#it attracts all the single parents on the island

[snotbuggle]

Pabu Hunter sketch

[nemesyaaa]

soft heart shaped // brother's ennemy!rafe x innocent!reader

summary ; there was a fair reason of why your brother always keeping you away from the kook boys, even his own friends. there was also a fair a reason of why he wouldn't let you around his ennemy.

warnings ; +18 content. reader is kind of innocent but it doesn't involve rafe having a kink/or attraction about it. mean!rafe. intox kink/drugging. protective!brother. daddy issues. smut. oral(f&m r.). dumbification. daddy kink. light of violence. little age gap. mentions of stalking. soft!crybaby. p in v. dubcon. lil background. again, be aware of the warnings.

author's note ; as much as i love the brother's bsf trope, the brother's ennemy concept ran into my mind. i also wanted to add ; reader and her brother are kooks. it's not about pogues matters. i'm sorry if it's kinda shitty.

your brother always made sure you were safe and you had everything you needed. it was understandable knowing that none of your parents had been home for so long. he made sure that you always had what you wanted, and that you didn't have to lift a finger, or sweat a single drop to get it. all you had to do was ask for it to be wrapped in a gift at your bed. you were the youngest, the little princess who had to be spoiled and pampered, the one to whom we granted every whim, the one to whom we said amen without necessarily being a believer, the one we looked at hoping that she would always remain as beautiful and innocent, but also the one we always admired from afar because she wasn't allowed to be with boys alone.

your brother was one of those siblings who could have been the child prodigy if your parents were still around. he always had good grades at school, always praised by his teachers, and he knew how to play a musical instrument. It seemed that when you heard him playing the piano, you stopped crying. you had heard him play so many times, sitting on his lap, his hands sliding across the keyboard as he gently pushed your fingers on the piano keys, hoping that a few notes would calm you down.

he was protective. he had always lost interest in other girls just to only care about you. he was protective because he didn't want you to suffer, and because he knew the kook boys. even though he hated pogues, he knew you'd be safer with one of them than one of those rich boys with so many privileges.

one of them was particularly his enemy. rafe cameron. the one and only son of ward cameron. the businessman who controlled the island but was also one of your father's former best friends. you had seen him so many times in your house with all his children and his trophy wife.

rafe had always been a little weird around you. he always said he was there for your brother but it was always you he looked at. he always found an excuse to be with you. sometimes you wonder if it wasn't a question of ego.

you knew he and your brother didn't get along. they were always arguing and fighting. “I forbid you from hanging out with him.” your brother had warned you once, after coming back with an ugly black eye on the face. “is that him? " you asked shyly, swallowing hard. his gaze was fierce. “exactly. that’s why you have to listen to me. ”

did that necessarily make Rafe Cameron a dangerous person? You wondered because your brother could also be very violent. never towards you. but towards others.

could rafe cameron attack princesses like you, didn't you deserve better treatment? you were always so confused.

but one day, you knew that your brother had shot Rafe at a party. and after that he was gone, nothing more. you were alone at home. there was no one left.

He didn't respond to your messages or your calls. if he was no longer there, there were no more rules, no more prohibitions, right? you were totally free. you could wear the clothes you wanted, talk to whoever you wanted, come home at the time you wanted, go wherever you wanted. you no longer needed permission or approval. you no longer had any chains.

so you went to this kook party that everyone was talking about and that Sarah absolutely wanted you to come. she said you needed that, rather than staying alone in your castle.

When you arrived there, your heart was racing. Sure, your brother wasn't there to judge you, or tell you to go home, but you had the impression of feeling his warning dark stare through all these people looking at you.

you wanted to turn around, to run away. you heard people talking, music blaring from the speakers, all these drunken bodies pressed together which made you even more transparent. It wasn’t long before you started smelling like alcohol, drugs, and sex, the scent exploding in every corner.

while you were still thinking about leaving, you moved away but your back hitted someone's chest. a hand was placed on your shoulder to hold you close then a slightly mocking chuckle was heard in your ear.

“Careful, baby. "

you turned to confront the person. “rafe. " you announced without surprise.

"Such a face. I might think you're disappointed."

“I was looking for Sarah.”

“It’s a shame. She’s not here.”

“I’m leaving then.”

"I'm afraid you're not going anywhere." he mocked gently.

you looked at him strangely. he was there in front of you, with a drink in his hand, and his body was blocking your way.

“It’s not a game.”

“oh princess, it’s not because you don’t play that no one plays. and you see… when I look at you in this ridiculous tight outfit and especially alone, I really want to play.”

“you’re sick.” you replied.

"yes." he simply replied "but baby, everyone knows it, it's not a secret. on the other hand..." he leaned over to whisper something in your ear. “i would like to know how much you are too willing yourself to come to my party without your brother to protect you.”

“I don’t need him.” you defended yourself, stepping back so as not to be seen so close to him. “I’m a big girl.”

"yea, such a big girl. look at you, you managed to dress yourself." he teased you with a laugh. “ i'm joking, i admit you're pretty. why that face, baby ? i thought that little dress of yours wanted some rafe validation. ”

“you’re really not funny.”

"I think above all that you should relax. and I can help you with that..." he suggested softly. but all his sympathy was so fake. “have a drink.”

you laughed sarcastically and his smile widened. he had followed you into the crowd, acting like a bodyguard so you wouldn’t get lost among the people. he placed an arm around your waist, the size of his hands groping at your hips, pretending to be a gentleman when this kindness was purely ridiculous.

“don’t touch me. ” you snapped.

“too late. i just did.” he replied. “If you didn’t want me around, you shouldn’t have come here. you don’t make the rules in my house. ”

“It’s called harassment.”

“oh isn't-it a big word for little girls like you? is that what your bro told you to say if i touch you? ”

it was so annoying to see him openly making fun of you. to believe that you had not grown or evolved for him.

“Do you want a drink?” he asked kindly.

“you think you’re going to drug me without my knowledge?” you laughed. " Nice try but forget about it."

he took a sip of his drink and responded with an emotionless voice. “you’re wrong.”

"what? you would never have drugged me? stop lying."

"no I mean. I wouldn't have done it without your knowledge." and he left with a smirk.

you grimaced before taking a drink at the bar. you had inspected the inside before drinking it because you didn't trust anyone here. and Sarah wasn't there which was weird since her boyfriend, Topper was there.

you had managed to relax after several drinks, and you wanted to take a seat on the huge sofa in the salon but it was full. so you found a space upstairs in one of the empty rooms.

you had barely sat down on the bed when the door was already opening to reveal someone. rafe cameron. again.

“are you stalking me?”

"I'm not sure you'd like the answer, baby. but I'll let you guess. after all, you're a big girl."

"Can you stop doing that? Do you think I'm scared because my brother isn't here anymore?"

"you see, I didn't really like the fact that he shot me. Do you know how much it hurts to be shot? No, I'm sure you don't. Little princesses like you have no awareness of the real world, right? ” he knelt between your legs, keeping them apart with a hand, and lightly pinching your forehead to get into your brain. “ If we don't tell them anything, they know nothing. ”

"I'm not stupid. I know it hurts but I didn't do anything to you. I'm not my brother."

“yes, you’re pretty.” he admitted, caressing the inside of your thighs, massaging them slowly to get your attention. "so pretty that you always got what you want when you want, right? but it's not really fair to me. I've never had that privilege. but you... you're an angel , a blessing, will you grant it to me?”

using your kindness against you, no one had ever done that to you. you were always so nice to people. you were incapable of saying no, of resisting, of being mean. This was far from your behavior.

“What do you want?”

" This. ” he had lifted the bottom of your dress gently, before revealing your panties, and revealing your pussy.

“Are you looking for revenge?”

“I would never do such a thing. I have always liked you. You're sweet…” he placed one of his fingers against your pussy, sliding it against your slick without pushing them inside your walls, just enough to leave them sticky with your wetness. he also caressed your swollen clit, addressing little circles to make it throb under his touch. you gasped loudly, his thumb playfully toying around your bullied nub. you didn't know what he was looking for but when he started to touch you more insistently, you wanted to close your legs but he blocked them with a hand to force you to let them spread. “ stay still, i'm not done. ”

he wanted to get a wide view of your pussy clamping against his fingers, to see how obedient and a good girl you could be when it came to sex.

“so sweet…” he said as he fingered your glistening cunt, forcing the stretch of your hole with strengthful strokes.

you were so tight he could feel each of his fingers moving inside you as you were grinding your hips to them. but more importantly your walls were clenching around them. the sound was obscene and viscous, as you welcomed every vibration inside your body. you were hot and your mouth was filled with breathy moans. his pace was fast and gentle as if he didn't want to hurt you. “ here it is…that's a big girl right now…”

all his three fingers were buried inside you. their thickness brushing every corner of your walls. he lighty sped up, leaving you to gasp louder while his digits ruined you. “ look at you, sweet angel turning into a little whore. is that what dad and big bro left the home, because they can't handle you anymore ? ” he rushed a deep stroke as he spoke, causing your back to arche widely and sobbing more.

you turned your head, trying to get his raspy voice and mean words out of your mind but you were a little dizzy. he was annoying with all this teasing and you can't barely stand it. but with his fingers buried in your sore insides, he had the control of your whole body. he got your pussy so easily on his side,stuffing your slutty core, and fucking you all way from to the hitting spot that was made you scream harder. he was driving his fingertips so hard that hot rush of tears was flowded over your cheeks. he didn't shut you up even if you were still at the party, because he wanted to hear you, from the little cries and sniffles, to the breathy voice and spitting babbles over your mouth. his fingers were so quick and you wanted to try to make him slow down by placing a hand on his, but that only motivated him to go faster. you had no choice but to squirm, while his gaze bore into your face.

you flushed, as he was working his fingers further in your cunt. he was hard for you to the point he started to feel the pain of boner in his pants. the music outside the room was nothing against the sloppy wet sounds of your pussy over his digits. the way he was pressuring your clit while making evil and forceful back and forth in your hole was enough to make you lose your mind.

you thought he was going to leave after making you cum, that he had gotten what he wanted but you were wrong.

he had searched for something in the drawer. a bottle of lube. and you thought that was it.

when he was back at you, his cock was wet and glowy with some substance. “i'm gonna make you very pretty, baby.” he said, before tearing your lips in two with his tip, forcing you to open your mouth wider and take him.

he pushed his cock into you without warning, leaving you no choice to do your job. you wrapped your hand around the end of his shaft, while your mouth sank around his member. you had started to suck him, your lips forming a tight but deep well around his cock. everything was wet with your own saliva. you could feel his stomach twitch every time you pumped his hard cock until it bulged inside you.

he had grabbed your hair with one hand, accompanying your head in your movements, leaving your mouth shaping in an o. you thought everything was fine, but you had started to feel a little dizzy, and also to feel your body getting a little weaker. rafe was turned on. and with the strange feeling that currently warmed your body, you couldn't maintain the pace anymore so he took care of it, driving your little lips to his dick. you were sucking as he was feeding you all his length inside your mouth, shoving it enough to make you gag and hurts your throat. a smirk appeared on his face when you became extremely needy, literally lapping at the leaking tip of his dick like a pup with wide round open eyes. “ yea, try to catch daddy's dick..come on you can do it... don't you want to own it ? ” he was giving you fat and strong slaps with his dick on the side of your cheeks, as you were trying to run your tongue against it.

he took back the stream of saliva in your lolling tongue before fucking your mouth at an insane pace. he doesn't care that you couldn't breathe and that your eyes were teary, he just wanted you to be sucking at his dick.

you giggled when he pushed your body back onto the mattress, while you couldn't really stand on your feet. he was on top of you, standing with all his big frame that was making you ridiculously smaller than him. he had spit into his fist before stroking himself, making sure all his shaft was wet and nice. “see? I told you I could make you feel better. "

and he pushed his dick you with such a sharp thrust that you whined. since your hole was still a little tight, he had forced your walls slightly. you panted, choking on each of his other strokes. you were euphoric and your unsteady body fucked hard against the mattress. “Come on, baby. nothing fun anymore? i thought you wanted to laugh. ” he mocked your tears with another rough push, sending you waves of pleasure and shivers.

he was fucking your pussy like a beast, bruising your cervix with such a primal need. you were now such a mess, babbling and crying because of him, because of the way his dick was bullying your insides. it felt so good but you could feel some pain.

as he used your cunt, taking all the space of your entire hole, rafe was delighted. no, he wasn't going to cry or regret because you decided to be a crybaby. he was going to continue fucking you until you were completely senseless and his cock fully empty.

he always hated your brother. it was like that. it was ward's fault who told him he was the son he never had. rafe couldn't help but be jealous of this relationship that his enemy and his father had. he felt erased. and you, the perfect little princess who was never blamed for anything, who was always in her own corner, he couldn't hate you, even less blame you. but he could still use you.

you were the perfect victim. you were so clean and innocent. and your brother loved you so much that rafe felt obligated to hurt you.

you were like a doll, a stupid doll with no brain that he could control so easily. you were helpless, each thrusts slamming so hards. he was forcing your head to stay, holding it into his palm. “I know, baby. i know how you feel, but it's gonna get worse if you don't let it go. "

you weren’t really sure what he was talking about, you didn’t really understand what he was saying. you were in another dimension. you could see but it was slightly blurry. his tall figure was moving above you, words were being said but you were just there, a trembling smile over your lips, a tipsy look, and crying completely out of sync with the situation.

only rafe knew the truth. you didn't feel like that because of the alcohol but the drugs that had been added with the lub. the drug quickly took effect. your body had been in possession of the substance in a few minutes but above all under its submission.

“you're so pretty. should i send a photo to your brother? "

you didn't even wince at the brother. you just laughed like it was the funniest joke you had ever heard. “Let’s play a game. you wanna play games? "

you nodded. one of the rare gestures that you managed to do fully. rafe had smiled before caressing your face. “ can you feel the inches inside you? "

you nodded with a little giggle. “if you guess the exact number, daddy's will give you all the orgasms you want and need like the princess you're. if it's wrong, you let daddy use you for the rest of the night.”

it was evil. he knew you wouldn't have the answer because you couldn't think.

“Come on, baby. don't let daddy's win the game. ” he said so softly in your ears, but his voice sounded so fake.

you tried. one time. three times. until your chances were exhausted.

“'s too bad. doesn't matter, i bet you wouldn't guess earlier all the fingers i've got in you. "

you pouted, and he just fucked you harder, rushing the pace into you to an insane one. this time, your whimpers were muffled beneath his large palm.

“ it's okay, baby. you don't need a brain when you've got such a perfect tight pussy. “

he was big. you could feel it. there was a rough strength in his thrusts. your body was pleading against his heavy one. you hated to feel like such a crybaby around him but you couldn't help.

all those tears on your cheek were real, even the saliva coating your lips, and the sniffles wetting your nose. you couldn't fight against his control.

since there is no one around you, you were craving for some attention. and rafe was giving you the one who needed, only by a simple sentence. he started the conversation with you, he was looking at you while you speak and he's listening like he cares when you know he don't. he was touching you and standing close to you like you really exist.

you shouldn't be with him. your brother warned you a lot. rafe cameron was the type of guy who doesn't fit girls like you as he said. he also said that Rafe doesnt love and only damage. he was toxic for you.

but wasn't it also toxic to listen to your brother all your life ? you were not a little girl anymore.

Rafe had filled your pussy with his cum, invading the tight canal of your pussy to the point it was coating your slit. he slipped out his dick before milking it and spreading every leaking drop over your body until there was nothing left.

he made you clean all his fat length with your mouth, feeling the pleasure holding him when you start to lick all of his cock. your tongue was already wet, but now sticky with drool and cum. you pushed your needy muscle to lap at the reddish dick, watching the face of your brother's enemy with little eyes as you were cleaning the mess.

“I bet your brother now has a real reason to hate me. " he said with a playful tone.

“ Rafe...”

“you can stay here. it's not like you can go anywhere with the substance inside you… but don't worry, i will be back. ”

[nadvs]

the act of unravelling (part one)

pairing rafe cameron x pogue! female reader

rating mature 18+

summary you never expected you’d get tangled up with a kook, least of all, rafe cameron. one night, you make a life-altering decision to get revenge on someone you both despise. after you vow to keep what happened a secret, your relationship begins to twist into something more.

tags very dark! violence, homicide, drug and alcohol use, parental neglect, mental illness, s/a, trauma. no smut.

author’s note thank you to this anon!! this fic deviates from canon. timeline is s2 when rafe is at his most unhinged.

» masterlist

disclaimer there is no explicit s/xual assault scene in this story, but it is referenced and the trauma that comes with surviving it is explored. it is committed by an original character. when writing this, i pulled from personal experience, so please be mindful that if you comment, do not engage in any victim-blaming as it is triggering to me and others.

·········

In a single harrowing moment, you’ve learned that there’s truth to the expression that the enemy of your enemy can be your friend.

Rafe looks all too comfortable holding a gun. The rage coursing through you is deafening, persuading you that the person he’s pointing it at deserves to die.

And then, you utter the words rising in your throat.

“Do it.”

╰┈➤ two days earlier

Your shifts at the country club are a repetitive motion of driving over the golf course’s hills, handing the island’s wealthiest people their overpriced drinks, and accepting their money with a fake smile.

The job was always a predictable bore. Until a week ago, when you started seeing a familiar face.

The moment Rafe’s eyes landed on you and he realized that one of the Pogues he revels in berating is the new cart girl, his lips twitched into a smirk.

Every time you see him, he does the same thing. He orders a beer and says here you go, sweetheart when he tips you.

