#i just wanted to show my appreciation and also temper expectations a bit because i can already feel myself getting overwhelmed

[thebramblewood]

I am loving everyone's enthusiasm for sending me vampires. I've already gotten over 25 submissions if you can believe it, and a lot of those contain multiple Sims. I never expected quite this level of participation, and I hope everyone's having a lot of fun. In the spirit of full disclosure, I'm not sure I'm going to be able to make use of all of them, and if I do, I can't give a solid timeline for when. Ultimately, it's all about what's going to best serve my vision for the story. Some of your vampires align better with my plans than others, and I hope that's okay!

I want to encourage everyone to tell their own stories with the amazing vampires they've made because they deserve to live up to their full potential! So, basically, what I'm saying is please don't feel like you have to wait around for me to do something with them. And if you aren't going to play them yourselves, feel free to submit them for other people's challenges/Sim calls too. Your guys' creativity is truly off the charts, and it's an honor to have had a part in inspiring it!

[sinsirellaxx]

Man I love your toxic Slytherin boys writings (I reread them as my bedtime stories every night since I found your account 🤭) but knowing my personality and temper, there's no way I would let their toxicity slide 😩🫸

Pls pls pls pretty pls will you write where we put them in their place and have them grovel and trail after us like a lost puppy? 🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️🧎🏻‍♀️

Slytherin Boys – What they’ re like if you put them in their place

Warning: Toxic Slytherin boys 😌

A/N: Thank you so much! That is very sweet of you – hope you always have sweet dreams! 🤭 Honestly, same – I love a good temper! Hope you like what I have come up with! And sorry that some are a bit shorter than the rest! If you want a part two (for the groveling and trailing part) let me know! (I didn't include this here and I only noticed that it was part of the request now – so, sorry about that)

On another note: I've added Tom Riddle to the boys and will be doing so from now on! Comments are appreciated!

Mattheo …

… is shocked. He was used to always getting away with things, given the status he had attained through his family name – and his own actions. In his past relationships (or situationships) he had his girls practically kiss his feet and were ready to do everything for him and to him. But here you were, his first real relationship and apparently the boon and bane of his existence. You were getting ready for the party in your common room and had chosen a rather risky black skin-tight dress for that evening. Mattheo usually never cared about what his dates or girls wore – actually, he loved them to wear revealing clothes because he wanted to show off. But with you, he hated the idea of other people staring at you. He’d walked into your dorm room before the party – also something he had never done before – and immediately shook his head upon seeing your dress. “Absolutely not.”

You turned to look at him in confusion, closing the lip gloss you had just applied before putting it back into your make-up bag.

“You can’t wear that. The dress is way too short and – just no.” Mattheo glared as he looked you up and down. “I don’t want anyone to stare at you with like that. You’re mine –“

You scoffed loudly, fully erupting into a laugh as you stared at him with raised brows.

The frown on Mattheo’s face deepened as you walked up to him, placing your hand on his cheek as you slowly shook your head. It’s sweet you think you can tell me what to wear – because you can’t. You spoke smirking at him. And I’m not yours.So please get that silly idea out of your head. You can’t tell me what to do. You tapped his cheek slightly before walking towards your door, leaving Mattheo no time to react. The door closed behind you leaving him to brood in silence as he breathed through his nose, his hands clenched at his sides.

Well fuck.

Theodore …

… is kind of pissed but also kind of turned on. He can’t decide which feeling is stronger. You two have been fighting over you refusing to always tell him where you’re going and with whom. If he had asked nicely, you probably would have told him. But Theodore had been rude and controlling about it.

“You can’t just go wherever you want without telling me first. I need to know where you are and with whom you are.” The tall male demanded as he had you pressed against the door to your dorm room. He had waited for your arrival at the top of the stairs because he wanted to talk to you. You had ignored all his calls and messages, and he was livid with you – how dare you not answer him?

Upon seeing him you had rushed past him, with the hopes of closing the door to your room right in his face but he was quicker than you had expected.

You rolled your eyes for the umpteenth time, obviously annoyed by his antics.

Fuck off. Get off my fucking dick, Nott.

Theo smirked, he loved when you got bratty. “No, but you can jump on mine.” He whispered against your ear as he opened the door to your room and pushed you inside.

Lorenzo …

… is speechless. Lorenzo Berkshire is known to have many girl friends falling for his prince-like appearance. He enjoys the attention and loves to feed his ego. It was something that you had to get used to when you agreed to be with him, but you eventually found your peace with it. You were sitting on Enzo’s bed with your phone in your hands, typing away and smiling at the screen.

Lorenzo noticed your smile and raised his brow as he watched your fingers move quickly. If not for the typing, he would have thought you were watching cute animal videos, but he was sure you were chatting with someone. He couldn’t help but ask, “Who are you texting?”

You didn’t answer at first, your fingers still moving until you finished your last message. As you clicked ‘send’ you lifted your head to look at your boyfriend. You told Enzo you were talking with your seat-neighbor about something funny that had happened in divination that day.

“Oh, is it Granger?” He added, growing slightly nervous because you left out the most important detail. Who was it, that made you smile like that at your screen? Lorenzo was known for being – well he tried to be – patient with you. He loved you after all. He had managed to be in almost every single class you had – except for divination. Ever since the beginning of the term he’d been thinking about it: Who were you sitting with? Were there many boys? Would you talk to any of them?

You finally answered him: Harry Potter. Enzo felt this weird warmth spread through his whole body as his heart started beating incredibly fast, his hands unconsciously balling up into fists to prevent them from trembling.

“You are friends with Potter?” He spat, putting special emphasis on the Chosen One’s name. Oh, how he hated that boy. You just nodded; your phone vibrated in your lap. Lorenzo ripped the phone out of your hand before you even managed to unlock the screen. “I don’t want you to talk to him. Block him.”

You just rolled your eyes at him and demanded him to give you your phone back.

“No.” He shook his head and stood up from the bed, already typing in your code he had managed to figure out from staring at your screen whenever you unlocked it.

“I don’t want you to have any male friends – am I not enough for you?” His voice raised a notch as he held you at arm’s length with his left hand while trying to open the messenger app with his right one. He clicked on the chat with ‘Harry’ and read through the messages, scoffing as he saw just how much you have been chatting with him. His face contorting in anger as he reread the messages from last night.

“You’re planning on going to Hogsmeade with him?!”

“Fuck, no.” He exclaimed loudly, rolling his eyes when you had finally managed to get your phone back before he could send whatever message he had typed in.

“You won’t go.” Lorenzo added with finality, glaring at you in hopes of intimidating you into submission.

He expected you to cry and get insecure, but he did not expect you to scoff at him, hands on your hips as you told him he couldn’t tell you what to do. You quickly grabbed your things and left the room not bothering to close the door after you. He could do that himself.

Lorenzo was too stunned to speak.

Draco …

… (almost) has a panic attack. Remember that scene in the bathroom in the sixth movie, where Harry finds him? Yeah – that kind of panic attack. You had just told him to leave you alone until he got his head out of his ass because he had threatened to break up with you if you didn’t break off your friendship with the golden trio. Draco would not have expected you to walk out on him – he usually always got what he wanted, and this turn of events completely threw him off. He gripped the front of his shirt as he gasped for air, the other hand combing through his hair as he paced through his room.

Rushing into the bathroom he splashed his face with cold water as nothing else seemed to help. When he finally lifted his head to look at his reflection in the mirror he had to accept the truth: He apparently needed you more than you needed him.

He would have to win you back. Even if he had to beg.

Blaise …

… would think you were joking when you told him you didn’t need him to protect you.

You were fuming as you pushed Blaise’s hands off, telling him that what he had done was completely wrong and uncalled for.

“Why are you mad?  I just protected you, doll. I saw the way he looked at you.” Blaise tried to reason with you. He couldn’t just sit still when another boy tried getting closer to you. Over his dead body. But you didn’t seem to agree with him as you shook your head in disbelief. “I didn’t push him away for no reason, did I?” He sighed, growing impatient with you as told him that there had been no reason to hurt the other boy. “Babe, I did it for you, you know?” And that was the last straw for you as you yelled at him to leave you alone. You are suffocating me, Blaise. This is over – we are over!

Blaise knew then that he had overstepped your boundaries. Again. He should have run after you and begged for your forgiveness right away. But he also knew that you probably would need some time to cool down. You’d be back in his arms soon, he was sure of it.

Tom Riddle ...

... would let you have your moment. Tom had been bored nowadays and he was actually intrigued to know how far you'd go and what you'd do exactly.

Tom is known to be an intimidating and bossy persona – he is the born leader one could say. Seeing as he is the oldest son of the Dark Lord that came as no surprise to anyone. Everyone had high expectations of him so he projected all that pressure onto you: You had to be perfect. Not what you deemed as perfect but what he thought was perfection. At first you let him control you, blinded by love and the attraction you felt for him. But after months of dating, and his demands getting increasingly more suffocating you have had enough.

Your complaints and worries, however, were met by indifference. Tom did not care. "What do you expect me to say?" He spoke lowly as he looked up at you from where he was sat on his bed.

You just blinked at him dumbfoundedly not sure what outcome you had expected.

"You knew what you were getting into, when I asked you to be my girlfriend." Tom tilted his head as he leaned back on his arms. "Now, if you have anything else to add to this ... very productive conversation, please, go ahead. If not, get on your knees."

There it was again. The hurt and the humiliation. He only wanted one thing and nothing else. But this time, you wouldn't let yourself be manipulated. This time, you told him to go fuck himself before storming out of his room.

[monimccoythings]

Like Father Like Daughter

I have so many WIPs from different fandoms and this Wolverine fic ideas just keep coming and coming... I appreciate so much the support I've been shown, I don't look at the notes because it shows in activity that is 99+ and I get anxious lol. Logan has a nasty temper but is really fun to write.

Living with an ill-tempered man like Logan wasn't always easy, but living with him and his variant's teenaged clone turned adopted daughter who had the exact same temper as him, was proving to be quite the challenge.

As anybody would expect, those two were constantly butting heads at everything, be it food, curfews, or, just as they were doing at this very moment, Laura's choices in fashion.

The girl had chosen some shorts and black leggings, with black sneakers, and a crop top that was way too short for an old fashioned man like Logan to approve, to hang out with some friends she had made at her new high school. Barely sparing a glance at her outfit, Logan had snapped at her to go back to her room and change into something more appropiate, which Laura took it as well as any teenage girl that had spent part of her earliest teen years dressing and doing what she pleased in the void would. And then the screaming match had begun.

