#like i guess like what you like and ship what you ship

[diushek]

Mobei Jun who doesn't understand why his Emperor is so in love with the cold bitch Shen Qingqiu, or why his little and cute husband seems to smile like a sun every time he sees him in the court.

So, he starts trying to understand what is so interesting about the man. He watches him do things, talk to servants... At first it's normal, even boring; then Shen Qingqiu has a heated conversation with some diplomats-cultivators about not disrespecting demon culture and wanting to change it just on a whim, he smiles warmly watching a puppy of a dangerous beast that apparently one of the kitchen servants has been secretly raising, and he has conversations with the court dancers about whether they are safe or getting well paid for staying so late at the parties that Luo Binghe is forced to throw for his guests.

Shen Qingqiu barely draws his sword, but when he does so to practice in the inner gardens, Mobei Jun only watches the display of a powerful martial movement gorgeous like that of a warrior and delicate like a dance.

And Mobei Jun spits out his viperous tongue, hostile to servants disrespectful to his Emperor, cruel to low-ranking demons who try to start uprisings. Shen Qingqiu has a string of flowery swear words and insults that would make a drunk blush. And if that's not enough, he has the ability to scold even high-ranking demons in the court as if he were a strict mother.

... Mobei Jun is beginning to see quite a bit of Shen Qingqiu's appeal. Well, he'll have to keep his distance. He's perhaps satisfied his curiosity too much already, and it's clear that his Emperor's wife is not taking secondary husbands; even if it is clear that he and his cute husband would be satisfied with a place in the Emperor's wife's harem, Mobei Jun is sure that this has never crossed Luo Binghe's mind, because otherwise they probably wouldn't be alive.

[ajmakoko]

No, this isn't what is happening.

Elon and Trump are both owned by Putin. Putin is Russia's leader and is part of BRICS. BRICS wants to come out with a currency that is gold backed, oil backed, and other mineral backed. We are already in WW3 over these minerals around the entire world, along with spaces that will be more habitable for upcoming climate change.

BRICS countries want as much of each of these resources as they can get before the currency is released. And they also need to collapse USD and western wealth, partially to mess with oil trades and partially to weaken the trading power of the entire west.

Tesla ($TSLA) valuation has always been artifical bc it's how Elon gets paid and eventually a wealth transfer will happen back. Elon and foreign governments including Saudi Arabia have been inflating his stock. He then can take loans out against the stock that are very low interest rate, while the stock (theoretically) appreciates at a much greater rate than the loan interest - always coming out ahead. Either way, the inflation of the stock by pseudo investors and the later loan are essentially him money laundering bribes.

Likewise, as a real estate guy, Trump can put loans on properties he owns - but I will say Trump did just make several billion in his Trump crypto coin, and yes, crypto is part of this. Have you ever read about how art is sometimes used for money laundering? Well, guess what, real estate in the US is the same (and that's also why so many sex workers are real estate agents - they are getting paid for their sex work but it's getting labeled as their real estate agent fees). Thus, US housing price is inflated by criminal activity. And they will collapse the housing market with the federal grant freeze alone.

They are also messing with the bonds system by infiltrating the treasury (almost certainly a main goal).

And when they are done, our assets (including all the gold and oil in Alaska, Canada, Greenland, California, etc) will belong to BRICS. And our leaders are too scared to admit this to the public.

Trump will be trafficking humans and drugs all over the world for money as well. He most recently got some shipping containers for human trafficking. The people will be used for slave labor or perhaps parts. Anyone declared a criminal or 'illegal immigrant' can be sent. Likely he will allow other countries to carry out the death penalty and he has already expanded the death penalty to be compulsory in some cases, namely, if you murder a police officer (doesn't exclude K9 units or robots); or if you committed any crime where the death penalty is available AND you're a migrant.

He needs foreign governments to help scramble the records of where people are ending up. Don't forget, Assad went to Russia too, and Assad ran some of the most sophisticated and massive death camps in modern times. And again, Russia owns Trump. They are all in it together to take down the west.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-floats-foreign-imprisonment-us-criminals-repeat-offenders-rcna189522

https://www.nbcnews.com/investigations/incoming-trump-administration-plans-deport-migrants-countries-rcna182896

https://www.semafor.com/article/02/06/2025/trump-administration-container-company-to-provide-temporary-migrant-housing

What will happen next with Israel will be... I mean no one knows ig. BRICS, especially India, Russia, Iran, will use Israel to further their own causes. Then they will backstab them. Egypt is also part of BRICS and is notably where Trump wants to send Gazans (and who will be checking to make sure they aren't being trafficked?).

Australia is also in some danger due to their gold, my guess is likely from China but who knows.

We're all rightfully upset about the fascism, but also I think it looks like the B Story here is that Musk and Trump are both materially broke.

Unless they liquidate assets that would cost them power and control, which obviously they don't want to do. So instead they're staging a heist on the US Treasury and trying to redirect our tax dollars into their own businesses.

This feels like the plotline to a South Park episode and I mean that extremely derogatorily.

[sogoodtoheritsvicious]

broke the sweetest promise (that you never should have made)

summary: your relationship with lando ends before it can ever really begin

parings: lando norris x ex!reader x harry styles

vicious speaks: this was supposed to be a cute little fic after i was inspired when listening to ‘electric touch’, and now it’s taken on a life of its own! i hope you enjoy this new mini series 💕 i had to make lando the bad guy, i’m sorry 😭 this is just setting the stage so there’s not a lot of harry but don’t worry, he’s in the next part!!

series masterlist

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lando we’re so golden ☀️

tagged yourusername

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yourusername we’re saurrr cute 💛

⤷ lando you definitely are 💛

⤷ fan1 can you put us all out of our misery and DATE ALREADY

⤷ fan2 fr!! yn’s looked like she’s been in love with lando for years and he’s been looking the same way lately 🥹

oscarpiastri two pretty best friends

⤷ yourusername missing our 3rd 😔💔

⤷ fan3 lmao oscar saw the shipping comments and said NOT on my watch 😭

⤷ oscarpiastri she can do better

⤷ lando SLOW DOWN SLOW DOWN

⤷ fan5 oscar PLEASE 😭

⤷ fan6 i fear osc isn’t joking

alexandrasaintmleux yourusername give me your hand in marriage NOW 💍💍 i’m SERIOUS

⤷ yourusername i’m all yours baby 😚

⤷ charles_leclerc i’m literally right here?

⤷ alexandrasaintmleux and?

⤷ yourusername is that supposed to mean something to us?

⤷ charles_leclerc damn okay

⤷ fan7 you got humbled so quick dkgjfjs

fan8 harry in the likes, what the hell 😭

⤷ fan9 maybe he’s an f1 fan

⤷ fan10 ooh i hope we’ll see him at a race!!

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fan1 IS MY LIFE A JOKE TO YOU

fan2 you’re crazy if you think we believe you’re just friends after this

maxverstappen1 oh my God did it finally happen?

fan3 this is basically a hard launch, right?

oscarpiastri you already know how i feel so i’ll just say that if you’re happy, i’m happy ❤️

fan4 you won’t last long, lando will get bored eventually 🤷‍♀️

yourbff bitch you have some explaining to do

fan5 omg are we about to get love songs for the first time?

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69,654 likes

tmz f1 driver lando norris and singer yn were seen in a pretty heated fight at a studio earlier tonight! apparently lando left her alone in tears. for those who don’t know, he and the singer have been best friends for a few years now, with fans recently speculating online about a relationship confirmation coming soon from the pair but those dreams were crushed when lando was spotted kissing a mystery woman on valentine’s day (see last slide).

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fan1 omg he’s such a WHORE

fan2 YN STANS WE RIDE AT DAWN 🤺

fan3 this is so sad, man. you can tell yn loves him and i thought lando loved her but clearly that isn’t true. she deserves so much better!!

fan4 leaving her alone in tears is such an evil move…lando norris you shall die by my sword

fan5 it was clear lando wasn’t ever going to see her as a serious option. she did this to herself!!

⤷ fan6 yn didn’t do anything to herself, lando is the one who keeps stringing her along, especially lately.

fan7 our girl needs to cut lando off, take time to heal and when she’s ready, move on with someone who actually loves her.

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fan1 damn tell us how you really feel 😭

fan2 this isn’t the confirmation post i wanted but i guess i’ll take it 🤷‍♀️

fan3 the fucking shade 😭😭

yourbff GET HIS ASS!

fan4 leave lando alone you weirdo

maxverstappen1 this is more information about lando than i ever wanted to know but i can appreciate what you’re doing it for

fan5 me when i lie

fan6 this is diabolical

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fan1 oh girl this is not it

fan2 this isn’t the serve you think it is

fan3 there’s still time to delete this

fan4 wow you really feel no shame in homewrecking

lando ❤️

⤷ itsaria you need to set the record straight about yn. people are in my dms calling me a homewrecker and i didn’t sign up for that shit, lando.

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yourusername i never wanted to bring this to social media but i was made aware that lando released a statement today that as you can see from above, is full of nothing but lies. we’ve been best friends for a few years now and i had been in love with him for almost all of them. we recently admitted our feelings for each other and decided to see where things would go between us. it was new, but we were relationship and he did cheat on me. i don’t know who he thinks he’s fooling but i haven’t seen or spoken to him since that night at the the studio and things between us are obviously not fine. i’m also pretty sure aria had no idea about me so please do not attack her. this is the last time i’m going to speak about this situation, as i want to move on with my life.

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theynsociety still not over taylor and yns surprise performance last night!!

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fan8 i’ve missed her so much!! she was literally glowing last night 🥹🫶

fan9 the fit!! THE HAIR!!! i have a feeling we’re about to enter her best era yet

fan10 harry’s always popping up in the most random places 😭

fan11 it’s been a long month, but clearly this break is doing wonders for her 😍

fan12 harry styles yn fan confirmed?