It’s always a fifty. No other club member gives you nearly this much. It’s like he loves reminding you that this type of money is pocket change to him.

Every time you serve him, you subdue your glare and take the crisp bill that sits between his fingers, wondering why even though the man is an arrogant asshole, you can’t stop staring at him.

You feel weak for not hating him all the way. You can’t help that over the years of your tense, sporadic interactions, a part of you has always wondered if he feels the same pull of attraction that you do.

You have to remind yourself of who he is. A man committed to letting everyone know how much better he thinks he is because he was lucky enough to be born into money. He’s heartless. And you can’t wait for the day that you finally rid yourself of this fixation you have for him.

It’s a sunny Thursday afternoon at the end of a long shift and you’re parked by one of the paved pathways on the course, recording your last transaction in your logbook.

You hear the familiar whirring of a cart passing by. It stops. You don’t think much of it until you hear his voice.

“We’ll take two beers,” he calls from behind the steering wheel. You look up to see him. Rafe.

“I’m obviously off duty,” you reply curtly, looking between him and his friend.

“What, so you can write in your diary, but you can’t give us some drinks?” he calls.

“It’s a logbook,” you reply coldly. “It’s called having–”

You flatten your lips together, trying to control yourself.

“Having…?” he challenges. The mocking tone of his voice is what makes you snap.

“A job,” you reply. “Not everyone can live off of daddy’s money.”

Rafe huffs a laugh, a wisp of amusement flashing on his face.

“Careful, Pogue,” he says. “What’ll your boss say if he knows that’s how you’re talking to me?”

“I’m off the clock, Kook,” you say the label with the same vitriol. “I can talk however I want.”

You close your book and start up your cart before he can irritate you any more. Even though there’s something aggravatingly magnetic about him, you refuse to allow him to taunt you any longer.

·········

You meet up with your friends on the beach that evening, zoning out as the three of them chatter around you, passing a joint you brought.

You stare ahead at the soft waves under the setting sun, thinking of Rafe’s cold stare, thinking of the smirk he seems to always have etched on his face reserved especially for you, thinking of how you wish your body would catch up with your mind because how can you dislike somebody this much but also be so attracted to them?

“Who’s your plug?” JJ asks, seemingly impressed. He pulls you out of your daze as he passes you the joint. Smoke curls out of the end of it, twisting in the wind.

“That guy, Porter,” you say flatly. You take a puff, thinking back to the shaggy-haired Kook who approached you at a party on the north side of the island the other night, offering you half the price on your first buy.

He also tried to convince you to try something harder, but you told him you’re sticking to pot. You weren’t about to get hooked on coke, especially not because a drug-dealing Kook wants to take more of your money.

You continue to stare ahead, passing the joint along.

“What a trust fund kid name,” JJ laughs. “Fuckin’ Porter.”

Your friends chuckle around you, but you continue to stare ahead.

“Hard day at the office?” he says in response to your absentmindedness. You meet JJ’s gaze, shaking your head as if to dismiss your own thoughts.

“Rafe is such an asshole,” you say.

“What’d he do this time?” Pope asks. Your friends await your response, already well aware of your history with the bullshit you’ve ever had to deal with at work lately.

“He said something about ratting me out to my boss for talking back to him,” you reply. You scoff, getting mad all over again. You need to pull yourself out of this funk. “Whatever. All I do is complain about him. He’s not worth it. This is the last time you’ll ever hear me talk about him. I mean it.”

You make an effort to join in your friends’ conversations, feeling guilty that you’re so spaced out. With parents who never give you much attention at all, the guys surrounding you are your family. Your brothers. They deserve better than to hear you ramble on about Rafe.

Rafe’s eyes travel over the silhouettes sitting along the darkening shoreline when he arrives at the beach with his friends.

It’s the sound of his pick-up truck’s door shutting that gets your attention. You look over your shoulder. Then, you glance away, indifference on your face.

It pisses him off. Rafe has always craved what he can’t have. Power. Self-control. You. Every time he talks to you, you act like he’s such a bother, a sharp thorn in your side.

You get under his skin. And he’s never wanted a girl this bad. A goddamn Pogue of all people. Something about you lures him in. It makes him want to see what really lies behind the irritation that burns in your eyes every time he speaks to you.

He needs to crack your armor. And he has always loved a challenge.

As the beach populates, the division between the Kooks and the Pogues is clear, as if an invisible line is drawn in the sand. He stays on his side, you stay on yours.

When night falls, you and your friends have all smoked through the entire joint, and you’re a bit buzzed but not nearly as high as you’d like to be.

You spot Porter by the shoreline, drinking with his friends, and dust the sand off your knees when you stand up.

“I’m gonna go buy some more,” you say to your friends.

“Going into enemy territory?” JJ asks.

“It’s nothing new to me,” you laugh. “I work in enemy territory, remember?”

“You need company? Or cash?” John B asks.

“All good. My treat,” you say. “I’m loaded with tips.”

You don’t mention that a majority of the money in your pocket is from Rafe.

As you approach the boisterous group, you cross your arms and feign confidence. In reality, being around these types has always put you on edge.

Kooks give off a sense of invincibility, almost impunity, like predators at the top of the food chain, perpetually safe from harm and always on the brink of inflicting it.

You notice Rafe’s stare on you from his place in the large group and your stomach twists. Your eyes flit off of him and you wonder how it’s possible to wish someone would stay away but also so deeply crave they’d come closer.

Truthfully, within the tangled way he makes you feel, you’re kind of scared of Rafe, too. He’s reckless and unpredictable. And yet, that side of him excites you. There’s a complexity to him that has an inescapable effect on you.

“You holding?” you ask Porter once you approach him. He’s one of the few Kooks you don’t mind so much. He doesn’t have the cold air of arrogance that you’re so used to.

“It’s good shit, isn’t it?” he says with a smile. “How much you want?”

You leaf through the bills in your hand.

“Just a joint,” you say. The waves crash behind you, almost drowning your voice out. You make the exchange and push through the crowd, eager to get back to your friends.

You thought you managed to get away without any complications, but two words stop you.

“You lost?”

You turn to see Rafe, overwhelming heat rushing through you as he closes the distance between you, towering over you as the breeze brushes his hair over his forehead.

“What, ‘cause I’m on your side of the beach?” you mutter. “Grow up.”

Rafe smirks. He gets such a kick out of fucking with the Pogues. Especially you.

“Is that what you’re spending my tips on?” he asks, eyes darting down to the joint in your hand.

“Yeah,” you answer. “You can tell your father I say thanks.”

Rafe’s mouth curls into a bigger smile. When he looks at you like that, like he wants to be around you, you wonder if he secretly enjoys your company.

“How long you been buying from him?” Rafe asks.

“Why?” you say. The way you glare at him makes every muscle in his body tense. He’d be an idiot to deny how attracted he is to you. “You gonna tell my boss?”

“It was a fucking joke,” he mutters with a laugh. “You Pogues all have sticks up your asses, I swear.”

You grit your teeth. He’s clearly pleased when he riles you up like this. You don’t understand how somebody could be so spiteful.

“What do you want, Rafe?” you say.

Silence settles between you, the chattering of people on either side of the beach intertwined in the air, an overlap of worlds far apart. He reminds himself that he has something important to ask you.

“Did he offer you anything else?” he says. You’ve already heard the gossip about how Rafe’s selling coke now. He must want to offer you a better price.

“I’m not interested in whatever you’re selling,” you reply. Rafe scoffs, his tongue jutting under his cheek as he takes you in.

“I’d never sell to you.”

You huff a flat chuckle. You’re tired of his juvenile obsession with the class divide that sits between you.

“So, I’m good enough to serve you drinks, but not good enough to buy your drugs?”

You feel a sick sense of satisfaction when his face hardens with anger. For a second, you worry that you’re just as spiteful as he is, that you’re no better than him.

Rafe scoffs. He’s seen what coke does to people. To himself. He refuses to see it happen to you. But of course you expect the worst of him. Like everyone else does.

“Did he offer you anything else or not?” Rafe repeats with a note of irritation.

“Why?” you sputter.

“I need to know if he’s trying to steal from me.”

Rafe refuses to be in competition with anyone. Other Kooks can sell weed all they want, but coke is his territory, and if he has to claim his territory, so be it. He’s heard rumblings that Porter’s expanded his offerings now. And Rafe isn’t going to let him fuck him over.

“He did,” you finally answer. “Coke. He said it’s the purest on the island.”

He only nods tersely, lips twisting in frustration, before he turns around and storms away from you. So, that’s all he wanted from you. Information.

“You’re welcome,” you half-shout. Curiosity pulls you in as your eyes follow him into the crowd. Sure enough, Rafe pushes Porter to the ground, shouting indistinctly, earning jeers from the crowd.

It’s typical. Nearly every time you see Rafe out socially, he’s yelling and fighting someone. You walk back to your friends, hoping you can shake off the feeling he left you with.

·········

The only thing getting you through your shift the next day is that tomorrow is a holiday. The night of the Fourth of July is an escape from the stresses of your life, an excuse to get wasted with your friends under the fireworks and let yourself drift off into oblivion.

After you clock out, you’re pacing through the country club’s bar when you hear your name called from the patio. You look to see Porter sitting at a table with a couple of friends, his smile wide.

“Didn’t know you worked here,” he says when you approach.

“Yeah, I’m a server on the course,” you explain. You almost expect him to ignorantly ask for a drink, but have to remind yourself that he’s not like Rafe.

“How is it?”

“It’s fine.”

“Come on, we won’t tell,” Porter chuckles. “You hate it, don’t you?”

“Only sometimes,” you reply with a laugh. “Depends on the day. And on the person I’m dealing with.”

“Fair enough,” he says. He pulls out his phone, punching in the password. “I meant to tell you last night that you should have my number. You know, for when you need to stock up.”

You take his phone, cluing in that he’s making himself more accessible to you for the next time you need to buy from him. As you text yourself his name, one of the men at the table motions to Porter.

“Bro,” his friend says, gaze trained ahead. Porter looks past you to the bar and shakes his head in disbelief.

“Can’t escape him,” he sighs.

You follow his eyeline to spot Rafe at the bar with a friend, dark liquor sitting in the glass he’s holding.

“Not a fan?” you ask.

“Is anyone?” Porter laughs. “He’s a nutcase.”

“Don’t let him hear you,” his friend murmurs.

“Yeah, he’ll kill you,” the other guy laughs.

“I wouldn’t put it past him,” Porter replies.

Your eyes linger on Rafe a second longer than they need to. Your curiosity for why he’s the way he is is like a flame that won’t burn out. He has everything he could possibly want. Why is he so mean?

“Yeah,” is all you can say. You turn around again and give Porter his phone back.

“Oh, there’s a party at my beach house tomorrow night. My neighbor does this crazy fireworks thing every year,” he tells you. “I’ll text you the address.”

You nod appreciatively, glad that at least some of the rich people you deal with don’t buy into the idea that you’re beneath them.

·········

It’s nearing nine p.m. when you make it to the beach house the next night. The guys are rambling on behind you as you step inside the massive, humid house, filled with chattering people and loud music.

“Where are your car keys?” Pope asks.

“Right here,” JJ says, jingling them in front of his face. “Do I need to show you every five minutes?”

“I’ll just take them,” Pope says, grabbing them and stuffing them in his pocket. “You can’t be trusted.”

“It was one time,” JJ says. You laugh as you think of last weekend when he’d lost his car keys at a party in the Cut.

“Yeah, and we had to search the sand for, like half an hour,” you remind him.

“You know what I’m not hearing?” JJ says. “A thank you for driving all the time.”

“Remind me, who actually drove last time?” John B asks. “And who was hurling in the backseat?”

JJ scratches the back of his neck.

“I’m a man of honor,” he says. “I’m not not going to chug when I’m told to chug.” His eyes fix on something across the room. “Speaking of…”

He heads towards the keg and you and Pope share a disapproving shake of your heads. You follow your friends, grabbing a solo cup and sipping on beer.

A few minutes later, your phone buzzes with a text from Porter: You here? Want to buy?

You’ve already smoked through the joint you bought two nights ago and quickly reply: yes.

He texts: come upstairs.

“I’ll be right back,” you quickly tell your friends before you push through the crowd.

You duck under the string tied across the bottom of staircase, a sign that warns partygoers that it’s off limits hanging in the middle. One door is open in the upstairs hallway. You see Porter sitting on a bed, rolling a joint on a book that’s sitting in his lap.

“Hey. Got a fresh one for you,” he says.

“Thanks.” You dig into your pocket. “Same price?”

“Sure.” He cocks his head. “It’ll take a while. You can come in and chill.”

You sit at his desk close to the door, talking as he packs the thin white paper.

When he stands up, instead of giving the joint to you, he darts across the room abruptly. Your brows knit in confusion when he shuts the door, the loud music reduced to muffles now.

“What are you doing?” you ask, fear twisting your heart in a vise.

He must have read things wrong.

You assume he’ll stop when you tell him no.

He doesn’t.

·········

You fall to the hard floor. You grip the edge of the bed, hardly any light spilling into the room from the hallway as you blink rapidly to gain your bearings.

A loud slam was what woke you up. You don’t remember falling asleep. You don’t even know where you are.

Two shadowy figures stand on the other side of the room. One roughly pushes the other to the floor. You stay still, peeking over the bed. Your body is trembling with pain and you don’t know why.

“Do you think I’m joking?” a man spits.

You know that voice. It’s Rafe.

“Dude, relax,“ the man on the floor says.

You might be sick. It’s Porter on the floor, whimpering like an idiot. You remember why your body is aching now.

He hurt you. He hurt you and you retreated into your mind and you fell unconscious. A cold swirl of anger and disgust and sadness twists your stomach into a knot.

“I told you to stay out of my fucking way,” Rafe shouts. “Where’s your stash?”

“In the desk,” Porter says quietly. “Just take it. I’ll stick to selling weed, okay? You have my word.”

You watch from the floor, Rafe’s broad figure leaning to pull open drawers and shove items off the desk, objects clattering on the floor in the dark. They don’t know you’re here.

Consciousness slowly grips you. Rafe confronted him about selling coke. He told him to stop. And Porter didn’t listen.

Your eyes flood with hot tears. He didn’t listen to you, either.

You just want to leave. To get out of this horrifying room. To figure out how to put yourself back together after surviving one of the worst ways a person can break another.

Loud fireworks abruptly crack in the sky, startling you, shining light in through the window. And that’s when you see it. Porter is by the other side of the bed, still on the floor, and in his raised hand, something is gleaming.

A gun.

“Rafe!” Your throat is dry, sore from the way you’d screamed.

He suddenly turns towards you, confusedly finding your face across the room. Then, his gaze snaps down at Porter. He notices the gun. And he lunges.

You stand on shaky knees as you watch Rafe land vicious punches, every blow making Porter groan.

“Gonna pull a gun when my back is turned, pussy?” Rafe bellows. “Really?”

You round the bed, staring in horror, your mind still in fragmented shambles. You’d told Porter to stop so many times and every strike of Rafe’s knuckles against his jaw gives you a jolt of satisfaction, a desire for him to suffer more.

He was never a nice guy. He’s just like all of them. A predator.

Rafe scrambles to his feet, heavily breathing as fireworks continue their pops and sizzles over the beach.

The gun is in his hand now. His heart is thrumming, his blood boiling hot. He could’ve died. If you didn’t call his name, he could’ve lost his life.

Rafe’s steady and firm, holding the weapon still, a sharp contrast to how hard you’re shaking.

“Do it,” you say. Rafe’s eyes finds yours, his lips parted, blood splattered on his face. It’s not his. Porter didn’t land any punches. Rafe beat him that badly.

“What?” Porter cries. “Are you insane?”

He’s staring up at both of you through wide eyes as the barrel of the gun remains directed at him. You imagine how terrifying you must look to him, standing over him in the dim room with his pathetic life in your hands.

“Me?” you mutter. Hatred courses through your veins when you glare at him as he lies on his side, bloodied and weak.

The power has shifted into your hands. He was the one looking down at you earlier, hurting you. And now that your body is yours again, you don’t hesitate to kick him in the stomach.

He grunts when you make contact, his body curling forward.

Rafe watches, rendered speechless. He thought he’d seen you angry before. He hasn’t. This is new. This is pure rage. This is a level of wrath he didn’t know you were capable of.

Even through the darkness, Rafe can see that your eyes are shiny with tears when you turn your head to look at him again.

“What the fuck are you waiting for?” you snap, your words dripping with agony and rage. “If you don’t do it, I will.”

Rafe is powerless against the angry, malevolent instinct that’s guided him all his life. He doesn’t think.

The blow of the gun cuts through the air.

Your breath catches.

And he’s just a body. Lifeless on the floor. Gone.

You look up at Rafe. Your chests are heaving, broken and shaky breaths spilling out of your mouths. The colors lighting up the night sky tint your tear-streaked face. He’s never seen agony personified. He has now.

You glance down at Porter again. His mouth is agape. His eyes are shut. Forever. Forever.

“Oh, my God,” you whimper. Hot tears fall over your cheeks so quickly that you fear they’ll never stop. The adrenaline escapes you like water spinning down a drain, replaced with a bottomless dread.

Rafe realizes he’s still pointing the gun. He lowers his arm, his palm sweating against the grip. He had to do it. He had to. He didn’t know that taking a life would feel this good. He doesn’t feel a shred of regret or remorse. For once, he has real power.

But then he watches the way you sink down to the floor.

“What did we…” you whisper, words rushed. “What did we do? Rafe, what did we do?”

