#its been a hot second since i last storyboarded a comic

[chainsawworld]

guess who

[Solly: she/they, bree: plush/plushes]

[faerielleart]

this au idea has been sitting in my wips since last year and i planned to make first a comic, then an animatic (i’m only 30 seconds done for the animation and 2 pages done for the comic tho which is basically nothing rip) but don’t know if i’ll ever finish it so i’m writing it down to have something done at least and share with you what i would’ve liked to do :’) take this as some sort of script-storyboard for my dead animation project lmaooo

based on “in a crowd of thousands” from the musical anastasia, imagine after the ceremony in rts when historia has awarded those medals to the survivors, hanji is asleep in their room and has a nightmare, wakes up screaming and levi immediately bursts into their room. levi’s like “yo wanna talk about it” and so they sit down together on hanji’s bed and have a late night talk. they discuss the day, the ceremony, hanji teases levi bc he had to bow down and get on his knees in front of the queen, levi says something like “it’s ridiculous at my age to bow down in front of that little kid” and hanji says “you’ll have to get used to it now”, to which levi answers “no way, that’s the second time i ever bowed in my life. that’s two times too much, i’m never doing it again”, at this point hanji is curious to know in which occasion he bowed for the first time but doesn’t ask. somehow ymir’s letter to historia makes its way into their discussion, which then turns into a silly discussion about feelings considering the content of the letter. hanji asks levi if he’s ever been in love, but of course the old man refuses to answer bc “thats some dumb shit i dont care about stop being weird” but after some teasing and pushing his buttons he reluctantly whispers “…there was someone once” and he starts to tell the story.

in sync with the lyrics of the song, which you can listen to here, levi tells hanji about when he was 10 years old and successfully sneaked out of the underground for a parade in june. as he made his way through the crowd, he spotted a child with glasses wearing beautiful, elaborate clothes that clearly showed their family’s wealth and noble status who was sitting on a bench with their nose in a book while their parents chatted to themselves and levi found himself fascinated by that child who seemed to be stuck in their own world as the crowd was celebrating and dancing around and having fun at the parade. at that point, levi ran towards the child catching their attention and the child smiled at him. however, the parents saw levi’s tattered clothes and malnourished aspect and quickly grabbed the child’s hand to forcefully drag them away, to levi’s (and the child’s) dismay. the lyrics of the song go “the parade traveled on, with the sun in my eyes she was gone. but if i were still 10 in a crowd of thousands i’d find her again”

hanji is endeared by the fact that grumpy old levi never forgot this child he saw more than 20 years before at a parade and teases him, telling him “you’re making me feel like i was there too”, levi answers “maybe you were. make a part of your story” and they play this game where hanji pretends they were actually there that day. as the lyrics say “a parade passing by, it was hot, not a cloud in the sky. then a boy caught my eye in a crowd of thousands. he was thin, not too clean” to which levi answers “look who’s fucking talking” and hanji goes “SHH DONT INTERRUPT ME IM TRYING TO CONCENTRATE” and continues: “there were guards but he dodged in between, yes he made himself seen in a crowd of thousands” but hanji suddenly gets this faraway look in their eyes, like they’re starting to accidentally remember some stuff. “then he called out my name and he started to run through the sun and the heat and crowd, then i tried not to smile, but i smiled… and then…” and stops there with a shocked expression. levi gets impatient “and then??” hanji turns to look at him with tears in their eyes “… and then he bowed”. mf is SHOOK and says “uhhh i didn’t tell you that” but hanji is on cloud nine answering “you didn’t have to! i remember!” and that’s the moment where they finally understand those two children found each other again after 20+ years and that the first time levi ever bowed was in front of hanji and that he actually found his first (and probably only) love again. as the song finishes “the parade traveled on, with the sun in my eyes you were gone, but i knew even then in a crowd of thousands i’d find you again”, they kiss. the end that’s it lads i really wanted to animate this but i just don’t have time 😭😭

[arsquare]

*sigh* Bapanada...

:|

Hollow Knight storyboards I've been working on!

