#laze ship child

[au-mashup-party]

((Sidenote: The baby desgin is canon for this current timeline, the toddler desgin is canon for the far future timeline. On another side note, at least you guys get to see what that baby full looks like skeleton form))

LAZE FAMILY 6 YEARS LATER: CHILDREN FUTURE DESGINS!!

[stubz]

Pollix lazed on the beanbag in the reading area. The passing sun shining just so perfectly on the young tighalax. He rolled onto his stomach and kneaded the carpet below when he spotted something or rather someone.

Nova. The ship Captain's daughter and fellow tighalax is currently stalking something.

'It's like watching a newborn cub walking for the first time. She'd be the runt of any tighalax pack in the galaxy.'

Pollix really had nothing against the smaller cub but he just couldn't help himself from teasing and poking fun at her every now and then.

'She's 6 moons older than me but half my size! She's like one of those stuffies we have in the toy bin.' he giggled to himself.

Intrigued by what she was doing he looks to see what her target is.

His ears perk as does his posture.

Kim. One of their human caretakers/teachers. Currently cleaning up some blocks on the ground. Completely unaware of the small feline-like creature.

She pounces. The prey is caught. Sent tumbling to it's side, shrieking with laughter.

A successful hunt shrieks Athea also watching the "hunt".

'A successful hunt? Pfft, I get that they're comrades but how could Athea call that a hunt?' for Nova's hunt was something to be expected of when one was a fresh cub. To celebrate a hunt like this when you were 7 summers old? Unheard of.

But runts do take longer since they're often too weak for some summers to do this type of thing, he concluded.

Still, at their age they should be hunting prey that's much bigger than Kim. Something around Max's size.

"Pollix! I caught Kim, did you see?"

"I saw...you were very quiet. But remember to use what's around you. Like you could have hide behind the bookshelf to get even closer."

"Oh. That's so smart! Thanks Pollix, I'm going to practice on Kim again."

"Mmmm." he curled back onto the bean bag.

"Not impressed?"

"Your blocking the sun Athea," he whined looking up at the orc. "But no not really. I mean Kim is strong I guess but she's a human."

"What. Humans are strong, sometimes stronger than other apex species like us." Pollix scoffs

"Yeah but I knocked her down like a million times when we wrestled! So Nova's probably going to be able to knock her over at least once, or maybe Kim just let her." he finished as an afterthought.

"...Okay so maybe she let Nova knock her over but what if she also let you knock her over?"

<If there's one thing many know about Tighalaxes it's that they are very prideful of their hunts and wins. And to diminish said hunts and wins is to question their skills as a hunter. The fastest and easiest way to tick them off>

The cub puffs his fur and flicks his tail around angrily.

"Nu-uh."

"Yu-huh."

"No. I knocked her over because I'm stronger than her!"

"And so did Nova. So I guess Nova is also strong." she stares at him.

<Now for Orcs, what they're known for is their undying loyalty. Should you belittle or badmouth an Orc's friend within earshot of them be prepared for an argument or a swift blow to the face. Depends on the situation>

The young orc straightens to her full height while keeping her gaze with the tighalax cub. Who in return get's up and rises to his full height as well.

Standing at 5 feet tall both are easily larger than most other youngling species their age. Only 5 inches shy of their teacher Kim.

Only at the age 6.

"Why don't you try to tackle her?"

Startled they stop sizing each other up and turn to the human who managed sneak up on them.

Jasper. A human child their age. Almost a foot smaller than them.

"I do it all the time. It's fun and I get to see how strong I am by how much I can make Kim move!" he exclaims, "One time I managed to make her take a step."

"That could work."

"Huh?"

"If you can tackle Kim then I'll apologize and take it back. If you can't then that means that Nova is strong too."

"Alright. But I'm doing it the proper way. Not when she's crouched down. That'd be too easy."

"Whatever."

..

'A real hunter should rely on their strength and instincts. Not just hiding and sneak attacks.'

He stalks towards Kim who's standing in the middle of the room doing a head count.

He picks up the pace. Her back is still to him.

He's broken into a run now. Normally he should wait till he's closer but he's just trying to tackle her so it's fine. She hears him.

He's at full speed and mere seconds away. Athea will be saying sorry to him very soon. She turns sideways and widens her feet.

He lunges. She's smiling.

To Athea and everyone else watching it was like watching a bouncy ball hit a wall. The cub made impact only to bounce off the human onto the floor.

"OH SHOOT!" Kim picks him and sets him on his back paws. "Are you okay? I'm sorry I didn't think you'd bounce like that."

"..." could she always pick him up that easily?

"You look okay, Pollix are you hurt anywhere?" he shakes his head.

"Well that's good. Sorry about that buddy," she chuckles. "I thought since your a lot bigger than Jasper and Nova that you'd be fine. Here, let me go get you a starburst for the great effort."

"Wow Pollix! You made her actually get ready for it. I never did that. You really are strong." exclaims Nova. Eyes sparkling with awe.

"I, I just bounced off her. Like a bug."

"Yep." Athea pats her friend on the shoulder.

"...Nova you did a great job with your hunt. It was awesome."

"Aw, thanks Pol."

"I wonder if I could tackle her? I am heavier than you."

"Yeah you are pretty fat."

"Fat so I can crush you."

"You two are weird friends." sighs Nova.

[teecupangel]

*chants* QUOKKA DESMOND MILES! QUOKKA DESMOND MILES!

Look how cute they are!

I feel like Desmond getting turned into one of these guys would make everyone just go “precious child, must be kept safe”.

For Altaïr, that meant leaving Desmond in any of the bureaus during missions because there’s no way he would leave Desmond in Masyaf where Abbas is usually stationed at. The Rafiqs just let Altaïr do what he wants but they have a soft spot for Desmond as well. Malik gives him the best treats. The Rafiq of Damascus had the best gossips concerning the Brotherhood. And Jabal lets him eat as much as he wants (Desmond learned food coma exists as a quokka as well). Abbas calls him a rat but Desmond just ignores him.

For Ezio, Claudia would scold him for trying to bring Desmond out on Monteriggioni and he just stays there, usually acting as Maria’s therapy animal of some kind. Maria is still quiet and usually stares at nothing but she liked to pet him when he’s on her lap so everyone is thinking that’s progress. It’s actually Mario who liked to give him snacks even when Claudia tells people not to since she believes he’s getting too fat. Desmond is pretty sure this is how he usually looks like. Leonardo visits regularly because he finds Desmond fascinating.

For Ratonhnhaké:ton, he was the one who tells Desmond to stay in the homestead because he sees Desmond as this cute adorable prey which meant that the wilderness will not be kind to him. Sure, Ratonhnhaké:ton would protect him but he didn’t want to risk it. Not at all. Haytham met him once and he didn’t like him at all after Desmond found a way to swipe his hat and try to chew on it for some reason.

For Edward… you know the drill. Edward knew he wasn’t a cat but he still picked him up and proclaimed him as the ‘ship cat’ much to Adéwalé’s and the crew’s confusion. Edward never bothered to explain and Desmond spent most of his time in the captain’s cabin anyway, lazing around while Edward does whatever he wanted.

[badlysummedupmoviestournament]

If you recognize the movies/characters hiding behind the decoy titles, please do not give identifying details about them in the notes.

Villain n°1: Fish Custard

The pilot of a ship does practically all of the hard work to keep the luxurious cruise vessel running while the captain lazes about. Suddenly, a stowaway breaks in and tries to ruin the cruise for everyone, assisted by a crew member who has fallen for him. Despite the pilot's best efforts to follow orders and keep everything running smoothly, he gets screwed over by a bumbling cleaner and loses his job.

Villain n°2: Evil Lemonade

Disabled man fends off armed home invaders to protect the mother of his child.

[swanno-arts]

smacks table. bbb WALL-E AU designs n what nots!!

more under the cut!!

1Y-OVKA [Probe 01 Call Sign Y - Organism, Vegetation and Karyokinesis Assessor]

2nd protag to the AU! 1Y-OVKA, humanized name Iyovka, is an OVKA probe sent to evaluate and retrieve live specimen on Earth. Iyovka follows his directive to a T, but since every other of his mission returns negative, Iyovka's mission on Earth is more of a "very discreet disposal" of him by orders of Axiom superior, Matvey. Iyovka was meant to be left on Earth, but after the help of a certain bot, Iyovka signals to be picked up, carrying a positive live specimen back to the Axiom.

Turns out the strange Antonin bot he encountered on Earth SOMEHOW followed him all the way back? Shenanigans, Chaos, Romance and Angst ensues.

Captain Magnus Solomakhin

Captain on deck! Captain Magnus is the Axiom's 6th (and last) captain - being son to late Captain Vsevolod. Magnus is a newly appointed captain, only on duty for 2 years. He's young and naive but kind and has a cheery outlook of life. Magnus is overly dependant on the autopilot to do everything, letting him to just do morning announcements and spend his time on the computer or laze around on his hover chair. After learning about Operation Recolonize and Earth, Magnus demands that they return to Earth immediately...

But the autopilot had other plans. A fight ensues. It was a 700 year old directive, or humanity's fate. Even after he considers Matvey like his own big brother...

M/ATVE-Y [Manual/Autopilot Technology for Voyage and Expedition - Call Sign Y]

M/ATVE-Y, humanized name Matvey, is the Solomakhins' and Buy N' Large's magnum opus of an AI. Created as the autopilot to the Axiom, Matvey is the true captain and ruler to the ship. On top of being created with limited sentience, Matvey secretly receives Directive A-113, do not return to Earth and ever since he does all he can to uphold that.

During Vsevolod's days, Matvey finds himself having a secondary function as a babysitter (and honestly, a foster) for the young Magnus. Matvey... enjoyed taking care of the little child. It was the little sentience he had. He genuinely cared for the young kid's well-being, all the way to his young adult life as a new captain.

You'd imagine how both of them would feel having to brawl with each other over clashing orders.

...and some more bots!!!:

VON-EL [Voyage Operational and Networking - Executive Level]

VON-EL, humanized name Vonel, is a gopher bot and the Axiom's head of security and operationals. Vonel leads the stewards and works directly under Matvey's orders, despite his surprisingly short stature. Vonel aids Matvey in upholding Directive A-113, but only because he is programmed to follow Matvey's orders - not because he was aware of what the full scale of A-113 was. He wasn't fully aware what he was doing was mutiny against Captain Magnus.

Poor lad. He just wanted to assist Matvey in the brawl against the captain, but out he flew off the window and straight into the concrete floor. Ka-Blam!

Two misc. bots!

M.O [Microbe Obliterator] Unit 130

Unit 130, humanized name Boris, is a cleaner bot usually stationed in the Loading Dock. He's a diligent cleaner, but the job gets boring often and he tends to zone out whenever he's doing his work. Boris breaks routine after this strange bot came back with a whopping 100% foreign contaminent. God, his tracks are everywhere! Well, he's not escaping this bot's determination to get everything clean.

Even chasing him down all the way to the garbage bay and lodging himself on the airlock door? Apparently!

SECUR-T Unit A-5

Unit A-5, humanized name Askali, is one of the many steward bots on the Axiom. Askali is curiously a lot more sentient of a steward bot than the rest of her kind - and fully acts as if she is similar to VON-EL, taking charge of the stewards stationed in the same kiosk as hers. She is favored by Matvey to deal with any issues due to this attitude and she takes a personal pride to that.

Askali's last stand is when she and the stewards hold off the rogue robots. She survives getting a scrub on the face by a M.O unit and a high charge shock by a D-FIB unit, but eventually meets her match with the frenzied HAN-S unit, Behelmus.

---

rotates around. theyre FUN to design. im sooo normal about these robots

some parts of the au is different than the canon version for adjustment but!! not TOO much!! hehe

[sulphuryasecretcloset]

How Mose stopped worrying and learned to love Leo

“Listen, I need to go do something.” She says.

Mose nods. He knows that means Zev'sonya is off some place where Hutts aren't welcome. While neither of them like it, there are some situations that are just made easier by him staying behind. She will be back. Or he'll come get her. “Understood, Lorda.”

Zev'sonya adjusts her cloak and seems ready to leave right away. He's not surprised. She never did like to waste time. “I'll be back in about five hours, if things go without a hitch.”

“Understood.”

“Have fun watching the kids while I'm gone.”

Now those words do puzzle Mose. Junior has been asleep for over a week now. Without the little green one to keep her company, she tends to sleep a lot more. Mose is aware of how it is far more normal for a Huttlet to sleep for months, even years, rather than be awake and active like Junior has been, mostly due to the strain of their growing bodies and their fragile minds, but he finds himself missing her. The feeling of her breathing and occasionally twitching is reassuring, but he still misses her exploring new places with her innocence and enthusiasm. Why would... Wait, Zev said kids. KidS. Plural. Which means... she does not intend to bring her human.

Mose draws a sharp breath, meaning to object rather harshly, when Zev'sonya has the audacity to wink at him, actually wink at him, and he stares with a slack jaw as she trots off with a far too smug cackle. She has definitely been spending far too much time around humans!