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taglist: @pansexualdarling

[katiekatdragon27]

Hey. Hey, guys. You'll never guess what I've been drawing.

Glisten: ...??

Glisten and his lame ass boyfriends!!!!!! Cheers to art dumps <3

[CW: SUGGESTIVE JOKE] More doodles below cut:

So! I know most of you come for the shinyshrimp stuff (WHICH WE WILL GET TO) but let me yap about Glisten and Razzle for a bit.

I LOVE YOU GLITTERMASK THEY COULD NEVER MAKE ME HATE YOU GLITTERMASK-

Glisten and Razzle got together like 3 months after Glisten and Boxten broke up. Razzle never really looked to Glisten that much outside of acquaintances (cuz he was kinda sorta lowkey jealous of Glisten's charisma and stage-presence). In fact, they were much more focused on Vee and maybe possibly had a crush on her, which is really funny in hindsight with Dazzle lol. However, after learning that Vee was a lesbian/being very rudely rejected by her, Razzle found comfort in Glisten and fell head-over-heels almost immediately.

The only problem is, Razzle has -10000 aura. His ass cannot be flirty or cool-charismatic at all.

Glisten: What do you do when you aren't distracting? Razzle: (Glisten likes mysterious people) I sell drugs!! Glisten: ... Excuse me? Razzle: (But Glisten also likes kind people) But ONLY to kids in need! Dazzle: (STOPSTOPSTOPSTOPSTOPSTOP-) *defeated whimper*

Razzle thinks he's that guy (they're not, they're pathetic honestly lol)

Also like, Razzle is suuuper dense when it comes to everyone except Dazzle. They struggle with self-reflection and other-people reflection, so he is completely convinced he is doing all the right things, when in actuality, they are very very very cringe.

Razzle: No see Dazzie, this is why they call me Rizzle. Dazzle: (No one has EVER called you that.)

Denseness is one hell of a drug, aye, fellas?

Dazzle is being pulled through the wringer trying to preserve whatever was left of her (and Razzle's) pride. It's not working. Girl is fighting for their life every time she is dragged over by Razzle in order to say a horrible pick-up line to Glisten.

(This is all pre-relationship btw. After they get together it becomes an inside joke and Glisten retorts with his own awful (although not nearly as bad) pick-up lines)

Now the moment you've been waiting forrrr 🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁

✨ Shinyshrimp ✨

I love them chat, I love them sm. They have so much drama and love and interesting things going on, they're so cool and fun n stuff and AUGHHHHH💥💥💥

Shrimpo being that one guy who craves affection but would literally bite anyone who gives it to him is so real to me. Homie wants a hug but ends up suplexing whoever hugged him outta reflex. Glisten, on the other hand, is one of the most affectionate people ever. He's not affectionate to everyone, but when you catch his interest (both platonic and romantic), he is very verbally and physically affectionate. He'll buy you things, he'll give you hugs, he'll let you invade his personal space, all stuff he would never let normies do.

Shrimpo loves this, however, homie has no idea how to deal with any kind of affection in a positive way. Cat-coded ahh guy. Glisten does find this amusing tho, so he's more inclined to be affectionate with Shrimpo to help him "get over it" in a way.

This is just for shits and giggles. I feel like everyone should draw this meme with their ships. It's a canon event at this point.

What can I say? He was hungry.

Can't forget my fankids. I love my fankids. I miss my fankids. I need to draw my fankids more istg I need to revamp their ask blog soon (especially with some new editions coming soon).

Also Hamlet looks smaller because most of his internal structure is made of ribbon and stuffing, so he shrinks into a ball when happy. He also loafs like a cat, what a guy.

Also also also what the skibidi sigma happened to my prep-jock ship?? Why is it backwards???

I drew these because I had a vision of the little doodle below and only thought it would work if they were swaped... sooooo... here we are.

Scapmi is a preppy goth-ish shrimp with an eye for fashion and artistry. With a smart mouth and a massive ego, he often comes off as an annoyance to others. He loves to be front and center in everything but often has to fight with his internalized idea that everything is a competition that he needs to win no matter what. It causes him a lot of stress and self-doubt, but he'd never let anyone see his weaknesses.

Gash is a shrap-toned violent mirror who speaks more with his fists than his voice. He hates everything that is not himself (and sweets) and makes sure people know that. He used to be a perfectionist, but after an accident permanently cracked his face, he dropped his "perfect" persona in favor of a messy, more hateful one. He wants connection but doesn't know how to express his needs in an understandable way, and that frustrates him immensely.

As you can see, match made in heaven.

Gash: DUDE, WHAT THE F*CK!? Scampi: There's a smudge on you- Gash: I DON'T CARE! LET GO!! Scampi: Not 'til I'm done. (Your natural blush is gorgeous; shame it's on you tho)

So yeah, swap shinyshrimp lore drop yippee.

Have a good one chat, til I reappear again✌️✌️

[amphibiahawks321]

How about Anya from Mouthwashing x Male Reader?

[Anya gently adjusting your bandages, her hands extra careful]

Anya : You need to be more careful, patching you up more and more and I'll have to end up bandaging your whole body

M!Reader(Smiling softly) : Chuckles... Weeeell, I don't mind getting a few more of it means getting to see you like this, you always take good care of me~

[Y/N said now with a smug grin, Anya pauses blushing slightly and gave Y/N a finger flick on his forehead earning a quiet "ow"]

Anya : It is my job to care, even if it's true that's not a reason to get hurt y'know

M!Reader : Oh you would be surprised how much I love seeing you my nurse!

[Once again, Anya starts getting blushy again, tightening the bandage]

Anya : Just... Don't get too hurt, okay?

M!Reader : ...... Chuckles... Fine, fine, I mean... You are the nurse Afterall~

[Anya finally letting out a quiet but long soft laugh, making Y/N starts smiling from the sight of her smiling—Daisuke enters the room]

Daisuke : Guys, guys guess what! We found a few fireworks on the ship!

M!Reader : Gasp✨ Wait really!!?

Anya : Wait wha!?–NO!

[eand47]

I forgot something

ONE SHOT - Portgas D Ace/Reader (female)

DESCRIPTION: OP Verse | Friends to lovers - fluff, slight angst

SUMMARY: It's your birthday and something or rather say - someone is missing.

WARNINGS: english is not my first language, explicit language, mentions of alcohol, mentions of Thatch's death, mentions of pet names (princess)

WORD COUNT: 3,8K

✰ masterlist ✰

NOTE: this is a special one for my girl @neospade as today is her birthday and as she has turned into my internet bestie I had to make sure to properly wish her a nice birthday ♡ I hope you enjoy this short piece on your day and have an amazing upcoming year ♡ I know that you are a sucker for angst so there is a little bit, but overall I really, really hope you like this one as I tried to include all your favorite tropes and character in this one - so I hope that you will enjoy my little present for you ♡ ily ♡

The sunlight is creeping through the window which means it’s time for you to wake up. Today is quite a special day for you as it’s your birthday. Usually, you are very excited when it comes to it, but this year is a little bit different. It isn’t about the age you are turning to, it is more about the upcoming celebration. You know that every single person from the crew is excited about tonight’s celebration as, since you were a child, your birthday has been treated as a holiday on the Moby Dick, after all your father was none other than the Whitebeard himself.

Sitting up in your bed a sigh leaves your lips. You have been feeling very down lately since a certain someone has left the ship to pursue revenge. It has been two months since Thatch was killed by Blackbeard and Ace has gone on his journey to avenge his comrade’s death. Not only you have to celebrate your birthday without one of the closest people you had while growing up, but on top of it, you have to spend the day without the person your heart desires the most.

Portgas D Ace – the second division commander of the Whitebeard’s pirates, has stolen your heart the moment he had stepped his foot on your father’s ship. Even when he was trying to kill your father you couldn’t help but feel your heart skip a beat every time you saw him. You never worried about his attempts towards your old man as you were sure that one day they would stop, and the hot-tempered boy would eventually cool off. While his attempts were still ongoing, you made sure to tend his wounds and clean his bloody nose every time, not only as an excuse to get closer to him, but also to get to understand why he was trying so hard to harm your father. Of course, he wasn’t very found of you in the beginning and refused your help, but slowly with time he started to cool off and open up more and more to the crew and you.

“Why…” His voice was low and groggy from his hundredth killing attempt towards your dad. You have come to leave him a bowl with warm stew in it, as you have noticed that most of the time out of pride he would refuse to eat with the rest of the crew or eat in general. “Why do you people call him ‘Pops’?” He was sitting on the deck with knees pulled towards his body and elbows resting on them, his head was hanging low as he had failed again, and he was getting tired of it.

You felt bad for him. It was obvious that the guy who was the same age as you had been faced with many demons inside his mind and it pained you, because if you put aside his want to fight your father so badly, he was clearly a good person.

“Because he calls them all ‘sons’ or ‘daughters’ and every one of them was hated in one way or another by the world.”  You offered him a gentle smile as he looked up to meet your eyes. “I guess, this brings people joy. It’s a simple word – but it does make them happy.”

“What about you?” The question he asked you took you by surprise which made you giggle. Didn’t he know?

“I have no choice but to call him that.” You said in between giggles as the boy in front of you had confusion written all over his face. “I am his biological daughter, Ace.”

His eyes widen when he heard the words leaving your lips. There was no way that something this beautiful and tender could be this man’s daughter.

You offered him another smile and walked closer to him, squatting down, you looked him in the eyes, this time with a serious look over your face. You knew that this must end once and for all, and the boy sitting in front of you was the one who should make up his mind.

