#light novel quotes

[tea-rngup]

Boogiepop with quotes

[dumblr]

What's your favourite “Romantic novel?”

“Our midnight Tumblr chat.”

[mackerel22]

Stormbringer!Dazai: My kink is doing stupid shit and watching Chuuya speed-run the five stages of grief as he realises that he still wants to do yaoi stuff with me.

[factsilike]

Quotes in the No. 6 novels that had me reeling from their sheer level of intensity and yearning (aka my favourite lines)-

"This is where my heart is. I was human when my heart was stolen by him, and I was human when I longed to be by his side. And this fact won't change, no matter what name I give to these feelings."

      "Why won’t you come home? Why aren’t you beside me? I just want to look into your eyes and see that I am me, that I can continue to be who I am. They are my only anchor."

"I’ll be waiting. No matter how many years pass, no matter how old I get, I’ll be waiting here for you. The wandering star and the fixed one. Someday our paths will cross again. When that happens, I’m not going to sit quietly and let you go. I’ll be waiting for you."

"It’s not friendship, not merely a deep affection even—nor is it simply romantic attraction or respect or caring. It is a deep and powerful love for someone dear to him."

“You called me, and I listened. I reached out, and you caught my arm. I opened the window so I could meet you."

"No one is greedier than I am. I’m sure no one desires another as strongly as I do."

"It's been four years, and I still have neither skill nor the heart to push this body aside."

"I'm drawn to you. A lot. That's why I want to stay here. I want to see what you see, eat what you eat, and breathe the same air as you."

"Have you noticed? No matter how dark or blindingly bright it is, I'm never led astray―my eyes always find yours."

"If I lost you here, right now, I wouldn't be able to stay sane. I would go mad. The world would turn upside-down."

"I'm probably more afraid to lose you than anyone―anybody else. I'm so scared, it's unbearable. I want to make sure you'll never disappear from my side. I don't care if you ridicule me, or sneer at me―these are my real feelings." It was none other than a straightforward and simple confession of love. I can't live without another―without you.

The emotionless voice became a frigid wind that wrapped around Shion's body. With his sense of pain, his fear, and his pride whipped away, for an instant, Shion was empty. Like a cicada shedding its skin, he became a hollow cavern that left only its outward appearance intact. He sometimes had this sensation when listening to Nezumi's voice. He didn't mind it much. In fact, it even felt refreshing. Exhilarating, even, to become empty.

I'll never leave you. I'll sink my teeth in, and latch on no matter where you go. He would never lose sight of that back turned to him. He would crawl across the ground to follow him if he had to. That was the only thing in his mind.

Invited along by Nezumi's voice, Shion had smiled, and seen the sky. It was that deepest hue of blue he had seen, lying in the grassy field. The colour of the heavens was spreading across the darkness. True, this world was ridden with brutality and falseness. Indeed, it was rife with it. But that wasn't the only thing that existed. Because, look―in this world, and in people's souls, there definitely existed beautiful things like the blue of the lofty skies. Nezumi's voice became a bubbling spring that quenched Shion's body and filled him to the brim. It was a strange voice. It melted the soul, and regenerated people to life.

He felt like he was being wrapped in an elegant grey cloth. The core of his body pulsated. All the thoughts that had been swirling around in his head came to a full stop. A moment of pleasure. It was strange. Just the kind of light in Nezumi's eyes was enough to make him feel like he was being pushed away or being embraced.

Curiosity. No, it wasn't such a casual feeling; it was a deep-rooted desire. It roved in circles deep inside his chest. It was intrigue towards a world his imagination could not render. Interest in the unknown. And more than anything... it was the expectation that he could acquire some piece of knowledge that had to do with Nezumi. His soul was stirring restlessly. It stirred from wanting to know, and not for anyone else but himself.

Nezumi was almost like a deep forest. No matter how far he waded in, he could never gaze out over its entirety. Here, clumps of flowers bloomed; here, a bowed branch bore fruits. Here, a spring gushed forth, and he could hear the gentle sound of its flow. He had definitely seen these various scenes, but they were mere parts of the deep, vast forest. Perhaps he would emerge from the dense trees to be faced with a sheer cliff. Perhaps there lurked man-eating beasts. Perhaps a scene totally unknown to him would stretch before his eyes. He didn't know. No matter how far he waded in, Nezumi never revealed his entirety to him. The further he waded in, the more unfathomable it got. I've wandered and gotten lost in an endless forest. I'm drifting, a tangle of throbbing pain and dreamy ecstasy.