And speaking of which... Mose slowly turns his head and, as dreaded, finds himself looking down at Leo, who is grinning up at him like an excited child about to go out on the most wonderful adventure. While there is no denying that the eternally cheerful blond has had a very positive effect on Zev, easing a lot of the burning anger she had at life, he is also the most talkative and energetic soul Mose has ever met. He sighs. This is going to be a very long day.

Ignoring Leo is what Mose usually does and it works for the first couple of hours: Leo talks while Mose pretends he can't hear him. Others would take the hint, but the blond merely keeps chattering away and tries to get Mose to engage with a wide variety of topics. Humans, such troublesome creatures. How many times in history have they set the Galaxy on fire by now?

“Let's go into town!” Leo declares, very loud and with that eternal grin on his face. Hours of basically talking to himself must finally be getting boring even to him.

Mose scowls. “No.” The ship is parked a safe distance from the small town that seems to be beckoning the blond and Mose is perfectly happy to stay right there and laze about until Zev returns. There is no reason for them to head into town.

“Come onnnnnn, Mose. Pretty please?”

Mose doesn't hesitate. “No.”

Leo's eyes narrow a tiny fraction for the briefest of moments, then he shrugs and smiles. “Well, you can stay here, but I'm going. And going alone, you know I might get into trouble, stuff like that happens, and Zev is not going to be happy that you let me wander into danger by myself, you know. What if I get hurt? Oh, she won't like that at all. She will be quite disappointed in you.”

Once again the audacity of a biped has Mose slack-jawed and staring, then he sighs and has little choice but to trail after Leo marching towards the town with a jaunty whistle. Zev would indeed be very upset if something bad was to happen to her idiot, and Leo is bound to get into some kind of trouble if he is allowed to spend time in town without supervision. Mose toys briefly with the idea of merely grabbing him and holding him down with his tail until she returns, but something tells him that Leo would be whining so loudly his ears would bleed, and punching him unconscious is too risky with that frail human skull of his.

Turns out that heading into town achieves the impossible; Leo turns even more talkative. And determined to use every credit he has in his pockets once he finds the marked place.

“What do you think about this?” “Do you think she'd like these double-bladed ones?” “Hey, this would look cool on you.” “Wow, can you believe the price of these?” “Check this out, I would look awesome in this!” “Maybe we should get some of these for Junior?” “I'm telling you; the ship could use a little colour inside.” “A man, or a Hutt, can never have too many blankets.”

It never ends. Mose is going to get back at Zev for this.

Leo has grabbed a dangerous amount of candy to buy from a horribly decorated cart when he grins up at Mose. “What do you want? My treat.”

Mose glares. “Ylesian white worms.” He deserves tasty snacks for putting up with this.

Minutes later, Mose is rummaging his left hand around in the big glass container he's carrying under his right arm until he has a big haul of worms in his grip. He shoves them into his mouth as he shuffles along after the still talking Leo and wonders how Zev is doing. He knows she can look after herself, but he still worries. She's so awfully impulsive...

Lost in thought, he doesn't notice how Leo turns a corner, freezes and stops talking mid-sentence.

Mose nearly smacks into the man's back due to the sudden and unexpected stop and he's about to ask what the hell is wrong with him when he sees what Leo sees: five stormtrooper helmets on top of wooden sticks stuck in the ground. There are pools of dark, coagulated blood on the ground under the helmets.

Oh.

For a long time they just stand there, staring, until Mose can't handle the tension. Or the complete absence of a smile on Leo's face. “Did you know them...?”

Leo keeps his gaze on the helmets and answers in a too quiet voice. “I don't know. I can't see their operating numbers.” The green eyes that are usually bright with mischief are dark and solemn.

Silence follows his words and Mose awkwardly remembers a time when he'd asked Zev if there wasn't a way to shut Leo up and she had replied that the only thing worse than a talking Leo is a silent one, and he's now inclined to agree. This is making Mose's hide crawl with unease.

“Maybe they deserved this.” Leo suddenly says in that too quiet manner. “Maybe. A lot of them were not good people and they did a lot of bad things.” A hard swallow. “But... not all of them. Mikey only joined because his family told him to. Kiergan joined so he wouldn't end up in jail with his brothers. Hauroko, it was the only way she could go after her dream. Corin, he didn't have a choice at all. Kinnon, Jana, Heiden, Mokae, Cordè, none of them would have deserved this, but the ones hunting down Troopers these days wouldn't have cared and put their heads on spikes anyway.”

Mose had entered a mercenary's hut with Zev once, years ago, and found himself surrounded by eight Hutt skulls mounted on the man's walls. Knowing that the Hutts were probably cruel cretins who deserved it had not made the sight any less unsettling. But this situation does give Mose the opportunity to ask something he's been wondering about for a very long time. “Why did 'you' join?”

Leo, Leave-it, whatever you want to call him, has never struck Mose as an imperial fanatic or a war monger. Why would someone like Leo join the stormtroopers?

“Back home where I grew up, they were portrayed as the heroes.” Leo says, still staring at the helmets. “In the news, everything we saw and read, they were the good guys. They were the ones who saved others from mercs and pirates and all kinds of scum. My dad was in complete awe of them. If it hadn't been for him not wanting to leave my mom and me, he would have joined in a heartbeat. We were mere miners, nobodies, while the guys in white kept everyone in the Galaxy safe.” Leo finally closes his eyes. “After my father died, I decided I wanted to do some good before I followed him into the afterlife. I was already sick by then, my mom too, so I knew I had limited time. Becoming a stormtrooper meant I could afford medicine for my mom, travel the Galaxy and see other planets while helping other people as well. I thought it was the best idea ever. By the time I realized the truth, it was too late. I needed the credits for mom's medicine, I didn't want to leave Kiergan and Hauroko to face danger alone, and after my mom died, they were all the family I had left so I had to keep them safe at least. I couldn't leave.”

Mose doesn't know what to say. He feels bad for asking, but he can definitely relate to wanting to protect your friend even if it means risking your own life.

Leo turns away from the helmets. “I've changed my mind. Let's just go back to the ship.”

Just as Leo walks by him, Mose looks over at the blond. “Are you okay?” It's a stupid question, of course he's not, but he still asks as an awkward gesture to show concern.

Pausing next to him but keeping his gaze on the horizon, Leo sighs. “Yeah. I just forgot.” And before Mose can ask him what he'd forgotten, the human continues. “I forgot for a moment that every single soul on this planet hates me.”

Again, Mose can relate only too well and he knows how bad of a feeling that is. It's the worst kind. It makes you feel endlessly lonely. And worthless. But it's not true. “I don't hate you.” He offers.

That causes Leo to glance up at him with a ghost of a sad smile. “Really?” There is fragile hope in that simple word.

“Yeah.” Mose confirms, shifting the glass container to his other arm to reach out with his right hand and he gives him a couple of worm-free pats on the blond head. “Really.”

Leo's smile turns into something so warm and grateful that it makes Mose's heart clench in a way that usually only happens around Junior and the little green man. Fine, he can be a little nicer to him. After all, Leo's basically a kid too by Hutt standards.

-

“Higher!” Leo's voice demands.

“Then stop squirming!” Mose snaps back.

“I'm not squirming.”

“Yes, you are.”

Zev'sonya frowns as she approaches the ship and hears her two companions arguing from somewhere on the other side of the craft. What is going on? Rounding the front of the ship, what she sees makes even less sense than anything she could have conjured up as possible scenarios.

Leo and Mose are both frozen, staring at her, but what makes it odd is the fact that Mose has pulled himself as high up as he can, has his hands under Leo's arms and is holding him up to face the panel just under the transparisteel of the cockpit.

Blinking, Zev'sonya only absently registers that the grey panel in front of Leo has the outline of what looks to be a drawing of a yellow twi'lek and that his hands are clutching a can of spray paint each, because she's too startled by the sight of him hastily slurping the tail of what looks to be a white worm into his mouth.

“Lorda, you're back...” Mose says awkwardly, slowly lowering Leo to the ground.

“What is going on here?” Zev'sonya demands to know.

“We're decorating the ship!” Leo declares through some hasty chewing.

“Decorating the...” Zev'sonya echoes, struggling to believe what she's hearing in addition to what she's seeing. At least Mose has the decency to look embarrassed. Leo just looks delighted at the sight of her. “I leave for half a day and you both lose your minds?!”

“Aw, come on!” Leo whines. “All the cool ships have decorations.”

“We got bored.” Mose mumbles.

She stares at them for several long seconds, trying to digest the weirdness of it all until she decides she can't. This is just too weird. Zev'sonya turns on her heel and stalks inside the ship. Starting up the engines, she gives them just enough time to scramble on board before Zev'sonya shuts the doors and takes off towards space.

It is hours later when she allows Leo into the cockpit and only after he has brushed his teeth twice. “I can't believe you ate worms.”

“You know,” her idiot says with a big grin, slouching in the co-pilot seat with one leg over the arm-rest, “if you really want to pull off the act as a culinary expert, you're going to have to be more open to new foods. I'm telling you; Mose is right. They're really good. Spicy with a hint of liquorice.”

Zev'sonya glances over at him without turning her head. “And if you want to pull off the act as a stupid blond, you need to stop using big words like 'culinary'.” Leo laughs, not bothered at all, as usual. He then sits up properly and leans a little forward towards her with a grin. “So, are you going to tell me what you were up to today? It wasn't a job, right? Was it an evil scheme for me and Mose to spend time together so that he'd grow dangerously fond of me and we'd become best buddies? Because if it was, I can tell you it really worked!”

Fighting back a smile, Zev'sonya turns her gaze to the stars ahead. There would be no need to make Mose like Leo because she knows he already likes him just fine. She never would have brought Leo on board the ship if that wasn't the case, her selfish heart be damned. As much as the idiot annoys him at times, Mose has shown Leo far more patience and leniency than most souls they have encountered in their years together. He even gave his approval of their relationship before Zev'sonya could handle mere the thought of it. “It was a private errand.”

“Roger that.” Leo says, instantly backing off by slouching back in his seat and flinging his leg over the arm rest again. “Oh, for your information; once we park some place, me and my buddy are finishing the art work on the ship. Just so you know. We cannot be stopped!”

“I had my chip turned off.” Zev'sonya says, gaze firmly locked straight ahead. Yet, even without looking at him, she senses Leo freezing up before deflating from having inhaled a lot of air to cover a grand speech about his and Mose's plans. “Wh...” He sits up straight again and his reflection in the transparisteel shows his confusion and concern. “What?”

“You heard me.” Zev'sonya feels a clench of unease in her gut. Had it been a mistake? She glares over at him. “Didn't you say last week that you'd always dreamed about having kids?”

“Yeah.” Leo blurts out. “But, like, I wasn't... It's not... Didn't you then tell me it would be crime for me to breed and pass on my stupidity?”

Zev'sonya nods. “It would. Which is why I'm going to make sure our kid inherits my intelligence.”

Eerily enough, Leo goes quiet for a moment. He looks down at where his hands are nervously fidgeting and clears his throat. “Zev. Are you sure? It would change everything. And... I might not be around to-”

“Shut up.” Zev'sonya snaps. She knows he is thinking about the death sentence hanging over his head, is worrying about the thought of her having to raise a child alone, but Leo seriously needs to get through his thick skull that she is not going to let him die.

“No.” Leo counters, his voice firm with unbreakable stubbornness. “Dammit, if you want me to even consider this, I need to know that you have really thought this through. I love how impulsive you are, Zev, but this is the one thing I can't have you decide on a whim. I can't. Okay?”

Zev'sonya takes a calming breath before facing her idiot once more. “Fine. Listen up; I want this too. I know what I'm getting myself into. And even without you, I wouldn't be alone. I've got Mose. I've got Din and Corin. I know Kiergan and the others will love any child that is part you. Happy? I even had the doctor do research on Miner's Lung to make sure it was safe for a kid.” She scowls at him. “But that is just stupid talk because we'll both be there all the way. End of discussion.”

Leo stares at her with disbelief and growing giddiness before he breaks into a wide grin and nods.

“Good.” Zev'sonya leans back in her seat. “Now the only problem is that we have to wait two days before we can get to work on this.” She makes a face. “I can't believe you ate those worms.” “What?” Leo suddenly looks devastated. “But-”

“Your mouth is not getting anywhere near me with worm-breath.”

“I brushed my teeth! Twice!”

“I don't care! Worm-breath!”

“Zev!” “WORM-BREATH!”