I'm not done with either of them right now, but I figured I'd let you all know I'm not dead. The first one (which is a lot more of what's in my head rather than what's canonically in the game) is about Iselda wanting to go to the hot springs, and the little ghost making that happen. The second one is about :| an encounter in Crystal Peaks...

The reason neither of them are finished is because both of them are difficult difficult lemon difficult, but for different reasons. The first one is hard because I'm making up the story, instead of just adapting a certain part of the game into a comic. I want to say everything that's in my head but I don't want it to be too long...it's all about finding the balance. The second one is difficult because it's been ages since I last storyboarded a fight scene, and I need to make sure that my paneling makes sense and its easy to follow.

Anyways, when both of them are done I'll post them both and have a poll somewhere for people to vote on which one they want to see polished first!

[sol1056]

git along little nonnies

Got a whole bunch of you on related themes, so I’m just gonna do this all at once: a bunch of questions about DW, spinoffs, merchandise, business, management, support (and protest) and whatnot. In no particular order.

Ok there are petitions and peaceful boycotts directed at DW but problem is they aren’t addressing the EPs and things they, not DW, did so how are we to sign them, how to handle this when this could at best confuse the situation and not give any results and at worst, make matters even worse about what we want regarding DW addressing things? 

Here’s what companies care about: money. Everything else is gravy.

If you want a corporation to pay attention to your complaints, then you need to figure out their sources of income, and find a way to threaten that. If the social reprobation is high enough, damage to the brand can translate into lost sales, but the tempest required to make that happen must be much, much larger than anything I’ve seen the fandom manage. 

I’ve been saying this all along: voices are far more powerful than signatures. If twenty thousand people wrote or called in, and said what they liked vs what upset them, that would have a far greater impact. Certainly a lot more than a list of names with no emotion beyond a request that may not even be something DW can, or would, fulfill.  

And don’t even get me started on mailing stuff in. Cute, but hardly actionable.  

Do you know what kind of contracts DW sign, as in, are they obligated to air all seasons, can they choose not to air them, do the companies they work with (netflix, wep) have a say or more say than them? Who gets the last word? Is airing all seasons squarely on DW or more? 

As I’m not a corporate lawyer employed by any of the signatories, I can’t tell you what the contract stipulated. What I can tell you is that a contract of the magnitude of the DW-WEP-Netflix agreement probably had a dissertation worth of riders covering the different types of possible defaults or breaches, and the penalties for each. Additionally, the contract also likely covered what constituted ‘satisfactory delivery’ of the product. 

To take it down to a really simple level: you place an order at a restaurant. You expect to get it, eat it, and pay for it. You don’t expect to be told, “hey, we burnt your steak and we’re out of butter for your sweet potatoes, so have some green beans instead,” and then be told you still owe the full amount, anyway. 

Netflix wouldn’t settle for ordering (and paying for) something never delivered, anymore than you would. Sure, any corporation worth their over-inflated stock options would try --- but that’s the point of contracts, to make sure they can’t. 

Netflix paid, DW delivers, end of story.  

 ...do you think ppl in charge didn't think EPs would tell they made changes and also thought they'd manage to bury it? And then they got in trouble and DW is going thru changes for that reason? -waves at DW goings on and silence.

I got lost in all the pronouns, there. Who’s the first ‘they,’ the EPs or DW execs? Is the second ‘they’ referring to the same as the first? So... I’m not really sure what you’re positing, but if the ‘DW is going through changes’ is implying DW’s got a shakeup and/or is promoting its head-of-TV to president and that’s somehow connected to two newbie EPs screwing up?

I’d say the chances are so infinitesimal as to be nearly in the negative. (I should also note, the press release listed successful shows Cohn oversaw, yet oddly did not include VLD.) DW is not a three-person start up; it has stakeholders and a board and a C-suite to satisfy. Cohn got that promotion ‘cause she’s got a track record going back thirty years, most recently growing DW’s TV division from 8 to 800 in five years. 