" I've gone against what you've told me. I've sighed many times for another. I believed him, and opened my heart to him. I placed the shackles around my own feet. But I couldn't have done otherwise. I couldn't cut him away."

"I came to know what it was like for my heart to feel moved for someone, to yearn strongly for someone. I can't go back to when I didn't know. I don't want to go back. I would never want to go back to when I lived peacefully, knowing nothing."

"And above all, I have to tell you about Nezumi. I want you to know about him. Four years ago on a stormy night, I met him. Ever since then, I feel like I've been captured by him. When I'm with him, I lose sight of myself. No, that's not it. I'm illuminated vividly. Maybe I'm blinded for an instant because that light is so bright. That's how much my vision had deteriorated. It was so weak, I couldn't even discern myself, my surroundings, or the truth. Safu, his―Nezumi's gaze and words pierce me. They shoot through me, batter me, and save me. By his hands, I was melted, wrought anew, and instilled with new life."

"There's no way you can't hear me. There's no way my voice won't reach you. No matter when or what situation, you always caught my words firmly, You heard me through the noise, you grasped my words, and you answered me. You came back to me. This time, I'm going to bring you back. I'll take you back by force."

"The wind was howling. The flame was flickering. And I desperately wanted to hear you recite that line. I don't know why. Maybe I just wanted to lend my ears to your voice, and immerse myself in your breathing. As I listened to Macbeth tread the path to destruction, I felt elevated; I was fulfilled."

"You called to me. I heard that voice―your voice―calling me. It ducked through the wind, tore through the rain, and came to me. You called me, and I was called by you. That's why I opened the window. I flung it open wide to the outdoors. I extended my arms in search of you. You called me, and I listened. I reached out, and you caught my arm. I opened the window so I could meet you. That's our truth, Nezumi."

"Going to Hell doesn't seem so bad when it's with you."

"The fight would still continue tomorrow. But if I lost Nezumi, if I had to face a tomorrow without him, then I wouldn't be able to remain a soldier. You're weak. Unbelievably frail, he could hear Nezumi say in derision. Laugh at me, Nezumi. Look on me with contempt. Make fun of me. Give me a scornful laugh, a cold laugh. I just want to hear your laughter. Let me hear it, please."

"To me, you were more of a miracle than the Forest God ever was. I felt like I was being told to live―to live on, not give up.... If you hadn't been there, I wouldn't have been able to survive that night. Shion, you―only you―were the one who saved me. This time, too."

"The world means nothing to me without you. Nothing."

"He's more dangerous, troublesome, strong, and beautiful than anyone else in the world."

Nezumi's gazed pierced through him. Those grey eyes gave Shion the impression that they knew everything. He wondered why every time he was held by this gaze, he felt a shiver of bliss rather than pain.

"I'm alive and waiting for you. Even in those hellish surroundings, I was drawn to your eyes, your words, your gestures, your thoughts―and they supported me. Thanks to them, I was able to survive. And right now, I'm still alive."

[lets-get-lit]

No one is ever holy without suffering.

- Evelyn Waugh, Brideshead Revisited

[the-apology-girl]

[noor1ee]

[thesleepyblueocean]

Some days I'm the ocean. Some days I'm the ship. Tonight I'm the lighthouse: at the edge, alone, and burning.

- Vasiliki

[whereshadowslive]

Because the sunset, like survival, exists only on the verge of its own disappearing. To be gorgeous, you must first be seen, but to be seen allows you to be hunted.

― Ocean Vuong, On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous

[intheruinsalways]

Convincing anyone who see this to read 'the invisible life of Addie LaRue' because look at them.

[after-witch]

Love. Was that really such an important thing? Human beings were obsessed with it, Mahito knew. Some curses came from love, and some of those were incredibly fearsome. However, Mahito didn’t understand how the mechanism of human love was any different from a cat’s attachment to its favorite blanket.

