#if this is the case you know.. I CAN go down with this ship

[grandline-fics]

Hey, can I get op boys>reaction to a child or anybody else hugging you,the way momonosuke hugged nami. It's okay if you don't want to do it.

DESCRIPTION: Their reaction to a child stealing your attention and affection

WARNINGS: slight insecurities/jealousy I guess but nothing serious

CHARACTERS: Shanks, Luffy

WORDS: 1,564

A/N: Hey there and thank you for sending in this request. I had a lot of fun thinking of how to make this scenario work and decided to just stick with two characters this time. If you want to request any other characters, please do. I hope this was to your liking 😊

*REQUESTS ARE OPEN*

DIRECTORY | PROMPT LIST | KO-FI

————————

SHANKS

It was a sure bet that everyone would naturally go to Shanks. It was a given that he was the most popular member of the crew. He was the Captain after all and any island you stopped at, he just had a way about him that charmed practically everyone in the vicinity. Ordinarily that was the case. Today it was almost the same, apart from one exception to the norm. You had an admirer and Shanks never had a problem with that because you always let them down kindly but firmly, only having eyes for him. This though? This was uncharted territory. You were staring at your clingy admirer with the warmest smile and his eyes narrowed. This was war. 

Abruptly Ben nudged his shoulder and he looked as his right-hand man and closest friend pulled up the stool beside him. Shanks scoffed at Beckman’s unbridled amusement at his Captain’s sulking and very clear displeasure at what he was witnessing. From across the room your laughter drifted up and Shanks’s gaze snapped immediately to you, his glare sharpening. Nothing could be that funny, not without him. “Cap…relax. They’re-”

“A snake. They know exactly what they’re doing.” Shanks muttered, lifting his drink to his mouth as he glared at the snake in question, stealing you from him.

“They’re one, Shanks.” Beck reminded his Captain with his grin broadening. “You aren’t getting insecure because of a baby are you?”

“This food better be worth it.” Shanks grumbled. Stopping here was only because everyone was hungry and wanted to eat and drink together before separating to begin gathering supplies for the next leg of the stretch at sea. When you all entered you were met with a friendly but very stressed woman, trying to manage serving customers while also looking after her son. Her son in question stared with wide eyes at the arrival of the Red Haired Pirates, shy but curious. Then his gaze fell to you and he squirmed in his mother’s hold while stretching to get to you, immediately besotted. 

You had no issue with helping keep the baby entertained since it helped his mother out and meant you could all still get something to eat and drink. As you held the baby close you couldn’t help but smile when the little boy let out a long yawn, using his fist to rub at his eyes. Finally you took a seat on the other side of Shanks and settled in the hopes he’d fall asleep. You finally broke your gaze away from the adorable little face to look at Shanks and Benn. “Isn’t he cute?”

“Yeah, adorable.” Shanks forced out, eyeing his tiny rival with a scowl. “Why don’t you let me take over?”

“I don’t mind, plus he’s falling asleep I don’t want to unsettle him.” You smiled, watching Shanks as he reached his hand out. The baby in your arms, half-asleep eyed Shanks with equal disdain. With an incoherent but very obvious noise of rejection, the baby’s fists latched tightly into your shirt and he nuzzled his head into your chest. “See? He’s comfy.”

Shanks knew better than anyone how comfy it was to lie against you and be wrapped in your arms. His eyes narrowed when the baby threw him one last look- pure smugness, Shanks saw-before he closed his eyes and feel asleep. Seeing the baby drift off and still maintain his vicelike grip on your close made you all but melt. “Shanks, how long are we staying on this island for?”

“We’re leaving as soon as the ship is restocked.” 

“So soon?” You asked in surprise. Ordinarily you all stayed to relax and interact with the locals. Even short stops on islands would be a few days. It had been a long time since Shanks had made a decision like this. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah just really itching to get back to sea is all. We can’t laze around when we’ve got treasures to find and adventures to have.” You arched an eyebrow at Shanks’ explanation. When he turned his head to grab his drink you looked over his shoulder to throw a questioning look to Beck. Subtly the man dropped his gaze to the baby in your arms and mouthed ‘jealous’ making you grin.

Rolling your eyes at how the most laidback man in the world you decided to fall in love with could be so ridiculous at times. Shifting your chair closer you lay your back against his side and reached up to press a soft peck against his cheek. “Love you, you big baby.”

“Love you too.” Shanks grinned down at you, wrapping his arm around you to hold you closer. “Make sure to say that again though when the little brat wakes up. He needs to know I’m the winner.” 

LUFFY

“Hey you little brat let go of them!”

“Make me!”

“I. Said. Let. Go.”

“Nuh-uh! You’re not the boss of me. Just go away and leave us alone, stupid hat!”

“Stupid hat?!” Luffy repeated with an angry glare, looking to you sharply with wide eyes, silently checking if you heard the added insult to him. It was nearly as bad as the fact some little kid was clinging to you happily with their arms tightly around your neck with no sign of letting go. You could only shrug and smile, it was just a little kid. You’d been the one to save them from an attacking enemy so of course they would be more attached to you than any of the others on the crew. The boy was harmless but Luffy was acting like he was top of the list of people he wanted to beat on his quest to be King of the Pirates. “Say it again brat! I dare you!”

“Stuuuupid haaaat!” The little kid leant further in to Luffy’s face, stretching out the insult with a taunting grin and defiance in his eyes that would have been something Luffy would have respected had it been directed at anyone else. Satisfied, the little boy relaxed back against you and stuck his tongue out at your seething Captain and boyfriend. Luffy snarled and grabbed the child’s ankle, ready to pull them off of you. The boy only let out an overly dramatic squeal and tucked their head under your chin. “No!! Stop him! He’s scaring me!”

“Luffy, c’mon be nice. Please?” You asked settling your hand soothingly over Luffy’s hand to make him stop immediately. This was meant to be a party to celebrate another victory for the crew and for some reason Luffy was getting confrontational with a child instead of enjoying himself and eating all the food on offer. “They’re only doing it because they know it’s annoying you.”

“But-”

“I know, I know.” You spoke softly, lifting your hand from his to affectionately run your fingers along the rim of his hat. “I love your hat, it’s not stupid to me.”

“It’s only stupid because he’s wearing it.” The little boy muttered sourly, turning his head to glare at the fact you were giving Luffy a compliment. “It’d look great on you though.”

“Awww thank you.” You smiled, relieved that they hadn’t been too scared by Luffy. It was no wonder he was acting up, after finally being free from the group of pirates terrorising his home he was finally getting to act like a child again and not have to worry about living in fear from you or the rest of the crew. “I think you’d look cool with a hat like Luffy’s too.”

“He can keep his hat.” You held back your initial urge to laugh but still you grinned when his arms tightened around your neck. “He gets his hat, and I get you!”

“Wh- WHAT?!“ Luffy shouted, the calm you’d managed to evoke with him disappearing faster than the food in the fridge when Sanji’s back was turned. “You can’t have them, they’re mine!”

Once again the shouting picked up and you were stuck between the two, listening to the fight and bicker over you with vicious possessiveness. You were jostled when the little boy moved to perch himself on your back, shouting over your shoulder as Luffy’s arms wrapped around your body so he could get into  the kid’s face as they argued back and forth about who you were going to stay with, not that either of them thought to ask your opinion on that fact. Having no choice you were helpless and just had to stand there as these two equally persistent energies until finally they both tired themselves out and in unison they fell asleep, slumping over but keeping their grips on you as tight as ever. Sighing you managed to drag yourself over to an empty seat and awkwardly sit down despite the hinderances having two people clinging to you brought. 

