#i could tell how much effort & love was put into this

[frickingnerd]

a secret that changes everything

pairing: percy jackson x gn!reader

summary: percy finds out that the thoughtful birthday gift he got from his girlfriend, annabeth, has actually been from you, when he overhears a conversation between you & leo

tags: reader tries to salvage percabeth's relationship (while also crushing on percy), percabeth isn't doing so well, annabeth forgetting percy's birthday, worried friend!leo valdez (to reader), overhearing a confession (percy from reader), open ending

a/n: this is no percabeth hate! nor do i condone any annabeth hate in the comments/reblogs!

things with annabeth haven't been going well recently.

annabeth barely made time for percy and as the two drifted further and further away from each other, it seemed like their relationship would soon come to an end. annabeth hadn't even made time for percy's birthday and their anniversary, only leaving him a present at his cabin. at least percy thought it was from her. until now…

“you're an idiot! tell him–!!”

percy could hear voices outside of his cabin. the loud one was leo, while the other one was…

“sshh, lower your voice! i don't want percy to hear us…”

hearing his name from you, as well as knowing that he wasn't supposed to hear what came next only made percy curious. he made his way to the window, opening it a bit and continued to listen to the conversation outside.

“he should hear us! you can't lie to him like this! if he knew, then–”

“if he knew, then it would break his heart!”

you raised your voice, despite just scolding leo for being so noisey. meanwhile, percy's heart seemed to stop for a moment. break his heart? what sort of secrets were the two of you keeping from him…?

“annabeth is going to break his heart eventually! but you're only making it worse, by lying to him and giving him hope!”

leo now raised his voice as well. percy would've likely heard every word of it, even if he hadn't opened his window.

“you weren't there, leo! you should've seen his face! it was his birthday and annabeth had forgotten about it. not just that, but may i remind you, that it was also the day the two of them first got together? when he saw the present, he just… he assumed it was from annabeth! i didn't have the heart to tell him that it was from me…”

percy's heart sunk. he knew exactly what present you were talking about. a handmade gift, so much love and effort put into it. he thought it was from annabeth, but now he knew that he was wrong. the one it was actually from was you…

outside it had gotten quiet. leo didn't have anything to say. perhaps he had realized that you were just trying to be considerate of percy's feelings. you didn't want percy to hurt even more. that's what this was all about.

“listen…”

your voice was so quiet, that percy would barely hear it anymore. he closed his eyes, concentrating on it as much as he could.

“i love percy… he's my best friend! but he loves annabeth. she makes him happy, so i have to be a good friend to him and do whatever i can to keep them together…”

percy wanted nothing more than to open the window and yell at you.

‘you make me happy!’

but he couldn't do it. he was frozen in place, overwhelmed by his own emotions. he loved annabeth, but knowing what he does now, how could he still feel the same way about her? and how could he still feel the same way about you, after learning that you were willing to put his happiness before your own? how could he see you as just a friend after what was just revealed to him…?

[lovesick-desires]

A CRACK IN THE HOURGLASS

YANDERE!EKKO X SELFLESS!READER

CONTENT WARNINGS: season 2 spoilers, gender neutral reader, yandere behavior, manipulation, mentions of depression, mentions of death, murder, drugging, kidnapping, violence, guns, reader gets injured, ekko gets angry, swearing, mild dubious kissing, slightly rushed ending (sorry) WORD COUNT: 3.6k+ EKKO'S YANDERE ARCHETYPE: overprotective

Ekko is someone who has lost a lot in his life. His father figure, his friends, his childhood. Loss was something Ekko had grown accustomed to living in the Undercity as death was as common as the sun rising each day: inevitable and unremarkable, yet leaving an impact on those who bare witness to it. At a young age, he had learned that he could not prevent death as it was a cold, unforgiving force. But when it came to the people he cared for, he sure as hell tried.

Since the death of Jinx, Ekko had lost himself and fell into a bought of depression as he felt his efforts to protect those he cared for were all for naught. After all, that was the reason he started the Firelights in the first place: to keep people safe. Yet, at every turn, it feels like he has failed them all.

Until you came around.

You were one of the people Ekko and the firelights took in amidst the final battle. You tried your best to help the others unlike most who were taking refuge or advantage of the Firelight's kindness. You would assist in the soup kitchen to help feed the others. You would comfort people who had lost their homes, loved ones, and more. You were there to help and help you did.

Ekko didn't notice you at first, but when he did, he was taken aback that someone actually cared enough to lift a weight of the Firelights' shoulders and not just take advantage of the free shelter and food. It was a fresh change of pace from the usual Zaunites who would exploit anything. When spotting you sitting up against the tree, he reluctantly decided to approach you as a heart of gold like yours was very uncommon in a place like the Undercity.

"Umm, hey, aren't you the one who helped in the soup kitchen last week?" Ekko queried, shifting on his feet with his hands in his pockets. To this, you gazed over at the head of the Firelights and nodded softly, confirming his suspicions.

"Yeah, that was me. What about it?" You responded, shifting your body to face Ekko as he sits next to you.

"I guess I just wanted to thank you. Not many people helped us and I appreciate you stepping up, y'know?" The boy savior spoke, cocking his head to the side ever-so-slightly. This elicited a soft smile to spread across your lips.

"It's really no problem. It's the least I could do." You rambled, putting your hands together in your lap.

That was how you sealed your fate without even knowing it. You two talked for hours whilst being dappled by the sun's golden light through the tree canopy. The way those spots of light decorated you: your skin, your hair, your face. Everything about you seemed to draw Ekko in, making him want more.

These meetings under the tree become common place for you two where you would idly chat away about your experiences, your lives, your troubles. It was something Ekko enjoyed very much as it gave him something to look forward too after a long day or a mission.

It gave him something to live for, something to protect.

You.

One day, while the sun began to set, you two chatted under the tree as always, until you sprung something onto Ekko that would forever change the trajectory of both of your lives.

"Hey, Ekko, I was thinking and I wanted to run something by you." You explaining, grabbing his attention from the kids playing in the grass.

"Hmm? What's up?" Ekko acknowledged, looking at them with a raised brow.

"I watch the firelights come and go all the time and you tell me about how amazing your adventures are and I was thinking... How does one become a Firelight?" You questioned, making the blood in Ekko's veins run cold. He didn't want you to be in the way of danger like how he does every day. He wants you to be safe right here in his little sliver of paradise. He knew he had to sway you against it.

"No, no, absolutely not." Ekko retorted curtly, his brow furrowed as he looked back out at the children playing.

"Why not?" You shot back, adjusting your posture to look more serious.

"The job is tedious and not just fun. It comes with risk, responsibility, and danger. Danger that I would rather not put you in." Ekko addressed, putting his elbows on his knees.

"Ekko, I am not a child." You responded, bending forward to try and get him to look at you.

"I am aware of that but it takes guts to do what we do." Ekko responded, trying to push you away from the idea of being a Firelight for his own sake.

"I am willing to do whatever it takes. Please, just give me a chance." You begged, gently putting your hand over his. This immediately garnered Ekko's attention as a zephyr blew by, rustling his locks and the foliage around the two. Reluctantly, Ekko removed his hand only to place it on top of yours. He knew you wouldn't let him just blow this off and he had to give you a real chance.

"...Are you positive you want this?" Ekko muttered, rubbing his thumb over the dorsum of your hand.

"Positive. I want to help people, Ekko. I want to help you." You proclaimed with passion evident in your tone.

"Alright, but only if you promise me you won't get hurt. I couldn't imagine what I'd do if something bad happened to you." Ekko relented, looking back at you with worried eyes.

"I'll try my best, okay? I promise." You spoke softly, your lips spreading into a soft smile.

"Don't worry, I'll protect ya." Ekko joked, playfully elbowing their side.

And that was how you learned not to make promises you couldn't keep.

When you began your training, Ekko was hard on you to hope you would drop wanting to be a Firelight before getting you in any actual danger. However, you were stubborn and prevailed even his expectations of you. He was genuinely impressed and mistakenly let his guard down, thinking you'd become a great aspect to the Firelights and that you would get to spend more time with him on missions.

However, that all changed.