–Jujutsu Kaisen: Summer of Ashes, Autumn of Dust

[just--killling--time]

• The Secret History - Donna Tartt

[laurachouettepoetry]

[heavenlyraindrops]

The Devil Made Me Do It | Arcane | Silco x Reader | Chapter Four

also available on AO3 and Quotev | visit first tag to find the other chapters | warnings: pre-s1 (for now), profanity, child death, mentions of blood and injury, smoking

summary:

In the midst of an unfortunate run-in with the enforcers, you meet the young revolutionary Silco, and by extension, his friends Vander and Felicia. Growing close friends, you get through life in the undercity together, determined to make Zaun a better place. Until tragedy strikes, and betrayal and carelessness stabs hard enough to turn you bitter. Years later as time solidifies the scars, Silco proves to be a thorn in your side. You, in his. Hatred festers. And your world cracks further open.

Chapter Four:

Silco and Vander had been getting into fights. 

You didn’t know how it had started, or why. You’d assumed it had to do with the resistance. At least none of them had gotten physical- but then again, how could you tell exactly where the bruises on both men came from? Your peaceful talks with Silco had turned into angry rants.

Both of you lying on the all-too familiar roof, you scooted closer to him, pressing your head into his shoulder. He did his usual motion- tense, relax, then melt into the touch- with the welcome addition of his hand flying to your head, fingers running through your locks. You let out an involuntary sigh.

“-and he just starts yelling. I don’t understand…”

You’d learned to half-tune out his rambling, staring at the sky.

“…and it clearly upsets Alice-“

You sat up straight, twisting your body to lean over him. “What?”

He looked up at you in surprise. “I said, it upsets Alice.”

Your hand was digging into his shirt, bunching up with fabric angrily. “How?” Your voice was stiff. His hand moved to your arm. 

“Nothing, she just… it gets loud sometimes…”

You almost hit Silco right then and there, and you could tell that he could tell. You scowled, eyes blazing as a torrent of admonishments poured from your mouth.

“You two better not fucking…”

“…it’s not…”

“…upsetting her over some stupid-“

“It’s not stupid- look I’m sorry…”

“You better be.” Breathing heavily, you ran your fingers through your hair. “I left her with Vander so she’d be safe, not so that she could witness you two having a screaming match.”

“Hardly screaming,” he muttered, trying to pull you back into his shoulder. You chuckled at the action.

“Someone wants cuddles.”

He pulled a face. “Cuddles?”

You laughed and smacked his shoulder. “Idiot,” you managed to force out in between giggles, and he watched you, unimpressed. He flinched as you buried your head back into the crook of his neck, still shaking with laughter. Relaxed. Melted into the touch.

“You’re an idiot.”

Your laughed subsided into comfortable silence. He broke it.

“I’m sorry. We’ll find a way to resolve this.” He was referring to him and Vander. “We shouldn’t be upsetting Alice.”

You hummed, simply nestling into him. You could feel his heart thumping. “Thank you.”

“The things I do for you, hm?”

You raised your head, lips just barely brushing his jaw, as he pulled out a cigarette and placed it in between his lips before looking at you expectantly. You produced your lighter and flicked it open, watching as he held the end of the cigarette over the open flame you held out for him.

The lighter snapped shut as he tipped his head back to take a drag, and blew the smoke to the sky. His other arm rested around you comfortably.

“The things you do for me,” you laughed breathlessly, resisting the urge to kiss him senseless.

-

The arguments had not stopped.

Not only had Alice mentioned them to you at home, but Felicia had voiced her concerns during the every-now-and-then moment she’d really have a proper conversation with you. 

“I don’t know what’s wrong with them,” she’d whisper quietly. “They used to be really tight. And now…”

You didn’t press. It was a situation where you felt you weren’t welcome to meddle. So you took Alice home with nothing but a concerned purse of the lip, a sympathetic look, and a nervously quick-beating heart, stomach churning with dread.