Eventually the boy’s mother came across your predicament and managed to lift her son off of you, leaving you to just have Luffy hold you possessively but that was something you were used to at night. Alone you smiled at your boyfriend. Yes it was childish of him to take the little boy’s infatuation with you seriously but it was reassuring that if he fought for you this fiercely then it meant you really had nothing to fear if anyone else came sniffing around you. 

——————————————-

TAG LIST (If I’ve missed anyone or if you want to be added just let me know) @3v37773, @tsaaps , @i-am-all-love-puns-and-lazy , @sanemisnonexistenteyebrow , @fiery-captain-spider-santa, @kabloswrld , @atanukileaf , @ane5e , @stuckinthewrongworld , @deathsmajestysworld , @cloudysunset04 , @chillerkiller , @extremely-ashtridic , @decayingpizza , @liesatemyocean , @ace-for-ace , @nerium-lil , @destynelseclipsa , @dreamcastgirl99 , @my-name-is-heartache , @iamn1ya ,  @yunho-leeknow , @hinata7346 , @h0oouwlss , @missrandomdreamer , @sleepykittycx , @ddawn111 , @jaygrl22 , @sylum , @acehyacinth , @resident-cryptid , @treelogirl , @maellem , @its-a-dam-blue-brick , @thulhu , @appalost , @dindjarins1ut , @irumawife , @laidenbreecatchall , @redwolfxx , @jevoislesbrasdemer , @schanwow

[kr4zy-kat]

Batfam confuses everyone

Came up with this scenario, let me know if you guys like it:

In the Batcave, some JL members are visiting Gotham.

Red Hood isn't actively killing people; is still a crime lord.

Batman and the JL members talking in the cave:

Green Arrow: My sources tell me that the weapon suppliers are connected to a local gang that has Gotham affiliations.

Jason (out of costume) walks in eating a taco: How is Roy these days?

Green Arrow: Who are you?

Tim: A pain in the -

Bruce: Please don't start. What brings you down here?

Jason: I may have lost something last night (says while looking and moving things around)

Damian: Your common sense? Because if that is the case, I'm afraid that is no longer salvageable.

Steph cackles and tosses Jason a red helmet.

Steph: He's probably looking for this.

She smiles evilly.

Steph: good luck getting taken seriously with all that permanent marker.

Continues to laugh maniacally while pointing to Red Hood's helmet, which now has a fairly accurate sharpie painting of a chicken taking a dump across the front of it.

Jason looks at the helmet confused: What happened last night?

Wonder Woman: Why do you have a crime lord's helmet?

Barry: Why is the chicken taking a turd drawn on it?

Green Arrow: Oh no. Dammit Roy

Jason starts cursing under his breath, puts on the helmet, jumps on his bike and speeds off before anyone else can figure out what's going on

Bruce: So, (he sighs while avoiding looking at his team mates in the eyes) my son Jason was bought back to life by the LoA and is now the Red Hood.

Barry spits out his food from surprise: What?!

Tim: At least he agreed to stop killing people now.

Damian: But (says pointedly) mother finally convinced him to make an alliance.

(turns to Tim) She wishes for you to know that her job offer has been rescinded, as she has filled the position with another candidate.

Green Arrow: What does your mother have to do with this?

Damian: She is the buyer for all the weapons being shipped. The Red Hood has agreed to aid the LOA on the modernization of their tactics.

Bruce: How long have you known this?

Damian: Since mother's visit last weekend. But do not worry for Jason father, he does not plan on breaking your no-kill rule.

Tim: He's still training a cult of psychopaths to do it. How's that any better?

Damian: He is following father's rule, therefore he can still read me Shakespeare.

The JL looks to Bruce whom just sighs in defeat

[tumblebagel]

FOR ALL TRANS PEOPLE IN FLORIDA

Hi. I've been meaning to make a post like this for quite a long time now. As a person who's been trans in this state for... a while, I felt like I could be helpful by posting my catalogue of knowledge.

I also need to apologize in advance. I need to give you the facts and the current policies before I can give you the hope that you're looking for. I promise, there is hope. I swear it. But being well informed is my first priority for you right now, because it's the only thing I can do to make sure that you, the reader, stay safe. Okay?

Do me a favor and take a deep breath before you hit “Keep Reading,” alright?

The Facts.

Florida's bathroom laws are fucked. If you hear the term "Safety in Private Spaces Act" that is the exact law fucking trans people over. It was passed in 2023, and people are not afraid to use it. It only DIRECTLY applies to public state-owned buildings. If you attempt to enter a bathroom that does not match your sex, and you are at:

A public school

A state owned library

A state owned govt building (city hall, etc.)

Then you can, and likely WILL be arrested.

If you are in ANY restroom on the aforementioned properties, and are presenting as gender nonconforming, OR you're presenting as a gender that doesn't match the restroom you entered, you may still face harassment, and the police being contact anyways, although they won't have grounds for arrest. It's very much a lose-lose situation.

As someone who's worked at a public library in Florida for the past 5 years now, you can take all of the information above as a first hand reference.

While the "Safety in Private Spaces Act" is only DIRECTLY targeted at state owned & public buildings, private property needs to be taken at a case-by-case basis. People can still call the police, and if you're not certain that the people who own the location will defend you, it can be quite risky. Here's a list of common stores & restaurants and stuff that have protection policies in place for trans people using the restroom there (AKA, the GOOD ones).

Target

Starbucks

Barnes & Noble

Chipotle

Sears

Whole Foods

There's also this site: https://www.refugerestrooms.org where you plug in your address, and it lets you know if there are safe restrooms nearby. I believe it also has an app? I've heard some concerns about how often it's updated, but a resource is a resource. Also ALWAYS be careful when inputting your data (including your location) online. Be sure that the site is secure, and trusted by other members of the community to, you know, not be shipping off your data to corporations or the current government.

You can also look for businesses with "family restrooms" which people might give you a weird look if you leave one alone, but more often than not they'll just assume whatever happened was simply too embarrassing for a public stall. Disney property is also surprisingly quite good at those with their "companion restrooms" you'll sometimes see.

On the exact opposite end of the spectrum, I've made plenty of use of shiiiiiiiiiiiiiitty gas stations in my day. As in gas stations so tiny and run down in the middle of nowhere that they simply CANNOT AFFORD a second stall. It ain't hygienic by any stretch of the imagination, but neither is the back of a police cruiser.

Last resort, and I mean LAST resort, is personal bathrooms in the houses of allies. If you have a trusted support group, and their addresses, congratulations, consider that your gender-neutral bathroom map. They're almost assuredly not convenient, but some days they're the ONLY comfortable places to go.

Trans people are twice as likely to get a UTI in their life as cis people, simply from trying not to use a restroom. So first and foremost, please please please stay safe out there.

Second order of note is HRT.

I feel the need to very explicitly say DIY HORMONES CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS. You need consistent bloodwork done to make sure your body is handling the treatment properly. In addition, improper dosage can lead to a bunch of awful symptoms, including tolerance to the medication. Please, work with a physician who can make sure you stay safe, don't do DIY unless it's your absolute last resort.

ITS ALSO VERY IMPORTANT TO NOTE, that if you're a minor, you cannot begin gender affirming care in Florida, and if you are caught with it, Florida authorities have grounds to revoke your parents' custody. That is shit. I know that is shit. I was very recently a minor tearing my hair out trying to get HRT. While I'm now legally considered """an adult""", I still very very very much feel that pain. Comments are open if you'd like to scream a bit.