“Ace.” You started and hoped that he would listen. “You got to make up your mind, because this can’t continue.” He looked away from you, avoiding your gaze as he didn’t want to admit that you were right. “You can’t kill him, no matter how much you try and even if you do, what do you gain by doing so?”

You didn’t get any answer to this question, but since that night Ace has changed. He has agreed to be part of the crew and not long after that your father has made him his second division commander.   

The more time has passed, the more you two have grown closer, which leads you to right now. You have no idea where he is, how he is or with who he is. Every day you check the newspaper with fear, but you try to tell yourself that no news should be good news. If he is in danger or something has happened to him, it would be known. You two have grown to be extremely close friends to a point where you would always get teased, especially by Marco and Thatch that you two are meant to be more than friends, but you have always ignored them. While Ace was quite oblivious to the fact that you have feelings for him, the rest of the crew isn’t. On top of that, your father has moved you to the second division, which was a surprise for you because since you could remember you were always under Marco’s command, but you chose not to question your father’s choices. Being in the second division only brought you even closer to Ace, and the more you got to know him, the harder you were falling for him, but again no matter what anyone was telling you, you couldn’t bring yourself to confess your feelings for him, afraid of being rejected and making things awkward between you two.

You get up from bed and get ready for the day. Taking a step out of your private cabin you make your way to the deck. Passing by every crew member on the ship you are being greeted with congratulations for your birthday. Getting on the deck you see your father’s big figure sitting on his usual spot with Marco by his side. The moment your father sees you a big smile is placed on his face as he opens his arms, inviting you for a hug.

“Happy Birthday to my dearest child.” His voice echoes around and everyone cheers. Pulling away from his embrace you smiled at him.

“Thank you, dad.” Before you know it another pair of arms wraps around you in a suffocating hug and lifts you a bit from the deck’s floor.

“Happy Birthday little rascal.” Marco’s voice rings in your ears. “Are you excited for tonight?”

“Sure, I am.” You half shrug with your shoulders and chuckle a bit.

“You don’t seem to be.” Izo, who appeared from behind Marco, points out. “Happy Birthday beautiful.” He says and gives you a hug as well. 

“Thank you Izo, and yes, I’m excited for tonight. Don’t worry.” You try to brush it off before the teasing starts but it is too late.

“Oh, I’m sure if certain someone was here you would be more excited-yoi.” Marco chuckles and nudges Izo with his elbow. All you do is roll your eyes and ignore him as you don’t have the energy for this right now.

“Any news from him?” You turn to your father, but he just shakes his head and you nod understandingly. “Well, no news is better than bad news.” You whisper to yourself and turn around to walk away from the guys, going on with your chores for the day.

You can’t help but wonder what the man with raven black hair, who happened to steal your heart, is doing. Does he even remember that today is your birthday? He is super forgetful when it comes to things like this, but he did remember it last year, and this let you think to your birthday then – he tricked you into believing that he had forgotten it, only to surprise you later during the night with a trip to a nearby island where you two observed the night sky filled with start all night. Then just before you two got back to the ship he gifted you a red bean bracelet which matched the necklace he wore all the time and since then you haven’t taken it off.

Gestures and moments like that one made you fall in love with him more and more, but the courage to confess or even question if he feels the same way never comes. You know how hard it is for him to understand feelings and emotions in a first place, so you are sure that all he sees in you is a very good friend. Still, all the days and nights spent talking to each other, you or him falling asleep in the others cabin, led to your heart belonging to him and him only.

When he left without a second thought to revenge Thatch’s death without even saying goodbye to you or asking you to go with him left a bitter taste in you. You wanted to go after him, but everyone stopped you from doing so, instead until he comes back you are in charge of the second division, after all your skills in combat and fight strategies are exceptional, so no one in the crew mind you taking over them and it is only until Ace comes back.

The day goes by slowly, but before you know it everyone gathers on the deck and starts celebrating for you and your special day. You are trying to enjoy the night as much as you can, but nothing feels good enough. Your father, Marco, Izo and everyone else are throwing toast after toast in your honor, but you can’t even finish your first drink while everyone else is at least on their fifth or sixth. You are sitting with some of the nurses when your father calls you out to go to him. Excusing yourself you get up and go to your father, wondering what he wants from you now. As much as you love your old man, sometimes he is pain in the ass, and you just hope that tonight he won’t give you one of his life lectures. Taking a seat next to him you give him a questioning look.

“Since when you don’t enjoy celebrating your birthday?” That is all he asks you while taking a glance at you.

“I’m just growing old, I guess.” You shrug, obviously not in the mood for anything and almost done pretending that you are in the mood for any celebration. And this isn’t only for your birthday, you have been like this since Ace left, but today all the feelings you have bottled up feel a little bit heavier than any other day.

“It is because the stubborn brat is not here, isn’t it?” Your dad chuckles with bitterness in his voice. He does miss Ace, too. This is how much of an effect Ace has on people – just like the sun he is attracting everything and everyone towards him. His charisma is so big that there isn’t a possible way in which someone will meet him and not fall in love with him at once. He knows how to charm his way into people’s hearts, especially yours.

“Don’t act like you don’t miss him yourself.” You look over your shoulder at your father and his laughter fills up the air.

“I do miss him. The ship is too quiet without him, there is no one wreaking chaos around.” He says in between laughs. Both of you stay silent for a minute observing the party around you. A deep sigh escapes your lips as you decide to call it a night. You aren’t in the mood, so it is pointless to stay up any longer.

“I’m calling it a night, dad. Don’t drink too much.” You get up and place a kiss on your father’s cheek, wishing him good night. His laughter fills up the air once again as he wishes you good night and tells you not to worry about him.

Making your way to your cabin you stopped a few times as some crew members stopped you for a little chitchat, but it doesn’t take you long to finally reach it. Taking a step in and closing the door behind you, you noticed the big window in it is being open.

“That is strange.” You tell yourself as you remember clearly that you have closed it last time you were in your cabin or maybe you remember wrong. Walking to it you close it and the second it makes the clicking noise that indicates it is being closed, a pair of arms wrap around you with one hand on your middle and the other on your mouth stopping you from screaming.

“Sh, sh, it’s me.” You don’t need to be told twice as you immediately recognise the voice. You relax in the arms that are now strongly wrapping you in a hug. “Happy Birthday, princess.” He whispers in your ear. You waste no more time and turn around to face him. You can’t believe your eyes, after two months you are face to face with the deep dark eyes you have fallen in love with so deeply. This can’t be real, you must be dreaming.

“Ace.” You can feel tears treating to fall from your eyes. “You… you remember.”

“How can I forget.” He chuckles as he pulls you even closer to him. It hits you just now how close the two of you are and how intimate this feels.

“Does anyone else know that you are here?”

“No, only you, and I intended to keep it that way.” He lets go of your body and instead takes your hands in his. “I’m very close to catching Teach and I’m not turning my back to what he did, but I couldn’t help not being part of your special day today.” He said while giving you one of his many charming smiles.

“Please, drop it.” You know that this won’t stop him from going after Blackbeard, but you have to try. “Just come back I beg yo-…”

“Hey, hey I’m here to celebrate you, not argue with you.” He lets a little laughter escape his lips in an attempt to brush off the topic.

“We are all worried sick about you Ace.”

“I’m fine as you can see.” He replies with a little eye roll. “Now birthday girl, how was your day?” He guides you to your bed as you both sit on it. You still can’t process the fact that he is here.

“It was okay.” You shrug. “How did you get on board without getting caught?” It just occurs in your mind that if only you are aware of the fact that he is here right now, this means that he getting on board has been unnoticed by whoever is in charge of the night watch tonight.

“I have my ways.” He winks at you with a little smirk playing on his face.

You two laid down and talked for hours. He told you about how he met his infamous little brother again and that now he has a crew on his own. He told you about all the troubles he had gotten into while searching for Teach, but you weren’t surprised, after all Ace so reckless at times, yet it was so fun listening to his stories while your eyes traced every freckle on his face. You have missed his face so much. You have missed him so much.

Before you know it, the sun is back on the horizon, which means that soon he will be gone. You know that you can’t do anything to change his mind regardless avenging Thatch, but you can’t bare the thought of not seeing him for who knows how long.

“Why did you come here Ace?” The question slips past your lips before you can stop it. “I mean… why did you come back today of all days?” You know how much he values his friends and family, but still… he only showed up for your birthday.

His cheeks get heated. Ace has come all the way here with one thing in mind but now with you in front of him, all his confidence has left the room, and he is not sure what to do or say next.

“It’s… it’s because… I-I know how important this day is for you.” He chuckles awkwardly.

“You are important to me as well.” You tell him not caring about how this will come out.

“And so are you to me.” He swallows hard before raising and sitting up in your bed, you follow him and wait for him to continue. Taking his orange hat off, Ace runs his fingers through his hair, pulling it a bit.

“Ace… are you okay?” You quietly asked.

“Yes, of course, I am.” He tries to brush you off, but you can easily see how tense his muscles are and also noticing that he is… nervous. You have never seen him nervous, what is he nervous for?

“I don’t believe you.” You gently place your hand in his and give it a little squeeze. “You know you can tell me anything. Is it something to do with Teach?” Saying out loud this name you immediately feel the anger building up in him.

“No, this has nothing to do with him.” He grinds his teeth as his jaw clenches, just hearing his subordinate name, who has betrayed your father and all of the crew in the worst way possible, makes his blood boils.

“Then what is it Ace?” Raising one of your brows, you are waiting patiently for him to give you an answer.