"NO CHILD OF MINE IS GOING OUT DRESSED UP LIKE THAT."

"IT'S JUST A SHIRT, IT'S NOT A BIG DEAL."

You let out a quiet sigh. You knew daughters were supposed to rebel against their parents, but having two superpowered beings at each other's throats at all times wasn't the great idea the universe thought it was. You knew they loved each other deeply and would kill for each other, but sometimes they were way too much alike.

"Sweetie, listen to Daddy on this one, he just wants what's best for you."

How the fuck had Wade gotten in and embraced your husband's muscular arm without anyone noticing. With a low growl, Logan pushed him away. Laura did not seem too pleased with him either.

"FUCK OFF, YOU AREN'T MY MOM!"

Wade covered his mouth and let out a shocked gasp that honestly was worthy of an Oscar nomination. You quietly thanked him for his presence, maybe that would help relieve the tension in the room. Laura turned at you, imploringly.

"Tell him he's just overreacting. Please."

You sneakily looked at your husband, who seemed to be red with rage, his lips pulled back in a feral snarl that clearly was a display of dominance, knuckles pressed against the wooden table so tightly that you started to fear for the well being of the furniture. His muscles were so tense he looked like he was going to burst out of his shirt, by the way the veins in his neck were swelling.

You didn't want to disrespect his authority over his daughter, but you also didn't want to make Laura direct her hate at you; you loved that girl and her attitude as if she was your own child. It seemed they needed some consesus, and you guessed you'd have to be once again the bigger person here.

"Laura, your father is just worried about you. If you want to wear that top, then you'd have to put a jacket on. And we want you back home by eleven."

"But my friends-" She started to protest, but you quickly cut her off.

"Eleven and that's more than your father was willing to give you."

She bit her lip, considering her options. With a huff, she stomped back towards her room to get that jacket. She slammed the front door on the way back out, not even bothering to say goodbye. Teenagers.

The living room got quiet. Really quiet. You could only hear Wade munching on some popcorn he had gotten from God knows where. Logan was fuming, not at you of course, but at his unruly adoptive daughter's behavior. He stormed towards your shared bedroom and slammed the door close hard enough, it made the pictures on the wall tremble. You sighed.

Well that went well.

It wasn't until half an hour later that he cooled off and decided to come out. You were cleaning up some dishes while Wade sat on the couch watching some cartoons. It made you smile, it was like you had two children running around.

You felt your husband's stubble and nose nuzzle against the back of your neck, as he embraced you from behind, his massive hands covering the entire expanse of your fourth month pregnant belly. "Feeling better now?" You casually asked.

His teeth nipped at the skin on your neck leaving a burning feeling that only his tongue could soothe. "I don't know what to do with her, she seems to fight against everything I do or say." His deep rumbling voice sent shivers running down your spine.

"Deep down she knows you love her. And she loves you too, even if she is too 'cool' to admit it." He let out a bitter chuckle, massaging your belly while leaning his chin on your shoulder, his sideburns made you tickle.

"I just hope this little one doesn't give us that much trouble."

"Hey, however they come out, we will love them the same, because they are a part of our family." He kissed your cheek and you leaned back into his embrace.

"Yes, our family." You let out a laugh at the sudden extra weight on your backs. Looks like Wade had gotten tired of the tv and had decided to join you into your little embrace.

"Wade..." Logan started warningly, carefully prying his hands away from your belly.

*SNIKT*

[silviakundera]

Melody of Golden Age ep 1-2 watch comments

"Even a ghost claiming lives has personal desires."

Empress Dowager ruling behind the curtain

Head of the Imperial Guards!ML is slightly unusual, that's more commonly the role we see in second male leads/supporting character who backs up the ML.

But because they've made him the ML, he's of course Super Respected & Very Serious Business Guy

I appreciate how OTT melodramatic the ML is. His intro is The Double-esque.

I also appreciate that we can actually tell that armor is supposed to be heavy.

Decent costuming & sets - not historically accurate but the story isn't trying to be. It looks decent (not just cheap fabric & props), creates a sense of time & place. You can tell the clothes have a sense of weight, like they should. tbh my expectations were low, so I didn't expect it to look so good.

So the guy over the Inspectorate is a dick. Noted.

ML has the backing of the Empress Dowager. So tons of political players resent him. A bit precarious.

FL is non-descript but that's not necessarily a bad thing. She just acts like a normal person. After just trying 2 dramas where the actress does this thing where she opens her mouth & eyes wide as she talks and constantly looks unsure/startled and almost sounding-out her words, it's refreshing to see an actress just... talking

Assassination attempt! FL is in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Inspectorate dude most definitely a dick.

LMAO the slo-mo on the ML and the not-at-all-scary dogs 😂😭

ML was the son of a convicted official, huh? Who rose to captain of the guard? not bad, my dude, but who was his benefactor and will they turn out to be SECRETLY EVIL???

FL knows ML from somewhere but is he pretending not to remember, because he just that dramatic

Young orphan boy wants to become FL's disciple. He's cute and hopefully not Secretly Evil (look, SOMEONE is gonna be secretly evil, let's just face facts)

FL is gonna be sister in law to ML but is that truly all she "remembers" about him? ugh her sister has that cutesy way of speaking that grinds my gears. Please!! don't purse your lips and talk wide-mouthed like a child 😭

FL family are not fans of marrying their fav daughter to the dramatic guard leader. FL's concubine mom: "It's quite good to be ignorant and uneducated!"

so there's a reason ML doesn't want this marriage bestowed: the prime minister can threaten their family, pressuring the married in daughter to spy on ML and share info

but engaged sister has fled with a scholar! 😱 how predictible! Except our ML and FL already met, so she will need ML's participation in the subterfuge

LMAOOOOOOOOO ML cannot move a finger without slow mo and an orchestra. can't even trot his horse down the street 😭 buddy is just going for an evening ride stoppppppp

ML is being so omnious and unnecessarily threatening, he knows that girl fled right?

The way they have ML and FL face off so far isn't bad, compared to other low-grade idol dramas - he is above her in status and the way he speaks to her very much reflects that but it never feels to me like he is treating her like a child, simply a lowly constable (he's just That Bitch). She asserts herself with frustration & anger, but she doesn't throw temper tantrums, stamp her feet and pout.

Bad guys are in masks. 🕵

Oh yeah, I knew it - ML is betting on the bride's family to cancel. He knows that 3rd sister won't show.

FL just like, "I'll be the bride" - girl I know ya'll don't want to die for defying the monarch but he literally knows who u are. Like you've had 3 conversations and he knows your name. What's the plan??

lmao he shows up just to be intimidating and point a sword in her face. I would try to sell him on fake-spying.

Huh. He actually doesn't need any convincing! Doesn't press about deceiving the monarch and lets it go. There's been multiple indications that he's a drama queen who had created this image but he has a soft side underneath. He's given her a way out twice now when it would have been easy & convenient to let her die.

ML is right that this marriage isn't much of a threatening conspiracy when everyone knows what's up. He's ridiculous but also sensible.

I hate her sister-friend, do not stay PLEASE go home. you are on my last nerve.

oh naturally ML and FL met as children and there's a token. there's always a childhood token.

ML can't even walk into a room without dramatics asdgghjkl

tbh I feel like he is actually a lot nicer about things than he could have been. other than some threatening, he's just gonna let her live there as long as she doesn't spy on him.

[teratron]

The Sovereign

I talked about this guy already in my review of the first arc of Tom King's run but since I plan on going into depth on other WW villains, I figured I get him out of the way first since he's the new hotness at the minute.

Wonder Woman's rogues gallery is often regarded as one of the weaker, or worst, ones by a lot folks. I disagree obviously, but I can see why would one get that idea. They typically aren't represented well outside of WW's book and pretty much every new author when they come on to WW bring in their own new villain to hype up only to be quickly forgotten once they leave.

This brings us to the Sovereign, the latest in this long line of hyped up new villains but he's had a bit more attention as he's the creation of Tom King. The best kinds of villains for superheroes reflect some aspect about the hero or stand-in for a certain problem unique to the hero they face. This goes true for Wonder Woman villains, so what does Sovereign stand in for?

There's a lot one could say just going off the image provided and his whole status as the latest in a long line of "secret Kings of America". To me however, I find the more interesting interpretation of the Sovereign as a stand-in for well...certain types of superhero fans.

If you're a WW fan you're probably familiar with the type. The fan who doesn't actually read WW and yet has very strong opinions on her and her place in the DC universe. The type of fan to say Wonder Woman has no good stories and then admit in the same breath they've read maybe less than 5 issues of WW's adventures in their life. The fan who likes her being on the Justice League but doesn't want her to do anything that could outshine her male counterparts. Can't be strong as Superman, can't be too fast because that would impede the Flash, can't be smart because that's Batman territory. She can fight well they'll say but then they'll bring up every rando in the DC Universe they claim is a better fighter if Diana didn't have powers, so even that has an asterisks. The type of fan who cheers when Superman lifts planets with his pinkie or when Batman defeats capital-G God "with prep time" but if Wonder Woman lifts so much as a heavy rock than she's a Character I Don't Like. And definitely don't want Diana espousing any feminist talking points that might make them uncomfortable.

That's the Sovereign.

There's been criticism so far that lot of Sovereign's plots in each issue can be summed up as "Sovereign thinks this will be what breaks Diana but she triumphs in the end". And that's fair honestly but looking at it through this interpretation of Sovereign than of course that's what he'd do. Of course Sovereign would think sending in the U.S. Army would be enough to defeat her; she's not Superman, she's not Batman, she's not the Flash, she's just Wonder Woman. Of course he'd lose his temper when Wonder Woman not only triumphs but exceeds his expectations. Sovereign, like these fans, doesn't truly appreciate Diana as her own person/character outside of the role they've arbitrarily assigned her. Wonder Woman fans know this stuff isn't a threat to her, but Sovereign doesn't and he fails as a result.

It's only when Sovereign begins recruiting Wonder Woman villains from her long derided rogues gallery is when he starts seeing some results. 20,000 U.S. soldiers couldn't do it but a witch, a psycho, a giantess, a swan, a thief, and a goddess dominatrix could.

