#it’s been a while since I did a pirate au one shot

[raiynnah]

Pirate Au Oneshot

Crown Prince

word count: 350

Regulus has known for his entire life that Sirius was the important brother—the heir apparent—and he’s accepted it. The problem is that Sirius hasn’t, rebelling against his birthright as if it isn’t the utmost privilege to be a future king, chasing after freedom that exists only in the stories he dwells in. 

Maybe, Regulus thinks as he stares into his father’s judging eyes, that should be past tense now.

Because Sirius had been the dreamer but Regulus the realist, so he knows his brother isn’t coming back, knows that he has lost his brother to fantasy and that Sirius had lost him to reality years before. Different worlds, the same life, the same parents—the same, the same, the same.

He looks at his father and sees his brother just like how his father sees Sirius’ eyes, nose, mouth on Regulus’ face; just colder, emptier, more willing to accept the poison and pretend it’s honey. The shadow of a crown weighs on his head now and it’s as heavy as the weight of loss, but he nods when his mother tells him he will be king now all the same.

“Your brother is dead,” says the queen who he once thought of as mother, tone clipped and uncaring. Regulus doesn’t even flinch. They don’t want the scared little boy who’s hunched over as if in physical pain, sobbing, hidden away somewhere where even Regulus will not find him.

He doesn’t know if it’s true, having seen Sirius’ behaviour that night—frantic as a caged bird stolen from its wild home, desperate to flee. Sirius can’t die, he tells himself, and sings the tune his parents want like a songbird damned and domesticated.

I’m the important one now, and it almost feels like victory. I will achieve what he couldn’t.

So he goes to meet that man who now has the king and queen at his side, back straight and chin tilted up like the crown prince he is, and he tries not to pay attention to the ghosts whistling warnings in his mind.

Sirius may not be dead, but Regulus’ brother is.

[midnight1nk]

So, this week's episode...

[Spoilers below cut]

Past Ink: Guys, it's fine. This isn't a serious episode, it would be too soon for another arc. It's just gonna be another silly Saturday.

Current Ink: ....

(the following is my live reaction:)

[*unholy screaming*] FOUR NOOOOOOOOOOOO

WOW WHAT A GREAT START TO THIS EPISODE, SCRATCH EVERYTHING THAT I SAID ABOUT THIS BEING A "NORMAL" EPISODE

NOPE I NEED TO PAUSE, I NEED TO TAKE A WALK BC I'M NOT GONNA GET OVER IT, DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS COULD LEAD

they're not gonna do it in this episode BUT the fact that goop!4 is being acknowledged in every way possible, we might just have a sequel in our hands

NO NO NO CUT THE INTRO, I HAVEN'T EVEN FINISHED THE EPISODE YET AND YOU WANT ME TO MAKE A THEORY ON IT ALREADY? HOLD YOUR FUCKIN HORSES, I'LL GET THERE GEEZ

anyway, we have to press play...

I'm pretty sure someone already has done a pirate au (no I'm not over what I just watched) and anyway, artists: here's pirate SMG4

Four, you should've read the file name before downloading it [*shakes head*]

Wait, is this going to be a parody of computer buddies? That's actually pretty fun..... OH NO NO NO

Ah, so we are doing computer buddies

Actually, yeah, can we have Mario as president please

love how it says "no one even compares to mario. especially smg4 who sucks booty cheeks [or ass] and mario doesn't"

Observe as the SMG4 fandom gets terrified of the word "perfect" [*screams*]

MARIO MARIO NO NO NO HE DIDN'T SAVE

I felt that in my core omg

as a graphic designer, this hurts

apparently, there's a whole new dimension in our computers, Only in the SMG4 Universe [*cheesy thumbs up*]

We really are getting all the computer buddies, huh? I wonder if KinitoPET will appear

[*silver the hedgehog voice*] It's no use!

BRITISH SMG3

wow what a funny bit... WAIT HOLD UP WAIT A MINUTE, LOOK AT THE MEDIA BOX

the eyes....

w̷̹̓e̷̼̽ ̸̯́n̴̩͆e̵̝̓v̴̼͑ë̵̤r̴͓͛ ̷̭͝l̵̦̎e̴̞͗f̵͉̐ṯ̴͗

and the left eye too... oh god, the EYE OF RA— [*gets shot*]

honestly, Four, you improved your aim ever since Western Spaghetti (ik you also did for PV but that's not the point)

I knew they were gonna bring in buff Luigi again

I'M SCREAMING

THERE IS NO WAY THE TEAM JUST DROPPED THAT ON US, THIS CAN'T BE REAL

ok first off, the fact that Four has a folder labeled "Super SECRET Spicy Memes" is giving "totally homework" folder energy (and I don't want to even think more about that)

hey, Four did say that Three brings some spice into his life (yeah, "rosemary to my bread" and all that jazz)

SECOND, the fact he has an image of SMG3 with him saying "whats the matter smg4 kun?"

THEN the "I know what you are" audio clip...

Four, buddy, you're down bad aren't you?

like "woah smg4's bisexual, I didn't know that", the closet is out of GLASS so we been knew but I DID NOT expect this

having Three be a tsundere is one thing, but FOUR....

🫵🏳️‍🌈⁉️

"they're dating behind the scenes" at this point, yeah

we have to keep going... [*secretly puts this clip on the fridge*]

I hate this so much /silly

[*chaos ensues*] [*sips my coffee*] just another tuesday saturday

GOTTA GO FAST GOTTA GO FAST— [*gets tazed*] i can never catch a break c'mon man

oh hey Swag!

four dollars is four dollars, you got yourself a deal

ok, I'm gonna need everyone to see Four's cute little hops here:

look at him go, my silly little goober :) oh, now you have? then let's keep going

holy shit, this fight scene is so well animated!!! LET'S GOOOO

never thought I'd see the day of seeing biblically accurate bonzi in an SMG4 episode and yet here we are.

SCREAMING CRYING THROWING UP

THIS IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THING I'VE SEEN IN MY LIFE, I'M ASCENDING

"...but they hugged before" NO YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND

A normal hug, where two people cross each other and are unable to see the other's face since it's over their shoulder, is just as it is: a normal hug. It can be seen as platonic and/or romantic.

THIS is a lot more intimate. 3 and 4's heads touch while they hold each other by the hand. This type of hug is reserved more for romantic partners when the situation leads them to a devasting end, where they face each other to look at and remember what their partner looked like, one last time before they die.

In this case, it makes sense as the computer is collapsing within itself.

"It's not actually them tho." Yes, they're digital copies of 3 and 4 but that's the thing: they're COPIES, acting on what 3 and 4 would actually do

SMG34 shippers, we are eating GOOD today yum yum

but then, that begs the question: would there be a moment where 3 and 4 would reveal their feelings for each other at the worst possible time?

(you guys are not going to be ready for my next episode concepts) What, who said that?

uh anyway them 💙💜 gotta put it on the fridge

I feel for you, Four, but I have a horrible feeling about this

...

Foreshadowing is a literary device—

no seriously, I feel like this could be part of a future arc where a past villain would ruin everything Four has and would offer up a deal when Four would be the most desperate. There's always a catch. Hmm, why does that seem familiar...?

Your life's work or your friends, it's your call, SMG4

:)

HELL YEAH FOUR, THROW IT AWAY (omg just like how he chose Three over the USB, I'm crying dude)

also congrats to Ourstor08954957 for the lovely art in the end credits 🎉 such cute doodles ❤️

.・-: ✧ :--: ✧ :-・.

Oh boy, what an episode. I feel like I'm in another plane of existence right now. Everything was absolutely incredible, great job Team!!

Everyone, say THANK YOU to whoever put the SMG34 crumbs in there, we shall treasure it for the rest of our lives. I'm gonna put those moments on my fridge. OH I would love to see the artists draw the SMG34 hug or pirate Four!

Love the fighting scene right by the end and the little details they have added in there. I guess it's "Torture Ink with the Idea that Goop!4 May Happen" day but hey, I'm so normal about it (no I'm not). I've been a bit stressed since finals are coming up so I'm thankful for anything this episode for me.

(If anyone is curious, the WOTFI website is still up and yes, I am logging its status just in case.)

I'm sure everyone is going crazy over this...

"They gay fr :3" [BenJoJoGV, Twitter]

🧍

BEN YOU CAN'T JUST SAY THESE THINGS—

[rollinouttahere-writes]

I was thinking about the Little Lucky AU and found myself wondering how Ace’s reaction would have changed if he’d seen Lucky before she had a chance to heal, so here's that

Smile For Me

4.1k words

Not an experience in the world could top the feeling of the salty sea breeze whipping past him as he cut through the ocean in Striker. Ace was positive he would never grow weary of the sensation. The intoxicating views and endless freedom of it was enviable to say the least.

An unimposing wave headed straight for him, Ace only grinned and increased the speed. His prized boat ramped over the wave, temporarily becoming airborne before crashing back into the sea. Water shot up and coated him in a fine mist, enough to feel refreshing but not so much as to weaken the devil fruit user.

The figure of a ship on the horizon caught his eye. It was too far away for him to be able to identify whose it could be, but he changed course anyway. Might as well approach and ask if they know anything about that backstabbing bastard Teach.

Plus, if they turn out to be marines, he’ll get a much needed opportunity to blow off some steam.

As soon as the jolly roger was identifiable, a grin broke out across his face. It hadn’t been long since he’d last seen Luffy and his crew, but who was he to pass up such an opportunity? Besides, for all he knows they’ve heard or seen something related to Blackbeard. Though, admittedly, he’d prefer if that traitorous piece of shit never so much as made eye contact with any of them.

Especially not his niece. 

For most of his life, Ace would have never considered himself to be a family oriented man. Between the loathing for his father and complicated feelings regarding his late mother, the word ‘family’ left a bitter taste in his mouth. Sure, he eventually opened himself up enough to let his brothers in, but that felt different.

It wasn’t until his introduction to the Whitebeard pirates that he started to come around. At first, all he felt was a gnawing envy for the close knit family bond displayed by them, but as time went on and he grew closer the feeling subsided. Then he was properly assimilated into the crew- no, the family- and accepted Whitebeard’s offer to become one of his many sons. He’d never realized how badly he needed the unconditional love and support of a family until he was thrust into it. He wouldn’t trade it for the world.

Then there was you, his darling little niece.

Granted, calling you his niece wasn’t necessarily accurate. Luffy was distinctly not your father (Sanji would absolutely never let that mix up take place), but the term just felt right. Who cares if it wasn’t technically correct? Luffy isn’t technically his brother, and Whitebeard isn’t technically his father. Technicalities didn’t matter with them, so why should they apply with you?

Ace would be lying through his teeth if he said you weren’t the person he was most excited about seeing again. Despite not having known you for long, you’d wormed your way into his heart more than anyone ever could hope to. He’d even temporarily put his mission on hold to stay with you while in Alabasta. As much as he knew he needed to be hot on Blackbeard’s trail, he couldn’t bring himself to just leave you while in such a high risk situation. Luffy had barely set foot in the Grand Line and he’d already managed to pick a fight with a warlord. 

While that wasn’t necessarily surprising knowing his brother, what was shocking was that he was doing all this with a four year old in tow. Ace didn’t doubt Luffy’s strength by any means, but he was more unsure of his ability to multitask fighting a warlord and his army of assassins while also keeping you safe. 

That’s why he volunteered to hang back and keep an eye on you while Luffy proved himself, something he was relieved he did after seeing how banged up everyone got during the final battle. He can’t imagine you would have gotten out of that unscathed, and you were far too young to be getting caught in the crosshairs of fights of that magnitude. Just the idea of you scraping your knee made him feel sick.

He doesn’t know what he’d do if you ever got seriously injured. Or worse. He doesn’t want to even think about it.

As he closed in on the Going Merry, a familiar figure in a straw hat hopped onto the figurehead and waved his arms wildly.

Ace waved back while raking his eyes over the rest of the ship. He hoped to see your familiar head of hair peeking over the railings, but had no such luck. That’s fine, he supposes. You could be napping or simply hadn’t realized he was here yet.

The Striker slowed to a stop next to the much larger ship, and Ace barely managed to tie the rope attaching the two before he was yanked up into the rubbery arms of his brother. They both tumbled backwards on the deck with Luffy laughing boisterously.

“Ace! What are you doing here? Did you catch that guy you were looking for?” Luffy rolled off of Ace and pulled him up onto his feet.

Ace readjusted his hat, “Not yet. I was just passing by and thought I’d check in on you.” He snatched the hat off Luffy’s head with one hand and ruffled his hair with the other.

Luffy whined and swatted Ace’s hand away while trying to get his hat back. It’s then that he notices the massive burn on one of Luffy’s arms. It starts at his elbow and goes all the way down to his finger tips.

Grabbing him by the bicep, Ace pulls the arm closer to look at it, “The hell happened there?”

“Oh, that? I fought this guy with weird earlobes and he melted some gold onto my arm. I punched him with it though, you should have seen it!” Luffy grinned and puffed out his chest with pride.

“Only you would somehow neglect to mention that that psycho had lightning powers from a devil fruit,” Nami called out. She was leaning against the mast with her arms crossed and a scowl on her face. Small burns were littered across her arms.

“Oh yeah, I forgot about that,” Luffy chuckled. It makes sense that he wouldn’t care as much about that part. Since Luffy is made of rubber from his own fruit, those powers would be essentially irrelevant to him. 

Ace dropped the straw hat back onto his brother’s head and playfully shoved him back, “I’ll ask more about that later. Where’s my niece at?”

Nami tensed, then shifted her weight from foot to foot, “She’s napping right now, I doubt she’ll wake up before you have to leave.” The words were spoken sharply.

“I’m sure she won’t mind being woken up when she sees her favorite uncle here. Plus, I’ve got a little present for her,” Ace replied. The last island he stopped at was known for a chewy candy made from a fruit that exclusively grew there. It was all the rage with the kids, so naturally he grabbed a couple boxes of it for you.

He made for where your room was, but Nami leapt in the way and pushed him back. “She needs her sleep, you can just leave the gift with me!” The navigator snapped at him. 

Ace’s eye twitched in annoyance. He was well aware that she wasn’t his biggest fan, but this was ridiculous. “It’s not that big of a deal. I’ll get her back to sleep myself if it matters that much to you,” he ground out. 

She opened her mouth to respond, only for Luffy to interrupt her, “Is she still napping? I thought Lucky was in the kitchen with Sanji.” 

Nami hissed at Luffy to shut up, but Ace didn’t care enough to stick around for whatever disagreement was about to break out between the two. He shoved past the redhead and bolted for the kitchen. His eyes rolled, of course she tried lying to him. He tries to smuggle his niece off the ship one time and she has to go and make a whole song and dance out of it. It was just a joke!

The door to the kitchen was thrown open with what was probably more force than necessary. The doorknob loudly collided with the wall, something that Thatch would scold him for doing if he was here.

The crack of the collision wasn’t the only thing he heard. It was immediately drowned out by a shrill scream. Yours.

He hadn’t even gotten a good look at you yet, all he’d seen was a blur as you leapt from the counter you were sitting on and clung onto Sanji like your life depended on it. Ace’s heart was in his throat from the sight. The last thing he ever wanted to do was scare you. He didn’t remember you being this jumpy last time he’d seen you.

The guilt was piled on more when a small sob could be heard, too.

Sanji cradled you to his chest, whispering soft words of assurance before whipping around with the coldest look on his face. Surprise momentarily flashed across his face before being replaced with an even angrier expression. A hand came up to push your head further into his chest.

“Don’t slam the damn door! What is wrong with you?!” He whisper yelled.

Ace held up his hands in defense, “I’m sorry, I didn’t think I would scare her.” He took cautious, quiet steps towards you and Sanji, “Hey, Lucky. I’m sorry about that, I didn’t mean to scare you like that.”

Your hands were clamped over your ears, but his voice appeared to have still gotten through. Gingerly, you lowered your hands and whispered a tearful, “Uncle Ace?”

Ace, however, was too shocked to hear it. Actually, shocked wasn’t a strong enough word to describe how he was feeling. Horrified was more fitting. Your arms were covered in scabbed over burns. That was bad enough, but what really got to him was the bruising around your neck.

Someone had strangled his niece.

What happened to you? Who did this? And where are they right now? Ace needed to know so he could personally finish them off.

You’d finally turned to face him, and the tears and busted lip did nothing to calm him. The fire that made up his very being crackled dangerously beneath his skin, and it took every bit of self control he had to keep himself from torching the kitchen.

It wasn’t until you held out your burnt arms to him that he snapped out of the rage he was in and rushed forward to snatch you out of Sanji’s arms and into his own. Despite the cook’s protest, you eagerly clambered onto Ace. Your much smaller limbs locked onto him and you buried your face into his neck while sniffling pitifully. 

Ace bounced you gently, but refrained from speaking. His anger still had a hold on him, and he wasn’t sure he trusted himself to not let it show quite yet.

Nami entered the kitchen, appearing visibly uncomfortable and tense.

The control Ace had regarding holding his tongue went out the damn window. He all but snarled at her, “Is this why you didn’t want me to see her?”

“Don’t pick a fight with her, Ace,” Sanji put himself in between them. 

Ace scoffed at the warning, but he had no intention of starting a fight. You’d already been subjected to more fighting than you ever should have been. What you needed right now was some fresh air, and honestly he needed to step away from this situation for a bit before he exploded. Going for a ride on Striker should do the trick.

He shouldered past them, tightly clutching you to him. Nami and Sanji were hot on his heels as he headed straight for where his boat was tied off.

“Where do you think you’re going?!” Nami demanded. Her hand shot out and latched onto Ace’s backpack, successfully bringing him to a halt. This was not well received by Ace, who then whipped around to shove her away.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Luffy came bounding over, looking thoroughly confused about the altercation. “What happened?”

“I should be asking all of you that!” Ace raised his voice, though immediately regretted it when he felt you flinch. He spoke in a lower tone next, “I’m taking her for a ride on Striker, she looks like she could stand to have some fun for once. You’re all going to tell me what happened when we come back.”

“Absolutely not! Are you insane, why would we let you run off with her?!” Nami made a move to come closer and grab you, but Luffy blocked her. If looks could kill, Luffy would be dead several times over.

Luffy ignored Nami’s venomous gaze and stepped close enough to rest a hand on your back, “Do you wanna go with Ace?” His tone was more soothing and gentle than Ace had previously thought it was capable of being.

You turned your head just enough to be able to look at him over your shoulder. For a moment you mulled over what to say. Your voice was hushed, like you were afraid to make too much noise. Or maybe because your throat ached too much to speak up. Both possibilities made Ace’s blood boil.

“Y-Yeah… It sounds fun, I guess.”

Luffy grinned warmly, patting your back before stepping away, “Alright! Have fun, Lucky!”

Nami and Sanji both started to protest, but Ace didn’t care enough to stick around and hear it. After muttering a quick ‘thanks’ to Luffy for being the most reasonable person here (something he never thought would ever be the case), Ace finished the rest of the short walk to where Striker was. He dropped down onto it and made quick work of untying the boat.

Just like that, you two were off. As much as he wanted to take off at max speed, he kept the pace leisurely. There was no rush, and he did not want to startle you again. 