“I’m not the best with words and you know this.” He turns his body a bit towards you so he can face you better. “And I know that this might…” He sighs as he is struggling to find the right words. “This might complicate things between us… but… I’m… I-” His cheeks bloom with blush all over them as he looks away for a second before he curses under his breath. “Fuck this.” He says as he cups your face and pulls you closer to him. His lips, soft and plump, captures yours in a sweet full of desire kiss. It takes you less than a second to return it.

You have dreamed of this kiss for so long, maybe since the first week he came on board. His lips, his kiss, is even better than you have imagined – so gentle, yet full of passion. You both pull away at the same time to catch your breath as his hands gently caress your face. Leaning closer to him, your foreheads touch as you share a little eskimo kiss with a little laughter escaping from both of you.

“I missed you, Ace… I missed you so much.” You whisper.

“I missed you more.” He whispers back as he captures your lips once more in a sweet gentle kiss. “I… I have never felt that way before as I feel for you, and I had to make sure that you know it… just in case.”

“Please, don’t go.” You beg. “Or at least let me come with you that way you won’t have to be alone, and we can be together.” You place your hands on his face, cupping it as you kiss him, hoping that this will change his mind.

“I can’t princess.” He pulls away from you and exhales as it pains him – he doesn’t want to leave you, not now when he knows that the love is mutual, but he can’t risk losing you. Looking over his shoulder the morning twilight is set on the horizon, u means it is time for him to go before someone from the crew notice the Striker anchored next to the Moby Dick. “But I will be back here soon, very soon and then we can be together without any worries.” He wipes away the tear that falls down from the corner of your eye. “Don’t cry, I promise you – I will be back before you know it.” He pulls you closer for a hug as he wraps his strong arms around your form and places a kiss on your forehead. “In the meantime, you take good care of the second division, I’m sure you are doing even better job than me.” A soft boyish laughter escapes his lips as he kisses your forehead once more. “Again, I’m bad with words, but you mean everything to me. Never forget that.” He lifts your chin and kisses you one more time before he gets from the bed.

You are still sitting on it, knowing that all you have to do is wait – wait for him to come back to you, so you finally will be able to be together as you have always wanted.

Ace is about to sneak out from your cabin’s window when he turns around and calls out your name.

“I forgot something.” He says as he pulls out a little piece of paper. You get from the bed and stand next to the window where Ace is. He hands you a vivre card. “I forgot to give it to you last time, but now that you have this, no matter what or where I am, you will now know that I’m alright and that soon I will be back to you.” His hand reaches once again for your face and cares it so gently as if you are made of glass. With one last look he turns around and jumps over your window, but you grab his hand as he is about to run away.

“I love you, Ace.” You say as both of you are staring into each other’s eyes. “Please, come back to me soon.” With a heavy sigh you let go of his hand and look down at the vivre card he has given you, placing it to your heart with your hands on it.

“I will.” He says with a smile tilting his hat before running away and jumping out of the ship.

You hear the rumbling of the Striker and with that he is gone. But he will be back soon – after all he has promised you and Ace always keep his promises, and now that you have his vivre card you will never need to worry about any newspapers or so as, as long as it it pointing towards his direction you can and will always find your way to him and know that he is well and unharmed. Loving a man like Ace is a challenge, but you are willing to take this challenge any day because Ace is Ace, and you would never asked for anyone else but him.

writing, format, header & dividers © eand47 ©eand47, do not copy or plagiarise my work.

[mrghostrat]

Hey hey!

Do I remember that you like slowpoke?

May I ask if you've seen the newest thing for sale at the poke center?

That is all!

-ineffable-hyperfixation

(oh! Happy almost birthday btw!!)

HIII @ineffable-hyperfixation omg thank you for thinking of me 🥹 i do indeed love slowpoke with my whole ass and GUESS WHAT... in '22 when they first announced this plushie, my friends and stream community funded him for me thfhthpftf

with extra help from @tinadayton, since the poke centre wouldn't ship to australia!! she received him at the frameratemerch warehouse for me, then ALSO repackaged him after vacuum sealing so he wouldn't cost an arm and a leg!

it only cost an arm instead! i owe him and my community my LIFE

he's ollie's favourite ramp up to my bed, and makes for great terrain when he's running around throwing his kibble in the air. and we've moved house a few times with him, which is always an interesting experience 😂

actually just finished our most recent move YESTERDAY!! and he's the best surface for "i'm so exhausted i need to faceplant"-ing after a big move 👍

[olderthannetfic]

Asking for a friend: what is the etiquette when someone gifts you a fic anonymously and maybe you didn't like it much? And what if the fic hypothetically is a mash-up of ideas and scenes of fics that you yourself have written with the same ship? I'm torn between "we have two cakes now" and "did you have to forcefully put this piece of cake on my plate?"

--

I mean. On the friend's plate, you know...

Well, do you think this is a case of

?

It's like when that one aunt you barely know shows up for the Christmas gathering after ten years and gets you a pair of itchy socks. You smile and then don't wear them.

I guess if it's anonymous I might not even say anything, but you could leave them a brief and tepid thank you. That's the most I'd do.

[reingkings]

Yes, I haven’t read some of these but I am familiar with the writers to some extent, especially Catcher in the Rye which was a favorite of mine. There is a pervasive theme of isolation and disillusionment with society with all of them.

Holden specifically had the obsession with feeling alone, feeling that the adults in society were all fake and the adults proved him right by constantly disappointing him. I read that book all the time at like sixteen. The thought of In-ho reading, “I was trying to feel some kind of good-bye. I mean I've left schools and places I didn't even know I was leaving them. I hate that. I don't care if it's a sad good-bye or a bad good-bye, but when I leave a place I like to know I'm leaving it,” and relating to it makes me want to cry a little.

Nietzche well, I haven’t read is work, but I have read some of his letters. I remember a quote of his being, “voice seldom reaches me nowadays. I am alone now, absurdly alone; and in the course of my relentless and underground struggle against everything that human beings till now have revered and loved, I have imperceptibly become something like a lair myself - something hidden away, which people do not find, even if they go out and look for it. But people do not go out in search of such things…” I don’t remember who he wrote it to, but he was very lonely.

And then Lacan. I don’t know much about him but he was on my to-read list based solely on the quote, ““I love you, but because inexplicably I love in you something more than you, I mutilate you.” In one particular section of Seminar XI. (I’m sorry but the quote and the meaning behind it feels so 457 ship to me). I also think Lacan was a big fan of surrealism which explains the numerous painting collections.

Penrose stairs anyone?

Of course, this is surface level. I would have to actually read these books to possibly guess what parts In-ho had a connection with. Lacan’s philosophies seemed to be the focus of his attention. It was the one sitting at the center of his desk.

In-ho’s books.

Does anyone who speaks Korean happen to know what it says on his shelves? This is season 1 episode 2. The time stamp is around 28:45. I’ve managed to work these out:

Fiction

Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger

Basic Writings of Nietzche

Desire and its interpretations by Jacques Lacan

3 Unknown (appear to be fiction, titles are Korean, sit next to Van Gogh)

1 Unknown (first book from left next to Nietzche’s)

Seminar XI: Four Basic Concepts of Psychoanalysis by Jacques Lacan (credit: afterubleedout-blog for finding it)

Visual

Picasso’s Blue and Rose Period

Van Gogh: The Complete Collection

A Claude Monet book (unclear)

Renée Margritte’s Empires of Light (I believe a picture of her paintings is also hanging on his wall)

There is another shelf on the top left with more books but I think it would be virtually impossible to recognize them unless you already knew it by the spines.

[luffydotcom]

sharing their interests

synopsis: what happens you have the same interests as them (sword-fighting and cooking)

feat: zoro and sanji

notes: could've included the other characters for this, but i feel like for zoro and sanji this would work best!! i've honestly ALWAYS wanted to learn to use a sword. also don't mind how i can't write a fight scene to save myself 💔

also i will make a masterlist soon i just barely have any posts right now RAH

zoro

ZORO has lived by the ways of the blade his whole life. he eats, sleeps and breathes his training, and takes pride in his abilities. but for him its more than just a display of strength, and not limited to protecting others, but what he enjoys doing the most - he wants to become the greatest there is after all - so he is genuinely passionate about it.

so one day, when the crew stops by a marketplace on a new island, and you take keen interest in a display of swords, he is very much intrigued that it also caught your attention. even he can't help admiring the designs of the swords, despite being perfectly happy with his own.

"i didn't know that you were interested in this sort of thing," he folds his arms, looking down at where you're squatted.

"i have learnt how to sword-fight in the past... but i wouldn't exactly call myself a pro," you tell him as you trace your finger over the blade, careful sure not to cut yourself. "even though it's been a while, i still enjoy it and admire people who are great at it."

zoro quickly looks away just for a second, before looking back with a small smirk. "is that so? i want to see for myself." he tried to hide his interest in seeing the skills you claimed to have had.

"i guess i could try, but i'm probably rusty now and these swords are pretty expensive." you sigh as you stand up and face him.

before zoro could argue, you hear loud voices chanting not too far away from you both. you and zoro turn your heads to see some marines not too far away, obviously having recognised you both, charging faster in your direction with weapons in their hands.

zoro was quick to draw out his swords and fight, however you had an idea, and a highly impulsive one. you quickly snatch one of the swords from the display, much to the dismay of the stall's owner as you let out a short "sorry, but i need to borrow this!" and follow zoro into the fight.

with all your strength, and despite how unsure you were of yourself, you grip the sword tightly and slice the marines, making them fall onto the ground and heave in pain, then turn around to fight off the rest that are behind you. having been victorious, and seeing them on the ground, you laugh, pleasantly surprised at yourself. from the corner of your eye, you catch zoro smiling at your show as he deals with the last marine.

after that day, zoro now felt a new level of respect, but also admiration of you, stunned that you also had an interest and talent in the same thing as him. he even bought you the sword that you had used, which nami wasn't too happy about at first, but he wanted to see you in action again, better if by his side.

he mentally made note to ask you to train with him one day and even show you techniques that you might be interested in - he's excited to have a sparring partner to practice with!

sanji

cooking is SANJI'S whole life, it was his very first love and he would never trade it for the world. he loves the feeling of making and serving food to hungry people with a smile, even if he's the only one doing it on the ship.

when sanji discovers that you have a knack and enjoyment for cooking yourself, his love and admiration for you grows tenfold.

after returning to the sunny with groceries for dinner, sanji notices a heavenly smell coming from the kitchen. he knows it can't be luffy - he would never be able to make food smell that good without burning the kitchen down. when he opens the door, he is surprised to see you busying yourself rolling dough and pressing it into shapes, while something is baking in the oven.