There’s a dead body next to you. Cold permeates your bones. You know it’s the type of chill that will never leave you.

Rafe kneels in front of you. The gun hits the floor with a heavy thump. The air smells like gunpowder, fried and smoking. He’s trying to meet your eyes, but your gaze is skittering around as you sit, crumpled and trembling.

“Hey,” he says clearly.

You’re staring at the ground, your breaths shallow.

“Hey,” he repeats louder. Finally, you look at him. “It was self-defense.”

You nod weakly, processing how within a second, you’ve tangled yourselves together into a knot that you can never unravel. Rafe pulled the trigger, but you told him to. And you’re sure you would’ve done it yourself if Rafe didn’t. You’re murderers.

Rafe’s hand is an inch away from you, almost putting it on yours, almost touching someone with tenderness instead of anger for once. You saved his life. You loathe him, but you saved his life, reacting in a split second.

“Why were you even up here?” he asks.

“Just be glad I was,” you say, hoping it’s enough to satisfy him.

“Yeah. Yeah,” he mumbles. “Thank you.”

If you weren’t so shellshocked, you’d laugh. You never expected Rafe to have manners, and you never expected that if he did, it’d be a show of gratitude for helping him kill somebody.

Nausea pools in your gut at the reminder of why you were so angry. Did Porter plan it? Did he always have his sights set on you, like a vulture circling the sky, ready to attack?

What happened earlier tonight flashes through your mind. He deserved to die. He did something unforgivable. He said things about how girls always do this, they always tease but never give it up.

You didn’t just save Rafe. You saved all the girls who were fated to cross that monster’s path. You pushed a soul to its death, but it was one not worthy of life.

Rafe stares at you as you blink rapidly, your mind clearly racing.

“He rip you off or something?” he asks, at a loss for why you’d encourage him to pull the trigger.

Of course Rafe thinks it��s about money. That’s all that matters to him.

“Yeah,” you lie, voice cracking. You can’t tell him. You can’t relive it. Especially with someone who you know is cold-blooded. Someone who might blame you for coming up to this bedroom in the first place.

Tease. Porter called you a tease while you pleaded for him to stop. You drop your head in your hands, chest stuttering with your breathy cries, remembering how he’d hurt you.

Rafe stares at you, confused, wondering how you could be so angry and vengeful and ruthless, just to regret it a second after the bullet left the chamber.

“We had to do it,” he states.

“I know,” you tell him. You wipe your cheeks with your palms, well aware that he could never understand why you’re really crying. “We’ll just tell the truth.”

He shakes his head at you.

“Tell who the truth?” Rafe mutters, his stare hard. “We’re not telling anybody.”

Your breath shakes. He wants to hide this. To try to get away with it.

“What if someone heard the gunshot?” you murmur.

“Everyone’s outside,” he says. “And those stupid fireworks are so fucking loud. Nobody could tell the difference.”

You wipe your face again, considering his words. Your phone is buzzing in your pocket. Someone’s calling you. Surely one of your friends. Why didn’t you just tell them where you were going? Why didn’t you just have one of them come upstairs with you?

Impatience quickly rises in Rafe while you stay silent.

“I almost knocked him out the other night,” he says. “In front of everyone. You think backing me up would be enough for anyone to believe I was protecting myself?”

You chew on your bottom lip anxiously. Rafe has a reputation for being violent. Porter put up a front that he was a nice guy. His friends even said right in front of you that Rafe would kill him. Who’d believe that Porter actually pointed a gun first?

Besides, if you vouched for him, who’s to say they’d trust you? They could spin it and say Rafe paid off a Pogue to lie for him.

“And then the cops would dig and find out it was over coke,” Rafe sputters. “It’d be a fucking mess. We’re not telling anybody.”

He’s right. Confessing wouldn’t do you any good, either. It could go sideways and you could never afford a good lawyer.

Nobody deserves to be punished for taking down the evil, lifeless man lying on the floor. Not you. Not even Rafe. You won’t take the risk.

You gaze into Rafe’s eyes, finding comfort in the striking blue hue for the first time, feeling a newfound sense of loyalty to him.

He gave you vengeance in a world that would never punish the man who hurt you. You’re in this together.

“Okay,” you whisper. “What do we do now?”

“We get rid of the body.”

next >

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[wenzie76aster]

The wild robot can be seen as an allegory for queer acceptance

So the movie's been on my mind for quite some time, but only recently did I start thinking about the many ways it could be interpreted. I think the wild robot can be seen as a movie about the prejudice queer people face, specifically queer families.

Roz is immediately met with hostility when she first steps foot on the island. Makes sense. She's a big lumbering robot, and although well-meaning, is loud and rough, as shown when she destroys Paddler's dam.

The animals' reluctance to warm up to her is initially understandable and somewhat justified up until she is able to communicate with them.

After this scene, it's clear they're unwilling to try to understand what they don't know, which is something many lgbtq+ people face in today's society.

Later on, she meets Fink, a sly fox, and the only fox on the island, who initially takes advantage of her naivety for his own wants and needs, and it isn't until she shows him respect and kindness where he softens up to her. The two form a friendship, with fink going from a complete stranger, to being a part of Roz's little family.

To make it clear, I don't think roz and fink's relationship is supposed to be romantic or have romantic undertones. He is a lonely fox learning about friendship and what it means to have a friend, and above all that, is slowly learning to express his true feelings. That is why I think they have a very awkward exchange later on when the two are sitting side by side on the cliff side after brightbill's departure.

Fink constantly brings up our poorly his mother treated him, and in an effort to give brightbill a loving, caring mother figure, helps roz loosen up for her son and for her own sake, so that he doesn't have to witness another child grow up motherless.

I also believe this line heavily indicates his love for roz is platonic.

Including this moment

He isn't seeking a mother figure in roz. In fact, the vibe their dynamic initially gives of is "soldier showing the new younger recruit around". But it does feel like he tries to latch onto her motherly side because he missed out on motherly love growing up.

I think mentioning fink's relationship to roz is relevant to the topic at hand because it essentially challenges the notion that two people who raise a child together are romantically interested in each other. Fink is more of a neighbour who decided to help the single mother out and now she asks you to call him uncle because he was in your life from the start lol. Brightbill calling Roz "mom" several times but not calling Fink "dad" is another huge indicator, and it goes against the typical view of him immediately being seen as the "dad AND husband" simply because he is the older male in the family.

He's also a little bit zesty lol.

Fink being an outsider and feeling like he's not accepted by the animals on the island, much like roz, is another give away in my opinion. We don't exactly know the reason for why most of the animals aren't accepting of him, but this moment of roz reassuring and encouraging him is like two gay best friends fighting together against the harsh realities of the world by putting aside the fact that they're unappreciated to save everyone.

And before this, Fink teasingly responds to roz turning off the transmitter by stating that he thought she was supposed to follow her protocol, to follow what "they" told her to do.

This in of itself can be seen as the friend who has already accepted what he is, encouraging you to come out the closet, regardless of what the important people in your life might say or think. It also links back to the geese insulting and devaluing Roz, which could be a comment on how children of queer families or specifically same-sex couples/ lesbian or gay single parents, are bullied irl.

In regards to Roz, she's not shown crushing on anyone, being in love or considering the possibility of her being romantically attracted to ANYONE in the movie, and the only time she encounters a character who somewhat romantically caresses her, it's with a female robot.

With everything in mind, she can definitely be seen as lesbian-coded.

But yh, awesome movie.

[misaneeragoni]

One Piece - Favourite characters + headcannons!

My favourite characters in a tierlist!

Listed by:

Marriage material

Best friend material

Want it as my pet

Cute as a mitten

Scarily attractive

Parent material

Left to right is decreasing in how much I'd like them to be the respective thing.

Now, for those who care (why do you? I'm a nobody, haha), here's an extensive list of reasons! + headcannons for how they'd act in these respective roles.

Marriage material

Doflamingo

Doflamingo is usually second to Kidd in my personal preference, but right now I'm on a big Doflamingo simping spree, probably due to the fact that I'm finally watching Dressrosa for the first time.

I imagine he's either a full on possessive, manipulative and absolutely terrifying husband, or you end up as a trophy wife and he barely pays you any mind, but you know what, I'd be fine with that. Chance of being killed by him: 60%.

Corazon / Rosinante

All I know about him so far is entirely through fanart and small spoilers! I think he'd be a very affectionate husband, the type to bring you small gifts (and ocassionally panic because he left the gift he bought at the cash register).

He totally has a thing for taking in stray animals and giving them a loving home, if it's cats or dogs he keeps tripping over them.

Eustass Kidd

Now Kidd will love you very very deeply and beat up every single person that dares to even make a mean joke about you, but he's also incredibly bad at showing that he cares.

He's gotta look cool, so in public he'll either act like you're just very good friends or that you're some sort of trophy wife, but amidst the crew or especially in private he gets very affectionate and clingy - being physical is so much easier than expressing yourself verbally!

He doesn't mind sharing you with Killer, but if a stranger so much as dares look at you flirtatiously they'll be lucky if they make it out alive.

Ace

Getting together with Ace is already very difficult. He keeps telling you he's not worthy of your love, so you shouldn't love him, let alone date him.

By the time you've gotten him to agree to get married, he's become a little more accepting of your love, even if those doubts never really fully go away.

He's constantly planning fun trips for the both of you and will show you off like a kid would show off their paintings. All of the Whitebeard Pirates are sick and tired of hearing about how awesome you are at this point.

Sanji

I don't think I can add anything new to this. He's constantly swooning over you and spoiling you to the moon and beyond. You get breakfast in bed, you get carried around the second your feet are the tiniest bit sore, and overall he's just so over the moon to have you that sometimes you think you're in heaven.

He's a total family man so if there's kids around you know they're getting spoiled just as much as you are. He thrives when he gets to care for others, and having his own little family makes him incredibly happy.

Sometimes you need to remind him to take it easy and stop doing so much work for everyone because he'll absolutely overdo it and put himself last.

Smoker

He is very gruff and not one for talking all that much. Oftentimes when you tell him things you'll get one of a variety of grunts in response, that you've learned to translate well over the course of your marriage.

You either get to travel with him as a marine spouse or stay safe on an island he helped you get settled down on. If you're staying on an island he's taken extra security measures and has figured out a way to have smoke permanently cloud the area around the house so noone can even find it to begin with.

He's very concerned for your safety and it shows that it's his top priority. He prefers being physically affectionate, but will ocassionally give you small yet meaningful compliments. ("You're the best.") He's usually got some small thing to bring back to you from whatever island he was last on (flowers, sweets, meaningful little gifts), but he really doesn't want you to make a big deal out of it.

Eneru / Enel

You may be married to him, but he's still god. You may be his favourite disciple, but you're still a disciple regardless. You're expected to address him using a formal title of respect and if you fail to meet his expectations you will be punished accordingly.

He does appreciate you worshipping him, but it's more transactional than a genuine loving marriage.

Best friend material!

Trafalgar Law

I found it pretty hard to choose between marriage material and best friend for Law. I do really like him, but for me personally I think he's a bit too freaky to want to be married to him. (See post-marineford: "This will be a fun operation" + manic grin).

If we're talking One Piece Party or One Piece Academy Law's personality, then sure, I'll marry that man, but cannon Law seems a bit too closed off to ever even get close enough to get to date or marry him in the first place. Keep in mind, I'm only like halfway through Dressrosa, I don't know this man's arc yet.

As a best friend, I think he's awesome. He's weird, ocassionally stoic, but also unintentionally hilarious with the way he acts, and he's the king of dry jokes. You wouldn't expect it of him, but he can be the life of the party when he wants to be.

Killer

Another tough choice between marriage and best friend! Ultimately it came down to me simply preferring Kidd's personality in marriage, whereas I do think I'm too similar to Killer and would lack excitement with him.

That's not to say there is no excitement with his man, cause there is! He's the type to support whatever crazy shenanigans you may be going for, even if he'll ocassionally hold you back from doing something that might backfire a bit too much.

If loyalty had a face it would be Killer's, you could not ask for a better best friend.

Hancock

Hancock is absolutely vicious in how she speaks of others. Which makes her the very best girl friend to have for talking shit behind people's backs! She's very funny when she does so, even if you have to put up with her major streaks of egomania all the time.

Crocodile

Do you need somebody to be assassinated? Just hit up your buddy Crocodile. He'll have his agents take care of it for you discreetly. He's a very relaxed man if he feels safe about you.

If you like to talk a lot he'll tell you to shut the hell up, but if you sit together in silence he'll think that you're very cool and companionable.

He likes to invite you out to fancy dinners, although he does expect you to dress and act the part. He doesn't tolerate fools, so if you want to remain his friend you'll have to act dignified.

Mihawk

Mihawk likes to keep you at arm's length, but he's okay with ocassionally having deep philosophical discussions together over a glass of wine.

You exchange reading recommendations with one another but mostly you both do your own things. Oftentimes you're the one that has to reach out to him to initiate contact, he's a little lazy in taking care of his social circle.

Perona

She'll only accept you as her friend if she deems you cute enough for that. Once you've gotten over the part where she wants you to do all her bidding, she's surprisingly fun to be around. She's always up for pranks and her devil fruit makes it very easy to pull them off!

I'm going to skip over the remaining characters here seeing as I don't have any ideas as to what would make them special as best friends. I've listed all of these as best friends because they've shown great loyalty (and sense of honour).

Want it as my pet

Bepo

I feel a little bad putting Bepo in the "pet" category here. He'd make an amazing best friend just the same as everyone listed in that category, I just view him as polar bear first, mink second.

And he does share some traits with say, a pet dog. His fur sheds everywhere and you constantly have to clean your clothes to get rid of it, he's constantly asking for your attention and hugs (and will apologize if you tell him off cause you don't have the time!) and sometimes wants to sit on your lap despite the fact that he's huge and very heavy.

Zoro

Zoro also shares a lot of traits with dogs. He's fiercely protective, loyal to the bitter end, he cares for his food and drink more than most other things and small things such as getting a drink make him very happy. He's low maintenance, so long as you feed him, let him train in peace and ocassionally scratch his scalp he's very content.

That said, you do need to put him on a leash when you go anywhere with him. He's very indignified by it, but you just know he's going to wander off and get lost otherwise.

Any other pets listed literally just have the reason: "omg it's so cute" or "omg it's so dorky", except for Shushu, who just absolutely deserves the world and if I think about him too much I'm going to start crying. That little dog has the most tragic story in all of One Piece.

Cute as a mitten

This category is both optional as best friends as well as lovers / marriage material.

Bartolomeo

As a best friend he'll go through thick and thin with you. His manners make it very embarassing to be around him sometimes, unless you have absolutely no shame. Secretly you think he's kinda cool for how he just doesn't give a shit though.

As your husband - oh boy. He wouldn't settle for marrying somebody he likes less than he does the Strawhats, so he absolutely dotes on you. Think Sanji, except instead of having cool moments this one's a complete slobbering mess all of the time. He'll do anything for you - but you'll also be drooled on. A lot.

Penguin

As a best friend, he's always there for any type of mischief you might be wanting to do. In fact most of the time he's the one suggesting new ideas. Especially if it comes to peeping on women. That's a secret guilty pleasure of his.

As your husband, even after you've been married to him for some years, he still becomes a shy mess from time to time. He's very respectful and polite and still can't really believe his luck that he scored somebody like you.

Marguerite

Marguerite is just so freaking adorable. The way the English dub of Amazon Lily portrayed her was definitely like she had a crush on Luffy, and those two are honestly my favourite Luffy x ship. She saved him from drowning, he saved her from remaining stone for the rest of her life and they get along very well. Also, she has a danger noodle. I love danger noodles.

Shachi

Now Shachi isn't so different from Penguin, seeing as these two have practically spent all of their lives together. Their mothers were good friends so they even got to share a crib from time to time, and it shows.

Shachi is a little more bold and confident than Penguin and will flirt abrasively with every woman he comes across. Not that he's very good at it, in fact he's rather quite bad at it. Who knew that pick-up lines were so unsuccessful? Shachi sure doesn't, and he's a bit too oblivious to catch on.

Baby 5

As her friend, you need to make sure she doesn't make horrible decisions all of the time. It's pretty exhausting, but she's a good listener and can make really funny creations with her devil fruit so she totally makes up for it.

Ikkaku

Ikkaku is always down for a good time. She's a very enthusiastic wing-woman, even if she overdoes it sometimes.

Katakuri

No idea what he's like, I'm only at Dressrosa after all. I did see fanart of him extending his jaw to eat donuts though, which just looks so dorky and so cute, so I've thrown him into this category.

Kaku

Kaku is the best. From his old-fashioned expressions to overall just being very polite and cute, this giraffe man has it all. He's very prim and proper, but he's also down to earth and a great friend to have a round.

He reminds me of Peter Parker (Spiderman) a little. A bit of a dorky nerd, but very lovable regardless.

Scarily attractive

I don't mean just attractive. I'm actually scared of these characters. There's not much to say beyond base attraction here, so I'll quickly go over them.

Domino - has one of my favourite designs in the whole series. Maybe I just like women in uniforms, who knows. We don't know anything about her beyond her seeming strict and being attracted to Hancock.

Sady - again, attraction to women in uniform, I guess. Even if hers is a little extreme. I just love the bangs covering her face so much and her colours work great together.

Monet - BIRB!!!! I love Birbs. Especially Harpies. And she looks so freaking good with those silly glasses!

Carmen - Oh, Carmen. What a lovely lady she was! It's a shame she's gone forever now. Maybe she was filler? I'm not sure. Sanji should have adopted her.