Your face was back to being firmly planted in his neck, and you haven’t said anything since answering Luffy. You haven’t smiled at all since he’s seen you.

Ace didn’t know what to do. Comforting people has never been his strong suit. Luffy had learned to roll with the punches of his toughlove growing up, but you weren’t Luffy. And Ace wasn’t the same kid with a shitty attitude that he used to be, either. For now, he’ll wait for you to come around on your own. He’s sure you will, you did agree to come with him after all. 

Eventually, he felt your head move, followed by the sensation of you propping your chin up on his shoulder. At least you were finally taking in the sights. Feeling like he was making progress, Ace takes his chance and tries to start a conversation with you.

“It’s a nice view, right?”

“Mmhm.”

A silence fell over you two again. That was… something? At least he got a response, however brief. It was odd for you to be this quiet. Back when you all were in Alabasta you were a little chatterbox. 

The question of what exactly happened loomed over him. Who could do this to a child? What kind of a monster does someone need to be to do this? The idea that anyone could so much as think of hurting his niece made him feel sick. Learning who was responsible would have to wait until later, though. He wasn’t about to risk making you more upset by asking you about it.

This whole situation was extremely frustrating. You deserved nothing but good things in his humble opinion, not this horrible abuse and suffering.

A realization hit him. The candy! He’d completely forgotten about it after seeing you. Maybe that’ll be enough to put a smile on your face.

You’d traveled far enough that the Going Merry was barely visible, so he should be able to take a break and sit down with you for a moment. He might even be able to get you talking. Though honestly, just seeing you look happy would be more than enough for him.

The Striker slowed to a stop until it was doing nothing more than drifting with the current of the ocean. He felt you perk up and look around.

“Why did we stop? Is your boat broken?” The stress in your voice was palpable.

“No, no, no! Everything’s fine! I just remembered that I had a present for you, that’s all!” Ace hastily reassured you, feeling bad that he’d made you worry for even a second. He shifted you to one side and sat down. He attempted to put you down across from him, but the instant panic in your eyes and you clinging to his arms put a stop to that.

So now you were perched on his lap while he rummaged through his rucksack. While you did appear to be mildly interested in what he was doing, your eyes were lacking any real excitement. You were more invested in clinging to him and taking in your surroundings.

Ace was beginning to think he’d lost the candy when his fingers grazed the ribbon bound box hiding at the bottom of his bag. “Here it is!” The package was pulled out and the bag discarded to the side while he held it out to you.

There was a bit of hesitation on your part, but then you slowly took it from him with a small ‘thank you’. You carefully examined the box while lightly picking at the ribbon, “What is it?”

“You’ll know if you open it,” he jostled you a little while trying to encourage you.

Slowly, you tugged at the ribbon, watching with a blank expression as it came undone. Ace took it from you once it was off so you could keep your hands free. The lid was pried off next, revealing the candies inside. Sunlight reflected off the sugar coating the light pink treats, making them appear even more enticing.

Ace watched with trepidation as you eyed them, and almost sighed in relief when you picked up a piece. You scrutinized the candy, sniffed it, then finally popped it into your mouth.

Your face remained neutral briefly as you first bit into it. Then, finally, your eyes widened, and the faintest hint of a smile began to tug at the corner of your lips. You chewed more vigorously and dug two more pieces out of the box.

“That good, huh? I’m glad you like them, Lucky,” Ace moved your hair out of your face as the ocean’s breeze blew the strands about. 

An idea occurred to him at that moment. Moving the ribbon he’d been holding to his mouth, he gathered up your hair and pulled it back. After a messy attempt to finger comb it, he took the ribbon and wrapped it around your hair. He tried his best to tie it into a nice looking bow but… it was bad. One loop was noticeably bigger than the other and the way the knot was tied made it look extremely lopsided. 

Good thing you couldn’t see it.

Suddenly, you turned around in his lap and held up a piece of candy to him. Ace smiled at the gesture, “I got those for you, kid. You enjoy them.”

“I wanna share it,” your tone and serious expression left little room for argument, especially when you started persistently pushing the sugary treat against his mouth. Taking it into his mouth, the first thing he registered about it was how sweet it was. His face scrunched up involuntarily, this was much sweeter than he liked his food to be. Ace could only hope you would be content with this and wouldn’t insist on sharing any more with him.

A soft giggle cut through the air, surprising him so much that he almost choked on the candy. He looked down at you, and sure enough, you were actually smiling.

“Your face was funny,” you mumbled, averting your eyes back to the half empty box in your hands.

“Was it?” Ace laughed. He swore he could feel a weight being lifted from his shoulders thanks to seeing you in better spirits. He swallowed the candy, glad to be rid of it. Hazarding another glance at you, he noticed you were starting to absentmindedly pick at one of your scabs. His hand shot out and pulled the offending hand away, “Don’t do that, it’s not gonna heal if you pick at it.”

You flinched and whined from the contact, making him let go in a panic. In his rush to grab your wrist, he’d unknowingly squeezed one of your many burns. Well then. Now he felt like a piece of shit.

“I’m sorry, I should have been paying more attention to where I was grabbing,” Ace very gently brought you in for a hug, hoping that he didn’t accidentally touch any other injuries.

“It’s okay,” you sniffled. 

“All these must hurt a lot, huh?”

You nodded, “Yeah… It always hurts.”

Ace frowned. It wasn’t right that you had to be in agony around the clock because his brother’s crew dropped the ball when it came to protecting you. He might not know what happened yet, but he knows they’re all feeling guilty for it based on how shifty and defensive Nami got.

Wait.

Now that he’s thinking about it, there is a way to make all your pain go away.

“You know… One of my brothers could heal you right up.”

You cocked your head to the side, eyebrows knitted together, “Is he a doctor? Chopper is already doing that.”

“He is a doctor, but he’s a doctor with a devil fruit that can heal any injury. On himself and on others,” he leaned in closer to explain this, as if he was sharing a secret. “Not only that, but he can do it in seconds.”

“Really? That’s so cool!” Your eyes were wide and rapt with interest.

“Really! We can go see him right now, how does that sound?”

Uncertainty pulled at your face, and you shifted in his lap, “Now? But what about everyone else? They’ll be all worried if we don’t come back.”

“It’ll be fine! Besides, once they see you healed up they’ll be happy about it!” Ace knew they were going to be pissed about him leaving with you, but he didn’t want you thinking about that. He needs you to focus on how nice it’ll be when you aren’t constantly hurting, “Don’t you want to feel better sooner?”

“I do… Are you sure they won’t be mad?” 

“Of course! Seeing you happy and healthy will make your being gone for a little bit all worth it, I promise!” Okay, realistically some of them will still be mad, but only at him. He knows that Luffy will appreciate it at the very least, and his opinion is the only one that matters to Ace.

“Plus, if we go to Whitebeard’s ship now, you’ll be able to meet Kotatsu. You still want to see him, right?” If the medical treatment couldn’t get you over the barrel, he’s sure the promise of a cat will.

“The kitty?! Yeah, I wanna see him! Let’s go!”

Bingo. Convincing you was easier than he thought it was going to be. 

Ace tossed your box of candy back into his bag and scooped your excited self into his arms. You were downright giddy and it was relieving to say the least. It would be even better when those nasty burns and bruises were nothing more than an awful memory.

Now that you were in a better mood, he fully utilized how fast his boat could go. Small but delighted giggles came from you as the Striker effortlessly cut through the water.

Everyone was going to be more than a little surprised to see Ace come home with a kid given that he hasn’t gotten the chance to tell them about you yet, but he knows they’ll love you just as much as he does. If they could welcome him into their crew despite how hostile he was when they first met, you’ll be adored by them in a matter of seconds.

Ace won’t even need to ask Marco to treat you, he’ll be all over you the second he lays eyes on your battered form. And Pops isn’t exactly the type to turn away a little kid, especially one that’s family.

Honestly, they might not even want to let you go after they get a chance to know you.

[fantasyescapes17]

Closed Doors (Part 1)

Soonyoung had made peace with his station in life. A younger son of a little-known family, he was not set to inherit a fortune and had nothing to recommend him but his bright personality. Nobody expected Soonyoung to make the match of the season. But when you- a woman with ties to the royal family and riches beyond his imagination, a Duchess in your own right- seeks Soonyoung's hand in marriage, his life begins to spiral entirely out of his control.

Genre: Hoshi x female!reader. Regency!AU. Your title is the Duchess of Graham but your first name is not mentioned.

Warnings: Not even remotely historically accurate. Much like Bridgerton, this is all about the aesthetic.

Word Count: 4k+

Part 2 Part 3

Series Masterlist [This is not the first installment in this series- it is strongly recommended to visit the Masterlist and read the installments in order as they are all interlinked and the timeline can be confusing.]

“So, the Navy, eh?” 

Soonyoung winced as his elder brother clapped him hard on the back. The evening had barely begun but the elder Kwon had already imbibed too much whisky; a rather embarrassing state to be in, considering that they were at one of the most elite balls of the London season. The hostess-the Duchess of Graham- was arguably the richest and most influential lady of the ton and not someone to be trifled with. 

"The Navy, yes," Soonyoung replied weakly. "I enlist in two weeks."

"I didn't take you for a navy man. But excellent. Excellent, Soonyoung. You will make our family proud!"

The elder Kwon stumbled away, drunk and almost knocking over a pair of young ladies that shot him dirty looks. Soonyoung winced again- this time from embarrassment, and not pain. It was a cruel twist of fate that this bumbling buffoon had inherited the entire Kwon family fortune while Soonyoung was left penniless, merely because he had been born a year later. 

Younger sons were truly at the mercy of their brothers. 

"Soonyoung!" 

Soonyoung turned, relieved to see a close friend and another man who shared in his plight as a younger son. Mr. Lee Seokmin was nearby with a glass of water in his hand. 

"Mr. Lee!" Soonyoung greeted his friend warmly. "I see you are starting off the evening early. Do not tell me you have already secured a young lady's hand for the first dance?"

Seokmin grinned brightly. "I have secured a dance indeed; with Miss Yoon, the season's jewel."

Soonyoung was impressed. "Well! Don't let me stop you! You should hurry- young ladies do not like to be kept waiting, and being brother-in-law to the Viscount will only get you so far if your manners do not match his."

"Of course. I heard of your plans to enlist in the Navy," Seokmin added, his tone a little more serious. He lowered his voice. "We will speak about it after the first dance."

Soonyoung forced a smile and agreed. 

Joining the Navy was not something that Kwon Soonyoung had ever truly wanted to do with his life. But ever since he had been old enough to understand that there was no grand estate or family fortune waiting for him when he became of age, he knew that he could not depend on his brother for hand-outs. 

He had very few respectable options open to him- Soonyoung could have taken up a profession, but a few short years at Oxford made it clear that the study of law or medicine ill suited him. His talents did not lie in poring over books for hours on end. He had quickly transferred to the Royal Naval Academy and begun his training to brave the high seas in service to the country. 

Joining the Navy was less a conscious choice, and more a natural consequence of Soonyoung's talents and position in life. He had long since learned to make peace with it. Perhaps he would capture an infamous pirate and be knighted by the Queen. 

One could dream. 

Soonyoung weaved through the groups of fashionable nobility as he admired the magnificence of the Graham's London manor. It was exquisite. Every wall was covered in antique artwork and every marble column seemed to have been crafted painstakingly. This was perhaps the most magnificent building in all of London, second only to the royal palace itself. Soonyoung felt as though he was unworthy to even tread the white marble floors. 

He was also suddenly struck with the fear that his drunken brother would break something priceless. 

Soonyoung managed to reach the lavish spread of refreshments, and was selecting from the endless rows of colourful little cakes when a hand landed on his arm- much gentler than his brother's had been. He turned around and came face to face with Viscount Hong. 

Handsome, gentlemanly and very rich, Soonyoung was often surprised that Viscount Hong even bothered to fraternise with him. Had they not shared some mutual friends back during their brief overlapping time at Oxford, it would surely have been absurd for the Viscount to even know Soonyoung's name.

But as circumstances had it, the Viscount was well known to Soonyoung. If he was being daring, he might have even called him a friend. 

"Soonyoung! A word?" the Viscount asked. 

Soonyoung nodded eagerly. "Of course! I have not seen you in a while, Viscount; congratulations on your wedding, I never got a chance to properly-"

"Yes, thank you," the Viscount replied kindly but in a tone that made it clear he was not looking to exchange pleasantries. "Soonyoung, I hope that in the time we have known each other we have developed a sort of mutual trust?"

Soonyoung blinked. "Yes?"

"I am going to ask you to do something that may seem rather odd, but I need you to trust me and know that I will explain in due course. Can you do that?" the Viscount asked.

Soonyoung did not hesitate. 

"Of course. Anything."

"Excellent. I need you to ask the Duchess to dance with you for the first dance."

The request was so outrageous that it took a few moments for the full meaning of the words to sink in for Soonyoung. He stared blankly up at the Viscount for a few seconds before sputtering out his protests. 

"The Duchess?" he repeated. "I-I do not even… I have never met her!" 

"That is perfectly fine- I will make the necessary introductions," the Viscount replied smoothly as he began to walk away. Soonyoung was forced to abandon his carefully chosen pink and yellow cakes and follow the Viscount. 

"Viscount Hong…"

"Hurry- the dancing will begin in only a few moments!"

Soonyoung had no choice but to follow the Viscount as he led him to the front of the room. Soonyoung knew of you, of course, there was nobody in the ton who had not heard of the elusive Duchess of Graham. But he had never even seen you in person and the idea of daring to ask a Duchess to dance…

"She will say no," Soonyoung realised quickly. 

The Viscount shook his head. "She will not."

"How do you know-"

"Soonyoung. Take a deep breath. I would never knowingly put you in an embarrassing position," the Viscount promised. 

Soonyoung relaxed a little. 

"All right, I trust you…"

The two gentlemen arrived at the head of the ballroom and Soonyoung's eyes finally landed on the Duchess that he had heard so much about. His breath caught in his throat. 

You were beautiful- in an almost regal, ethereal sort of way. Your exquisite lavender-coloured ball-gown shimmered in the bright lights and little diamond studs twinkled in your ears. But your beauty came  from more than the clothes and jewellery you wore. Your beauty was in the way you carried yourself- in your graceful posture, in the way your soft lips curved in a practised smile and your gloves hands rested delicately in front of you while you nodded at the gentleman speaking to you. 

"Soonyoung?" the Viscount asked, when he stopped walking. "Why have you stopped?"

"I-I can't…"

"Come, quickly."

Soonyoung felt as though he was in a dream. The Viscount seized his arm and pulled him along until the two gentlemen were standing immediately in front of you. 

When you turned your gaze upon him, Soonyoung almost felt as though he should kneel before you, in deference to your superior presence.

"Viscount Hong!" you greeted him with a bright but restrained enthusiasm. Even your voice was melodic and gentle to Soonyoung's ears, like a songbird in spring. "I am very glad to see that you could make it this evening. Is the Viscountess not with you?"

Viscount Hong smiled back. "The Viscountess is just speaking to her brothers, Your Grace. She will greet you momentarily. In the meantime, I wanted to make an introduction."

"Oh?"

Your eyes landed on Soonyoung calmly, and he felt as though every part of his body had turned to ice. Your gaze was not condescending or even unkind, but there was something in your eyes that instantly shattered Soonyoung's vision of you as perfection incarnate. 

Your lips smiled, but your eyes were sad. 

"Your Grace, allow me to introduce you to Mr. Kwon Soonyoung. He is the second son of the Kwon family and a close personal friend of mine," the Viscount said. 

Soonyoung would ordinarily have swelled with pride at being called the Viscount's close personal friend but he did not have the time for such luxuries. Remembering his manners, he clumsily reached for the gloved hand you offered him and brought it to his lips. The soft satin smelled faintly of lilacs. 

"Your Grace," Soonyoung said nervously. "It-it is an honour…"

You smiled at him gently. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr. Kwon."

Soonyoung looked up for a brief moment and caught the Viscount's eye; the older man was giving him a meaningful look with his big eyes. 'Ask her to dance' was clearly what the Viscount was trying to silently communicate. 

Abandoning all instincts of self-preservation and placing his faith entirely on the word of Viscount Hong, Soonyoung looked at you with a forced smile. 

"Your Grace- may I ask you to accompany me for the first dance?"

—-----------------------------------------------------

Perhaps it was for the best that Soonyoung had little-to-no warning that he was about to open the first and most-awaited event of the season by dancing with the Duchess of Graham, as it left him very little time to consider the serious societal implications of the situation he was in. 

Soonyoung was no stranger to dancing. He loved it and would never refuse an opportunity to dance provided he could find a partner. It was, therefore, a relief when the opening waltz was one that was very familiar to him. His feet moved smoothly and naturally to the tune of the music and it allowed his mind the freedom to think of what to say to you. 

"I hope you are having a pleasant evening," you said to him politely. Soonyoung was trying in vain to ignore the soft scent of lilacs coming from you (were there fresh flowers entwined in your hair? He was too flustered to look closely) and it took him a few moments to realise that he should compliment you, the hostess, on your ball. 

"Yes!" Soonyoung said quickly. "Yes, the evening is wonderful, this far exceeds the usual events of the London season."

"In what way?" you wondered aloud. 

"In what-sorry, in what way?" he repeated. 

"In what way does it exceed the usual events?" you repeated patiently. 

Soonyoung was stumped. There were real lilacs entwined in the strands of your hair and it was growing far more difficult to keep his thoughts in line. What should he say? The size of the ballroom? The orchestra? The lighting?

"You have a much wider selection of cakes," he said finally. The words had barely come out of his mouth before he instantly realised how stupid they sounded- but to his surprise, you were biting back a small smile. For a moment, he saw that strange lingering sadness disappear from your eyes. 

"The cakes?" you repeated, amused. 

It was too late. He could not extricate himself from this conversation now. Soonyoung had no choice but to double down on his admiration of the cakes. 

"Yes," he continued. "It is quite standard for London balls to offer one or two choices of cake, but I had a chance to pass by the refreshment tables earlier and there were eight different cake selections available."

"I see," you replied. "I suppose that you like cake a great deal, Mr. Kwon?"

Soonyoung blinked. "Don't you?"

"I do like cake, but I will confess that it never occurred to me to use it as a measurement to assess the quality of a ball. I hope you will be kind enough to let me know which of the cakes you liked best? I am sure my kitchen staff would be pleased to learn that their spread had an impact on my guests."

You were not making fun of him. The Duchess of Graham was quite seriously discussing cakes with him at the season's opening ball. 

Soonyoung felt light-headed. 

"I thought the strawberry ones were quite refreshing," he choked out finally. "Strawberries are in season, of course, and the freshness of the flavouring ingredient makes a world of difference."

"Interesting," you said thoughtfully. "Yes; I suppose it is natural for one's cake preference to vary based on the freshness of the seasonal fruit. We grow strawberries back on the country estate this time of year and have them brought over to London so they are quite fresh. I think the weather is right for lemons as well. I am partial to a lemon cake."

"The lemon cakes are delightful," Soonyoung agreed eagerly. "I had a chance to try one earlier. But if I may offer a suggestion- I think a lemon cream might be a lighter and more refreshing option."