It was your first mission and Ekko finally gave you your mask and hoverboard, ready to let you go with him on your first mission. It was a great accomplishment to both of you until you two and the other Firelights actually got to the shimmer shipment. It was an ambush with a fake shipment to lure in the Firelights by shimmer makers down in the Lanes. Guns were blasting, punches were thrown, and blood was spilled.

In the midst of the carnage, you had noticed a comrade down with a sprained ankle and a henchman had a gun pointed at him. You didn't think, you just acted. Flying over on your board, you attempt to knock the gun out of the henchman's hand only to get a bullet to the shoulder. You cried out in pain and collapsed off the board to the grimy pavement, rolling into a brick wall with an 'umphf'.

When Ekko saw this going down, he froze. He swore to protect them and now he was going to lose someone else. No. No, he would not let this happen. Never again would he let you get hurt. He refused to even think about the possibility of having to paint your face on that mural. Soaring over, Ekko bashed in the head of the man who shot you, his rage overwhelming. A soft grunt caught his attention amidst his thoughts, only for him to see you trying to get up.

"Y/N!" Ekko cried out as he got off his board, running over to you. Seeing you laying their with your hand over your shoulder made him furious.

"Ekko..." You rasped in a groan that elicited from their throat. Ekko pried their hand from the wound, examining it. From what Ekko could see under the mess of sanguine, he knew it was bad and had to get them back to the medics.

"I'm taking you back to base." He proclaimed as he scooped you up into his arms. Too pain ridden to resist, you just let him. As Ekko gets on his board, he signals for the others to retreat before soaring back to base. For the whole ride home, Ekko is a mess, repeatedly asking you if you are okay with tears brimming his eyes. He refuses to lose you, he just can't lose you. You are all that's in his psyche. Images of you laughing, smiling and training with him flood his mind as his hands felt numb and prickly from the panic in his nerves. The feeling of your skin against his is the only thing keeping him from collapsing into sobs. He wants to be strong for you. He needs to be strong.

Once back at the Firelight base, he rushes you to the medic tent to get your bullet wound attended to. The whole time, he is praying to whatever god that is out there that you make it. He couldn't fathom losing you. You would not be joining the others on that mural.

After you were finally stabilized, Ekko felt a wave of relief course through his body. You were going to be okay. However, this was quickly followed by anger. Why did you jump in front of that goon to save someone else? Do you have any idea how badly that would hurt him to lose you? Did you really want to be a martyr and leave him behind? Ekko felt the anger boiling under his skin as he watched you get treated by a medic. Once the medic left the room, Ekko rose from his chair, looking down at you with a scowl.

"You promised me you wouldn't get hurt!" Ekko growled, crossing his arms.

"I... I couldn't help it—"

"Bullshit, you dove in front of an enemy's bullet." Ekko interjected, recounting the event that landed you in this situation.

"To save another firelight, Ek—"

"I don't give a fuck!" Ekko snapped as he interjected again, his hands trembling with anger. Noticing your fear from his sudden outburst, he took a deep breath and tried to simmer down as he ran his fingers through his hair. "Look, what you did could have killed you and I wasn't able to protect you!" He added, his voice shaking with anger.

"Did you want me to just let him die?" You asked, sitting up in the cot.

"Yes!" He proclaimed, shocking you with his statement. Realizing his crossed the line again, he sighed and sat back in the chair with a grunt, putting his head in his hands. "I'm sorry but I would have rather you let that Firelight die than let yourself get hurt. Now look at you, you have a bullet wound in your shoulder because you decided to be reckless." He continued as he rubbed his temples, trying to calm himself down.

"Ekko—"

"Y'know what? No, I can't let you risk getting hurt again. Do you have any idea how important you are to me?" Ekko spoke, rising from his seat once more as he snagged your mask off your face.

"What are you doing?" You retorted, your worried eyes meeting his.

"Undoing my mistake." He stated, putting the mask in his bag with a grunt.

"Ekko, you cannot be serious." You murmured, adjusted your sitting.

"Dead serious, I'm revoking you of your Firelight position." Ekko retorted, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"For saving a comrade's life?" You questioned, raising a brow in confusion.

"For almost getting yourself killed. Do you have any idea how close that bullet was to hitting your head? Too close." He spoke, gesturing to the bullet wound left in your shoulder. To this, you began to try and get out of bed only for Ekko to place a firm hand on your sternum, pushing you back to the bed firmly but not roughly. "No, stay in that bed, don't you dare try and get up, you're only gonna hurt yourself more." He supplemented, his anger subsiding into concern.

"I can't believe you're doing this." You uttered with a defeated tone to your voice, looking up at him.

"I am doing this to keep you safe." Ekko elaborated before removing his hand from your sternum, standing up straight.

"You told me risk is part of the job and that it takes guts." You remarked, your eyes narrowing at the Firelight leader.

"Well, I was stupid to let you risk your life. I don't need your blood on your hands. I've lost enough people in my life, I'm not going to lose you too." Ekko shot back, adjusting the bag strap on his shoulder. You looked up at him with a crestfallen expression, much to Ekko's dismay. "Look, I can't let you hurt yourself or let you get killed. You're too risky to be a Firelight. I'm sorry, but it's for your own good. I'll be back to check on you at sunrise, okay?" He added as he went to leave the room. He gave you one look back to see your saddened face before reluctantly departing, knowing what he was doing was best for them.

However, the night was restless for Ekko. He tossed and turned in his bed as the event of you being shot plays in a loop in his mind. Your cry in pain rings in his ears like nails on a chalkboard. He could not stop thinking about him holding you in his arms as he flew home on his board. The look of pain in your eyes haunted him as he laid there restless. He knew he could never let you face battle again, let alone anything that could hurt you. You were too precious to him, too precious to lose. You were reckless with your life and his heart. He knew you were an unintentional danger to yourself and he had to make sure that pain became a stranger to you. Pain was not worthy of haunting your body. It didn't deserve you.

Ekko was going to make sure you never ached again. Not if he could help it.

The sun rose through the blinds on Ekko's window, momentarily blinding him as he opened his bleary eyes. His body ached for more sleep, yet he was restless as he woke, wanting to see you.

So he did.

For the next three days, he visited you even though you were upset with him for revoking your stance in the Firelights. He did what was best for you. He knows what is best for you. You just have to trust him. Slowly, you begin to calm down over the incident and listened to him. After the next few days, you were released from the medical bay and able to go back to your day to day life. Ekko was there when you got the okay to go back home. However, Ekko had plans for you once you got discharged and it was just for the best. As you got ready to leave, Ekko placed a gentle hand on your non-wounded shoulder.

"Hey, I want to apologize for my outburst a few days ago." He spoke solemnly, seemingly ashamed of his actions and harsh words. To this, you couldn't help but smile softly.

"It's okay, Ekko. I know you were just angry." You murmured, looking back at him with soft eyes.

"Say, wanna just get something to eat back at my place? I'm sure you are sick of hospital food." Ekko offered, his thumb gently rubbing your shoulder. At the thought of not having to eat hospital food, you lit up.

"Sure, why not?" You replied, oblivious to Ekko's intentions. Ekko smiled softly at this, patting their shoulder before letting go.

"Perfect, c'mon, I'll make you your favorite." He beckoned, gesturing for them to follow him.

As you and Ekko walked to his humble abode, Ekko could not stop thinking about how he would never let them feel pain again. As he watched you talk and ramble on about something, all he could think of is how attractive you were. How the golden sun gently kissed your skin, how the soft wind played with your hair, and how your eyes looked like portals into your heart of gold. He was smitten and he swore to himself he would never let the precious person before him get hurt ever again.

Once you two made it to his humble abode, Ekko opened the door for you and watched you walk in, knowing he would never let you leave. As he walked in after you, he shut the door with a sigh, secretly locking the deadbolt when you had your back turned.

"Alright, I'm gonna get us started. First, do you want a drink?" He queried, walking past them into the kitchen. Soon after, you followed him.

"Yeah, just a water would be nice." You spoke, sitting up on a stool by his kitchen island. Ekko gave an approving hum in reply as he grabbed you both a glass and began to fill it up. Ekko looked back at you as the glasses filled with water. "Hey, I repainted the kitchen the other day, do you like the new color?" He asked, gesturing around to the room. When you looked at the walls, Ekko knew the distraction worked and slipped a little something into your water.