Kuro - I wish him being a strategist had been explored a little further, in terms of what strategic exploits he'd been up to in the past. Well, basically I just want more Kuro content. I feel like he's exactly the sort of psychopath that will stab you with a knife while you're kissing him. Very hot!

Caesar - Generally I do feel scared of folks who might commit genocide while I'm in their vicinity. But his design looks freaking awesome!

Kalifa - That's one sexy lady. How freaking dare she hurt Sanji, though!!

Sexy Arlong sister shark lady - Oh my god her eye looks so cool, and so does her shark tail thingy!!

Viola - Dancers are just cool in the first place, and Viola's going against Doffy, the man who oppressed her for so many years, is just admirable.

Lovely lady from Viper's squad on Skypeia - She's cool, brave and fearless! Why am I scared of her again?

Parent material

There's not much to say for why I want these characters as parents except for I think they would make good ones. Some of these we have as parents in cannon - Bellemere with Nami, Zeff with Sanji, Dadan with Ace, Sabo and Luffy, Viper with that little girl - and for the others I just have small reasons, pretty much.

Iceburg - he'd totally make his secretary change the baby's diapers because he's too lazy (and grossed out) to do it, but he'd still be there for you when he needed to (and couldn't delegate the work to anyone else).

Robin - would want to compensate for not having any parents of her own (that were ever around), so she'd be extra careful to make sure her child received all the love it would need and would never have to undergo the years of loneliness like she did. She'd read you a lot of stories and would encourage you to read from an early age.

Sometimes she enjoys the kid's books far more than you do.

Hina - no good reason, just strong sense of justice, strict and ocassionally funny mom to have.

Duval - no good reason either, but a very funny stupid dad to have.

Paulie - would need to overcome his indignity of seeing any woman showing skin to have a kid in the first place, but he'd be very careful to make sure his kid grew up right (and would dress up properly if it was a girl!)

Magellan - he's shown great responsibility and carefulness in leading Impel Down right. He might have some issues making time for parenting between being the Warden and sitting on the toilet all day, but he'd make it work. Maybe make Hannyabal do some of the dirty work for him.

If you've made it this far - thank you so much for reading!! I really wanted to throw my headcannons of these characters in the respective positions out into the void. Have a lovely day!

[pe4cht3a]

I need a one shot where Killua is distraught by the fact that his crush (the reader) is madly in love with another man who doesn't love her back. Maybe an angst one shot?

𐔌 Awaken ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁

── .✦ a/n: YA’LL ARE NOT READY FOR THIS.

you grew up beside the two dearest people to you, killua and gon. hell, you three were born just days apart, in the same week. this unusual start lead to a lifetime of you three celebrating countless birthdays together and always at each others houses. fortunately, this was no inconvenience whatsoever since the three of your guys’ mothers were also all childhood best friends since young. you were genuinely grateful to have the two, especially since your parents divorced early in your life, which lead to your mother being neglectful, father out of the picture and you having no proper supervision since… oh whatever, who has time nowadays to think about all that?

“get up gon! hurry! we’ll be late for school!” screaming down the staircase as you scurry down to wake up gon, who had slept on the couch that night, instead of his own bed. why? because your dear mother dumped you at his place again… to go on another one of her “self discovering” vacations again. in truth, you were deeply aware she most likely had just found another new boyfriend again. your mother’s antic was so sudden… again, that the freec’s household didn’t even have the guest’s bedroom ready yet for when the time your unsurprising but uncalled for stay.

“yeah yeah! i’m up, y/n!” gon panicked as he quickly got up and started searching for his socks in the laundry basket. “didn’t mito tell you to have your clothes prepared the night before waking up?” you nagged as you rushed to shove a bunch of necessities and books into your school bag at the kitchen island, near to the living room where gon was going absolute bonkers.

“let me guess. gon woke up late again, and that made y/n panic, which just made everything even worse?” the dashing albino unenthusiastically complained as you and gon said nothing, but sheepishly grinned. “god, you two are hopeless.” killua sighed as he turned his back, and started walking through the school gate. “eeesh, so meann!” you sarcastically giggled as you started chasing after the silverette, gon following soon after.

you eventually reached your class, while walking over to your designated seat, you spot a significant person. THE guy.

ever since middle school, you’ve had a pretty hopeless but really huge crush on a guy. you two were quite good friends back then, but since everybody reached high school, he decided to mingle with kids he deemed more “useful and beneficial”. unfortunately, you were not one of those… or is that fortunate? what is unfortunate though is that you still have a raging crush on that guy! its not your fault he was naturally attractive, had good humour, flawless grades and was so easy going. you’ve liked him for such a long period of time, that recently you’ve been considering on trying to talk to him.

in the midst of your infatuation for the man you had been eyeing for so many years, a pair of sharp sapphire eyes were practically glued onto you, from the back of the class.

its not fucking fair. killua ABSOLUTELY adored you, and not in the way that gon does for you. even during your days in kindergarten and elementary school, killua already knew he had a thing for you, and only you. however, the frustrated albino never frets about you and gon’s relationship since he was aware gon never truly found interest in anybody, both men and women. killua is observant enough to notice all the times gon specifically placed his hands on you at appropriate spots during hugs, and when he says “i love you” only during birthday celebrations or when you’re really down about something, gon’s love for you was totally platonic. the raven haired boy was no trouble at all, unfortunately that could not prevent you from finding interest in other guys.

every single time when killua realised you were looking at the other guy instead of him, he felt his heart being gouged out. the times you would stare at him in class. the times you used to laugh at his jokes in middle school. the times you purposefully tried to make eye contact with him. the times you brought up topics you knew the guy was interested in, during conversations near by just so he could hear you talking about it. the times he would see you liked all his instagram posts.

its not that killua never put in effort. he would abruptly buy you your favourite flowers for no reason. he would always come over every day to check up on you. he would always give you his homework for you to copy off of. he would always share his chocolate robots with you, which was something intimate for the albino. killua would also always go out of his way to give you the most lavish, biggest and extravagant gifts for your birthday. the silverette genuinely tried, he really did. so why were you constantly looking at that man, and not him?

“hey! um.. i really like what you posted on instagram lately! that place looks super cool.” you approached your beloved crush’s side and suddenly exclaimed. you could definitely feel the anxiety screaming within you though. “uh, thanks. yeah, its a chill place.” he barely turned his head as he was packing up his bag. “heh, no problem.” you nervously start toying with your hair. “anyways, i gotta catch my next lesson. cya.” your crush said as he began walking out the door, not even waving “bye”.

“what a nice guy, huh?” your childhood friend sarcastically remarked as he walked over to your side, hands shoved into his pockets. “shut up killua! i just have to talk to him more!” you playfully shove your “friend”. ��do whatever the fuck you want, i guess.” sapphire eyes burning with jealousy and bitterness, as he walked away without facing you once more.

the poor boy’s heart felt like it was lit on flames, burned to nothing but dust and ash that sha’ll be scattered to the winds.

“whats the matter kil? you certainly look down!” gon questioned with concern, as he joined killua in the hallway, to catch up to the next subject that they both participated in. “nothing.” the secretive albino looked down at the floor, hands still in his pockets. “come on killua! how long have we known each other for?” the ravenette bursted killua’s protective personal bubble. “nah, y/n’s just fucking around with that guy again.” killua gritted his teeth as he stopped in his tracks, no longer moving towards their next class.

“oh.” gon gently let out, knowing this was a sore subject for his dear friend. “gon, i don’t fucking get it. that guy barely looks at her, yet she’s head over heels for that bitch.” killua folded his arms insecurely, still not daring to raise his head. “you know… maybe its time you just tell her how you feel.” gon got on his knees, and looked up so he could look into killua’s eyes, as the albino was certainly not raising his head up any time soon due to his shitty mood.

“listen kil, i’ll support you no matter what, alright?”

“i know.”

“if you do know, then you should confess to her!”

“how does she not see it already. so fucking obvious.”

“just tell her, please.”

“kay.”

“oh em gee, kil! i have wonderful news!” you jumped around, exploding with excitement. “what?” killua still sour from the events of earlier today. “hehe! he invited me to hangout with him and his friends after school tomorrow!”

silence laid its touch onto killua. gon’s affirmations still remained fresh in his brain. this was it, this was the moment.

“hey… y/n.”

“yes?”

“i love you.”

“huh? yeah of course, i know that kil!”

“fuck.”

“hm?”

“are you fucked in the brain or something?”

“what the hell killua! thats really hurtful..” you were taken aback, killua seemed to be genuinely mad suddenly. “you’re so fucking dumb, you know that?” the albino covered his face with his hands and started laughing to himself

“are you okay?” you question, your childhood best friend now seemed really unusual. “of course im not fucking okay, y/n!” killua hissed as he raised his voice. “whats wrong with you? i don’t fucking know unless you tell me bitch!” you scream back, discreetly trying to hide how scared you were in reality. sure, killua was impatient and rough but you’ve never seen him this riled up before over anything.

“i love you more than anything else! … i want you.”

your mouth laid agape, your mind felt clouded with shock and you couldn’t find any words to give out.

“i’ve.. i have loved you my entire life, y/n. i’ve always known i loved you like no other since we were kids.” the sapphire eyes were now fighting back tears, with all the strength he could muster. “but… but you never said anything…” your head still messy, trying to just push out whatever you could think of to say. you could hear your heart pacing up rapidly.

“i always gave you my all! all those flowers and constantly expensive gifts weren’t something even gon would do for you!” killua couldn’t hold it in anymore, he held his head with one hand as he felt his face soak with tears.

you stood there, silent. no words, no movement, no response.

“i’ve given you my all, and loved you endlessly but you still only want that fucker who barely gives a shit about you.” the albino’s voice was now laced with complete bitterness and lovesick-ness.

“but.. he invited me to go out with him tomorrow…” you slowly mutter out, trying your hardest to clear your head.

“are you a fucking idiot? he doesn’t give a shit! i overheard him in the guys bathroom saying he only wants to fuck you.” killua slapped you into reality with that information.

your eyes widened, feeling hurt and also guilty. this was now the time, you could finally admit to yourself.. that you always knew killua had a thing for you.

its just that you didn’t want to face it.

“when will you open your eyes to shit around you? do you know how worrying it is?”

“i don’t want to wake up… killua.”

“face it y/n, your dad doesn’t want you, your mom has no place for you in her life currently, that guy doesn’t love you.”

“i just wish it could all go away.”

“wake up, for me. please?”

“…”

“i beg of you.”

20 years have since escaped out of the reaches of your hands. you started a life with someone else. gon was now travelling around the world for his work.

“mommy, where are we going?” your daughter asks as you hold her little hand in yours, leading her somewhere foreign to her. “mommy wants to bring you to meet someone new.” you look down at your lovely child, smiling.

“say hi to uncle killua, okay?” you whisper as you nudge your daughter towards the matured silverette.

“hi uncle killua!”

“hello, its nice to finally meet you.”

“oh! mommy mentions your name a lot when she talks about when she was young!”

[tessa-liam]

Turning the Page

Chapter 15 

_Bridge of Dreams_ 

Choices, The Royal Romance, The Royal Heir AU 

Series Premise: As Riley Brooks journeys through life as a single parent in New York City, an epiphany strikes as she contemplates the future for herself and her two-year-old son. 

Turning the Page Series Masterlist, My Complete Masterlist 

Main pairing: Liam Rys x F!OC Riley Brooks

All characters belong to Pixelberry Studios, except William Brooks (Rys) and Matteo Magro, who both belong to this series. 

Category: On-going series, contains angst/fluff/depression. Cross-over fic with Choices, Perfect Match. 

Rating: M 🔞 - Warnings – Series will have crude language, weapons, NSFW material – not Beta’d - please excuse all errors.

Bridge of Dreams

Chapter 15 

Chapter Summary: Liam and Riley revisit the Pont des Arts, ‘Lovelock Bridge” in Paris, France. Olivia begins a relationship with Damien Nazario. William enjoys his first camping trip with Uncles Drake and Maxwell & Bartie

Music Inspiration: I Won’t Give Up, Jason Mraz 

A/N1: In this alternate universe, after King Constantine orchestrates two individual scandals to humiliate and entrap Riley Brooks and Olivia Nevrakis in shame, Madeleine Amaranth secures her position as the Queen of Cordonia. Riley, as the King’s mistress and Olivia, in self-imposed exile. Tariq is never found.  

A/N2: Damien Nazario has been assigned as William’s personal bodyguard. (Series cross-over with ‘Perfect Match’) 

Santorini, Greece 

Rubbing away the fog off the bathroom mirror after his hot shower, Damien Nazario could now see his reflection to shave. After waking from a rejuvenating sleep, his plans included enjoying the white sand beaches that were here in Santorini and maybe some sightseeing on the island. He was afforded a couple of free days of relaxation to enjoy the beaches of Santorini by King Liam before he was to return to his duties of guarding the young crown prince in Cordonia. 

...and he was determined to enjoy this free time. Damien finished shaving and splashed water on his face. He felt refreshed and energized, ready to take on the day. 

He grabbed a towel and dried his face. Then, he headed into the bedroom to get dressed. 

 Damien padded slowly into the bedroom of her hotel suite and grinned. 

He had every intention of enjoying his time with his fiery red-haired companion, whom he shared a bed with after the wedding festivities ended. 

After Olivia invited him to extend the celebration in her hotel room -- which he accepted without hesitation -- they spent the night in each other's arms, exploring their desires. It had been a while since he had been with a woman, and even longer since he had been with a woman like Duchess Olivia. She was confident, intelligent, and beautiful. And she knew how to please a man. 

Ever since the first day they were introduced, he found himself drawn to her and intrigued by her personality. 

Damien had to admit, the redhead was very sexy, and it wasn't just her appearance. It was also the way she carried herself and the way she spoke. Her confidence of knowing exactly what she wanted and was not afraid to go after it. 

The way she spoke so eloquently and with such passion was very arousing. He loved the way her eyes lit up when she talked about something she was interested in; her intellect apparent. 

He was intrigued by her confidence and her ability to be assertive. Most women would shy away from taking charge, but not Olivia. She was bold and unafraid to express her feelings. He found that to be incredibly attractive and erotic. 

Damien smiled, biting his top lip as he thought about the previous night and all the things they did. They had made love until the early hours of the morning leaving them both exhausted but satisfied. 

Olivia was already up and dressed, sitting on the bed. She was wearing a pale coral sundress that complimented her skin tone, and her red hair was pulled back into a loose chignon. 

"Good morning," Damien said as he approached her. 

"Good morning," Olivia replied coyly, a smile playing on her lips. 

Damien leaned down and kissed her, his hand cupping her cheek. He couldn't resist pulling her close, inhaling her sweet scent. 

"I was wondering if you would like to join me on the beach today," Damien suggested, his fingers brushing a stray hair away from her face. 

"Actually, I was planning on returning to Cordonia today." 

"Why so soon?" Damien asked, slightly disappointed. 

"I have important business to attend to." 

"Is everything okay?" 

"Everything's fine," Olivia reassured him, placing her hand on his chest. "I just need to get back to work." 

"Of course," Damien nodded. "But you still have the day free before your flight". 

"True," Olivia agreed. "I suppose we could spend a few more hours together." 

"Excellent," Damien smiled, his brown eyes twinkling. "Would you like to have breakfast first?" 

"Actually, I have a better idea," Olivia said, her voice low and seductive. 

"What do you have in mind?" 

Olivia smirked, her green eyes darkening with desire. "Why don't you come back to bed?" 

"Now that sounds like a perfect plan." 

Damien's mouth curved into a grin as he gently pushed her back and joined her back in bed. 

As she looked out the 18th floor window, Riley could see the Seine River winding its way through the city. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. 

The Suite Impériale at the Ritz, Paris, France 

This is it. 

Riley knew that she would have to relive the bittersweet memories from the engagement tour. It would be hard, but she knew that it would also be cathartic. She needed this. 

She needed to let go of the past. 

She turned and looked at herself in the full-length mirror. She was wearing a flowing, white sundress that hugged her curves in all the right places. Her hair was falling softly onto her shoulders, and her makeup was simple and elegant. 

She was ready. 

She slipped on a pair of white sandals and made her way down to the lobby. Liam was meeting her at their spot once he finished his meeting with the French president and he should be there momentarily. 

When Riley stepped outside, the sun was shining, and the sky was a brilliant blue. 

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, inhaling the fresh air, trying to calm her jitters. 

As Riley made her way along the Seine, she could not help but think about the last time she was here. 

It was a day she would never forget. 

The day she and Liam placed that small gold lock on the bridge. 

It was the day they declared their love for each other and sealed it with a kiss. 

Riley sighed, remembering how happy she was that day. How hopeful. 

She had been so naïve. 

Tariq was never found and the scandal lived on. Liam would abide by his duty and marry Madeleine, making her his queen. 

As Riley rounded the corner, she could see the bridge coming into view. 

Her heart started to race, and her palms became sweaty. She felt her tears travel down her cheeks. 

She was nervous. 

She didn't know what to expect or why Liam was so insistent on revisiting this exact spot. 

Riley reached the bridge and stopped. She took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. 

She was ready. 

The memories came flooding back. 

'You spot Liam leaning against a stone railing overlooking the Seine. His expression is clouded, but when he hears you approach, he breaks into a smile. 

"Riley!"' 

"Liam. You are a sight for sore eyes." 

Liam chuckles. "That's my line." 

He pushes himself off the railing and takes a few steps forward, closing the distance. 

'"I wasn't sure you'd come."'