For people over 18, there are a bunch of additional restrictions in place for setting up care. First of all, with the informed consent model, you need to sign all of the paperwork *in-person* with the prescribing physician, which completely cuts out any Telehealth options. You'll also be pretty hard pressed to FIND a clinic willing to prescribe it.

I can't personally recommend Plume. I was on a several month long waiting list, only to have my appointment cancelled because a bill went into effect the week before I was supposed to go sign the informed consent paperwork. That being said, I know too many trans people here who LOVE Plume to denounce it. The pricing and services it offers sounds almost too good. The organization has helped a lot of people, so the most I can say is:

1: Do your research.

2: Don't feel tied down if it doesn't work out.

If you want to know how I, personally, started my care, I think it's now time to switch over from the Facts to the Hope.

The Hope.

Planned Parenthood.

I made my first appointment in South Carolina to try and circumvent that law that cancelled my Plume appointment. You'll want to do your research on what Planned Parenthood location you're going to, because not all of them provide the same services. That being said... worse case scenario... South Carolina really ain't too far away, as long as you've got a free weekend for a road trip there and back.

I'm getting off track, Planned Parenthood is amazing. The people there are REALLY nice. My physician very much has an "OH MY GOD YOU'RE GONNA LOVE IT" energy about her.

I scheduled my first appointment just a week out, though timing may vary now that a lot more pressure is being put on them. Hours after my first appointment I had both estradiol and spironolactone physically in my hands, and the biggest dorky grin on my face.

In terms of access, this is probably one of the BEST options at your disposal. Please be sure to do some research beforehand about appointment costs, and medication costs, especially since insurance REALLY isn't going to want to cover it.

Once you're ready, mentally and financially, the power to get GAHT is in your hands.

Also, now when I take their post-appointment survey, I can say "yes, I would recommend this location to someone else" :D

A lot of public universities have been implementing more gender neutral bathrooms, and can potentially even provide you a map of where they are on campus if you ask.

Name change forms are also easily accessible for most schools if you ask, both for social recognition with teachers, and digital changes in academic portals and websites.

While LGBTQ+ oppression hasn’t gone down, neither has our fighting. You’ll see more pride pins and flags than ever, especially in the cities.

If you need mental/emotional help or support, I can't recommend anyone more than the Trevor Project:

https://www.thetrevorproject.org

Their help hotline is entirely confidential. Life as a trans person is hella stressful, and living in Florida can make that a lot worse. Whatever you're going through right now, I can tell you that there are people ready and willing to accept you and care for you.

I've also gotten glowing reviews from my sibling about the Orlando Youth Alliance. If you're a trans minor in Florida, you may not be able to get HRT... but you can occasionally get a trip to Disney World.

https://orlandoyouthalliance.org

Lastly, if you're out and about in Florida, and you see a girl in a black-grey hoodie, a big chunky heart necklace, and 1/2 peach colored hair dye, feel free to go up to her and tell her "I like your shoelaces," and you can get a free hug, no questions asked.

Keeping Tabs.

I'm gonna do my best to keep updating this post as much as I can. I've assuredly forgotten something. News details and policy updates will be my main focus. If you think of something important you'd like me to add, please don't hesitate to let me know

[bearprofessorr]

chasing the stars, part 2.

seeking each other out once is a coincidence, twice is a choice.

ship: bfd!declan o'hara/fem!reader. tags/warnings: slow burn, very tiny Declan POV, reader smoking, references to cheating, no y/n. word count: 2.3k

Part 1 here!

a/n: so. i did in fact speak some famous last words - i forgot that uni exists again and got distracted with life stuff, sorry y'all!! Still writing p3, it's at 1.6k and I'm nowhere near done so... yay? enjoy :)

Taggie, as ever, had made a beautiful meal, with your occasional assistance and constant motivation to combat her self-doubt. And as the evening wound down, now that Caitlin and Patrick had been back at their respective institutions and Maud was back and forth between London and the Cotswolds - mostly in London as of recent - the house was quiet most of the time - even more so if Taggie was out for the night either at your or on the town. Declan was appreciative for the noise, even if the loud pop music and over the top singing sometimes woke him up in the early hours of the morning, he preferred it over the eerie silence that lingered in the creaky house when it was just him.

The girls were set up in the living room, with lamps and candles being the only light setting the atmosphere around them with some rerun of an old film playing from the TV - but the light chatter and laughter overtop made it clear they were barely watching it. As Declan walked past the archway to the living room, he noted at least 2 empty bottles on the table, and one half-full. He was glad Taggie had someone to confide in, and even more glad that it was someone as truly wonderful as you. Regardless of any pull he felt toward you, his priority was always to put his daughter's happiness over his own - even if at times he let that fall to the wayside in pursuit of grander things. Now that he was making plans to leave Corinium - if Tony would just let him - he hoped that it would help him prioritise keeping those he loved happy. Even if that happiness meant letting them go.

Taggie ended up falling asleep on the sofa adjacent to yours, the wine making her blink out as soon as she brought her blanket around her shoulders. You, however, were wide awake. The film had long since ended, and you didn't want to risk changing the channel and waking her up. So, as quietly as you could, you rummaged around in your bag for your tobacco and papers before darting around to the kitchen so you could turn on the light. The process of rolling was therapeutic - even if Taggie chastised you for the habit, it was one you had gained at the bright age of 15 from your sister and never looked back.

Just as you approached the main door to sit outside on the stairs, a familiar voice chirped up from behind you, surprise in his tone, "You smoke?"

You looked over your shoulder to see Declan, still dressed in his suit, minus the tie, unbuttoned to the chest. He plucked a cigarette from the packet in his pocket, letting it hang between his lips as he walked toward you. "It's fine, you can smoke in here, there's no need to go outside."

"I know, I just prefer it. It's a nice night out - no clouds so I reckon you could see the stars pretty clearly." You smiled, turning the handle and stepping out, leaving the door open behind you in case he chose to follow. He did, stepping out into the chill air beside you, the flick of his lighter the only sound between the pair as he lit his, before offering the flame to you. The silent communication between smokers was a language you knew well, leaning over with the cigarette between your lips, and Declan brought up his hand to cup in the direction of the wind, shielding it.

The night was as beautiful as you thought, the treeline being a lovely backdrop to the sky above, with stars twinkling in the clear night sky. You settled yourself on the step of the house, tucking your knees to your chest and pulling your cardigan closer to yourself as a breeze blew past them both. You broke the silence, as you had a habit of doing, "Can't sleep?"

"I don't fall asleep until the early hours most nights now without some help." Declan admitted, blowing out a breath of smoke. "Yourself?"

"Me neither." You agreed, "Self-inflicted, but for the most part there's nothing I need to be up for, if you understand me."

Declan hummed in agreement, letting the conversation drop off. Together, you sat in comfortable silence until you'd finished your respective cigarettes. You continued to sit, after flicking the end over to a pre-existing pile. "You don't need to stay out here just because I am."

"I know."

"It's cold, aren't you cold?"

"No, not really." He paused, a secondary layer of questioning under his next words, "Do you want to be alone?"

That was a question you had been pondering while you smoked, ever since you bumped into Declan before. The wine was clouding your judgement slightly, aiding to your honesty.

"No, I don't think so."

"Then I'll stay."

"Okay then."

Silence, again.

Then you asked a simple question, but a complicated one at the same time, "What you said earlier, how long have you felt like that?"