"Hmm, yeah, it's a nice seafoam green." You commented on the shade, taking it in. Ekko nodded, handing you your glass with a slight shake to his hand.

"Thanks, now drink up, I'm sure you're thirsty since they limited your water intake back at the hospital." The head of the Firelights replied, nodding to you. To this, you picked up the glass of water and began to drink it, not thinking twice. To this, Ekko couldn't help but sigh softly and mentally remind himself that this was for your own good. He knew the agent would act quickly so he strolled over to be beside you as you put the glass down on the counter.

"Damn, you were thirsty." He teased as he sat in the stool right next to you.

As if on cue, you felt warm and fuzzy as your eye lids got heavy. Ekko immediately noticed and wrapped their arm around your back, pulling you closer to him.

"Hey, are you alright?" He questioned, feigning obliviousness as he watched you struggle to stay awake.

That's when you realized something was in the water. It had to be. You went to stand only for your legs to give out, causing you to collapse to the kitchen floor with a thud. Ekko swore at himself for letting go and rushed to be beside you and pick you up, making sure you didn't get hurt.

"Woah, woah, woah, slow down there, Y/N." He spoke softly, holding you in bridal style as you were struggling to keep your eyes open. Your world got blurry and things suddenly felt distant. Ekko knew exactly was happening but kept telling himself it was for your own good, ignoring the guilt pooling in his stomach.

Then it all went black.

Warmth. Warmth was what you could describe you felt when you started regaining your senses. When you opened your eyes, you realized the warmth was Ekko's body pressed against yours. His strong arms were wrapped around your waist and his head was on your shoulder.

"Ekko?" You croaked out, alerting him that you were awake. He sighed softly and pulled away, looking down at you with solemn eyes.

"It was for your own good, I'm sorry." Ekko murmured softly, ashamed and regretful but not enough to let you go.

"The water. It was drugged?" You asked, trying to sit up only for your arms to be too weak to do so.

"Yes, I'm sorry but you have to understand tha—"

"You drugged me?" You interjected, your brows furrowed.

"Well, yes, but just know it was for your own good." Ekko relented, making strong eye contact. To this, you were alarmed by his motive.

"My own good? Drugging me? Do you have any idea how crazy you sound right now?" You retorted, trying to get up once more only for Ekko to firmly yet gently push you back to the bed.

"Y/N, I can't let you get hurt again so I did what I had to do. I have lost enough people, and I am not going to lose you too. I love you, Y/N." He confessed, his eyes sparkling with a look you had never seen before.

"This isn't love, this is control." You spat with your brows knitted together in a frown. To this, Ekko looked displeased. He grabbed your jaw and made you look at him.

"I have loved you since the day we met under that tree. I have loved you with more passion than I have every loved anyone or anything before. It is love and I can prove it to you." To this, Ekko placed a gentle yet passionate kiss on your lips, holding you in place by your jaw. His lips were soft and warm but it was offset by the situation at hand.

As Ekko pulled away, he was panting softly with eyes full of obsession.

"I will protect you from all pain. I refuse to ever see you hurt ever again in my entire life. I will protect you and I will not fuck it up this time."

[nightmareweaverz]

What is Love? (Mr. Gap x GN!Reader) Part 3

Part 1 || Part 2

CW: Minor character death, canon typical violence, a bit of gore, slight angst

Wordcount: 2538

Here is the third part of "What Is Love?" The next part will be the last one! This has honestly been a lot of fun to write.

Room after room after room, you’ve traveled. Each time a resident appears in your path, you ask them if they know where the exit is. It does not yield many results. If there’s a word for elevator in the other language, you don’t know it. And that, perhaps, is not aiding your search. Still, you persist.

Robin’s frightful nature doesn’t improve much over time. At the very least, it’s keeping him safe. He doesn’t enter rooms before you do and he doesn’t touch anything before you’ve confirmed it’s safe. Part of you is grateful for it.

“Could we rest somewhere for a bit? I'm getting a little tired,” Robin says gently after what's probably been hours of walking.

“Yeah, I suppose we should.”

Sparing him any additional injuries has come at a price. After the incident with the toys, you’ve chosen to run from many residents whom you would’ve had no issue subduing on your own. A fight comes with greater risks of injury. As a result, you may have depleted him of energy.

A tiny room, containing a couch and two smashed lamps ends up as your chosen temporary base. Before you allow Robin to sleep there, you check every piece of furniture to make sure nothing hides beneath or inside of them.

He tries to get you to rest with him, but you refuse. Someone has to keep watch. And you’ve come to learn your new body can work on two types of fuel: blood and sleep. You can supply it with one of them later and it will last you plenty of time.

For now, you slide down the wall, just outside the room and settle in a criss cross position. The absence of anything to read makes you wish you’d put in the effort to carry at least one. Perhaps you should search for a bag or backpack after you send Robin off.

Instinctively, you glance around in search of holes in the wall or ceiling. There are none. This is a little disheartening. Despite the way you last parted, Mr. Gap has somehow become someone you’re capable of missing.

Then you suddenly feel something poking your back. Your immediate reaction is to jolt up, crowbar held in preparation. Only to find that you’d set yourself in front of an open drain. Your void dwelling companion is staring back at you, happy with himself for startling you.

“Oh. Hello,” you greet him normally, as if your previous encounter didn't end with you insulting him.

“Human leave?” he asks.

It takes you a moment to realize he isn’t talking about you.

“No. They sleep. Me protect.”

This, for some reason, makes him grimace. Does he dislike Robin that much? They haven’t even interacted yet. What does he have against him?

“You not like they? Why?”

“They not fun.”

You expect him to elaborate, but he does no such thing. Similarly to how he explained why he hangs around you a while back. Because “you are fun.” Whatever that means. You shake your head in defeat.

“Me bored. You give paper?” you decide to try your luck. You’d even be willing to give him a few fingers right now in exchange for something to do.

He seems to be considering it. When he speaks again, you expect him to name his price, hopefully an organ you’ll have an easy time parting with and wouldn’t take long to heal.

“Me want touch.”

This is… new. He hasn’t mentioned any form of touch ever since you gave him that little lesson on romantic love. The fact that he now wants it for a reason other than curiosity makes you feel… odd. Restless, in a way. Like there are flies buzzing in your stomach.

“Me give touch, you give paper,” you conclude.

“Yes!” He sounds a little too happy about this arrangement. But there is no telling what he’s thinking, as usual.

You reach inside the drain and set your hand on top of his head. His hair feels rough and a little damp like the rest of him. You feel a few tangled knots as you caress it gently. Although he must’ve been expecting one of the gestures you’d shown him before, he appears intrigued by this as well.

“Not special touch?”

“You not stay what touch. Me give touch.” It is your turn to be smug.

The corners of his mouth drop and his eyes narrow in annoyance. Was he really hoping for kisses and hand holding? Why do you find that cute?

“Give paper?” you ask, now suddenly feigning innocence.

Still mumbling grumpily, he shoves a magazine your way. It’s impossible not to giggle at his displeasure. He really is bad at reaping what he sows.

You turn your attention to the magazine he gave you. This time, it’s a travel magazine. A surprisingly new one. It’s a little damp and the edges of the pages are curled, but the pictures still have vivid colors and the paper hasn’t yet gained that old, yellowish appearance most other books here have.

But when you look at the cover more closely, you hesitate to open it. It features a tall building. One that looks similar to the one you always used to see on your way home. Home…

You flip through it slowly. And with every page you turn, a suffocating ache grows in your chest. There are pictures of breathtaking landscapes, cliffsides, beaches, jungles, pools and cities. There are pictures of people eating ice cream, pictures of busy streets and local dishes, of bread and potatoes and cake and spicy sauces. You don’t even notice your hands have started trembling.

You eventually stop at a picture of a flower field spread over two pages. Purple flowers reign over half its surface and, above them, a deep blue sky occupies the rest. You can almost smell the perfume, feel the wind in your hair, see the fluffy clouds idling by. The ache in your chest is becoming unbearable.

“What wrong?”

Mr. Gap’s voice suddenly yanks you out of your sorrowful daydream. You’re surprised to find he hasn’t left yet.