Most corporations tend to announce their new CEO or President like someone woke up that morning and went, hey, I’ve got a great idea. Truth is, it’s usually in the works for at least a year, sometimes several years, or more. The only thing that has me side-eyeing the announcement is the silence around who’ll fill Cohn’s previous position. 

But that’s again less to do with a single series, and more to do with what it says about DW as a whole, business-wise. 

What meaningful changes could the new president Margie Cohn make that would be different than the last one? Also I'm sorry if your getting a bunch of Voltron/DW questions lately, you just seem to be the most knowledgeable person on this platform.

I’d be willing to bet I’m far from the most knowledgeable person; I’m just someone not bound by an NDA, and curious enough to do a bit of digging and jaded enough to talk about (most) of what I find. 

A president can have immense impact on a company’s direction; that’s kinda why they exist, to set that high-level strategy. That said, Cohn will be bound by all contracts signed by her predecessor. The TV side (barring someone filling the shoes she left) will probably continue as it was. The theatrical side (which she’s taking over) will be where we’ll probably see any major changes. 

And even those aren’t likely to be on films currently in production. Hell, given theatrical animation can take up to five years, I’m not sure that’d show much change, either. Look instead to changes in investors, new deals, and new properties. 

What do you think DW will do about a sequel if there’s really no bible? Theres tons of plot holes & abandoned storylines. VLD will never feel satisfying, and fans already argued with different interpretations based on conflicting content, without a nice satisfying explanation...

I know this is the first of a three-part ask, but I’m skipping the rest because the only answer possible is to your very first question: the bible doesn’t matter. 

Any new series --- even a continuation --- will construct its own bible. Same as we’d do in fandom: they’ll patch together what they can, fill in blanks as they need, and gloss the rest, or retcon it outright. Even if there were a bible, diligently followed, that doesn’t mean the next series is automatically beholden to it. Some franchises would care (ie Star Wars) while others might let a reboot mess with the details (ie Star Trek). 

For every continuation, there’s gradations in between, since otherwise what’s the interest for creative minds, if you’re obligated to follow someone else’s script exactly? So, no. The absence of a story bible doesn’t preclude the next iteration making its own, as it needs, to whatever extent it requires. 

I was wandering around the hot topic online store, and i noticed a shirt that raised a few flags and questions. it's the 'Voltron Location' shirt. it has all the paladins in different places in a star globe chart thing? with what might possibly be planet designations. plus Lance is the only one not inside his blue colored bubble. Keith is in Red and Shiro in Black again. it's interesting at least.

Nearly all the shirts use the same base images, just changed up. It feels a little like someone handed a designer a half-dozen images with a request for forty-something designs --- and now HT is just throwing them all at the wall to see what sticks (or sells). 

HT’s stuff has been pretty consistent, from what I’ve heard: Shiro is Black, Keith is Red, etc. Considering the t-shirts seem to be selling out regularly (along with various other sidelines), I’d say someone is savvy as to the fact that the segment of fandom spending the most money is also the segment that prefers the S1/S2 lineup. 

If that’s what customers want, it’s smart business for DW to provide.

(Yes, that applies on more than one level.)

There are VLD comic books being released by LionForge Comics, are those considered canon? Do LM and JDS have any involvement? They take place before Season 7and8 but I don't wanna support the original EPs.

Every fandom has its own stand on what counts as canon. Sometimes (especially with adaptations) you’ll find fandoms being explicit as to whether they’re book or movie (ie HP and LotR). I expect the same will eventually shake out in VLD’s fandom, too. 

From everything I’ve heard, Hedrick and Iverson were handed the comics and ran with it. I suppose that would argue for seeing the comics as canon, being they were written by people also writing the main series... but from what I can tell, it’s one-way. The show affected the comics, but nothing in the comics ever affected the series.

That said, your purchases have nothing to do with the original EPs. All you’re doing is telling DW you like the VLD-iteration of Voltron.

What are your thoughts on the final vld poster? I feel like it’s missing the end. Allura is randomly staring back into nothing.

It’s a clever idea to do a poster for each season, but it’s not something I’ve ever paid any attention to, really. If it were drawn by the head writer? That might mean the artist had more insight than, say, a storyboarder or animator. But even then... cool picture, still not-canon. I’m only interested in canon.