Silco came to you less frequently, or maybe later than usual, usually in a sour mood. Despite his inconsistencies you stayed reliable, waiting for as long as he needed you to- even if he didn’t show up at all. If he did, his bad mood would lift within a few minutes. Surprisingly, he’d stopped talking about him and Vander’s arguments. And you no longer wanted to talk about them either.

Time passed. Felicia’s daughter was born. Things became more peaceful.

The sky has begun growing darker earlier, marking the beginning of winter. After another evening of Silco being a no-show, you slid off of the roof and made your way to the Last Drop.

The door creaking open, you frowned. It was almost empty, save for a frazzled looking Felicia trying to hush a baby in the corner. Panic started rising in your throat as you made your way to her.

“Felicia.” She looked up at you, and you say her face was twisted with worry. “Where is everyone?”

“Preparing.” Trying to hush Violet proved a futile task. You had to speak over her screams.

“Preparing for what? Where’s Vander? Why is Violet crying?”

Felicia screwed her eyes shut, and Violet’s meltdown subsided a little. “Nothing, just… there was an argument.”

You immediately dragged your hands across your face, stumbling back, immediately sick of what she was about to say. She ignored you and continued, shaking.

“They were both storming out when I got here. Everyone else is preparing for the uprising on the bridge.” Her voice dropped low. 

You whirled around and slammed your hands on the bar top, making her flinch. “What uprising?”

“There’s going- there’ll be an uprising on the bridge, soon.”

“And no one told me about this?” You were seething. Violet screeched louder, and you turned violently, putting your hands over your ears as Felicia shakily shushed her. 

“You aren’t part of the resistance. Heck- you’re barely even part of the Lanes.”

At her words you had to fight to keep the fury from bubbling over. Charging towards her, you grabbed her shoulders tight, nails digging into her skin.

“Where the fuck is Alice.”

“I don’t know,” she choked out. At this, you left out a muffled, terrified scream, swallowing it with the back of your hand.

“She isn’t meant to go outside,” you whispered, your hands sliding across your face to cover your mouth. Felicia looked at you, confused and scared. At your sudden silence even Violet had stopped making any noise, instead burying herself into her mother’s embrace.

“Why not? I mean, you were pretty adamant about it, but you never told us why,” she said carefully. 

You tore your hands from your face. “Because the enforcers could be looking for her!”

Felicia looked at you in shock.

Tears welled in your eyes as your hands shook. “She can’t go outside alone yet.”

Felicia didn’t say anything, just wrapped her hands further around Violet and curled over. You didn’t say anything back; your heavy, frantic footsteps echoed around the empty bar and the door slammed as you left to go search for your daughter.

The crowd in the street was heavy, and all going in one direction- towards the bridge. You pushed through, eyes frantically scanning the crowd. You knew you wouldn’t find her there, however. Passer-bys conversations drifted in and out of your ears.

“…commotion with the enforcers. I hope this won’t affect the rising…”

You turned and grabbed the woman by the shoulder. She looked at you in shock.

“What commotion?” You hissed. She didn’t say anything, frozen to the spot, when a man came and prised your hand off of her and pointed in a certain direction.

“They say they saw enforcers attacking a child,” he said gravely, “Just the street before the river.”

He didn’t have to say any more. You turned and fled.

This part of the undercity was more quiet. You marked the rushing of water- and remembered the first time you’d met Silco.

You could hear heavy breathing.

Enforcer masks.

Small whimpers.

Alice’s voice.

Panic and anger surged through you as you burst into the street.

“Let go of her!” You screamed.

The enforcer grabbed the back of your neck, shoving you into the wall. The second he released you, you lunged towards Alice, grabbing her and drawing her close. She was completely battered.

“Why are you doing this to her?” You cried, covering her ears. “She’s a child.”

The enforcer looked at you. “And who exactly are you?”

“I took her in,” you said fiercely, holding the shaking girl tighter. The Pilties looked at each other, and you recoiled, knowing you’d said the wrong thing. 

“You took her in, knowing that she was being chased by the law. You harboured a wanted child.” His voice was even.

“Child,” you gasped. “She’s a child.” You clasped your hands together. “Look, I-I didn’t know. Please just let her be-“

A kick rammed you against the wall. You lost grip on Alice, who was dragged up by the second officer. The first one grabbed you and put his hand over your eyes.