Declan knew immediately what you were talking about, and instinctively bit the inside of his lip. He reckoned he didn't know exactly when his opinion changed, he just knew when he stopped being so optimistic about it all. Maud, who was still legally his wife, didn't feel like a partner much these days. They lived such separate lives, he had no idea what she was doing day to day - just as she knew nothing of his life now.

"A while." He nodded, tired eyes looking out to the treeline. "It's a weird journey, it's not like there was one day I woke up and decided I couldn't keep going, I came to the realisation that it wasn't going to help anymore a few months ago."

"After she cheated?"

"After she cheated again." Declan corrected. "Then as soon as she came here, Rupert was all over her - and vice versa - and I think I knew it was never going to stop, even so far from the city. I don't want to have to move again just to stop all that."

"I get it." You agreed, leaning your head back to rest against the wall. "I stayed with my ex, after he cheated, thought he could change. He didn't, and I was naïve to think that he would." The memories still stung even though it had been months since you had broke things off, but the wine wasn't helping in that regard. "Not that you are- marriage is a different ball game entirely."

"Is it, though?" Declan sat down beside you, resting his elbows on his knees. "I thought she could change. She told me she could - that she had. I still love her, even though she cheated, and it stings."

"That's for you to decide, and by the sounds of it, you have." You tried to sound reassuring, but by the drop of Declan's smile across from you, it might not have been so helpful. You adjusted yourself to be able to look at him properly instead of just glancing over every so often. "It's not over, if that's what you think?"

"What do you mean?"

"You haven't run out of time to find someone else." You suggested, "I know it's still very raw, but rebounds are a real thing for a reason."

"I haven't even talked to her about it-"

"That doesn't mean shit and you know it." You let yourself speak freely, knowing partially the spirals you threw yourself in when you were in Declan's position. "She threw the relationship away as soon as she made the choice to sleep with someone else."

"Hey-"

"I'm sorry." You backtracked, seeing the same signs as your conversation earlier start to rise onto Declan's features, "I'll leave you be, sorry." You reiterated, going to stand, but Declan - like before - reached for you without words, asking you to stay for his sake over yours.

"It's alright, love." The nickname brought a smile to your lips, which was mirrored on Declan's as you sat back down outside. "I've felt the anger as well as all the moping."

"I know it's to be no better than them," You postured, to no one in particular, "but I considered cheating back just to know what all the fuss is about - is there something so exhilarating about it that makes it all make sense?" You bit at the skin on your lip, which as soon as you caught it, brushed your hand over it to try stop the habit, "I don't know. It was months ago but I'm still stuck on the 'why?' did he just not love me anymore? Was there some secret thing he didn't want to ask me to do so looked elsewhere to have that need satiated? It's stupid to think about it now, there's no way I'll ever get an answer from him-"

"It makes sense, though, doesn't it? To try and logically approach it…" Declan chimed in, evidently having done some similar thinking in his own time, "but, if my understanding of it is correct, it isn't based in logic - it's not a mastermind villain thing, it's out of desperation, not wanting to admit something to your partner so you fill it with someone else. Most of the time, from what I talked to Maud about, she didn't know how to talk to me about something, but felt more comfortable bringing it up with someone she had less ties to."

He pulled out another cigarette, offering the box to you, who took it with a smile, placing it between your fingers and reaching across for him to light it. You had a lighter, it was just easier to have Declan do it, at least that was how you rationalised it. You took a puff of it before responding with, "Very wise, more grounded than my approach, that's for certain."

"Wisdom comes with age, sometimes."

"It comes with experience, if you're shut off from the world, you can't exactly ponder on the nature of things you have no knowledge of."

"That's why I said sometimes." Declan added with a chuckle, lighting his own cigarette.

A thought came to you , one that was purely born from curiosity and nothing to do with your conversation in any substantial way, so you proposed, "Can I ask you something?"

"You can ask, I might not answer, though."

"Fair play." You took a moment to phrase the question in your head, looking at him to gauge his immediate reaction to your words, "If you were unspoken for, to put it nicely, what kind of woman would you go for?"

His eyebrows raised, his hand pausing on it's journey to put his cigarette up to his lips, instead falling to rest his forearm on his leg. His eyes broke from yours, looking to the gravel under his feet. He tapped the end of his cigarette, the ashes blowing away in the wind. "I'm not that picky, I'd say. Ideally, she'd be intelligent - at least to the point I can actually talk to her about the world."

Your mind flashed with memories of drunken philosophical talks and rants you've overheard over the months that you've known the O'Haras. Him and Taggie have had it out over life ideologies, with his daughter often taking the more optimistic approach and him the 'realist' outlook. It makes sense he would want someone he can stand toe to toe with in intellectual debate.

He pondered the question further, before continuing, "I'd want her to be passionate about her own hobbies, you know? I can't stand those wives who spend their days loitering around - it seems lifeless." His lips formed a scowl, a memory coming to the forefront of his mind transitioning it to a fond smile for a moment, "Maud, she used to be as busy as I was, and I loved her for it - she was always happier when she had a project. Then, as the years passed, she got placated by the repeat roles. Then it started to set in, the boredom, but by that point she lost the motivation to go to open calls and she just lounged around, trying to host parties to fill that social urge." He took a long breath out, "I can't do that anymore."

"I get it - I mean not exactly but I understand. Seeing your partner succeed and supporting them in that makes you realise why you fell in love with them all over again."

"Of course - it's a fluid thing," He agreed, a smile forming, "I hope, if things go the way I expect, that I could fall in love again."

"I said before, but there's no age limit to it. Taking that risk is timeless."

"Risk?"

"It is a risk - in my opinion - to fall in love with someone, especially if you don't know if they feel the same way. Even if you aren't in love, to put your heart out there takes courage." You blew out a cloud of smoke, "At least that's how it feels."

Declan hummed in recognition, "Of course." Something stirred in his chest, the process of moving on already having started. It was hard to think of a future so unfamiliar to what he's known, but it wasn't as daunting a concept as it had been a month ago. There were kind people, behind all of the rich folk who populated the valley, in the most unexpected places.

You shivered in the cold, the wine wearing off enough to catch a chill. You finished the rest of your cigarette, putting it out on the stone of the stair. "I'm going to head back inside, if that's alright?"

He looked up at you as you stood, bidding you farewell with a nod as he looked ahead to finish his second cigarette. "Goodnight, love. I might see you in the morning if you're still around."

"Goodnight, Declan."

[urinarythreatinfection]

Is This Love?

Luffy x Male Reader. Some fluff. 2445 words. Fishman Island Spoilers. Part one, Part two, Part three, Part four.

Desc: Brook gives Luffy advice and he takes it, you feel the effects.

Luffy hums while walking through the halls. He needs to see that face more, but how? He has a feeling it triggers more when he’s close, but that’s not always the case since you’re mostly used to his touchiness. While he walks he unconsciously starts following a tune until he realizes he’s in the aquarium bar where Brook is. The skeleton is playing the violin inside and notices Luffy. “Ah, Luffy-san, have you come to hear me play?”

“I wandered in here.” Luffy says casually while sitting down on the couch, arms behind his head.

“Lost in thought then, yohohoho~” The skeleton laughs softly as he continues to play his violin. “About (Y/n)-san?”

“How’d you know?” Luffy asks while sitting up more, hands now beside him as he kicks his legs back and forth.

“Love is a thing that can make the mind wander~” The notes get higher, longer, like thoughts swimming through your brain.

“Really? I love him then?” It would be good if that was the case and he finally figured it out, it’s a hassle to have to think about this so much.

“Everyone is different, so I can’t make that choice for you.” Darn. “But if your feelings are enough to lead you to me,” Short notes like footsteps come from the violin before it descends into a long low note. “then it’s something to think about.” Thinking again, what does he think now?