And it's also when he goes recruiting her villains it shows what he thinks of Wonder Woman. Unlike the others where he sends his lackey, Sargent Steel, to do the recruiting. He goes to meet Grail in person. Why? Well he says it's because as a goddess she's afforded certain respect but it's interesting he doesn't seem to consider that towards Wonder Woman, who for all intents and purposes is a goddess as well. What makes Grail different?

Grail's an empowered women but doesn't seem interested in going about changing the world to make a better place like Diana (at least not anymore). Notice how his dialogue notes he only respects her because of her Darkseid lineage, a patriarchal figure whereas Diana draws strength traditionally from the female Olympian goddesses, her mother, and her Amazon sisters' training. He shows reverence to Grail because of her father and ultimately, she doesn't fundamentally threaten the status quo like Diana's very existence does. In essense, she's the "acceptable" version of Wonder Woman to the Sovereign and what he represents. A strong sexy woman but one who isn't here to upstage any of their favorites or challenge any of their beliefs.

And as see from the dialogue throughout King's issues, it was all for naught as Sovereign finds himself imprisoned on a small island ultimately defeated regaling his tale to Lizzie Prince. If only he hadn't underestimated Wonder Woman...

As I said, this is only my interpretation but taken into account the 10 issues so far I've read of this run, it's the one I've best come to and how I think Sovereign can fit into Diana's rogues gallery going forward.

[dreamlanddeluxe]

pro-tip from someone who has had stretches pf insomnia like this since high school: (bc your posts makes it sound like a new development and like youre scared, so i want to help. sorry this unsolicited)

but literally?? fake it

fake sleeping. youre going to lie down, close your eyes, shift when youre uncomfortable, but keep your eyes closed and stay laying down. try to keep your mind as blank as possible, thats really hard for me specifically, so i legit will listen to videos or podcasts or music or ocean-waves as i fake-sleep (bonus, i found something that works for me 60, 70% of the time are those ASMR roleplay videos where it'll be like "your boyfriend/girlfriend talks to you while you sleep" or "you get confessed to while youre asleep" or literally anything where i have to "roleplay" being asleep?? weirdly? flips a switch and ill be KOed before the video ends. what the fuck. but thats niche as hell, idk if itll work for you, but it is an "experiment! you never know" encouragement)

and youre going to want to fake-sleep as best as you can, even if youre actually awake the whole 8+ hours, because it legit tricks your brain into thinking youre asleep enough that it gives you those chemicals you need from sleeping that help regenerate your energy and whatnot. like scientists found this works really well, insomniacs who did this instead of their phone or tasks or reading, even if they rarely fell asleep while fake-sleeping, not only recorded feeling a lot better than the control group who was not given this order to sleep like this, but also had more balanced chemical stuff. i like to akin ir to a cell-phone charge. youre not going to get the 100% you would from actually sleeping, but going from a 20% to a 65% is still p huge and very helpful. before i was told this tip, i literally would meditate to recoup; and shockingly meditation releases those same chemicals so like. i was already doing it. just. sitting up instead of laying down lol

also, please do talk to a doctor about getting a sleep study done or something if you have the insurance to afford it. but this is a tip you can do in the meantime in addition to other experimentations thatll help you out. youll still feel exhausted (esp if you cant quiet your brain. my AuDHD mind shuts the fuck when other people speak, so the audio-roleplay and podcast and video-essay people have been god-sends), you won't be that 100% refresh as i already said, but it also wont be AS compounded of an exhaustion which is so helpful when your metaphorical battery is just going down and down and down— to have SOMETHING charge it even a bit or just stall it. i dont want you to think this is a "youll feel back to normal!" cure-all; it truly is the epitome of a "well, thatll help it not get WORSE at any rate, and maybe a bit better" type of rhetoric

for now, i would recommend doing a fake-nap, pick x-amount of hours that feels most comfortable to you (my pick is usually 3 or 4, but my lil sister found she prefers 2 hour long fake-naps and my other lil sister just goes "fuck it, no fake-nap, only fake-sleep; im doing 8+ hours" lmao), see if it at least takes the edge off

i have said a lot of "temper your expectations" type of stuff but i will also say this: at one point, this tip literally saved my life. because i spent 2.5 months running on a total of 4 to 6 hours of legit-sleep per week or per week-and-a-half throughout. and that kinda shit, i belatedly found out, should mean i should be dead. but i was fake-sleeping at least 5 hours a night. and my family's doctor went "uhhhhh thank god i showed your mom that study i guess, omfg". so like. i swear it helps. just. ALSO temper your expectations on how much it helps lol

if this is unsolicited and feels unwarranted, i apologize. im not good at reading tone in text, and just wanted to help. i hope this does help you out, you got this, i believe in you!!

Hey no worries, I appreciate you taking the time to type all this out. Recently (like, within the past one to two years or so) I’ve been more prone to bouts of restlessness and the fake sleeping is actually something I practice and it does help me most of the time. I think right now it’s more of a stress induced sort of thing more than anything that’s led to me having more trouble. Might just be one of those things I gotta wait out to be honest. When I do have a moment where I can’t sleep right it doesn’t last more than a few days normally so I don’t imagine this being different I hope. Maybe seeing a doctor would help but I’ll be honest there’s a probably a few things I should be seeing a doctor about and I just don’t have the money for that lol. But still like I said I appreciate you taking the time to try and help me out and offer some advice that’s very kind of you 🫶

[bengiyo]

Never Let Me Go Ep 7 Stray Thoughts

Last time, Palm and Neungdiao fled to the beach to hide after Tanya and Chanon got shot in front of the house. We met Palm's mother, and she begrudgingly took them if they agreed to work. Nuengdiao showed his multilingual prowess by checking in an international gay couple (who I demand return to the plot). Palm spent the entire episode high-key flirting with Nuengdiao, but I am almost certain their ending will be bittersweet now.

Ah, yes, let's begin with Nuengdiao trying to be a normal person, Palm being overly helpful, and bed wrestling. A whole week of Jojo shows is doing wonders for my soul.

The fact that Nuengdiao was clearly turned on, but then sucks his teeth at Palm is so funny. Phuwin and Pond are working so well together.

Episode title: GOOD FORTUNE. Trembling with excitement if people are going to be bold.

I'm so glad Palm is actually watching out for Nuengdiao, because he gets clocked as a rich kid immediately, and almost blew their cover with a credit card.

It's kinda fun when characters who like each other a lot stand really close. Modern audiences know it's because they want to be all up in each other, but if you grew up watching content in 4:3, actors had to stand this close just to be in the frame together.

THE RETURN OF DAVID AND WU. We are living!

I feel like there's some sort of commentary to be made about people using English to communicate when it's not their first language.

Of course Wu sidled up next to Nuengdiao to dish in Mandarin about proposing. I love this show.

Every time Palm does something obviously flirty Nuengdiao looks at him like, "I will fuck you."

Phum is back. I love Pawin, but this character is always starting shit. I'm sure Pawin had fun pretending to curb stomp Chimon.

And we get to see Perth kicking ass?? This episode just keeps on giving.

I hope I don't have to feel weird about this preferred hand later.

What would dramas be without rooftops with which to have earnest, open dialogue?

Ben is very self aware, which makes his self-recrimination land well.

I'm gonna say this every week of every show I watch with him, but I absolutely love Perth's voice.

I feel like Ben has to know that Chopper likes him, which makes me wonder what happened between them for neither to talk about it openly even on the rooftop.

I wonder if Phuwin chose to suck his teeth in annoyance whenever Palm makes him swoon a bit. It's a nice detail.

Oh, this proposal was sweet.

Foot baths??? Jojo every episode this show gets gayer.

Nuengdiao, you can't just start talking about marriage while this man is massaging your feet... Though I do appreciate that Nuengdiao is aware of his own temper.

This night scene in bed is really fascinating with the Eclipse having aired recently. This is another example of needing to use illusions and blinders to have a moment of intimacy.

This fishmonger said, "500 baht per hour?? They don't even pay that in America! Get the fuck out of here!"

100 baht per day? We are working for the experience.

I feel like this is the first time Nuengdiao has really acquiesced to Palm.

I do love when they let the gays have spirituality.

Not these fortunes also contributing to the melancholy.

Well, that's what we expected of how Chanon became indebted to the family.

Tanya isn't dead yet. I think I prefer the drama this way.

Kit is such a fun villain to watch. I really love the way Nat is playing him.

Chopper is visibly disgusted. Perth is also really good. Brilliant to pair him with Nat.

We get a wedding here and a wedding in 2Cutie2Pie this week.

Yes, Palm, take that drink out of his hand. I can't believe we almost had to go through the same plot twice.

I know she is an absent mother, but I do appreciate her asking about the romance in dramatic terms.

She said, "I know you kissed him!"

She also said, "Just hold on loosely, but don't let go. If you cling too tightly you're gonna lose control."

They are back in the room, and Nuengdiao is feeling randy.

Okay, continuity question. If Nuengdiao needs a phone, how do they know Tanya is in a coma?

Nuengdiao is going to be a great manipulator someday. He's preempting all of Palm's objections to get him to agree to date him, even if it's only on this island. Then this man says, "Kiss me like you mean it. Kiss me like you want me."

Ah, that was a tasteful fade. The fic writers will have much to play with.

Damn, and now Chanon got arrested. Looks like beach time is over.

[infamous-raven-x]

Spectra doing everything to get power, only to find someone who manages to be even stronger than him (Dan) and happily conceding to them once Spectra knows he can’t win, is proof to me that he likes BDSM but will only bottom for someone he considers worthy. If Spectra is to be dominated and let himself be vulnerable around a person, it has to be someone whose ability he can trust. Only then is he relieved to finally lower his guards around a special person.

Welcome to my ted talk on why would Spectra consider Alice to be the "Worthy"

Omg, First of all YES, YES THAT'S HOW I SEE SPECTRA AAAAAAAAAAAA

Second of all, I will have to list somethings that make me think that Alice would be the worthy one in Spectra perspective.

Yeah I do see Spectra trusting Alice because you just have to see her to trust her (One of her best weapons if you ask me since Alice could easly pass as someone cute).