“Not like paper?”

You shake your head. “Me like paper. Me want… me want to go where paper show. Me not go. Me different.”

You wonder if someone like him can even understand what you're feeling. He can go wherever he pleases using his little teleportation ability. Meanwhile, you're stuck here. Forever.

He doesn’t say anything at first. Perhaps he’s confused again. But then he declares: “Me good! Me research.” Then he’s gone.

What it is he is hoping to research, you don’t know. But Mr. Gap has surprised you before. Maybe he’ll do it again.

You try to push any depressing thoughts aside and resume reading the magazine without thinking too much about what you will be missing out on for the rest of eternity. You are mostly successful.

A few residents pass by, but none try to pick a fight, which comes as a relief. Eventually, Robin finally emerges from the room. He appears to be in a better mood.

“I needed that. Thank you for keeping watch. It helped me sleep soundly.” He smiles. You're not sure you've seen him smile until now. It suits him better than the constant frightful expression he always wears.

“Don't mention it.”

You set the magazine down by the open vent and take off, motioning for Robin to follow. It would not be wise to dally anymore. Anytime now, he will begin to change. You have to get him out before that happens.

He does as you ask without protest.

“So, um. How much longer until we reach the exit?”

“I don't know. The hallways always change. But we're looking for an elevator. And it's best we find it sooner than later,” you respond.

“I see…”

His expression shifts into nervousness. You want to reassure him that he will make it out, that you’ll make sure of it. But that’s something you aren’t sure you’ve even convinced yourself of yet.

“Do you like reading?” he asks eventually.

“I do, since I started living here. It helps pass the time.”

“My boyfriend also likes reading. He drags me to bookstores sometimes. His favorite are murder mysteries, but sometimes he picks up those useless self help books that don’t actually help much.” Tears glisten in his eyes. “I… can’t even remember what I last said to him before I ended up here. I hope it wasn’t anything bad…”

Boyfriends and bookstores, wanting to say sweet words to loved ones before you disappear. All of these bring back that awful annoying ache. The reminder they are not for you anymore. Part of you pities him and another is so envious that it hurts. Because he still has hope.

“...what's he like? Your boyfriend.”

Robin sniffles and rubs his eyes as he walks. “He's kind and considerate. Sometimes he can be a little exasperating. But that's part of loving someone.”

It is? In books and shows, they always show it as some sort of blissful feeling that melts your insides and makes your life perfect.

“This may sound like a weird question. Sorry. But how do you know you love him?”

“I think about him often. And when he's not there, I wish he was. And if he were to love someone else, I'd lose my mind.” He grins bitterly.

That sounds oddly simple. No flowery language or everly complicated declarations. Just wanting someone at your side. It actually sounds pleasant.

“Are you in love?” Robin asks suddenly, taking you by surprise.

“Why would I be?” you answer with another question.

“Usually, when people ask things like this, they're trying to understand their own feelings.”

“I've just been reading. And the love in books confuses me. I was wondering if it's the same in reality.”

Robin laughs. “Of course not. In reality, it's a lot more mundane, though you can still have romantic moments. Fiction highlights the good parts. But there's both good and bad. Sometimes your lover will eat all the cookies before you get home or they'll refuse to put on headphones while listening to music. But then when the jar is entirely full and the music is gone, you miss even the less pleasant things…”

It sounds like Robin really loves his boyfriend. You wonder what it's like, being that important to another person. Could someone like you have that?

There comes that ache again. You push it down, hide it somewhere deep inside yourself.

“...we'll get you back to him.”

Robin doesn't respond, but he smiles fondly.

Your conversation is cut off when you notice someone approaching down the hallway. Immediately, you prepare your crowbar. But as the figure draws closer, it proves to be someone familiar.

It’s Mr. Stitch. Out of all the people you could’ve been reunited with since you’ve returned here, it had to be this guy. And to make matters worse, he recognizes you as well.

“You!” he calls out and points. “Me know you!”

Robin quickly retreats behind you like a scared duckling running to its mother.

“Who they?” Mr. Stitch points at Robin next.

“They friend. You go. Me not like you,” you state bluntly.

Your declaration only seems to amuse him. That awful smile of his grows. “Friend? Me not take?”

“Me smash your head when you take.”

Mr. Stitch does not look deterred in the slightest. If anything, he seems more interested after seeing your reaction. You should've seen it coming, knowing him and how much he loves messing with people's emotions.

“Where you go?”

“W-what are you guys talking about?” Robin asks, growing more nervous by the second.

“Nothing important. In fact, it's about time we leave.”

You grab Robin by the arm and drag him after you.

But as you attempt to pass by Mr. Stitch, he suddenly swerves behind Robin and holds him in place. In your irritation and panic, you get ready to swing at him. But then you notice the knife pressed to Robin's neck. You freeze in place.

“You angry?” Stitch asks, for you refuse to give him the respect of an honorific any longer. He is loving the worry mixed with furry on your face.

“Let them go.” You try to sound imposing. You hope you do. Whenever you're about to kill someone, you play the innocent and sweet act, so they wouldn't see it coming. Intimidation is not your forte.

“Where you go?”

“We leave here. Go other world,” you begrudgingly answer.

“Me know where! You play! Fun!”

Your jaw clenches in annoyance. It’s getting harder and harder to think straight. This is bad. If you lose control now, you are going to kill both Stitch and Robin.

“Not play. Let human go.”

Focus, focus, focus. You can do it, you can get him out safe. You need to.

Stitch tilts his head, seemingly weighing his options. He must be entirely unaware of the fate awaiting him.

“You not play? You not fun. Me eat huma-”

Before he gets to finish his sentence, you raise your hand in his direction.

Go to hell. Go to hell. Go to hell.

Then you bring it down. All that is left of him is a pile of blood and guts.

Robin screams in terror and immediately backs into a wall. His pants are stained red, but he is unharmed. The horror on his face brings you back to reality.

“Robin, I had to do it. He would’ve killed you!”

“How did you do that?! He suddenly became minced meat. You didn't even touch him!” Now he's trembling.

You take a step towards him and he takes one back. The way he's looking at you has gone back to the way he looks at all the residents. You know why and yet, it still hurts.

“Please don’t do anything stupid. It's too dangerous to go on your own.”

For a moment, you think he's going to take off running. But slowly, he stops trembling and nods. Then he begins to walk the same way you'd been walking before Stitch showed up. You follow at a distance, head hung low and hand wrapped around your crowbar so tight that it stings.

You go the rest of the way in silence. He doesn’t start up anymore conversations and you don’t dare attempt it yourself. It’s not the first time someone’s condemned you for taking a life. But it’s the first time it has an effect on you.

And then you finally find the elevator.

It sits under an eerie green light, just like it did when you found it in the past.

“This is it. You can go home now.”

“Is this really the exit?” He steps towards it cautiously.

Before he's close enough to press one of the buttons, Robin turns around to face you. “I… thank you.”

He doesn't sound certain about his choice of words. Maybe he would've rather called you a monster.

“I hope you and your boyfriend are happy. Don't go wandering into anymore strange buildings.”

He nods, avoiding your eyes. Then he turns and, as the door opens, he says over his shoulder: “Goodbye.”

Just like that, he’s gone.

And you lose your mind.

[imjustmarcy]

I know the bare minimum of the game's lore, but my brain has decided to love the idea of Jayce’s family being immigrants from Ixtal (the region based on Latin American cultures, bc we stan latino Jayce in this household).

I think it could make for some incredible parallels with Viktor too. He's from the undercity, from Zaun, he even has a distinct accent (and although we don't see it in Arcane, the people from Zaun do speak a different language than Piltover's common language). It's part of his identity, something he himself won't forget ever, because part of why he wanted to create Hextech was to give it to the people of Zaun, to make it a better place. He's proud of where he comes from and will never forget his roots.

Vs Jayce who has only ever known Piltover, maybe has fuzzy memories of Ixtal, but that's about it. He can't even speak more than a few sentences in Ixtali, he's been stripped of his identity and forced to fit into the mold of the perfect golden boy from Piltover, like he was always from there to begin with. He's entirely disconnected from his roots, which could also make him realize how little he knows about where he comes from once he starts hearing Viktor, mumbling to himself in Zaunite. Viktor, scribbling at the edges of his notes in Zaunite. Viktor, telling him all he can about the undercity once Jayce asks.