“Kill the girl,” he said.

“N-!” You opened your mouth to scream but he clamped his hand over your mouth. From in front of you, a simple crack, whimper, then a thud. You went limp. He dropped you to the floor, and you blinked blearily, shaking. Alice’s body lay before you.

You cursed under your breath, scrambling towards her, unaware of the eyes watching you.

“Leave her,” the mask-muffled voice said. “We got rid of what we needed to.” He looked up. “We’re needed at the bridge.”

Their heavy footsteps left the street, fading around the corner as you silently sobbed, shoulders shaking. Gathering Alice in your arms, you brushed her hair from her face.

“No,” you whispered. “No.” Your hand was warm at the back of her head, and when you withdrew it it was covered in blood. The word Alice said was barely audible. 

“Mom.”

This broke you, and you descended into a whirl of sobs. “No, no no no no.”

You didn’t know for how long you cried- you just knew it was well past the time you daughter grew cold in your arms. Ran dry of tears, you could feel unconsciousness calling you.

Another set of heavy footsteps down the street- only one person this time. You barely regarded it as you slipped into the darkness, curled over the corpse of one of the only two people you cared about.

[lets-get-lit]

There are years that ask questions and years that answer.

- Zora Neale Hurston, Their Eyes Were Watching God

[l-in-the-light]

I love the Heart Pirates 🥰♥️. Would you write sth for the relationship Law and his crew (especially Bepo🐻)? Does Law love his crew just the same as he loves Cora?

Sure, this will be that post :D there isn't that many Hearts Pirates scenes in the manga, so it will probably end up being more Hearts appreciation post than strict analysis :) but I will do my best! Also I will use some neat quotes from the novel, in case you want to skip those they're all written in italics so it's easy to avoid them!

Also really sorry it took me forever to get to this ask!

Let's introduce our power rangers Sora-fanboying crew. That idea probably got born all the way back in the North Blue, when Law, Bepo, Penguin and Shachi were living together as children and sharing stories and talking into late night hours before falling asleep.

First of all, Hearts Pirates are strategists. All crewmates know their roles they have to play in a battle. There's always someone responsible for the Polar Tang, usually it's Hakugan (taking care of the ship so it doesn't get damaged is essential, because that ship is not only their means of travelling but also their home). There are people responsible for providing cover (Shachi and Penguin, Law's most trusted guys besides Bepo). There is a bodyguard - Jean Bart (or should I call him a tank? :D), making sure Law doesn't get hit when preparing powerful counterattacks.

Second of all, the biggest strength of Heart Pirates isn't their individual feats, fighting skills or not even their ace in the sleeve - the overpowered captain. Their true strength lies in their teamwork. They always work like a team, supporting each other and cooperating to help Law win his battles.

Hearts are apparently very strong in sea battles. Seems their usual strategy is to go for sinking the enemy's ship (very sly and effective). They're also good at fighting in the water, which is refreshing in comparison to many other crews depending solely on devil fruits powers.

Also RIP Polar Tang :(

Bepo has actually the most jobs to do, surprisingly. He's the navigator, he's the main attacker who often plays support for Law, but he also uses his mink/animal senses to track down enemies and instruct where each crewmate is needed! He's definitely very reliable.

“Sorry, I got nothing. If only I was a smarter polar bear… I’m no use, I should just disappear.”

“Hah hah! Just having strong legs doesn’t make you the best at peddling, Bepo. Man, you really are clumsy. You were so wobbly I thought for sure you were going to crash. It was scary just watching you!”

“Hm, you’re right. I wonder why I can’t ride a bike to save my life… I’ll just leave and figure my life out then.”

Despite Bepo's poor self-esteem, he's a really good fighter. Bepo's kung-fu (bear-fu? :D) fighting style is so unique too. Law often trusts him to "take care of things". Bepo has also one more powerful ace up his sleeve, his sulong form, though apparently he can't control it at all. It's only thanks to Chopper's rumble ball that Bepo was able to control his form for the very first time, without even a full moon visible in the sky.

Of course Bepo is also a very outstanding navigator. I mean, I dare you all to try to draw a better map with those huge paws! They're not exactly suited to hold a pen!