Do you think that Voltron was rushed purposely by the EP's. [...] Wouldn't this effect the quality of, well, everything? I feel as if they got frustrated with the show at that point and just wanted out.

Dude. There are times I sit here and just stare into space, bewildered yet again not just at the thought of 39 episodes released in one year --- but doing that with 26 as a last-minute cut-and-paste rearrangement. All I can tell you is that what I’ve seen from animation people and aficionados (and friends) is that three full seasons in one calendar year is just bonkers. 

If DW hadn’t wanted the schedule that packed, the EPs aren’t the ones getting the say. That’s a DW-Netflix thing. I really wonder whether DW used VLD as a guinea pig. TH went a year between S1 and S2, and the numbers slumped badly. Perhaps DW wanted to know if more episodes, more often, would keep fan interest high? DW has experienced execs, but they’re all from broadcast; how you arrange and time things in the brave new world of binge-watching is a completely different beast. 

So, it’s possible it was less of a rush job to get the show out, and more from a desire to see what'd happen to release so much, so close together. 

I still think it’s a bonkers schedule, though.

"Relaunch the whole property" sounds like they won't continue expanding the whole vld universe and they'll make a new itineration. Though if they do a spin-off it'd likely be on the vld universe surrounding the new "Legendary Defenders" from the epilogue. And "especially given the response" do you think after the negative response from s8, wouldn't be better for WEP to not keep working with Dreamworks? Or maybe they need to clean their brand from vld fiasco? What can you say about all of this?

I can say you might try re-reading, because boy is that a radical interpretation of the text. Remember, Jeremy was speaking before S8, and all indication is that he was caught off-guard as much as the fans. Re-read in light of Jeremy (at the time) appearing to expect S8 to be a crowd-pleaser.   

...I'm becoming more confident in my belief that DW has something planned for Voltron. I mean they are still heavily promoting the show, LionForge is still publishing Voltron comics, and merchandise is still being made. These don't seem like the actions of a company trying to get people to forget a show. 

You’re not wrong. Up to the last few days of 2018, DW gave every indication they wanted S8 quietly buried. Nothing they’ve done since has fit that pattern --- including the anomaly of failing to announce their 2019 series. Something is going on, that’s for certain. 

Did DW really just throw the VAs to the wolves [for] three days? and there's still no official stance? One panel was enough. They had [the VAs] take the heat for them? But thankfully fans felt sorry for them? Which could also have been the goal, shut the fans up [with] the VAs of the characters who got the worst treatment and who love their characters ... Yes DW this really makes me trust you /sarcasm/

I don’t think that was the original plan. Let’s pretend DW released its 2019 schedule via press release in the first few days of January, and among those was an announcement of a VLD sequel or spinoff, coming late 2019. 

People wouldn’t be fussing over putting the VAs through three panels. They’d be complaining we didn’t get the biggest room for every panel. The majority of the fandom doesn’t trust the EPs, and is wary of DW --- really, the only ones who retain any goodwill, at this point, are the VAs. So who better than to assure a nervous fandom about the goodness of the second iteration than the VAs whose characters were most shafted by the first iteration?

What breaks this is that immediately after S8 dropped, Josh and Kimberly went silent on twitter. AJ slipped into passive-aggressive snarking; Jeremy fell off the radar and usually he’s pretty interactive with his fans. Bex pretty much wiped  VLD from her stream, possibly including deleting older tweets. Neil tried to engage and made a hash of it, bless his heart. 

Josh and Kimberly are consummate professionals who reliably promote the series after every season drop, but their radio silence continued for almost two weeks. This wasn’t the first season that came saddled with controversy; if there was a time to go quiet, it was after S7. Something else was going on. 

I have strong suspicions backed by research, but if I’m right, I’d be stepping on a major legal landmine. In the interest of not getting blown up, I’ll only say that the VAs appearing for those three panels (and their low-key and mostly diplomatic hedging around VLD’s conclusion) was a good sign that all parties involved are willing to work things out.   