[monocaelia]

MATCHUP EVENT??? SIGN ME UPPPPPP I hope u have a lovely summer break with this didiiiiii ♪~ ᕕ(ᐛ)ᕗ

for starters, my name is annie (although u already know this), and preferred matchup would be with one of the boys （*´▽｀*）

I think my fave trope is the one where the couple simply just exist together,,, like sure they have ups and downs and wild experiences and funny stories to laugh about over dinner!!! and frankly they theoretically could live without each other and not have much change abt them, but at the end of the day they sit and look at each other and think, "even if I could live without this person, I'd still choose to exist with them"

as for the song, it's honestly a toss-up between cupid by fifty fifty or pasilyo by sunkissed lola ! I love cupid sm bc I really resonate with the lyrics and my wishful daydreams as a hopeless romantic, while pasilyo is just one of those songs that makes you think "oh. oh. this is the person I want to be with for the rest of my life. this is where I'm supposed to be." I'm rather indecisive, so I'll let you pick which vibe you wanna go for 🫡🫡🫡

note : hehehe hi annie <3 smoochies u actually. i need u to ignore all of this because i ship u w me <3

send me ur favorite trope or delusional song and i’ll write you something short !! [closed !!]

through your journeys and trials through life, there is only one person that always attracts your attention and love. despite it all, your eyes can only ever look at childe.

you don't even quite remember when it was that attracted you solely to him. the ginger man has always been an annoyingly affectionate thorn at your side, a constant in your tumultuous life. even if the world had flipped upside down or suddenly turned against you, you could count on that peculiar snezhnayan man to continue to stay by your side even if it was to beg to spar once more.

you had always found his sense of loyalty a charming point of his. no matter the circumstances, he would always stay by your side even if it meant having the world against him. he was your knight in shining armor who was ready to risk his entire life to make sure you made it out alive, not that you would let him die for you in the first place.

he chose you to bare his heart to, and there was nothing he wouldn't do to prove his devotion to you.

your eyes widen, lips parted in surprise as you watch your dear friend hold his hand out for you. an invitation to dance with him at the banquet held in the zapolyarny palace courtesy of her majesty, the tsaritsa, herself; what was a country loved by the cold, yet pure archon if she didn't hold a party to celebrate the land she cherishes?

childe's eyes shine, a sparkle held deep within the oceans that were his eyes, as he meets your gaze. and, like the peaceful waves that lull you to play along the shores and laze in the gentle swells of water that lap at your feet, your hand is placed in his and he pulls you into his arms as the string quartet plays a waltz.

despite the many people surrounding you, either watching the couples on the floor dancing or the pairs of loved ones swaying to the beat of music as well, you find your eyes lost in deep blue oceans, never straying from his eyes. the harbinger smiles and his dimples poke from his freckled cheeks, making your heart flutter a dance of its own within your chest.

your palms are sweaty and shaky and you're so glad that his are gloved as he leads you through the dance.

"you're nervous," childe whispers, his tone teasing, into your ear. his warm breath hitting the shell of your ear does not calm your nerves in the slightest, but you persevere.

"the crowd is watching," was your excuse as you whisper back. he hums, eyes seeing completely through your fib. he laughs softly, something you've always loved to hear like a favorite song you want constantly playing in your head until you're sick of it.

but you fear his laughter is something you would never tire of hearing.

his gloved hand gently squeezes your own, a silent reassurance and an attempt to calm down the nerves that threaten to leap out of your body. fortunately, it does calm you down, though not by much.

"relax, just keep your eyes on me," childe reassures you. you aren't sure how, but he's shining brighter underneath the glow of the chandelier. was zapolyarny palace casting a spell on you to fall even more for this silly companion of yours?

his usual mess of orange curls has been somewhat tamed with half of it pushed back. his cowlick still stands tall; you wonder if it could ever be tamed but you didn't care, it added to his boyish charm. his ruby earring glints in the light, but its radiance is nothing compared to the charming man in front of you. with the light from the glistening chandelier, it was like a halo encased his head; an angel from celestia cast down to bless you with his beauty.

it's hard for your eyes to stray to anybody else but childe, for he is absolutely breathtaking in the grand hall of zapolyarny palace.

you suppose you would tell childe about the feelings you held for him one day, but that day could wait a little longer. you just want to bask in his embrace as he leads you through the waltz, feeling as if it were just you two dancing among the stars shining from celestia.

[nehswritesstuffs]

fly little seagull, the world awaits - Part 2 of 4

So, like, I wrote an ending for this, right? The very next day I read ch.1079. Now there’s... complications. Let’s see how this goes.

Chapter 1 on [tumblr] - [FFN] - [AO3]

With Nauja now a fixture on the ship, Law and the rest of the Hearts adjust to having a child in-tow. [8344 words; AU where Law accidentally lets the adoption cycle continues]

“Captain! Captain! You have a message from the Marines!”

Law scowled as he accepted the letter from his crewmate and opened it, trying to keep Nauja from reading over his shoulder. It was a job from the Government. “Looks like we’re getting put to work.”

“What do they want this time?” Jean Bart glowered. What a way to ruin a day lazing about atop deck. “I am sick of hiding every time we need to report.”

“You’re in luck—it looks like I just have to take care of some business in Gallandria. That’s not too far from this point. Might not even need to get the rest of you involved.” Law raised both eyebrows slightly as he continued reading—intriguing. “Some low-bountied pirates got past Fish-man Island on a fluke and are causing havoc…”

“…but not enough to warrant the Marines to investigate?”

“What would you rather do? Stop rebuilding your headquarters to deal with small pickings, or let your lapdogs take care of the pickings for you?”

“Why do you let them tell you what to do?” Nauja asked curiously. “Bart-ya says we are pirates because we are free! Isn’t free not being told what to do?”

“It is, but it also isn’t,” Law said. He thought for a moment, considering  his words carefully. “Freedoms always come with prices. Pirates don’t do lots of many things that the Marines like, but I’m one of the pirates the Marines ignore as long as I do things for them now and then. Sometimes it involves going after other pirates. It’s not ideal, but it works for the time being.”

“Would all the pirates be free if the Marines disappeared?”

“No—although they try to keep what they call order and justice by fighting pirates, if the Marines were gone, then the Government would be gone, and as much as I hate them, some of them are good people who protect other good people… there’s just not as many of them as there should be. Besides, not all pirates are like us and do things like take care of children.”

“They’re not…?”

“No. Many pirates are murderers and destroy for no reason. We simply have our own goals and don’t want to get involved with civilian matters—the specifics are complicated—and becoming pirates is the price we pay.” He felt bad for the amount of misdirecting about himself he was doing, but knew he’d clarify everything one day. “We’re able to sail the seas, but we do so without our families or a home on dry land. We are ‘free’ because we gave up so many things in return… things that normal people might call freedom, such as social supports and rules to keep them safe.”

“Oh…” Nauja went quiet as she thought. “I don’t get it.”

“That’s alright—you go and make sure your backpack’s ready for a quick getaway, okay?”

“Okay!” Nauja scurried down below deck, which allowed Jean Bart to scoff once she was out of earshot.

“You loathe the Government as much as I do,” he noted curiously. “Why would you tell her anything less?”

“…because I don’t know when I’m going to have to leave her or why or where,” Law said. “She’s young enough to learn to not hate everyone, but old enough to start learning what nuance is. If I can prepare her for that…”

“You needn’t say more,” Jean Bart said, patting his captain on the shoulder. “To see the world through the eyes of a child again… to no longer know the pain… there is so much I would give, and yet…”

“…the knowledge you have is worth more than anyone can fathom.” Both men nodded at one another. “C’mon; let’s make sure she stays out of the boiler room before Ikkaku-ya pops a gasket.”

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

“What’cha doing?”

Law looked over to find Nauja staring up at him as he sat hunched over his desk. His eyes flicked over towards the door—still shut—and wondered how the fuck she got in there without him realizing.

“Reading,” he said plainly.

“…but it’s not one of the textbooks,” she noted. Ah, yes, it was built much differently than his other books, wasn’t it?

“It’s a comic,” he said. “I’ve been reading it since I was your age.”

“Oh! What’s it called?!” she asked, climbing into his lap. “Sora, Warrior of the Sea… sounds cool! What’s it about?”

“A Marine that fights on the side for Justice in the North Blue against the evil army Germa 66, which is led by a family of super-powered villains,” he explained. Stars formed in her eyes and he tried not to laugh—he had yet to meet a small child immune to Sora. “Even though the main character is a Marine, it inspired a lot of kids from the North to become pirates when they grew up.”

“Really…?”

“Yeah. A lot of what Sora does in his fight against Germa 66 is tough for Marines to do, because he just does what he thinks is necessary. Any good person who becomes a Marine has to do a lot more paperwork and appeasing bad coworkers than the story shows. It would be very difficult to fight the real Germa 66 like he does.”

“Wait… the bad guys are real?!”

“Very real.” He gave her a gentle hug with one arm. “The comic book might be fantasy and a way for the Marines to look better, but Germa 66 is a group no one wants to tangle with. They’re assassins for hire; mercenaries; powerful rented soldiers; monsters of science and technology.”

“Whoa… can I read it too?!” Nauja asked. Law plucked another volume from the shelf above his desk and handed it to her.

“This is the first one—I have all the volumes so far.”

“Thanks, Law-san!” She hugged him tightly before sliding off his lap and scurrying out of the room.

“Just ask if you need me to explain anything!” he called out after her. She did not respond, being halfway to her room already. He shook his head and went back to the volume on his desk, wondering when it was she was going to catch up to where he was.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Taking a deep breath, Law steadied himself as he prepared to go through another round of his practice katas. It had been a while since he legitimately trained with just Kikoku, and he could feel it in the way his muscles were on fire. He needed to be sharp with his sword as well as his Devil Fruit, and it was frankly appalling how rusty he’d become. Now, atop the uppermost deck of the Polar Tang, he at least had some peace and quiet as the rest of the crew played on the beach nearby. He took off his soaked shirt and drew Kikoku once again, letting it sing as he went through the motions, alone in his pursuit.

“Law-san! What are you doing?!”

Well, nearly alone.

“I’m going through my katas.” He tried to not look at the girl who was standing just out of reach, feeling her presence with his Haki instead. “It’s been too long since I’ve done them.”

“Why’s that?”

“In case you haven’t noticed, I use a pretty big sword. That takes constant practice to maintain.”

“Can I try?”

Law had to stop mid-set to stare at her.

“Nauja-ya, my sword is taller than you are on your tiptoes and holding your hands up. No.”

“If I’m a pirate, I’m gonna need to know how to fight! Your sword is super-cool! Can’t I learn how to use something like that?”

“Any sword demands more height from its wielder than you currently posses,” he scowled. She pouted in response—she did not want to budge. “If you’re that set on it, let me see how you fare with a knife. Go bother Uni—he has some.”

Nauja stomped away in clear irritation. Thinking that was that, Law went back to his katas, only for her to return fifteen minutes later with one of Uni’s sheathed knives in her hands.

“Teach me!” she demanded.

“No.”

“Teach me, please! Uni said we can use his dull knife for practice!”

“I said no.”

“…but you’re good with swords! I want to use a sword when I’m older!” Law tried glaring at her in an attempt to make her back down, only for it to feel like Kikoku was mocking him for her refusal to leave.

He had to hand it to her—she was stubborn. Familiarly stubborn.

“Fine, fine; get over here,” he muttered. Nauja gasped happily and bounced over to his side as he sheathed Kikoku and rested it against the wall. He took the knife and inspected it—too dull for fighting purposes, certainly, but still too sharp—and temporarily blunted the edges by shaving off parts of the blade with his Devil Fruit. It was still heavy when he handed it back to her, but it was still less likely to injure someone.

“When I’m bigger, will a sword feel as heavy as this knife?”

“That would depend on how comparative a full sword would be to your growth rate. If you’re serious about this, we’ll need to work on your strength and endurance. The blade might feel fine now, but in a fight, it can become heavy quickly when you’re tired.”

“I promise I’ll work hard, Law-san!” Nauja beamed. Something swelled in him as he eased her through katas, concentrating on the movements involved in slashing someone’s hamstrings or stabbing up into a groin. Was it pride? Fear? Something else entirely? He wasn’t certain.

Later on, away from the captain’s prying eyes, two of the Heart Pirates gave their youngest member her very first real knife: a dirk with a seagull emblazoned on the sheath. Her eyes lit up and she hugged them excitedly, feeling like she was a real pirate. She showed it to Law-san immediately, which made him both  glad she had a weapon of her own, and furious at exactly the same.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

“Law-san, I have a question.”

“I am a little busy,” he replied. Nauja of course had to come into the infirmary while he was running bloodwork to see what sort of antibodies his crewmates now possessed after half of them came down with a cold that hadn’t responded to the usual medication. He and Clione were going through all the samples one by one, taking as detailed of notes as possible.

“…but, you said I can always ask you a question,” she reminded him.

“She’s got a point, Cap,” Clione said idly. Law grunted sourly and looked at Nauja, who was holding a Sora compilation book.

“Yes, you can borrow it,” he said in an attempt to anticipate her question.

“Oh, I know that,” she replied. “I just wanted to know who those people were.”

Law’s stomach dropped. “Which people?”

“The ones in the photos by your desk. I saw them when I was getting this.” She held up the book as evidence. “You’re in some of them, so I figure you know.”

“I’ll, uh, be back,” Law muttered. Clione waved him off nonchalantly—the kid did ultimately come first. He went back to his room with the girl and watched as she climbed into the desk chair and pointed at the worn photos held to the wall by magnets.

“Who are these people?” Nauja wondered. “I’ve never seen them before!”

Fuck… of course.

“Do you remember when I explained that you were staying with us?” He watched as she nodded in affirmation. “This is my sister Lami.”

“Oh…” she realized quietly. “Does that mean this is your mom and dad?”

“Yeah. Maybe your Oma and Opa, in another life. They were both well-known, amazing, talented doctors. They are what steered me towards medicine to begin with.”