"Considering the warm weather?" you asked, interested. "I agree completely. Lemon cakes can be quite dense in the heat. We should have some lighter options as well. I will pass on your recommendation to my cook."

"I hope you will make it clear that the recommendation was not intended as a slight against the cake, which was quite excellent," Soonyoung said hastily.

You smiled. "Of course. I will convey the message."

"Thank you."

The waltz slowly drew to an end and Soonyoung was forced to release you, stepping away from you until he could no longer smell the lilacs in your hair. 

"Thank you for the dance, Mr. Kwon," you told him in your gentle, song-like voice. "I hope you enjoy the rest of your evening."

"T-thank you, Your Grace."

You left and Soonyoung quickly stepped away from the dance floor towards the edge of the room. He was so intoxicated by the memory of your voice and smile and scent that he almost bumped head-first into Seokmin, who was waiting for him with a large smile. 

"Did you just dance with the Duchess?" Seokmin demanded, in awe. "How did that come to happen?"

Soonyoung could only shrug. "I… I don't know."

"Unbelievable. What did you talk about? Her title? Did you offer your condolences for her father's death? Is it true that she is planning to marry soon and that the dukedom will pass through the female line?"

Soonyoung blinked. "What?"

"You didn't ask her about any of those things? What did you talk about?"

"Just…" Soonyoung cleared his throat, embarrassed to admit the actual subject of conversation. "We only made light conversation. About the weather and the like. Anyway, was there something you wished to discuss? About the Navy?"

Seokmin's smile fell. "Oh- yes, the Navy. When are you enlisting?"

"In two weeks."

"I am considering joining you," Seokmin admitted. His expression was somewhat glum. "I know things have been looking up for my family since my sister married the Viscount, but I can hardly live off my brother-in-law for the rest of my life."

Soonyoung blinked. "The Viscount would support you in a heartbeat. So would Jihoon."

"Yes- which only makes it all the more embarrassing to depend on their generosity," Seokmin replied with a sigh. He looked up at his friend and offered him his hand. "Shall we go explore the high seas together, Soonyoung?"

Soonyoung shook his hand with a smile. 

"Let's capture some pirates."

"Aye, aye!"

—------------------------------------------------

Soonyoung had not forgotten to seek an explanation from the Viscount for his strange behaviour at the Duchess' ball, but the opportunity did not come immediately. 

Viscount Hong's younger sister- Miss Hong- had been caught in a scandal the very evening of the ball and the Viscount was away making arrangements for her hushed wedding to Mr. Jeon Wonwoo. Soonyoung could hardly knock on the Viscount's door in those circumstances and demand to know why he had asked him to dance with the Duchess of Graham. 

"You must tell us what the Duchess is like," Mr. Kim Mingyu pressed Soonyoung over a game of cards at the gentlemen's club. The handsome rake had a cigar sticking out of the corner of his mouth as he scanned his cards. "I've heard so many things about her."

"What have you heard?" Soonyoung asked curiously. 

"The usual story of how she acquired her title, of course. The late Duke had no surviving male heirs. The dukedom would have died with him, but the Grahams have always been very intimate with the royal family. On his deathbed he sought a special decree from the Queen herself- to allow his title to pass through his only daughter."

Soonyoung nodded. He knew this story. The entire ton knew this story- it had been one of the most discussed topics of the past year. 

"The first woman to be a Duchess by birth and not by marriage," Seokmin remarked as he set down a card. "Does that mean that whoever she marries becomes the Duke of Graham?"

Mingyu nodded. "Naturally so."

"Who would she marry? Surely a Prince? Or another Duke?" Soonyoung wondered. He still remembered that brief dance with you at the ball- you were the picture of beauty and perfection. He could not imagine you settling for anyone less. 

"All the other Dukes are curmudgeonly old men," Mingyu said dismissively. "The Duchess is young and beautiful enough not to have to settle for any of them. Considering her ties to the royal family and that she is a close personal favourite of the Queen- yes, I'd say a Prince is far more likely."

Seokmin sighed. "That would be some celebration," he said wistfully before turning to Soonyoung. "Pity we won't be around to see it, eh, Soonyoung? We will have departed for the Navy by then."

Soonyoung hummed. The day of his planned enlistment drew nearer and the dread in his heart grew greater and greater as the reality of his future sunk in. He was not certain how Seokmin could remain optimistic and casual about their upcoming enlistment.

Mingyu winced as he put out his cigar. "Are you two really doing that? The Navy? Isn't there some other way to come into a fortune- preferably one that does not involve placing yourself in mortal peril?"

Soonyoung scoffed as he played his turn at cards. "Easy for you to say, Mr. Kim, sole heir to a Kim family fortune so large that you've gambled away thousands of pounds and somehow still kept your estate intact. Remind me how much you owe Mr. Yoon again?"

Seokmin chuckled. "There is an idea. Perhaps we can play Mr. Kim for his estate."

Mingyu chuckled and leaned back in his seat. "If it prevents you both from going to the Navy, I'm game."

"The Navy is the only option that really gives men of uncertain fortune like us a chance to earn enough to compete with family money," Soonyoung explained with a sigh. He had done his research- there was no other way. "If one can climb the ranks to obtain a command and sink some enemy ships, the spoils of war are often lucrative enough to justify the effort."

Mingyu was not impressed. "If you survive long enough."

"What would you suggest instead, wise one?"

Mingyu's eyes twinkled. "Haven't you two considered simply marrying into fortune? You're both handsome young gentlemen. I am sure you could find a damsel with a large enough dowry to support you."

"So you would have us become dowry hunters," Soonyoung replied. 

"If you want to put it so crudely…"

"Your rakish behaviour is only passable among the ton because of your fortune, Mr. Kim. I am fairly certain that if Seokmin or I attempted to seduce young ladies of fortune as brazenly as you do, we would have been shot by their fathers or brothers," Soonyoung replied drily. 

Seokmin chuckled. "I'd rather die at sea."

"I will drink to that."

Soonyoung allowed his friend to refill his glass with whisky and sipped it. It occurred to him how much he would miss these casual evenings in London- playing cards and having a drink with his friends as they bickered and joked without a care in the world. 

But life could not be so easy. He had to prove himself in the world. 

The entrance to the gentlemen's club opened and a lone figure walked in. It was Viscount Hong, looking more tired than Soonyoung had ever seen him. He nodded politely at the gathered  gentlemen in greeting. 

"Viscount Hong!" Seokmin greeted him cheerfully. "Join us for a game?"

The Viscount sighed. "I'm afraid I'm not up for any gambling tonight but I will have a drink," he said. One of the waiters came rushing over to pour him a fresh glass of whisky as the Viscount took one of the empty seats at their card table. "It has been a difficult week."

Mingyu nodded. "Have Mr. and Mrs. Jeon left for the countryside?"

The Viscount lifted his glass and emptied it into his mouth before responding. "Yes- I would say that it turned out alright in the end, but I am not sure anyone benefitted from this mess, really. Except perhaps Baron Wright."

Seokmin gestured for the waiter to refill the Viscount's glass. "Say the word and we can deal with the Baron- we'll call it a hunting accident."

The Viscount seemed mildly amused. "Thank you, Seokmin, but there's really no need to murder anyone on my behalf. I doubt the Viscountess would forgive me if you ended up in the gallows on my family’s account."

Seokmin shrugged. "I'm bound for the Navy in a few weeks."

The Viscount laughed. "You must be mad if you think your sister would ever allow that."

"It is not her decision."

The Viscount shook his head lightly. "Far be it from me to interfere with my wife and her siblings. But I am fairly certain that you will not be heading to the Navy as you imagine, Seokmin. Nor, for that matter, will Soonyoung."

Soonyoung, halfway through his third whisky and beginning to feel the effects of the alcohol, looked up and blinked. "Sorry?"

The Viscount turned to face him with an apologetic smile. "I was going to explain why I pressed you to dance with the Duchess that evening, but I am afraid more urgent events distracted my attention. But first- am I correct in assuming that your enlistment in the Navy is only due to your need for a fortune and not due to an actual passion for the high seas?"

Soonyoung cleared his throat. The Viscount was very correct but it was an awkward thing to admit. "I mean, I was planning on capturing some pirates and building my own fortune."

Mingyu chuckled halfway through his attempt to light his second cigar. "Yes, Kwon Soonyoung, with his talent for the Viennese waltz and preference for lemon cream is the ideal man to defend our seas and capture pirates."

Viscount Hong ignored him. "And if there was an easier way for you to come into fortune?"

Soonyoung raised an eyebrow. "Such as?"

"By marriage."

"Don't bother, Viscount," Mingyu said lightly. "I have suggested it already, but these two gentlemen are determined not to present themselves as dowry hunters."

"What if the young lady of fortune approached you first?" 

"And where do you plan to find a young lady of fortune mad enough to do that?" Mingyu joked. 

Viscount Hong gave Mingyu a sharp look which silenced him and then set down his glass of whisky on the table. He turned in his chair to fully face Soonyoung. The look in his eyes was serious and for a moment, Soonyoung felt something akin to anxiety stir in his stomach. 

"What is it, Viscount Hong?" Soonyoung asked nervously. 

"The… Duchess of Graham has expressed an interest in marrying you, Soonyoung."

—------------------------------------------------

[halloween-neko96]

Butterfly Choices 🦋

[One Piece - Different Strawhat Pirates AU]

A little flap of a butterfly created millions of changes.

In which, a slightly different Luffy in a slightly different world picked up a slightly different crew.

Story Masterlist

Romance Dawn Arc

Prologue - Romance Dawn

Entry I - III

to be continued…

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/57578383/chapters/146507632

AU Exploration

SPOILER WARNING: The next part includes multiple spoilers for the recent arcs.

ASL Brothers (who weren't even brothers in this)

The backstories for the ASL Brothers are similar to The Ocean Where The Stars Follow You 💫 where Roger entrusted his son to Rayleigh instead of Garp.

Silver D. Ace | Gol D. Ace

A famous Bounty Hunter on Sabaody, well-known as 'Ace of Spades'. He was raised by Silver Rayleigh and Shakky. Ace was loved and knew he was loved. The boy ran wild on the Sabaody, recking havoc here and there. It was lucky for the Marines that he hadn't run into any Celestial Dragon yet because he would definitely punch one.

Sabo

The Chief of Staff of the Revolutionary Army, famous with the name 'Flame Emperor'. He set sail as 10 from Dawn Island and got shot down by a Celestial Dragon. Dragon and the Revolutionary Army recused him and he chose to stay with them. Sabo didn't lose his memory but there was nothing worth remembering about his life back in Goa Kingdom. He found his place in the Revolutionary Army. (The one with the Mera Mera no mi from the start was Sabo)

Monkey D. Luffy

The Captain of the famous Straw Hat Pirates. He grew up a tad more lonely but was still loved. Garp didn't drop him at Dadan so Luffy spent more time in Foosha Village, helping Makino with her bar. He eventually ventured up the mountain, met Dadan, and reached the Grey Terminal. He set sail at 17 and the boy had been a chaos gremlin since then, bringing all sorts of changes to the water of the Grand Line.

Ace & Sabo

Sabo knew quite a lot about the famous Bounty Hunter Ace of Spades. It came with the job. He found Ace's chaotic behavior funny. He also assumed that Ace was the son of Rayleigh and Shakky.

Ace only knew a thing or two about the mysterious 'Flame Emperor' of the Revolutionary Army. But the guy sounded fun in his opinion.

Ace & Luffy

Ace and Luffy knew about each other through Deuce. Ace also heard quite a lot about Luffy from Shanks. Ace thought Luffy sounded annoyingly endearing while Luffy thought Ace was a cool guy.

Sabo & Luffy

Sabo was shocked upon learning that his boss, his savior, Dragon had a son who was living on the same island as he did. He was a bit jealous of Luffy for having Dragon's unconditional love while Sabo's birth parents... When Luffy's first bounty was out, Sabo noticed his old goggles hanging around Luffy's neck. So he laughed and laughed and wished that they had met back on Dawn Island.

Luffy was there when Sabo got blown up. He picked up the top hat and the goggles. Years later, Luffy found a treasure stash with a diary of a boy named Sabo, the same name stitched on the hat.

ASL Meeting

The three of them had a brief meeting when Luffy arrived at Sabaody. Later, Ace spent a lot of time sulking while Rayleigh trained Luffy. Sabo took a liking to Luffy when they met again in Dressrosa. Sabo and Ace annoyed each other when they ran into the other on Sabaody.

Straw Hat Pirates

Except for Luffy as the Captain, the rest of the Straw Hat Pirates include members different from Canon. They are all loyal to Luffy the same.

Koby

Firstmate and Navigator of the Straw Hat, 'Treasure Hunter' Koby.

His story started similar to canon where he accidentally got himself on Alvida's pirate ship. However, after a year, he got recused by a bounty hunter who was actually Nojiko. He tried to help her buy back her village by gathering treasure. That was how he started his journey as a treasure hunter. After a while, seeking treasure and money had become a habit to him. He loved the sea and wished to travel to every corner of the world.

Koby was the first member Luffy invited. But he officially joined after the fall of Arlong Park. He fought with a staff, and he and Luffy trained against each other sometimes.

Shimotsuki Washi | Shimotsuki Kuina

Swordman of the Straw Hat, Washi of the 'White Blade'.

The swordsman who aimed to be the Greatest, carrying his promise to his childhood friend and a white sword sounds similar right? However, Washi's story carried more than that. He set sail not only to challenge Mihawk but also to find his missing childhood friend, Roronoa Zoro. Wandering on the sea for a while, he gained a reputation as a bounty hunter.

Washi was the second member Luffy invited and technically the first member to join. He used one sword style but could also use more than one sword in combat.

Washi's body turned into a female once he got drenched in seawater and turned back into a male once he got dry. It got him into conflict with Pudding as she didn't know how to treat him. This strange phenomenon is actually related to Washi's backstory involving Ivankov's Devil Fruit and the missing case of Zoro.

Kaya

Doctor of the Straw Hat, 'Praying Angel' Kaya.

The young lady who chose to study to become a doctor instead of inheriting her family business immediately accepted the invitation of a young pirate and set sail with them. She wanted to travel around the world and study every plant out there to use them for medical. She also set sail with the hope of meeting her friend, Usopp on the sea.

Kaya was the third member Luffy invited. Along with her was their first ship, Going Merry. She had accidentally eaten the Hito Hito no mi, Mythical Type, Model: Tenshi as a child but she didn't realize it until she fell into the sea and almost drowned. Her Devil Fruit allowed her to cast boosts and buffs on people via praying. She also could transform into a humanoid figure with wings and a glowing halo but she only learned it after the 2 years Timeskip.

Charlotte Pudding

Chef of the Straw Hat, 'Sweets Taster' Pudding.

A young chef who hid their heritage and dreamed of finding All Blue did ring a bell, right? She was a chef who worked at the sea restaurant, Baratie. She loved women, wouldn't hesitate to kick a man, and loved cooking overall.

Pudding was the fourth member Luffy invited who also was the last member of the East Blue gang. She fought with her legs, taking after Zeff's combat style.

Pudding used to hide her third eye but after a while, she was comfortable enough with the crew to share it. She also got frustrated with Washi due to him sometimes turning into a woman, making her confused about how to treat him.

Similar to Sanji's 'Vinsmoke' storyline, Pudding was forced to be involved in a wedding-turn-assassination where her full name was revealed.

Deuce

Novelist and Informant of the Straw Hat, 'Masked' Deuce.

A young man who abandoned his old name, and his medical studies to follow his passion for writing and become a novelist or a journalist rather. He wished to write and publish the best story ever. He was the pen pal of Luffy whom he met as a child when Luffy was traveling with the Red Hair Pirates for a bit.

Deuce was the one who immediately invited himself to Luffy's ship once they met at Whisky Peak. He was a swordsman with fierce swordsmanship. After 2 years of Timeskip, he got a new unique sword that could light itself on fire.

Before meeting up with Luffy again, Deuce was a journalist for Big News Morgan. That was how he got himself into the Grand Line. Deuce got his new name via Ace whom he met at Sabaody.

Wednesday Lily | Nefertari D. Vivi

Assasin and Strategist of the Straw Hat, 'Miss Devil' Wednesday Lily.

The Princess of Alabasta chose to continue on her journey with the Straw Hat crew after they defeated Crocodile. Luckily for her, someone in the Marines mistook her name for Lily instead of Vivi and took her codename Miss Wednesday as her last name. Vivi adapted and used it as her new name instead.

Vivi wasn't exactly a combatant, especially one-on-one. However, she was incredibly clever and usually ran a background plan while the rest of the crew fought forward. She had a pair of dangers coated in poisons that were made by her and Kaya's combined knowledge.

There was the whole thing in Enies Lobby where the CP9 tried to kidnap Vivi under the Government-slash-Imu's order. You can figure out how that went.

Rami | Trafalgar D. Water Lammy

Historian of the Straw Hat, 'Snow White' Rami.

A girl in her mid-20s with pale white skin and black hair, looking like the famous princess Snow White from an old fairy tale. She wished to undercover the truth history of the world.

Rami joined the Straw Hat along with her partner, Cain after Luffy defeated Enel on the Sky Island, Skypedia. She had eaten the Logia Devil Fruit, the Kumo Kumo no mi, allowing her to turn into a cloud. Due to living on Skypedia for quite a time, her cloud can mimic Sky Island's cloudland and white sea.

Rami's true name was Trafalgar D. Water Lammy, younger sister of Law. She was saved by Cain who spent 10 years treating her Amber Lead while she stayed asleep for those 10 years. The leftover side effect of her sickness was her pale white skin. Her black hair was just dyed, a call back to her older brother.

Cain | Punk-07

Scientist of the Straw Hat, 'Apple Biter' Cain.

A young-looking boy with a mind that was way older than he looked. He had white hair, golden star eyes, and dark skin. He was a scientist who would never stop pursuing science. However, his most important goal was to keep Rami alive and save.

Cain joined the Straw Hat, following Rami. At the start, he wasn't really that loyal to Luffy but over time, he grew to attach and appreciated them. He seemed to have a huge amount of knowledge that one shouldn't have. He had a lot of inventions and could create new things on hand. His favorite weapons were apple bombs with multiple effects.

Cain was actually a Vegapunk's Clone from another timeline where Lammy survived instead of Law and was the user of the Ope Ope no mi. The Lammy from that timeline saved Cain who was created by Lilith after Egghead's Incident. She also performed the Perpetual Youth Surgery on him. Cain in the old timeline eventually managed to time travel and arrived at this timeline. He saved Rami as a way to thank her and eventually grew very attached to her.

Uta

Musician of the Straw Hat, 'Singing Puppeteer' Uta.

The adopted daughter of Red-Haired Shanks who used to be a musician of Red Hair Pirates. She dreamed of becoming a famous singer. When the Red Hair Pirates left Dawn Island, she promised to join Luffy's crew one day once they met again.

Three years before Luffy set sail, Uta got turned into a toy by Sugar, leaving her stuck at Dressrosa while no one remembered her. After Sugar was defeated, Uta also got free. She officially joined the Straw Hat after they defeated Doflamingo.

Uta was the user of the Uta Uta no mi.