[DW was] quick to handle the Season 7 backlash and have stayed mum on what is arguably a much worse reaction to the 8th and final season.

and

I believe the S8 of voltron we got was not the original ending we were supposed to get and highly edited. My question is why? What was the point of changing the original ending? [The] radio silence from DW and the cast is driving me nuts. I wish DW would make a statement.

DW is in an interesting place. Its TV side is barely five years old, but dominated by execs with long-time broadcast experience, predating vibrant interactivity afforded by platforms like twitter, tumblr, or instagram. DW’s background as a theatrical company also seems to incline it away from any ongoing engagement with the audience. It releases a movie and by the time that hits theaters, DW is onto the next thing. 

It’s a strong contrast with production studios like Zagtoon (Miraculous), who penned an open letter to their fandom about production delays. Or little studios like Wonderstorm (The Dragon Prince) whose deft use of twitter and tumblr sets their brand apart. Or Federator (Castlevania), with their witty marketing campaigns and willingness to engage with fans. Even Disney was willing to be open about its errors with Tiana, and to make clear how it was striving to do better --- so there’s no excuse that only small studios do such outreach.

My guess is that DW's core leadership is from the school of business in which admitting a mistake is tantamount to ritual suicide. Don’t blink first, or maybe the rule is never let them see you sweat, but whatever it is, DW is turning into a textbook case of how silence can damage a brand. 

Companies have multiple avenues to reach customers directly, now. Our modern technologies are a two-way street, and good companies leverage that to create not passive fandoms but active communities. It takes work, careful planning, and some level of transparency --- something old-school execs find highly uncomfortable, to be honest --- but in this day and age, those are crucial building-blocks to achieving any kind of audience loyalty.

DW isn’t going to render itself obsolete (at least not overnight), but it's on a track to end up as the studio whose work audiences only watch when there’s nothing better being offered. Unfortunately for DW, there’s a hell of a lot of other studios out there, and they're all offering something better. 

[foxboymyles]

Pardon My Imprudence [Chp 4]

Note: Last Chapter for today :)

Zoro and Luffy started to walk out the door. The weather was pretty cold, with a slight breeze outside. The sun was just about to set. Luffy held Zoro’s hand with a smile on his face.

“Say, I saw a cool plush! It was a lion, but he had this mane that looked like the sun or somethin’” Luffy said.

“Oh? Nice. When was this?” Zoro asked.

Luffy stopped, all of a sudden. Zoro asked what was wrong, and he pointed at a weak dog on the sidewalk. It looked like it was a Jack Russell terrier, but he was really dirty and scrawny, as you could see his bones from the skin. Luffy walked towards it. He pet it gently as it slowly wagged its tail.

“He must be homeless. ‘Looks like he’s starving, too!” Luffy said, worried.

“Ice cream’s not that expensive. We should spend some on getting him some food.” Zoro added.

Luffy brightly grinned and jumped on Zoro. He repeatedly said thank you while kissing his cheek multiple times. Zoro blushed and with gentle hands, took Luffy off of him. Luffy picked up the scared dog and went to a dog store. They bought 8 dollars of dog food and a dog leash. Luffy gave the dog a handful of kebble, and like he expected, the dog ate it all in a whole gulp. Luffy put the dog on a leash, as the dog wagged his tail up and panted excitedly. He smiled and realized that he saved a life. Once Zoro and Luffy got their ice cream, they went home and Zoro took a rest on the couch. It was 9:00 PM now. Luffy filled a bowl up with pebble food as the dog rushed to it and chomped it. It was the right time to pour water into a bowl as well. Luffy gazed at the dog and grinned. Ace came downstairs with Sabo, and his eyes open wider than space.

“YOU BOUGHT A DOG WITH 20 DOLLARS?!?” He exclaimed.

Luffy shook his head.”I bought his stuff with 10 dollars. The doggie was free.”

Zoro blushed and chuckled when Luffy said ‘doggie’. Ace blushed and gave a big sigh.

