Rio)

This is really boring of me maybe, but like.... how do you top a badass show-stopping moment like THAT?

Rio Vidal. Full Lady Death, everyone! *cheers and applause* *CHEERS AND APPLAUSE*

7. ...the scene that I think adds depth to their character or the relationship this character has with someone.

(...and this one for Agatha)

This scene just... shows that Billy doesn't just remind Agatha of her son... he reminds her of herself.

At the end of the day Agatha is a survivor, and so is Billy. And that both connects and differentiate them. And I just find that very interesting.

8. ...a headcanon I have about this character.

(...and Rio again)

Rio absolutely lied about being pulled onto the Road by their summoning spell. She's Death, she could have shaken that thing off with the flick of a pinky but was she really going to waste an opportunity that good?

[agoodroughandtumble]

Zoro x Reader - Lost & Found

Status: Complete Pairing: Roronoa Zoro x Reader Summary: Zoro is, unsurprisingly, lost Warning(s):  None

Roronoa Zoro was, more often than not, lost. Of course he would be the last person to admit that fact. His pride and stubbornness surrounding the matter were infamous amongst his fellow Straw Hats – an unfortunate consequence of his drive and determination. After all, his mind was focused on becoming the world’s greatest swordsman, on protecting his crew, on helping Luffy fulfil his dreams; Zoro didn’t have time to be memorising atlases. Usually he just shrugged it off – arguing that he always ended up where he needed to be eventually – especially as he wasn’t actually lost anyway, so shut up. Besides. He was sure that if he just kept walking he would reach the Sunny eventually. So that was his plan. Just keep walking and eventually he would reach the ship, or at least someone who could point him in the right direction. He might be lost but he wasn’t lost.

Because being lost and being lost were two completely different things. The former he could deal with – just keep walking. The latter, not so much. The latter was a feeling only reserved for you. You made his head hurt, his heart race and his stomach drop. Each part pulling him in completely different directions and he was a futile navigator. From the moment you had joined the Straw Hats Zoro had found himself in unchartered waters, desperately searching for the relief of land. For any opportunity to remove the anchor you had so deeply buried within his chest, and the chain that dangled so carelessly in front of him. Not even his swords were strong enough to cut himself off completely.

You were both his captor and his saviour – the chains binding you together either a death sentence or a lifeline. But God, he didn’t care. He could happily die so long as it was by your hands, happily seek salvation so long as it was by your mercy. He could do all of this and more for you, because of you, despite you, in spite of you. As long as there was you.

Ironically, the situation wasn’t lost on him. Neither was the knowledge that whilst you were indisputably his anchor, he wasn’t yours. It wasn’t surprising, really, if he thought about it. You were bright, a beacon in the dark, his personal north star guiding him home. He was a storm, a hurricane, only useful for destruction. The product of a life dedicated to violence and bloodshed. The product of a life to keep you away from.

In his more selfish moments, Zoro would allow himself to revel in the chains you had unknowingly imprisoned his heart within. He would allow himself to be lost in the ardently naïve hope that you would find him again – that the chains binding him to you equally pulled at your heart, at the fibre of your being. He could admit to being lost, to being a captive to his own desires, to your every whim as long as you were too. If not… well then he was truly lost. Drowning in that unchartered sea, navigating that starless sky, at the mercy of the storms he had once thought to seek solace in.

It was, somewhat cruelly, that whilst he wandered aimlessly he heard a familiar voice. “Zoro!”

He turned around, trying to neutralise his expression lest you realised he had spent this entire time thinking about you. “What do you want?”

You rolled your eyes. Nami had asked you to find Zoro and bring him back to the ship at least an hour ago, but obviously Zoro was going to claim he’d only been gone ten minutes. “I came to find you – Sanji’s already starting on dinner,” you grabbed his arm to interlace yours into his, “So come on. I’m starving.”

His heart skipped a beat at your words. I came to find you. It was innocuous on your part – no subtext, no promises of anything more. He turned his head slightly, a small smile forming on his lips as you started berating him for getting lost again and how you had been all over the city trying to find the “grumpy green haired man with too many swords”. You found him. Regardless of whether you knew it or not, the chains secured themselves more firmly around his heart – and for once, he relished the feeling. He always ended up where he needed to be eventually.