Marco

Watcher and Assistant Doctor of the Straw Hat, Marco 'The Phoenix'.

The former 1st Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates. He was in a position similar to Yamato in canon where Luffy promised him a place on his ship if he ever felt like being a pirate again.

Marco eventually joined the Straw Hat.

Fate of Original Straw Hat Pirates

What are the canon members of the Straw Hat Pirates up to?

Roronoa Zoro

Zoro was the missing childhood friend whom Washi/Kuina set sail to find. They also had a promise to become the Greatest Swordsmen in the world. So where was Zoro?

The story went back to the night when the Revolutionary Army docked at the Shimotsuki Village. Kuina upon witnessing Ivankov's power, begged them to change her into a boy. Meanwhile, Zoro had a conversation with Kuma which led to Kuma sending Zoro away. The destination was Mihawk's castle.

Zoro had a habit of wandering around so after the first few days, no one in the dojo noticed his absence while Kuina had her mind full of adjusting to her new male body. When someone finally noticed, the Revolutionary Army already left so there was no one telling them about where Zoro was. They all assumed he went missing.

Zoro arrived at Mihawk's castle where he was found by another resident of it, the Ghost Princess, Perona. But Zoro's arrival wasn't without a cost. He lost his memory except for his name. Perona patched him up while waiting for Mihawk to go back home.

When Mihawk finally got back, he reluctantly accepted the boy due to Perona's persistent begging and Zoro's own condition. At least, Zoro was interested in swords, unlike Perona. In the end, Mihawk's tiny family grew a little bit.

(Listen, I loved the Goth Family.)

Mihawk was like a teacher and a father figure to Zoro while Perona was his annoying older sister.

Until one day, Perona went missing so Zoro went to look for her. It was Kuma that sent Perona to Gekko Moria's ship. Perona met the Straw Hat when they were there. Zoro also was there and he almost met them, met Washi. But Kuma arrived and sent both of them back to Mihawk's place. He also left Zoro with a few confusing words.

Nami

Nami's fate is currently undecided. When we finally get to know more about her origin, I will adapt more.

Whatever the fate of Nami right now, she wasn't the adopted daughter of Bellemere nor the adopted sister of Nojiko. She wasn't on the battlefield that day.

In the meantime, just imaging Nami living on Weatheria.

Usopp

Usopp was a childhood friend of Kaya whom she hoped to meet again one day. So where was he?

Let's go back to the beginning of the story. Like in canon, Usopp's mother, Banchina fell ill. Due to Kaya's devil fruit power, her illness got postponed for a bit. Long enough for them to get a better doctor to help her. Banchina got better. But the near-death experience made her quite scared so she did something. She sent a letter to Yasopp and this led to the Red Hair Pirates arriving at Syrup Island to pick up Banchina and Usopp. They had been on the ship of the Red Hair Pirates since then.

When they spent time on the Red Hair Pirates, Usopp and Uta became something like friends. Usopp was there in Dressross as he planned to meet Kaya when the Straw Hat came to wreck Doflamingo's plan. He was the one who jumped Sugar with Kaya and freed her victims including Uta. Usopp got to reunite with Kaya and then got to reunite with Uta. He also got to meet Luffy whom he got to hear from the Red Hair Pirates.

Vinsmoke Sanji

Since Pudding took Sanji's role, did that mean Sanji was still in Germa? The answer was no! Where was the fun in it!?

Here is what happened instead. Sanji ate the Memo Memo no mi. Sanji erased the memory of him from everyone in Germa. Sanji ran away. Sanji met Law and Corazon. Sanji went with them. Sanji found out about Vergo. Sanji erased Vergo's memory about Corazon being a marine. One thing led to another and they managed to escape Doflamingo's grip! They met Bepo, Penguin, and Shachi. Sadly, they had to part away now. Bepo went with Law and Corazon while Sanji stayed with Penguin and Shachi.

Sanji read about All Blue, finding it fascinating so he wanted to find it. Shachi and Penguin just rolled with it so they sorta became a crew. They couldn't decide who was the captain. They somehow got a submarine and more members. They… became a restaurant on the sea. They accidentally attacked a petty marine captain so now they were pirates. They still were a restaurant.

Sanji and the All Blue(?) Pirates finally traveled into the Grand Line.

Sanji and the crew met the Straw Hat on Sabaody where Sanji had a fun time cooking for Luffy. They were friends now.

At one point during the Straw Hat's 2 years separation, Sanji was captured back by his family due to him messing up and releasing all the memories he stole. And then came the storyline where Sanji and Pudding got set up for marriage by their birth family whom both of them absolutely wanted nothing to do with. Sanji and Pudding quickly got along like a house on fire. Then Luffy came and wrecked the wedding and Big Mom's Tea Party. Shachi and Penguin came along too after they met the Straw Hat again during Dressrosa.

Tony Tony Chopper

The earlier part of Chopper's backstory remained the same until a person stepped foot on Drum Island, the Marine Captain Trafalgar Law.

Anyway, long story short, Wapol was no longer king, and Chopper followed Law. We will get into more of this in Law's part.

Nico Robin

Robin, Robin, Robin! Oh, what was Miss All-Sunday up to?

Following the same storyline in Alabasta, Robin at the end was saved by Luffy. She collapsed afterward, unlike in canon, and was found by the Revolutionary Army.

So we had Robin the ‘Light of the Revolution’.

Like Sabo, she eventually found a place in the Revolutionary Army and became good friends with Koala, Sabo, and Hack.

Robin was there during the aftermath of Enies Lobby. She thanked Luffy for saving her while he asked her if she was happy now. Robin said yes and they smiled at each other. She also apologized to Vivi.

She was also there during Dressrosa.

Franky

Not gonna lie, Franky's part was a tough one to come up with. So I went with the Revolutionary Army's member Franky instead.

Franky's backstory remained the same, sorry Tom. Then Enies Lobby happened and now Franky was wanted too.

Here was where things diverged. Franky met Koala and Robin who currently just joined the Revolutionary Army. They talked and Franky thought that being a Revolutionary didn't sound too bad. So Franky decided to join too!

The new ship for the Straw Hat, the Thousand Sunny was still made by Franky but Cain also involved a lot in the process.

Franky was also there during Dressrosa.

Brook

Where was Brook during all of this? He was going on a tour around the world of course! The man can't leave his fans disappointed.

You see, Brook's shadow didn't get stolen by Moria. Kuma showed at one point and sent him away to the Twin Capes where he got reunited with Laboon. Brook was just a very famous pop star right now. He visited Laboon and Crocus regularly. He was there when the Straw Hat cross the mountain to enter the Grand Line, giving them quite a scare.

Jinbe

To know what Jinbe was doing, we must go back to an important event, the Summit War. The thing is that the War didn't happen at all because joke on you Ace wasn't a pirate.

Here was what happened instead. Ace wasn't captured but Marco was. Jinbe did a 10/10 move to get in the Impel Down like Luffy and Hancock. Jinbe flipped everything once they were on floor 6 and ran away with Marco. Ivankov and the Revolutionary Army just tagged along to get out too. Jinbe was no longer a Warlord but oh well.

So now Jinbe was still the Captain of the Sun Pirates. He allied himself with Luffy after the boy saved the Fishmen Island during the Hody's mess.

Other Expansion

Let's see some other characters and what they were up to.

Yamato

Yamato's story was mostly the same but she didn't get to meet Ace.

Trafalgar D. Water Law

Law's story remained the same up until he and Corazon met Sanji. Due to Sanji, Corazon was alive. After they parted away with Sanji, Penguin, and Shachi, Law with Corazon and Bepo moved away. Sengoku got the wind of them and they got in the marine. Law was not very happy about this at first. Then he started to exploit the resources the Marine gave him.

Law eventually became a Vice Admiral. He didn't plan to become an Admiral, sharing the same idea as Garp.

Bepo and Chopper were with Law.

Law didn't really get along with Smoker.

During Punk Hazard, Law met Luffy and the Straw Hat, seeing the chance to use Luffy for his goal, he proposed an alliance. And Luffy in a leap of insanity, agreed.

After Dressrosa, Law kept his promise as they came after Kaido.

In the meantime, Rami spent a lot of effort to avoid Law.

After Wano, Law also found himself on Egghead with the Marines. Cain and Rami's story was revealed. Long story short, right now, Law was chasing the Straw Hat while Rami ran away from talking to him.

Uncut Scenes

Shimotsuki Washi versus Shimotsuki Ryuuma’s corpse with Zoro's shadow.

Washi landed at Mihawk's castle and found out about Zoro.

Kaya's first time fell aboard, Washi jumped after to fish her out. They found out that Kaya was a Devil Fruit user and that Washi turned into a woman when drenched in seawater.

Washi's first time touched seastone, it had the same effect as seawater.

Robin thanked Luffy for saving her.

Sanji enjoyed preparing a feast for the Straw Hat.

Sanji and Pudding bonded over having shitty birth families.

Ace successfully bought Rayleigh for the first time.

Deuce got his new name from Ace.

Washi upon meeting Tashigi, “A doppelganger!?”. Tashigi upon meeting Washi, “A gender bend doppelganger!?!”.

to be continued…

[verysmallcyborg]

After seeing some of the pirate AU shots that have them together, it makes me curious-- does that version of Fornax ever get jealous and/or possessive of Ryssrael? Especially since they have the whole "guard dog" vibe going on?

From Fornax's body language alone in the set you did where she towers over her, I kind of get that impression 👀👁️👁️

EHEHEHE i'm glad someone else happened to spot the subtle vibes™ in that particular gpose :)

i like to think that maybe it took a while for fornax to begin feeling that way, MAYHAPS? or maybe it was swift............. considering that they're in a similar boat (HEH) as her, what with it feeling like the world is against them and they've been doing what they can to survive, so it's like a "oh shit. we gotta stick together" thing in their mind

fornax never really devoted themselves to one singular person when it came to work/jobs, but once the realization hit that They Sure Are Now working under one person, and a CAPTAIN at that, the fierce loyalty and devotion kicked in. devotion that consumes them more than they realize.... which turns into a primal urge to hiss and snarl at anyone that dares lay a finger on ryss..... ahem. ANYWAYS

so yes, guard dog fornax is very possessive, UNSURE about jealous tho... especially in this au where ryss has rules of no relationships, didn't sleep with her crew, etc so they don't have much reason to feel that in particular (FUNNY HOW THINGS CHANGE THO AFTER A WHILE...... when all that devotion becomes love too.... tehee)

[our-death-means-flag]

Above the Clouds and the Atmosphere

Ship: Izzy Hands x Reader

Notes: Wing AU, Izzy hasn’t been able to fly in decades. It doesn’t bother him. (It does.) Reader is the first person he’s met with wings strong enough to carry someone and fly. Not that it matters, Izzy doesn’t need to fly again. (He does.)

So, @run-me-through-but-not-like-that (hope the tag isn’t annoying!) wrote a wing fic with Izzy a while ago and it has not left my brain since. I thought that Izzy deserved to fly again and I love wing fics. So, here’s this.

Warnings: mentioned wing injuries, angst, Izzy being difficult

Title Song: Rocketeer by Far East Movement (but I’m specifically thinking of this cover by Clara C.)

It was impossible not to notice.

A crew member with wings was fairly run of the mill. If anything, they were sought after since the benefits of having a pirate who could fly were too many to count. Most crews only had two or three if they were lucky. The Revenge somehow had six five, Ed, Fang, Bonnet, Buttons, and you.

You still somehow stood out.

Your wings were absolutely massive. You had a larger wingspan than Ed which was a feat on its own. And you were without question the strongest flier on the crew.  (Yes, the crew of this clown ship had hosted a competition for that for some bloody reason, during which Izzy did his damndest to hide below deck) Though, and he’d never admit it, he did enjoy watching you. Watching you fly so smoothly when you scouted the waters ahead, watching you swoop down to attack an enemy sending them falling off the boat while you effortlessly shot back up into the air, watching you laugh and joke with the crew, wings moving almost as much as your hands as you spoke, emphasizing your words. You always flew so gracefully. Each twitch of your feathers was intentional and the gusts of wind that each flap of your wings created felt like a storm.

Every once in a while he’d purposely stand near you and when the wind from your wings hit his face it felt like he was flying again, just for an instant, but of course, that instant would pass and then he’d be slammed back into reality, grounded, permanently.

It was beautiful.

It was horrible.

Watching you was incredible but it made his wings ache. 

He was stuck. Part of him wanted to cling to you and to the memories of flying. But he didn’t. Instead he avoided you and your beautiful wings and the memories you brought, snapping whenever you dared try and get close, being significantly more hostile towards you than the rest of the crew.

Despite that, you kept trying. You were soft. Just like the rest of the crew. You were capable too, on par with what he’d expect from Blackbeard’s crew. But you were soft. You were kind and gentle and helpful. You always greeted him with a warm “Hello Izzy!” or a “Good morning, Izzy!” or a “Do you need anything, Izzy?”

It made it hard to hate you.

He wondered if it was harder to hate you or to deal with the reminders you brought of what he couldn’t do anymore.

Regardless, he avoided you. 

But avoiding you forever wasn’t practical…

A high pitched yell pulled him away from his work as he dragged a hand across his face.

“No peace and fockin’ quiet on this fockin’ ship.” He grumbled.

Usually a yell like that would have him worried that they were under attack but much to his surprise, he wasn’t really worried. He realized with no small amount of shock that it was because you’d been the one scouting today and you certainly wouldn’t be so incompetent. 

He quickly stopped thinking about how that must mean he trusts you.

Izzy stepped onto the deck and immediately noticed the source of the commotion. Practically the entire crew was crowded on the deck all clearly watching something. That something turned out to be you.

You were flying, easily keeping yourself hovering in place with strategic flaps of your wings. Clutching desperately onto you, was Lucius. The scribe looks like he was moments away from screaming again even as Izzy saw you gently comforting him and (if he was reading your lips right) telling him that it wasn’t that high up, that even if you dropped him, which you emphasized that you definitely wouldn’t do, he’d be fine.

Izzy shook his head trying to stop staring at you. He did the only thing he could think of and barked out “What the fuck are you useless lot doing?” 

A few people turned to glare at him and you looked remarkably guilty. In an annoyingly graceful movement, you landed deftly on the deck and gently released Lucius (honestly having to peel him off more than anything). 

You rubbed the back of your head awkwardly. “Sorry Izzy! Some of the crew wanted to go for a fly and I was done scouting— didn’t see anything interesting— and I’m the strongest flier… So, I figured.” You rambled and Izzy made a point of not looking at how the edges of your wings twitched as you moved your hands. “I… uh…” You seemed to lose confidence as you spoke. “Yeah…”

Some members of the crew notably stepped in between him and you as if to defend you. Not that it stopped him from opening his mouth, ready to unleash a volley of insults but the hand on his shoulder did.

“Aw, come on now. Lay off them Iz…” Edward’s voice was soft as he wrapped both his arm and wing around his shoulder, almost hiding the two of them from view.

The crew went back to talking to you, assuming that Ed would handle Izzy.

Ed took his chance and ducked slightly and whispered into Izzy’s ear, almost conspiratorially, “You know, if you asked, I’m sure they’d take you for a fly… They’re probably the only person we’ve met who could.” 

Izzy tensed. Of course you could. And Ed was right. You were very likely the only person who could. He’d never met anyone with wings as strong as yours. You definitely could carry him and fly.

Edward couldn’t. His wings were made for speed, not strength. Even though he’d been nearly dead, he remembered the first raid after his wings had gotten injured. Ed had scooped him into his arms and flown them back to their ship. He’d barely made it, actually hitting the railing and sending both of them skidding across the deck. Ed had sprained his own wings horribly after that, so Izzy never let him carry him again. He wouldn’t let his captain ground himself for his sake.

Izzy glanced at you again as you gently pulled Lucius into your arms again, comforting him before gently taking off.

The idea took over his mind. He could fly again. He’d never thought it would be possible.

No. It didn’t matter. He was fine.

He’d been fine without his flight for years. The hours he’d spent staring at the sky didn’t matter. The nights he’d spend curled up in his bunk, trying desperately to fall back asleep and dream of flying for just one more second didn’t matter.

He was fine.

Izzy rolled his shoulder pushing Ed’s hand off him. “I don’t need them.” He spat and stormed off.

He made a point of not looking at Edward’s guilty look. He knew that Ed had always blamed himself for the state of Izzy’s wings. Izzy had gotten the injuries protecting him after all. Even if Izzy knew about his captain's guilt, he couldn’t understand it. Protecting his captain came before everything else. Even his wings.

And he was fine.

—

Izzy did a double take the moment he stepped onto the deck for his late night rounds. The deck was empty, the night chilly enough to send everyone down to the bunks rather than sleeping on deck. But that wasn’t what caught his eye. Everything was done? The rigging was secure. The deck was organized and clean and he had no idea what was going on.

Until he spotted a familiar wing. 

Of course. It just had to be you. 

You were crouched near the front of the ship, wings fluttering in concentration as you meticulously checked the remainder of the rigging. So the state of the deck was probably because of you. But why? You’d usually be in bed or eating with the crew by now and you certainly didn’t have a late night shift today. So why were you here working?

Not sure how to get your attention without having to get close enough to risk touching your wings or yelling, he cleared his throat. You jumped lightly and he saw your hand shoot for the blade at your side until you looked over your shoulder and caught sight of him. Then you smiled.

“Evenin’ Izzy!” You greeted as politely as usual.

“Right,” was his curt response. “What are you doing here so damn late?”

You stood, somewhat sheepishly. “Oh, well… I figured I ought to help out a little…” He only got more confused and you seemed to notice since you continued, “well, I was the one who distracted everyone earlier and I wanted to make it up to you… so… I handled some things.” 

He furrowed his brows. “Make it up to me?”

“Yeah. I mean, I didn’t want you getting stuck with extra work cause I distracted everyone.”  You said it so matter-of-factly too, as if it was normal for you to do something like that for him.

On any other ship, if you’d do something like that, it would be out of fear, hoping to avoid punishment for slacking off. But no one on this ship was actually afraid of him since they all knew that the captains wouldn’t let him do anything. Maybe you were doing another strange thing again. Like how you greeted him and helped out.

Ridiculous.

“Fine.” He glanced at the rigging. “Not bad.” You beamed like he’d given you a huge compliment. “Go.” He dismissed you coldly, trying not to think about how much he liked seeing you smiling.

You walked past him, still smiling. Then you stopped. He was moments away from telling you to fuck off when you spoke again, “You know… my offer stands for you too.” He looked back at you.

“What offer?” He snapped.

“Flying. You weren’t on deck when I mentioned it to the rest of the crew but if you ever want me to take you for a fly, I’d be happy to. Just say the word.” He froze. “If you don’t want to do anything around the crew, let me know and I can find a time where we can fly without them around.”

Izzy stared at you. 

Did he want that?

Did he want to fly again?

He tried to picture it, the wind in his face, the ocean beneath him, your arms holding him and your beautiful wings keeping both of you in the air.

He hates the fact that he doesn’t hate the ideas.

You seem to take his silence and glare wrong as you rush to correct yourself. “Sorry! I didn’t mean to assume… I know you don’t like me and I know my wings make you uncomfortable and-

“What?” Izzy manages to force the word out, cutting off your words. 