“You’re gonna have to ask Shanks about this.”

“Oh, I already know,” Shanks said, appearing from out of the kitchen.

“I think it’s great. We’ve never had a family dog. All we need to do is find out if he’s had any of his shots.”

Luffy grinned and agreed with Shanks, petting the pup as it licked his face.

“I could pay for some of it if you’d want me to.” Said Zoro

Shanks was hesitant. “No no no, it’s quite alright. I can pay for it myself.”

“No, I insist. It’s the least I could do.” Zoro said.

“You don’t need to prove yourself. You already did. Ace can agree.” Shanks said, smiling.

Zoro stared for a while, then started petting the dog with Luffy.

“What should his name be?” Asked Sabo.

“ChouChou!” Luffy responded.

Shanks laughed and got his phone from the counter.

“Well, you kids can go to bed now,” Shanks said.

Zoro was about to get his stuff when Shanks interrupted him.

“You don’t have to leave, you know. Stay for the night.” Shanks said, dialing the number for Mihawk. “I’ll just call your father and tell him you’re sleeping over here.”

Zoro nodded and grabbed his stuff. He went upstairs to Luffy’s room and laid them down by the bed. Looking around, he observed the blue covered sheets and the starry night light that shined upon the dimly lighted room. There were shelves of boxing trophies and bottled miniature ships. There were a few clothes on the floor, his hamper barely hanging onto the pants he tossed in it. Looking in his drawers he found piles and piles of pirate and Tony Tony Chopper comics. Then there was the sock drawer. Zoro blushed and slowly opened what he assumed would be his underwear drawer. It was then that he slammed the drawer closed.

“Zoro! Whatcha doin’?” Luffy asked, innocently.

“Ah, nothing important. I was just looking at your room.” Said Zoro.

“Oh! It looks cool, doesn’t it?” Luffy said. “I have something I saved for you, too!”

Luffy got a fluffy teddy bear from under his bed and handed it to Zoro. They both sat on his bed.

“I got this when Shanks adopted me. I think you should have it, though.” Luffy said, blushing.

Zoro grabbed it gently and looked up at him.

“Are you sure you want to give me this?” Zoro asked.

Luffy nodded and told him to close his eyes. He leaned into Zoro and gave him a soft kiss on the lips. Gradually, the slow soft kisses got faster. Zoro held his waist as Luffy rested his weight on him.

Ace opened the door, and Luffy pulled up the covers to the bed.

“Hey, I just needed that fly swatter you ha-” Ace said, only to look at Luffy struggling to not keep it obvious.

But it was definitely obvious. Ace quickly got the fly swatter, with a short thanks and a hot freckled face, and the door was shut. Zoro gave Luffy a long kiss back. Luffy rested his head on Zoro’s chest. He felt the warm vibrations as Zoro’s chest rose and fell.

“That was almost better than food,” Luffy said, cutely.

Zoro kissed him on the cheek. “Am I better than food?” Zoro asked.

Luffy looked up at him. “Yeah.” The teen gave Zoro a peck on the nose. Zoro chuckled and ran his hand through Luffy’s hair.

“ ‘Love you, Zoro.”

“I love you too,” Zoro replied.

It was getting late, and Luffy’s eyes felt droopy. Zoro was already fast asleep. The sky was lit in a dark blue, with the most beautiful stars. The silhouette of a tree stood out in the middle. The candle in the room dimly lit the space and shaded Zoro’s face in warm colors. Luffy’s eyes twinkled at the scene, from the stars that lit in the sky brightly. All at once, he seemed content. His eyes closed.

…

The next morning was bright. Too bright, Zoro thought. He grumbled angrily at the alarm clock and slapped the off button. Zoro shook Luffy, but he had no success of waking him up. Then, getting his surprisingly still cold-water bottle and poured in all over him. Luffy gasped awake and wriggled around. As soon as he realized what was going on, he hit Zoro in the arm.

“Stupid! I could have wakened up myself, ya know!” Luffy shouted.

“Yeah, sure,” Zoro said, getting his pants and baggy shirt on.