“I think.. I wanna see (Y/n)’s face more often. The one where he looks funny and embarrassed.” The memory of your face when he was pressing the fishcake to your mouth with his comes to mind. This answer seems to excite Brook, who laughs.

“Yohoho~! Reminds me of my younger days~” He reminisces on his past romances, a musician that plays with such passion can’t avoid such a thing even traveling on the seas. “You want to see him flustered more?”

“Mhm, it’s funny!” Luffy smiles while he swings his legs more while Brook ponders, the melody following his mind. Perhaps some of his methods could be outdated by now, but getting someone flustered always has the same core elements.

“If I may, I could give you some advice.” The musician offers and Luffy brightens.

“You know how?”

“Of course! A gentleman musician always knows his way into the heart, it’s how you move people with music. (Y/n) won’t be much different, especially for someone he already has feelings for.”

“I wanna know I wanna know!” Luffy nods, excited.

“Yohoho! Okay then…”

_______________

Luffy runs around looking for you, thinking of some of Brook’s words from earlier.

“He’s already fond of you, so this is more to accentuate yourself rather than change it.”

“Axe-in-shoe-ate.” Luffy repeats to himself as he looks for you. He finds you laying on the ground on the upper deck, resting after sparring with Zoro while Nami sunbathes to the side on her outdoor lounge chair. No weapons as to not cause any damage to the ship or to anger Nami, she’s relaxing with her sunglasses on. You perk up when you hear Zoro open a lunchbox from Sanji, a few onigiri inside. You stand up and walk over.

“Hey let me have one.” You’re hungry too.

“Go ask the shit cook for something then, you’re the one who forgot to ask.”

“I didn’t ‘forget’ I was in the bathroom. Plus you’re the one who suddenly asked me to spar!” You’re defending yourself when you hear Luffy’s voice.

“Heyyy! (Y/n)!!” That’s your warning before rubbery hands grab onto your shoulders and a body slams into you, almost toppling you over. Again he latches onto you with his legs looped around your waist, and again he smiles so brightly. “Hmmm…” Luffy stares at your face, you look a little startled but still calm. “I missed you!” You falter, that’s new.

“Missed me?” You ask cautiously, trying to keep cool.

“Yup!” He nods.

“We saw each other this morning though.” It was during lunch, only a few hours ago.

“Yup!” He nods on that too… Doesn’t stop him from getting closer, your noses almost touching. “But I still missed you!”

‘Aaaaaaaa’ Super close, and this feels closer than normal. Different in a way too.

“Can you guys show PDA somewhere else.” Zoro states while munching on his onigiri. He feels a little awkward seeing this and it’s giving him second hand embarrassment seeing you panic.

“Shut up, you’re gonna ruin it!” Nami whisper-yells while sitting up, smacking the swordsman on the back of the head. Their words confirm your thought that this is closer than normal even for Luffy. The things he’s saying aren't usual either.

“Luffy you uhh..” You try to come up with something to make distance. “you’re gonna break my spine.” You mumble and the rubber man loosens his grip around your waist, but doesn’t let go. “Are you gonna stay on me forever?”

“I don’t wanna get off.” There’s a gut feeling in him to stay close to you, and he isn’t one to deny anything his emotions tell him to do. Plus, you get that expression he likes when he gets super close to you, so why would he stop? You try to turn your head away more but the rubber man just moves his head to follow. Your heart can’t take much more of this. This is way too sudden. He’s been closer since 2 days ago with Chopper but you didn’t expect this to continue.

“Luffy, is there a reason you don’t wanna get off?” You try asking him, calming your heart down slowly.

“I don’t wanna get off because I don’t wanna. Now do the face again.” The face?

“What faceeeEE!?” He kisses your nose in the middle of your question, sending blood straight to your head.

“Hahaha! It worked!” Your head is spinning, that’s DEFINITELY new. Luffy’s put his mouth on people before like chomping their cheek or arm but a full on kiss, and a cute peck at that, is crazy.

“Oh my.” Nami puts a hand over her mouth as Zoro tries to leave to avoid watching this anymore, his efforts stopped by Nami’s hand grabbing the back of his clothes. This is definitely too much for you, the closeness, the smiles, the words, and now the kiss, you start to stumble and end up on your butt. He stays latched onto you and when you manage to focus your eyes you see him resting on your lap with a bright grin. That’s the last thing you see before you pass out.

(Luffy's POV)

You went silent, how come? “(Y/n), heyyy..” He pokes your cheek then pats your face.

“I think you killed him.” Zoro says, clothes out of place and expression pained from being forced to stay and watch. Luffy puts his ear to your chest, it’s fast but that’s a good sign, right? Nami finally lets the swordsman go and he walks over to you two. “Looks like that pervert back on fishman island. All that’s missing is the pathetic nosebleed that almost killed him.”

“Ugh, don’t remind me. I still can’t believe that happened.” Nami walks over, lifting up her sunglasses.

“Hmmmm….” Luffy stares at your unconscious body, then pinches your nose and covers your mouth. Your face reddens but you’re thankfully saved by Nami bonking Luffy on the head.

“Are you actually trying to kill him!?”

“I just wanted to wake him up…” He rubs the forming bump on his head.

“NAMII-SWAANNNN I BROUGHT YOU A COLD DRINKK~♡♡” Sanji appears from the kitchen with a tray holding a fancy cold drink, his eyes landing on you. “Eugh what happened to him, he looks like a pervert.”

‘Like you’re one to talk.’ Nami and Zoro think at the same time while Luffy starts to smack your face again. Nami pinches the bridge of her nose at the captain’s continued efforts.

“Just get off him for now!” She yells, pulling him off before turning to Zoro. “Zoro, go bring him to Chopper to rest.”

“Hah? What am I, your pack mule!? Why don’t you go do it!?” He points at Nami with a scowl.

“Fine! I’ll just ask Sanji to do it, he’ll be quicker than you anyway since your only strength is whining so much.” That ends up ticking the swordsman off and he grabs you roughly, walking over to the medical bay while grumbling. Even if he knows it’s bait he can’t help it when he’s compared to the cook. Nami sticks her tongue out in his direction until the door slams shut behind him.

“I would always do anything for you Nami-san.” Sanji says, on one knee with the drink on the tray to her.

“I know.” She grabs the drink and takes a sip, sighing in relief at the cool liquid refreshing her body. “Now, Luffy, what was that?”

“What was what.” He says, picking at his ear.

“‘What was what’ What you were doing, obviously!” She sets the drink down on a table next to her chair. “You even kissed him on the nose!”

“I’ve kissed.” He flicks earwax away.

“The closest you’ve kissed is those gross wet ‘smooches’ you do to annoy us.” Nami shivers remembering the feeling of Luffy’s wet smooch on the cheek while latching onto her to prevent her from escaping. Sanji ends up shivering too, also a victim. “That was an actual kiss.”

“Yeah, I wanted to make him do that face I like! The funny one where he gets embarrassed!” He puts his arms in the air excitedly. “That was way better though! All from a smooch on the nose! Brook said to try to lead into it but I got impatient.”

“Brook!?” Nami yells and then smiles nervously, clasping her hands together in prayer as she closes her eyes. “Oh Gods please have mercy on (Y/n) he doesn’t deserve this.”

“What’d he tell you to do?” Sanji asks Luffy, setting the tray down too.

“Axe-in-shoe-ate my personality to fluster (Y/n).”