Spectra has never been dominated by any other, when they try to dominated him he always slash back to anyone, it happend with Mylene, it happend with Gus, It happend with Zenoheld, with Hydron, with Volt, the only time when we see someone been a treat to him and he didn't do nothing it was the time that he was took at back when Alice show up to return Spectra and Gus to New Vestroia, is funny because instead of reacting with a comment he just got stunned and repeated what Alice told him, also the time where he spoke to Alice by the computer he talked formal, and he stood silence, like he needed to tell Alice more things but he didn't have the words and look down (maybe a gesture that he saw Alice as an equall but this shwo is not about Alice is about Dragon and Dan >:c)

Alice's battle proudness is the same as Dan like, come on, Masquerade and her where the same, the only thing that Alice lack is the battle spirit born of her negative feelings, from that point on Alice could easly be a competiction even for Dan, I could really see that Spectra appreciate battle and temper of persons (and with this I will base my self in his past relationship like Mylene, Gus, Mira and his Father).

Something important for Spectra is honor and behavior, and for this reason too I think he would be more in peace with a person that has the mature to distinguish his feelings even if he doesn't tell them, reason why most of the time his relationships have problems.

Spectra been aromantic make him a bit problematic, to tell the true in a society where love and feelings are the most important feeling is kind of dificult to really have a relationship but he has his own ways to express feelings, for example, the summition position that he takes when someone he likes and respect is in charge, so it has to be someone that knows how to read the behavior or knows him well.

Alice tends to take care of everyone but at the same time she would be carefull on how to approach, she knows how and when to use her body lenguage when is needed.

Spectra takes fidelity as something really important so is only natural that he is faintfull on his fullness and he expects the same from others (Unless is goes against his believes because he would go over who ever is need to achive his goals).

He would appreciate anyone that helps him in his proyect so to him a perfect parther would be someone that speaks in his same lenguage, Alice is know for been inteligent and be the only one that helps when things of cience is involve (and not to tell that she also created the game to begin with...

In this I will put something of general culture so that everyone understand something, in body lenguage to accert domination over another person there are certain points they touch, the hands in a hand shake, the elbow in a conversation the back but the most important spot of domination is the neck and the elbows, so most of my Art I draw Alice touching Spectra neck is becuase I want to lefr it clear that Alice is dominating him, he is not against it so he left himself been drag because he is okey to let his trust in Alice and open up his weak spot for her (of course Alice noted this but she took her sweet time trying to get use to it).

[mejomonster]

Justice in the Dark, more on ep 2 since I can't shut the fuck up apparently even tho I just wrote a whole essay ToT

I get why the casting is who it is. In retrospect. In sitting here now lmao. Like I said I like who they cast performance wise they're doing perfect. But looks wise not all match exactly what was in my head. (Tao Ran does perfectly utterly in every way though lol). I think Fei Du was cast cause he looks a lot like fandom drawings of fei du. Not my personal image of him (my personal image of him is like slightly to the left of his most usual drawn look). But I can see a casting director thinking "yeah he'll look so much like the audio drama art and fanart etc" (also any skin smoothing just further highlights that). And Luo? Parts are clearly from the book, parts are from Zhao Yunlan (I imagine they wanted a specific kind of appeal you see in certain lead actors which he's also got here), and then i in reflection like how he looks "less intense" than fei du.

1 because fei du looks like he needs a home-cooked meal and Luo looks like he can cook it (which goes a lot more into their both romance dynamics and bigger dynamic of Luo being Feis path to healing, life, warmth, growth, him looking visually more soft and touchable and healthy and in touch with a realistic world all add to him being that For Fei Du).

2 Luo looks a bit older, just actor has quite distinct eyes (they could be similar age actors idk) and Luo seems Iike the increased stubble is more a present thing (with no facial hair in past scenes) so I think there's some choices there with age trying to be a noticeable trait. Versus Fei Du where he feels Iike a rich fantastical cold masked character out of an anime or out of Flower of Evil (he Screams protagonist from Flower of Evil energy but with even less convincing "ordinary approachable guy" ability to act, actually I think in general Flower of Evil fans and Beyond Evil fans would probably really like Fei Du). If costuming and makeup love me, over time fei dus visuals in the show may look less almost unreal and become more "looks like a random person you'd walk past" Iike Luo and Tao. As he opens up more and Luo becomes a part of his life more. So like... I get the choices on who to cast and why someone thought they'd look the part. Luo also we are seeing from Fei Dus pov (like most of the show), and Luos often snippy and ordery and it's in a way funny we see him as plain when Fei du does. In the scenes emotionally charged between them, I think Luos actor is shot quite handsomely, who's to say if that'll also be a trend of him looking more Model esque when Fei Du is emotionally open around him. (I also now that I'm settling into this show, appreciate that Luo looks like a plain everyday man sometimes. He's got model looks when the lighting flatters him. But also it not purposely played up constantly reminds me of the book - fei du in the show visually is constantly Model esque, in the book he's constantly dressed up and has peach blossom eyes and it's part of the Performance, and these visual drama choices echo that Feeling of the characters).

For the people like Me who prefer (or even need) action in their romance, im happy to report this is indeed a Flower of Evil situation! Lots of dollops of murder mystery, romance, and action! A nice little car chase was in episode 1 to set that expectation. I personally love me a good action scene, and the car scene looked significantly better than my (very low) expectations (Till Death Tear Us Apart cdrama looked decent to me though so temper yourself). Just wanted to happily report thank goodness there's murder and action in this.

Luo is handsome. (Don't trust my rants dissing on him lol) Like the scene of Fei Du as a child? I totally get why he's Captain Luo, why he's the guy who "wanted to save the whole universe." Why that day when he saw Fei Du absolutely destroyed, scared, he wanted to do anything to help him. And why he kept helping him for years after and still keeps track of him now. This is the "superhero" Luo that his team at their fondest see him as, that Tao sees him as at his best, that Fei Du saw him as when he was a child until Luo failed him (the whole world did) and Fei as a child blamed Luo for all of it to cope with the hopelessness he felt.

Just. This entire scene. I really felt that awful hopelessness. Luo Wenzhou realizing its hard to save even just one person, the looming threat he will soon try and fail to protect Fei Du and fail and fail and it will haunt him and cling on and he'll try so hard to Keep Trying as hard as it is and as much as Fei Du pushes him away and how awful it feels to Keep failing fei du. Fei Du looking at him for help, the only hand he can reach out to for it, and the realization that even this man who's like a superhero to him and an angel... can't. That no force in this world can fix this.

[fumikomiyasaki]

I put braincells for picks but mayhaps: 5 with Atticus/Louis, 56 with Aiden/Keres or 86 with Verde/Ame? Go wild bestie

Indulgent Tropes

one muse pins the other to a wall

Even if the servant kept up well to hold a good reputation among the other RSA students, Louis had those days where quickly everything bothered him... on that day it didn't help that he had to endure Kimon being visited by Andrew and tried hard not to spill tea over him... Then this full of himself hero had to sho him out of the way cause he didn't want his dumb attractions to get out... His temper was already on edge... and whats worse he had to run into Atticus at that point for some related task where Carol recommended him to ask Gaius for advice cause she couldn't come over.

After Gaius helped him with the task atticus stopped him from walking out the dorm.

"So how did that scuffle with the red haired noble go?"

"I don't wanna think about him neither nor talk about him."

"Stop being so childish really. I did my best to defend you from not getting a scuffle with a noble house and that was how you thank me."

It was true... his aggresion got him in trouble and he appreciated Atticus helping him out of this mess... worse despite their bickering he knew some feelings lurked inside his heart... yet he decided to ignore them for one sake... he swore himself to not get distracted by his duties to take care of Kimon... yet he could be oh so easily swayed as well.

"Just cause you have a feud with him don't let your foul mood out on me."

"Thats not it... "

"Then what is it, be clear about why excactly you have such an aggresive tone to me."

He glared Louis right in the face, suddenly something inside him made him snap... he pressed his shoulders to the wall and pinned him against it with his arms... leaving Atticus confused and a little red from him being that close.

"You idiot its cause I don't wanna admit it."

"Admit what?"

Now he done it... he had to say it but there was no backing out now..

"I been sorta crushing on you since seeing you in court like that."

"What?!"

Seeing his bright red faced somewhat relieved Louis and made him be more bolder, he leaned a bit closer holding his hand on his face and nodded.

"I didn't want to admit it cause... after all with my job I don't even know if I can handle a partner too. But it happened."

"Tch... fine then I admit to it as well."

"You admit?!"

"There is a reason I took more time then on some other cases with yours... cause I wanted you to suceed over that, aside seeing that redhead eat his words. I guess I like you as well in a way... even if you piss me off as well."

"I can only give that back."

Suddenly both kinda realized how close they were to another... Louis couldn't really pass up the opportunity, especially with the tension surrounding them... and so he grabbed his wrist and placed a kiss on him... catching him even more off guard...

"Well, then I guess I will see you later."

He quickly made his escape, after all he was busy enough but he also didn't want to face the awkwardness of the situation... at least he got out what he wanted to say.

-----------------------------------------

one muse is oblivious to the other’s feelings for them

Somewhat Keres was kinda stumped visiting Aiden, because they were greated with quite the chaotic sight. The Kitchen was full of displayed horror themed dishes, some with movies they even recognized well and called among their favs... everything was much more spooky themed and the oddest was seeing him turn around from cutting something ,face splattered in a bit of red sauce before he washed it off his face.

"I didn't expect you stop by this early..."

"You asked me to come so I did, but was today a theme day or why does everything look like this. I didn't expect there is so many ways to imitated the movies."

He sighed a little dissapointed.

"No I made them myself..."

"ALL OF THESE?"

He gave a small nod... in actuality he wanted to surprise them with it in a way to show a bit of why he likes them and maybe get a chance to show them but it being misinterpreted already made him tired enough. Seeing them nerd out about each dish however returned that smile and made it worth it.

"Pick any of them, the rest I can still give to my dorm members."

"Then I will keep this one.... but say why do so much work when it wasn't for an event."

"It was cause its for you..."

"Huh!? You don't need to go through that much to cheer me up or something. Or pity me."

"Thats not it."

They still didn't get it... yet he was so bad at getting his feelings across...

"Come to the Balcony with me, then I can tell you."

With a bit of hesitation they nodded and followed along. Just for him to take a deep sigh and turned to them.

"I have feelings for you."

"A-as a friend right?"

"No as someone who is in love."

".....is this a prank or something..."

Slowly he got frustrated and to have to get it across he seemed like he had to prove it. So he grabbed their wrist and placed a small kiss on them.