Luffy whipped something out of his closet and put it on. He had on blue shorts and a red tank top, put on his sandals, and waited for Zoro to put on his shoes. He laid on his stomach on the bed, both hands squishing his cheeks and his legs kicking slowly. For a moment he was looking at Zoro’s face. His tan skin and sharp eyes, up to his mint green hair. Zoro turned to look at Luffy once he realized Luffy was staring at him.

“Great, now you got me staring. Did you know you have huge eyes?” Zoro said.

“Is that somethin’ to make me mad?” Luffy replied, annoyed.

“No. I just look at you and I can see galaxies in them. Your eyes are- kinda pretty.” Zoro admitted.

“I’m not pretty! I’m a man!” Luffy shouted defensively while blushing.

Zoro walked passed him and opened the door. “I’m just saying your eyes look pretty. But sure, I guess you are pretty.”

“You’re just trying to taunt me, I know it! Let’s fight! Right now!” Luffy angrily shouted, following him down the stairs.

“Wow Luffy, even when you’re mad you’re beautiful,” Zoro said, jokingly.

“Beautiful?!? Bu- stop calling me that! It sounds girly!” Luffy yelled, even redder.

Sabo was up making pancakes. What was surprising is that Ace, Luffy’s usually sleepy and lazy brother, was up with an average look on his face. Sabo quickly got his suitcase and took off his apron. He wore a dress shirt and pants, with shiny black shoes. He was gathering his things out the door whilst Luffy was getting down the stairs.

“I have to go visit Koala now. She’s expecting me to get the storyboard in by today.” Sabo mumbled to Ace.

“Isn’t this your guys’-what- 4th anniversary?” Ace asked, helping Sabo.

Sabo turned to the tiny gift on the counter and grabbed it. He said a short thanks and hugged Luffy from the stairs. After that, the door shut faster than 3 seconds later. Luffy sat down on the couch.

“Sabo has a girlfriend?” Zoro asked.

“Yep. They’ve been together since they were 13.” Ace answered.

“Why don’t you guys go to our school?”

“We go to a private school. Guess it’s just because Shanks wants us to stay serious with want we want to accomplish.” Ace said.

Zoro frowned thinking of Mihawk’s plans for his education. Even if Zoro got good grades, he doesn’t know that he’ll take him to a private school or not.

“You ok, Zoro?” Luffy asked, his hand touching Zoro’s.

Zoro nodded, grabbing and kissing Luffy’s hand. Ace turned after hearing footsteps. Shanks was making his way down the stairs, with his watch in his hand.

“Ace, you gotta come with me,” Shanks said, hurryingly.

Ace raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

“It’s Makino. She’s not feeling great.” Shanks responded.

“Makino? Why can’t I go?” Luffy asked.

“You have to take care of ChouChou,” Shanks said, as Ace raced after Shanks through the door.

There was a slam. Luffy huffed and laid his head in Zoro’s lap.

“Who’s Makino?” Zoro asked.

“She’s kinda like our mother. She’s really close to Shanks and she’s taught us a bunch of stuff.”

Luffy laughed. “The funny thing is that Shanks and she haven't started dating yet.”

“Well, maybe they're not sure if they're ready for it. It's better to be friends with someone a while before going into that.” Zoro said.

“That's true…” Luffy said. He extended his arm out to pet ChouChou. ChouChou barked, then licked all around Luffy’s hand.

“Hey, that tickles a little bit!” He said, laughing. Zoro smiled at his joyful face and laid his head on the armchair. Until there was a knock. Then murmuring. Luffy got the door and stood up, while the dog barked loudly.

“Hiii, Luffy!” Nami said, cheerfully with Usopp and Chopper behind her.

“Oh hi, Nami. What’s up?”

“Just wanted to check in with you goof-offs. Also..” Nami sat down and looked at the two, while Usopp and Chopper turned on the tv to watch a cartoon. “I wanted to know if you guys would like to come with us to prom? It’ll be really fun.”

“Prom? I’ve heard of that but I never been to it.” Luffy said, curiously. Zoro looked at Nami and nodded.