“Axe-in-shoe.. Accentuate?” He manages to put it together. “So he gave you advice on how to flirt?” Sanji also knows how to flirt, why wasn’t he asked!? He’s about to be offended before thinking more about it. “Well I guess he is older.. tch. Beats me in experience.” Sanji’s still only 21, a youngin compared to Brook who had been almost 40 before death. More experience gained from being a musician on the seas and he gained even more popularity in the two years they were seperated. Heaven in comparison to Sanji who was stuck on that dreadful island. ‘Dammit, why did I have to get stuck there..!’ He curses in his mind, putting his head in his hands.

“He didn’t tell you to steal his underwear or anything right?” Nami asks cautiously. She doesn’t think that Brook would ever go that far as to tell Luffy to do that but she can never be too cautious, sighing in relief when the captain shakes his head no. “Okay, good. He told you to lead more into it, so don’t give (Y/n) a heart attack, okay? I genuinely don’t think he could handle it.”

“He didn’t lead up to confessing to me, though.” Luffy points out and Nami pokes his forehead.

“That’s different from having someone you already like getting all close to you and kissing your nose. I’m not gonna try and act like I have more experience than Brook, I seduce in a different way too, so I’ll just say to listen to whatever he said as long as it’s not stealing underwear or spying.”

“Okay.”

(Your POV)

You slowly awaken on a bed, sitting up. “What a weird dream..”

“Not a dream. You passed out. “ Zoro says, sitting beside the bed and startling you. Chopper walks over holding a clipboard.

“You’re healthy and your vitals are okay so you really did just pass out.” He seems relieved, Sanji must’ve traumatized him. Your mind wanders to what happened and you can feel your heart start to race again now that you know it was real. “L-Lay down if you’re dizzy!” Chopper says, hopping up onto the bed and gently pushing you down onto your back when he notices it.

“Why’d he do that…” You mumble.

“Who knows. Try asking him again if you’re curious.” Zoro seems uninterested, but it’s more that he’s still getting second hand embarrassment. He gets awkward easily seeing people make a fool of themselves, especially for things like love. It’s what's so annoying about Sanji when he’s all perverted. Hard to fit in too when you don’t really have experience with being friendly or loving.

“Ask him again..” You repeat. You asked him and it wasn’t helpful so wouldn’t asking again just be awkward? ‘Maybe I should just ask him straight up if he likes me back.’ That thought crosses your mind but is shut down quickly. You’re in this mess precisely because you got too bold, getting bold again could end up making things worse. Maybe that was just a.. friendship kiss. Luffy did say that he did it to see your face so he probably didn’t mean anything by it, he just wanted a reaction out of you. …That’s disappointing. The kiss was nice but if it was just for a reaction it meant your feelings were just something silly to Luffy, just a joke to laugh at.

“Oi, you’re thinking something depressing aren’t you.” Zoro’s voice snaps you out of your thoughts and you trail your eyes to him. “Knew it, you’re bumming yourself out. I’m telling you if you’re curious just ask him again, I’m tired of you looking like a sad wet dog.” You sigh and look up at the ceiling as Chopper puts a wet towel on your forehead.

“I feel like a sad wet dog.” You say and Chopper looks at you, then puts a sticker on your face that says “Good Job!”

“If you feel like you’re passing out again, come here quickly or lie down to make sure you don’t hit your head.” He pats your cheek with his hoof. “I have blood bags for all of you so if you have a nosebleed make sure to come here too.” You nod, feeling sufficiently cooled down now, and place the towel to the side while sitting up.

“Thanks Chopper, you’re the best doctor ever.”

“Hehe that doesn’t make me happy at all~” The reindeer gets distracted but comes to quickly. “Ah! Okay go eat something now! You didn’t eat after sparring with Zoro.” Your stomach grumbles. Food does sound pretty nice right now…

There u go. Took a while to get an idea on what to write along with the motivation but i be gettin it. Just havin some trouble. Sorry not much romance in this chappa i also be making things progress naturally. If you liked it like, or leave a comment. I respond to all of em. Also im gonna stop adding the chapter things at the top of the page. Ill still be adding the Next thing but adding each chapter on every page everytime i new one comes out is a really big hassle especially if links stop working and i have to renew them.

[bobfloydsbabe]

title tbd | songwriter!bob floyd x oc | sneak peek

SUMMARY: Piper Morgan is desperately in love with her friend and songwriting partner Bob Floyd. Once she could hide it, but now he's making eyes at someone else and it's killing Piper to watch him slip beyond her reach.

WARNINGS: songwriter au, friends to lovers, unrequited love (or is it), idiots in love, everyone ships it, so much pining, angst. strictly 18+/minors dni.

COMING SOON

“We’ve been at this all day.”

It’s a statement they both know was coming. The only question was who would be the one to admit defeat and call it a day, and this time, Bob Floyd throws in the towel.

It’s rare for them to not come up with a usable song in their sessions, let alone an idea they can save for a rainy day and try again.

The disappointment settles in her stomach as she glances up at her songwriting partner. His glasses have slid down his button nose, and he looks as frustrated as she feels.

She nudges his shoulder with her own. “Come on,” she says. “Let’s get out of here.”

Piper stands from the piano stool and starts collecting their things littered all over the studio. Bob follows suit, collecting their empty takeout containers and long since cold to-go coffee cups from the shop down the street.

“You coming to Javy’s birthday drinks tonight?”

It’s an innocent enough question and Bob doesn’t know the war it starts inside her. She wants to go. Of course she does. Javy is one of her best friends, but lately, it’s been hard to hang out with all their friends. Before she could do it without issue. She could bite down her feelings, lock them away and just be with her friends. She could pretend that watching Bob flirt with Jenna wasn’t killing her inside. But it is, and she’s not sure she can stomach it tonight.

Piper doesn’t know when exactly she developed feelings for her friend and songwriting partner. Maybe it was that first assignment in college all those years ago when they were just starting to hone their craft. Maybe it was the night she got so drunk at a beach bonfire that he had to carry her back to her dorm, holding her hair as she threw up her guts in the toilet, and he refused to leave. Maybe it was when they sold their first song and he hugged her so tight she could feel his heartbeat against her own.

Or maybe it had always been there, bubbling beneath the surface of their friendship. Perhaps it had lurked on the edge of her consciousness when they became a highly sought after songwriting duo. Whatever the case, Piper realized her feelings for him about a year ago and when she confessed to Natasha, her college roommate turned best friend, she’d only replied duh. Piper had tried not to be offended by that.

“Piper?” There’s a deep crease between Bob’s brows as he watches her. “You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m good,” she replies, shaking her head to clear her mind.

He doesn’t look convinced. “You sure?”

i no longer have a taglist. follow @bobfloydsbabe-library for updates.

[yuseirra]

I've been thinking over this god thing over and there's another idea I have related to it!

Earlier I've said that ame-no-uzume(god of the arts) and her husband sarutahiko(the great bright god) may be related to Ai and Hikaru.

Their story might also have been inspired from Izanagi and Izanami and they're very famous, so I believe I wouldn't have to explain a whole lot, (and I bet there are people who know it in more depth) but.. Izanagi and Izanami (the creator gods of Japanese Mythology) have Amaterasu(the sun god), Tsukuyomi(the moon god) and Susanoo(the god of the sea and storms) as their children. Ruby has something to do with Amaterasu and we have a girl who goes by Tsukuyomi as a character, Aqua, with the full name being "Aquamarine" has a name that has to do with the sea.

The reason I've brought this up is because of the lore between Izanagi and Izanami. Izanami dies, and Izanagi tries to bring her back to life but fails. It rings a bell, right?