"Does that get across what I mean?"

No response... however their face turned as red as a tomato and they lost a bit of balance as he catched them a little.

"I s-see... I just... didn't expect you to."

"I know. But it is true."

"Why me then? There is so much better options."

"You really are an idiot are you... who else spend so much time with me and didn't run away from me."

They really had to process all this, but Aiden was fine with that, he settled to hold their hand explaining himself and hoping to at least finally get through to them... this would take a while for him to explain.

our muses are partners in crime

"So here is the deal, you can turn invisible, right?"

"Yup yup, so you are gonna flock those marbles around and I will always take it out and put it somewhere else so the person loses right?"

The both were again up to no good, Verde making one of his games on the street while Ame helped him manipulate things in his favour... this plan worked at least untill eventually someone had the right UM to figure them both out... and so they both went on the run, Ame forgetting in between that Verde can't float trough objects like her...

And so at least she went back and floated him up the building to escape so they can hide away... floating over his shoulder as he counted the money.

"That was totally worth it, look at how much we got."

"Well done master!"

"You still have to call me that?"

"I dunno, its fun to me, especially cause I promised you, I will be bound to you like a contract."

"Hope fully one that doesn't cost me anything."

She chuckled and leaned forward.

"I will take smooches as payment."

"Fine you will get one."

At least for now they both had time to get a bit cuddly at least untill the air was clear and they would find a good way back to their schools... Ame couldn't help to tease Verde into some danger onto their way back but at least... they were both laughing a lot.

[xbadnews]

A   :   AFFECTION.   how does your muse show affection?

first of all, i want to preface this with how hard it is for percy to be comfortable showing affection. he craves it, he wants to show it but it's not something that comes naturally to him. so when he gets to a point where he's doing these things, you are someone incredibly important to him & he values you beyond the day he's living in.

i absolutely think that percy is a pebbler. it starts out as very much a ' this made me think of you so i picked it up ' kind of thing. that's one of the easiest ways to show affection for percy. it's something he can give to someone & dash away if they reject it, he can usually gauge whether or not they appreciate & sort of temper his expectation of them in that regard. i almost think it's a mentality of ' if they respond well to this, they'll respond well to the next step of affection' if that makes sense?

when it becomes a casual thing he tries to show in passing. i think specifically w/ vox machina he'll clean up after small messes that are left behind, keep the windows & curtains clean, buy incense & flowers to keep their environment nice to exist in. i think though percy prefers a tidy environment, it's not necessarily his priority when he's on his own. he'll complain about it but there is still this sentiment of ' i want the space i share w/ my friends to be a nice space because they deserve that ' where on his own it would be more of a ' i will clean when i accomplish this, this & this ... then i can treat myself to a clean environment ' if that makes sense?

i think a huge part of percy's love language is reflecting what the people around him need as well. i have a post somewhere detailing my headcanons about him having bpd but i am highlighting a part super relevant to this topic

a lot of Percy's love language is reflecting what people need out of him. it's part of why he's so quick to get into a crazy ritual with a bunch of friendly strangers, why he doesn't hesitate to give them all of his money. because that is what they are interested in & doing & he wants to be a part of that whether or not it aligns with goals he's otherwise set for himself.

there is almost this feeling of ' if i am useful, it shows that i care ' if that makes any sort of sense? so this is a clear, defined way he can show he cares. again, it's something he would view as passive affection. i think part of this perception has to do with him having very limited experience caring for people on any level beyond immediate. so he looks at what they need immediately & try to be that...

i want to say as he gets more comfortable with someone, he becomes a lot more comfortable with physical affection. it's something he craves, whether it's on a romantic or platonic level. hugging, holding hands, sharing snacks, just sharing a personal space bubble.

i don't think percy always realizes right away when he crosses the platonic/romantic threshold in his mind? so when it does, he's still hugging, holding hands, sharing snacks, ect. but his hands start to linger, it's a little harder to be casual about it. it's basically him going ' benormalbenormalbenormal ' at himself while also holding your hand like it's the only thing tethering him to this world. also, of course, pet names.

i think when it comes to romantic affection he gets a lot more panicky & a lot more impulsive because of that. he's an impulsive guy as is but i feel like he takes butterflies in his stomach as a challenge because when he cares about someone on that level, he's always afraid & he's unwilling to let fear deter him.

to sum it all up i feel like percy shows a lot of passive affection in caring for shared environments, adapting to be whatever flavor of useful he thinks is necessary & gift giving. though it takes him a moment to warm up to physical affection he's super comfortable with it on a platonic level & on a romantic level he gets a little bit crazy about it. in either context, he just likes to share a personal space bubble with his loved ones once he trusts them enough to do so.

[tokrev-roses]

Cool Cool Boy

although you are happy with your love, your ex-boyfriend wants to be a part of your life again. jealous boyfriends and phones involved + NSFW (original request)

🖋Genre: Smut (Mikey, Draken Chifuyu), Fluff (Baji)

⚠️Warnings: 18+ for everyone but Baji, description of the female body and sexual acts, bad writing/grammar/spelling

👥Characters: Mikey, Draken, Chifuyu, Baji

❧ Keisuke Baji

Fancy dates are not his thing

It was not only that he had a budget, being a middle schooler and everything, he also simply didn’t vibe with it

But it was your anniversary, so he saved up all his pocket money and tried to behave so mama Baji would let him out

Cue to him waiting in front of a popular restaurant for young couples, wearing his edgy street clothes

And to both of your surprise, everything went smoothly

He excused himself to the restroom for a sec, and while you were waiting at your table, daydreaming about the beauty of this evening, someone sat down on Keisuke’s chair

You turned towards the person, fully expecting to see your boyfriend, but were met with a less than pleasant view. Your ex-boyfriend greeted you with a satisfied smirk.

“Enjoying yourself, y/n? You know, I always thought you were one of those girls who loved fancy stuff, considering how much you loved our dates and my presents. That you’d settle for someone who is unable to offer you more than this…” He made a derogatory gesture towards the other tables.

This was no high-end restaurant with view over the Tokyo skyline, but it was Baji who put a lot of effort into this, and it meant more to you than anything else

As you were about to respond, a shadow towered over your ex

“What do you think you are doing her punk?”

“This is the trash you left me for, y/n?”

As he was about to laugh, Baji seized him by the collar, lifted him up, and threw him away like actual trash

Knowing Keisuke, you tried to stop the enraged berserker he was about to turn into. No need for a brawl in the middle of a restaurant

You managed to calm him, nonetheless the manager kindly asked all three of you to leave

Keisuke kept quiet on your way home. You knew why. He actually wanted everything to be perfect, to show you how much you meant to him and it was ruined by his temper and a slimy asshole

„♪Kei-Su-Ke♪“, you poked the dimples of your grumpy boyfriend. “I loved this evening. Minus that idiot, but that was none of your fault.”

“Hm.”

He kept walking.

Ok, you’d have to bring the big guns in

With two big steps you were behind him to give him the strongest back hug possible

“Ya, you punk. Wanna pick a fight?”, your effort to imitate his voice didn’t go unnoticed.

“As if a small fry like you could win against me.”

With that you knew the ice was broken. What you didn’t expect was him turning around fast as lightening, picking you up and throwing you over his shoulder.

You tried to scream but it ended in heartful laughter

A perfect anniversary indeed.

❧ Manjiro Sano

(Future!Mikey, Dark-Haired)

King of jealousy and most possessive out of all the boys, so you can imagine his reaction as you told him your ex-boyfriend visited you at work

The mood instantly shifted

“Come on, Manjiro. He didn’t ask me to marry him or anything.”

This joke was not appreciated by him, and he stayed broody for the rest of the evening

You should have known that he was up to something as he suddenly became very touchy with you, but you pinned it on his neediness

Things got even stranger when he didn’t let you touch or pleasure him, but instead kept making you feel like wax between his fingers

It wasn’t just the way he abused your neck with longing kisses or how he caressed the sides of your body with featherlight touches as he made his way downwards. Not the way he fondled your breasts with the utmost care, kissing and sucking your nipples until you couldn’t keep your whimpers from spilling.

The satisfied smile he gave you as you made the first sound should have shown you that there was more to it, but you were so lost in pleasure, that you really didn’t care

Things got worse (or better) for you as he reached your most intimate spot

If he was skilled at pleasuring you before, he was a god at doing so today.

White pleasure blinded you as his velvet tongue explored every part of you. Every moan and whimper you gave him was met with a pleased hum that vibrated through your body.

When you couldn’t stop your own need from feeling every part of him on you, you used your hands in his dark hair to push him closer to you.

Instead of understanding your silent plea like he usually would, he just kept going and going until your vision got blurred by tears and your voice was hoarse.

Only then he let you go, mumbling something you were too tired to understand.

You slept well that night, with Mikey hugging you loke a koala

It was only when you looked at your phone the next morning, that you realized what he had done.

A chat with your ex-boyfriend, who must have written you last evening about going out for dinner, cough your eye. Your answer, which you definitely didn’t send, consisted of a 30 second audio.

Innocent you played it, of course, and it took you a second to realize what exactly you were hearing.

That was you. You, moaning in ecstasy. You were frozen in place an listened all the way through it

The audio ended with a raspy voice you knew all too well

“She is busy with me.”

❧ Ken Ryuguji

Your phone was broken.

It did not show you, who tried to call you and called people you never meant to call. That’s why instead of putting it in your pockets, it usually laid somewhere beside you. Like today as you were cooking dinner for your finance who was about to come home from his bike shop very soon

The last days had been a bit stressful, he had a lot to do, couldn’t spend any time with you and you went to meet your ex-boyfriend for coffee, as he himself was about to get married soon

Ken tried to be understanding, but the amount of your time this past fling consumed annoyed him

That’s why he wanted to make up for lost time this evening

He didn’t hesitate when he saw you standing in the kitchen, stirring something in a pan and looking so perfect

On swift move and the giant had placed you on the counter, standing between your spread legs, face buried in your neck

“Well, someone seems eager.”

He wasn’t willing to waste time with your teasing but begun to assault your lips

Heavy breathing filled the room as he cupped your chin with one hand and tried to get rid of your clothes with the other

Your bodies soon met with a pleasurable sensation, moving in synch.