“We’ll be there.”

“Sweet!” Nami said, happily. “It’s in a month so no rush, but it wouldn’t be as fun without you dorks.” She smiled and turned to Usopp and Chopper. “Hey what are you both up to?”

Luffy looked at Zoro. “Is your dad going to be upset you’re still here?”

“Who knows but that doesn’t really bother me,” Zoro answered. ChouChou jumped into his lap. 

“Do you and Ace get along now?” Luffy asked.

Zoro nodded. “Yeah. He’s a little secretive though. I don’t exactly know how he actually is.”

Luffy smiled. “He’s really cool once you get to know him. He always sticks up for me and Sabo. Just gets moods sometimes.”

Nami added. “He’s pretty cute!”

Zoro rolled his eyes. “Of course you say that.”

“Hey! It’s just my opinion.” Nami replied.

“What about Sanji?” Usopp asked Nami.

“Uh, I don’t know.” She said, quietly. That part of the discussion was stopped subtly by Nami. It looked like she was unsure about that part of her relationships, to Zoro. Luffy doesn’t really pay attention to that stuff, so if he asked him, he wouldn’t really have any interesting input about it. 

“Chopper, that’s cheating!” Usopp said, furiously mashing his controller.

“Nuh uh, I just know how to play the game.” Chopper replied. “X Triangle X does a huge combo. You just didn’t know!”

Usopp gasped. “Ehhhh!?! Well, thanks for sharing your method!”

They hung out together for an hour or so, until Sabo came back home. He hung up his jacket and looked around.

“Hi guys. Looks like a full party here.” Sabo remarked.

“Hey Sabo!” Luffy said, walking up to him and hugging him tightly. “How was it with Koala?”

“It was great! We went to a restaurant. I think you’ll like to go there someday.” Sabo continued. “It’s a sandwich place and they add all different kinds of meat.”

Luffy’s eyes lit up. “That sounds like heaven.” He said as Sabo laughed. He turned and hugged Zoro gently. 

“Hey, Zoro. How’s your day been?”

“Pretty good. Seems like you had fun.”

“Hi Sabo!” Usopp and Chopper said in unison. He greeted them back with the same enthusiasm. Then hugged Nami and smiled.

“Hi, Nami. How have things been?”

“They’ve been ok, I guess.” Nami quietly said. Sabo frowned. Lately, she’s looked like she’s not in the mood.

“Wanna chat outside for a minute? You seem sad.” Sabo replied. Nami nodded and walked outside to their backyard. She sat in one of their benches and crossed her legs. Sabo sat next to her, trying not to bother her as best as he could. Ever since Luffy had been Nami’s friend, Sabo has always been the person she talked to for help. Nami’s past wasn’t so great. Her mother died from gang members and her eldest sister is now taking care of her. She is especially very to herself, so at least one person she could vent to always made her mental health a lot easier to deal with. Since Sabo is her elder and his personality was warm and welcoming, it was very easy to open up to him.

“I think I like Sanji, but he’s not making it easy for me to do that.” Nami murmured.

“Why is that?” Sabo asked.

“He’s always talking about how he loves women so much. That’s ok but he’s just- I don’t know, obsessive. I’m not sure how I will deal with that if I get together with him.”

Sabo put a reassuring hand on Nami’s shoulder and looked her in the eye. “Tell him it bothers you. If you’re not ready to confess those types of feelings, then don’t do it yet. But if you observe his character afterward I’m sure it will lead you to your answer.” Sabo looked up. “But even if he’s not the right one for you, you are such a pretty and amazing girl. You are so strong, too. Never let anyone tell you otherwise.”

Nami hugged him and smiled. “Thank you.” She felt a lot brighter now. It made Sabo feel like he did a good job. “I’m gonna go back now. Are you making anything?”

“Luffy wants Nachos for dinner, so I’ll start prepping that.”

“Oh, alright. Also, tell Ace I left him a present on his desk. I forgot to get him a birthday present last year, so I felt bad.” Nami said, leaving the sliding door open for Sabo to come in.

...