“Does that mean then that this is… uh…?” She pointed at the blond in another photo, trying to reach for the name.

“Cora-jiisan,” he confirmed. “I know they all would have loved you, if they got the chance.”

“How did they die?”

“Poison. The World Government poisoned them.” He watched her nose scrunch in confusion as she tried to process why a little family would be treated that way. “There was a mineral that was mined in our hometown that the Government knew was dangerous when disturbed, but ignored the danger because it made them a lot of money. No one where I grew up knew about the poison until the whole country became sick at once after generations of exposure. Whoever didn’t die of the poisoning like Lami did, were killed by soldiers sent in by the Government to stop the spread of what they said was an infectious disease. That’s how my parents died.”

“Why did they kill everyone?”

“To cover up the source of why everyone was sick.” He pointed to a photo of him and Cora-san. “See those white patches on my skin there? That was one of the symptoms. He passed it off as a harmless skin condition while we were going from hospital to hospital.”

“So, you found a cure?”

“I ate my Devil Fruit,” Law took off his lab coat and laid it on the bed so that he could roll his sleeve up to his elbow. “Do you see something here on my skin? Hiding in my tattoo?” She hesitated before putting her fingers on his forearm, right over an old scar. “That’s one of the places my Devil Fruit couldn’t fix, so I had to cut it out. There are bits like that all over my body and most of them are covered by my tattoos. If the wrong people found out that’s what my scars were from, it would mean the whole crew would be in danger.”

“That’s… scary.”

“It is, but it is also the truth.” She clutched the Sora complication to her chest, biting her lower lip in thought. “Does it make you feel sad? Uncomfortable? Angry?”

“…yeah…”

“That’s good, because I guess you also feel like you never want something like that to happen again. Am I right?”

She nodded.

“That’s how you’re supposed to feel,” he explained. “Penguin, Shachi, and Bepo know about it in detail, but no one else. I mean, the rest of the crew have an idea, know bits and pieces, but they don’t know the full extent of what happened.”

“So, I can’t talk about it to the crew?”

“I’d prefer you not. The more people talk about it, the more likely it is I’ll get targeted by people who will want to finish the job. We think that part of my former bounty is purely because I survived.”

“That’s… wrong.”

“It is, but that doesn’t change the fact it happened.”

“Can you… tell me about them? About your home?”

“…I can. Knowing about them is dangerous, though. Are you sure?”

“They’d be my family if they were here. It would be home if it still existed. I should know, shouldn’t I?”

“Then yes, you should.” Law sniffled slightly as he nodded, trying to recall some of the better stories to tell her. “How about the time my sister stole all my Sora comics and used them as coloring books?”

“What?! No way!”

While it didn’t surprise him in the slightest, Clione had to finish the bloodwork by himself. He brought the results to Law, who was still in his cabin, Nauja curled up on his bed napping while he stared at old photographs procured from an old boot-box. He took it, croaked out a thanks, and kept shuffling through the memories in a way his crewmate had never really seen before.

Maybe, just maybe, this was how it was meant to be.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

“Alright everyone, new calendar!” Penguin shouted over the din of the mess hall. He held up a spiral-bound booklet and a pen high enough for everyone to see. “New calendar—write your shit on it before this one gets tossed in the furnace too!”

“It was a fucking accident!” groaned the guilty party, sinking in his seat. Some chuckles came from his crewmates and they all began to pass around the booklet.

“What do we write on it?” Nauja asked as the calendar inched down the table towards her. Ikkaku raised an eyebrow.

“Anything we want,” she replied. “Most of us write down our birthday and the day we joined up. Sometimes any holidays we think are important. Most of the time it gets transferred one year to the next by someone else, but an accident happened to the old one.”

“Oh…” The little girl watched as the mechanic was passed the calendar. “Can I write on it?”

“I don’t see why not.” Ikkaku finished marking her birthday and join date and flipped to a specific month, pointing out a day. “We got you then.”

“Thanks!” Nauja then went and carefully wrote her name in prim, careful block letters. “Nauja, joined!” She then found a different month, putting down her name and a heart in one of the squares. “That’s my birthday!”

“Is that so?” Ikkaku nodded. She took note of the day and noticed how close it was. “Does the captain know?”

“He asked me my birthday when I first got here, so he should.” Nauja then passed the calendar to Uni, who proceeded to take care of his business. “Why?”

“Just wondering,” Ikkaku shrugged. She watched as the little girl across the table from her nonchalantly went back to her lunch. Something told her that it was something she was going to need to bring up to the only adult not currently in the room, the sooner the better.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

“I don’t understand how that’s my problem and not the committee’s. Why even have a ‘birthday committee’ if you’re not going to let it do its job?”

Ikkaku scowled sourly, folding her arms over her chest as her captain attempted to ignore her presence. Seas, he was so fucking dense sometimes that it made her want to scream as she knocked the fucking test tubes all over the infirmary floor.

“Her birthday’s coming up and we almost missed it,” she reiterated. “She is very attached to you and I think that, at least this first time, it would mean the world if you were the one to throw her first birthday party on the Tang.”

“That would be favoritism,” he claimed.

“She’s going to be seven—I think the rest of the adults on the ship can deal.”

“Which ones?”

Why did he insist on being so fucking difficult?

“Listen, Cap: the kid you’re letting stay on the ship has her birthday soon and she’s going to want to celebrate it. I know you’re a fucking spoilsport who hasn’t celebrated his birthday since you were her age or something stupid like that, but if you ruin this for her then you are going to be in a world of trouble.”

“What’s the worst you can do?” he wondered idly. “I’m too scary to mutiny against, so… leave the crew…? Not that strong a threat.”

“You forget, o-insular-one, that I know what blackmail is.”

Law finally glanced over from his microscope, more of a glare than anything else. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“1519, Zeferia Harvest Festival; how many tankards of beer did you have again? Twelve?”

“Eleven.”

“Same difference.” She grinned devilishly. “No matter how you shake it, you were extremely drunk and so were those twins. I was not drunk, but I was in possession of a Photo Den Den.”

“I hate you.”

“Mmhmm… no you don’t. Someone’s got to keep you in line, and it sure as fuck isn’t any of the other idiots.”

Groaning in frustration, Law stomped over to where he kept the crew’s medical records and pulled out Nauja’s, immediately finding her birthday. Fuck, it was soon, wasn’t it? He showed it to Ikkaku and she nodded in confirmation.

If ghosts were real, he needed to consult with Lami’s, and quickly.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

“Oh, what a lovely little girl! What are you doing out without your mommy and daddy?”

Nauja looked up at the middle-aged lady and crinkled her nose. The crew had stopped on an island and were now wandering around the market in an effort to stretch their legs and take in some of the local color while stocking up on supplies. Nauja was no different, as she had gotten her own spending money from Law-san like everyone else and was told to get herself supplies. She was outside a stationary store and looking at the many pens on display when the woman approached her.

“I’m with them,” she said plainly, pointing across the street. There were a few other Heart Pirates, trying to haggle over the prices of some produce. The woman raised her eyebrow; the Hearts were still in their boilersuits, while the little girl had on a t-shirt and shorts.

“Those are pirates, dear. I want to know where your parents are.”

“Close enough,” Nauja replied casually. “My mom and dad were mean and ditched me, so now I’m with them. It’s an upgrade.”

“Is it now…?” the woman grimaced. She then noticed the knife at the girl’s side. “Did they give you that?”

“Not them across the street,” Nauja said, getting irritated. “Penguin-ya and Shachi-ya gave me this. They’re not here.”

“…and why aren’t they with you?”

“They’re going that way, to see if they can do some sex.” Nauja pointed towards the less savory of the taverns, where there were already individuals for hourly hire milling about outside. The woman stared, completely aghast at the words coming from the child’s mouth.

“They told you that?! It’s very inappropriate for a girl your age to know!”

“They didn’t tell me that—Ikka-ya told me that. She’s finding some sex too.”

“Why’s she doing that instead of taking care of this kid?” the woman mused aloud. “How irresponsible!”

“Law-san’s responsible for me—he’s the captain. It kinda means he’s responsible for all of us, but mostly me because I’m still little.”

“Then I think I might want to speak with this captain, so I can tell him you should be in a better environment,” the woman scowled. “Now where is this idiot who thinks a bunch of filthy pirates can raise a little girl when they’re clearly more interested in whores than her wellbeing?”

“Behind you.”

A chill went down the woman’s spine and Nauja brightened at Law inserting himself into the conversation. The woman turned around to see Law towering over her, his glare intense and harsh.

“I… uh… I mean…”

“Nauja-ya, I have some books I think will be able to help your reading and maths, as well as some simpler volumes on chemistry and biology than what I have in the ship,” he said, gesturing to the bag in his hand. “Clione-ya also is looking for you; there’s some fabric at the shop that he is considering using for a boilersuit for you, but he wants your opinion first.”

“He knows as long as it’s not flowers or pink or red!” she scowled. A grin then crept across her face, terrifying the woman. “Law-san? Why is it inappropriate that I know some of the crew are finding people to have sex with?”

“It’s only inappropriate if we’re keeping you from understanding what that is,” he explained. “Lots of kids don’t learn about it until much later, but since you are studying medicine and live on a pirate ship with almost two dozen sexually-frustrated adults, it’s necessary that you know.”

“So I don’t interrupt private time?”

“Exactly.” He then looked at the woman, who was nearly frozen in shock. “You have a problem with how we’re raising her, take it up with the Government. I’m sure they’ll step in. Send a social worker. Tell me how I’m a bad, terrible parent when I’m the reason she’s cared for to begin with. Go on. Do it.”

Sufficiently cowed, the woman left the pavement in front of the stationary store and escaped from the wrath of the pirate captain and his ward. The little girl giggled and looked up at her adult, whose stoic expression quieted her quickly.

“Not a word of this to the rest of the crew, you hear?” he mentioned. “Last thing we need is them getting bent out of shape because of some nosy old auntie who doesn’t mean anything.”

“That’s fair,” she nodded. She then turned back to the pens and frowned. “Is it okay that I stay with you? That no one on the crew is my mom or my dad?”

“I think you have something a little better than that,” Law assured. “Now let’s finish here so we can get back to Clione. You know how grumpy he gets.”

“He does,” she smirked, voice lightening considerably. She then had him help her pick some pens and a couple notebooks inside, because yes… she did have something better, didn’t she?

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Laying on her stomach while she read, Nauja kicked her feet idly as she went through the medical textbook that Law-san had left her with. He had left for a Warlord summons a week beforehand and had assigned her homework. Well, everything she did for studying was technically homework, but at the same time, it was something to keep her occupied while he was gone. She would thus take her work all around the Polar Tang and study in the varying rooms alongside the other Heart Pirates.

“What do you think is for dinner tonight?” she wondered aloud. She was in the bunkroom, humming happily on Jean Bart’s bunk while the large man in question sat on the floor knitting.

“Something good, I imagine,” Jean Bart replied. He kept his eyes on the yarn and needles in his hands, the metal clacking nearly echoing in the otherwise-empty bunkroom. “Something else is on your mind, isn’t it?”

“No…”

“Are you sure?”

Nauja hesitated, looking over at Jean Bart before frowning. “I guess I miss Law-san.”

“Do you now?”

“Yeah. He’d be able to tell me more about what’s in the book I’m reading.” She folded her arms and let her forehead sink down to them, her voice muffled. “I kind of also wanted him here for my birthday.”

“You know he can’t control when he is summoned.”

“I know… but still!” She lifted her head again in a pout. “I don’t know if he even knows when it is. He didn’t mention anything about it.”

“He reads the calendar just like everyone else.”

“…but the Government doesn’t.”

Jean Bart nodded at that. “Not our calendar, at the least.” He then held up his project for the girl to see. “What do you think?”

“Oooh, it’s cute,” she replied. He then began to go through the motions to secure the yarn and finish it off. “Why do you do that?”

“Knit? It’s calming. I learned how to do it before I came to travel on the Tang. It reminds me of my first crew.”

“It looks more boring to me.”

“That’s why I’m not making you do it,” he chuckled. He finished tying off the end and handed the hat to Nauja, who immediately jammed it on her head. “Think that will keep you warm on the next winter island?”

“Yes, thank you!” She gave him a hug and went back to her studying, keeping him company as he started on another project, this one a crocheted blanket. They stayed like that for a while before Uni popped his head in nearly an hour later.

“Hey, dinner!” He watched as Nauja rolled off the bunk and Jean Bart put his cushion and crocheting away. “Ah, finished with another project?”

“Now I get a hat!” Nauja grinned. She allowed Uni to carry her on his shoulders as they went to the mess hall, where Penguin was already serving dinner to the rest of the crew. “Oh! Onigiri!”

“That’s right, kiddo,” Penguin chuckled. Uni put Nauja down and she bounced over to the other man’s side. “Got some special umeboshi-filled ones for you right here.”

“You’re the best, Penguin-ya!” She hugged his legs before grabbing her plate and a juicebox. “This is the best birthday dinner! Thank you so much!”

“Alright, alright; way to boost a guy’s ego,” Penguin laughed. “Now go sit down and eat before it gets cold.”