You smiled sadly. “I'm not that oblivious. I know you keep avoiding me and whenever I fly you always seem really uncomfortable. I’m sorry. I want to be friends but if you want me to fuck off, just say the word and I’ll try to stay out of your way.”  

“Friends?” He echoed as if that was the most surprising thing you’d said. Not only had you caught on to his behavior but you were actively trying to make it up to him for them. 

You chuckled but it was clearly more at yourself than anything he said. ”Yeah… stupid. I know… I’m so sorry.”

“No.” He wasn’t sure why but he had to say it, had to get that stupid sad expression off your face. You seemed surprised. “I don't hate you.”

You froze, glancing back at him. “What?”

He groaned, realizing that he’d backed himself into a conversational corner. “I don’t hate you or your wings. Honestly you’re the most tolerable out of this whole damn crew. You actually know what you’re doing.”

You turned fully to face him, confusion and hope clear on your face. “You don’t? Then why do you avoid me?”

“Because I hate being reminded of what I can’t do!” He snapped. Then almost immediately froze as he realized what he’d said a moment after saying it. Your eyes widened. His eyes widened. “Fuck.”

His wings flexed uselessly under the many layers of wraps keeping them pressed to his back.

“You have…”

“Yes.” No point beating around the bush. “Can’t fly anymore.”

“Oh. I’m sorry.” Your tone of voice stunned him. You weren’t mocking him. He still remembered the way the rest of Hornigold’s crew had reacted to his sudden grounding. And get here you were genuinely telling him you were sorry without an ounce of sarcasm or mockery. You, with the most beautiful set of wings he’d ever seen.

“I don’t want your damn pity.” He snapped.

You didn’t react. “It’s not pity. I mean it. I’m genuinely sorry that happened to you.”

He didn’t know how to react to the fact he believed you.

“Thank you for telling me Izzy. If you ever need anyone to help with your wings, just ask.” Your words were so gentle, so genuine. “Goodnight Izzy.” You turned.

“Wait.” The word came out like a command, even as his voice shook. He knew if he didn’t say it now he’d probably never get the courage again. You turned, confused. But Izzy spoke before you did. “I want to fly.”

“What?”

“I’m not fucking saying it again.”

You (damn you) didn’t push or try to mess with him. Instead you just smiled. “Of course. If you’d like, we could go now?” You offered gently.

Izzy hesitated. He technically didn’t have any nightly duties left since you’d done everything aside from being on watch which he could easily do while flying. He swallowed. “Sure.”

You couldn’t help the smile that spread across your face and the way your wings fluttered in excitement. You opened your arms and smiled at him. “I’m going to have to pick you up.” 

Izzy couldn’t help but be a little grateful for you simply allowing him to come to you rather than grab him. With far more hesitation than he cared to admit, Izzy moved closer, tentatively stepping into arms reach of you.. You gestured with your arms and raised a brow, silently asking if you could pick him up. Izzy managed to mumble a “Yeah, go for it.” and he was lucky the two of you were so close since he was barely louder than a whisper.

You moved carefully, gently picking him up. One of your arms under his legs and the other resting gently against his back. He wrapped an arm around your shoulders to keep himself steady and was trying (and failing) incredibly hard to not think about how you were holding him

“You good?” You asked, speaking incredibly softly. With Izzy in your arms like he was, he could feel your breath on his ear. Izzy doubted he could actually get his lips to form words but he managed a quick nod. “Alright, I’m going to stay over the deck, not too high. Then if that’s fine with you I can fly around.”

Why did you have to be so frustratingly considerate? 

Izzy nodded against your shoulder.

You smiled, even without looking at you, he could hear it in your voice. “Got it. I’m taking off on the count of 3. 1…”

Izzy took a deep breath.

“2…”

He adjusted his grip on your shoulders.

“3!”

More on instinct than any conscious thought, Izzy buried his face in your shoulder. He heard the flap of your wings, the air rushing past, and then, calm. He pulled away from your shoulder slowly and opened his eyes. The two of you were hovering over the deck, about eye level with the mizzentop, your wings carefully flapping to keep you both as still as possible. It took a moment for everything to click in his mind. 

He was flying.

“Izzy?” Your voice gently pulled him from his thoughts. “Are you alright?”

He really wanted to give some cool response maybe a smooth “never better” but instead the only sound that managed to escape him was a “mhhnngh” which not only wasn’t smooth at all but also didn’t answer your question so instead he managed to nod.

“Do you want to fly around more?” He could practically hear the smile in your voice. 

Since Izzy’s vocal chords were still not cooperating, he nodded, almost frantically.

“Alright… Let’s go…” With another powerful flap of your wings you shot off away from the Revenge. Izzy felt the wind rushing by his face, tousling his hair. He watched the ocean flicker past just below him.  You dove down, and Izzy suddenly felt the sea mist against his skin. 

When his wings had healed enough for him to attempt flying, he'd honestly already known at that point that it would be useless. He’d tried regardless. Of course, he couldn’t. He pretended it didn’t bother him. But honestly, the idea that he’d never be able to fly again burned up his mind in a way he’d never been able to shake.

But he was actually flying.

It felt like a dream.

Izzy’s eyes must have been watering from the wind and the salt. 

He definitely wasn’t crying.

He was fine.

Without even thinking about it, Izzy reached a hand out towards the sea, desperate to reach out and touch it, as if that would fully confirm for him that he wasn’t dreaming. Seemingly realizing what he wanted, you swooped lower, allowing the tips of Izzy’s fingers to skip across the surface of the waves. You soared up into the air, Izzy watching the waves created from air from your wings.  Then you dove back down. You flew laps around the Revenge, staying just close enough to be safe. Of course, you (irritatingly considerate) kept checking in with him. “Is this okay?” “You alright?” “Everything fine?” To which Izzy could only respond with nods.

By the time you were landing back on deck,  Izzy honestly had no clue how long the two of you had been flying. He’d somehow just let himself get lost in the feeling of flying. A quick glance at the sky made him suddenly realize that his watch was almost up. The two of you had flown around almost all night. Izzy was honestly a lot more reluctant to leave your arms than he’d expected to be, but the fear of someone coming on deck and seeing you both made him finally remove himself from your arms.

He expected to feel just as awful as he had when he’d first realized he was stuck on the ground the moment his feet touched the ground but that didn’t happen. He felt lighter, more comfortable, like some tension he didn’t even realize he’d been carrying was gone. He scrubbed his face with his sleeve, trying to make it look more like he was rubbing sleep away from his eyes with limited success.

“Izzy?” Your voice once again, cut through the silence. He spun, turning to see you leaning against the railing, wings relaxed and breathing a bit heavier than normal, shoulders visibly moving. It seemed that even for someone as strong as you, flying around for hours carrying someone was a lot of work. 

“You look exhausted. You should have stopped sooner.” He winced at his own words, hating how even that came out as a complaint.

You chuckled lightly, seemingly not taking his words as insulting in any way. “Yeah, probably.” You agreed as you gently stretched your wings out. Izzy was once again struck by how big and powerful your wings were. “But you seemed to be having a good time so… I only really doubled back when I realized the watch shift was going to change, figured you wouldn’t want any of the crew seeing you.”

Again with you being so frustratingly considerate of him. Izzy sighed. You still made little sense to him with all that kindness but that was an issue for another day. “You ought to go to sleep. I’ll handle your morning tasks so you can sleep in.”

You immediately waved your hands. “Oh you don’t have to do that!”

“I know I don’t.” Izzy replied matter-of-factly. “Just as you didn’t need to stay up late to help me nor take me flying.”

“You don’t owe me for any of that, Izzy. I did that because I wanted to.” 

He actually fumbled with his words for a moment. If it were anyone else, he would have immediately called bullshit, but you looked so incredibly genuine. Either you were the best liar he’d ever met, or you were being sincere. “In that case, go to bed. I’ll cover for you because I want to.” He tried to make his voice as authoritative as possible but it was incredibly hard to do that when you were looking at him so softly. “You’re not convincing me otherwise.”

You smiled. “If you insist. Goodnight Izzy. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Goodnight.” Izzy replied with a nod. You walked past him to the bunks, and Izzy gathered up his courage. “Thank you.” He managed to force out without turning to face you,  just as you were about to leave. 

“Of course, anytime!”

Left alone on deck for a few minutes until shift change, Izzy watched the sky.

[rorywritesjunk]

(set in the au with Buggy's older sister, takes place after the little ficlets of the 24 hours since the execution. I'm also decompressing from the last few days at work and needed some fluff for these two.)

pt 1 + pt 2 + pt 3 + pt 4 + pt 5 + pt 6 + pt 7 + pt 8 + pt 9 + pt 10 + pt 11 + pt 12 + pt 13 + pt 13.5 + pt 14 + pt 15

pt 1

"Wait, we're stopping where so you can meet with who exactly?" Buggy demands from the captain after he was just told what was going on. The older man laughed, clapping Buggy on the shoulder. He shrugged the hand off with a glare. He was only on this crew until he earned enough to get his own. No one needed to touch him.

"I have to see Miss Pins about my pants. They aren't fitting the way I'd like them to." The old man told him with a chuckle. "We're stopping for a week. The island is a pirate safe haven so you don't need to be scared, young man!"

"I'm not scared!" Buggy shot back, but he was a little nervous. Sunny worked for Miss Pins, or at least she did when they met and she took care of him. If he goes with the captain to the shop, will she be there? Will she even remember him or were those just kind words she was saying to him with no meaning behind it? He didn't know if he wanted to see her. He wasn't a well known and flashy pirate yet, he was just a crew member.

"You can come along if you'd like, Buggy!"

Buggy didn't know if he wanted to, but he nodded, clenching his fists, suddenly feeling anxious about seeing Sunny again. It had only been a few months but he still thought of her regularly, of her kindness to him when he was a mess of emotions after losing the important people in his life all in one day.

And she didn't ask for anything in return from him.

~

It took a few days to arrive. The crew was happy to get off the ship and stretch their legs for a week. Buggy was waiting for the captain to take him to the shop. He had taken the time to wash his face, brush his teeth, and brush his hair before throwing it back into a pony tail. He wanted to look good for Sunny, to show he could take care of himself and he was doing better.

The captain finally came out of his quarters, the pants he needed fixing draped over his arm. He beckoned Buggy to follow him and the teenager did, walking alongside the captain as he pointed out shops, pubs, and other things to Buggy should he need anything while they were there.

Once they arrived at the shop, Buggy took a moment to look at it. There were flowers in the window boxes, the front was painted a light purple color, and it just... Didn't really fit into what he expected in a place known for a pirate safe haven. He felt this shop would do better in a town where people had money and wanted to see cutesy things.

That feeling vanished the moment his Captain opened the door and someone came barreling out. A bullet followed after the pirate, piercing through the top of his hat as he screamed he was sorry as he ran.

"Ah, yes, don't make her mad. She has good aim." Was his captain's warning to Buggy as they stepped into the shop.

There was an older woman standing in the middle of the shop with a shotgun with two young women sitting at a table sewing while another stood behind her.

"Damn pirates, thinking this is a brothel." The old woman muttered as she went to put the gun away. "Next time I'll shoot him in the ass." She looked up at Buggy and the captain, giving them both a look over. "What can I do for you?"

"Miss Pins, I was hoping-"

"Buggy?!" The girl who had been behind Miss Pins rushed forward suddenly, throwing her arms around Buggy. "It's you! You're here!"

He couldn't believe he didn't recognize her at first. Buggy's torso and arms detached from the impact from her hug before snapping back together and wrapping his arms around her. She was very touchy, had her hands on him frequently when they first met, checking in with him and making sure he was okay. It... Was a little weird at first but Buggy found he didn't mind it from her.

Now he had her in his arms. She was hugging him like they were lifelong friends and it had been ages since they last saw each other.

When she pulled back, smiling brightly at him, she glanced over at her boss as she took Buggy's hand in hers. "I'm going to take my break, Miss Pins!"

Her boss looked at Buggy, reaching for her gun once more. "If you must."

Remembering what he just saw moments ago, Buggy was fine with Sunny dragging him out of the shop and into the sunshine. He didn't quite know what to expect but honestly, he was just happy to see her again.

[suna1suna1]

Hello! It is WIP Wednesday again!

Since I finished the Whispangle one-shot (that wasn't actually a one-shot) I'll be restarting the game! So which wips are y'all interested in this week?

The Heart of the Ark (Shadamy | AI au)

Immortality (Shadamy | Hades and Persephone au)

Boom Dark Gaia fic (Sonadow)

Angels and Demons (Sonshadamy | Fantasy/Pirate au)

Untitled one-shot (Platonic/implied Sonadow)

And here are the last three paragraphs of these wips! Pick whichever ones suit your fancy! You can reply, reblog, or send an ask with whichever ones you want me to work on, and I'll set a 25-minute timer to focus on each one, which means I'll get around 300-500 words written!

Snippets under the cut!

The Heart of the Ark

Amy’s eyes widened. “How–?”

He pointed at Rouge. “I am most optimal when I’m running on Chaos energy,” he said. “Now farewell.” 

Something rumbled through the station, the sound almost deafening, and then a familiar screech tore through the air. Amy’s blood ran cold, and she turned to Knuckles. “We have to find the others!” she said, her voice frantic. 

2. Immortality

But the way she looked at Hermes, the warmth and devotion in her gaze… It made his stomach turn, a cold fire burning in his chest. 

Hades cleared his throat, and Hermes looked up at him with a smirk. “‘Sup, Hades?” he said. “I was just checkin’ in on Kore.”

Kore’s eyes shifted to Hades, and yet her smile didn’t change. If anything she brightened even further, and the flames in his chest banked a little. Still, Hades turned his gaze to Hermes, narrowing his eyes. “I see,” he said. “I don’t remember giving you permission to enter my abode while I was out.” 

3. Boom Dark Gaia fic

Sonic was about to try to follow him when someone called his name behind him. He turned to find a tired beaver with a pair of glasses and a clipboard standing in the doorway. “Your friend is stable,” she said, almost as if she could hardly believe it. “He’s still unconscious but he looks like he’ll pull through.”

Sonic sighed, his shoulders finally relaxing. “Phew,” he said. “For a minute there I thought he was a goner.”

“So did we,” the doctor replied with a frown.

4. Angels and Demons

“Could I get your name first?” Shadow asked. 

“Oh,” the echidna said, as if he’d been startled. “I am Knuckles, the last of the mighty Echidnas.”

Shadow nodded. “My name is Shadow. 

5. Untitled one-shot

Shadow huffed a laugh, then grimaced as Sonic smirked triumphantly. “Who said you were the coolest hedgehog ever? I thought you were just the most annoying.”

Shadow bit back a laugh as Sonic’s smirk melted into a mildly annoyed expression. “The universe has ordained that I’m the coolest. Although you’re a close second.”

“Gee, thanks,” Shadow deadpanned. “High praise. Now get out.”

[inairbinad]

Heaven, Indiana

Part one of three | 6.7k | T | also on ao3 | Part Two | Part Three

A re-imagining of season 3, where Eddie and Robin are already looped in on the Upside Down madness, and Eddie joins Scoops Troop. Part of my Barb Lives AU from the Petals Verse, where everyone lives and the timeline gets wonky as a result. Can be read on its own. @steddie-week day 4 prompts: Familiar / Here Come the Tears

Eddie woke with a jolt from the same, familiar nightmare he’d been having since November. The one where he found himself right back in those unnatural, revolting tunnels beneath Hawkins, on the brink of death with Steve Harrington grasping his hands in fear.

On the dark of his bedroom ceiling he could still see the imprint of Steve’s eyes, wide and terrified that they were about to die. Even now that he was awake Eddie could still feel the pit in his stomach, the burning in his calves from running, the ache of wishing he’d kissed Steve in that moment with a stampede of demodogs charging after them both.

Eddie didn’t need to have creative nightmares anymore, not like he did when he was a kid. The reality of what he and Steve had gone through—and Robin, and the kids, and the rest of them—in the course of trying to save Hawkins from a swarm of actual demogorgons and a goddamn Mind Flayer was more than enough to keep Eddie haunted for the rest of time.

It didn’t help that every single one of those terrified, cursed memories was tied up in want.

His desperation to kiss Steve in that moment haunted his dreams nearly as often as the version where they never made it out of the tunnels all.

Or sometimes Eddie would find himself back in the bus in the junkyard, waiting for Steve to come diving back inside the bus with a hoard of demons at his back. This time Eddie would catch Steve in his arms, breathless and sweating from staring down the gaping maw of death with nothing but a nail bat. Then Eddie would slide his hands into Steve’s hair and his tongue into Steve’s mouth, caring for nothing and no one else while the rot clawed and scratched at the door, desperate to consume them both.

Eddie felt so inexplicably deranged for how much of his lust was tangled up in the violence that he wanted to scream.

Instead he groaned, then finally dragged himself out of bed to take a cold shower and get ready for work.

Eddie wasn’t entirely sure how he’d ended up dressed like a sailor—or rather more like a pirate, considering the tattoos he refused to cover up while he was working, like he was supposed to—and toiling away in the shiny, brand new, and brightly colored Starcourt Mall. But there he was, on time for his shift of scooping ice cream and pretending to be happy about it.

Well, that wasn’t entirely true. Eddie already knew he’d ended up there because of Steve goddamn Harrington: bane of Eddie’s existence and possibly the love his life, all wrapped up into one monster-hunting, child-defending, short-short-wearing package.

The problem with all of this—working with Steve, being friends with Steve, spending way too much of his every waking moment with Steve—was that now Eddie knew Steve was bisexual, and Eddie didn’t know how to deal with that bit of intel. Because knowing that meant every minute Steve wasn’t kissing Eddie, Eddie was going insane. It was one thing for Eddie to quiet the delusion that Steve would ever look in his direction before, back when Eddie assumed Steve was straight. But once Eddie realized he’d accidentally stumbled into some kind of queer-alliance-slash-part-time-monster-hunters club last fall, he’d been decidedly less capable of coping with his crush.

Sure, learning that alternate dimensions and monsters actually existed was enough of a mindfuck to last Eddie a lifetime. But then he had to go and get clobbered with the news that Steve was bi, and Barb and Nancy were dating, Robin was also a lesbian—and Steve Harrington is bi, dear god does that mean I have a shot?

The demogorgons seemed kind of quaint, after that. Even the ones Dustin tried to raise as pets.

It was nice, though, having more people like himself to hang out with. The thought of ever finding other gay friends in Hawkins used to seem laughable to Eddie, but now there was a whole flock of them.

All of this led to Eddie thinking he would enjoy working with Steve and Robin at Scoops Ahoy for the summer, just to have an excuse to be around Steve all day, every day. In that goddamn uniform, too. But it was only making Eddie fall for Steve harder.

So, yeah, Harrington was undoubtedly the reason Eddie was here. And he was late for his shift.

Rather than daydream about him until he showed, Eddie opted to kill the time between customers by having some fun with Robin.

“What about her, Birdie?” Eddie asked, nudging Robin to look across the food court towards a dark-haired girl near the Orange Julius.