Yes, this story of theirs also aligns with the things that have been mentioned in Mephisto and Fatal. Those songs revolve around a person who desperately wants to meet their love again (who's likely passed away) but cannot.

I've been wondering just why the ED's title was named Mephisto. Mephisto is the name of the devil, right? When you have a wish and the devil in the same picture, it means there's some kind of pact.

If the person singing in the song's been kamiki (which I've been pretty much stressing over and over through multiple posts now) it'd mean he's had gone through something like that too, to revive the one he loves.

This could be why there is a "stage" that's mentioned in BOTH of the songs, he's in a deal that he can't back out from.

この舞台で足掻くことをやめない

I will not stop to struggle on this stage(Fatal)

だけどステージが逃がさない いついつまでも憧れ　焦がれているよ

But the stage won’t let go I'll keep yearning and longing forever(Mephisto)

At this point, I'm so sure kamiki HAS done something to bring Ai back. He's made some sort of sacrifice for Ai it seems, he's probably made wishes regarding it, that come with a price but he didn't really care about his life in the first place after she's gone so he was willing to risk it. The efforts were probably in vain, though. But it could be really close to being granted if something's "filled in"

あなたがいないと生きていけない 何もかも捧げてしまってもいい あなたの愛がまだ足らない 欠けたものは何で埋めたらいい？

Without you, I cannot live anymore I would sacrifice anything for you I can’t get enough of your love What should I use to fill in what’s missing?(Fatal)

compared to Mephisto, Fatal seems more.. eager? energetic? but in an insane way. The speaker is actively doing something to fulfill their end goal. That's why I feel kamiki's missions are probably close to finish- he's all right with dying after having completed it

but in ch 154 he's heard that Ai wants to "help him" along with her children. and that she loved him dearly. This is going to leave him so devastated and conflicted lol because he's probably way past hope at this point. He can't be saved. He can't fulfill what Ai wants, that's going to make him very miserable. That's my guess. It's like everything he's doing had him stray even further off from what Ai wants.

Or it could be that he can't give up on Ai EVEN MORE now since he KNOWS that she loves him back too. Who'd give up on someone like that? She was like the only person who understood him and loved him. I can totally see why he couldn't let her go after all these years (may it be twisted. there is still some ambiguity in his words and we can be backstabbed) she was the one for him and he was to her, too, at least that's how he's felt when they were together. So he'd do ANYTHING for her. That lines up very well with those lyrics too.

So yeah. If my speculations are right Kamiki's so doomed... and doomed because of all the things he did that he thought was for Ai. Aligns with the respective mythologies too~.. I'd be surprised if these have NOTHING to do with the plot that's going to be revealed in the future because it just WORKS. It starts making so much sense to me.

[ophanstears]

🍀

I know that Clover's gender is up to interpretation (the devs DID say so themselves) but I still feel weird when people make them exclusively male or female LOL Like it's TECHNICALLY fine??? but it leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

more in tags as usual because I am a yapper. i am so sorry for having strong opinions about gender and representation. i am usually more fun than this 🥲🥲🥲🥲

[undead-moth]

I know I've been on about this for a while now and I'm being a hater but you're telling me SydCarmy was "always meant to be platonic" even though there are two seasons of writing making use of tried-and-true explicitly romantic tropes, themes and writing signals, and SydLuca is going to be romantic because...he was nice to her on screen for a few minutes?

I don't even care if people ship SydLuca, or if they just prefer it, but you can't honestly tell me that you believe Carmy was always meant to be a friend but Luca is an obvious love interest.

Just because Syd and Carmy haven't kissed or confessed their love to each other doesn't mean that isn't very obviously the direction this show is going. The Bear has already shown you who is endgame. It has shown you every episode of the show so far.

Honestly I really don't think The Bear fanbase understands this show or cares about these characters or the story being told here, which is unfortunate because this show is shockingly well-written in comparison to most shows right now, and we should be so grateful for it but all we're doing is complaining that the writers led us on by not making a ship canon fast enough. It's just. Sad.

[doodlingwren]

Boys we did it somebody reposted my art on reddit under a dissing abt Saint Seiya 🤣��😭

[sskk-manifesto]

--

[waywardsalt]

with my phantom hourglass replay, there are two things i noticed;

a possible theme you could glean from the game is action vs inaction, and i think it's especially prevalent before you even leave mercay the first time, with oshus frequently urging link to not go after the ghost ship, then to just wait until the broken bridge is fixed, and seems reluctant at every turn while link and ciela are more than eager to go and do something about this problem, and the people of mercay in general talking about things and their problems but never seeming to act on their fears or desires, as well as the mention that due to the ghost ship, very very few people are still sailing around, while linebeck is one of the only people we see in the game actively going after the ghost ship and still sailing around. i might make a longer post just talking more about the action vs inaction in phantom hourglass but i just noticed it a bit and thought it was a bit of an interesting sort of theme you could find in the game.

linebeck moves so fucking much. i think he moves more than any npc in the rest of the game. not just in his intro cutscene where he is very animated, just in how much he moves when just standing in his little idle post, it's damn near distracting when the camera is focused on him, he moves a lot. i don't think i've really acknowledged how much he moves, and it really gives the impression that he's antsy or eager to get going, both of which fit him pretty well with how he acts.

[sysig]

My ship now (Patreon)

[hollow-prey]

I'm not jealous of my f/o and their canon ex I'm not jealous of my f/o and their canon ex I'm not jealous of my f/o and their canon ex I'm not jealous of my f/o and their canon ex I'm n-

[gaywineauntsstuff]

Headcanon that bludhaven hates heroes with a flaming passion bc theyre just cops in tights but love Nightwing and therefore vehemently deny his hero status to anyone and everyone.

Like there is no official Nightwing merch bc he’s a criminal he’s committing a crime okay vigilante justice is in fact not legal and he’s not TECHNICALLY on the justice league and he’s NOT TECHNICALLY the leader of the titans anymore. But there are about 400 different Etsy stores that make hoodies, crop tops, joggers, sweats, sunglasses, bracelets, t shirts with nightwings logo or some art of him on them.

Like they love this guy and will get into beef with any Gotham national who tries to claim Nightwing is THEIR hero.

1) hes not a hero he’s a criminal fuck you

2) you have a hero and just bc he’s shit at his job and needs our guy (who is NOT a hero) to help him sometimes doesn’t MEAN SHIT

people are walking around with tiny v shaped blue tattoos or embroidered on clothing but again NOT A HERO BLUDHAVEN DOESNT DO HEROS

There are coffee shops with bad nightwing pun names nightbird, beanwing, nightwinging it and so on

Every third piece of graffiti is this man’s logo

Every sandwich place or fast food chain has a ‘secret menu item’ that’s not actually secret bc everyone orders it and it’s just one of their normal items dyed blue (sodas, desserts, burger buns, condiments so on) some places will sell wings fried in blue panko bread crumbs and call them them ‘nightwings’ ofc these are ALL off the menu you can’t see these items and if you try to order them out of the city you get weird looks.

Superman goes on tv and says Nightwing is one of his favorite hero’s and bludhaven riots. wtf nightwing is your favorite hero you fuckin poser

1) nightwing isn’t a hero he’s a criminal so back off

2) he’s ours you and your frou frou fancy city that hasn’t been nuked by a sentient pile of radiation can fuck RIGHT off

Naturally the only person in bludhaven who is unaware of this is Dick Grayson bc tbh this man is too busy to give a fuck about what his city thinks of him. They trust him to get shit done. Good that’s all he needs okay he has 22 reports he needs to log he’s busy.