Nauja happily brought her dinner to her special spot—the one with old manuals for her to sit on—and sat down. Everyone was so happy as they ate that it almost didn’t feel as though the captain was missing. She wanted Law-san to be there, but she knew that sometimes adults had to do stuff like not be around for things. It sucked, but at the same time, she knew that when it came to Law-san, it was something he did not enjoy.

What was enjoyable, however, was when everyone was done with their food, Bepo brought out a cake! It had seven candles, which took her a few puffs to extinguish. The crew cheered and they began the party proper—it was her birthday, after all!

After only a few bites of cake, however, the entire room went silent. Nauja saw that the crew was all staring at the entrance to the mess hall and her eyes followed their gaze, only for her to gasp.

Law-san.

He looked like he had recently been in a fight, and that he probably should have been in the infirmary first, but he instead was there, standing in the doorway, his bag still slung over his shoulder and looking at her with a relieved sense of fondness. The girl slid from her seat and ran up to him; just enough time for him to go down on a knee and open his arms before she tackled him in a hug.

“Happy birthday, Nauja-ya,” he whispered in her ear. She hugged him tighter, her small arms around his neck. “I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”

“This is the best birthday present,” she squeaked.

At that, the crew cheered once again and they cut another slice of cake for their captain, who was back an entire week earlier than expected from Shichibukai Shit. Now the party could truly begin, much to everyone’s delight. Presents started after the cake, as did the passing around of alcohol, and singing and dancing and other things to distract the rest of the crew from the child’s delight as she opened the packages passed to her.

A new blanket. A child-sized Sora mug. Books. Paper and pens. A sword-care kit. A new backpack.

Except, nothing really compared to the fact she had Law-san sitting next to her, eating his not-umeboshi-filled onigiri as he watched her open presents. He even slipped a hand into his bag and pulled out a small stack of unwrapped books, passing them to her unnoticed in the din of the party.

Books on Flevance, the language, a dictionary, a photobook… all things he would have had to hunt for in order to acquire.

It really was the best birthday ever.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

It was the middle of the night and Law was wide awake in his room, reading the latest medical journal he picked up while in port. Most of the articles were standard enough, but he did find a couple statements and findings that piqued his interest beyond what the articles could provide. He was taking notes on them when he heard a soft thudding noise against his door. Reaching out with his Haki, he could sense that Nauja was there…

…and she was scared…?

Cautiously, Law opened the door to see a pajama-clad Nauja standing there, tears and snot streaming down her face and Professor Nanuk’s arm clutched tightly in one hand.

“What’s this?” he asked. Soon as the girl noticed that the door was open, she stumbled her way into the room and crashed into Law’s long legs. She was mumbling incoherently and her whole body shook as she sucked in shaky breaths. Sighing, Law picked her up and closed the door, making it so that they had some privacy as he held her close. “Come on, Nauja-ya; tell me what’s wrong.”

She trembled in his arms and whimpered, curling into a ball around Professor Nanuk.

“Alright then,” he decided, “I’m going to go back to my studying and you’re going to stay with me. Talk when you’re ready.” She nodded into his chest and he sat down, keeping one arm securely around her as she stayed in his lap. The child slowly uncurled and one hand went to clutch his shirt in spite of her trembling fingers.

“Can… can you do the thing…?” she croaked, tapping on her face with Professor Nanuk’s paw. Law put down his pen and activated a Room.

“Hold still,” he said. Seconds later and all her snot was in the wastebasket, the girl finally able to breathe properly again. “Better?”

“Yeah…” She clung closer to him, her voice quiet. “I had a bad dream.”

“What sort of bad dream?”

“I was… I was running, and there was fighting and fire all around me. Scary people were everywhere. People were dying.”

“Is that something you read in a book?” he asked, trying to think of all the Sora storylines over the years. “You know those are pretend, right?”

“It wasn’t from a book—it looked real,” Nauja insisted. “I don’t know where I was or who was fighting, but that’s what my dream was. Why did I dream that?”

Possibly some form of Haki, Law thought, but he wasn’t going to tell her that. “The brain is a very curious thing. We don’t know why it does a lot of the things it does, like give us strange dreams or make us think in certain ways. Maybe the how, the mechanics of it, but not the why. I think maybe you just had a dream to make us ask why… if that makes sense.”

“I guess,” she muttered. They were silent for a moment, with him stroking her hair as he allowed her to burrow in as close as she could. “Uh… Law-san…?”

“Nauja-ya…?”

“Can I… uh…?”

“Of course you can,” he replied. He kissed the top of her head and she squeaked happily. “Now go wash your face and drink a little bit of water, okay? That will make you feel much better.”

Nodding, Nauja left Professor Nanuk in Law’s lap while she went into his bathroom to wash and drink some water. While she did that, he saved his place in the journal and placed the stuffed toy on his pillow. He waited until she scurried over to his bed and crawled in before he turned off the lights and joined her. Once he was sure the blankets were in place, Law tucked her head beneath his chin and put an arm around her in an effort to make her feel safe.

“Thank you, Law-san.”

“Get some sleep, Nauja-ya; we’re going to make landfall tomorrow.”

Within moments the girl was asleep, leaving her adult to lay there in the dark, brow furrowed as he glared at the metal wall across from him. If that was Observation Haki, then it was extremely advanced. She was only seven years old; to sense a nearby war, to see images of said place, even look slightly into the future… it was all highly advanced stuff even for adults… again, if that was it and not some bizarre dream.

He felt the small hand tighten around his shirt and he exhaled heavily; just another thing to worry over, he supposed.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Nauja’s hair was getting long.

It had been over a year since it had last been cut and it was getting to be long enough to braid. The girl looked at herself in the washroom mirror and frowned—she wasn’t sure if she liked it now that it was longer again. She finished brushing her hair and placed it in pigtails before bringing her bathroom stuff back to her room. After grabbing a book, she went into the galley and saw Law, Penguin, Shachi, and Bepo sitting around, talking quietly to each other over some coffee.

“Well, well, don’t you look cute today, Nauja-chan,” Shachi teased. “You get any cuter and we’re going to have to watch out.”

“I don’t like it,” she huffed. She saw that Law was staring at her and she knew why. “Can you fix it?”

“It’s hair that you take care of,” Penguin said. “There’s nothing to fix.” He was then cut off from saying more by the scrape of Law’s chair against the floor. “Captain…?”

Wordlessly, Law walked out of the mess hall and made his way down to the infirmary, with Nauja trailing not far behind. He found a high stool and sat her on it before securing a cloth around her neck to  shield her lavender coveralls from stray hair.

“I liked how it looked before,” she claimed as he searched through the cupboards.

“Before it was uneven and patchy because Ikkaku-ya couldn’t get an even cut.”

“Then like it but better.” She pouted as the box of barber supplies was shoved in her hands despite the sheet that was in the way. “I look too much like her.”

“Like who?”

“You know. In the photo.”

Law nodded at the confirmation, gently taking the ties out of her hair. He then started combing it, making sure the tangles we all out properly, before taking the spray bottle from the box and spritzed her hair until it was damp. He then ran the comb through it again and repeated the process.

“You’re not her, you know,” he reminded her. “It wouldn’t matter if you had the same hair.”

“I know… I just liked it better before when it was short because it was easier.”

“It is easier, but you can also do less with it. There’s more than one of us that can put in braids, or make it fancy.”

“Nuh-uh,” Nauja said, shaking her head. “I don’t like it long or fancy.”

“As you wish.” He replaced the spray bottle and took the scissors from the box, snipping off her hair with the even, steady precision he used when giving the rest of the crew a trim. By the time he was done, it definitely looked like much nicer of a cut than it had been the first go-around. He handed her the mirror and let her look. “Better?”

“Yeah!” She kicked her feet happily as she was divested of the supply box and sheet. “Now I look like myself again! Thank you!”

“Now back to your studies—go on.” Law shooed her out of the infirmary and began to clean up, making a mental note to hunt her down the next time everyone was getting a trim on the top deck.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Granted, they never should have disembarked the Tang to begin with. Those on the crew with Observational Haki could feel the chaotic, murderous intent pouring from the island. Even Nauja could tell, which should have been the biggest warning sign of all, yet they went ashore anyhow because they were in need serious of supplies and didn’t know if they could last until the next port.

Should they have expected an ambush? Yeah, they really should’ve.

“I could really do without the fucking welcome committee on every other fucking island,” Law grunted. He was wrapped up in causing a distraction in one part of town while the rest of the crew concentrated on getting supplies in the other. It looked as though the main belligerent (someone who could manipulate metal as though it was clay or water, which was both annoying and unnerving) was nearly completely out of commission, which was good considering the Heart Captain was running very low on patience.

“Could be worse,” Penguin shrugged. “We could be fighting at sea.”

“True.” Law watched as the Devil Fruit user’s friends tried to piece her back together and others were in some version of retreat. “The fact I’m a Shichibukai means nothing to them.”

“If anything, it means that they want to take down one of the Government’s dogs,” Penguin reminded him. He tried to flick the blood off the tip of his spear; it didn’t work. “The comics make this seem easy.”

“If only,” Law scowled. A sense of dread then tugged at the edge of his consciousness, alerting him to… he wasn’t certain. “Something’s wrong.”

“Well, yeah, something’s wrong,” Penguin scoffed. “We don’t exactly get a lot of receptions like this…” The transponder snail in his boilersuit pocket began to chirp at him. “It better be fucking good…”

“She’s gone!” Shachi panted via the snail. “The group that took Nauja into town in plainclothes was surprise-attacked! The undercover tourists plan didn’t work!”

“Shit!” Penguin hissed. He turned to tell their captain of the development, only to find that the other man was already gone. “Oh, fuck, Papa Law’s been activated. Evac to the Tang. Now!”

“Wha… oh. Copy that.”

The Heart Pirates all began to retreat towards the Polar Tang, trusting that the situation was going to be under control in a matter of moments. They didn’t have to chase after Nauja to know that their captain was going to descend upon her captors with all the bloodlust and fury that he was technically saving for one specific man. His amber eyes would glint in rage and he would bleed the kidnappers until they were barely alive, anger nearly uncontrolled as he held Nauja in one arm while he vivisected with the other. There was nothing that they wouldn’t give to stay away from the captain in that mode.

By the time the crew had nearly finished loading up the supplies, Law and Nauja popped onto the wharf, the latter hiding her face in the former’s shoulder in the safety of soft feathers. The amount of blood and viscera on them both not only confirmed their suspicions, but posed plenty of questions as well. Nauja was trembling, Law was two shades from complete madness, and a chill swept through the crew as their captain spoke three simple words:

“Burn it. Now.”

Oh… oh shit.

“With pleasure, Captain,” Jean Bart replied gravely. He took some of the crew with him back into port, while the rest continued to load supplies and avoid their captain.

By the time the Polar Tang left the dock, the entire town was engulfed in flames and screams of terror; fitting for a visit from the Surgeon of Death.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Law couldn’t remember the last time he saw Bepo so happy.

None of them could, actually, and it was all while they were stuck in a port with a particularly finicky Pose reset. It was taking much longer than the usual New World Half Day, and that meant they had more time to wander the town, which led to…

“Guys! I want you to meet my cousin! This is Fred!”

Fred, as it turned out, was a giraffe. An incredibly stocky and built giraffe. That fact turned into an impromptu lesson in their corner of a dingy bar about Mink biology and how it both mimicked and was different from Fish-men and Humans. Fred was also a woman, as evident by the feminine voice and pronouns Bepo kept using.

Most members of the Heart Pirates were just glad to have Bepo so excited.

Ikkaku felt slightly betrayed having not known about this cousin beforehand.

Penguin and Shachi decided that if they met a Human like Fred, then they were definitely getting stepped on.

Nauja kept staring at the Mink with stars in her eyes, completely enamored by the concept of crewmates’ family.

Law, on the other hand, was making a valiant effort to be pragmatic about the entire ordeal.

“So you really never passed by other Minks while on the seas?” Fred wondered. She took a sip of her drink and raised an eyebrow at her cousin. “I would think that they’d be everywhere, given how many come and go.”

“It’s usually not understood what a willing migrant has truly lost until their children’s children start asking questions, not unless they ask the questions themselves,” Law stated gravely. “They don’t know garachu and live in fear of Sulong for the wrong reasons. Trust me when I say we’ve been trying to get your cousin back home for over a decade now.”

“I believe it,” she nodded. “Our people generally do not cling to Lesser Minks that are working against our best interests. Even a rocky start can lead to a true friendship.”

Law tried not to laugh as he felt embarrassment radiate off Penguin and Shachi—they all knew that any amount of inquiring and they were caught. “This leads to a very interesting question, Fred-ya: are you also a migrant, or just a traveler?”

“If this is you asking if I intend to return to Zou, then by all means.” She took a piece of paper from her inner jacket pocket and ripped off a piece, handing it to Bepo. “This is Gran’s Vivre Card. Her hip is not doing well, so she guarantees that she won’t be leaving anytime soon, not without warning.”

“What about Mom and Dad?”

“Uncle Yepo and Aunt Alana are doing fine—they’ll be overjoyed to hear from you.” Fred stared at her cousin, unable to keep her eyes off him, as though she wasn’t entirely sure she was dreaming or not. “We had funerals for you.”