And meanwhile Jayce doesn't even know much about his place of origin, can't even speak the language. Maybe Ximena, his mother, refuses to give up some of the traditions from their culture, and made sure Jayce grew up with them, but that's about it.

Give me Jayce putting an effort to try and learn more about where he comes from once he realizes how much of his own identity as someone from Ixtal he stripped off to fit in in Piltover. Give me him telling Viktor about the few traditions he can remember, and in exchange, Viktor tells him about a few traditions from Zaun...

[wisedelusionalmarshmallow]

@rosekillermicrofic, December 1st - Letter, T, Word Count - 537

Seeing Evan sitting in their usual train compartment brought a wave of relief over Barty. Finally, another summer passed, and he was away from his father once more. Now, he can spend all day every day with his boyfriend again.

Taking his usual seat beside him, Barty sends Evan a big smile. “Rosie! Oh, I missed you! This summer was just horrid. You wouldn’t believe the things my father was saying again—”

“That so?” Evan responds, albeit a little monotone. 

Huh. “You okay, Ev? Oh! I’m sorry, I didn’t ask about your summer; how were you and Dora?”

Finally looking at Barty, Evan sighs, and there’s an odd emotion on his face that Barty can’t place. “Why didn’t you mail me?” He asks sadly, “I mean, we agreed that you would put more effort into doing it, but you didn’t respond to any letters that I sent at the end of June.”

“What letters?” Barty asks softly. He never received any during the summer.

“What letters? What? Did they get lost in the mail? I sent four and got nothing in return,” Evan scoffs, getting right in Barty’s face. It was clear he was frustrated and angry, but beyond that, Barty could see how sad he was. “Or did you just not respond to them?”

Merlin, he felt like shit.

"Godric, no, that would be rude.”

“So now you know what’s rude or not? You know even if mine got lost, you could still send one or two. But you decided that for two and a half months you wouldn’t talk to your boyfriend, and now you want me to act like everything’s fine?” He exclaims, frustrated as hell. Barty wants to apologize but he did nothing wrong.

“Evan, I sent letters. I wrote one every week to you and Regulus and Dorcas. Actually, now that I think about it, I never got any back from them either…” Did all four of their owls get lost in their flight?

“Wait, so nothing of yours was moving in or out of your house?” Evan questions.

“I…I guess not. I didn’t think about it much though. I just thought that I was being too clingy like usual, and you guys just didn’t want to respond to me,” Barty admits. It sounds stupid now, but it’s not an uncommon thought for him to have. His parents find him the most irritating person on the planet, so it wouldn’t be crazy for his friends to as well.

“It’s not that, Barty. Do you think your dad was tampering with your mail?”

“Do you think that?” Barty asks, now seeing the scenario differently.

“It wouldn’t be out of character for him,” the blond shrugs, holding Barty closer as he dealt with the knowledge that his father was sabotaging him—again.

“Oh Merlin, he probably did. When I get home for the holidays, I swear he—”

Seeing his boyfriend was getting mad with his father—rightfully so—but not wanting to deal with it right now, Evan interrupts him. “I missed you too, Barty.”

The distraction worked, and the smile he got in return was beautiful. “Good. Now let me tell you what I can remember from my letters; I’m sure you would have loved them.”

[fordtato]

I watched the new Ford vid and I wanted to share some thoughts I had on some of the points in your video. Before anything else, I want to say how much I absolutely fucking love everything you do and that, in my opinion, this video is especially spectacular. My intention here is to show my appreciation for your work by demonstrating how I’ve paid attention to it and thought about it, because I wouldn’t do that if I didn’t care, but I’m definitely not trying to criticize or anything. So, keeping that in mind, I’d like to add some thoughts to a couple points that I feel could’ve been expanded upon, even though the video was already five hours long.

First off, when it comes to the science fair thing, the only point where I do kind of blame Ford is that perpetual motion machines are physically impossible and also delicate. I just think he should’ve made something else and, at the very least, checked on it the morning of the fair and I actually think it’s a little ooc that he put all that effort into making it and was so invested in the fair but then didn’t bother to even look at it before the fair itself. There’s also never any recognition of the fact that something like a perpetual motion machine could literally stop at any point for any number of reasons that wouldn’t require external interference. I don’t think it’s a sin or moral failing like some of the other things people said on the topic of the science fair, but I do think there is some responsibility there on Ford’s end that doesn’t get discussed as much.

The second thing is that I just think that the Book of Bill is pretty openly interpretable in terms of whether it’s fully accurate and canon or not, since it’s made by such a flagrant liar. I respect and appreciate that you view the lost journal pages as canon material that, in universe, was written by Ford, but I also feel like it’s important to acknowledge that we don’t really know for sure one way or another unlike with Journal 3.

My next point is that, on the topic of Ford wanting his house back, it’s everything you said and I would add that Stan staying in the house would require their reconciliation. At the time Ford said that, they were actively in conflict with each other after being in separation for 30 years, so it makes sense that he wouldn’t want Stan to keep living with him given all the tension and unresolved resentment. Especially in tandem with the other things you pointed out, I think it makes complete sense that Ford wouldn’t want Stan to keep living there.

So then, when it comes to Ford being upset with Stan because of how Stan ignored all his warnings and opened the portal anyway, my biggest issue has always been Ford’s hypocrisy here. I can appreciate that, even though everything turned out alright, Stan’s choice to open the portal was objectively bad and Ford is valid for being upset, but he’s the one who ignored all the warnings when he summoned Bill in the first place. While I’d never blame him for being a victim of Bill’s abuse, I do 100% blame him for blowing past all the warnings and reading that incantation in the cave, and it’s hypocritical for him to be mad at Stan for doing the same thing.

Next is the “bumbling leech” quote, and my thought here is just that it makes sense for Ford to tell himself that as like a coping mechanism. When he and Stan were in separation, I imagine it would’ve been easier to tell himself stuff like that and try to believe it and try to stay mad to keep his distance, especially once he was on the other side of the portal. After all, keeping a grudge is easier than reconciliation, especially when you and the other person have no emotional intelligence and limited communication skills.

Lastly, when it comes to pathologizing, I think it’s potentially relevant that Stan and Ford are twins so stuff like autism that’s autistic would be a shared trait that both of them have. I just think it could be interesting to get into the genetic components of some of the different diagnoses that have been proposed for Ford, especially NPD since it does have a genetic factor. If people want to act like Ford is a villain because he potentially has NPD, then those same people have to accept that that would mean Stan does to and tbh I’d love to explore how a cluster b disorder like that could potentially make sense with Stan’s character as well. Maybe then we could actually have a nuanced discussion about such things the way you suggested instead of continuing to demonize these disorders, their symptoms, and the people who have them.

Anyway, sorry this was so long but I just wanted to share and I look forward to seeing what else you come out with in the future 🩷

Well, thank you for sharing, though I do think we disagree on a couple of things. As far as a perpetual motion machine being impossible, like, I think that's the point? Like, the idea is "this is an impossible thing, and Ford, being brilliant, figured it out." The idea of "blaming" a 17-year-old for his physics-defying incredible demonstration of a principle that breaks the laws of physics being... not earthquake stable? Or not sturdy enough to survive a punch on the table? I don't know, guys. Like. Lots of marvels of scientific accomplishment are delicate instruments. I think the logic there is faulty. The science fair project falling apart is not Ford's fault. It WAS stable, then something broke. You can't blame him for making an easy-to-break machine. I've seen this argument floating around a lot recently, and I will be honest, it really annoys me. Would it have been smart for him to check under the sheet that Stan put there to hide it? Yeah, maybe. But it feels silly to say that makes him partly "responsible." I dunno. It's all semantics at some point, and it barely makes a difference, but that isn't how I would describe it.

As far as the Lost Journal pages being written by a liar, I did address this in my ATOTS video, and did not repeat myself in the Ford Defense video, but to summarize : I acknowledge that Bill could have lied in these pages, but for the sake of easily having a discussion about it, I do treat it at face value, simply because it would be annoying to need to add that caveat after every point.