Robin twisted to follow Eddie’s eye line until she landed on the girl in question. This was typically how the two of them liked to pass their shifts at Scoops Ahoy together—by playing each other’s wingmen while pretending everyone in Hawkins was draped in a rainbow flag and available to flirt.

“She looks like Nance,” Robin said, scrunching up her nose.

“Is that a problem?” Eddie asked, laughing lightly. He didn’t have much of a peg-leg to stand on, but he was nearly certain that Nancy was objectively pretty.

“No,” Robin shrugged, then started scanning the crowd for a girl more her speed. “I just wouldn’t want Barb to think I’m secretly lusting after her girlfriend.”

“Ah,” Eddie said, nodding slowly. “I forgot how seriously you took this imaginary game of ours.”

Rather than reply, Robin gave him a hearty shove until he went toppling off the counter he’d been perched atop. Eddie laughed as he stumbled to stay upright, but tripped over his own feet in the process. He was already halfway to flat on his ass, a smart remark about Robin’s clumsiness rubbing off on him already perched on his tongue, when he felt a pair of strong arms catch him around the waist. Eddie knew from the solid feel of the chest against his back who had caught him, but the whole thing was a little too ironic for words.

“Good catch, Steve,” Robin laughed, just as Eddie turned his face back and upward to look into Steve’s. “Thought I might’ve killed our friend for a second.”

“I thought I told you to stop throwing him around,” Steve said with a grin. Eddie was still staring at him, still happily leaning into the feel of Steve’s arms wrapped around him. “He’s precious goods.”

Eddie couldn’t help the swell of satisfaction it gave him to hear Steve say that.

“I can’t stop my clumsy from rubbing off on you two,” Robin shrugged. Eddie grunted when at least part of his brain registered how Robin had just stolen his line.

Reluctantly, Eddie reactivated his own legs as he stood up of his own volition instead of relying on Steve. He brushed himself off and tried to act somewhat normal.

“Thanks for the save, Stevie,” Eddie said, doing his best to put on a charming smile. “And for trying to stop Birdie from trying to murder me.”

“Anytime, Eds,” Steve smiled back at full strength, plopping his sailor hat on as he did. “Sorry I’m late, I forgot where I left my keys again. What did I miss?”

“Robin’s got the hots for Nance,” Eddie said, earning himself a thwack from Robin’s own hat to accompany her squeak of indigence.

“I do not!” she cried, looking between Steve and Eddie—who were both giggling under their breath at her—like she couldn’t believe they’d treat her like this. “Assholes. Stop fucking with me.”

“Chrissy Cunningham’s on her way over,” Steve said next, elbowing Eddie in the side and nodding towards the front of the store.

“Oh, ha ha,” Robin grumbled. “Get Robin even more flustered by telling her the prettiest girl in Hawkins is near by, you’re so hilarious, dingus.”

Eddie, obviously a better friend than Steve, was frantically dragging his forefinger back and forth across his throat, trying to signal to Robin to shut the fuck up because Chrissy was, indeed, on her way up to the counter. Robin noticed too late, though, and Steve was having the time of his life watching her face turn red and her eyes get wide as a full moon.

Chrissy, sweetheart that she was, didn’t do much more than take in Robin’s distressed posture with a look of concern. “You okay, Robin?”

If she’d heard Robin calling her the ‘prettiest girl in Hawkins,’ she was doing an excellent job of hiding it. Eddie still noticed a sparkle in her eye that made him suspect she’d heard every word.

Robin gave Eddie a pleading look, like she wanted him to fix this for her, but he shook his head resolutely. She narrowed her eyes at him, then spun on her heel and beamed at Chrissy.

“I’m great, sorry,” Robin said, recovering impressively. “What’s up, Chrissy?”

“Oh, just shopping with some friends,” she shrugged. “Thought I’d come say hi. So, hi.”

“Hi,” Robin repeated, looking a little thunderstruck as Chrissy smiled at her. Eddie couldn’t blame her. Chrissy wasn’t in her usual cheerleader getup, and ironically enough she was in a rainbow colored t-shirt and jean shorts. But Eddie really knew what was driving Robin nuts was the fact that Chrissy was wearing suspenders, and her hair was loose and flowing down past her shoulders.

Eddie had heard many whiney monologues from Robin about how pretty Chrissy was over the last few months. He knew what to look for at this point.

“So, I’m having a party for the Fourth of July,” Chrissy started, then bit her lip as she paused to assess Robin’s face. Eddie zeroed in on it, wondering if maybe there was something reciprocal there that he hadn’t noticed before. “You should come.”

“Me?” Robin asked, really playing into the awkward teenage romcom angle, even if unintentionally.

“Yes,” Chrissy laughed, then she seemed to notice Steve and Eddie for the first time. “All of you should come.”

“We’d love to,” Steve said right away, elbowing Robin in an attempt to make her remember her words, probably. “Right, Rob?”

“Totally!” Robin finally exclaimed, and Steve stepped back to Eddie’s side again as Chrissy filled her in on the details. They tried to pretend like they were minding their own business, talking shop about ice cream like it was extremely important, but naturally they were eavesdropping half to hell.

“So can I get you some ice cream?” Robin asked eventually, slipping into her professional persona.

“Do you do samples?” Chrissy asked, leaning over the glass container to get a look at the flavors.

“Sure,” Robin said, and Eddie knew she’d break the sample limit for Chrissy in a heartbeat.

Steve finally lost control of himself, desperate gossip that he was, and dragged Eddie in the back with him so he could let loose his own commentary with a breathless laugh.

“They’re like, actually really cute. But I thought Rob’s head was going to explode,” Steve whispered. As Eddie moved to listen just on the other side of the passthrough’s sliding doors, Steve sidled up behind him. Then, just to drive Eddie further into the deep end, Steve hooked his chin into the crook of Eddie’s shoulder and rested it there. A shudder ran through Eddie at the feel of Steve’s breath on his neck, and he did his best to cover it up by telling Steve to shut up.

“Shh, you goober,” Eddie grumbled, despite the fact that he was laughing, too. “I’m trying to listen.”

Steve mercifully quieted down but stayed exactly where he was, making it difficult for Eddie to focus on Robin, anyway.

“Do you have a usual favorite?” Robin was asking Chrissy about ice cream flavors, Eddie had to remind himself. That was the important thing happening right now, not Steve’s mouth in such close proximity to his neck.

“I tend to like the fruity ones,” Chrissy answered, and Steve honest-to-god cackled. Eddie did his best to shush him, but he had to literally bite down on his own fist to keep the hilarity of it bottled up, especially when Steve pressed his whole face into Eddie’s shoulder in a poor attempt to stifle himself.

A thud sounded from the other side of the wall, which Eddie was pretty sure came from Robin kicking it in annoyance. Poor Chrissy was just out there being a normal person, and Steve and Eddie had to go and turn into a puddle of giggles over it.

“I swear to god, Stevie,” Eddie sputtered, trying not to give in to Steve’s contagious laughter. “Stop it before Birdie murders us with an ice cream scoop.”

That only made Steve’s shoulders shake harder, because apparently he enjoyed the threat of dying at his best friend’s hand. Then he rested his hands on either side of Eddie’s waist, holding on in a squeezing grip, until Eddie felt his muscles twitch beneath Steve’s fingertips.

“I’m sorry,” Steve wheezed. “But fruity.”

“You’re fruity,” Eddie said under his breath, which only made Steve double over again, clutching onto Eddie harder.

“No shit,” Robin said, suddenly just on the other side of the passthrough. She slid the doors open and glared at them both. “Chrissy definitely thinks I’m insane now, and you’re lucky I don’t come back there and kill you both with my bare hands.”

“Have you considered using the ice cream scoop?” Steve suggested, and now it was Eddie’s turn to let out an ugly, surprised guffaw.

“I deserve a raise,” Robin deadpanned, then slammed the doors shut again.

Steve pulled away from Eddie then, much to Eddie’s dismay. He dabbed at his eyes with the hem of his shirt, revealing a whole lot of abs and a tantalizing bit of hair disappearing beneath his stupidly small shorts.

Eddie swallowed and looked determinedly away, until his eyes landed on the baffling supply of bananas that were waiting to be hung on the wall. He groaned inwardly and tried to focus on getting through the rest of the day in one piece.

Eddie went from doing his usual amount of pining after Steve and surviving just fine, thank you very much, to decidedly not fine at all when the jacked guy who taught aerobics upstairs showed up in the Scoops line.

Eddie didn’t even know why he bothered coming into Scoops in the first place. All he ever did was order the low-fat bullshit that wasn’t even really ice cream, in a tiny portion, and tip like shit.

And somehow Steve found this attractive.

“Would you like to set sail on an ocean of flavor with me?” Steve opened with his usual, company-approved line that he somehow had turned into a come-on. Every time Steve said it like that, with his hip popped and a charming smile on, it made Eddie want to kick himself for being hung up on him. And yet it was wildly adorable in a terrible kind of way, and Eddie had to admit it would have worked on him in an instant.

The buff one didn’t even appreciate it.

“Just the usual, please,” he said with an easy smile. Eddie hated him.

So he decided to give him some shit.

“How was the Jane Fonda tape today?” Eddie asked, leaning across the counter and definitely not doing his actual job. He heard Steve stifle a little laugh, though, so Eddie figured he wasn’t on thin ice just yet.

The aerobics guy’s face pinched, as if there was something wrong with Jane Fonda. Another red flag, as far as Eddie was concerned.

“It’s Jazzercise,” he corrected in a flat tone. “And it was fine. How’s slinging ice cream?”

“Oh, it’s the best job in the world,” Steve cut in just as Eddie opened his mouth mouth in retort. “Especially when we get such great and attractive customers like yourself!”

Steve winked, and Eddie barely held in a scream.

“Right,” the idiot on the other side of the counter remarked. Then he took his ice cream and fled the store.

“Mark one more in the ‘You Suck!’ column,” Robin announced with fanfare and a uncoordinated drumroll as she whipped out her white board. She also gave Eddie a long, knowing look behind Steve’s back. Steve stayed none-the-wiser to Eddie’s misery or to Robin’s ribbing him over it, since he was begrudgingly digging out the Polaroid that they used to mark such special occasions as tallying the board.

Eddie moved over to where Robin stood, knowing she’d want him in the photo with her, despite the fact that he was all but slumped into a pout.

“Photo evidence, please?” Robin cooed at Steve, positively buzzing with satisfaction. Literally, Eddie could feel her glee just from sitting beside her, as she marked another tally on the ‘You Suck” side of Steve’s exploits in flirting.

It wasn’t as bad as if Steve had finally landed a mark on the ‘You Rule’ column, but it still stung in particular every time Steve tried it (however innocently) with another dude—especially the ones that were nothing like Eddie.

It only reminded him that he never had a shot in hell.

“Isn’t the tally evidence enough of my failures?” Steve whined, but he was already moving to take the picture.

“Nope!” Robin said, smacking her lips for emphasis. “Because you could secretly erase some and we both know I’d forget it. Plus, this is the second time you got nothing but a blank stare outta that guy. So. Photo, please!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Steve grumbled, then snapped a picture of Robin holding up the board with a broad smile, and Eddie doing his best not to look like a complete grump about it. Somehow, despite this whole thing being at his expense, Steve still managed to drop the camera from his face with a small smile.

“So, what are we doing tonight?”

———

Robin decided she wouldn’t be joining Steve and Eddie in hanging out at the trailer for the night, because she “didn’t care about getting high nearly as much” as they did, apparently. Instead, she was going to whatever Sapphic movie night Barb and Nance had planned, to which no boys were invited.

Eddie didn’t mind, considering that meant he got Steve to himself. Since Wayne was out at his weekly poker game, they opted to give in to Robin’s assumptions and smoke. Not that Wayne really would have cared, but Eddie liked to give his uncle the option of turning a blind eye when he could.

“Since when do you pout in pictures more than Robin or Max?” Steve asked as Eddie rolled them a joint, killing time by looking through the photos from their shift today.

Since I’m sick of watching you flirt with anyone who isn’t me, Eddie answered honestly in his own head. When he opened his mouth, though, lies poured out.

“I’m starting to feel sorry for your lack of game, man,” Eddie said with a blinding smile. “At some point the board just starts to feel like bullying.”

“I’m fine, Eds,” Steve snorted, clearly unbothered. “But thank you for your concern. Now let me get a better shot of you.”

Eddie sighed, but then relented and gave Steve a fond smile. “Fine.”

After his second bout with the creepy crawlies of the Upside Down last fall (Eddie’s first), Steve had taken to photography as a hobby, and started documenting everything he could in film. Steve said it helped with his nightmares, at first, to be able to look back on the group making good memories while trying to work through the shit ones. Eventually he admitted to Eddie that it was also because he wanted to capture everything good, in case they all died tomorrow.

Jonathan still did most of the heavy lifting there, but Steve carried his own camera around with him almost everywhere, now. Then, once they’d all started at Scoops, he’d swiped his dad’s Polaroid specially just to keep it in his work locker over the summer. He spent entirely too much money on film, despite Robin’s frequent protestations.

“Stop wasting all of your money on the same photos of the kids laughing at us in our uniforms,” she’d say every time Steve came back from spending his break in the camera repair shop restocking on film.

“It’s memories, Rob,” Steve would sigh and reload the camera. “You can’t put a price on those.”

Eddie and Robin would usually exchange a glance imparting their desire to give Steve a lesson in being poor, and pronto, but neither of them really had the heart to do it.

Steve loved that damn camera, though, and Eddie had long ago established that he couldn’t deny Steve anything. So Eddie sat back, trying not to be self conscious as Steve once more studied him through the lens of a camera. His favorite seemed to be trying to catch arty shots of Eddie blowing smoke out of his nostrils, and looking like the burnout that he was.

Much like the Scoops Cam stayed at work, the one Steve was using now tended to hang out on Eddie’s nightstand most of the time. It was a testament to how much time Steve spent at the trailer, if anything. The thought made Eddie smile, and Steve tutted happily at however it looked through the viewfinder. Eddie tried not to run away with delusions of grandeur about what that could mean, but he felt all warm over it anyway.

Eventually Steve seemed pretty satisfied with what he captured, so he set the camera aside, presumably for the next time he came over.

“You were grumpy today,” Steve said, waving the post-flirting Polaroid from earlier in Eddie’s face. Eddie slapped his hand away, but couldn’t keep his face straight. He couldn’t keep anything straight.

“I just don’t understand how you find that preppy asshole attractive,” Eddie said around a lungful of smoke, staring Steve down as best he could, considering they were sitting eye-to-eye on the floor.

“What,” Steve drawled, making grabby hands for the joint until Eddie passed it over. He seemed completely unbothered by the fact that Eddie found his crush on the Jazzercise guy distasteful. “You’ve never been attracted to a preppy asshole before?”

Just you, Eddie thought, grateful that the weed hadn’t loosened his lips enough to let the words spill out into the sticky-sweet ether between them. Eddie had been hopelessly in love with Steve for no less than eight months, now. But who was counting?

“Can’t say that I have,” Eddie lied. Though, was it technically a lie, if he didn’t think Steve was an asshole anymore? Eddie took the technicality and ran with it, but he almost thought there might’ve been a hint of disappointment on Steve’s face. Eddie told himself that was just wishful thinking on his part.

“I just think he looks nice in those shorts, is all,” Steve shrugged before finally taking a drag.

Eddie was really starting to think he’d miscalculated, opting to work the summer at Scoops. Not only was the job shit—the only non-Steve-and-Robin related reason he even remotely enjoyed it was because Erica would come in and boss everyone around, and he would give her shit about the evils of capitalism and watch her nose scrunch up—but it also required watching Steve flirt with and ogle all the customers, regardless of gender, and drive Eddie nuttier than a scoop of butter pecan over it.

The only reason Eddie had any semblance of sanity left was because Steve usually struck out. Or, pretty much always. It was almost like Steve was flirting badly on purpose, some days. And then he’d come home with Eddie anyway. They’d watch movies or get high, fucking around and making fun of whoever had worse sailor-hat hair at the end of the day. It was nice.

Eddie was a real goner, was the point, and he resented the aerobics instructor guy. And his shorts. Eddie had shorts, too, goddamnit.

“He’s not even gay,” Eddie scoffed, flopping backwards to lay flat on the floor of his bedroom. Sometimes he and Steve would lay sprawled across his bed, or stay in the living room where things felt safer, but tonight it was too hot to be anywhere but on the floor. At least down there, Eddie could catch a little bit of a draft from the rickety old air conditioner that was valiantly chugging along to cool the whole trailer. “He just likes watching sweaty women bounce around for a living.”

“Don’t talk about my soulmate like that,” Steve scoffed. He nudged Eddie’s hip with his foot, then laid beside him on the floor, facing in the opposite direction as Eddie. Steve propped his feet up on the bed, then twisted is face to look at Eddie’s, practically pillowing his head on Eddie’s chest as he did. He smirked like he was proud of his joke.

Eddie knew Steve was just kidding around. If anyone was Steve’s soulmate, after all, it was Robin. Eddie was almost used to that jealous demon that lived in the back of his brain, resenting his status as the spare friend in the trio. It was silly and Eddie knew it, especially since he loved the fuck out of Robin. But even in jest, Steve’s comment plunged Eddie into a river of envy. What about me? The demon cried, scraping along the recesses of Eddie’s mind and demanding to be acknowledged.

Eddie did his best to shush it, listening instead to the Judas Priest record he’d put on because somehow, someway, Steve had come to love it.

“Take me now, in your arms, let me rest, safe from harm,” Steve sang along to Hear Come the Tears. The lingering smoke made his voice scratch in just the right kind of delectable way that left the demon doing backflips in Eddie’s mind. “Oh I want to be loved.”

Another thing Eddie had learned about Steve, since his reformation of character had started sometime last year, was that he got handsy when he was high. He took one of Eddie’s hands into his own, then firmly pressed the joint into it. Steve didn’t let go when Eddie’s fingers grasped around it, either. Instead he started playing with Eddie’s rings.

“This one new?” Steve asked, voice low and buzzing right through Eddie’s ribcage.

It wasn’t new, but Eddie couldn’t blame Steve for thinking so. He hardly ever wore the bat carved of silver that Steve was still lazily twisting around Eddie’s index finger. It was one of the first rings he’d ever bought for himself, but once he got his bat tattoo, he thought maybe wearing the ring was overkill. Most of the time, anyway.

That all hardly seemed relevant when Steve was basically holding Eddie’s hand, and noticing little details about him that no one else ever did.

“No, but I don’t wear it much,” Eddie answered, hoping he didn’t sound as desperate as he felt.

“Pretty,” Steve hummed. He stopped playing with the ring and moved to tickle the back of Eddie’s hand with soft fingers, instead.

“It’s probably better suited for you, then,” Eddie admitted aloud, and Steve turned a bashful shade of pink.

That was the other thing about Steve when he got high. He was more prone to blushing.

“Alright,” Steve said with a sly grin, before slipping the ring off Eddie’s finger in a rush. Then he sat back up, crossing his legs beneath him as he put it on himself. He held his hand out in front of his face, assessing. “Oh, yeah. I like it.”

Steve had taken things much too literally, and Eddie saw fit to correct it.