He wraps you in a tight embrace, resting his head against your shoulder. You feel his chest heave with a sigh.  

"After the bachelor party, I found Maxwell and he filled me in on your ... mission earlier." 

To think that Bastien helped set you up ..." 

Liam nods. "It's ... shocking, yes, but ... I think it might have been a blessing in disguise." 

"How so?" 

Liam pulls away and smiles. "If we hadn't been interrupted, I may not have had the opportunity to spend the evening with you. And as much as I love spending time with my friends, being with you was ... a much-needed escape." 

"I wasn't sure if we should risk coming here. If the person behind this is so powerful that Bastien is afraid of them ..., are we really safe? I don't know how deeply this goes or who we can trust. All I know is that I couldn't bear it if something happened to you. The only way to keep you safe might be for us to leave. Permanently." 

Liam smiled sadly, I remember asking you, saying, 

"We could ... we could go anywhere. Anywhere in the world. Where do you want to go?" 

"You're joking, right? We can't leave Cordonia." 

"No, we can. We'll just go somewhere no one will ever find us. We can live in peace and happiness together." 

"We could have a family. We could be happy." 

"Liam ... no. No matter how tempting that sounds ...  

"You can't abandon Cordonia." 

His shoulders slump. "I know that. But if you asked me to, I would. In an instant." 

"I could never ask you that. Your people need an honest King now more than ever. And the Liam I know would never leave them behind. 

Liam tenderly takes your hands in his. 

"We will get through this, Riley. We have to. I refuse to believe otherwise." 

He lifts one of your hands and kisses the back of it, his eyes never leaving yours. 

"We'll find a way. Together." 

Liam pulls you close and kisses you, his arms wrapping around you tightly. 

After a moment, he breaks the kiss and rests his forehead against yours. 

"I promise." 

"I won't give up on you, or us." 

"Nor will I." 

"Thank you, Riley for not letting my fears get the better of me." 

Liam steps back and holds out his arm to you. 

"Now, shall we continue our walk? 

"I'd love that, Liam." 

The two of you start walking down the bridge, hand-in-hand. 

"You know, Riley, there's one good thing about this whole Tariq situation." 

"And what's that?" 

"It's made me realize how lucky I am to have someone like you by my side. You're strong, kind, compassionate, and so much more. I love you, and I'm so grateful that you're a part of my life." 

Liam gives you a small smile. 

"Thank you, Liam." 

"For what?" 

"For always knowing the right thing to say." 

"Well, I try," Liam says with a smirk. 

"I know it's hard. But no matter what happens, at least we'll face it together." 

At this, Riley gets very emotional, thinking that by leaving him when she found out she was pregnant, she betrayed him. 

Riley was lost in thought as she walked, the sun beating down on her shoulders. It had been a long journey, and she was still processing everything that had happened. 

She thought about her decision to leave, and how it had affected Liam. 

She thought about William, and how she faced the challenge of being a single parent. 

The guilt was overwhelming. 

She knew she had made the right decision at the time, but she couldn't help but regret the pain she had caused Liam. 

She had left without a word, without a trace. 

And while she was certain that the time away had been necessary, she couldn't help but feel like she had let him down. 

Joining Liam at the railing they both gaze across the river. The streets around them are practically empty, though many lights still glitter on the water. 

It's so quiet. It feels almost like a dream. Like they're the only ones in the city. 

Liam puts his arm around Riley's shoulders and pulls her close. 

"Love, you look ... you look like you are miles away from here.

Penny tor your thoughts?"

"Liam. Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course ... anything, Riley."

Taking a shaky breath, speaking in a very small voice,

"After you married Madeleine, did ... did you ever grow feelings for her? When I left?"

Liam took a deep breath and sighed. He knew Riley wanted him to; needed him to be truthful.

"Madeleine and I, well, we grew fond of one another. As friends; but, nothing more."

A tear slipped down Riley's cheek, but Liam quickly rubbed it away.

"Our arrangement was that we would marry, have children, and rule Cordonia together. However, as time went on, I ... we both realized that we were never going to love each other. We would be nothing more than friends." 

Nodding her head, her eyes were locked onto the floor. She was trying to hold herself together.

"Madeleine did try, at first, to seduce me. She was quite insistent on producing an heir, but I couldn't bring myself to bed her. Cordonia be damned." 

Liam placed his hands on Riley's cheeks, cradling her head as she cried.

"I knew that, as long as you were out there, somewhere, I would always be yours. I couldn't move on." 

"I'm so, so sorry," she said. "I don't know if I'll ever stop feeling guilty for what happened." 

"Don't," he said, shaking his head. "It wasn't your fault. It was my choice. I had a responsibility to Cordonia, and I had a duty to the Crown. I knew what I was getting into when I married Madeleine." 

"You didn't have a choice," she whispered. 

"Neither did you," he replied. 

Riley sighed, her eyes filled with tears, looking up to the sky. 

"The night when William was born ... I was so happy. But you weren't mine. you belonged to someone else. It killed me ... that I ran and took your son away."

"Riley," Liam said softly, taking her hand. 

Riley pursed her lips, and began...

"Riley," he said tenderly, cupping her cheek. 

"Liam, when William was born, I was ecstatic. But then, when I held him for the first time, and he looked up at me ... I couldn't help but think that you should have been there, too. That he should have had his father with him, on the day he was born. And I just couldn't stop thinking about how I had left you behind, and that it was all my fault." 

"Riley," he said again, pulling her into his arms. "You were the one who was abandoned, Riley. Not me. I understand why you did what you did. It wasn't your fault." 

"Liam ..." 

"Riley, I know how difficult it was for you. How painful. But I am so glad that you found the strength to return to me, and with our son. You are a wonderful mother, and I can't imagine my life without you and William in it."

"I love you, Liam,"her lip quivering. 

"And I love you, Riley," he replied. "More Than you will ever know."

"Always," she whispered, resting her head on his shoulder. 

"Always, my love." 

The two of them stood there, watching the sun set over the water, holding each other close. 

"It's beautiful, isn't it?"  Liam turned to kiss Riley's forehead.

"Yes. It is." 

Liam looks down and smiled. "I have a surprise for you." 

Leading Riley further along the bridge she sees a wicker basket sitting on the paving stones. Liam pulls a small blanket from the basket and spreads it out. As she settled down on the blanket, Liam pulled a bottle of champagne from the basket, followed by two flutes, a loaf of crisp bread, and several rounds of cheese. 

Riley smiled. "Wow, Liam. This is quite the spread. And very familiar." 

Liam deftly pops the cork and pours two glasses of champagne. He hands one to Riley, and then raises his own. 

"To you, Riley. The most unforgettable woman I've ever met." 

"To you, Liam. Meeting you changed my life. But out of all the places I've been and the things I've done since then, the best part has been getting to know you." 

"That's more of a toast than I deserve, Riley, but, thank you." 

Clinking glasss they each take a sip. There is a faint hint of mint and lemon to the cool, bubbly drink. 

"Liam, how long have you been planning this?"

"A few days." 

Riley sips her champagne. The sweet and bubbly alcohol is warming. 

"How did you manage to sneak a whole picnic out here without anyone seeing you?" 

Liam chuckles. "A king can do many things." 

"Like bribe the French palace staff?" 

Liam laughs. "Perhaps. But no, I was simply able to utilize my authority. And I can assure you, no one will disturb us. This bridge is closed to traffic." 

Riley looked up at him, incredulous. "How did you manage that?" 

"With great difficulty." Liam winks mischievously. 

She raised her eyebrows. 

"I have connections," Liam says with a smirk. 

"So, you pulled some strings, and now we have a private bridge all to ourselves?" 

"Indeed." Liam responds sheepishly.

Riley took another sip of champagne. "I must say, this is quite impressive." 

"I thought it would be nice to have a moment alone together, away from prying eyes and listening ears."

"I'm glad you did."  Riley giggled.

"Good," Liam says, pouring more champagne into her glass. 

"So, what do we have here?" 

"Well, we have champagne, of course," Liam says, motioning to the bottle. "And then we have some delicious cheese, courtesy of France. And a fresh baguette, still warm from the bakery." 

"This is amazing, Liam. Thank you." 

"It's my pleasure, Riley." 

Once the food is gone and the blanket and glasses are put away, Liam takes the basket under one arm and offers you the other.  

"I believe tradition requires that we continue our evening with a stroll, my lady." 

As Liam and Riley walked along the Seine, more and more locks could be seen hooked through the railing.

As she looked down at the locks, Riley couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness in her heart. 

They were symbols of love and hope and somewhere in the sea of locks, Riley knew their lock was still locked in place. She bent down to take a closer look.

A reminder her of a time she had tried so hard to forget. 

...Remember When... 

"Thank you, Riley. With so little permanence in this world, there will always be this little lock on this bridge just for the two of us. I want to believe it will be here forever, no matter what else happens to us." 

Riley's eyes filled with tears with this memory from years ago.   

"Riley, my love..." 

Wiping her tears she stood and turned ...and gasped --as she watched Liam drop down onto one knee before her. 

"Liam?" 

"Riley, you are my heart and soul. You're the reason I wake up every morning. You're the reason I smile. I cannot imagine a life without you by my side. You've stood beside me through the hardest moments of my life, and you've never once wavered. You've given me the strength to face my fears, and you've shown me that true love can conquer anything. I want to spend the rest of my life showing you how much I love you." 

He opened his hand, and she saw a small, black velvet box sitting on his palm. 

"Liam ..." 

With steady hands, he opened the box to reveal a stunning diamond engagement ring. 

"Riley Louise, will you marry me?" 

"Yes!" She exclaimed. "Yes! ... A thousand times, yes!" 

"Really?" 

"Of course," she tearfully replied. 

Liam beamed as he slid the ring onto her finger. 

"I love you, Riley." 

"I love you too, Liam." 

Tears ran down her cheeks as she leaned forward, kissing him passionately. 

She was his. 

Forever. 

As they kissed, her heart was bursting with joy. 

This was the happiest moment of her life. 

They stood on the bridge for what felt like hours, locked in each other's arms. 

"So, we're really going to do this, huh?"  Liam looked intentedly at Riley, trying to stop his smile.

"What, get married?"  Riley giggled.

"Yeah," he said. "It seems crazy, but I've never been surer of anything."  Liam started to kiss down the side of her neck, pausing to gently nip her skin.

"Ohhhhh .... me neither."  Riley moaned as he squeezed her ass pulling her flush against him.

"Let's get out of here," he growled, leading Riley back to the hotel.

Fontainebleau cliff (outside Paris)

At Maxwell’s request, William, along with his nephew Bartie was joining Drake for a camping trip outside of the city...on the condition that Bastien would be included...at Liam's insistence.

"This is going to be great," Maxwell said. "I can't wait for a boys' night." 

After a few hours of driving, and a long hike later ... Maxwell, Drake, William, Bartie and Bastien arrive at a cliff overlooking the lake. 

Maxwell sets his backpack down. "All right, guys. Let's make camp." 

"I thought you said we were going camping," Bartie says. 

"This is camping," Maxwell replies. 

"No, this is a cliff. There are no trees or tents or anything." 

"We're in the middle of nature. What more do you need?" 

"Um, a place to sleep?"  Bartie replies dryly.

"I got that covered," Drake says, pulling a bundle of canvas from his backpack. He unfolds the fabric, revealing a large tent. 

"You brought a tent?" Maxwell asks. 

"Of course. What did you think we were going to do, sleep under the stars?" 

"Well, yeah."  Maxwell answered.

Drake shook his head, thinking it was a good idea to teach these nobles a thing of two about camping.

"No way. That's how you get eaten by bears." 

William looked up at Bastien, questioningly. 

"Don't worry, William," Bastien says. "I have an excellent track record for keeping the royal family safe from bears." 

"Okay, everyone. Let's get this tent set up," Drake rolled his eyes knowing he had to take the lead. 

With the tent secured, the group thrn gathered wood to start a fire. 

"Now, we can finally start having fun," Maxwell says. 

"First things, first... who is hungry?" 

William and Bartie look up at Drake.

"We are," they reply in unison. 

"Who wants s'mores?" Drake grins. 

"Yum," William exclaims. 

"I don't know what that is, but I'm in," Bartie adds. 

"S'mores are a camping classic. They're made with marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers. I guess your father hasn't taken you camping yet?" Drake shakes his head at Bartie.

"Ha, too funny!" Maxwell laughs. "Drake is an expert on s'mores." 

"What do you mean?" William asks. 

"Well," Maxwell begins. "S'mores are the only food that your uncle Drake can make. So, when we go camping, we have a lot of them." 

"That's not true," Drake scoffs. "I can cook other things, too. Like, hot dogs. And hamburgers." 

"You heat those things up. That doesn't count," Maxwell argues. 

"Okay, fine. But I can make a mean cup of coffee over the fire." 

"That's true," Maxwell admits. "But you still can't cook anything else." 

"Whatever," Drake says, rolling his eyes. 

The group laughs as they begin to roast their marshmallows over the crackling fire. 

Thank you for reading, tags are in the comments. Please let me know if you would like to be added or removed from tags.

@choicesficwriterscreations

[cowboybarzy]

enchanted to meet you — mat barzal

this was requested a long time ago and I finally got around the writing it <3 based on ‘enchanted’ by taylor swift

word count: 1.6k

"there I was again tonight. forcing laughter, faking smiles; same old tired, lonely place vanished when I saw your face."

Another weekend, another fundraiser. Even since moving out of your parents place they still somehow managed to drag you to their functions that they insisted on attending. Like you didn't have better things to do. All night you were forced to make small talk, fake smiles, and laugh at incredibly insensitive jokes. Though the room was filled with people, you always felt lonely.

That was until you saw the handsome stranger across the room. He didn't notice you at first, but as you made the rounds talking to people and getting closer to him, you caught his attention. The brunette looked devilishly attractive in the black suit he was wearing and his crooked smile only brought more attention to him. His longish hair looked soft, enough to wonder what it would feel like to run your hand through it.

When your parents moved past the group the stranger belonged to, it only confirmed your theory that he was new. You had been to enough of these events that you could recognized people, if only by their looks, but if your parents didn't know them, that really meant these were new people. And you were immediately attacked. The group he belonged to looked on average much younger than the rest of the people here and you really could use more people your age at these things.

As you made smalltalk, your gaze kept finding his. You looked around to see if there was a girl with him, but you couldn't see one, so you smiled when he winked at you. You were nowhere near confident enough to go up to talk to him, especially in front of your family, no matter how desperate you were to get to know him and get away from these boring people.

So you made your way to the only good thing that came out of these charity events. The open bar.

"you're eyes whisper have we met. across the room your silhouette starts to make its way to me. the playful conversation starts. counter all your quick remarks."

"Uf. Not a fan this shindig, eh?" You swallowed the tequila and slammed the shot glass back on the countertop. You directed your attention to the guy asking you that question and were surprised to find it was the handsome stranger. The tequila (or more likely him because he was much prettier up close) made you cough, unladylike, a few times as the air got stuck in your throat. "You ok?"

"Yeah, sorry." You tried to laugh it off and thankfully he did too.

"Can I buy you an actual drink now?" One of his eyebrows lifted, the same time one corner of his lips did.

"Uhm. This is an open bar," you responded with a chuckle, but internally screamed at why on earth this had to be an open bar. Guys rarely came up to you to ask you to buy you a drink. And now one time they did, it was an open bar?

"Oh, right." It was his turn to blush, but his smile didn't fade. He leaned in and a wave of his cologne swept over you. "Can I order you a drink then?"

You nodded, intoxicated by his scent, and somehow you were able to tell him your order. "Long Island iced tea."

He chuckled for a second then went to grab the bartenders attention. "One Long Island for the lady and a rum and coke for me, please." He turned back to you when the bartender confirmed the order. “So, what are you doing here if don’t really want to be here?”

“My parents,” you answered with a sigh. “They’re in this whole scene and they happen a lot and for some reason they drag me to every single one, even though they’re always the same. ‘But socializing is so important’,” you imitated your mother. “It’s always the same people and same conversations though.”

“That’s rough, I’m sorry. I’m not really here by choice either.”

“Huh, who made you go? I’ve never seen you here before.”

“My organization. They always pick a charity event for us to attend before the season starts. Oh, I play hockey,” he answered your confused look, to which you then nodded.

“Ice hockey? Professional?” He nodded. Impressive.

“That’s fun. What team?”

“Islanders.” You really had no clue about hockey, not more than what you had picked up at games your brother took you to, but one thing you did know was the Islanders/Rangers rivalry.

“That’s not the blue and red team, right?” He brought his hand to his heart, as if he’d just been shot. You laughed and shrugged innocently. “Ah, the other New York team.”

He acted more hurt, but still had that beautiful smile on his face the entire time. “A rangers ran, eh? The prettiest girl here, who I thought could make this night more bearable had to be a rangers fan.” He shook his head in disappointment, while still obviously being sarcastic. The ‘pretty’ comment definitely made your heartbeat increase, but you ignored it.

“I’m just joking. I really don’t know that much about hockey. My brother is a rangers fan though, so I’ve been to a few games.” He nodded, understanding. The bartender finally placed your drinks in front of you and you happily picked it up.

“So I still have a shot?,” he asked, leading you away from the bar.

“I don’t know. I heard hockey players are kind of douchy.” He laughed out loud again and you already knew you would never be able to hear enough of it.

“May I convince you otherwise?”

“Go ahead, my night can only get better.” You both smiled.

“I’m Mat, by the way.”

“(Y/n).”