Tim Drake professional nightwing fanboy however is fucking furious about this because.

A) dick was a GOTHAM hero FIRST and bludhaven can suck it

B) fuck you nightwing isn’t just a a hero he’s THE HERO and the BEST hero and don’t be rude bc you have a complex

C) all of the cool nightwing merch only ships around bludhaven so has to get it ordered there and it’s just a hassle and he’d pay double he swears just let him get it delivered to where he is please Everytime he stops by bludhaven he leaves with 10 new pieces of nightwing merch and bc he has so much. Damian doesn’t think he notices when some of his doubles mysteriously go missing. He does.

D) since they are anti hero they are firmly unhelpful whenever he or Steph show up bc a case has lead them to the city

The one plus side was watching Jason Todd having a mental breakdown bc apparently in bludhaven redhood counts as a hero and is therefore hated.

“Yous worked with the bat yous a hero thems the rules”

“I KILL PEOPLE”

“Yeah so do cops and people always call them heroes”

“Okay but I kill people to protect the general public I put down scum”

“Cops say they do that too”

“I- okay you know what I’m a hero fine okay. Why isn’t nightwing a hero”

“Vigilante justice is a crime”

“I’m documentably worse than a vigilante”

“But you have worked with the bat”

“For money yeah”

“See you even get paid, face it you’re a hero which means you suck”

“You realize Nightwing has worked with the bat right like way more than I have”

“Listen that ain’t his fault okay, the bats incompetent and so are the rest to you idiots. He’s a nice guy and a good neighbor don’t mean he’s a hero”

“I- what the fuck is in this cities water”

“I don’t fuckin know but it’s prolly better than whatever gothams got in its harbor”

“I- yeah you’re probably right”

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

Since you've mentioned Scarlet Lady in one of your posts, what's your opinion on it?

I've mentioned before that I'm a big Scarlet Lady fan, which is the only reason that I'm comfortable answering asks like this one. I don't publicly criticize the content of hobby creators. That's wildly inappropriate! Punch up, not down.

The linked post was a general discussion of the adaptation process and how @zoe-oneesama did a fantastic job, so for this one, I'm just going to do some general gushing because I do actually like praising and enjoying things!

Scarlet Lady's chosen format (comic) allows it to have this wonderful conversation with canon where it can rely on the framework of canon to tell it's own story while also using canon for jokes and meta commentary. This means that Scarlet Lady is about as close as fan content can get to a direct reboot because it's able to have moments like this one from the comic's first post:

[Image description: Adrien standing in his room after transforming into Chat Noir for the first time. He is beaming and his eyes are shining with excitement as he exclaims, "This is gonna be awesome!"]

A single picture that communicates everything we need to know about Adrien getting his miraculous. When I've done this same thing in fanfic, I had to write out the full scene because that's how novels work. You have to give the full picture. With a comic, you can just quickly acknowledge this thing that we all already know and then move on to the new stuff. A picture really is worth a thousand words! (Or, in my case, more like two thousand...)

This allows Zoe to keep the same akumas that we get in canon without her story feeling like a boring rehash because she can focus on what's different in her version. A novelization of the same content would have to show both the stuff that stays the same and the stuff that changes for it to be coherent. That's a lot less fun to read and write. It's why I basically never revisit canon akumas in my own stuff. It's just too derivative for the written word.

This is one of the big reasons that I loved Scarlet Lady. Because it was able to have that more directly conversation with canon, it was able to take canon and say, "hey, why don't we embrace the tone that you established in season one and retell the story with that vibe?" That's something that I desperately wanted to see, but that is totally unsuited to my chosen artistic form. It couldn't be a novel. It had to be a comic.

If you want to know what a true formula show version of Miraculous would look like, Scarlet Lady is it. It does everything that Miraculous should have done:

Sticks to a lighthearted tone where nothing is ever super serious

Keeps Gabriel entirely unsympathetic

Has slow character development and background hints at a bigger plot as the only serial elements, allowing the individual episodes to be their own story while never feeling incomplete or rushed

Allows characters other than Marinette to shine while keeping Marinette as the clear main character

Makes Adrien narratively important

MAKES THE LOVE SQUARE CUTE SO I CAN ACTUALLY SHIP IT

Understands that Lila and Chloe can't coexist as antagonists

Reverses the love square, which is the best way to tell their story. Yes, I will die on my "love diamond" hill. It's a good hill. Come join me. I'll bring cookies.

I could keep going, but you hopefully get my point. While Scarlet Lady is certainly not the only way to do a formula version of canon, it's proof that a formula version does work! You don't have to go the serious route for Miraculous to be successful.

I want to take some time to gush about the ending, but I don't want to spoil it, so I'll put that gushing under a "read more" in case anyone hasn't seen it. I'll finish out this less spoilerish section with this:

I feel like some people are surprised when they learn that I love Scarlet Lady because - as some of you have probably picked up - it is quite different from my ideal version of canon. I'm not sure why that would stop me from enjoying a thing, though. It's important to remember that our personal ideals are not the only way to tell a good story. There are lots of ways to take what canon gave us and make something wonderful! It's part of the reason that I enjoy being in a fandom.

If I only wanted to see my ideal take on canon, then I'd stick to writing/imagining my own stories. But I don't want that! I like seeing alternate takes, too. Scarlet Lady is one of my personal favorites. It's completely different from anything that I'd ever think to write and that's why I'm so glad that it exists! I like being entertained just as much as I like creating my own entertainment and I don't want to only read stories that look like something I'd write. That's boring!

Spoilers below:

I've mentioned before that there are many, many ways to properly handle Chloe's character and Zoe did such a good job with her take on that! Chloe isn't absolved of all the things she did wrong, but she's also treated as a young woman with the ability to change.

While the comic bares the name of Chloe's alter ego, she was the never the main character. She never went on a journey. The story kept her to her shallow season-one self: a petty brat who just wanted attention. It did this because that's who Chloe was in canon and who Chloe needed to be for the comic to work.

The first time we see any complexity from Chloe is in the comic's final few episodes, which was absolutely the right call for Zoe to make! In a recent post, I talked about how the end of a formula show is the only time when you can break the formula in catastrophic ways and that's what Zoe did. She kept Chloe static until it was time to end the story and that's when the formula breaks. That's when Chloe gets depth because, once she has depth, the formula doesn't work.

That depth is not used to redeem Chloe, but to show us that there's hope for Chloe. That this petty brat who we've been dealing with has some serious issues and needs help. Help that she's going to get far away from the people that she's hurt because her issues aren't an excuse for what she's done. They don't erase the harm that she caused. At the same time, understanding her issues makes us hope that she can be better now and Scarlet Lady took a moment to give us that hope. To show us the START of Chloe's true story.

That is the kind of ending that I have wanted to see in so many properties!!! It was so wonderful to finally get one that did this right. A story that understood that full redemption to the team and damnation to death/suffering are extremes on a scale of possibilities. You don't have to go to extremes! You can fall in the middle and the middle is a perfect, natural place for Chloe to land in this kind of story. Fully redeeming or even fully damning Chloe simply doesn't work in lighthearted formula content. It's too big a lift as canon has already demonstrated.

I also loved Zoe's take on Emilie. I've mentioned that I don't like evil Emilie in part because it makes her revival feel like the start of a new story. She's back and she'd bad, so we have to take her down now! But I don't want that. I want the story to end when Gabriel is stopped. Zoe does this by giving us an Emilie that is another perfect middle ground. She matches canon's uncomfortable implications without feeling like a true villain who is a threat to society.