I do have to mention though that Law had a momentary pause before finding their current location ("around here") on this map, haha. He would never admit it though. He's so proud of his navigator! Also, keeping that map with him must have made Law happy, because he got reminded of Bepo even when he wasn't with him.

It's so tattered too and needed some tapes ;-;

Bepo is also, sort of, second in command after Law. He's responsible for new recruits who work directly under him. That gives us some sort of insight in how the hierarchy works in Hearts crew. There is Law whose word is absolute, then Bepo, then Shachi and Penguin, then the rest, then the fresh recruits.

It's not quite like in Strawhats where everyone is more or less equal in their positions. Even in the novel Law sometimes calls them friends and sometimes underlings, but in Punk Hazard and Egghead he instead calls them "nakama" (his crewmates, companions), so that apparently has changed at some point as Law grew up.

These two are my subordinates! I won’t let scum like you call them “things”!

I let out a large sigh. I have to keep it together. I have to protect my underlings. My friends.

Bepo, Penguin, Shachi. I told you to be my underlings, so I have a responsibility as your boss.

As much as Law treats his Heart Pirates as equals, his responsibility over them makes him take a higher position over them. But he doesn't interfere much in how they organize things around each other. Bepo took it on himself to be the second in command and Law never protested or questioned that. Basically their importance in the crew is based on the order in which they joined.

“Hold on, both of you ate three pieces and I only had two! You guys are new here, so you should be putting me first!” (Bepo complains while Law thinks to himself:) I should have just given them all equal portions to begin with instead of piling everything on a single plate; that’s what I think as I quietly shovel my fourth piece into my mouth.

Law himself is a bit sneaky, he might think he should make sure things are more equal around his crew, but at the end of the day he just doesn't do anything about it. They're free to do whatever they want. That's the type of captain he is.

When Wolf is out of the house, the four of us work on the farm, go fishing, clean, and do the laundry. During free time, each of us will focus on the things we want to do. I spend most of my time reading medical books and learning how to use my power. Bepo uses his time to study navigation. Penguin and Shachi simply have a desire to get stronger. But since their way of doing things didn’t allow them to improve, I had to borrow weapons from Wolf and teach them swordsmanship and gunnery. Seeing someone I'm teaching getting better at it is more rewarding than I thought it would be. Whenever I see how happy Penguin or Shachi are when they hit the bullseye, I can’t help but smile.

Law also trained them all by himself.

But back to Bepo. He's also a bit of a silly bear who needs to be looked after. He doesn't stand the heat very well, he's a bit of a slow thinker, he also panicks very easily and often calls out to Law to save him or stay with him. And that feeling is usually mutual, because Law also wants to take care of him:

“Don’t worry, Bepo. Even if you get injured and covered in blood, I’ll fix you up at the clinic.”

“Assuming I do get injured! Aye-aye!”

Hah hah. What a goof.

Bepo is a bit like a younger sibling to Law, he can be strong but also very clumsy and silly, and it for sure appeals to Law's protective side. He kinda stepped up (it was probably subconsciously) to be a temporary older brother figure for him in absence of Zepo. He was ready to throw away his Wano's raid plans just because Bepo had a stomachache and asked him to stay by his side. Bepo is also the only person Law has any sort of physical closeness with. Those two grew really close with each other.

But Bepo is dependable when it matters. He was also a guardian of Whale Forest back on Zou, so Law isn't the only one who recognizes that quality in Bepo.

“Law, I brought you some hot tea. It’s made with tea from the old man’s garden. He said it helps calm nerves.”

“Thank you, Bepo.”

“No problem. You’ve been having nightmares a lot lately.”

“I know. I must be worrying Penguin and Shachi too.”

“You don’t want to talk about it?” Bepo asked with an earnest look on his face.

“No; right now, I can’t get my own thoughts together, sorry.”

“It’s fine. But I’m here if you ever want to talk about it.”

Law is close friends with Penguin and Shachi as well, but it seems it's Bepo he confides in most of the time. It might be because Bepo shows his concern and care very openly, making it especially hard for Law to refuse or dismiss it. And it's a good thing, because Law really needs someone openly caring and loving like Bepo in his life.