“Minks have a second mourning period?” Clione wondered. Fred shook her head.

“His elder brother, Zepo, was amongst a Mink exploration crew that was branded pirate by the Government and slowly vanished,” she replied solemnly. “Few came back; he was not one of them.”

A few moments of awkward silence settled over the group before Law cleared his throat. “I think it’s time for Nauja-ya to get ready for bed. Can I trust you all to take care of it for me?”

Everyone took the hint and left Law and Bepo with Fred. Even Nauja herself knew that they needed privacy, stopping only long enough to give the polar bear a tight hug and a kiss to the cheek. Law waited until the rest of the crew was out of the bar before placing a hand on Bepo’s shoulder, letting him know it was okay to cry.

Bepo sobbed.

While there had always been the chance that Zepo had already died, there had still been the concept of hope attached to it. After all he had been through, after all that happened, he couldn’t even achieve his original goal. He cried and cried until he could no longer shed tears, instead squeaking out a request for some strong alcohol.

“Not until we get some water in you first,” Law stated. He got a large tankard of water for his navigator and set it down in front of him. “Now drink all of it. Slowly.”

Bepo nodded silently and began to nurse down the water, sniffles still overpowering his ability to do anything. Fred rubbed his back, assuring him that everything was fine.

“Fred-ya, I have a question for you.”

“Is now really the time?” she asked, gesturing at her cousin. “The bear is having a crisis.”

“This is the only time, because I doubt I’m going to get another shot of just the three of us again,” he replied. “What is your people’s policy on visitors?”

“We love visitors,” Fred said. “The reason we are taken as isolationist is due to the fact our home is difficult to access, but that doesn’t mean we turn away peaceful travelers who happen upon us. You and your crew are more than welcome, especially after you’ve taken such good care of one of our own. A warm reception waits you in Zou, Trafalgar Law.”

“Not me, but the rest of the crew,” Law said. “I have a plan that needs to be put into motion soon, but I need to get certain parties in safer surroundings.”

“We shall foster the cub for you, without a doubt.”

“I need all of them to be safe.” He scratched behind Bepo’s ears, which made the Mink whine. “There is something I need to do alone, but if I fail, I don’t want my crew to suffer retaliation.”

“How soon?”

“Soon—there’s a planned public event I’m basing this operation on, and I’d like to have them hidden before then.”

“I have some things to deliver and it shall take about two weeks’ time,” Fred said. “You can have them go ahead. With Bepo within their number, they shall not be turned away.”

“Don’t tell me you’re really thinking of doing it alone, Captain!” Bepo pouted. “You know we support you on this! We can help!”

“You’re the best fighter amongst them,” Law reminded him, “and I am not deliberately putting anyone in more danger than I think necessary. You all can handle a lot, but that doesn’t mean Doflamingo is anything but an easy warmup. It’s him I don’t trust.”

“You wish to face off against the Royal Shichibukai Donquixote Doflamingo? As a fellow Warlord, isn’t he your ally?”

“That man is no one’s ally but his own,” Law scowled. “You are certain that Zou is safe?”

“You need a Vivre Card of someone on Zunesha’s back in order to access Zou and the Momoko Dukedom; no one gives those without reason.” Fred regarded Law with a sort of stoicism that he didn’t think was possible in one of Bepo’s relatives. “Your cub and crew will be protected beyond a doubt.”

“It’s a kid, not a cub,” Bepo sniffled, the congestion starting to get to him. “Lesser Minks are really weird and picky about it.”

“Noted,” Fred acknowledged. She saw the look of resolve in her cousin’s captain’s eyes and felt a chill go down her neck and back.

This was a man who did not expect to live very long and was going to make his time left count.

[au-mashup-party]

Hmm...I wonder who it could be...👀🤔

[seaoftales]

@aamaranthiine sent: a unicorn materializes from the cool midday shadows and comes to rest her head in little shanks' lap for a nap. (<3)

The sun shone brightly as midday rolled around, the red haired boy with the straw hat hiding from it in the shadows of the trees on a beach close to the little town the ship he served on made port in. With all his chores on board done, Shanks could do whatever he pleased as long as he didn't get in trouble --- as if that was not going to happen sooner or later, with what a rambunctious scamp he was --- so he opted to laze around and enjoy whatever free time he had.

Hat pushed on his eyes to shield him from the bright rays and hands resting under his head as he was lazying about, it all indicated towards a nice day until he'd get too antsy and would crave some mischief later as a child would.

Eventually, there was pressure in his lap, causing him to raise the hat and look who could possibly disturb him in an otherwise chill area, only to freeze where he lay, eyes wide and mouth agape. There was a unicorn laying next to him, head in his lap like he was some sort of pillow.

❝ Whoa... ❞ Shanks whispered, small hand reaching out to gently stroke her mane, almost too afraid to wake her up and spook her. He ought to be dreaming, how else to explain it?

[anelusiverush]

"𝓜𝓸𝓻𝓮 𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓻𝓼 𝓲𝓷 𝓶𝔂 𝓮𝔂𝓮𝓼 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝓲𝓼 𝓲𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓴𝔂, 𝓫𝓪𝓫𝓮."

Time – the only thing that never waited for anyone, we all craved those extra 5 minutes in bed, but they always cost us. Christmas had been sweet, aside the waking up several times in the night to pee, we woke wrapped up in each other, well as much as Little M let us, and I sat in Santa’s lap and showed him exactly what I wanted for Christmas, multiple times. Gifts were exchanged, food was consumed and we lazed the day away, Boxing day passed with a walk down the beach with Loki, he loved the back garden but just like his owners he favoured being close to the beach. We took each day at our own pace, after all being 8 months pregnant had me waddling like a little penguin. Eventually we visited my parents graveside, the whole time I was walking wrapped into Gabe’s side I was having flashbacks from that rainy day, so many people from the local community had shown up, although I was full of grief and anger at the time, time had proven how loved they were, and not just by me. It was time for my two worlds to combine, one steeped in memories, love, and pain. The other my complete universe, a love unbound by Earthly measures. It was in this moment I was grateful they passed away together, because if they loved like I love Gabe, well I wouldn’t want to spend a single moment of life without him. After an awkward introduction I just felt at a loss, my parents would never get the chance to meet my soulmate or my baby, the pain was still there a quiet hum in the background to my life, one they were cheated out of being in. I knew they would be happy for me, I may have made mistakes in the past, but Gabe was definitely not one of them. After being shipped off for a girls day with Aoibhe, Gabe had surprised me with converting my old bedroom into Lil M’s nursery, although we weren’t staying here long term, we still needed one for the duration. Gabe’s mom Ana had suggested returning to them after Lil M’s arrival, but I knew at first I just wanted time alone with my husband and our new baby. The last check up had gone well, Lil M was on target and head down and engaged, which came as no surprise to me after that agonising pain I felt the other day, honestly for I brief moment I considered whether that was labour starting, but it ended just as quick as it came on. We discussed my plans for a home birth something I wanted more than Gabe; my poor husband was worried about our safety during labour. I understood, in truth I was terrified of giving birth, after all a whole baby was going to come out nether regions! That said, I truly did not want to go back to the same hospital I lost my parents in, the midwife assured us an ambulance would be on standby as soon as I went into labour, and if there was any complications we would move to the hospital. All that was left was to prep the room for our babies arrival, Gabe obviously was in charge of all the heavy lifting and…. Pretty much all the work if I’m honest. I couldn’t ask for a better husband and father to be, if at all possible I was more in love with him than ever, knowing soon we would be bonded for life not just in love, but our child. I filled the room with snacks, blankets, towels, and placing the all-important photo of my parents at the bedside so they would be there for the arrival of their grandchild. It was then I began to notice how these so-called Braxton Hicks were lasting longer and stronger, was this it? Will Lil M be arriving soon?

[nova2cosmos]

first meeting of Nopal and Blithe

they quickly got along, they became the best cousin in the world

Micro and Nopal By @microtaleoffcial

Inversotale and Blithe by me

[random-yandere-fandom]

Genshin self aware au with a more reserved reader

Zhongli lives for you. He exists and breathes and fights and works, all for you. The archon is also possessive. He won`t actively show it, after all who is he to hoard you to himself? But when you yourself prefer to live secluded, only mingling with others once in a while when you feel like it and rather spend time in the teapot or in quiet places? He won`t deny how proud he feels to know that he is the one actively basking in your presence the most as your most loyal worshipper, the one to handle all your affairs and take care of everything and anything. Even when you decide you wish to be alone he simply will attend other duties, even when praise, whether vocal or physical, is scarce but so much more precious, he will be there for you, knowing that at the end of the day he can send others away with your permission. Knowing the he is the one keeping you safe and happy and healthy and with him. 

Venti has long since decided that whatever happens, happens. He can do and say what he wants but in the end all that matters is you. The anemo archon knows that your word is law and has devoted himself to you the moment he realised your existence, his freedom existing within your will. So when you wish for time alone and wish to keep your distance he has no choice but to listen and obey, no matter how much he wants to cling to your side every second of the day. The ache in his heart however will disappear in an instant when you smile at him for the first time, words of praise falling from your lips and your eyes looking at him so gently his knees almost buckle and he has to concentrate so as to not fall over. His mind feels fuzzy but his fingers itch to take out his lyre and create music and sing about this, to tell the whole world of Teyvat how wonderful you are, how beautiful your smile and warm your eyes can be. Hopefully you will praise him for this because Venti is sure that this song will surpass any other with you as the inspiration.

Childe worships you in the way his blade glides down in a graceful and bloody line, how his arrow whizzes through the air and meets it’s target and his polearm feels in his grasp as enemies surround him. He wonders how your eyes would feel upon him when the water pushes his foe back and if you`d like the way he utilises his power when he stands above the carnage. He is a good fighter, a good warrior that loves the thrill of gaining the upper hand and blood spilling the ground beneath him. He strives to improve himself, even more so when he wishes you would look at him longer, speak to him more and wishes that time would slow down when he is with you. Childe spends hours on training and slaughtering hoping for you to acknowledge his efforts, for you to recognise him as someone worthy of protecting you and doing your dirty work. And when you finally tell him that he did a good job he feels breathless, drunk on the euphoria he`ll stumble a bit closer and kneel to your feet, promising to do anything as long as he can continue working in your name, the words sounding almost crazy and his eyes looking up truly deranged. Your compliment has him on a high, no matter if it was said in passing or not, Childe will do anything to gain more of your affection. 

Lisa prides herself with her knowledge, she doesn`t make it known to everyone but she likes how she can get off for things easily, her efficient work method allowing her to laze around and enjoy a cup of tea each afternoon. She doesn`t like to be interrupted while doing so and so she understands when you withdraw yourself, she just wishes that you`d take a bit more of your time to spend with her. However she recognises how important time is, especially yours and instead of asking for a few more minutes she makes sure that when you finally decide to sit down on the opposite side of the table that everything is perfect. The chair is comfy and inviting, the tea warm and palatable and Lisa has personally chosen some books that she highly recommends reading, having memorised your preferred genre, author and writing style. She doesn`t have to ask you not to leave, instead she makes your stay a calm and memorable experience that you will hopefully wish to repeat. Should it take too long she will send you a few invites, teasing you a bit all the while praising the new book that just arrived, anything for you to come by again.

Beidou has travelled far and wide commanding her beloved crew and ship. She knows what dangers are out there and while she is not a fan of relying on any archon and asking for a blessing she can`t help but thank you in her mind after a peculiarly hard storm that nothing went wrong or ask you to wait for her and think of her as she sets sail. Even before you arrived in Teyvat she knew that she wouldn`t get to spend as much time with you as she would like, the ocean calling out to her stronger and stronger the longer she has been on dry land. To her, she doesn`t mind as much when you can`t immediately greet her. All she wants is to at least visit you once every time she returns, to get a chance to gift you whatever she had gotten her hands on this time and tell you of her adventures. Since she isn`t as pushy as others it is most likely that you won`t refuse her request and Beidou knows that, she sees it in your uncomfortable glances when others try to steal your time and your relaxed shoulders when she gets the hint and says her goodbye for the day. She feels warm and energetic, she knows how to interpret your body language and manner of speech and it has clearly gotten herself into your good graces. Sometimes she can`t help but ask you to join her for a few days at last but even a few hours on her ship with you has her weak in the knees and pride swelling in her chest as she shows you around, introducing you to her comrades and simply enjoying your attention. Beidou can and will hold back if it means that you`ll grace her with your smile upon her arrival.

Eula is, even though many say otherwise, a kind person. Those that have truly gotten to know her have realised that long ago and among them is you, or rather, the Traveller accompanied by your presence. Her surprise that the god of this world looked kindly upon her stunned her, almost rendering her speechless had she not gone under strict training to hold her composure as she befriended your vessel. Upon realising that you had finally arrived in Teyvat in a graspable form she spend almost no time to locate you, or rather, the entrance to your teapot to meet you. The one she met was not you however, but Zhongli who denied her entrance. Feeling a bit hurt she argued with him until he finally relented that he would notify you so you yourself could decide whether she was allowed to visit or not. The wait was terrible, doubt and fear creeping into her mind but so did determention that she would try again and again, she couldn`t give up, not with you being so close. Setting foot into your abode was nerve wracking, her nerves practically set on fire as she all but hoped that you would grant her request to serve you as a loyal knight and enamoured worshipper. The geo archon opened the door before her and oh, there you were. You gazed at her with mild interest and admiration, your lips curved up slightly as you greeted her. Eula took long strides, kneeling elegantly and trying to stop her hands from trembling as she immediately pledged herself to you, swearing to protect you with her life and punish whoever dared to harm you in any way. She sensed your surprise and hesitance, seeing you shift your weight from one foot to the other but she didn`t relent. She couldn`t. She knew that she`d work hard to gain your favour and could only hope that you’d acknowledge her and let her be by your side where she belonged.