(I also am not a personal fan of the theory that it was forged by Bill, but that's a separate topic altogether. No comment beyond that.)

As far as Ford's "hypocrisy" in warning Stan, I think we have different opinions here as well. Like, Ford does not think that Stan ignoring warnings is wrong, but HIM ignoring warnings is okay. He thinks him ignoring the warnings is the biggest mistake of his life and he's deeply angry at himself. If I burned myself on the stove, and then told someone else not to touch the stove because it is hot, I am not being a hypocrite. I am someone who learned something was dangerous.

Even if we disagree here, however, I appreciate you watching, and you taking the time to share your thoughts with me.

[cmyk-anaglyph-honeycomb]

Helluva Boss S2 E11

(this is mostly in order but not really. I have a lot of thoughts and its 1am) How did stella know about the 'break up' in the first place? Was she also at the party or did someone she know go? Did she hear it through the grapevine of imps she defiantly talks too? So that on the run shit was just for the trailer huh? Actually thought this was going to get interesting, my mistake. I should've known better. Luna being muzzled is decent world building on how she is just viewed as an animal. But also her character does so little outside of being blitzo's daughter or a hazard to Moxxie that she could have just been an actual dog with aggression issues. Why is Andrealphus focused on pointing the blame on Blitzo and not Stolas? The book was getting miss-used either way and Stolas was his actual aim, so why try to write him off? Also, why is he so against stolas. At this point it can't just be for Stella because it doesn't seem like he likes her. At this point I'm waiting for it to be a thing where Andrealphus arranged for Stella and Stolas's marriage to gain power from his family or something. He is putting in too much effort for it just to be out of pettiness. Who is Vassago and why is he here? Dude is a prop not a character. If Andrealphus (god I hate his name) would have just had Stolas on trial at first and the imps were just witnesses that would flow better. [sidenote: It could have been a thing where IMP would have greatly benefited from condemning stolas and Blitzo choses to tell the truth and cost to himself to help Stolas out. It would show stolas that Blitzo actually cared.] Not a fan of how the other deadly sins are just dropped on us without much fan fair. They were kinda the one thing I was looking forward too. It really felt like the musical part was crafted first and everything else was written around it. What was the point of satan singing about how he is the top boss and all that? No one was saying how they are the mastermind of hell or anything, just this one collection of bullshit. We get it big man, you're in charge. (Sidenote: I do like his design, its kinda basic for a satan character, but still good. I love his voice when speaking and singing. The song he sings is good, the point of it is not.) So there are zero stakes in this show. None. Kinda makes it hard to care about the outcome if everything has a soft ending. Stolas loses his powers, that we rarely see him use. He can't see his daughter, that we barely see him around. He loses nothing that we see him show any interest or care given too. Stella's evil smile means nothing either. She is a nothing character to make Stolas look better. At this point she shouldn't be in the show she does so little. Why was this trial about Andrealphus and not her? If stella was supposed to be this super evil and manipulative character why is she so far on the back burner for her own plan? Would have been a great time to have a woman character actually do something out of their own desire shitty or not, instead of just helping out some man but okay. Andrealphus should've just been Stolas's shit brother who wanted his power instead of wasting our time with Stella. *That's all I got in me for right now. Again its 1am after black friday and my ass works retail so I'm done thinking for now. Might come back to this later.*

[mohntilyet]

not to mention the entire antaam fleet like 😭 that was the PERFECT moment to show off what the lords could do!!! The antaam fucked over rivain, theyve been a thorn in the whole nations side for a long time now, they would not pass up a chance for payback via full scale naval warfare so that the veilguard can do what they need to!! Sure dreadnoughts are dangerous but at this point they probably have tricks up their sleeve, thats one of the few things they have!

also wouldn't it be personal because does solas not try to blow up kont-aar because he's trying to 5d chess tevinter and the qunari into destroying each other. like. i know technically this would not be incredible widespread news because the attack was stopped, but i don't think the wonderful citizens of kont-aar would have missed the tsunami that nearly hit them and the shockwave that actually hit them. rumors go around. and i assume irian/vadis tell varric. who i think would tell isabela. who would tell the group she leads. who would care because ofc, they LIVE IN RIVAIN, and now know that solas and his followers thinks they can trade rivaini lives* to further his plans.

*while i also think there's probably a divide between kont-aar and the rest of the nation, it's one that the rivaini love to jump across and back over. an interesting comparison to be made here with most of rivain having similar sentiments towards dairsmuid and the chantry. like this is the country specifically mentioned to have a lot of citizens who follow the qun/are non-andrastian + it being MUCH more multicultural and accepting than other nations. any attack on rivain, even if it's a qunari settlement, would fan a lot of flames that solas cannot put out so the idea of trying to him taking multiple steps back because he didn't realise how intensely the qun/rivaini/lords would react is very fun for me. it would have been soo interesting for rivain to be a hub for efforts against solas because of how it's not influenced by andrastianism, how he (or his agents) specifically fucked them over, and (maddeningly for solas) also part of this resistance has spirits who willingly guide them against him. this could have even been a plot device where the door goes both ways and solas finds out rook's plans because he manages to eavesdrop through a seer or something.

and on the spirits. all the stuff where the mourn watch regularly communicates with spirits could have been done with rivain as well, and with different takes on being 'friendly' with spirits. iirc there's a spirit in the hall of valor which is so interesting but it's literally just there for flavour text. THERE'S A SPIRIT IN THE HALL OF VALOR THAT DOES NOTHING BESIDES LIKE. SAY HI. ??? bioware i would have liked to see more spirits and seers and the matriarchal pantheists you have talked about please. and also the idea of the peaceful qunari settlement being pushed to protect the country they are part of and what that means for them as qunari vs. rivaini. taash's storyline could have contributed to this . so A LOT less about choosing a side, more about how kont-aar has developed, changed, how rivain has influenced it and what it means to be qunari. not the qunari agents and fighters that we have seen, but their 'civillian' way of life in kont-aar.

complete waste not seeing any of established lore reflected in the lords of fortune or rivain because i stupidly actually thought we were going to see some kind of settlement and be introduced to a very different cultural norms.. in my beautiful mind i like to think taash is a little taken aback by how badly mages/elves/etc are treated. like they understood it was different outside of rivain (they would have been young when the dairsmuid circle annulment happened right? so they don't 'remember' it themself, they likely heard others talking about it when they're old enough to understand) but until they actually saw what was happening first hand, they had a weird dissonance about it. but what we got was a deserted beach, ties to another faction (wardens are fine!! they are great !!!! the fourth blight is interesting!!!! yet they are not the faction with a lack of info about them!!!!!) and also the hall of valor that exists as flavor text with nothing meaningful behind it besides a pub used in a few cutscenes and a minigame.

[bigball-thefrog]

Omg you’re back!! Yay! I’ve missed your writing so much!☝🏻 Now that you’re back I would like to request a little something. I was thinking of maybe something with Sanji. So basically I was thinking of something along the lines of the reader being in love with him and him being in love with her too but the reader is scared of being with him because of her past. So when Sanji approaches her with that she rejects him out of fear and starts avoiding him, so then maybe he begins to get curious about it and asks either Robin and Nami about it and one of them tells him what happened in her past. I don’t know just something along those lines🤔Like maybe she accidentally hurt her past partner? Oh and it would be cool she was the baker of the ship just to have that chef and baker dynamic. And as for her ability you can make that up. Anyway hope you can write it!

HELLO!!!! Thank you so much kind words and thank you for the request, I haven't written for Sanji in so long. This was really sweet and I actually am considering making this into a Character ai bot if you wouldn't mind. I hope I wrote it well and you enjoy it

Warnings/Tags:

Angst to comfort

Rejection

Bullying

Readers has had their feelings played with in their oast

Insecurities and fear of romace

Female reader

______________________________

Narrator POV

For your skills in baking delicious treats and fighting with your baking utensils, Luffy quickly asked you to join his crew. You accepted and that's how you met him... Sanji...