Bepo is clearly higher in command than Penguin and Shachi, and they both respect him despite the rocky beginning of their friendship:

“That's what you thought while they beat you?”

“Yes. I thought if I let them do it, maybe we could become friends.” Friends. It’s a word I hadn't heard in a long time. I no longer have any. They were all burned in a fire. (…) As my mind wanders, I begin to wonder why a polar bear is here, alone. Actually, if I think about it, he’s probably just like I had been before. I've become a little more interested in his situation.

Law's crew respects him and looks up to him, but they also voice out their own opinions and approvals or lack there of. They also occassionally allow themselves some really lewd comments, like in the picture above :D I bet you anything they would also call out Law on acting cute if they saw him with Chopper strapped to his head.

Damn, Penguin even looks like he's a bit jealous of Chopper's position. They fanboy Law so much despite being slightly older than him!

Shachi and Penguin are Law's intel and watchers. Penguin seems to be the smarter one out of the two of them, basing it on the rational comments he makes. But Shachi's skills in the water are also nothing to sneeze at! And as a bonus skill, Shachi apparently cuts the hair for others in the crew.

“Hey, you two.” I call Shachi and Penguin calmly. “You have nowhere to go, do you? I know you can't go back to your relatives' house either.”

“That is the only place we would never return to.”

“Alright; then you won't. Be my subordinates. And for now, you can live here.”

The four of us—myself, Bepo, Penguin and Shachi—have experienced immense loneliness in this world, and somehow managed to overcome despair.

I think it's possible Law recruited everyone in his crew in similar fashion (of course his first three friends remain special regardless). He seems to have easier time to relate to people who know how despair feels like and he wants to help them leave that feeling behind, to see things from a different perspective, to show them that no matter what, there are still probably other ways out, and if there aren't, he will make one happen.

Heart Pirates are also responsible for lesser tasks so that Law himself doesn't have to do it, like keeping an eye on Luffy.

Some Hearts, like Clione, Uni and Ikkaku even disagreed with the idea of the alliance. At first I thought Law told his crew that they don't have to get along with the Strawhats, because he respected that some might feel uncomfortable doing that, but nah, in the end it was just payback for Luffy not introducing Law to his own crew properly.

It's not the only time Law's crew complained to him so directly. When they were supposed to enter the New World, Law told them they need to wait and that they need to shut up and listen to him, because they should trust his plans. Despite his crew's big enthusiasm and competitive spirit, they were actually a bit scared to enter the New World, because when they saw beasts in the calm belt they definitely panicked a bit. So Law's decision was probably the right course of action.

Bepo also isn't afraid to scold his captain, when Law stares at yonko instead of escaping Marineford or when he chooses to drop down the waterfall in Wano. Law always seems to win each and every time tho. They also have no fear on calling him out for showing off ;)

Let's not forget that despite the fact that Heart Pirates can voice their complains openly, they were still kinda left in the dark and learned about the alliance from the newspaper. Ouchie, Law :D Nami might have a point when she said Law is just like Luffy.

They're very loyal, not only to Law, but to each other as well. They also share their duties on Polar Tang, like cleaning or maintaining the submarine, all together.

“You… no, the lot of you can really help others without asking anything in return, huh.” (Wolf about Law, Shachi, Penguin and Bepo)

Shachi, Penguin and Bepo always accompany Law wherever he goes.

His whole crew protects him whenever they can.

And of course they love him so much. Law might be a grumpy captain, but he for sure returns the love he received from them, in his own way. Let's not forget Bepo, Penguin and Shachi were there for him when he lost everyone again, after what happened to Cora-san. They basically supported each other in their biggest time of need.

Despite some of them protesting, they all get along with Strawhats in that alliance in the end :) Hearts are also very fun loving people, who definitely like to party :D

Law might be quite overprotective about his crew, but he does trust them enough to take care of themselves and pick their own battles in the Onigashima's raid. Hearts also worry for Law a lot and cheer him on and celebrate his won battles ❤

“Hmph. Well, alright then. It’s just that when you’re not feeling well, the rest of the lot are out of it too.” (Wolfe said this to Law, suggesting that whenever Law is feeling under the weather, it affects his friends)

I have to act strong. I have to act cool. If I stay gloomy in this situation, the other three will continue to live in fear. I can’t let that happen. (Law to himself)

At first Law didn't think much about his responsibility over his crew, he learned that along the way and thanks to Wolf's guidance. He decided to do everything he can so he can protect his friends and show them that they can rely on him, and they make sure to return the favour.