[crewisms]

💀 — IVA WILLOW // THE LAZY MARINE

— 27 — SHE // HER — WEAPONS SPECIALIST // PIRATE HUNTER

— SHERRY LEMBERT ( EDITTED ) — VOICE — CRIMSON LEFT EYE // PALE RIGHT EYE — BLINDED — PINK HAIR ; WAVY — BANGS COVER BLINDED EYE — 4 ' 8 " // 105 Ibs // PEAR SHAPED BODY — SPORTS A BLACK TURTLENECK DRESS , ENDS MID - THIGH // FUR LINED , OVERSIZED SILVER COAT // BLACK LEATHER BOOTS THAT REACH MID CALF // RED SOCKS THAT END JUST ABOVE HER KNEE

— LAZY // ENJOYS LAZING AROUND AND NAPPING IN THE SUN — FRIENDLY // QUICK TO MAKE NEW FRIENDS BUT PUTS 0 EFFORT IN — DETERMINED // WILL PICK UP SWORDSMITHING TECHNIQUES QUICKLY — TEMPERMENTAL // CAN GET PISSED VERY FAST ON CERTAIN TOPICS ( TO BE ELABORATED ON )

iva was born to a blacksmiths' daughter in BATERILLA, and a marine that had been visiting there with his crew. she had never met her father as he quickly departed before her mother even knew she was pregnant. her mother died during childbirth, leaving iva to her grandfather — WILLOW LLOYD — whom took up raising her himself.

he was no master blacksmith, and was one of three on the island, but he was still skilled and that mastery was quickly passed onto iva as she watched every movement he made, and replicated every technique with precision. she was relatively happy as a child, and learned from her grandfather as she grew up, until he died when she was 20.

upon his death, she was left a relic of her family that her grandfather had only addressed in passing : TENKO NO TAMASHII , a curved blade, resembling a SHINTO TACHI. its' wooden scabbard was decorated with prayer beads, wrapped tightly around it. iva was left with a note, telling her to never unleash this cursed blade, to which their family was tasked in protecting.

with no more things tying her to this quaint little island, she left it aboard a pirate ship she stowed away on. unfortunately, she would be caught only a day into the voyage, and confronted by the captain of this crew — THE OWL PIRATES' MUKUROU. it took only a single threat from him, and a lunge towards her for her to wield that cursed blade of hers.

she isn't really sure what happened next, only that she was awoken in a bed, bandages covering much of her torso and the right side of her face. come to find out, that blade of hers was cursed by the soul of a fox god that was once defeated by an ancestor of hers', and in order for her to wield such a sword, she had to give up something of hers — HER RIGHT EYE. the whole ship was found split in half, all of the crew dead, and she among the wreckage. the only reason she was saved was by a marine ship that witnessed the situation.

iva was questioned heavily by the vice - admiral aboard that ship, and her sword confiscated. with several failed attempts at finding her companion under her belt, she had to relent. she was given the option of being turned in as a pirate or join the marines under the command of that admiral. well ... she had no other place to go, and she didn't want to be taken in!

she joined the marines and her sword was given back to her.

she never really worked hard at her job, proving herself to be a lazy marine, though she was a skilled pirate hunter when she was given a head to find. she easily took the rank of commander, and came to work under one of the worst ( in her opinion ) bosses ever. but she had a place to sleep, and a purpose to live, so she was somewhat content.

[asset35-maya]

Love, Aquatic

Contina perspective of the Sailor’s Song mermaids/sirens AU by @rjhpandapaws

Image source: https://www.peakpx.com/en/hd-wallpaper-desktop-keold

//

Connor knew she was trouble from the very first day they met. A chance encounter while chasing the same Marlin in the depths of the blue lagoon both their families staked a claim to. Their eyes met and Connor was mesmerised… stunned… frozen in awe. Until he realised the large fish had been snatched from right under his nose and the mermaid was gone with a sharp flick of her tail. Nines and Silas had teased him for days after that.

He knew she was trouble from the time she tossed pebbles at him and pretended she hadn’t. Laughing and giggling with her girlfriends as they lazed on the seabed. Chloe, Kara and North had batted their eyelids and blown kisses at him while she made a show of cleaning her fins and preening herself.

He knew she was trouble the day they promised him her hand in marriage as part of a treaty between their royal families. She winked. She actually winked at him over her father’s shoulder during the ceremony. In front of the most highly reputed sirens in their community. Connor was completely absorbed by her little gestures and games. He hardly noticed when Prince Fowler knocked his spear against Empress Amanda’s trident and magical sparks flew over their heads, binding their fates.

Connor knew Tina was a great deal of trouble, and he loved her for it.

His heart simultaneously clenched and raced every morning he woke up with his arms empty. Connor would go looking for her while wrestling with his own emotions. Torn between the promise of adventure and the ache of worry for his betrothed.

Lucy, the high priestess of the lagoon, had foretold that Tina’s fortunes lay at the bottom of the ocean and nowhere further than that. The surface would only bring doom. Her rich and powerful parents believed the prophecy without question and forbade her from wandering too far as a child… not that the little siren heeded any such advice. She was a wandering spirit. A free soul whose song was meant to ring out and carry across the entire ocean.

By the time Tina came into Connor’s life, she was more than familiar with the neighbouring waters and the fishing villages that lay beyond. Connor listened with rapt attention as she showed him her favourite places and favourite ships. She often went exploring, with her friends, and on her own as well.

Empress Amanda warned her son to keep a close watch on his young wife. Any harm to Prince Fowler’s daughter would be a blight on their treaty and peace in the lagoon.

It was no easy task, but Connor usually managed to find and bring her back by sundown. He and his brothers would magically heal any scrapes and bruises on her scales and Amanda would be none the wiser.

All was well for years.

Until a new shipping route commenced in the area, and Nines went missing at regular intervals.

It was a Herculean task to keep Tina from following Nines once the family found out about the grey-haired human who had caught the youngest brother’s attention. Amanda had to expressly forbid Tina from leaving the cave alone. Sparks had literally flown and the siren princess pouted and retreated behind thick curtains of kelp.

Tina was far too curious for her own good.

She loved the surface. The tops of the waves, the sandy banks and pebbled strands. The rocks from where she could watch the ships come and go.

She was fascinated by humans. Drawn in by their bravery, their ability to live and work so far from home. She was captivated by the mastery with which they steered their boats through inclement weather. They were so fragile, so vulnerable. But so strong.

She liked listening to them speak. Their strange tongue… their strange songs. Even though she was a creature that could work miracles with just her voice… to her… humans were magical.

The trouble was, humans were also dangerous.

Some sense seemed to prevail when she realised how vastly different their worlds were… the kind of life-altering commitment needed to get close to one…

Tina watched her husband and his twin perform the complex magic needed to transfigure their brother’s body to fulfil the Sailor’s Promise… to be compatible with a human. She watched as Nines hoisted himself up on the dock and stood on shaky new legs… falling weakly into the embrace of the human man… not to be seen for who knew how long…

That night Tina buried her face in Connor’s chest and clung to him tightly, curling her tail around his, and vowing never to let go. She stayed in the family cave for a very long time after that.

Some years later, when nearly all had been forgotten, Nines returned with his lover. The lagoon welcomed them with open arms and a great deal of fanfare. Hank fit in so well that people doubted he’d ever been human.

Tina’s curiosity came back in full force.

She bombarded the good-natured man with hundreds of questions about his past life as a sailor. How he got his scars, how he got that injury, how his hair turned grey, whether he always liked seafood or not. Only when Nines’ blue eyes flashed would she leave Hank alone.

Amanda didn’t mind Tina starting to explore again now that Hank was around. He was more than familiar with the human-inhabited areas, and strong enough to keep her from harm even if he had no magical powers of his own.

The trouble started when she and Hank were humming a simple harmony one afternoon and a boat stalled some yards away. A dazed-looking man with scarred face stepped onto the deck and gazed hungrily across the water. Hank’s jaw dropped with recognition.

“Gavin?”

Tina bobbed up and down trying to get a better look.

“Who’s that human? Hank? Who’s Gavin?”

A smile spread across the bearded face.

“One of the best people I’ve ever known.”

Tina’s eyes lit up.

“Tell me everything.”

Hank was more than happy to. He was hardly aware of the siren’s insatiable curiosity and the prophecy that foretold her untimely demise at the water’s edge. He just thought their mother-in-law was a little bossy. Hell, that was common even among humans.

Tina began to follow Gavin.

Her fascination with Hank had worn off now that he was practically one of them.

Connor woke up to an empty nest more often than not. He hated it. The feeling was gut-churning, but he couldn’t bear to argue and restrain his beloved wife any longer. He let her come and go as she pleased and merely whispered protective spell after protective spell while she slept.

Tina swam further and further out everyday, getting close enough to touch the hull of the ship that Gavin worked on. She sang softly, hoping to lure him out of his cabin so that she could look at his face and imagine what it might be like to be his friend. One night, it worked.

Gavin stumbled out drunkenly and staggered towards the railing. He leaned over it heavily, breathing hard and craning his neck towards the water, desperately searching for the sound.

Loud footsteps followed and Tina watched in amazement as a pair of strong hands wrenched Gavin away from the edge of the boat. The man hauled Gavin into his arms and hugged him tightly, pressing kisses all over his face and whispering in earnest. Gavin blinked and slowly came out of his stupor.

“Allen?”

“Oh thank goodness. This is exactly what Hank warned me about. I was so afraid…”

“I’m fine, Allen. Sweetheart, I’m fine.”

An overwhelming warmth filled Tina as she watched the humans kiss under the moonlight and cling to each other for reassurance. She couldn’t be sure, but she thought Allen noticed her as well. She waved and sang a little louder in greeting, but he didn’t respond. He pulled Gavin out of sight and she heard the cabin door slam shut. 

Tina swam back to the cave and curled up lovingly on Connor’s chest, unable to stop thinking of how humans were really no different from her kind. It made absolutely no sense that the two species didn’t interact. 

Connor stirred as he realised she had returned from her nightly swim. He unentangled himself and turned on his side, facing away from her on their bed of seagrass. Tina felt the disapproval and disappointment emanating from his skin. She tried pressing herself up against his back, but he pulled away entirely. The next day, Tina was the one who woke up alone.

Her husband’s withdrawal didn’t bother her in the least. She’d known him for years and years. Nearly a human lifetime. She’d win him back. Through human if not merfolk methods.

Gavin could teach her.

Some days later, Tina hovered behind a large boulder on the coast. She watched Gavin and his companion spread a large piece of fabric out on the sand. They settled down to eat and laugh, kiss and watch the sunset.

Tina felt like that was definitely something she could do with Connor. She could bring him to the big rock and they could scrape the cockles off its mossy surface and feast together under the colourful sky. That would be sweet, that would be romantic.

Unconsciously, she began to sing. A simple melody to her ears, but a death trap to the vulnerable human. How was she to know?

Tina frowned as she saw Allen look away, distracted by something. Then she saw Gavin stand up in a trance. He didn’t stumble like he had on the boat. He walked steadily. Towards the shore, right up to the waterline and beyond.

She then remembered something Hank had said about Gavin. A brilliant man, with a weak mind and a heart full of desire. A man who not only heard, but responded to the siren’s call. Tina clamped a hand over her mouth but it was too late. Her music, her magic had already permeated the air and water of that sandy cove. Gavin was hooked, and now he was sinking.

“Gavin! My love! Where are you going? Gavin!”

Tina watched in horror as the object of her fascination walked deeper and deeper into the water, not even fighting to stay afloat.

“Gavin!”

Allen threw himself into the water and thrashed towards his lover. He struggled against the rising tide but failed to reach the immobile figure. Tina leaned over the rock, scarcely bothering to conceal herself.

Allen screamed Gavin’s name over and over in vain. Tina wanted to scream too, but it was her voice that had caused the tragedy in the first place. Allen seemed to realise that he was in danger of drowning himself and stopped trying to swim further. He paused, taking heavy and laboured breaths between his sobs, and then their eyes met.

In the eighty years that Tina had been alive, she’d never once put any stock in the prophecy made by the high priestess when she was small. But in that moment, she knew for sure that death was going to come for her, from land.

Allen turned back to the shore with an enraged roar and Tina plunged towards the depths of her watery home. She threw herself into Connor’s arms and heaved tearless sobs against his chest. He held tight and let his familiar magic envelope them, but she could feel his anger and worry clearly.

“What have you done?”

Tina couldn’t bring herself to say it.

“What has happened, Connor? What is the matter with your consort?”