"mon chéri, are you making something?" he sets the shopping down on the counter and comes to inspect what you're doing.

"yes, luffy was getting hungry and you weren't here, so i decided to make pastries for us all to share," you indicated to what was baking in the oven. "sorry, i didn't want to use the kitchen without asking you, but i didn't want luffy to wreak havoc with his hunger..."

"it's no problem, love," he smiles warmly, then glances at the pastries you're moulding, each in pristine and neat shape. "they look amazing, i didn't know you were so experienced!"

you laugh quietly. "i love cooking so much - and baking - but i love your cooking much more."

sanji flushes for a second, taken aback by the sincerity in your compliment, but also your modesty. "you should've told me sooner, dear. and you don't need to ask to use the kitchen - in fact, i'd love it if we cooked together."

after the rest of the crew joins you both and share the finished pastries together, sanji feels so happy that he's discovered that he has a common interest with someone in the crew, especially because it's his number one passion!

that same night, after you tell him about how much you love cooking and what you've made in the past, he practically begs you to cook dinner with him - not because he can't manage on his own, but he knows it would be more fun if he was doing it with someone who is also passionate as he is. after, he even lets you borrow his favourite cookbooks, lets you in on his best recipes, and makes it a personal mission to cook with you more!

[indieyuugure]

i have come back.

and I mean ALL of the ships you do.

from any or all aus.

^^

Ah okay! I’ll least by version then: (I linked lesser known characters to their TMNTpedia pages)

-87: I like Leo x Lotus, Raph x Mona Lisa, and Mikey x Kala

-03: I like Casey x April

-12: I like Raph x Mona Lisa, Casey x April

-Rise: none. Though I feel like if they made a version of Mona Lisa, I would 100% ship her with Raph because I feel like her mom-esque personality would be so adorable paired with Raph’s tense/high-strung personality 💕

-MM: Leo x April is cute, though I’m not like super obsessed. Lowkey get the vibe that April’s not into him, like, at all. So…yeah.

I also have what I like to call “joke ships,” which is basically just the kind of ships where I feel like it’d be funny to tease these characters that they’re totally a married couple, but I don’t actually seriously ship them:

-87: Shredder x Krang (“Krang that purple compliments your hideous eyes!🙃” “Why thank you Shredder🥰” ???)

-03: Donnie x Sydney (idk Donnie, you tell me why you’re so obsessed with going down to the PITS OF FREAKING HELL to see her???)

-12: Bebop x Rocksteady (They are so cringe and hilariously hopeless, the bro-mance is spectacular. Their interview with 87 Shredder and Krang in that one episode is just comedy gold 🤣)

-Rise: kinda not as much for Warren x Hipno as Bebop and Rocksteady, but it’s still absurd for the same reason so might as well I guess.

-MM: none.

I’d say that’s a pretty comprehensive list of the ships I like—both serious and not—hopefully that answers your question! Didn’t include any movies since there aren’t any movies that I have any ships in so it’d be kinda redundant to include them.

Good question! :]

[voidcat]

siren!togame x sailor!reader.

gender netural reader as always. slight mention of choji if you squint. thinking about our siren wbrk talk with mari again so have this... i forgot i wrote this during my tumblr break LMAO

when you first meet the siren with emerald eyes and silky hair, you find yourself too immersed in his captivating looks that you forget why youve been staring in the first place.

he is an odd one, not a man, but one.

it's not everyday for people in your line of... business to be running into his kind, although there has been a suspicious increase in their activity, but this one piques your interest entirely and completely.

recent news about a blond siren causing havoc, all fangs and feral, already off your mind, you approach the odd one on a day neither too cloudy nor sunny- just ideal, just perfect.

pleas and concerns your crew has voiced already gone, falling on deaf ears, you approach the creature, not captivated, nor enhanced-- that is, if you dont count fascination with curiosity as a subclass of that.

you're not fazed by his lack of surprise, but make a mental note when you notice he's not the talkative type.

his kind is bold, loud and clear, showing themselves off, "hello world, i am here, see me and feed me." or that's what the widely accepted opinion of them is.

as you draw closer, you spot he is not alone on the broad rocks and rubbles. seals who exchange equally confused gazes with one another stare at you and him, taking his stance as no danger posing.

it feels weird, to have finally reached the object of your goals for the past months. long days and nights of spotting this siren that is not like any other and now here you are, face to face with him. no longer just exchanged glances by the small window of your cabin that you were certain you made up in your head.

resting his chest against his palm, he wears a smug yet gentle expression. you're unsure if it's the eyes that make it genuine or the curled up corner of his mouth that makes it cocky.

by the time you'll know him as togame and more than just an 'odd one out' of his species, it won't take you many conversations, but it'll take a long time. such as the fate of being a feeble human on a ship and a feared creature of the sea.

getting onto the edge of the rock, you take one step further, resting your elbow there, mirroring his position as you rest your chin against your fist.

"so, what has gotten a beast like you tied down to a bunch of rocks? tired of us already?"

you're odd, togame thinks. normally sailors detest his species- if they can get over their fear. anyone within their peak form would be killing for this opportunity, to capture one, get years long revenge and so on.

instead, you approach him like a sailor to a maiden back on land, after eyeing her up all night, paying for her drinks across the pub...

smiling coyly, you wait, your gaze never wavering, ignoring the odd colors in the back and the confused sounds the seals make.

"maybe it's because i've simply have something better to do." he says and you halt, "got my crew right here." he follows and watches as your smile drops, confusion taking over.

he counts, 1, 2, 3... 10 seconds it takes for your eyes to dart between the seals behind him and Togame himself- still confused, until your eyes land on shells and torn off pieces of coral spread on a flatter rock between all of them.

a game?.. you wonder, tossing what he said to the side for now, how it implies they attack simply because they're bored.

well, certainly the blond one is- at least from what you've seen, all his attacks on ships, he seems to be living off the thrill of it, not caring as long as he swims away freely at the end of the day.

"A game, then." you voice your guess, gathering your initial confidence. or maybe it's lack of care, Togame isn't sure of it just yet.

"hmmh" he hums in agreement, as he turns to exchange looks with the seals. "care to join? we can teach."

the whole exchange from start to finish feels off. distant in a corner with no one knowing your exact location- all you've learned so far, even if he said those intentionally or not, and you swear those seals are an endangered species in these waters- last seen at least a century ago.

so they come out just for him? or for all of them? the questions swarm your head, you don't even realize you've been leaning further and further, slowly, your expressions long gone, face now blank, try to decide on a dominating emotion to display.

he seems to take this as confusion and giggles. breaking his pose, he leans towards your direction and holds out his hand "no need to be afraid now, we don't bite."

and within these words alone, you know it deep down, simply and with your entire heart that he means it- no siren voice involved, no odd feelings rising.

maybe that's how they truly lure their victims. no magic voice behind it but simply their charms. yet you are ready to take your chances.

taking another step further, you take his hand and let him pull you up to the rock he's residing on, genuinely, innocently, to play a game.

[djarins-cyare]

Get to know your moots!

Thank you for the tag, @djarinmuse! I love these little questionnaires 😊. Challenging myself to be more succinct in my answers for once (yeeeah, don’t all hold your breath 😅)

What’s the origin of your blog title?

In a stunning lack of originality, I just used my writing pseudonym for my blog title: Jyar’ika. If it’s not obvious, that’s the Mando’a word cyar’ika (sweetheart) with a J for Jem replacing the C. It’s pronounced JAH-ree-kah, with emphasis on the first syllable (like Jessica or Erika). And on my sideblog, since it’s a rec blog, I’ve just titled it “Jyar’ika enjoyed…” because apparently WYSIWYG with me 🤗.

OTP(s) + shipname:

Oh man, there’ve been many over the years. I was an early X-Files fan, so MSR in real-time, of course. I shipped both Bangel and Spuffy at different points. Big on Polivia in the first few seasons of Fringe (when I discovered fanfiction existed). Fell completely down the fanfic rabbit hole with Carter/O’Neill from Stargate SG-1 (who unsatisfyingly never seemed to get a portmanteau ship name). Those are probably the main ones.

Favourite colour:

Teal; all shades thereof.

Favourite game:

It’s gotta be the old point n’ click PC games I played as a kid in the 90s, but I can’t pick one favourite. Big fan of the Monkey Island games, the Indiana Jones games, Maniac Mansion and Day of the Tentacle – basically anything LucasArts. Also, every game in the Broken Sword series, the Gabriel Knight series, and the Tex Murphy series. These are a fraction of the titles I played and loved.

Song stuck in your head:

I was doom-scrolling on Twitter the other day and saw (didn’t even hear!) a tweet saying Take That’s song ‘Shine’ was released 18 years ago, and it’s so iconic that my brain immediately played it to me. It’s been in there for days now! I was recently shocked and saddened to learn that most Americans don’t know about Take That 😱😭. I was never a massive fan or anything, but they are UK pop legends.