“Gimme it back, you thief!” Eddie cried, snatching for Steve’s hand again. Steve was too quick for him, though, and all Eddie achieved was grazing his fingertips across the heated skin of Steve’s forearm as he dashed out of Eddie’s grasp.

Carefully, Eddie snubbed out what was left of the joint in the ashtray, then scrambled upright and dove at Steve.

For maybe thirty seconds, Eddie had the upper hand. He’d managed to get a grip around Steve’s wrist, and the hand that now housed Eddie’s stolen ring. But once Eddie realized he was practically straddling Steve’s lap, knees locked on either sides of his thighs in a death grip, Eddie was momentarily distracted from his goal. He fumbled sliding the ring off Steve’s finger, accidentally tossing it until it rolled under Eddie’s bed.

Instead of going after it, though, Steve took the opportunity to wrestle Eddie to the floor. In half a stuttered heartbeat on Eddie’s part, he was under the whole weight of Steve, wrists pinned in a surprisingly gentle but firm grip on either side of his head.

Steve laughed above him, pressed so close that Eddie could feel the way Steve’s chest contracted and then swelled again as he breathed. Eddie didn’t know where to look first—the flop of Steve’s hair that hung down between them, the curve of Steve’s perfect mouth, curling up in a self-satisfied smile, or the way Steve’s glassy eyes still sparkled as he looked down at Eddie with a quiet confidence that was driving him wild.

Eddie didn’t know how Steve was still this strong while impaired, but if he didn’t get out from under him soon, Eddie knew there’d be a problem somewhere south of his belt loops to deal with between them. He tried not to wiggle his hips too much as he attempted to break free of Steve’s grasp, but it was no use. Steve only smirked down at him, completely focused on Eddie’s face alone.

“I win,” Steve murmured, then deliberately let his gaze drop to Eddie’s lips.

Eddie felt like he might be hallucinating, to the point where he wondered if Reefer Rick had given him a particularly weird strain, or something, last time they did a deal.

Especially when Steve then darted his tongue across his own bottom lip, a brief flash of wet pink that left Eddie floating, despite being pinned to the ground.

“You—” Eddie began, but the creak of the trailer door opening shocked them both out of whatever had been brewing between them. Steve let go of Eddie in an instant, sitting up and running his hands through his hair as Wayne grunted out, “Ed?” from the living room.

“Back here, Uncle Wayne,” Eddie said, sounding completely dazed.

Wayne poked his head into Eddie’s room and smirked down at him, still sprawled on the floor and probably looking—and smelling—high as a kite. Then Wayne waved at Steve, and said, “When you get the munchies, don’t eat my chips.”

Wayne was gone as fast as he’d come, probably to watch TV and have a beer, but he’d altered the vibe significantly. Steve reeled in whatever had started to peek free just a few moments before, sighed, and snatched the bat ring from under the bed. He handed it back willingly.

“You can wear it,” Eddie tried, but Steve shook his head.

“It’s more your style, anyway,” he said, sounding a little sad about it. Eddie didn’t know what to say in reply, so he silently took the ring and slid it back on his finger.

“The chips might be off the table,” Eddie said, feeling a devilish grin creep onto his face and hoping it would draw Steve back out of whatever shell he’d shrunk into. “But he didn’t say shit about his banana popsicles.”

“I like the way you think, Munson,” Steve smiled back, then they both darted for the freezer in perfect sync.

———

For his next shift with Steve, Eddie was trying not to act weird after whatever the hell had happened in the trailer the night before. He was determined not to get distant or awkward about it, or make Steve feel self-conscious. He didn’t want to be too touchy afterwards either, though, and make Steve assume that Eddie was expecting anything from him.

But that didn’t mean Eddie wasn’t flirting. Eddie was a flirt by nature, after all. It would seem weirder if he didn’t.

“Ahoy, sailor!” Eddie heartily whistled in appreciation just when Steve arrived in all of his short-shorts glory—all in the name of keeping up appearances, of course.

Steve shuffled around a little uneasily in response instead of returning the sentiment, like he normally would have. Robin, who was sitting with Eddie at the table in the ‘captain’s quarters’, squinted at him in question. Eddie shrugged.

“Didn’t get enough beauty sleep?” she asked Steve.

“Huh?” he responded distantly, trying to fix his hat to his hair in a gentle enough way so it wouldn’t flatten what Steve thought was his best feature. (Eddie thought Steve’s best feature was probably his perfectly kissable mouth, or his big brown eyes that Eddie frequently found himself getting lost in, or even that little constellation of moles on his neck that Eddie wanted to bite. But that was neither here nor there.)

“You seem…fidgety,” Robin pointed out.

“Oh. I’m fine,” Steve tried for an unaffected shrug, but it looked more jerky and stilted than anything.

Eddie was doing his level best not to assume that was about him. But considering the fact that Eddie was almost certain Steve had wanted to kiss him the night before, even after the haze of smoke had cleared from his judgment making skills, he didn’t really think it was a coincidence.

Robin seemed to agree that this was between Steve and Eddie, as she started eyeing Eddie suspiciously again. If her face hadn’t been full of questions, Eddie would've assumed Steve had already told her what was going on with him. The fact that he hadn’t only worried Eddie further. Since when did Steve not share every thought in his head with Robin?

Had Eddie seemed too eager last night, maybe? Had Steve sussed out how deep Eddie’s feelings actually ran? Maybe now he wanted to put an extra bit of distance between them, because to Steve it wasn’t that serious. Eddie wanted to kick himself at the thought.

If distance was what Steve wanted, Robin wasn’t allowing for it. Her solution was to find every excuse to stick Eddie and Steve in the back room together most of the afternoon, doing tedious tasks while Robin worked out front. Her excuse was that it was a “slow day” anyway.

So Eddie tried to act as normal as possible in the hopes of signaling that everything between them was fine, whatever Steve’s worries might be. But every time Eddie tried to strike up a conversation, Steve didn’t give him much back by way of response.

“Do you know what happened after the kids snuck in to see Day of the Dead the other night?” Eddie asked, hoping the temptation to gossip might spur Steve into talking. One of their favorite topics of the summer so far had been speculating on what seemed like a gay little love triangle forming between Mike, Eleven, and Will.

“Not really,” Steve shrugged noncommittally.

“At the very least you’d think we might’ve gotten some innocent hand-holding,” Eddie mused.

“Maybe,” Steve merely grunted in response.

Eddie bit his tongue for a while after that, and began to consider if whatever was going on in Steve’s head had nothing to do with him at all. Eddie knew Steve’s parents were in town, and that usually led to most of Steve’s grumpiest moods. Maybe all he needed was the promise of not having to go back to a house he hated after getting off from a job he also hated.

“Hey, you wanna come over tonight?” Eddie offered eventually, then wondered if maybe he should give it more of a veneer of friendship, just in case. “We can probably entice Robin into coming if we let her pick a movie. You guys can stay over, even.”

“Maybe,” Steve finally smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. Eddie thought he might finally be on the right track, but Steve dipped away again. “I should go check on Robin.”

Eddie tried not to pout in Steve’s absence.

He also wasn’t one to give up in the face of a frowning Steve Harrington, so for the rest of their shift he kept trying to do all the things he knew would make Steve laugh. At first, Steve didn’t seem all that impressed with Eddie’s walking him through the several layers of monstrous traps he was laying for the boys’ first official Hellfire campaign, so Eddie switched to stronger tactics. He moved on to his impersonation of Hopper going full Hulk and threatening to kill Mike in new and creative ways, which did earn a pinched smile out of Steve, at least.

But when Steve’s favorite bit—Eddie’s acting out his own mascot creation, Scoop, who was a pirate with spoons for fingers—didn’t do much more than eke a small chuckle out of him, Eddie was just about ready to throw in the towel and ask what the hell was the matter.

That was when they heard the unmistakable sound of Dustin Henderson’s arrival, however.

Steve turned to Eddie with wide eyes, matching Eddie’s in excitement. If Dustin’s long anticipated return from camp couldn’t cheer Steve up, nothing would.

“Steve, Eddie!” Robin called back to them both. “Your child is here!”

“Don’t act like you don’t love me, too, Robin Buckley,” Dustin said, accompanied by that bizarre purring noise he liked to make.

Steve and Eddie simultaneously sprung into action. Eddie led the way out of the swinging door to the front, with Steve hot on his heels and his hands squeezing Eddie’s shoulders in delight.

“Henderson!” They both chorused, as Dustin broke out in a wide, gummy grin upon seeing them. They all launched towards each other, and Steve quite literally squealed, “He’s back!”

Then the three of them immediately proceeded into their complex secret handshake, while Robin looked on in bewilderment. It didn’t matter how many times she’d seen them practice it in minute detail, apparently, it still made her wrinkle her nose in secondhand embarrassment.

Eddie didn’t care. He’d missed Henderson more than he ever expected he would have of a fourteen year old hellion, but Dustin had that effect on him and Steve both. In the months since they’d tracked down a baby fucking demogorgon together, the three of them had only grown further attached.

So when Dustin immediately jumped to exclaiming “We have so much to talk about,” Eddie and Steve didn’t hesitate to set aside the weird vibe between them and buy Dustin a USS Butterscotch.

Twenty minutes later, the two of them had listened to Dustin talk about his “camp girlfriend” ad nauseam, while exchanging a healthy amount of skeptical looks between them. Steve didn’t entirely seem to believe that Suzie was real, and Eddie was mostly with him, but there was something dreamy in the way Dustin talked that Eddie felt a kinship with.

It reminded him how he felt around Steve.

All that went out the window, though, when Dustin started yammering about intercepting secret Russian codes.

“We can be true, American heroes, guys!” Dustin finished his lengthy speech about saving the world, like he hadn’t done enough of that already.

Eddie was beyond skeptical now, but Steve seemed amused, so he played along.

“Heroes, eh?” Eddie asked, casually spinning his sailor cap around in his hands.

“Yes! It’ll be great, I swear. And once we are, you two can have all the ladies you want, and more. As long as her name isn’t Suzie,” Dustin promised them both. It was sincere, if admittedly a little creepy and off base.

Eddie darted a quick glance towards Steve, who obviously found the irony in Dustin’s promising the ladies to Eddie, of all people. He chuckled lightly as he gave Eddie a knowing look, like he was thrilled to know Eddie’s secrets, before breaking eye contact and turning back to Dustin.

“Yeah, alright,” he nodded. “How can we help?”

(part two should be coming with tomorrow's prompts!)

[PART TWO] [PART THREE]

[dual-fantasy]

FANON SVETLANA. FROTHS AT THE MOUTH. can people please be for real for a Second. like mike shes actually kind of a bad person but cause shes a strong woman the mind of a total drama fan can only comprehend her being motherly. I think she should also be allowed to try and kill scott. shes equally as cool and awful as mike. if not more. in my dream post total drama au shes just worst because she deserves to be. I think vito is easily one of the funniest total drama characters hands down. everything about him even just in canon is fucking hilarious. the italian superstrength of course isn't realistic but it's the funniest thing to me. especially since most of the total drama fandom doesn't even question it hes just like that. he has a bunch of random skills nobody knows about. he probably doesnt either. anne marias car gets fucking wrecked like crumpled into a compact silver ball its shocking she made it out. he fixes it in 10 minutes with his hands and a plastic fork that survived the crash. hes completely and utterly stupid but only at common things to know. he cant do algebra but he can name every invasive insect species in history documented and otherwise. him and anne maria date for like a year after total drama but he leaves her for cars and men. he tries to help cameron work out once and it goes horribly wrong cameron gets hurt in ways nobodies ever been hurt before. doctors scientists priests etc are all dumbfounded. same thing happens when he brings cameron to literally just sit and watch him work at the mechanics. nobody even knows how he got hurt he just did. camerons not allowed within 50 feet of something metal anymore cause itll get him violently injured in a way that defies all science and god. anne maria is also underrated and so fucking funny. she records it every single time mike and scott fight. she encourages it. she bets at least ten dollars on mike. i think jomaria is so real but in ways nobody else understands. they show up to the Scike Fights together those are dates to them. svetmaria as well but in an awful gritty girlfailure way. my person headcanon(??) is that the reset button was completely made up. mike wanted off the show and it was the only way to get chris to leave them alone. once he was off the show he became so much cooler. but stereotypical cool bully kid in a movie kind of cool(think like... leather jacket) and nobody has the heart(and healthcare) to tell him that it doesn't actually look cool. most of his shirts are stained with Scott Blood. he acts like the type of guy to smoke but he tried it once and almost died. coughed and choked for at least an hour. the same with drinking he acts like he does but he needs emotional support to take a shot. when he actually gets drunk(after crying and gagging 10 times) hes just stupid and pathetic. he learns how to speak up for himself and he gets into fights but hes a loser boyfailure at heart. he rants to brick about a stupid pirated movie hes been watching while he washes the Scott Blood out from under his nails. he is the crywank and mccafferty boy ever but not in a sad way. just in a way you have to understand. Grave Dog

I have a lot of thoughts about the treatment of women in total drama. I'll probably make a whole post about it but it's actually kinda sickening that so many fans still treat women the way they do. fanon Svetlana is my 13th reason I stg. she should be worse. she should be strangling people. she should be biting and clawing and kicking. I love her. she deserves it.

Vito is literally the funniest total drama character I think. his entire existence is so funny to me. the Italian superstrength is an extra funny concept because the fandom doesn't question it, but also the contestants don't either. they all just accept that sometimes Vito can do stuff. randomly. he knows how to make like every poison ever and also he cannot fucking count. the car crash concept is so funny to me too. she brings it to him and it's fucking destroyed and they all look away and he's already fixed it. he does leave her for cars and men. he gives me grease (1978) energy but if grease was a little bit more faggoty and rocky horror picture show (1975). the Cameron concept made me burst out laughing. literally fucking incredible. Cameron gets hit by a car family-guy Brian-fucking-dies style while Vito is driving his dumbass convertible that's made out of cardboard, mod podge, and a tin can.

I also think that Manitoba smith is hilarious to me. it might just be the Australian in me but he means everything to me. he's canonically married? noone talks about that? he mentions his wife? when what who where why? and also I think he knows a lot about genuine Australian culture that noone should know unless they've been to Australia. he has literally never left Canada but he knows everything. he says "I'mgunna run down to wollies to snag lamingtons n a Bundaberg, wunna want?" and everyone stares at him like he's fucking insane. he warns everyone of dropbears. he calls them Zooper doopers. literally noone knows where he got this from.

I agree that the reset button was the only way to get Chris to leave him alone. noone wanted to get brought back so they decided that they would just. lie. and get off of the show. Chris didn't know it was fake he did literally no research whatsoever. chef knew it was fake but he didn't say anything because he understood the want to get off the show.

Anne Maria is soooo underrated it's insane. her elimination was actually iconic. even tho it's a fake diamond she could still sell it for a pretty decent price. it's a massive fucking jewel she could still scam someone with it. it's amazing actually. she means everything to me. jomaria so real they watch mike beat the shit out of Scott. Anne Maria is running bets and jo is charging admission to watch. they make so much money. also I believe in jo/Anne Maria/Svetlana. they beat up scott together. I love them.

mike is such a poser he's literally amazing. his shirts are all stained with blood (mainly Scott's) but if he ever tried to drink vodka he would shrivel up and die. he is the lightest weight ever. brick is holding his hair back while he's vomiting and threatening Scott (who hasn't been there for 10 minutes) after he took a singular shot. he is literally the worst and my personal favourite. Jo helps him wash blood out of his jeans while he's gossiping with Anne maria. I completely understand the McCafferty and crywank guy he's also the front bottoms and modern baseball. you're so real always

[dragonprincess18]

I've written fanfic for a while, across multiple fandoms, so I feel like I've gone through all the milestones. Stilted dialogue, Mary Sues, plotholes...What I haven't dealt with was having AUs for my own story.

The Dragon That Will Pierce The Heavens is the longest story I've written in a long while, and add in that One Piece is the largest sandbox I've ever played in, it kinda just...happened.

A few of those AUs and crossovers have been started but generally discarded, like Miraculous Dragon (basically a Miraculous Ladybug crossover), or one shots just to get the itch out, like in Moonbeams and Stardust, where I did chapters for Pokemon, Digimon Adventure, Harry Potter and even a modern chapter.

Lately, I've even been collaborating with ReynaAtTheEnd to do a collaboration with her amazing story Summit Apocalypse, which will hopefully see the light of day at some point.

But there are definitely divergent ideas I've had that are too big for me to write, and those are the ones that gnaw at me.

For example...

What if Hikari never escaped Estrella to the East Blue?

What if, when she was about to go over the coral, something happened with the other boat and she had to give up her chance in order to make sure they escaped? Leaving Hikari to be captured and shipped off to Dressrosa, where Doflamingo happily threw a lavish wedding to celebrate finally getting the queen he believed he deserved.

Over the course of two years, Doflamingo believing he broke Hikari down into the perfect doll, not knowing she was secretly coordinating the Tontatta and toys and gladiators to overthrow him.

Then Law and the Straw Hats show up with their own plans, throwing Dressrosa into chaos, and Law ends up chained to the Heart Seat, where he meets the infamous Ice Queen that acts as Doflamingo's most valuable council...Only to learn, much to his surprise, that Hikari has been undermining the Donquixote Pirates the entire time as she frees him from the Sea Prism Stone cuffs.

Having followed the Straw Hats since their assault on Enies Lobby, Hikari knows to just point Luffy in the right direction and let him rip, revealing her Celestial Dragon powers to tag-team Doflamingo with Law while Luffy deals personally with Bellamy before taking over.

In the end, once Doflamingo has been defeated and everyone bandaged up, Hikari is ready to leave on her own when Luffy obliviously offers for her to join his crew instead of be alone.

(Law may be a little jealous he didn't ask fast enough.)

Or...

What if, at the end, Hikari is mentally sent back in time to make things right?

If things ended badly, a la of pop greens and tangerines (which I started and never finished, seriously great but broke me), Hikari regretted leading her loved ones into such a bloody fate and is thus sent back to when she was eight years old.

With Lily to think of, and knowing that her crew and allies are currently suffering through their childhood trauma, Hikari pulls the trigger on her plan a decade early, escaping with the slaves to Fishman Island...Where she meets JInbei, and tells him she's looking for the man that her mother's locket names Eddy. Jinbei, recognizing said locket and seeing her resemblance to a lost friend, then takes her to Whitebeard, who is devastated to learn his love is dead but accepts her daughter with open arms.

Hikari tells him about Rosinante, that he had tried to help her but is in danger saving another child, and they need to go save both of them. So Whitebeard goes with Marco and a whole ship of his men to Minion Island, where he gladly stomps Doflamingo's face into the ground for daring to think he could just buy his precious daughter with favors, and taking in a very confused Rosinante and wary Law, who remembers his 'past' life once Hikari hugs him in tears over seeing him dying from Amber Lead.

Using her memories of stories told by her crew, Hikari carefully leads Whitebeard around to gather the entire gaggle of children that would one day become the Supernova Alliance and their various family and/or friends like Kaya and Nojiko, with Luffy, Zoro and Kid all getting their memories back after Hikari touches them.