Usually Sanji preferred to be the only own allowed to work in the kitchen, but when someone as skillful and as beautiful as you came in, he didn't mind sharing his space. And quickly you two found your rhythm together. When he'd be making soup you'd be quick to make garlic bread to go with it. Sanji was making chocolate mousse for dessert? We'll you were making doughnuts to be filled with the mousse! The kitchen would be filled will mouthwatering aromas of your baked goods and Sanji's meals, inside the kitchen it was a show to watch you both work, knives chopping, spices being tossed between you two, you were both almost the exact same person now split in half and making a delicious storm in the kitchen, you two, were perfect together.

And now only were your skills in the kitchen a match, your feelings for each other were also a match. It was only a matter of time before you two to fell for each other. A baker and a chef, it's a match made in heaven! Or rather, match made in the kitchen ☞( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)☞. You loved Sanji, and he loved you back, and more than other ladies! Yes, out of all the ladies in the world, you were the one to win Sanji's heart, and he wanted no one else but you. And you loved him all the same, but there was a big problem. You didn't think he could or would like you back... You had been hurt so many times in the past when it came to romance that you grew to accept that no one would genuinely love you. And then it happened, Sanji came to you with a beautiful bouquet of your favorite flowers and your favorite meal and he asked you out. You froze, you wanted to belive his confession but your insecurities, your pain from the past, you just couldn't believe he was being genuine. "I can't..." was all you managed to say before running away, leaving Sanji confused and heartbroken.

Sanji POV

"I can't..." The words rang through my head, over and over again. Why? Why couldn't she accept? Was it something I did? Did she not like me that way? After that failure of a confession she began to avoid me completely, she'd cook completely, she'd take her meals to her rooms. It was tearing me apart and I just wanted my kitchen partner back...

I was currently stirring some stew for lunch, since that night my energy to cook was low, I still put effort into all of it but it felt like my motivation was gone now that she wasn't with me in the kitchen. I was brought out of my self loathing thoughts when I heard Nami and Robin entering the kitchen, "Sanji, is everything alright?" Robin asked, "Luffy's getting impatient and everyone's realized lunch is taking longer than usual." Nami said, looks of concern on both of their faces. "I'm alright ladies... Just a bit tired lately..." I said and went back to stirring. I could hear them mumble about how something was definitely wrong then Robin spoke again, "Is this about your confession?" I froze, my lips trembled and I stepped away from the pot to wipe my face. Nami sighed and Robin nodded her head. Both girls sat me down and tried to comfort me, "It's not your fault Sanji." Nami spoke and pat my shoulder, "But then what was it it? Why did she reject me??" "It's because she's been through a lot in the past, stuff that's made her more scared of romantic relationships." Robin reassured. I raised my head at that, "Her past? What happened?" "Well, you see, back at her home island, she had a partner, someone she really cared for. But there was an accident... He was helping her bake when he started an argument while cooking and they were so distracted by their argument that he slipped while carrying a pot of boiling water. He was burned all over and she felt immense guilt, and since then she's been scared to let someone get close like that, she just doesn't want to accidentally hurt someone again..." Nami said, Oh, my poor sweet darling... She wasn't able cooperate with her past lover in the kitchen and he got hurt, now she carries all the guilt on her shoulders... "So, it's not your fault Sanji, your confession was beautiful, it's just that she's scared she'll accidentally hurt you in someway..." Robin said. "But what do I do? How do I show her that I'm being genuine and that I really love her with all my heart?" "Nami, you're gonna have to do something deep, something personal, something that can get under those walls she's built around herself." Nami said and squeezed my shoulder "A love letter is always a good choice. Writing down all your thoughts feelings for a person to see." Robin said. A love letter? Writing all my thoughts and feelings of her and letting her read it? It could work. Filled with a new motivation I thanked both girls and got to work, after making lunch of course.

Narrator POV

He spent hours, writing all his thoughts, and all of his feelings towards you and how much he loved you. What was supposed to be a love note, ended up being a love book since Sanji wrote over 100 pages dedicated to his love for you put into words.

It was after dinner now and Sanji was alone cleaning until he heard footsteps and he turned to see you, "I'm just here to bring in my dishes." you mumble and put your dishes in the sink before quickly turning to leave, but Sanji quickly took your hand in his and pulled you back, "Please don't go Mon amour, I have something to give you..." He pleaded, holding your hand delicately in his. "A-alright..." you stuttered, trying to control your already racing heart from jumping out of your chest with the way Sanji held your hand. He momentarily let go to grab his love note/book and placed it in your hands, you looked at him confused before looking up at him, waiting for an answer. "It's all my thoughts, all my feelings put into words... All about you Mon amour..." you felt your heart break before you could protest, Sanji spoke again, "Please my dear, just skim through it, you don't have to read all of it, but just see how I feel, how I genuinely feel about you." Sanji pleaded. You sighed and flipped through the pages, each one the word love written so many times, how he loved your body, how he loved your smile, how he loved how passionate you were about baking, he just seemed to love everything about you, inside and out. You were tearing up as you flipped through each page, then the last page you read entirely and it was your breaking point:

"My love, Nami and Robin told me about what happened with your previous partner and I need to say, it's not your fault. He started that argument and got himself hurt. It brings me deep pain that you now feel this way now. That you do not deserve love because of one mistake from a fool that wasn't looking where he was going. My love, you do not need to carry such weight on your shoulders, you can lean on me and let go of that weight, because I love you and there is nothing you could do to hurt me and make me angry or hate you. Your body, your face, every mark, every curve. I would spend days kissing every imperfection on your your body, yet it wouldn't even take a second to, because there are simply no imperfections on you. You are simply perfect, your passion for baking, your loyalty. My darling you are perfect in every way possible, and I couldn't have asked for a better kitchen partner and best friend. Please, believe me when I say, I love you and that I want to spend the rest of my life with you, the both of us together in the kitchen, creating our love in the form of food for everyone to experience. I love you, Ma chérie."

You could not stop crying, his words hit deep and meant so much to you. Sanji was quick to wrap you in a tight comforting hug. "Shhh it's okay... You don't have to cry my love... I'm here, and I'll stay as long as you want me to." He held you close to his chest and rubbed your back, "I'm so sorry Sanji... I was just so scared it was another joke.." "It's okay Mon amour, I understand your fear, but I would never play with a lady's feelings like that, especially not yours." "So you still love me?" "With all my soul" "Do you still want to date?" "With all my existence."

"Kitchen partners for life?"

"Kitchen partners for life~"

______________________________

Alright this is it for now, I will post my poll very soon for you all to decide what I write next, and I will see you all very soon.

Kelly🐸

[profundcherrylady]

SINGLE DAD!SAE ITOSHI

Exclusive interview with Sae Itoshi!

A/N: I had this in mind while writing the last scenario. This one was so short y'all, promise next one will be a little longer but I've been busy. Also I posted this waaaaay too early before I had finished it omg I wanna kms

Warnings: None this time, y'all are safe.

Contents: Sae being a loving father and lots of fluff; MAY be ooc but be fr I'm convinced Sae would be the sweetest if he had kids.

Description: Exclusive interview! After having won another very successful match, the media takes advantage of the fact that Sae Itoshi can't shut up about his daughter to actually interview him.

He didn't even flinch at the countless flashes of the cameras directed towards his eyes, the news photographers and paparazzi fighting to get a good picture of the still sweaty Sae Itoshi. As usual, his performance on the field was remarkable and the victory of his team undeniable. This was normal to him, of course, but this day wasn't just some ordinary match; his daughter was watching him today. Like, in person, on the stands! It wasn't a common occurrence, and not because she didn't want to but because Sae would almost always say no. After all, he couldn't really keep an eye on her while playing and he felt a little conflicted about just leaving Mao by herself. However, this time she just wouldn't stop insisting, so he had no choice.

It was almost comical to see the little girl sitting among the other serious people in the VIP section, but she was someone important as well. Important to him, at least.

When his team ended up winning thanks to his last goal, he could see her enthusiastic expression and hear her voice cheering for him. She was practically bouncing on her seat, waving her hand trying to get Sae to notice her.

"Papa, that was amazing! Papa, look! Papa, I'm over here!" her screams, of course, reached his ears, and he waved back casually on her direction, an almost unnoticeable smile on his face. "Hi, papa!!"

As much as he would've wanted to go to his daughter immediately, he was unable to avoid the interview, so she would have to wait a little.