Weirdest habit/trait:

People at work think it’s weird that I don’t like speaking on the phone. If I have to have a phone call, I need to know what time it’ll be so I can prepare. But it’s because, without a visual of the other person, I find reading between the lines of neurotypical conversation more difficult. I can do it, but it’s an effort, and I need time to prepare for that kind of brain-taxing interaction.

Hobbies:

The Mandalorian, duh. Writing fics about it, mainly.

If you work, what’s your profession?

I’m in criminal law, basically doing the lawyers’ jobs for them because I have a critical eye for detail and can catch stuff they miss when preparing cases. But I never did my LPC, so I don’t have to go to court and do all the scary legal argument stuff. Win.

If you could have any job you wish, what would it be?

Author of a well-loved fiction series. I aim to make this happen one day, though at the rate I’m going, I’ll probably be retired when it finally happens! It comforts me to know that Douglas Adams always found writing to be a slow and arduous process, too.

Something you’re good at:

The English language, I guess. I have a good understanding of the technical side of writing.

Something you’re bad at:

In contrast to the above, the poetry of writing. I often struggle to ensure my writing is sufficiently dynamic and beautiful, and I have to go over things many times to try and inject more soul into my words. I’m glad I’m aware of this weakness, though – every day’s a school day, and there’s plenty of time and space to improve.

Something you love:

The Mandalorian, duh. Specifically Din Djarin.

Something you could talk about for hours off the cuff:

The Mandalorian, duh. Specifically Din Djarin.

Something you hate:

I try not to hate; this world needs more love. And if I can’t avoid hating, I do it quietly and won’t share it. So, I’ll pass on this question, thanks.

Something you collect:

Words. I love learning new ones. I love learning additional definitions and nuances of ones I already know. I can never have enough words.

Something you forget:

The time. Seriously, I have no sense of time whatsoever and am late for everything. I’ve just looked at the clock and realised it’s coming up 6:00am, and I haven’t gone to bed yet because I didn’t realise how late it is.

What’s your love language?

Of the five, mine is definitely the ‘acts of service’ one. I show love by trying to ease the burdens of others, and I feel loved when people do the same for me. At the other end of the scale is the ‘receiving gifts’ one… I can’t pick out gifts to save my life, and I always feel awkward receiving a gift I haven’t asked for and don’t need. Gifts are almost a hate language for me!

Favourite movie/show:

The Mandalorian, duh.

Favourite food:

I’m gonna say pizza. I don’t get to have it much anymore because I’m eating healthier these days, but I still indulge in the occasional Domino’s order.

Favourite animal:

Can I say Din Djarin when he’s been dosed with sex pollen? 😏

What were you like as a child?

As a very young child: unknowingly autistic. This mainly manifested in me ruining family vacations by refusing to step foot on a beach if there was any sign of seaweed, or enter a restaurant with ceiling fans, or get in a swimming pool if there was a mosaic on the pool floor. Anything outside my regular routine was terrifying to me, but nobody knew about autism in the 80s, so my parents just thought I was overly sensitive. I learned how to mask pretty early, though, so by the time I went to school, I’d figured out how to fit in. Despite that, I was always the kid who had intense hyperfixations (boys, TV shows, bands, hobbies). I still am, really!

Favourite subject at school?

English literature. Fiction was (and still is) my happy place. I also had a massive crush on my maths teacher when I was 13-14, so I was a maths nerd for a whole year. I still remember the quadratic equation!

Least favourite subject?

Religious education. It was the one subject I failed my exams in, mainly because I’m an atheist, and as a kid, I couldn’t see the point of learning about something I didn’t believe in. Later, I realised that exploring different worldviews helps us better understand ourselves and how to respect and appreciate diversity, so as an adult, I’ve made an effort to make up for my childish ignorance by learning as much as possible.

What’s your best character trait?

My autism. It heightens my attention to detail and makes me especially concerned about others’ happiness and well-being.

What’s your worst character trait?

My autism. It frustrates neurotypicals who don’t understand why I act or respond in particular ways.

If you could change any detail of your day right now, what would it be?

I would’ve gone to bed earlier. It’s 6:31am, and I’m tired.

If you could travel in time, who would you like to meet?

I’m not interested in going backwards, so nobody really. I’d probably go forward simply to check that the world didn’t end and that the USA didn’t turn into the Free American Independent Theocratic Hegemony (F.A.I.T.H.) or anything. (That’s a Bobiverse reference for anyone who’s never read Dennis E. Taylor… which, TBF, is probably most of you since his novels are pretty niche. I recommend reading them, though – super fun and packed with geeky pop culture references).

Recommend one of your favourite fanfics (spread the love!):

I finally got around to reading You Were Marked by @handspunyarns last week, and let me tell you, I could not stop binging it. It’s been a long time since I was last addicted to a fic to this degree. I’d had it on my TBR list for a while, but I’d prioritised others because I wasn’t sure if it would resonate with me since I don’t see any of myself in the main character… but boy, was I wrong! It’s extraordinary, compelling, and at times heartbreaking and agonising, but so well-written with exquisite worldbuilding and a daringly original plot, all of which seared it into my mind forever because I’ve never read anything like it. I implore you all to try it if you haven’t already. It’s a masterpiece 💜.

I usually check to see if the people I tag have already done the game, but I’ve really gotta sleep, so I’m just gonna tag at random here. I’m really sorry if any of you have done this already.

@604to647 @cheekychaos28 @cw80831 @darthbeebles @desert-fern

@dindenimchicken @frickatives @here-briefly @ishabull @jessthebaker

@lilac-boo @mosssbawls @nervoushottee @papurgaatika @qunariagenda

@roughdaysandart @the-color-is-black @the-mandawhor1an @toomanytookas @zaddymandalorian

[schrijverr]

I Didn’t Mean to Say I Do, but I Do. I Do. 46

Chapter 46 out of 50

Secret marriage of convenience buddie slow burn AU, where Buck and Eddie have been married for years so Buck could adopt Chris and no one at the 118 knows.

In this chapter, as they hear more tidbits about where Buck might be and what state he is in, worry creeps in, but Bosko’s injury and LAFD protocol is stopping Eddie from finding Buck. Is this how Buck will slip through his fingers?

On AO3.