You held on to him like your life depended on it, ankles hooked behind his back

He wasn’t one to moan, but his heavy breathing had something so unexplainable erotic to it, that it made up for the missing foreplay

One couldn’t be without the other and if it wouldn’t have been for the laws of nature, you would have said that your brains your hearts and your pleasure became one

Sweat made the counter slippery, and your voice became raspy as you finally reached your high together

“Well, hello there.” You could literally hear the smirk on his lips as he said this.

“…hello?”

You thought you were hallucination from your post-orgasmic bliss as you heard another voice talking to the both of you. But Ken’s shocked face as he looked towards your phone woke you up

It couldn’t be that your phone called your ex-boyfriend, right?

Right??  

❧ Chifuyu Matsuno

It’s not like Chifuyu needs your attention all the time, but he kinda needs it when he wants it you know?

And today he really needed it

He had given the shop into the hands of his partner, Kazutora, to spend some time with you, as a surprise

The thing with surprises was, that they usually came at the worst times

His mood went downwards as he came home and instead of giving him a confused hug, asking him why he was home already, you were on the phone with god knows whom

He thought you’d end the call soon, so he gave you some space, but as you kept laughing 30 minutes after he arrived, he got annoyed, to say the least.

He didn’t mean to listen in on your conversation, but your constant laughter, bickering and smiling made him…curious

It seemed like your former high school sweetheart had called to “remember the good old times”, and although it wasn’t like him at all, he slowly but surely felt anger bubbling inside of him.

You had settled for the couch, and although the other party was on the phone, he felt the need to touch you, so he laid down between your legs, head resting on your stomach

You, of course, noticed the sour mood hanging in the air (not just because he followed you around like a lost puppy while you were phoning this old friend of yours)

So you petted his hair, knowing it would calm him

But the time for appeasement was over, at least for Chifuyu. He knew that you knew that he wanted you to hang up, yet you didn’t

It started as an innocent kiss on your stomach, which you answered with a silent chuckle, shaking your hand to signal him to stop

That he ignored it would be an understatement

Something you realised as he started caressing your intimate part through your clothes

As your friend on the other side was continuing to tell you about his life, your attention was captured by the innocent puppy-dog eyes your boyfriend gave you as he got rid of the annoying layers keeping him from feeling you

He began giving you kitten licks, that literally took your breath away. Good for you, the other man didn’t notice

Chifuyu, that devil, knew what he was doing, keeping eye contact with you while doing the most sinful things to you

It got worse as he took your pearl between his soft lips and started sucking

You had to press your fist on your mouth to keep any sound from spilling

He continued his assault with a steady pace, and you wanted him to stop as much as you wanted him to continue

“Y/n, are you still there?”

You hadn’t noticed that the excited voice on the phone had stopped

Faster than you could react, Chifuyu had snatched your phone away from you.

His breath tickled your now wet parts as he answered

“Something came up just now, and she needs to come. Try again, pal.”

[fairestwriting]

Ello there :) Could i request Heartslabyul and their ideal s/o? Like what characteristics would they like in their partner?

Riddle Rosehearts

He would say his ideal is someone, first and foremost, disciplined, since rules are so important to him. But honestly? Deep down, Riddle wants someone who can challenge him a bit. With a certain gentleness to it, of course, but he’d want them to have a spine regardless, and stand up for their beliefs.

It’s important that they value hard work! Both his, theirs, and other people’s efforts, and they should be willing to do what it takes to get the results they need.

Riddle would also like someone with a more caring demeanour, a calmer sort of energy. Studying and running Heartslabyul is very stressful, so he spends his free time very quietly. Someone who can appreciate that and help deal with his own tension would do him good.

Trey Clover

Trey has two types, basically. Either grounded, simple, and caring, like him, or just bubbly, reckless and affectionate. In either case, they’re probably (Definitely) getting spoiled to hell and back.

And elaborating on that, they have to be okay with the mentioned spoiling. Trey is an actions-over-words kind of guy, so he shows his love more through caring for the person in question, rather than outright telling them.

Though besides that, he honestly isn’t very picky? Just about anyone who’s decently loving and willing to make an honest connection could get along with him. Trey is just like that.

Ace Trappola

Ace’s type is all over the place. Everytime you ask him, you get a different answer. Somehow, he just can appreciate a lot of different kinds of people?

He tends to lean towards the high energy, quick tempered kind of people, though. Mostly because they match his own energy, so he finds it easier to get closer to them, seeing as they’re in such a similar wavelength. If you get riled up easily, you’re more fun to tease, too.

He’d like someone affectionate! Not overly mushy and sentimental, since that’d fluster him to no end, but someone willing to at least link arms with him while they’re hanging out in a friend group, someone who wouldn’t mind him being casually open about their relationship.

Deuce Spade

Deuce is very adamant about wanting to be with someone who’s honest like him. They don’t have to be blunt necessarily, but he wouldn’t feel as comfortable with someone who’s constantly hiding their own intentions, rather than being upfront about them.

Confidence is great too! Though he won’t mind a shy and quiet partner either. He tends to like the extremes in this regard, actually. Either someone who he can protect, or someone who he doesn’t have to.

Also wants someone who is affectionate, except he’s signing up for full mushiness. Deuce is a very sincere boy, he takes his relationships seriously and would like his partner to do that as well. He’s the kind who thinks about his future with his partner, even if you’re both just students, and naturally, he wants people to know you’re together, too.

Cater Diamond

When asked about it, Cater will always say his priority is having fun, so he’d like someone with a lighthearted, easygoing personality like his. And though that’s true in a way, it’s not the full picture.

Cater actually wouldn’t mind having a partner who’s more on the silent and stoic side, as long as they’re someone who’s dedicated and loving. Cater kind of secretly craves balance, even though he still wants to have fun with his partner, he’d prefer if he didn’t feel pressured to be cheerful around them all the time.

...he knows that’s not the healthiest expectation, but he’d like it if they had good emotional intuition, or were just able to read into him, someone interested in getting to know his true self. He’s a bit lonely deep down, so some real connection sounds pretty much like a dream.

if you wanna support my work, you can buy me a ko-fi or commission me!

[fairydragonflame]

I saw your faragonda hate feel and honestly I never saw that before till you mentioned it... joining the train

BUT ALSO TO MAIN POINT OMG you mentioned in your tags on that post about riven and flora cause I taught I hallucinated their potential before but you mentioned it... please pleaseeee elaborate your thoughts on them I'm genuinely curious for flora/riven shippers out here 😭😭😭😭😭

An interesting request. This post is more about Riven than Flora, I will try to satisfy your curiosity.

Riven is quite a complex character, he has a bad temper, he is impulsive and power-hungry, jealous - this is exactly what pops into my head at the mention of his name. However, at the same time he is brave, kind, reserved, he will not share his feelings with others and experiences everything inside himself. He is looking for himself and his way. And it is important to understand it. To hear. To help.

A little bit about his background was told in the 59th issue of Winx magazine (Winx Band), he grew up with his mother, who later left him. This partly explains his difficult nature.

Flora knows how to listen, she is able to touch the soul and will allow a person to open up. She will not condemn, but she will accept and understand. This is exactly what Riven has been missing all seasons. Flora is able to protect what she thinks is right, she treats others with respect and demands the same respect for herself. Kind and gentle, she can help Riven open up from the best side. At the same time, Flora is a vulnerable girl and certainly Riven's sharpness will hurt her, it is inevitable.

Flora will gain those qualities that she lacks so much - firmness and confidence, Riven will be able to learn to be restrained and polite. I think Riven will be worried about his relationship with Flora, because in his eyes she really looks like a fragile flower that should not belong to him. She is too perfect for such a "terrible" person like him. Flora, in turn, will do everything possible to show Riven what he is in her eyes.

However, for all the superficiality of my judgment, I do not see this pairing as something lasting. At least not yet. Riven is the kind of character that requires closer scrutiny. He grew up without a father, his mother left him, these two facts are enough to unfold a great analysis of the character. Riven's childhood is a direct answer to the question of his hard character.

And I don't know how much Flora can handle it. She's looking for security in a partner. Riven can be protective as well as hurtful. He may fear that Flora will leave him, as his mother did. Perhaps he wants to be the first and best to be the "good" child, so that no one will leave him. Perhaps he is afraid of being alone, afraid of being abandoned, and so he spoils and breaks up the relationship himself. Maybe he sees from Skye's example that the best are loved, and therefore he must be the first to get that love. His lack of love as a child, his abandonment, and then his loneliness made him rude and cold. He does not trust the people around him because he is subconsciously afraid that they will hurt him, as his mother did. Without receiving an example of love as a child, without seeing that kind of love around him, Riven may not know how to show it. And we've seen that all season long.

In my eyes, Flora is the one who can show Riven love. Slowly, gently, caringly, just the way he needs it. She would be able to love him with all his flaws, which is exactly what's important to him. What he thinks causes him to be rejected by everyone. And this path to a true relationship will be long, thorny, sometimes unbearable. I don't know if Flora will have the strength to do it, but if she does, it will be the most sincere love that each of them will appreciate.

These are the moments that relate to Riven's past. I lost a blog with scans of magazines in English, so if you have the time and desire, you can find these pages.

I know you were expecting something more upbeat and reassuring, not so long and philosophical, sometimes I get too deep into the characters story) Thanks for reading, thanks for asking this question.

[idy-ll-ique]

Any Doctors Here?

pairing: mob boss!steve rogers x doctor!f!reader

genre: fluff, tiny bit of angst

warnings: mentions of burns and hospitals

requested: nope

summary: while visiting his favorite bar, steve stumbles upon a new bartender, but there is something off about her. after a small conversation, he finds out that she is indeed overqualified for the job; she was a jobless doctor in need of money. well, it just so happens that the last doctor that worked for steve quit, there was a slot open...

author's note: hiya peeps enjoy!

masterlist

---

Steve walked into the bar, looking around. All faces turned to him immediately. He smirked slightly when he saw everyone look away, squirming. Steve Rogers was a nationally recognized mobster boss. Sure, he was on the negative side but police had given up on him years ago. He roamed the streets freely now, much to the fear of people.

He wouldn't think of harming an innocent soul, but people didn't know that. He found their fear amusing so he never said anything. He walked up to the bartender, sitting in front of her. She gave him a smile. "What would it be, Mr Rogers?" she asked, turning back to the bottles kept on the shelf behind her.