“This night is sparkling, don't you let it go. I'm wonderstruck, blushing all the way home. I'll spend forever wondering if you knew. I was enchanted to meet you.”

And by the end of the night he had definitely proved you wrong. He was far from douchy and much sweeter than you had imagined. You had talked all night, with little interruptions, about anything and everything. He told you a bit more about his hockey story, which you found so fascinating since he knew from a young age what he wanted to be and never gave up until he made it. But mostly he showed a lot of interest in you. It was crazy how much you could get to know someone in such a short time.

Unfortunately, when he took a short bathroom break, your mother came to get you to go home. “I’m in the middle of something,” you tried to argue to stay just a few minutes longer so you could get Mat’s info.

“I don’t care, (y/n). I have a headache. Let’s go.” You saw your father standing a few feet behind her, signaling you to move it. So with one last glance toward to empty hallway where the bathrooms were, you did.

Disappointed, you followed your parents out the doors and into the car that would bring you back home. “Don’t think I didn’t see you talking to that guy,” your brother whispered, knowing that if he brought it up in front of your parents they’d make a big deal. “That’s Mat Barzal. How on earth did you get his attention? And also, please don’t date him, he’s an Islander.”

You blushed and smiled at the mention of his name, but it soon turned sour when you remembered you left without at least saying goodbye. You didn’t want him to think that you ditched him. And you had no way of contacting now.

At home, you spent a bit more time than probably appropriate googling him and stalking his instagram. You thought about dming him, but you figured that he must get hundreds of dms every day and that he wouldn’t see it. Maybe he didn’t even care or would even recognize your handle or profile picture. So with deep regret, you didn’t, and went to sleep with his smile on your mind and his laugh echoing in your ears.

“This is me praying that. This was the very first page. Not where the story line ends. My thoughts will echo your name, until I see you again.”

Days then weeks went by without seeing or hearing from Mat. But that didn’t mean that you didn’t think about him. A lot reminded you of him and you were still amazed at that fact since you had only spent a few hours with him. But you had started watching some of his hockey games and seeing him in his uniform definitely made it harder to forget him.

You had almost already given up on ever seeing him again until one day, a little over two weeks after meeting him, when you went to your parents house for dinner. You sat through the entire dinner, almost done with desert when your mother spoke up. “Oh, honey, I almost forgot to tell you. Some guy from the other night has been asking around for you. I guess you didn’t give him your number or something.”

Your gaze snapped up to meet hers. There was only one guy you talked to who didn’t have a way to contact you. “Who?”

“Mat something. You know him?” Your smile grew twice its normal size and you could hear your brother laugh from across the table.

“Yes, I know him.”

[oceandirtcountry]

I think there’s some lore for my crossover AU I need to get out because it’s getting confusing even for myself:

The Ninja (Randy Cunningham, 9th Grade Ninja): The First Ninja, aka Finja, was a well respected warrior who hailed from Norrisville, a small town on the outskirts of Vale. Finja single-handedly held off hordes off Grimm on his own, and bested the Sorcerer, who was turning people into Grimm (by stanking them, since Grimm are attracted to negative emotions, so with enough negative emotions and a push from the gas, you can become a Grimm too! This’ll be important later.)

He kept Vale safe for years, especially during Ozpin’s lack of showing due to his depression. Eventually, after Ozpin gave his power to the Maidens, Ozpin also imparted some of his Semblance onto Finja, allowing him to pass on his learnings and his abilities to the next generation until a Ninja became powerful enough to stop Salem.

He fought alongside Ozpin in the Great War and was the catalyst for victory, and ended up dying of old age.

Randy Cunningham is the most recent to iteration of the Ninja, and Ozpin has found that the combined abilities of the Ninjas who came before him could very well be enough to stop Salem, but he needs a push. With the Sorcerer’s return and new threats, Randy needs all the help he can get.

The Omnitrix, Ascalon, and Map of Infinity (Ben 10):

Azmuth created the Ascalon as a show of his genius. However, after misuse, he brought great destruction to his galaxy, and looked to use it for good. He brought it to the backwater planet known as Earth during the Great War, and it was the reason why Ozpin was able to slay the Dagon and stop Salem from winning.

However, unhappy that it simply brought peace to one planet and would not bring his lover back, he left the Ascalon on earth for Ozpin to guard. The Ascalon then became The Relic of Destruction.

He then went on to create the Omnitrix, with the same backstory as the original series, with it being meant for Grandpa Max. It was found by ten year old Ben Tennyson, who was at first hesitant to touch it, but used it as a last resort when he was cornered by Grimm in a forest, starting a forest fire with Heatblast.

The map of infinity was hidden by Professor Paradox in an attempt to keep the forge of creation away from anyone who wished to abuse its power. The map can only be found once a question is asked to the Relic of Knowledge, an all-knowing genie who can answer any three questions once every hundred years.

Ben, Yang, Kevin and Gwen eventually race against Aggregor to find the map pieces, and team up shortly with Weiss and Randy to obtain the relic before going their separate ways once again, and meeting up much later with everyone in the big showdown.

The Nanite event (Generator Rex): As if Vacuo didn’t have it bad enough, the nanite experimentation facility was on a remote island near Vacuo. When attempting to cure a sick Rex Salazar, his parents accidentally unleashed a devastating nanite explosion. However, the nanites were contained by Atlas troops with powerful magnets and force fields, sealing the island off and labelling it “The Bug Jar.”

A young Rex eventually bursts out of the jar and wreaks havoc on Vacuo with his awakened Evo form, even turning many Grimm into hyper charged EVOs. He’s then found by Six and brought into the Providence wing of the Atlas military, specialised to deal with Earthly threats too dangerous for the normal military, to be trained with his abilities to cure EVOs, in a building on the very edge of the Bug Jar.

Rex hates his life there, and he enrols into beacon academy to become a Huntsman.

Summer Rose, the greatest Huntress that ever lived (RWBY): In an attempt to stop Salem, Summer storms Salem’s castle with a little help from Raven and a time-hopping Ben Tennyson, who’s trying to track down Maltruant in the Time War.

The trio are on the cusp of succeeding, but Salem reveals her secret weapon: an alliance with the Sorcerer.

Ben goes Clockwork as Maltruant tackles him into the time stream once again, leaving Summer to fend for herself, which is a huge mistake. She ends up losing quite horribly to the combined forces, and is kept alive for experiments on how to turn humans into Grimm.

Summer eventually becomes The Hound, a hyper-intelligent Grimm capable of tearing apart armies. With the abilities of Ghostfreak and Pesky Dust, plus Ruby’s silver eyes, Ben and Ruby manage to pull Summer out of the Hound and give Ruby her mom back.

Oh wait Invincible

I think I’ll just call it the CookieCross AU, since the fic I made is called cookies.

[bumblesimagines]

Midnight Beach

Part 10

Request: Yes or No

Switched out the gator scene cause it was so unnecessary and dumb and obviously just for shock value