Ships: Buddie

Warnings: injury

~~~

Chapter 46: Following Orders

As Eddie processes Bobby’s words, he can suddenly understand Bosko’s aggression from earlier and the need to cuss him out extensively. “What the fuck do you mean, I’m off the field? That’s bullshit,” he demands much like Bosko had.

“Eddie,” Bobby levels him with a look, “the two of you are family. You’re partners on and off the field. You’re not going to be able to make rational decisions and it’s going to put people in danger. I can’t have that.”

“I’m not compromised,” Eddie seethes. “In fact, we had a whole internal investigation to see if me and Buck could work together. And guess what? We can. So, you can’t do shit right now, Cap.”

Bobby takes a calming breath, obviously trying not to lose his cool. “Yes, I can. You’re not acting rational right now, just like Bosko isn’t about her Captain. I can make judgment calls in the field and I’m making this one.”

“Like hell you are,” Eddie yells. “You’re not making me sit out when my husband is out there!”

“You have your son to worry about,” Bobby roars back, losing the fight against his temper.

“My son needs both his fathers,” Eddie shouts, not afraid of Bobby’s temper and more than ready to fight back.

“And he’s going to have none of his fathers if you don’t listen to me, Firefighter Diaz,” Bobby says forcefully, jabbing Eddie in the chest with his finger. “You’re gonna get yourself killed with the head space you’re in, then where will Chris be, huh?”

At that Chris bursts out in tears again, all the yelling and mentions of people dying getting to him as he sobs: “I don- I don- I don’t wan’ you or papi to die.”

“Look what you did,” Eddie glares at Bobby, before turning to Chris and rocking him gently as he shushes: “No one is going to die, mijo. We’ll find papi, yeah? We’ll find him.”

“Pinky promise?” Chris asks, holding up his pinky after he wiped at his face to clear the tears from it.

“Yeah, pinky promise,” Eddie says, intending to keep it. He sends Bobby a meaningful look, as if to say ‘see, I pinky promised my kid, you can’t take me off the field now.’

Bobby sighs and goes for a reasonable voice when says: “Eddie, I’ll make sure everyone knows Buck is missing. The whole LAFD will be looking for him. We will find him. You just need to focus on Chris. Take these people and Bosko to the VA hospital and when we find Buck, you’ll be the first one to know.”

Eddie is gearing up to argue again, but Bosko is quicker. “You’re totally right, sir. We’ll do that.” It seems like Bobby finds her change of tune just as weird as Eddie, because he sends her a look. She elaborates: “Seeing Diaz, makes me realize how stupid I was.”

“What!” Eddie exclaims at her hypocrisy, but before he can go on, she elbows him in the side, shutting him up.

Bobby gives them a suspicious look and Bosko puts on an innocent expression he has never seen on her and never thought she’d be capable off. “I’m serious, Captain Nash. The adrenaline is wearing off and my ribs are hurting like a mother-” she glances to Chris “-uh, like a lot,” she corrects.

Chris has definitely heard fucker multiple times, in fact Eddie can still clearly recall him repeating a variation of the word with much gusto when Eddie first met Buck. The memory sends a stab through him and holds Chris a little tighter as he waits, curious to see what will happen now.

“And I can trust you to keep Eddie on track?” Bobby asks, clearly not buying it.

“Yeah, course, don’t worry,” Bosko assures him. “I got a lot of practice in Diaz wrangling when he was serving in my house. I can keep him out of trouble and get him to Sawtelle.”

“I wasn’t that bad,” Eddie says darkly. “And I don’t want to go to the VA hospital.”

“Eddie, shut up,” Bosko hisses. She almost never calls him Eddie. He’s pretty sure she has something planned, so he shuts up.

Bobby looks between them and quirks his brow. He sighs deeply and shakes his head, before giving Bosko a look. She nods back almost imperceptibly.

Then Bobby says: “Alright. I trust you two to escort these people to the VA hospital safely. I’m ordering you two to take them there, then stay there. If I find out that you two have disobeyed, I’ll have to take disciplinary action. Am I understood?”

There is something weird about his inflection, but Eddie can’t place his finger on it. However, Bosko is saying: “Understood, sir.” So he copies her, albeit a little more moodily. “Yeah, okay, Bobby.”

“Good,” Bobby gives them both a nod. “I’ll rendezvous with Chimney and Hen and leave you two in charge here. Don’t do anything stupid.”

With that he walks off. Eddie watches him go, before turning to the group of people in front of them, for whom they are now responsible. He doesn’t really know what to do. He knows he can’t just abandon these people to their fate, but he doesn’t want to let Chris go to help them, nor does he want to lead them to the VA hospital instead of spending that time looking for Buck.

“Is anyone too injured to walk?” Bosko calls out to the crowd. There is a negative response and she nods, before yelling: “Alright. Follow me.”

“What are you doing?” Eddie hisses. “You really agree with Bobby?���

“Of course not,” Bosko rolls her eyes. “I had to give him a reason to leave so we could go rogue and find Ronnie and Buck. He knows we’re not going to listen to him. Didn’t you hear how he said that?”

“No?” Eddie replies, confused.

“He has to take disciplinary action, if he finds out we disobeyed. If he doesn’t know, he doesn’t have to do anything, so he gave us a task away from him to a place he’s probably not going to be much today,” Bosko lays it out for him. “We bring these people to Sawtelle, then we come back out here to look.”

“Oh,” Eddie says, kinda dumbly, before grinning. “You’re a genius.”

“I keep trying to convince you, but you never listen, do you, Diaz?” Bosko grins back.

“Excuse me,” Marissa interrupts them. “The hospital is on Sawtelle?”

“Uh, yeah.”

“I know the way, I can take everyone, so you two can start looking,” she says. “I mean, I don’t know Ronnie, but Buck – if I heard the name right – saved us. If my husband was out here, I’d want to go look too. I’m sure everyone here will be more than fine to let you two go.”

The kindness of the offer overtakes Eddie, especially when more and more people start nodding, assuring the two of them that they can make it just fine. To go.

“What do you think, Superman?” Eddie asks Chris, bouncing him lightly. “Want to go look for papi together?”

“I do!” Chris cheers.

“Alright,” Eddie smiles.

Behind him, he hears Bosko say: “I think I can flag down some transport for you guys. Are you sure you’re going to be okay? Because we can go with you, before starting our search.”

“No, no, you go,” the other woman, who’d spoken earlier says.

“Yeah, Buck made sure we were okay, now we’d like to help him,” the man says.

“Thank you so much,” Eddie tells the group sincerely.

Marissa shakes her head: “No, thank you. And thank your husband from us when you find him.”

“I will,” Eddie promises, before it registers that they all think Buck is his husband-husband. It’s the first time someone assumed that since Eddie found peace with himself. It feels weirdly nice. Yet it saddens him deeply too.

Eddie holds so much love for Buck that even strangers can see it. However, he’s been leaving Buck behind, because he’s too scared for him to find out. It feels unfair, though he can’t pinpoint why.

He shakes his head. He doesn’t have time for this, for existentialism. They check the group over and take care the worst injuries, before they wave the group of people goodbye

Once they’re leaving, he turns to Chris, asking: “Can you tell me what clothes papi put on this morning? So I know what to look for?”

“Uh, he’s wearing pants and a white shirt with the red-pink shirt over it,” Chris answers.

It says a lot about how well Eddie knows Buck that he immediately knows what outfit Chris is talking about. “Good job, well done, thank you,” he praises Chris. “And the two of you went to the pier, before the water was gone, then to the fire engine, right?”

Chris nods. “Papi saved me. The water took me and I couldn’t hold onto the street light anymore, but he caught me and got me onto the fire engine. Then he saved everyone else. He said I helped, we’re a good team.”

At the recount, a wave of affection and love for Buck washes over Eddie. Even in the middle of a disaster, he’s still the best dad their kid could have wished for. He couldn’t have asked for a better partner.

However, right now he’s trying to retrace their steps, so they can figure out where Buck might have gone. So, he asks: “And what happened then?”

“The water started moving again and everything was shaking. Papi told me to hold on, because there were people in the water that needed saving, but then it shook really hard and I fell off. And I couldn’t see papi anywhere. I held onto the building there,” Chris points. “Then the water went down and I found you.”

Eddie looks in the direction Chris is pointing at. It’s a very generic direction downstream, but it’s a place to start. He nods: “Alright, then we’ll go look there first.”

“Lead the way,” Bosko speaks up, reminding him of her presence.

Surprised he looks over. He half expected her to already be gone. “You’re coming with us? What about Ronnie?”

“My plan had been to tag along with you and Bobby while looking for him as we went. Now it’s you and Chris, but the plan is the same,” Bosko shrugs. “Besides, I wasn’t lying when I said you looked stupid. Someone here has to make sure you don’t do anything too idiotic. I practically half promised your Captain too.”

“Can you believe that, mijo? Bosko thinks daddy needs supervision,” Eddie says mock indignantly, directing himself to Chris in the hope to cheer him up a bit.

Thankfully it has the intended effect, because Chris giggles at that. “But, daddy, you do need supervision.”

“Oh, really? And who told you that, huh?” Eddie asks, playing up his offense even more.

“Well, papi, Abuela, tía Pepa, Hen,” Chris lists.

“Okay, okay, I get it, I get it, you little rascal,” Eddie laughs, before swinging Chris onto his back so he’s easier to carry.

Without his crutches and with all this water, Chris is in no state to walk, but Eddie has no problem carrying him for as long as necessary. He’s not letting Chris out of his sight, not until their family is safely back together on dry land.

It’s slow going, however. Bosko’s broken rib makes wading through high water even more difficult than it already is, and despite the fact that they’re defecting, they are still firefighters in uniform, so people do ask them for help.

Since they are carrying Chris and seem to be going somewhere, they look busy enough that most people let them pass without comment. However, it does happen that Eddie needs to put Chris down for a moment – getting Bosko to hold his hand to prevent him from getting lost, since she can’t hold him with her broken rib – so he can help where necessary.

When Eddie picks Chris up after the third time they’ve stopped, he realizes Chris is shaking. It’s not a surprise, he’s absolutely soaked and has taken multiple dips in the cold sea water. He looks at Bosko and says: “We need to get him a blanket.”

Bosko nods, lips pursed. They have seen as much from Ronnie as from Buck. They’re both keeping their eye out for any sign of a uniform or pink shirt, but no luck yet.

She’s probably feeling about as disheartened as he does right now, so maybe the break from searching to find a blanket will help reset their mindset. They’ve already heard of some places handing out supplies from the few encounters they’ve had, so they change course to swing by the closest one.

It’s clearly a small place, set up by people from the area who’d been hit themselves, but are trying to do what they can. They look confused for a second when Bosko and Eddie arrive, since they likely assume firefighters would have supplies from outside the disaster zone. Eddie turns sideways, so they can see Chris, who is clinging to his back. “He needs something to warm him up,” Eddie explains.

Understanding dawns on the woman’s face, before she smiles gently and goes to reach for a blanket, while Eddie puts Chris down again, so he can take it and start figuring out how to organize it all.

When she turns back to them to hand them the blanket, she does a double take, before calling out to a man, who is sitting on a plastic chair a further down the wall: “Hey, Earl, wasn’t there that young lad looking for a boy in that outfit a while ago?”

Earl looks like he gets startled awake by the sudden shout, but looks over to the little crew of three, before his eyes fall on Chris. “The tall fella? Yeah, he looks pretty similar.”

“You saw Buck?” Eddie asks eagerly. This is the closest they’ve gotten in forever now.