Steve checked her out while she turned away. He decided that she was pretty, very much so. "Whiskey, please, darling," he told her, leaning against the counter. He also noticed that she was the only one not afraid of him. "What's your name?" he asked her as she prepared his drink.

"My name is no," she sang and he raised an eyebrow at her. Her confidence and sass surprised him. "I'm just kidding! I'm Y/N," she laughed, passing his glass to him. A second later, he laughed, too. "Y/N, pretty name. You aren't afraid of me?" he questioned curiously, downing the whiskey in one go.

"Not really. Why would I be?" she shrugged. "Don't you know who I am?" he asked her, shocked. "I literally addressed you by your name when you came in."

He had forgotten about that.

"Ah, right. Um, okay." For the first time in his life, he was stumped. He never had trouble talking to women, but something about Y/N was odd. He had to keep the conversation going. "So, uh, do you work here?" he blurted out. What if this was her cover and she really was someone else?

Would explain her nonchalance. "I love how you say something so obvious with such a sense of discovery," she smiled sassily, leaning on the counter in front of him. Her sarcasm was getting under his skin now but somehow, he liked it.

She was fierce. "No, I mean, do you work here permanently or is this a sort of part time job?" he rephrased, rolling his eyes. "Part time, you guessed right. I have an MBBS, no job," she chuckled. Ah, a doctor. The fact that she was well-educated sat right with Steve. She behaved like an intellectual. "Oh, that's nice." He ordered a few more drinks.

They continued talking but suddenly heard a scream.

Y/N and Steve turned around to see a man clutching his arm which had a burn visible on it. "Any doctors here?" his girlfriend screamed as the man groaned in pain. Y/N instantly ran towards him, grabbing a bottle of cold water along the way. She opened it and gently poured the water on his arm, which made the man sigh in relief.

"Call an ambulance right now," Y/N expertly told the girl, who nodded. She talked to someone on the phone as Y/N rolled up the sleeves of that man's hoodie. Steve watched all this with a slight smile on his face.

He was well used to having personal doctors and the last guy had just left the job. He felt like Y/N would be the perfect person for the job. She had an education anyway, how bad could it be? Also, he would pay her better than this small bar or any government job could ever. She deserved better pay.

Soon, the girl and her boyfriend were gone. Y/N walked back to the counter, wiping her hands on her apron. "So, uh, sorry about that," she muttered, smiling sheepishly at Steve.

"Don't be, please. You saved that man," he swiftly reassured her, shaking his head. Y/N nodded and silence fell between the two of them. "I have to ask you something," Steve blurted out. Y/N looked at him and nodded curiously. He proposed his idea to her and needless to say, Y/N was shocked.

Agreeing to work with a famous mobster was not something she expected would happen that day. She considered for a moment. Working with Steve could be nice…

He told her he would pay her well, she was already sold. She made her decision and nodded. "I agree," she smiled and Steve's eyes lit up with happiness. "Okay, here's my address, will you be able to stop by tomorrow?" he asked, jotting down his address on a tissue. "No problem. Bye!" she waved as he walked out of the bar. Y/N squealed, looking down the tissue paper.

Steve smiled as he walked back home. As he walked home, he couldn't stop thinking about the woman. Y/N. Beautiful, sassy, helpful, caring, fierce, intelligent… She was a package deal. A good one, of course. Was he getting a crush on the pretty bartender? He sighed and smiled again as he realized… he was.

Y/N's shift ended 2 hours later. She shrugged on her coat and walked outside, breathing in the outside air. As she walked home, she, too, couldn't stop thinking about the one and only, Steve Rogers.

That man oozed power and dominance wherever he went. He was a wealthy man, considering he dealt with black markets all the time. Not to mention his handsomeness. Y/N knew women who were head over heels for Steve. She used to think they shouldn't be, until she met him tonight.

Steve had been nothing but polite with her. He cracked good jokes and was really not the man Y/N expected him to be. Now that she knew that side of his, she finally acknowledged her crush on him.

Sure, she had a crush on him like the other women. But she kept it hidden given his position and job. A mobster boss? She could do so much better and safer. Y/N sighed as she reached home.

Oh, what will her feelings evolve into?

---

Y/N stood outside Steve's extravagant mansion, reconsidering her decision. She was dressed in a simple, flowy white sundress. She took in a deep breath and walked through the gates. The walk from the gates to the door of the mansion was long, but Y/N appreciated it since it gave her time to look at his pretty garden.

As soon as she walked up the stairs to the door, it opened. Steve stood there, dressed handsomely in a black suit. Steve, when he saw her, nearly choked on his own spit.

The dress she wore was damn close to being mistaken as a wedding dress. Honestly, Y/N looked like a bride to him. His bride, he thought to himself. Stop it, you met her yesterday! Similar thoughts were running through Y/N's head.

"Y/N! So glad you came." Steve smiled broadly to hide his inappropriate thoughts. "Hi Mr Rogers," she waved, letting him wrap his arms around her as he hugged her. "Steve, please." He kept his arm around her as they walked inside, towards her infirmary. Y/N noticed that there were guards outside every room they passed.

Steve, meanwhile, noticed how all the guards were smirking cheekily at him. He went a bit red and glared at them. The two lovebirds finally reached the infirmary of the mansion. Y/N gasped in awe as Steve opened the door to the beautiful room. "This will be your office," he told her proudly and she gave him a broad smile.

"I will love working here!" she squealed, jumping into his arms. Caught off guard, Steve stumbled backwards but hugged her back. After looking around the room, they walked outside. Steve led her up the stairs, where the bedrooms were.

She would be staying there, that would ensure her availability 24/7. It wasn't really a big deal for Steve, the mansion was super big and cozy. Y/N was confused, though. What could be upstairs? To her surprise, Steve showed her to a bedroom. "Um, this bedroom is nice, I guess. But why are you showing me this?"

"You'll be living here," Steve said, shrugging. Y/N's eyes widened. "And who decided that?" she scoffed. "I thought you knew," Steve narrowed his eyes, confused. "I knew that I'd be staying at your place? How?" she yelled. Didn't she wanna stay there? "Because you're working for me!" he yelled back.

His temper snapped. "You don't own me, Rogers, I'm only working for you. You can't tell me where I'm supposed to live and where not," she spat bitterly. Steve glared at her use of his last name. "How else do you think I'm going to ensure you are available everyday?" he shouted, crossing his arms. Both of them held glares on their faces.

Suddenly, Y/N sighed. "I'm sorry," she mumbled and Steve's glare softened. "Don't apologize. I should've told you before," he said, reaching out to touch her cheek. "Do you still want me around?" she asked tiredly, looking at him.

He nodded readily, of course he did. For his sake as well. "Good. When do I move in?" she chuckled. "Any time you want," he told her, smiling. He gave her a tour of the mansion and she left.

---

6 months passed since Y/N agreed to work with Steve. And what fun those months were... Y/N loved living with the mobster boss. He brought patients nearly everyday, though. In her free time, Y/N roamed around the mansion, cooked or went to the garden to enjoy the view.

She loved the garden especially, it was filled with beautiful flowers and there was a swing, too. She and Steve did not hang out much, he was always busy some way or another. Today, that wasn't the case. Y/N had fallen for the man, indefinitely. They found out more about each other when they started living together.

She found out that he was actually a sweetheart under that hardcore facade and Steve found out that he missed being in a steady relationship. He had had girlfriends before but only for nights, or weeks, at length. Never more than that. Now that Y/N was in his life, he wanted nothing more than to be hers. They had lived together for 6 months now and Steve was sure he loved her.

He couldn't find the courage to confess. What if she didn't like him back, thought he was weird and quit working for him? What if she stopped living with him? She loved the mansion, all her needs were met here. Would she give that up just because he confessed? He couldn't risk it. Y/N was worried about the same things but from different perspectives.

What if he fired her, made her pack her bags and leave? She didn't want to go.

Y/N sighed as she lay down on the soft grass of the garden, reading a book. Steve was right next to her, picking the petals off a flower. She noticed him and laughed. "What are you doing?" Y/N asked him, smirking. "She loves me, she loves me not," he smirked back, now used to her sass. "About whom?" Y/N snorted, sitting up.

She was a bit disheartened. "This really great woman I know. She's really beautiful, you know? She's also super intelligent, by the way. And she's caring, kind, helpful… I love her." Y/N's heart shattered at his words. He loved this woman. Meaning, her feelings were useless.

"She sounds lovely," Y/N choked out, looking at her book. "She is. But I don't know if she likes me back. We've only known each other for 6 months, I met her at a bar. There are a lot of disastrous things that could happen if I confessed," Steve sighed, smiling at her. Something struck inside Y/N's head.

He was talking about her!

"Like what?" she asked, now smiling at him. "Oh, I don't know… she wouldn't like me back, move out, stop working for me, agree to never see me again… I don't want that to happen," he chuckled, looking at Y/N. She shifted closer to him, wrapping her arms around him.

"I'm pretty sure none of it would happen. She would definitely say she loves you back," Y/N whispered. Steve hugged her tightly, burying his face in her shoulder. "Do you really?" he asked softly. "I do, Steve, what's there not to like about you?" she chuckled, running a hand through his hair.

"The fact that I'm a mobster?" he chuckled into her shoulder, pulling her on his lap. "I don't care about that. You're so much more than that. You're a good man, you treat innocent people nicely… you're a sweetheart when you want to be," she giggled, kissing the top of his head.

Steve pulled away and brought her face closer to his, pressing their lips together. He had waited so long for this to happen. Y/N kissed him back, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "I love you," Steve breathed out, smiling up at his woman. "I love you, too," Y/N grinned. They spent the rest of the afternoon in the garden together.

---

a/n: thanks for reading, leave a like if you enjoyed!

[missmungoe]

I just need you to know, that ever since I read that last chapter of Moon and her Maiden I have been worrying about Makino. Like, I'm just sitting doing a something unrelated and randomly go 'oh man, I hope Makino will be okay :(('. Truly good writing on your part!

It’s been almost a year since I updated this story, and I’m so sorry for leaving you hanging like that! But I’m working on the next chapter as we speak, and just to assure you that help is on the way:

(From Moon and Her Maiden chapter 5, to be posted soon-ish)

A log cabin had appeared between the trees. If he hadn’t been looking for it, Shanks thought might have missed it, shrouded as though by some spell of the forest, the shadows under the turf roof deeper than they should be, but he only spared it a passing thought. The witching hour had a way of making even the mundane seem uncanny, but like the forest shadows, the glamour would fade with the sunrise.