Taglist: @nathan-no @ash455 @hyubg

~~~

"Hold on! I see somethin'." Lifting a large stick over his head, JJ neared the water and brought down the stick to smack the water. Nothing in the water moved and he hummed quietly. (Y/N) let out a mix between a snort and a sigh, rubbing the bridge of his nose. It was like supervising kids on a field trip that just happened to be in a potentially gator-infested swamp and with kids that just seemed to attract danger from every corner. He placed a hand on his hip and met JJ's eyes, lifting his brows at the blonde. 

"I was jus' making sure it wasn't a gator, alright? If you spook 'em-"

"Yeah, okay, I believe you." (Y/N) waved him off and chuckled, reaching out to tug on his arm and pull him away from the water. JJ shook the water off his stick- Lord knows where he even got it from- and continued trekking forward after Kiara and Pope. Despite finding JJ's gator-warding tactics strange and unwarranted, he couldn't help but eye the murky water for movement. JJ Maybank might've been the last person to get facts from, but (Y/N) believed him about the gators. Better to be safe than in a hospital trying to explain just how exactly one of them got bit. 

Glancing over his shoulder, he noticed Sarah and John B trailing behind them. None of his concern, he told himself. They were all single and if Sarah wanted John B, then he'd support her decisions. Cause that's what friends did. Supported each other. Even when John B glared at him with all the animosity in the world. (Y/N) believed full-heartedly that the Pogue wanted nothing more than to make him gator food and woo Sarah back into his arms. But, considering how Sarah quickened her pace and smiled at him sweetly, John B's chances lowered with each passing minute. 

"Hey," Pope quietly called back to them and raised a finger to his lips, nodding toward the sound of machinery. The rest of the Pogues huddled up behind him, peeking through the thick foliage and spotting what was causing the ruckus. Rafe and Limbrey had brought out a truck and a small red excavator to the base of the tree. Limbrey herself leaned against the hood of her light olive-colored car and watched from afar as her nephew, Rafe, and a few other men did the work for her. Her nephew brought out a chair for her to sit on, quietly speaking to her. 

Carla Limbrey looked just as frail as the others had described her. She was an older woman, likely a couple years older than their parents, but her voice was soft and still sounded youthful. She appeared skinny, even through her large cardigan and her hands were thin and bony, showing just how much her illness impacted her. Alone she looked far from a threat. She looked kind even. But her nephew, Renfield, had an air of danger to him with rugged features and a cocky smirk seemingly always planted on his face. 

The sight of Rafe among them made (Y/N)'s skin crawl and he took in a deep breath, trying to keep his focus off the volatile blonde he once called a friend and on the other two. Reinfield took out a chair from the back of the car and took Limbrey closer to the dig site where they had already dug considerably. As she went to sit down, the excavator hit something and she quickly called for them to stop, taking back her crutches and using them as the men hopped down into the hole. 

"Denmark put it in a casket." Limbrey laughed breathily. "Come on, get it up." 

The men heaved the wooden casket out of the hole and carefully set it beside Limbrey. Rafe and Renfield cracked the casket open and tossed the dirt-covered lid aside, only to fall deathly silent. Limbrey stared down into the casket, the excitement draining from her face into disappointment and embarrassment. She leaned back up and shook her head. 

"We're going back to the island room! It's not over!" She called back to the men and walked back to her car, settling into the passenger seat and hanging her crutches off to her nephew. Renfield placed them in the back and got in the driver's seat as Carla began weeping. Rafe helped the other men load up the excavator and watched them drive off before getting into his own car and following them. Once the car drove out of view, Pope pushed his way through the foliage and made his way toward the casket. The others followed and stopped a few feet away once they caught sight of the skeleton inside. 

"This is Cecilia Tanny, Demark's wife," Pope murmured, staring solemnly at her bones before taking a few steps toward the Angel Oak and looking up at it. "He wasn't talking about the cross. He buried her at the foot of the angel."

"The true treasure." Kiara sighed softly. "His wife." 

Pope turned back toward the casket and fell to his knees, his dark eyes flooding with tears. His friends moved toward him, crouching down around the casket and looking toward Pope. "Denmark was hung for burying his wife, and now they defiled her grave..." He whispered, gazing over the bones of his ancestor as tears slipped down his cheeks. He sniffled and wiped his nose with the sleeve of his jacket, lifting his head to look over them. "We can't leave her like this."

"We won't." John B assured him and stood up, dusting off his jeans and nodding to JJ.

Together, the two lifted the lid of the casket back up from the ground and gently settled it back down, lightly tapping it to ensure it would break but would remain sealed. (Y/N) stepped back and walked toward some wildflowers, picking them until he had a small bouquet. He returned to Pope and handed them over to him, getting a thankful smile from him. Pope leaned down and set the flowers on top of the casket. Climbing down into the hole, JJ reached his hands up as (Y/N) and John B picked up the casket and lowered it down. JJ kept his hands underneath it until it settled back down into its rightful place before climbing out of the hole and using the discarded shovel to toss the dirt back into the ground. John B used the spare time to head back and drive the van over to the tree while the girls sat down and watched. 

"I-I-I just don't get it." Pope sputtered suddenly. "I mean, you guys saw the map. He hides his gold so no one finds it for a hundred and seventy years. And then he sends a message to his son Robert to come here to his mother's grave, but the message never gets to him. Denmark wanted him to find the cross. I know we're in the right spot. It just feels-"

"Like we missed something?" JJ finished for him, staring up at the tree and walking toward it. Using the open window of the van door, he climbed up onto the roof of the van and pointed at a hole in the trunk of the tree as Kiara climbed up to stand beside him. "This looks like-"

"The painting in the island room."

"It's worth a shot, right?" JJ grinned down at them and rolled his shoulders. (Y/N) pressed his lips together and contemplated reminding them that any sort of small animal could've made it its home but by the time he decided it'd be best to remind JJ, he'd already stuck his hand inside. He dug around for a moment before suddenly screaming and squirming. Immediately, everyone sprung forward but abruptly stopped when JJ buckled over and cackled.

"Seriously?" Kiara huffed.

"Oh, man! I got all of you on that one." He snickered. "Wait, but seriously, there's something in here." JJ dug further into the hole and pulled out a faded red and brown cylinder.

"Give it here." Pope reached up and took it from JJ, rubbing away the dirt and dust that had collected to read the writing on it. "HMS Royal Merchant-"

"Give it to the captain." JJ scrambled off the roof of the van and snatched the cylinder out of Pope's hand, extending the cylinder further. "It's a spyglass." 

"There's an inscription right there. Look at that shit!" John B laughed and took the spyglass out of JJ's hands, pointing at the black writing on its side. Pope squinted down at it, brushing away more dust and dirt.

"'Do not falter. The cross is on the Freedman's altar.'"

Pursing his lips, (Y/N) crossed his arms and tilted his head. "Pretty sure that's like almost word for word what I said back in the island room but instead ya'll decided to come to this big ass tree. Hm, interesting."

"Yeah, yeah, you were right, okay?" Kiara laughed and swung her arms around him, causing the two to stumble slightly. Sarah's eyes snapped over to the two, lips twitching downward. "We'll listen to you next time, alright?" Kiara giggled and climbed into the back of the van with Pope. (Y/N) followed in afterward and left space between them for Sarah, watching the blonde get inside and plop down. Pope closed the door and John B drove off, heading back onto the dirt road. But they didn't get very far.

"Ah, crap." John B slowed the van down and when (Y/N) peered around Pope, he noticed the road had been submerged under the slowly growing tide. "The road's gone."

"Tide rose faster than I thought it would," JJ murmured before turning to his friend. "How high are the spark plugs?"

"Hate to be a downer but I'm pretty sure not even my jeep would survive going through that, and it was built for shit like this." 

"It'll be fine, Kook Prince. The spark plugs are just above the taillight which means they're like... three feet high. The water isn't going to be three feet deep. We're fine. We're good. Just sit tight, hold onto something, and enjoy the ride." John B tightened his hands around the steering wheel and (Y/N) leaned back into the seat, arms crossing over his chest again.

JJ whispered a quick prayer and John B stepped on the gas pedal, steering the van directly into the water. (Y/N) grabbed onto the side of the van and pushed his feet into the ground, feeling Sarah wrap her arms around his and squeeze her eyes shut. Water and mud flew up the sides of the van and the group shouted a mixture of encouragement and cheers but soon the water proved too much and John B barreled the van off the side of the road.

"I think we miscalculated." Pope breathed out, opening the van door and looking down at the brown water. He sighed and climbed out, cringing as the water seeped into his shoes and soaked the bottom of his pants. (Y/N) followed him out, groaning quietly at the immediate feeling of soaked socks. He took in a deep breath and walked through the water, following Pope to the trunk that he popped open as the others gathered. 

"Maybe we can walk from here?" Pope suggested.

"What? And leave the Twinkie?" (Y/N) didn't bother asking. "The tide's coming in!"

"What are we supposed to do then?" Sarah asked, running her hands through her hair. The bottom of her jeans had turned a dark blue and it'd lightly only be a matter of time before her small white cardigan changed color. Kiara rolled her lips into her mouth and inhaled heavily, brushing some curls out of her face and turning to look at them. 

"I can take my dad's truck." She proposed with slumped shoulders. (Y/N) winced. It'd only been a few days since the Carreras had kicked out their only child. "How much worse can it get, you know?"

"We're going to need something to pull her out with. There's a winch at the Chateau. That's, like, two miles." JJ piped up and the two nodded at each other, gathering their belongings and walking back in the direction they had originally come from. (Y/N) watched them disappear down the road and turned toward the remaining Pogues. 

"Is this how this stuff usually goes?"

"Pretty much." Pope nodded and sat down in the trunk, lifting his feet out of the water and taking off his wet shoes.

"I don't know, man. This time I feel like we got cursed bringing a Kook with us." 

"I can't control the tide, Routledge. This would've happened with or without me here." (Y/N) muttered and eyed the steady flow of water that would undoubtedly sink the van, or rather, the Twinkie. Pope slipped his socks off his feet and squeezed out the water, putting his shoes back on and letting the socks dry in the trunk. Sarah took the opportunity to climb onto the roof of the van to prevent her clothes from getting drenched any further. She reached down and squeezed as much water as possible out of her jeans, shaking her hands afterward and sighing. Using the still-open trunk, (Y/N) climbed onto it and heaved himself up onto the roof of the van. He lifted his legs and watched the water spill out of his sneakers with a crinkled nose. 

"These were my most comfortable shoes too." He mumbled and Sarah snorted quietly, gently bumping her shoulder against his.

"You'll live, I'm sure." Her lips formed a smile, fingers tucking her hair behind her ear when it blew lightly in her face. She cupped her hands in her lap and rubbed her lips together in thought. (Y/N) quirked a brow.

"What?"

"Nothin', I.. I was surprised at how close you and Kie seem."

"You know she used to follow Liv and me around the academy constantly when she still attended, right? She only stopped cause she met you and then... whatever happened between you two happened and she switched schools. She wasn't timid but she wasn't exactly outspoken either. It was cute having a freshman linger around and try to fit in with the 'older kids'." (Y/N) smiled fondly at the memories. When Kiara first enrolled at the academy, she instantly gravitated toward Liv due to her extroverted and opinionated nature. But (Y/N) and Liv were still older than her and often had other things going on which pushed the brunette toward Sarah Cameron. "Things changed over time but it's easy to fall back into the old routine. I guess I'm the one following her around this time." 

Sarah hummed and brought her knees to her chest. "I freaked out on her. That's what happened between us. I felt like she got too close, expected too much from me, so I stopped inviting her to things and just... ignored her. It was shitty, I know. The guys tricked us into hanging out alone and we talked about everything. She forgave me and all, but I still feel guilty about it."

"What matters now is how you treat her going forward. The past is in the past. All we can do now is change how we act toward others." Sarah nodded at his words, fingers toying them with the hems of her jeans. (Y/N) raised his hands and gently stroked the back of her head before dropping his arms to his thighs and gazing down at the dark water. It'd begun lapping up the sides of the van and still no sign of Kiara and JJ.

"I feel like they're taking a minute. How long does it take to go two miles and back in a car?" Pope asked, staring out toward the road. "Should I go look for them? Should I go find them and bring them back?"

"Better we stick together." (Y/N) called out to him as he began muttering under his breath about his two friends. "Don't want to turn this adventure into a horror movie." Sarah giggled under her breath and turned to look at him, eyes briefly flickering down to John B. The brunette watched the two of them but quickly looked away when Sarah noticed him. (Y/N) watched Pope trudge back to them, notably struggling with the water weighing his clothes down. 

"Okay, okay. So, here's something we can do. We can maybe find something to leverage the Twinkie, and you can drive it out." Pope proposed to John B.

"Let's do driftwood."

"Yeah, driftwood will work." Pope nodded and turned around, walking through the water in search of wood. John B went in the opposite direction, pushing around branches and checking over any wood that could possibly work in getting the Twinkie out of the water. (Y/N) and Sarah watched them from the safety of the van, keeping an eye on both boys in case they needed help. John B waddled into deeper water and suddenly tripped, going under for a brief second before reemerging completely drenched and gasping for air. 

"Shit! I think I broke my ankle!" He shouted, wet hair covering his eyes and face.

"Good God, this is what we're working with?" (Y/N) groaned and pushed himself off the roof, landing in the water with a splash that made his shoulders sag. He raised his hand to stop Sarah from following him and walked through the water toward the brunette, feeling the water creep up his jacket and shirt. The moment he got home he was going to stand under the shower for a solid ten minutes just to ensure the grime from the swamp washed off.

Yanking John B up, the Pogue hissed and stumbled again, grabbing onto him for a split second before realizing it was him and pushing him back. "I don't need-"

"Shut up, Routledge." (Y/N) hissed quietly, grabbing his arm to keep him steady before reaching down into the water, soaking the ride side of his body and his jaw. He blindly felt around the bottom of the water, grabbing dirt and even feeling the scale of a fish dart by before he felt John B's ankle and a root. He gave the root a hard pull and straightened up, swinging John B's arm around his shoulder. "You tripped on a root."

"I-"

"Come on." (Y/N) rubbed a leaf off his cheek and loosely wrapped his arm around John B's waist, looking toward the van only to notice something drifting by a few feet in front of them. He swallowed, spotting the bumps and ridges along the back of it. JJ was right. There were gators lurking around. He squeezed John B's side and jerked his chin in the direction of the gator, hearing him inhale sharply and tense against him. 

"Holy shit.."

"Just stay quiet and don't make sudden movements. I-I don't know how gators work but I know running or splashing around will get its attention." (Y/N) whispered to him and walked slowly toward the van, keeping an eye on the gator in case it changed course and headed toward them. Luckily for them, once they got closer, it rapidly swam away and disappeared underwater. (Y/N) quickened his pace, practically dragging the limping Pogue with him. Sarah moved and reached down toward them just as Pope returned.

"You okay, JB?" Pope asked, helping (Y/N) push the teen up onto the roof of the van. John B grunted softly in response and shifted around, sitting up and tugging off his boot. (Y/N) winced at the swelling around his ankle and climbed up to sit beside him, carefully taking his leg into his hands and inspecting it.

"Yeah, no, it's definitely a sprain. If it were broken there'd be a sign of bone sticking out of place." (Y/N) lightly pressed down on his ankle and John B swatted at his arm with a scowl. "Just keep it elevated and get an ice pack on it when we get back."

"We've got Doctor (Y/N) here. You'll be okay." Sarah laughed quietly.

"Might as well try to become a doctor at this rate." (Y/N) shrugged off his jacket, practically having to peel it off his skin. He squeezed out as much water as possible from it, shaking it lightly over the water and resting it over the roof of the van to dry. John B leaned back against his arms and sighed, pulling himself back to keep his legs straight. Pope raised a brow at him, eyes bouncing over to (Y/N) and back to John B. Pursing his lips, John B rolled his eyes and tugged on the back of (Y/N)'s shirt to get his attention.

"Thanks for, uh... helping me." 

"Oh, and speak of the freaking devil. Look who it is. The tortoise and the tortoise." (Y/N) looked away from John B and spotted Mike's familiar truck backing up down the road toward them. It stopped just near the water and out hopped Kiara and JJ. Pope scoffed at them. "Where the hell were you guys?!"

"Paternal complications," Kiara answered, closing the car door.

"Luke was at the Chateau," JJ replied grimly and took the winch out of the back, swinging it over his shoulder and approaching the edge of the water. 

"Oh, great, while you were having family bonding time with your pops, John B nearly broke his ankle!" Pope shouted at them and the two reeled back, finally noticing the pained expression on John B's face. 

Scratching the end of his eyebrow, (Y/N) pursed his lips. "That's an exaggeration..."

"The hell happened?"

"I/He almost broke my/his ankle!" Pope and John B shouted at the same time, causing Kiara to scoff and raise her arm toward the truck she had to steal from her own father. JJ glanced frantically between them, mouth opening and closing as he tried coming up with something to defuse the situation and calm everyone.

"I dunno why I'm being yelled at! I put my ass on the line. We got here as fast as we could." Kiara's response only ignited more yelling from the two boys, followed by Sarah and Kiara chiming in. (Y/N) remained silent and tilted his head back to look up at the tall trees towering over them. He had nothing of importance to add to the argument nor did he feel like putting an end to it. John B wildly pointed down to his swollen ankle while Pope and Sarah shouted about them taking their sweet time. In return, Kiara shouted about having to steal the truck and needing to help JJ with his dad. 

Finally, JJ shouted pleadingly, "Shut up!" The desperation in his voice made them clamp their mouths shut and (Y/N) looked back down at him. "Seriously, guys, I can't take it anymore. Everyone cut it out for a second. Look, I just helped my dad leave this island for good. Like, he's not ever coming back. He's straight-up like the Spanish. Just, "Bon voyage", you know?"

"That's... French." (Y/N) whispered as Kiara's face scrunched up in confusion and Pope and John B exchanged looks.

Regardless, JJ continued, "I know for a fact all I got is you guys, okay? You're it. And I've come too close to losing you, all of you. I mean, shit, like Kie almost drowned. Pope, you were kidnapped. Sarah, you've been shot, and (Y/N), I saw those bruises on your neck that night. We all know Rafe would've killed you eventually. And John B, how many times did Ward try killing you, bro? So, this blaming each other is some Kook-ass bullshit. We don't do that. We're Pogues. All of us. New and old." (Y/N) bowed his head, looking down at the brown water. Sarah placed her hand over his and when he lifted his gaze, she smiled at him. JJ sighed softly.

"Sorry, that was a lot right now. I didn't mean to..." JJ trailed off, suddenly looking like a shy kid when he kicked around some leaves and dirt with the tip of his boot.

"You ever thought about trying motivational speaking?" (Y/N) asked teasingly and the Pogues laughed, raising their hands and clapping for JJ. 

"Also, you should think about, like a Rosetta Stone because your Spanish and French are flip-flopped." In response to John B, JJ raised his hands and flipped him off with a small grin. 

With the previous tension gone and replaced with giddiness, (Y/N) and Pope helped John B get down from the roof and into the passenger seat of the Twinkie so he could rest his foot. JJ got the Twinkie tied to the Carrera's truck and climbed into the back, doing hand signals for Kiara once both cars were secured to one another. (Y/N) got in the back of the Twinkie, feeling a smile break out on his face when the van was slowly pulled out of the water and onto dry land. It sputtered a bit but with another try, it came back to life. JJ detached the cars from one another and got into the truck with Kiara, leading them back to Freedman's Church. 

Getting out of the cars and heading up the stairs of the church, Pope and JJ pulled open the old wooden doors that looked ready to fall apart at any second. They were greeted by dust and rotting wood that creaked and groaned when they stepped on it. The paint on the walls had long chipped off, leaving only parts of it still painted white. Spider webs covered just about every corner and the podiums had been pushed aside, the old blue cushions on them covered in dust and dirt. The church seemed smaller on the inside.

"You're telling me Denmark Tanny hid the cross here?" JJ questioned with an arched brow.

"Makes sense if you think about it. He had to hide it somewhere he knew his son would find it but somewhere his enemies wouldn't. He built this place, right? He put the cross back in a church where it belonged. He hid it in his church. Most people wouldn't think of defiling a holy place either, so even if his enemies came looking, they wouldn't dare tear down a church."

"(Y/N)'s right, guys. It's gotta be here somewhere. We just gotta think about a good hiding spot for a cross that isn't too obvious but not too hidden either." Pope said, approaching the podium and searching around for any sign of the cross. The Pogues spread out across the church, looking for rickety wooden boards, looking in at the smaller rooms, and searching underneath the remaining furniture. 

"What if we have to push a secret button or-or play, like, a certain chord, and then all of a sudden, the ground beneath us reveals the catacombs or something on which we stand?" JJ proposed, hovering his fingers over the small old web-covered piano and wiggling his brows. Kiara stared at him with knitted brows and rolled her eyes.

"Look, I can't see where they would hide a giant cross in here." John B admitted and braced himself against the wall, tucking his knee and keeping his foot off the ground. Pope shook his head, searching and combing the church more frantically.

"No, no, there's no way he would set us up on a freaking goose chase that would lead us to a church that has nothing!"

"Yes, I get it, Pope! I don't know what to tell you, man-"

"The clues led us here. The cross is in this church!" Pope replied, sitting down on one of the podiums and placing his arms over his knee, leg bouncing rapidly. His eyes snapped up to meet (Y/N). "Tell me everything you've said about the church again."

"Uh," (Y/N) licked his lips, glancing at the others and clearing his throat. "Denmark Tanny would've put the Santo Domingo cross in a church because it is a holy place, and if he were religious, he would've believed it was its rightful place. Moreover, he would've put it here at a church he built because he knew his son would be able to find it here easily while his enemies wouldn't because people back then were hyper-religious and wouldn't just tear down a church without facing-"

"They wouldn't be able to tear down the church," Pope repeated quietly, slowly rising up from his seat. "They wouldn't be able to tear down the church."

"Yeah... Are you okay?" 

"They weren't allowed to tear down the church! Denmark knew that! He must've hidden it within the church, like inside the walls or-" Pope stared upward at the ceiling. (Y/N)'s brows furrowed and he craned his neck up, following Pope's gaze and noticing them immediately. His jaw nearly went slack at the sight of the two support beams on both sides of the church that were in the shape of two crosses. Wordlessly, Pope stepped toward (Y/N) and cupped his face, pulling his gaze away from the crosses to plant a kiss on his lips before he stepped back as (Y/N) blinked rapidly. 

"Now... I need to get up there."

[spectrum-color]

PROPAGANDA