Now let's take a moment to celebrate Penguin and Shachi being little horny perverts ;)

In the end, I'm the only one scolded by Wolf. Bepo and the other two look at me like they are sorry, but I know that tomorrow things will be exactly the same. Since we’ve been living together, I’ve learned that these three will forget their transgressions in a day’s time.

This is probably another reason why Law chooses to ignore most of Hearts antics :D

I gotta say Shachi is certainly having hots for Penguin, basing it on this image ;) or at least he would be even more into him if he had, well, bigger tits.

Now we all know Law left his crew on Zou so that Doflamingo doesn't use them against him in the fight. But did you ever wonder why Law recruited Jean Bart into his crew? Saving a slave is one thing, but taking him into his crew is another. I think Law cares for his crew so much that he recruited someone strong and experienced as a captain who can take care of them in case Law can't (in time of need when he's missing in action, but also in case something went horribly wrong and they would be left without a captain). Recruiting Jean Bart was a strategic move and I believe it's to make sure someone takes care of the Heart Pirates in Law's absence.

“I definitely want to see my brother," Bepo said after a long silence. “It’s fun living here with everyone and all, but sometimes I think of him. I wonder if he’s doing okay, or if something happened to him. That’s why I’ve continued studying navigation since I got here. I’m terrible at it, but I can finally draw maps. So I definitely want to set out to find my brother some day, I think.”

This is one of the reasons why Heart Pirates ventured into Grand Line, besides Law's motivation to fullfill Cora-san's wish. He actually made sure to fullfill Bepo's wish before his very own one!

And finally, to answer your second question in the ask: does Law love his Heart Pirates as much as he loves Cora-san? I will allow Law to speak for himself, quoting the novel:

What was Cora-san for me? We had no blood relationship, and we didn't even know each other that long. Yet somehow, we were family. A love that could be felt without even putting it into words. I was wondering if I could love someone like that again. If I stay with Junk-ya and the bear, can I come to love them? Or will it continue to be a give and take relationship, as the old man says, where we just use each other?

After Wolf signed his name, we all followed suit. Seeing all our names next to each other on the paper, it’s strange. It is almost like we were a family.

Actually, we all looked happy, myself included. This place is definitely irreplaceable to me, I realized once again.

I can’t keep looking backwards; I have to move forward. Together with the happiness of being with friends, no matter how much I waver.

I found some salted fish that was on sale, so I bought it. In my head popped the pleasantly surprised faces of Bepo and the old man, and the expressions I imagined soon became my own.

Two months have flown by since the five of us started this life together. Eating meals, bathing, thinking of games to play, and bullshitting together under the same roof. It's the type of life I had never experienced until now.

But I have friends now—I have people who can allow me to forget the pain and the rage by distracting me with stupid things. That’s all I need.

And in case you wonder how did Law ask them to become a pirate crew together, here you go:

“I'll be leaving the island in a week. What do you want to do?” I ask them the question, trying to stay as natural as possible. “I will not force you to do anything. You can very well continue to lead the same life, to eat with the old man by exchanging jokes and get on with your job in town. Only, if… if you ever… wanted to come, then… that… that would help me a lot.”

(and after they all enthusiasthically agree:)

“Alright, I know I can count on you. That's all I'm saying.”

And from that moment on, Law gives them a name: Heart Pirates. Because they're a crew that belongs to Law, but also to Cora-san, and that's the meaning behind the name. If Cora-san lived, Hearts would be *his* crew as well. In some alternative reality, they could all be happy together sailing the seas.

So I guess, my final answer is: Law loves them because he found friends in them, his new family, and he wished he could share this happiness with Cora-san as well. I doubt there are many people out there who would get that privileage! Heart Pirates are definitely irreplaceable to him.