But despite being the middle of the night, the light within suggested whoever lived there was awake, further corroborated by the smoke rising from the brick chimney. He could sense a whole group inside, but didn’t reach for Gryphon yet, and didn’t wait for the others to catch up, striding up the hard-packed path to slam his fist against the door, three times in rapid succession, demanding rather than requesting attention, but then he didn’t have time to be polite.

A long beat passed, and he was just about to consider breaking down the door when it suddenly opened, only to find no one there, until he looked down to see a kid squinting up at him warily. He looked maybe ten years old, heavily freckled, and with an impressive frown marring his small features.

Something about his face made him pause, but before Shanks could wonder who he reminded him of―

“Who the hell are you?” the kid asked.

Well. That wasn’t what he’d expected. “Nice manners,” Shanks said. “Can I talk to an adult, please? Or someone over three feet?”

The kid’s eyes narrowed, making a vein protrude in his brow. Shanks had never seen someone so small look so serious, as he crossed his twiggy arms and shot back, “Say why you’re here first.”

“Shouldn’t you be in your jammies?” Shanks asked, aware that his temper was getting the better of him, but he didn’t have time for this. “And I’m still looking for an adult.”

Glaring up at him, the kid called over his shoulder. “Dadan! There’s a weirdo who wants to talk to you.”

“Rude,” Shanks muttered.

“He’s not wrong,” Ben said, and had the situation been different, Shanks would have called him unhelpful, but he was too on edge even for his own inappropriate humour. Because while they were wasting time here, Makino and Luffy were―

“You better hurry up,” the kid called into the cabin, with a sidelong look at Shanks. “I think he’s a pervert.”

Gaping, he was momentarily distracted by this frankly brutal assessment. And from such a little kid. “Okay but who raised you? Because I’d like to file a complaint.”

Just then, a towering shape appeared in the doorway behind the kid, and looking up saw that it was a woman, so tall she even had a few inches on him, and built like a woodsman, with hair the colour of burnished rowanberries, tumbling in a wild bramble around her wide shoulders. She brought the forest with her, in the smell of woodsmoke and damp moss, and she had a cigarette bit between her teeth.

She also had an axe in her hand.

“Who’re you?” she asked, as narrowed eyes shifted from Shanks to the pirates behind him.

He eyed the axe warily, before meeting her eyes. “Shanks,” he said. “I take it you’re Dadan?”

Her expression had all the hospitality of tree bark. “Depends who’s asking.”

“It’s her,” the kid said, and didn’t flinch when she rounded on him, spluttering.

“Don’t just go giving away my identity like that!” When he showed no remorse, she muttered, “The pervert’s right, who raised you?”

“You did,” the kid shot back. If he hadn’t been so preoccupied, Shanks would have appreciated the little shit for his cheek.

Dadan bent down her considerable height, a finger levelled at him. “Now listen here, you...!”

As she turned, his eyes seized on something behind her.

From the bottom of her spine protruded what was unmistakably a cow’s tail.

The furrow of Yasopp’s brow confirmed it wasn’t just his mind playing tricks. Even Ben looked like he hadn’t expected that.

Wary for an entirely different reason now, Shanks touched his fingers to the pommel of his sword.

He’d heard of her kind. Not unlike selkies, the huldra, except they preferred drowning men in forest ponds to larger bodies of water.

And this one looked like she wouldn’t even bother seducing them first.

Having caught his hand going to his sword, Dadan turned to him with a glare. She said nothing, but the tighter grip around the haft of her axe told him what awaited if he got any ideas.

And he knew then that it wasn’t just the witching hour that had cast a glamour over her cottage, but that the protective spells weaved from these shadows were hers.

He was tempted to ask if the whole island was filled with their kind, but because there was something more pressing he needed answered, “I’m looking for a group of bandits,” he said. “They took someone from the village.”

Her brows drew together. “Who?” she asked. She had a gruff voice, laced with a smoker’s rasp, but not unkind.

“The girl who owns the bar,” Shanks said, and saw her eyes rounding. “And a little boy.”

“A boy?” she asked. Her voice was pitched differently now. “You don’t mean Garp’s boy?”

Shanks frowned. That she’d heard of Garp wasn’t unusual, when he had family in the village, but the way she spoke suggested they knew each other.

If he hadn’t been in such a hurry, he might have asked. “The mayor said they were from around here,” he said instead, although wondered if it was the wrong thing to say, when her expression darkened.

“Ain’t none of mine that would harm that girl,” she rasped.

“Do you know her?” Shanks asked. It would make sense, given what he now knew, only he distinctly remembered the selkie saying she was the only one of her kind on the island.

Makino. Not the selkie―it had been Makino.

He was still having trouble wrapping his head around it, that all along it had been her, so many moments from the past few weeks coming back to him―that first kiss on the docks, and her dark eyes under the brim of his straw hat; the small, feminine figure he’d mapped with his hands in the dark, and the moment she’d jumped from the docks into his arms, unafraid of the water―all of them bleeding together, until it was all he could do to keep his thoughts straight.

He had to find her.

But Dadan shook her head. “My family doesn’t go into the village,” she said, although after a beat, she added, with a look, “But I know who she is.”

Frowning, Shanks wondered if that last part suggested what he thought it did. But then if Dadan knew her secret, he doubted she’d share it with him unprompted.

“So those bandits aren’t with you?” Yasopp asked.

Her head snapped towards him, as she snarled, “We’re not associated with that ilk!”

“But you know who they are?” Shanks pressed, unconcerned by her aggression, but then all he needed was the confirmation that it hadn’t been at her orders that they’d taken her.

He lifted his hand from Gryphon, although saw how her eyes tracked the movement. “Do you know where they might have gone?” he asked. “A hideout, or somewhere they might have taken them?”

She didn’t answer right away. He could tell she didn’t trust him, and that she was weighing the wisdom of helping him.

“Other than the boy,” Dadan said then. Her voice sounded suddenly rougher. “Did they take anything else?”

Their eyes held. Shanks waited a beat, before he said, “A sealskin.”

From the tightening at the corners of her eyes, he didn’t have to wonder if she knew its significance, which answered his earlier question. And he saw from the furrow of her brows that she knew he did, too, and wondered then if she would tell him anything, if she believed he wasn’t any better than the bandits who’d taken her.

But he wasn’t above begging. Not for her, or Luffy, and if it meant finding out where they were―

“There’s a place.”

The voice drew all their eyes down to the kid with the frown. At their sudden attention, he shifted his weight. “In the city,” he said. He was looking at Shanks, and he wondered what he’d deduced to make him give up the information. “People go there when they want to sell stuff they can’t sell anywhere else.”

His heart stilled.

“A black market?” Ben asked, the anger in his voice so vivid, if Shanks hadn’t known the cause, he might have been caught off guard.

“Shit,” Yasopp cursed.

A cuff to the back of his head had the kid cursing, as Dadan snapped, “The hell are you two doing going to places like that in the city? I’ll tell Garp the next time he’s here!”

His glare faltered a bit, before the kid shot back, only a little wavering, “I’m not scared of gramps!”

Shanks frowned, watching him rubbing the spot on his crown. Garp had more than one grandson? Luffy hadn’t mentioned a brother, or a cousin, but the hair at least suggested they were related, even if there wasn’t a lot of Garp in this one.

He’d save the questions for later. If the kid was right, they had to hurry.

Unbidden, the memory found him, of that night in the moonlit cove, and the tiny figure that had guided him through the underwater shadows to her hidden place, even knowing the risk. How lovely she’d been in her innocence, and her curiosity about human pleasure, and how happy he’d been that her life had never given her reason to feel otherwise, when he’d seen with his own eyes what humans did to rare and beautiful things they didn’t understand.

She’d been untouched by that world, before this. Before him.

They were taking her to a black market.

Dragging his thoughts back before he could remember how she’d looked at him earlier in front of Party’s, Shanks turned to the kid. “Can you show me where it is?”

The boy considered him. “You’re a pirate?” he asked.

“I am.”

“Are you evil?”

He frowned, then said, “I make it a point not to be.”

“But you’re a criminal,” the kid parried.

Yep, he was Garp’s grandson alright. “Sure,” Shanks said. “But those things aren’t synonymous. You can be a nice criminal. See? I’m very nice. But also in kind of a hurry, if you don’t mind.”

His serious expression didn’t budge. Shanks couldn’t remember the last time he’d been subjected to this kind of judgement.

“People say pirates are evil,” the kid said then, and this time there was something other than suspicion in his eyes, and once again, Shanks was arrested by a sense of familiarity, although couldn’t put his finger on what it was about him.

But as far as that assumption went, his own stance was pretty clear. “I don’t care what people say about me,” Shanks said. “I know who I am. And I know evil. Evil requires deliberate action; you can’t just be evil because someone decides you are.”

Then, because he starting to get desperate, “Please,” he said, and hoped his sincerity transferred, if nothing else. “I need to find them.”

The kid considered him, but his serious frown had eased a bit, as though something he’d said had surprised him, but he was too distracted to wonder what it had been.

He was about to say to hell with it and find the place himself, when the boy firmed his lips.

“I’ll show you,” he said, and without another word, walked past them.

Despite her earlier warning of going to the city, Dadan didn’t protest, although before Shanks could follow, her voice stopped him.

“Do you know what happens to her kind when they lose their sealskin?”

Turning, Shanks took her in, axe in hand and her cow’s tail looped through her belt, as though it was no stranger than any of her other features. Unafraid, although he saw from the wary glint in her eyes that she had paid a price for it.

He thought of Makino, her obsession with the shutters in her bar, and her careful concealment of her identity.

It’s dangerous.

Her voice found him, the memory like the still water in the cove, watching the moonlight, the gentle press of her small back to his speaking louder than anything.

Trust.

Brown eyes flashed in his memory, that moment on the gravel in front of Party’s. The first time he’d seen her afraid of him.

“I’ll find her,” he said, turning on his heel, his cloak flaring. It smelled of her, from where she’d worn it against her skin.

Ben and Yasopp fell in behind him, Lucky following suit, their silence saying more than they did.

At the mouth of the clearing, the kid was waiting for them. Reaching him, Shanks didn’t waste any time.

“Show me where it is.”