Fitz-was abandoned by his mother at 5 (I know she wasn’t given a choice but from his POV,) was forced to sleep in the barn with the animals, wasn’t given an actual name so adopted shorthand for bastard to call himself, was dressed in drab ill fitting clothes and neglected deliberately so he wouldn’t attract attention, never met his father, was told by his grandfather at 9 that his choices were to be a spy and assassin or to die, was forced into killing by the time he was a preteen, was rejected and abused by his foster father when he realized he was Witted, lost 2 Wit partners before he even hit puberty and accidentally became overly enmeshed with his 3rd, was discriminated against for having the Wit in the first place, was terrorized and eventually tortured to death by his jealous uncle, had suicidal ideation magically imprinted on his brain by an abusive teacher who also damaged his ability to do magic, didn’t meet his first daughter until she was a teenager, had his body used to conceive his cousin without his full consent and could never tell him the truth, accidentally fucked up his psyche by removing too many of his emotions by magic and became a dick until they were returned 16 years later, returned to his childhood home posing as a servant and resurfacing all of his trauma over not feeling like a real member of his family, lost his deeply enmeshed Wit partner and refused to ever find another one, fell in love with his male best friend in an intensely homophobic society, lost said best friend in a terrible way while fulfilling his dying wish and saving the world, brought the best friend back only for him to break off their bond and leave, didn’t see him for 30 years, had a slow developing second daughter he struggled to bond with, became a single dad to a child he didn’t know how to properly care for, accidentally nearly killed his homoerotic best friend who was frail and had been tortured into insanity, his daughter was abducted by the evil magic eugenics cult that did it while he was trying to save the friend, went on a suicidal revenge quest against the magic eugenics cult, his daughter experienced horrific traumas during this time and was hardened into the Destroyer, nearly drowned on cult island, was infected by body destroying parasites that ate him from the inside out, died while being gawked at by everyone as he tried to transfer his consciousness into a stone wolf with his gay bestie

The Fool-raised by loving parents for his first 20 years before they inadvertently dropped him off with an abusive cult, was isolated and faced physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, had a substitute parent figure abandon him when she I longer found him useful, was forcibly held down and tattooed with a full back piece, sold himself into slavery in order to escape, had faced such extensive sexual abuse that he expected to be raped his first night in his new location, shunned by most people who see him as a “freak,” beaten by the kings favorite son and his friends, loses his father figure and his only friend/Catalyst for his life’s work in one night, reunites with his friend/Catalyst who he has fallen in love with but has no choice but to leave him for 15 years shortly after, upon reuniting with him his friend finds out about his love for him and angrily rejects it and is openly disgusted by his sexuality and gender presentation, he finds out through prophecy that he’s going to die horribly but he can’t avoid it if he’s going to fulfill his mission, he reconciles with the man he loves only days before his murder, he is flayed alive while having his memories stolen, he’s brought back from the dead against his will by his best friend, said friend then wants him to play third wheel while he gets back with his ex girlfriend, a former White Prophet who he respects tells him that he needs to leave his friend forever or risk undoing his work, the former White Prophet takes him back to cult island where he is tortured into insanity over the course of 20 years, he escapes and travels the world blind and crippled and and nearly dead to return to his friend, he finds out that he has a daughter he never knew, the daughter is kidnapped by the same people who harmed him as a child and an adult, he is forced to return there to possibly face unspeakable horrors to have a chance at saving her, spends the whole mission becoming increasingly depressed and withdrawn, foresees that the man he loves will not survive the rescue, loses the love of his life and is immediately rejected by his daughter, returns with nothing left to live for, ultimately chooses to essentially commit suicide to be with his love

Bee-believed to be “simple” due to her slow development for most of her childhood, rejected by her peers, cared for almost exclusively by her mother until her death when Bee was only 9, once it was determined she can in fact learn ended up with an abusive tutor, from her perspective was left behind by her father in favor of his old friend who he had a suspiciously close relationship with, was abducted by a representative from an evil cult who sacked her home, was surrounded by rapists while trying to pass as a boy, was regularly beaten into submission over the course of several months, believed that her father had rejected her and no one would come for her, went on a killing spree that included setting a woman on fire, realized she was a prophesied figure known as the Destroyer, saw her father appear to die, found out that she has a second father who is from the same race of people who took her and wants to make her the White Prophet, found out her father who raised her is still alive only to see him be eaten alive by parasites, saw her second father choose to die to be with him after she told him that her father loved him more than her, seemingly vindicating everything she said

[mpregandproud]

Isaac (Part 9)

It has been four years since I gave birth to my quintuplets. Isaac and I moved to a bigger house where we could live with our children and also have more space for ourselves. Our life had stabilized a lot. We had both progressed in our jobs, enjoyed a family that was the envy of the world, and still loved each other as much as the first day.

Our deal with Lucas came through, I gave birth to two children. To thank us for the gesture we had with them they named them Daniel and Isaac, and we were named godparents. After them came Tom and Hugo, for whom I gestated triplets. And as the saying goes, there are no two without three, my friend Ray wanted to be a single father and asked me as a favor to gestate his baby, a beautiful girl. In a matter of five years I went through four pregnancies and gave birth to eleven babies, six of them Isaac's and mine. 

My parents and my sister did not fully understand my work as a surrogate. They didn't understand how, having a partner and being so happy, I could be carrying other people's babies. But I wanted to do our family a favor. And, well, not only that, Isaac and I enjoyed sex more than ever when I was pregnant. It was a win-win.

The idea of becoming parents again was always on our minds. With our children we discovered that we adore children. So after the third surrogate pregnancy we decided to stop for good and focus on ourselves. We had no shortage of requests to repeat the process, but there was no turning back, the decision was firm.

The first step in this new stage was to get married. We got engaged in the spring and the wedding was at the end of the summer. The ceremony was full of children, many of them carried my genes or grew in my belly. It was kind of like a family reunion.

Isaac wore a tight white suit that fit him like a glove. Since we met he has become even more handsome. In my case I wore blue, but my body is the proof of so many pregnancies. My hips, narrow when I played soccer, scream to the world that I have given birth to eleven babies. My chest, though it has decreased, is still much larger than it once was. And the belly is there. I tried to lose weight between pregnancies, but it was getting harder and harder. I'm lucky that Isaac, for some reason I don't quite understand, is extremely attracted to big bellies.

We tied the knot and went on our honeymoon to an island paradise. In the evenings we would escape to the beach to fuck between the sea waves and the sand under the moonlight. According to a local legend, the couple that came together between the moon and the sea would be graced with the greatest of gifts. 

When we returned home I was able to verify that the legend was completely true. In a routine check-up they found that I was pregnant. So many pregnancies later I no longer had morning sickness, so if it hadn't been for this test I wouldn't have found out I was going to be a dad again until a few months later. 

By the time I was three months along, I had a big, firm belly. I knew this meant I was expecting a lot of babies, but it wasn't until I was retested that we found out there were six children. We had them repeat the test, so that what happened last time wouldn't happen, and the second time the result was the same, six more children.

Happiness flooded our house. We enjoyed pregnancies so much for our friends in bed, but this was very different, these were our children. It was the best way to start our marriage, expanding this precious family we have formed.

Isaac is the man of my life, of that I have no doubt. He made me accept my true sexual orientation, and he made me discover that I could be a surrogate father. He has supported me in all my projects and loved me unconditionally. He has given me five beautiful children, which in a few months will be eleven. Can I ask for more? I am living in a dream from which I don't want to wake up.

Go to the second part of this story: Isaac II

[mamamittens]

Chieftess leader Nikia being offered allyship with Whitebeard and it goes about as well as you'd expect.

She doesn't believe him for shit, of course.

Not out of any personal issues with Whitebeard, but the Marines offered more or less the same thing before and look how that turned out. Doesn't matter that Whitebeard is explicitly against any slave trade in his territory, she refuses to put her people in danger by blindly assuming this total stranger has no ill intentions.

And Whitebeard would normally not push it, but we all know he's got a thing for stubbornness, and secretly soft hearted badasses. Especially when they're clearly lacking in parental guidance.

And it's not like he doesn't GET it, either.

(he swears it has nothing to do with the really weird, specialty booze and he's mostly honest about that)

So naturally he sets all his kids to making friends with the inhabitants.

She needs to trust them? Alright, that's fine. They can earn trust just fine!

And the folks living on both islands are pretty prickly and generally don't trust them. The kids are shooed indoors at the first hint of pirate presence. They may take their business, but even casual conversation is like pulling teeth.

And they naturally can't stay for too long, so it takes a few rounds for people to warm up.

Thatch makes good headway just being who he is, but the others are uniquely engaging in their own ways. He's still a bit fixated on Nikia specifically, which Izou scoffs at because, honestly, it figures that he'd be attracted to the most prickly, defensive, "looks like she could kill you and would" person on the island.

Not that Izou can't see a bit of it either. Mostly when she doesn't think any of them can see her.

She's very... Quiet when she's alone. Tired. Usually she's got a few kids begging to preen with her so she'll focus on them, but even then she's so clearly exhausted.

Like she just wasn't made for the pressure of leading but has to anyway.

Izou finds her once, relaxing in a wild hot spring, and immediately offers to leave.

Her eyes are sharper than ever and, despite being naked, Izou has the distinct impression she's no less dangerous. She huffs but otherwise doesn't dissuade him from being in her space so he joins her, keeping a respectful distance.

She doesn't relax once and Izou finds himself feeling... Off about that.

Like he was hoping she would let her guard down. But she didn't. Not for a second and... He realizes that she never has. Not for a long time.

And then he just feels bad for her.

Thatch, of course, completely agrees when asked if he noticed.

It takes about the third or fourth time they finally see her relaxed and it's entirely not her choice.

She got sick. They happened to arrive just in time to see the spin up of conflict between the locals and a different pirate crew. They see her intervene brutally, face flushed yet pale, as she demolishes them with a single flap of her wings.

Whitebeard immediately insists on assisting in treatment, Thatch naturally volunteering to make some soup.

He delivers it to her room, finding her shivering and miserable in her bed. Half delirious with a fever. He's gentle but firm, getting her settled in bed and eating her soup before resting up.

As he turns to leave, he feels a tug.

It's the edge of his sleeve. Barely pinched between her thumb and forefinger. Eyes haze as she looks up at him, seemingly not able to see him, with a soft whine.

Despite being cautious about illness, Thatch stays. Holding her hand the entire time until her fever breaks a few hours later. She wakes to him and Izou beside her bed.

She gifts them her feathers fashioned into quills.

It's only after asking her people that she approaches Whitebeard about expectations.

An agreement is reached.

The next time they swing by, she's still tired but... There's less of an air of heavy stress about her. She's clearly doing a little better now. She smiles, actually smiles, and the boys both reflexively look to the other.

They want to see what other kinds of smiles she hasn't gotten to show the world in a very long time.

[princess-and-the-swan]

CS Fic Recs: Omegaverse AU

It's been a while! So sorry I haven't been active lately, life's just gotten so crazy! Anyways, as consolation, I offer a masterlist of some excellent Omegaverse fics I've found! If there are any omegaverse fics I've missed that you would like to share, feel free to leave a comment or send me a message! Happy reading everyone!

Heat by @doodlelolly0910

Emma Swan is a successful single Omega who's been doing just fine on her own. When she runs out of her suppressants early and is unexpectedly thrown into a heat, she has a little trouble coping. Luckily(?) her attractive Alpha co-worker and best friend, Killian Jones, has stopped by her apartment today. What could go wrong? What could go right?

Yours by @doodlelolly0910

Sequel to Heat. When Killian Jones walked into Emma Swan's apartment and found her in the worst heat of her life, he never expected things to end up the way they did. Six months later, they are happily in a relationship, but he hasn't claimed her yet. He loves her, he knows she loves him, but this was forever they were talking about here. Now his rut has hit and it's all he can think about. Is Emma ready for something like that? Is he?

Give/Take by @artistic-writer, @doodlelolly0910

Third part of Heat. When Killian goes away on business and his rut appears early, Emma's little pick me up causes a little heat between them, prompting her to find her Alpha and sate both their needs.

Something More by @artistic-writer, @doodlelolly0910

Fourth part of Heat.

The Contract by @artistic-writer

Emma had never wanted much in her life, despite being married to one of the richest men in the world. For ten years she has felt like a prisoner in her own marriage, denied the one thing she wants the most, but her husband cannot help but bargain her want like a cheap business deal. Enter Killian Jones, the Alpha her husband has hired to make sure she gets what she wants. And then some.

Orchid Island by grimmswan

A tropical get away for Alphas and Omegas provide Emma and Killian a chance to get to know one another, and bond.

An Offer She Can’t Refuse by bdevereaux

Omegaverse + University/College AU

Crimson Crystals and Mating Stones by @hollyethecurious

Once a year, unclaimed omegas of age were brought before unmated Alphas in the hopes mate bonds would form, thus furthering the species. Unclaimed omegas were carted from village to village until either their mate bond emerged or they were declared defective and released to fend for themselves. This was the fifth and final village Emma had been brought to, and she was about to face the fourth and final rotation of alphas. Just one more round and then, with any luck, she’d be free.

i would stop the world for you by @shardminds

Scratching an itch is what she’d called it, over breakfast with a barely-there smile and a smear of whipped cream from her hot chocolate on her bottom lip. It. This. Them. He’d known that it would be easy to fall for her. He’s been trying not to ever since.

Walk Me Through The Dark by @sailawaytoafarawayland

There are no guarantees that life will be easy or happy, but Emma had finally found all that and more in the form of Killian Jones, her best friend, her alpha and mate. She’d forgotten what it was to fear, to run, to have the hope knocked from her body, but she’s about to remember, and so is he. TW: Attempted Rape, Non-Con, Sexual Assault

Rites of Spring by bdevereaux

Modern CS AU. The gang attends Storybrooke University's Annual Beltane Festival, where spring fever’s in the air, Killian’s keeping a big secret, and it all might change Emma’s life forever…

Where the Horizon Ends by @sailawaytoafarawayland

There's an end to her parent's patience, and with the threat of an arranged mating looming, Princess Emma decides to take her fate into her own hands - come what may.

Domestic Bliss by grimmswan

A short fluffy and smutty story featuring Alpha Killian and Omega Emma mated and sharing loving domestic moments.

A Dream of Home by ZaharaDessert

Life with the Gold Pack has never been smooth sailing for Emma Swan, and things are getting worse now the pack leader's son has decided he wants her for his mate. Nothing she says or does seems to deter him, or deter his parents from encouraging the match. Emma's only hope is a promise someone made her seventeen years ago; a promise she's forgotten about in all but the deepest recesses of her dreams.

[none-ofthisnonsense]

How the first black F1 driver realised his boyhood dream; Factbox

The Times, 24 Nov 2006 (by Edward Gorman)

The son of a former British Rail worker is to become the first black man to race in Formula One, The Times has learnt.

Lewis Hamilton, 21, is expected to get his first drive with McLaren Mercedes at the start of the next Grand Prix season in Melbourne. Hamilton -who, at the age of 10, approached McLaren to say that his ambition was to race for them - is seen as one of the most talented drivers of his generation.

If successful, he could become a black sporting icon of the stature of the American golfer Tiger Woods, with the potential to earn millions.

He comes to Formula One from a modest family background. His father, whose parents emigrated to Britain from the Caribbean island of Grenada in the mid-1950s, worked for British Rail before setting up his own successful IT business in London.

He lives with his father at Tewin Wood in Hertfordshire and has a younger brother, Nicolas, who has cerebral palsy. Although his parents have divorced, he is still close to his mother.

Ron Dennis, the McLaren Mercedes team principal, confirmed Hamilton's selection alongside the world champion, Fernando Alonso, and at the expense of Pedro de la Rosa who returns to testdriver duties. He made the decision in the past few days.

The relationship between Dennis and the Hamilton family began when, aged 10, Hamilton approached Dennis at an awards dinner and told him that his ambition was to race for McLaren in Formula One.

Within a couple of years Dennis had responded, offering advice and financial help -money that has underpinned Hamilton's successful racing career through karting and junior formulas.

Since those early days Hamilton has been legally contracted to McLaren and the relationship has been mutually beneficial.

Recently Hamilton spoke of the benefits of his long tutelage at McLaren.

"I've been taught by Ron and Martin Whitmarsh (managing director) that patience is a key virtue," he said. "Look at my career; McLaren have made me wait and be patient in everything I've done -and I've won everything.

"The trust I have in Ron and Martin and in McLaren Mercedes goes way beyond anything else. They have guided me all the way."

The decision to go with Hamilton, who won this year's GP2 Series in impressive style, follows months of uncertainty during which Dennis appeared unsure whether to promote Hamilton straight into a race seat in his Formula One team or have him learn his trade as a test driver for a season.

Dennis was particularly concerned at the expected avalanche of media attention that Hamilton is likely to attract as he takes his place as the first driver of Afro-Caribbean descent to race in Formula One.

However, it seems that the combination of Hamilton's maturity out of the car and brilliance in it have persuad- ed him to take the plunge.

While Dennis may see Hamilton's elevation as risky, many others have no doubt that the former karting world No 1 and Formula Renault and Formula 3 Euro Series champion is a driver of the highest quality who could be Britain's best young prospect in the sport since the young Jackie Stewart emerged in the mid 1960s.

In the past year Hamilton has shown all the qualities that are required of an aspiring champion at the top level, combining an aggressive and courageous style (which reminds some of Hamilton's hero, the great Ayrton Senna) with a cool head under pressure and a fine tactical sense.

He is also, most importantly, frighteningly quick.

LEWIS HAMILTON

Born. Stevenage, Jan 7, 1985

Lives Tewin Wood, Hertfordshire

Status Single

Height 1.74m

Weight 67kg

Started racing

1993, aged 8, in karts

1995 wins first British kart championship. Meets Ron Dennis and tells him his ambition is to race in F1 for McLaren

1996-97 wins a further four British kart titles

1998 Dennis offers his patronage; he signs a long-term contract with McLaren

1998-2000 wins European and world karting titles

2003 champion, Formula Renault UK

2005 champion, Formula 3 Euro Series

2006 champion, GP2 Series

Favourite music Hip-hop, R&B, reggae, funky house

Favourite artists the Roots, Bob Marley, UB40, Chaka Demus & Pliers

Hobbies Music, guitar, books, gym, cycling, squash, tennis, karting

Social Partying, chilling with family and friends, cinema, watching DVDs

[died-but-not-dead-propaganda]

Dastardos Propaganda

while not being explicitly stated to be undead/have died, his backstory heavily implies it and its pretty much accepted fanon. (The lore of Viva Pinata is weird and there's a lot of context to explain so bear with me, but if you want the whole backstory you can find the unlockable storybook from the game on youtube easily)

Originally named Stardos, he was the eldest son of the best gardener on Pinata Island and replaced his father's incompetent and scheming gardening assistant Lester at a young age. Some unknown time later, Lester sends Stardos' parents on a wild goose chase to find a dragon pinata and Stardos is left in charge of the garden. Lester then lures Stardos away from the garden with promises of sharing a type of candy he's made that can attract any pinata to a garden (the main gameplay premise of the game is creating a garden and getting wild pinata to live there, essentially) Stardos goes with him most likely hoping to impress his dad by having lots of new pinata in the garden when he returns (another theory is this is because of insecuritites surrounding his baby brother Sidos who is like a gardening prodigy from birth basically). But obviously this is a trap and Lester gives him a SOUR CANDY (sourness being an evil substance on pinata island) which poisons him and, as far as his family know, Stardos was never seen again.

Meanwhile the garden was being completely destroyed by the evil minions of Lester, who renames himself Professor Pester and becomes the main villain of the series. little Sidos runs away to live in the swamp and becomes Seedos (whole other can of worms), their mother also goes missing presumably drowned at sea, and their father ends up wheelchair bound and unable to restore the ruined garden (which becomes the players job)

a little while after that, Dastardos appeared. A corrupt version of Stardos who's own family can't recognise him. His whole deal in-game is that when you leave a pinata sick for too long, Dastardos acts as a grim reaper of sorts. He floats into your garden, humming a random, creepy tune that's said in the game's journal to have a calming effect on pinata, and then he'll smash the sick pinata and take their life sweet, which is described as "the very essence of a pinata). Then you'll get an alert with his one voice acted line, saying "I've broken open a precious little pinata. Easy come, easy go" and then laughs

One of the biggest things that imply he's died in some way or another, are his abilities. I've already mentioned that Dastardos floats, but if there are obstacles in his path to a sick pinata, then he'll just turn himself transparent and float right through the obstacle as if it isn't there! Combined with the floating, that sure seems ghostlike to me! Another thing is that he can't be hurt. Obviously you can't seriously hurt people in the pinata garden sim game, but you CAN whack other NPCs with your shovel and they'll react to it, but Dastardos doesn't react at all, no matter how much you hit him. Until you manage to unlock the "Dastardos shovelhead" for your shovel, which is described as "being on the same frequency" as Dastardos. HMMM. Hitting him with that stuns him for a moment, giving the doctor npc more time to reach your sick pinata.

Another interesting point is the life candy. When pinata are broken, either by other pinata (the game has quite a robust food chain), the villains or a cruel player, they, of course, leave behind a pile of candy. Most of this is generic candy, except for the single life candy (which looks different for each pinata species). Dastardos stands out as a villain when contrasted to Professor Pester because while Pester will come into your garden to smash your most valuable pinata and eats ALL the candy it drops, Dastardos only picks up the life candy and then leaves. Interesting that it's specifically the LIFE candies that he steals, and we don't know what he does with all those candies at all...

In a minigame from the sequel where NPCs will judge your pinata, Dastardos implies he still cares about pinata and gardening. He's mischevious and makes cruel jokes, but he also tells a some half-truths. "I used to dream of breeding award-winning pinata myself, but my career advisor said i didn't have the right temprement for it" in particular calls back to his backstory while also making it sound like he's making it up to be funny if you don't know he was Stardos. During this minigame, NPCs all have different biases and they'll vote for different pinata when they're judging. Dastardos specifically judges for pinata that have NEVER been sick, and seems harsh on gardeners who let their pinata get ill frequently. Overall he's a pretty complex and morally grey villain!

I know it can be hard finding good information on Viva Pinata lore, so here's some links if you want calrification on any of this!

Dastardos' family's wiki page: https://pinataisland.info/viva/Characters

Storybook chapters on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFFHHsIDSEqFucTky111oXivoLC0Xe5ua

Video of him smashing a pinata and one voice line: https://weirdlittlegames.tumblr.com/post/184089814125/dastardos-voice

VP transcript google doc: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1OSS1rFvgLSNR1-e3AFgOsfeROwnM_EFDyMnNUcDkgFs/edit

(All these resources were made by me

Sorry for the novel in your submission box asrhgfseawsrheg but I wanted to give the context needed to understand why this character is assumed to have died despite no official confirmation! + Viva Pinata is very niche and even among people who play the game people rarely pay attention to the characters and lore

He came back wrong but we love that for him.

HE IS LITCHERALLY UNDEAD ate a bad candy and now he’s a spooky reaper :( He deserves so much better but it’s pretty epic tbh