"Amazing performance today, Sae." she'd say, and he'd try to ignore so he could go to his daughter, but his efforts were useless as she just kept getting on his way on purpose with the microphone pointing at him and the camaraman following closely. "Any words you want to share with us about it? How did you feel while you were out there?"

"Mhm." that wasn't even an answer; he just wanted to get out of there and get his daughter. But the interviewer was NOT about to let Sae Itoshi walk away from this, so she had to use her last resource.

"Can you tell us more about your daughter being here today?" Sae perked up inmediately, but he wasn't stupid, he knew what she was doing, so he tried to keep his answer short.

"She said she wanted to see this match in person so I brought her."

"Would you say she's a fan of the sport?"

"I'd say she's a fan of me." and just like that he's drifting off. "She does ask to play with me sometimes, but my guess is she just wants to ask for something she knows I'll say yes to; she plays it safe."

"Aww, she asks to play with her dad? Do you think she's good? Maybe we have another Itoshi soccer prodigy in the making!"

"No, don't get me wrong." his voice was sharp and direct, cutting off the enthusiasm off the interviewer's voice. "Weather or not she decides to follow the same career path as me is entirely her decision. I encourage her to do what she likes and find out what she wants to do with her life by following her own passions. I wouldn't put that kind of pressure on her."

"I-I see..." she was a little embarrassed by the way she was cut off, but she was getting answers! "So, what kind of things does she like to do?"

"Mao is a very calm kid, most of the time. She has lots of energy but she's still very quiet when she's at school. So she likes basic things, like drawing, playing with dolls and stuff. Oh, but she has this bunny plushie that she absolutely adores; that's the one she carries everywhere. It was a gift from one of my trips, I don't remember which one, but I gave it to her and she would die if something happened to it. Seriously, there was this one time when she lost it at the park so I had to drive all the way-"

He paused.

Goddamnit, they got him.

He was supposed to end this quick and go get Mao, not stay and ramble about her! When has anyone ever seen Sae Itoshi ramble??? He just gets to the point and leaves??? What is happening to him???

"And what happened?" the interviewer neared the microphone to him, trying to get him to continue. Well, not this time. He cleared his throat before responding, casually gaining back his usual nonchalant expression.

"End of the interview, goodbye."

"What?! Um, w-wait! I have more questions! Uh... how does your daughter see herself in the future?"

"She's six."

"Dang it." she almost bit her tongue while she went through the questions on her head. "W-Well, I mean... what does she want to be when she grows up? Has she told you?"

"I... don't think she has." weird, maybe he should ask after all. "I'll go now. My daughter isn't the most patient person."

"Wait, so, is there nothing she's good at?"

"I didn't say that." he almost got offended. HIS daughter, talentless? Hell no. "She seems to enjoy dancing, and she's pretty good at it. Well, for her age, at least I think it's impressive. I suppose it requires an amount of agility and footwork similar to soccer."

"She must've got it from you then."

"If not me, who? Her mom... is... terrible at dancing..." he drifted again, this time at the thought of his late wife. But NO. He was NOT about to have a moment and cry infront of the media; he had to lock in. "She... was... terrible at dancing." he finally corrected. "So... she must've gotten it from me. Or perhaps is a talent of her own; I don't have to take credit for everything she does."

"But is she good at soccer?" then it finally clicked in his head. WHY was he even answering this questions?

"How is any of this relevant for the interview?"

"Um.. w-we just want to know if... well... your performance on the field was so impressive today! And your daughter is here so... would you say you say you put in a little extra effort for her?"

"Are you implying I don't put in effort normally?"

"No! I just... no, no, no!" they should really give this woman a raise for putting up with this and improvising her questions. "Y-You're such an amazing player, you make it seem effortless..."

"Sure..."

"Would you say your daughter is a big inspiration for you?" he knew the answer to that question; it was yes. Everything he did was for his daughter ever since he became a father, and yeah, he loved the kid, so what? He did like to show off infront of her a little so she could brag about him at school (which he knew she did with frequency). He'd hear from teachers and other parents about his daughter's constant rambling about how cool his dad is, and whenever he did his chest would fill a bit with pride. Ironically, he had millions of people who admired him but the only one he really cared about was that little girl who also asks him to take the crust off her sandwiches and cut it into little star shapes because that's how she likes them, he guesses. And he's tried to tell her is the same thing but she insists they taste different.

"I can say I'm happy to have her. I find myself feeling a bit proud about every little thing she does."

"Any big accomplishments lately?"

"She learned how to count backwards, from ten to one. She can also help me in the kitchen sometimes; with supervision of course, but she tries her best. And she-"

"Papa!" he flinched when he heard Mao's familiar voice nearby, and he saw her running around and getting herself among the crowd trying to reach him. She was carrying that same bunny he talked about earlier and Sae was quick to get her in his arms once she was in arm-length reach. His instincts then kicked in at the first sound of a camera taking a photo as he inmediately hid her face against his chest.

"That's enough now, no photos." in some aspects the media was somewhat the same as a child. You tell them 'no' and they take it as a reason to do it anyways, because the camera flashes grew more frequent and intense.

"Wait! Just one more question!"

"Sae, over here!"

"Look over here!"

"Can we take a look at the kid?"

"Let her answer a question with you!"

"Enough with the cameras." his voice was low, yet firm enough to cease all the commotion. Poor Mao was all fussy with all of those bright flashes and sudden sounds. "Let's go home." he said, his arms now holding a more secure hold on her to walk through the crowd of reporters.

"Papa, you were amazing!"

"I know. I'm always amazing." she giggled, and the sound made him smile as he walked through the crowd of reporters who were still fighting to get his attention. "Are you hungry? I took longer than I expected."

"A little. Papa, can I play soccer too with you?"

"If you want to, sure." he would lie if he said he wasn't tired after the match, but how could he say no to his little girl asking to spend quality time with him? "Let's play when we get home."

"Can I have ice-cream, papa?"

"Why do you want ice-cream suddenly?"

"Because it's yummy!"

"I guess it is." he should really learn how to tell her no. "Sure thing, we'll buy ice-cream on our way back."

"Yay!"

[imerian]

Vr46 academy keychains

Set of five charms that all match in different ways

˚　　　　✦　　　.　　. 　 ˚　.　　　　 . ✦　　˚　

Open for detailed pictures of each one

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ *ੈ✩‧₊˚

ִֶָ 𓂃˖˳·˖ ִֶָ ⋆★⋆ ִֶָ˖·˳˖𓂃 ִֶָ

:･ﾟ✧:･.☽˚｡･ﾟ✧:･.:

˖⁺‧₊˚⭒✮⭒˚₊‧⁺˖

. ݁₊ ✶. ݁ ˖ˎˊ˗

I ran out of tags so I'll say it here but i would greatly appreciate a reblog, especially if you share your thoughts on these pieces in tags (⁠｡⁠•̀⁠ᴗ⁠-⁠)⁠✧

(Also i forgot that bez have matching part with luca so I didn’t add that to tags sorry

[smile-files]

there's something interesting to be said about how nickel's female friends have to constantly school him on how horrible he is but animationepic won't say it

[squishosaur]

hey man. i'm just saying. why would we put inexperienced teenagers with over-inflated egos and obvious emotional issues into combat classes and make them claw their way to the top of their dorms and expect things to just run smoothly. who actually thought this

[risingsunresistance]

twitter is entering their "rts > likes" phase now that likes are private after they spent years calling us ungrateful for being demotivated by ratios lmao

[lovethatmakingcoffee]

actually, y'know what. I love women and girl characters that murder. Who manipulate. Who makes mistakes. Who say the wrong thing in a conversation when comforting someone. Who judges people prematurely. Who don't have all the facts and acts on them when felt cornered. Who rages against the machine. Who attacks the innocent who they deem guilty. Who are reckless. Who are angry. Who fight and kill for the sake of it. Who become a monster. Who are the beast they sought out to destroy. I love women's wrongs every god damn day. And she can slice me in half, whether or not she is a parallel to another man. Cause I find that awesome, hot, cool, fire, and pretty bombastic. Cause I love it.

And I wouldn't be writing such characters if I didn't love them that way with all my heart.

[dangoulains-devotion]

yuffie has many interesting elements to her but people refuse to move past "i find energetic kids annoying" and it makes me sad