Amanda had emerged from her section of the undersea cavern. She was flanked by Nines, Hank and Silas. Tina hid her face behind the fanned gills on Connor’s throat.

“This could be a diplomatic matter, Connor.”

“She’s just a little upset, mother. Not everything has to be a threat to your empire.”

“Her well-being is an emblem of peace in these waters. You are well aware of the prophecy, and how much Prince Fowler subscribes to it. I am concerned that her lack of self-preservation is going to destroy everything we stand for.”

“Mother, you need to give us some-”

“I’m sorry, Connor. I am so so sorry. I didn’t mean for it to happen.”

“Princess Tina, I need you to speak clearly.”

Hank came forward and put a placatory hand on Amanda’s shoulder. A bold move that no one had attempted in centuries. Amanda nodded at him to proceed. It was common knowledge that he had a way with the flighty and headstrong siren that no one else did.

“Tina, tell us what happened. Are you hurt? Did you go somewhere you shouldn’t? We won’t be angry. Just tell us.”

“Hank, I’m really sorry. Please don’t, please don’t hate me.”

The friendly face hardened.

“Gavin?”

“I’m sorry. He just walked into the water and-”

Hank pinched the bridge of his nose and Nines was instantly by his side. Their dorsal fins brushed and Nines closed his eyes in sympathy, feeling his lover’s grief as if it were his own.

“Was he alone?”

“No.”

Hank nodded grimly and looked at Amanda, who immediately looked to her left, at Silas. Her only son who hadn’t brought chaos to the lagoon with his choice of partner.

“Remove this threat. Whatever or whoever it may be.”

“Amanda! Empress Amanda. There’s no need to take any kind of action. I assure you. Allen is a very kind and simple man, just like Gavin… was. He’s not the type to take revenge.”

Amanda clicked her tongue in disbelief.

“Monitor the area closely, and don’t let this one out of your sight!”

She flipped upward and left the cave with surprising speed and agility for her age, pointing a long finger at Tina as she departed. Connor sighed and held his wife close for a moment before letting go.

Life became a waiting game from then on. Tina would never forget the look in Allen’s eyes. The rage and sorrow in them was a promise that he would come for her. No matter how long it took. Days, months, years or decades. 

She knew humans didn’t have magic, but they had their ways. Their mastery of the seas was not without deadly strength. They had their own weapons, and determination was one of them. She would have to be on her guard. She would have to stay sharp. 

Tina eventually gave up and spent her days drifting listlessly through the lagoon. The shame overwhelmed her. She had grown up knowing exactly what her kind was capable of, and in the last century most of her fellow sirens used their musical gifts only in instances of self preservation... yet she had carelessly lured an innocent man to his death. 

Her husband and his brothers were growing weary of floating by her side to defend her from some unknown evil, and her mother-in-law, the Empress, had stopped speaking to her altogether. Her parents and friends were exceedingly disappointed in her, and she had no one to really confide in. Not even Hank.

The one morning it finally happened. Years later. The sound of a motor, the glint of a spear and a maniacal cry of triumph. Tina floundered. Her instincts were dulled by the hours spent under the sun and she was unable to decide where to go in a split-second. She closed her eyes as the harpoon left its mount and waited for it to make its mark. 

Familiar arms curled around her waist and dragged her underneath the surface. Connor shielded her with his body as the boat capsized. Silas grabbed Allen and that was the last she saw of her hunter. Tina ran a hand over the deep gash on Connor’s arm, swallowing guiltily as she took in the damage from the spear that was meant for her. He shook his head and only pulled her closer, comforting himself as much as her. 

Tina kept to herself even more after the incident. She stayed in the cave and ate only what was brought to her. Her fins lost their shiny gold edges and her scales began to drop off. Everyone thought it was because of the trauma of the attack, but in reality, it was the guilt. 

She knew that she had put her whole family, the whole lagoon in danger. She wasn’t oblivious to Silas’ disappearances and the nightly errands he ran, bringing back part after part of the vengeful sailor’s boat. She had even witnessed some kind of argument between Connor and Silas because of it. And it was all her fault. 

Tina decided enough was enough. All her life she’d been someone’s daughter, someone’s wife, some piece in an elaborate puzzle she didn’t quite understand. Somehow every minute action of hers had devastating consequences, and she had had enough of the damn guilt. Yes, she was responsible for the ultimate crime, and by God, she was finally ready to face up to it.

Silas’ suspicious behaviour confirmed the fact that Allen was in the vicinity. Tina knew he was practically in the blue lagoon the sirens called home. She decided once and for all to face her adversary and save everyone the trouble. She swam up to the surface, slowly and deliberately, unhurried and practically demanding to be seen. She opened her mouth, ready to launch a clever ploy, but before she could sing the first note of Silas’ song, she was grabbed and restrained. Again. 

Tina’s shoulders slumped against Nines’ chest in defeat while she watched a drama that had nothing to do with her unfold. Connor’s hold soon replaced Nines’ and her nostrils filled with her mate’s familiar scent. She rested her head against his chest and watched as Silas dragged Allen under the waves with a brilliant glow emanating from wherever their bodies touched. 

Tina laughed with relief as she realised that the wounds from Allen’s old love would finally heal from the magic of new love. Silas would probably go away for a long time, taking Allen with him in another Sailor’s Promise. Her wounds too, would heal by the time they returned, and all would be well. 

She kept laughing and Connor joined in, reveling in the luxury that was a second chance. A life without having to look over one’s shoulder. There was so much she could do, so much to make up for. Tina could make something of her spirit for exploration, her detailed knowledge of the coast. She could help her family and improve life in the lagoon. She could even work with Hank and make the shipping lanes safer for sailors. She could treat her husband right and maybe even have a few children with him. The world was her oyster, and for that she had to thank love. In every shape and form.

[kimium]

Hey friend! Just a reminder that your writing is amazing and I love you very much!

Please take this opportunity to ramble about whichever OTP/OT3/etc. is currently on your mind and what you like most about them; you know I love hearing it🥰💜

Thank you so much friend!! You're so wonderful and kind! I love you a ton too!

Oh! That's quite the open order. You're giving me a lot of freedom... too much freedom...

If you asked me this a week ago I probably would have talked about Lawlight. I still sort of want to, perhaps later if directly prompted. However, in honour of Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes trailer I'm going to talk about my favourite 3H ship, Sylvix.

Here we go.

- First, they're childhood friends. If anyone knows me they'll know that childhood best friends to lovers is my Favourite Trope of All Time.

-Also, I imagine Sylvain as bi/pansexual. What Felix's orientation is, I'm not sure. I don't have a solid HC.

-In my mind they first meet on a warm sunny day. Sylvain is sitting outside, staring at the field, watching the guards and servants amble around in Frantic Mode. Duke Fraldarius, majority of House Galatea, and The King(TM) are coming to visit.

Sylvain doesn't care. His face is smarting from his brother's punch. His ears are ringing from his brother's verbal abuse. All he wants is to be left alone and have his brother love him back. (Why doesn't he love him? What can Sylvain do to make his brother be a brother and not his tormentor?)

That all changes when the carriages pull up. Duke Fraldarius and what seems like the Entirety of the Kingdom's Soldiers (at least to Sylvain) arrive. There is fanfare and his mother all but drags him to the front of the estate, hastily attempting to clean him up. ("You're the next Margrave, Sylvain," she tuts. "You need to start acting and looking the part!" Sylvain is only a child??)

Still Sylvain is at the age where he wants to please his parents so he follows along. His father says a bunch of words that just sound like a jumbled mess of Trying Too Hard to be Nice to a stern man with dark hair and a blond man with warm eyes. (Later, Sylvain will also remember his smile. How full and compassionate it was.)

However, in the moment all Sylvain can see are the three boys standing awkwardly on the side in a small huddle. One of them is his brother's age and that immediately makes Sylvain distrust him. (Once again later, when Sylvain meets Glenn properly he is ashamed he even considered distrust an option.) The other two are around his age or younger than him? (Sylvain isn't good at judging ages unless it's obvious.) The smallest one has dark hair and is clearly Glenn's brother. But the blond kid is easiest the place. That's Prince Dimitri.

(He'll meet Ingrid a couple hours later and that's an entire story in itself.)

-The four of them have a lot of fun playing, Glenn usually preferring to referee or laze about watching them. Felix is quiet around Sylvain, clings more to Glenn, and is still a crybaby. When Felix cries to Sylvain for the first time Sylvain's heart warms. The feeling of helping someone through their suffering carries in Sylvain's heart for years, warming him on cold nights. It's the first time Sylvain wants to protect someone not his family. It's also the beginning of his crush.

-The first time Sylvain realizes he's in love with Felix is when he's out flirting trying to numb himself. (His parents' view of him, how he's just a prized cow, the Crest system, how his brother has been disowned and left hating everyone including him, how Ingrid is still grieving and angry over Glenn's death, Felix's bitterness, and Dimitri a shadow of himself. Sylvain tells himself none of this matters. It matters a lot.) He's getting drunk and allowing girls to get close to him (there is a lot of touching) when a dark haired person comes up to him. Really, the only thing that links her to Felix is her dark hair but suddenly Sylvain's heart stutters in his chest.

But Sylvain ignores it because he's supposed to be Margrave Gautier. He has to marry a girl (preferably a "good" girl who will bear him children with Crests). It's a bitter truth that Sylvain forces himself to swallow every day. Soon his reputation as a "playboy" starts both as a way to punish himself but to also cruelly test the girls. They just want him for his body so why can't he do the same to them?

-I like to believe things slowly start to change when he enrolls in the academy. Of course that's not true. Sylvain remains his flirty self, putting on a cheerful, playboy act. But it's different because now he has to face Felix every day. Felix, who grew leaner, sharper, and beautiful. (The first time Sylvain sees Felix with his hair up he has to Excuse Himself and have a Bisexual Panic.) Felix who is also meaner and crueler to Dimitri.

-The first time he hears Felix truly insult Dimitri with all his anger and poison Sylvain's heart breaks inside. Where did the soft, crybaby Felix he once knew go? (Perhaps he died and was buried along side Glenn.)

-But beyond that, Sylvain tries to ignore the ache in his heart. He acts friendly with Felix, tries sparring with him. It sometimes ends with harsh words in his face. Sometimes it ends with both of them yelling at one another. (How can Sylvain get across to Felix that he cares for him?) Their arguments vary but the most explosive ones are about 1) Dimitri and 2) Sylvain's flirty habits. Sylvain thinks Felix has no leg to stand on. He's the one being mean to Dimitri. Sylvain has the right to call him out. Also, why does Felix care about who he sleeps with? (Answer: Felix cares so much about Sylvain. Sylvain has invaded his life since moment one and it's all that Felix has thought about for years. Everything about Sylvain haunts him. Especially in his dreams.)

-They share their first kiss after an argument turned spar. Sylvain is on the ground and Felix is on top of him. They're panting and angry. Sylvain tries to buck Felix off. Felix steadies himself but falls closer to Sylvain. It's a cliché move found in the stories about knights Ingrid and Ashe love. Sylvain doesn't think. He kisses Felix. It's a messy, wet, harsh kiss. Too much teeth at first. Then, not enough tongue. It's too long. It's too short.

-And so begins what Ingrid dubs later "both were idiots for not sharing their true feelings earlier" period. Sylvain and Felix become intimate in the way of "we both like one another but we're too stubborn to talk our feelings out". It's a lot of pining, back and forth, and thinking "this is as good as I'm going to get" / "he'll leave me for someone else when it's convenient".

-That changes when Edelgard declares war and Dimitri is framed. Soon after Dimitri's "execution" there isn't time for Sylvain or Felix to talk things out. They're busy with a million other things. Not that this stops them from meeting up in the dead of night to kiss and strip one another in frantic, desperate motions.

-If we assume this is the AM route then once Byleth returns and gathers everyone together Sylvain and Felix are forced (instigated by Ingrid, followed through by Byleth) to talk about their feelings. It's messy but like their first kiss they make out after an intense spar and officially become a couple.

-Sylvain's parents are... less than happy but what can they say? He's publicly courting Duke Fraldarius. Meanwhile Rodrigue is just happy his son is with someone who softens him.

-There are some hard moments, particularly when Rodrigue dies. Felix may have a complicated relationship with his father but he did love him.

-If this is VW route then I like to believe that Sylvain and Felix were recruited and join up with Claude. Again, since I believe in the power of Ingrid and Byleth joining forces they get together the same way as in AM. Though this time Rodrigue doesn't die so he can enjoy watching his son marry and be happy. (Also I like to believe Dimitri did not die in VW route ahaha. Denial.)

-We Don't Talk About CF route. Not here. (Because I don't believe Felix or Sylvain would abandon Dimitri for Edelgard and so perhaps they fulfil their promise a bit too early T_T)

-Felix and Sylvain marry after the war. They want it a secret affair but... Dimitri has to be present only because if they married without him to officiate it he'd Cry. Ingrid is there because if they married without her she'd murder them. Ashe is there because no one wants to disappoint Ashe. Dedue is there because Dimitri is there. Mercedes is there because she knows all and figured them out. Annette is there because Mercedes is there and Felix cannot live with himself if he makes Annette cry. So basically all of the BL are there.