No one else ever seems to remember, but Whitebeard and his commanders catch on and get Hikari to tell them the truth, including about Fairy Tail and Luffy's Fruit. That's when the training starts in earnest, only interrupted by visits from Shanks (who was worried about Luffy and then blubbering over meeting his 'baby sister') and Garp (who initially got into a knock-out, drag-out fight with Whitebeard until Hikari disabuses him of the notion his grandsons would be safe as Marines) and even Sengoku (who comes off-duty just to make sure Rosinante is okay and meet his 'grandson').

Luffy decides to set out from Dawn Island as originally planned, and everything is different.

[crimson-phantom-designs]

Um...

Well I have been writing a series of notes for a potential Francis in OFMD universe(Eb is in this universe too but it is after they separated leaving Francis extremely bitter about it and bent more toward his brutality. A parallel to Blackbeard post Stede). I didn't mean to do anything with all this but I have a story where Francis met Ned Low in a one shot just to see what happened and they... hit it off really well which suprised me. (More on Francis end, Ned was a flustered mess just excited to meet someone with similar taste in music and... other facinations...)

Then I read this...

Fuck. The real Ned Low had a friend named Francis and they were close for awhile. Now I have to do something with these notes eventually- shit, its hauntingly accurate.

Did I mention Francis signature is setting ships on fire with its crew held aboard? What similar to Ned's blend of music and torment, Francis plays a violin in exchange of his pianoforte to the screams off it as the ship sinks...

I'm not sure I will write it entirely(I have too many AUs dammit!) but the idea keeps returning to me. I have set art ideas for it but I can share a short plotline that started from a one shot in my drafts where Francis and Ned meet while on dock one night at the Republic of pirates. Ned is drawn to the beautiful music of a violin along the pier coming from a beautiful ship. A tune so well played and unfamiliar in quality normally found around pirates. Ned grabs his violin and rushes flustered to join this stranger which he is welcomes to and they continue the song. They play well and even share a conversation, all where it leads to why Francis is there having to clean up what his crew could not. He's looking for someone as Ned remarks the same thing. Ned goes pale; however, as he discovers its the same man as a wanted poster is thrown at his feet to see its Blackbeard. Same man but different reasons that intertwine, Ned for revenge of his record being broken and Francis for his 30 freight ships under his corsair contract Blackbeard seiged in order to break it. Francis is also looking for Stede Bonnet, someone Ned doesn't recognize or really care to but he obliges for the assistance in tracking Ed down.

Then months later, as the story direction is changed for this, Francis finds Stede adrift in his dingy lost at sea and rescues him- or so Stede thinks...

Against Stede's ruse of a fake name, Francis on approach, knows exactly who Stede really is; however, alike how when he met Ned low, Francis is using Stede just as much as he is using Ned to find the Revenge. Ned, who Francis treats much like a pet ironically, happily goes along with whatever Francis tells him because he feels he weilds more influence than he truly does in this arrangement, all whilst Francis picks at Stede's mind to pull information about himself, his ship, everything that fascinates him about this odd bird at sea. What Francis uses all his skills at his disposal to retrieve, including his knowledge of mixing custom pharmaceuticals blends to fit his needs from his days as a refined surgeon.

When he's not using concoctions, Francis, being a man masterful at manipulation, one seethingly charming and well cultured from his wonderous explorations that streched far beyond his days permanently at sea, works like a charm on Stede. Stede who is immediently drawn to that comfort zone of aristocraic behavior while being more so put at ease with how kind and generous Francis is to him. Since Stede was rescued, Francis has provided him the nice cloths he longed for and treats him to fine dining, whatever Stede wants essentially... except to leave. Not that Francis has openly stopped him, more an alluded persuasion if Stede gets restless; "Why would you want to muck it out there isolated and all alone? You could run into anyone out there... Someone that could seriously hurt you if you crossed them... Just think what could have happened had I not found you first barely clinging to your dear sweet life... There's alot of dangerous men out there..."

While Stede truly believe Francis is trying to help him reunite with his crew, Stede isn't completely daft. He is wary and picks up somerhijgs not quite right as he tries to be careful what he shares, at least about Ed. He's mainly worried where all this generosity could lead and remains guarded but polite because... he's also despirate with no other options. He pacifies Francis as much as he can for now yet Stede doesn't realize just what he's gotten himself into and with who... What will all come to a head when Francis meets back up with Ned one night to celebrate their crews reunion with own twisted version of Calypso's birthday that make Francis intentions become abit more clear to Stede when the ruse is dropped completely.

Meanwhile with Ned back, Ned sees all this and knows the plan, but he's too jealous and spiteful by how Francis fawns over Stede. How Francis always keeping Stese so close. Ned wanted that to be him. Them... Ned has finally found someone who 'understands him' and will be damned if some minor rich boy playing pirate takes that from him while Stede would love to actively assure him how incorrect he is and how badly he wants to leave.

While all this happening, Ed learns what is going on and who Stede has been seen with as they have monitored the ship from the security of distance in night travels. What, thanks to Izzy, who knows all too well what the dread Black King Osman is capable of, knows just how much danger Stede is in. Ed now sets his bitter resentment from Stede leaving him aside and sails to London. He is heavily outmatched in means to attack Francis on his own, but with a well placed raid along the Thames River, he plans to level that playing field with a counteraction of his own capture.

[inkedmoth]

Not-Yet-Written-Fics Game

Thank you @erathene for tagging me, especially since I haven’t actually started posting anything but still have a bajillion ideas I want to talk about lmao

0. On Swift Wings – Has very much been started/written, but its where most the other ideas stem from so I’m listing it here, that way you’re less in the dark and more in low level lighting.

Rhosynel is a Messenger of Gondor, she and her Messenger bird Ilmara, are tasked with carrying a missive to a Ranger somewhere around Bree. What should be a simple trip there and back again, results in her becoming press-ganged into trailing after the Fellowship, something she is very much Against. Naturally she becomes far too attached to all of them and finds herself unwilling to leave any of them behind or let any of them die, and in a truly unsurprising turn of events, ends up becoming more than a little close with a certain Lord of Gondor.

A reluctant tenth walker Boromir lives fic which already has 50+ chapters written :’D

1. Falconer AU – Also has a lot written.

What if Rhosynel never became a Messenger? What if she took a different path in life? Rhosynel finds herself foisted into the role of falconer for the Kings new hunting birds and must rapidly find her feet despite her own doubts. Set a full year after the destruction of the Ring, this fic is entirely written for Certain Scenes™ and because I adore falconry and birds so wanted to write about that.

Also Boromir lives again. This one is less of a slow burn and more of a flash fire lmao

(was meant to be a thief au and failed spectacularly)

2. Rhosynel’s Backstory Plans – Next to nothing written, could be multiple fics

Follows Rhosynel’s path to becoming a Messenger: Her brief stint in the Southern Rangers before losing someone she loved, which prompted her subsequent career change to become a Messenger. Will absolutely include shenanigans from her Ranger years, various Messenger trips, including one to Mirkwood where she earns herself a messenger bird for her troubles. She nearly dies like, three times.

3. Arranged Marriage – vague idea

Set very shortly after the Ring is destroyed, the kingdoms are scrabbling to find their feet and stake their claims. In a bid to settle things amicably, a marriage is proposed between the daughter of a chieftain (who? where? why? all valid questions) and Captain Boromir (he lives again are you surprised yet?), neither of whom are impressed with this idea in the slightest. Possibly some political intrigue, maybe she was sent as a spy or assassin??, either way there’s culture clashes, disagreements, some pride and prejudice vibes, and whoops it started out with a kiss how did it end up like this.

(Was originally going to be an AU for Rhos again but honestly at this point I may as well just slap a different name on her and call it original lol)

4. Thorongil & Pirate Problems – vague idea

I was reading the wiki and found the sentence “Thorongil travelled to Umbar where he severely damaged the Corsairs fleet in a surprise attack” and my brain promptly decided this was a GREAT idea for a fic and that I should bookmark it for later. It would follow Aragorn and a small team travelling from Minas Tirith to Umbar, with possible detours to Dol Amroth for funsies. I haven’t got much plot beyond “go fight pirates” but I’ve written more with less info so it’ll be fiiine.

(Also potentially Aragorn x OC mischief wink wink)

5. Single word fic ideas

Mulan – Women aren’t permitted in the army, solution; be swift as a coursing river (possible one shot??)

Distractions – Boromir’s working too hard, Rhosynel has a plan to distract him, there’s a desk involved. (less like spice and more like filth)

Stables – Rhosynel backstory on meeting Faramir as a teen while she works as a stable hand, teaches him some Rohirrim and gets flustered.

Mead – People get drunk mischief happens. It’s all self-indulgent filth, I legit don’t know if I’d have the courage to write it.

Picnic – Ladies Day Out, they have a lovely picnic, ride their horses, and gossip about the men.

Missing – After the Rings destruction Boromir goes missing on a diplomatic trip, Rhosynel proceeds to go apeshit in finding him. She may or may not throw someone out a window.

Dark – Boromir takes the Ring and goes rogue, entirely @emilybeemartin���s fault for drawing Dark Boromir and now I’m feral

6. PLOT TWIST it’s a Narnia fic

Because Narnia was my first true fantasy story and I should enjoy myself.

You’re a regular modern girl who’s into home renovations to distract from your boring retail job. You find an old wardrobe at an estate sale, and repurpose its doors for your home. After a rough shift at work, you come home to kick your feet up and zone out to trashy tv, but there’s a problem. The house you’ve entered doesn’t seem to be yours. Promptly exiting it, you find yourself in the middle of a forest. What, the, fuck. That’s it, that’s all I’ve got.

No-pressure tags for @scyllas-revenge and @esta-elavaris because besides @erathene you are the only people I know who write fics lmao

[hirukochan]

20 Questions for Fic Writers!

Thanks for the tag, @loneamaryllis

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

12!

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

874,060 - When did that get so much??? I've only picked writing back up in January!

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Currently mainly Harry Potter and I have one Rings of Power fanfic on hiatus (for now). I used to write for all sorts of fandoms though! Pirates of the Caribbean, The Hobbit, Percy Jackson, Marvel, Vampire Diaries, Naruto - to name a few.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

"Your tears are of no relevance to me", my dark Snape/reader fic

2. Cigarette smoke, Profanities and Stolen Kisses, Snape/reader smut

3. A Servant of Death, my Snape/OC longfic, my baby, my beloved

4. Carrying Atlas, Deeply traumatised, sarcastic Snape/broken Harrie ddlg/pet play fic with much hurt and even more comfort

5. Stood-up, my three-part Snape/former student!reader oneshot/mini-fic

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I try to reply to each one! I love to hear what people think and interact with readers!!

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I don't actually have that many fics finished 😅

I love long fics, I love reading them and I love writing them so most of my works are still ongoing (and seem to be staying ongoing for a while to come 😅)

I'd say Petrichor. It's a Voldemort-wins AU so things are bound to look hopeless and dark.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Severus and his Sunshine!!!! A very fluffy, hopful ending 🥰

8. Do you get hate on fics?

After initially posting A Servant of Death II quite a few readers were angry the story would not be moving into a direction they wanted. Haven't gotten any since.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Yes 😃

I write Dom/sub mostly! Proper D/s (apart from my dark!fics) with safewords and boundaries and aftercare! I love including kink-wear and collars and other fun toys! All sorts of kinks, lighter and a few darker, more taboo kinks. Lots of bondage!!

Also dub-con and dark smut and I'm venturing into poly and threesome territory lately.

Basically anything I find interesting or worth exploring!

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

No. I had a rather ambitious crossover idea when I was a teen about a group of people chosen by the gods I had created to protect the universes of the world with every book/show/movie in existance being a universe that had been locked away by some evil supernatural beings. Each of the four people in the group could travel between the universes and had to fix the timelines if things went wrong. Basically all the misery happening in the stories was the supernatural beings messing with the universes. I wrote the first part that played in The Hobbit and started the second part that would take place in Naruto but I never continued the project.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of but I do know that after I published my first HP fic on Wattpad back when I was...uff idk 13?? suddenly everybody in the german marauders fandom was writing Voldemort's daughter fics. I thought that was interesting since I wrote mine because I couldn't find any Voldemort's child fics in german (my english was shit at the time, I'm sure otherwise I would have found plenty to read! 😂)

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope! But someone once made a podfic of my Adventcalender one-shot collection (with my permission). I don't think it's still online though. (god I hope not, those were terrible 😬)

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No and I don't think I ever will. My mind is a strange and cluttered space and teamwork has never been a strong suit. I've been asked though, but that was more of a 'I have x-idea, will you write it for me?' then an actual inquiry.

14. What’s your all time favourite ship?

Ummmmm....OCs. Everybody/OC. I love OC's. I love reading them, creating them, I love that I can have a person whose weaknesses and strength and personality fit my fav characters perfectly, especially since my fav characters tend to be unsocial loners with terrible trauma.

Apart from that I'm not much of a shipper...Snarriet probaly (thanks to @loneamaryllis - you know what you did 😑, jokes aside I've been thoroughly enjoying this ship and the community is so sweet!)

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I sure hope I'll finish them all! Strawberries and Sin is being neglected right now 😅 but I love the characters and I'm certainly not planing on abandoning the story!

16. What are your writing strengths?

I like to think I'm good at worldbuilding, I certainly enjoy expanding existing universes with my own ideas! Whether it's by adding an entire Vampire monarchy including an origin story of how vampires came to exist or World Duelling Championships for my heir of a rich pureblood family to power herself out at.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I never know if I describe things enough, surroundings, emotions, etc. I think I tend to fixate on what a character is doing with their hands 😂

Also I can get lost in developing the relationship between two characters and forget to advance the plot just to then focus on the plot and neglect the characters 😅 still trying to find a balance there.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

Been there, done that! I think it can be fun.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Written? Naruto! I was nine I think and I had no idea that fanfiction even exists or that other people were writing them! I just wrote down a truly terrible story on an old notepad I had.

The first fandom I created stories for in my mind was Harry Potter at around nine!

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

A fic that is currently not on the internet anymore that I want to rework and publish once I've worked through some WIPs. It's about Snape and his best friend from an opressed people who both ended up joining Voldemort for good intentions and end up in his bed (two Death Eaters eagerly serving their new master 😏) but quickly realise he is not what he promised to be.

From my published fics it's a draw between A Servant of Death and 'Your tears are of no relevance to me'!

Tagging anyone who wants to do it 🫶🏻💖

[ionlymadethissoicouldleaveanask]

This is my first time ever being tagged in something like this. It's very exciting.

How many works do you have on AO3?

Under my Brown_Coat profile I have 22, under Space_Dweeb 4.

(I made a separate account way back when because Space_Dweeb was my holdout from FFN, but when I decided that I wanted to just bite the bullet and start writing cute shippy stories I was afraid of associating it with my "serious" works. I know it's dumb. I lead a double life. I am a fraud and a charlatan.)

What's your total AO3 word count?

BC - 76,137 SD - 112,868

What fandoms do you write for?

Pretty much exclusively Halo. I wrote a story for the Illuminae Files a little while ago because I read that trilogy this spring and it changed the chemical balance of my brain and hasn't let me go since. I also write some for the Artemis Fowl fandom because by golly somebody is going to keep the Holly Short/Trouble Kelp tag alive!

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Promise - The only in-universe John/Cortana ship that I've ever written.

Serenity - A Halo/Firefly crossover in which Blue Team are made into space cowboys and I love it.

Halo: Homecoming (formerly titled Welcome Home) - My most bestest creation. The first actual story I ever wrote to completion.

Twenty-ish Days - A series of Halo one-shots as a summer follow up to my other story, Twelve Days (which was a series of one-shots counting down the twelve days of Christmas)

Take Care of Each Other - Another entry on the list of "Why This Dude Should Not Be Allowed To Name Things." Anyhow, it's - you guessed it - a series of one-shots. This time they are all focused on the Fred-104/Kelly-087 ship because I have shipped those two since I first found the Halo novels in middle school and I'll be deep in the cold, cold ground before I let that tag slip quietly into that good night.

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Comments are an uncomfortably large portion of my self-esteem, particularly as a writer of dimestore trash fics. I definitely respond to comments, because I'm desperate to keep people commenting.

What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I angle heavily toward the bright-and-happy side of things. Personally think that there's too much angst in the world without me adding to it.

Having said that, the last chapter of Twenty-ish Days dealt with some angst and some character death that I won't spoil here on the off-chance that someone may read this and feel inspired to go find out for themselves. Other than that... maybe Mister Zhordee? It's a Halo-fied retelling of the song Mr Shorty by Marty Robbins, which has a decent touch of angst to it I suppose.

What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Again, I lean toward the happy endings naturally so this is kind of a tough one. In general though, I'd say my dumb college AU series The University of Northern South Carolina because every one of those has been happy.

Do you get hate on fics?

Not really. On some of the stuff I still bother to cross-post to FFN I have gotten some weird comments from people who didn't understand the universe I was building in my Halo/Firefly crossover, but other than that anyone who's bothered to leave a comment has been very pleasant.

Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Nope. I like to keep that level of intimacy just between my wife and me.

Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

Serenity, the Halo/Firefly crossover I've been slowly chipping away at for some time now. I'm also (spoilers?) kicking around an idea of a DnD crossover just for the fun of it all.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

No. I did get a meme stolen once though.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nuh uh.

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I co-wrote Halo Fractured Glass: Fireteam Cutlass with a friend of mine. We made a Spartan pirate crew. A plentitude of both kicks and giggles were had.

What's your all-time favorite ship?

Fred/Kelly probably. Or Han/Leia. Or Fred/Daphne. Man, I don't know. I just love love I guess.

What's the WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

One time, for no reason at all, I looked up Harry Potter fanfiction. I have avoided it forever because I actually like the established relationships in the universe and detest anything that implies a romantic connection between Hermione and Draco, so it's a pretty clear no-fly zone for me. However, during this one occurrence I somehow stumbled upon a ship of Katie Bell and Oliver Wood, read all of the stories with that tag, and then wrote ~70% of a one-shot of my own for the pair. Will most likely never finish it, because I really don't have much reason to do so.

What are your writing strengths?

I've been told (by kpmh2001, one of my all-time favorite authors and people) that I have somehow harnessed a talent in writing cute fluffy stories. Personally I like to think that I'm good at writing action sequences, but I have no outside information to corroborate that.

What are your writing weaknesses?

Keeping a coherent plot, and keeping my focus for more than a single chapter at a time. I'm absolute garbage at it.

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I speak fluent Portuguese (lived in Brazil for two years in my late teens/early 20s) so I'm confident with that. I can also understand Spanish, but every time I try to speak or write it still comes out in Portuguese so I end up relying pretty heavily on Google to fix my errors there.

First fandom you wrote for?

I think I have at least a dozen notebooks with Clone Wars fanfiction strewn throughout my parents' house. I'm a Star Wars man at heart, even though I don't ever write anything in that universe.

Favorite fic you've ever written?

Already said it, but Halo: Homecoming takes this spot again. It probably doesn't hold up as well as I like to think it does, but being my first ever success at writing an actual story with plot and motivation and a concrete ending has cemented it in my personal hall of fame.

@authortobenamedlater tagged me in this (and it was super fun, thanks for including me!)

Unfortunately, she is the only person I know on this site, so I don't really have anyone else to tag.