“Well, I don’t know his name, but if he’s a tall man with the mark on his face looking for a little boy wearing that outfit with CP, yeah,” the woman says.

Eddie nearly drops his phone with how quick he gets it out, showing her the same picture he showed the other woman earlier. “Is this him?”

“Yeah, that’s him. Came to see if that boy had been here, but it was the wrong kid,” the woman says. “You missed him by an hour and a half. He went that way. You know him?”

“He’s my husband, this is our son,” Eddie explains, before confirming. “You said he went that way?”

The woman nods: “He did. The poor dear looked horrible. I says to Earl it’s a miracle that boy’s still walking, I did. Didn’t I, Earl?” Earl makes a vaguely agreeable sound. “He your husband? A mighty coincidence you finding your son out here, or were you together when it hit?”

“No, I came in later,” Eddie says, bypassing her coincidence comment. He would have believed it was coincidence on any other day, but now it feels like a sign; he has to find his husband. He has to bring their family back together. “Thank you so much for the blanket and the information.”

“Of course, of course, I hope you find him, he was a nice, polite young man,” the woman tells him.

“Me too,” Eddie says, before turning to Chris and saying: “Hear that, Superman. Papi was here. Come, I’ll wrap you up and we’ll go after him.”

“Yay,” Chris says half-muttering. His eyes are struggling to stay open, but he’s fighting the exhaustion with shivering.

Eddie bundles Chris in the blanket, fashioning it into a sized up sling, baby carrier thing, so he can carry Chris on his back without having to hold up his legs with his arms. While he does that, Bosko tries to see if they happened to see Ronnie too. That answer tragically remains no.

They thank the couple profusely, before setting on the path Buck followed an hour and a half ago, hoping they can catch up with him.

The further they go, the closer they seem to get and the more worried Eddie becomes. They encounter more and more people, who have seen Buck pass, most of them commenting on his help and the state of him, which had been horrid. All of them recognize Buck from the picture and they all correct their course, so they hone in on him more accurately.

He can’t imagine what kind of head space he must be in for him to go on with the way he’s looking to people. Eddie already knows he’s overexerting his leg, because most people noted him limping on his weak side. However, he also seemed exhausted to everyone, maybe even concussed. Why he’s not heading to a hospital, Eddie wouldn’t have understood, were it not for the fact that every single person tells them he’d been looking for Chris.

God, Eddie can’t imagine being in this mess and not knowing how Chris is or where he is, just that he’s somewhere out there.

Buck must be out of his mind with worry and pushing aside any sort of pain to focus on finding Chris. It only makes Eddie love him more, but he also feel so goddamn guilty. Chris said they’d been out here because Eddie hadn’t been home. Buck is out there, because Eddie wasn’t home. If he’d just been home, Buck would be okay right now. Chris would be okay, instead of sleeping off the exhaustion in the sling.

It’s his fault they were out here and it’s his fault that Buck is still out there. Maybe he couldn’t have asked for help, because most people broke their phone, but there are first responders all over. He could have asked them to radio Eddie, he knows he’s working today.

But Eddie’s radio hasn’t gone. Buck hasn’t called. He hasn’t called, because Eddie made him feel like he couldn’t. Like he had to do this alone. Eddie abandoned him and now Buck is hurting himself for their son.

He doesn’t know how much Eddie loves him, how much he trusts him, how much Buck means to him, even apart for all he’s done for Chris.

Fucking dammit, Eddie loves Buck for being Buck! And here the idiot is, trying to find Chris by himself instead of calling Eddie for help. They’re supposed to be a team, Eddie is supposed to have his back, but he hasn’t been.

Eddie needs to tell Buck that he can always count on him, that Eddie is still here for him, that he’s not going anywhere, no matter what happens. That Buck is important to him. That Buck is important, not just his co-parent, his partner at work and at home, but Buck. Buck his best friend, Buck the love of his life.

Without meaning to, he speeds up, determination washing over him to find Buck, before he works himself into an early grave.

“Wait up, Diaz,” Bosko gasps, clutching her side.

She’d been lagging and he’d been slowing down imperceptibly to accommodate without pointing it out. He knows Bobby had been right and that she shouldn’t have been out there, but he understands that she wants to be and he’s not going to be the one to send her away. Not when it still seems like they’re gaining ground on Buck.

However, with the setting sun, she’d been flagging more and more. There hasn’t been a sign of Ronnie anywhere and her breathing sounds very wrong now.

“You need to get to a hospital,” Eddie says, worried crease between his brows.

“No, I- I’m fine,” Bosko insists haltingly.

“Bosko, Lena, don’t-” Eddie doesn’t know how to go on, but he’s trying.

“I know, okay. I know,” Bosko says, returning his look with one of her own. “But I can’t just leave him out here.”

“If you keep going, it’s going to be the two of you out here,” Eddie points out to her, the words hurting him too, but he tries to give it a positive spin. “We’ve been out of contact with everyone for hours now. Maybe he’s been found. You can check the patient records while you’re there. I promise I’ll keep looking for him.”

Bosko looks torn, her side must hurt like a bitch, even worse than when she’d first admitted to having the injury. All the movement has been making it worse and she knows that as well as Eddie does.

“Come on, we’re so close, it’s in the same direction Buck went. I’ll take you there and if we hear news on the way, I won’t make you go,” Eddie sweetens the deal.

“Fine.” It sounds like it physically pains her to say that, but she’s reached the end of her rope. She can’t keep looking, no matter how badly she wants to.

“Thank you,” he says, because he knows what a sacrifice it is for her. She’s pushed through so much pain already, to give up now must sting.

“You too,” she shoots back with an exhausted smile.

They start walking again. It’s painfully slow, but Eddie isn’t about to leave a man behind, no matter how badly he wants to run, to catch up with Buck. He knows he needs his energy too. He has no clue what state Buck will be in when they find him. If he has to drag him to a hospital, he’ll need the energy. No use sprinting in a marathon.

To lighten the mood a little, he says: “Ironic, but I think the hospital we’re close to is the VA one on Sawtelle. Looks like we’re listening to Bobby’s orders after all.”

Bosko snorts, before groaning: “Ugh, don’t make me laugh, Diaz. That shit hurts.”

“Don’t swear in front of Chris,” Eddie scolds without really meaning it.

“I’ve heard you swear in front of Chris. Today even.” She gives him a look. “Besides, I’m pretty sure that the little guy is out like a light.”

Eddie can feel the consistent puffs of air against the back of his neck. It has been a great comfort all throughout the track, along with the fact that Chris is no longer shivering and starts to feel warm against his back. “It’s about the principle of the thing,” he sniffs anyway, just to play his bit.

“You’re a dick,” Bosko informs him.

“So you’ve said before,” Eddie grins, before letting a companionable silence fall. She looks more lively than a few minutes ago, which was the goal anyway.

Together, they make their way through the wet streets towards the VA hospital. They can spot it a few blocks away, since it’s the only place covered in lights, both brights and emergency ones. It looks like a haven.

Eddie hopes the haven won’t try to keep them for too long. He’s not going to make Bosko walk in there alone, but he still needs to find Buck. The last people they encountered that saw him were already quite some time away.

The longer he waits, the colder the trail will get. A reality where he won’t find Buck, is not one he wants to consider. The only reason he’s still somewhat sane, is that Buck is confirmed to be alive by eyewitness accounts.

He greets a nurse with a clipboard who is clearly part of the organization – trying not to immediately think of how gleeful Buck gets when he is handed a clipboard – with a: “Hey, my friend, she has a broken rib and she’s showing signs-”

“Can I get your names for the list, please?” the nurse asks.

“They have a list,” Bosko says excitedly. “Give me the list.”

“Excuse me!” the nurse frowns as Bosko tries to take the list from her.

Eddie stops her, saying: “That’s Lena, Lena Bosko. I’m Eddie Diaz, this is Christopher Diaz. Have you seen a Ronnie?”

“Ronnie Cooper,” Bosko adds. “Fire Captain, station 136?”

The nurse has to break the bad news, pulling a sympathetic face. “I haven’t. Head on inside and someone will be with you.”

Bosko nods, defeated and Eddie squeezes her shoulder reassuringly. They both turn to go their own way, when the nurse frowns: “Where are you going?” Both Bosko and Eddie pause in surprise at the question.

“Oh, I’m still looking for someone. Evan Buckley, he’s not on the list, right?” Eddie asks. Knowing Buck, he probably isn’t. That idiot won’t sign himself in when he hasn’t found Chris yet… though maybe he’s checking to see if someone brought Chris here. It’s not outlandish and suddenly he’s pretty interested in the answer.

“No, no Evan Buckley,” the nurse shakes her head. “But I can’t let you go either. First responders are collecting people at points like these so they can be evacuated. We don’t want people wandering out there, especially not in the dark.”

“I am first responders,” Eddie says, taken aback. He points to his uniform.

“What unit?”

“Uh, the 118, but we got separated.”

“Then you can wait until they come back, so you can rejoin. No going solo,” the nurse informs him.

“And you can leave the kid to be checked out. You can’t take him back out there.”

“Like hell I can’t! That’s my kid and it’s my husband. You can’t keep me here when he’s out there and injured,” Eddie frowns angrily.

The nurse crosses her arms: “And this is a natural disaster, Mr. Diaz. Everyone has people out there, but we’re working with a protocol to keep people safe. I can and will ask LAPD to restrain you, if you do not listen.”

Eddie looks back to who she’s indicating. Behind him, Athena is arriving from the darkness with a stretcher. The nurse seems smug, but Eddie just feels relief. “Athena!” he yells, just as Bosko exclaims: “Ronnie?”

~~

A/N:

Idk why I’m explaining myself, bc this is an AU, but I’m not following canon exactly, but I am keeping elements :D

Also sorry I haven’t been responding to comments as timely as I used to, but I got my thesis grade back and I passed!!! Like with a really good grade and I’m now set to graduate cum laude, so yay me. However, that also means I am now looking for a job, which is time consuming, so thanks for understanding <3

[rorydrawsandwrites]

'Ight chat it's time

Like I said yesterday, opening up one- and two-character sketch comms on my Ko-fi!! Half-bodies only, 5$ per character (honestly it can be three characters if you really want but definitely no more than that). Color is an extra five dollars

Tried to dig up some of my simpler work to give you an idea of what to expect:

The financial situation in my household is very difficult right now, so any support is appreciated. Primarily I had the idea to offer to draw people's sonas, OCs, F/Os and selfships because I thought it'd be cute... since it's February and Valentine's is coming up... plus I love selfshippers and OC x canoners so much dude. I'd love to draw your ships give me your ships. But it can be any characters related or unrelated in any sort of manner to each other I don't mind

All I ask is that you don't ask me to draw mecha or really overly complex designs ;-; I'm a cartoon artist at heart bear with me

And yeah I guess that's all. Ofc I'm gonna need references too if I'm not already familiar with the character(s) involved. This is the first time I'm doing Ko-fi commissions so apologies in advance if something comes up on a technical level as I'm still getting a feel of the site

[ender1821]

Re: your idea about the vast majority of eyebrow raise gempearl stream moments having unhinged chat messages behind them. This latest Pearl stream (feb 4 I think) really drove that point home for me. Both in that chat was noticeably weirder that day, but also that in general they can’t escape each other, even in other streams.

All Pearl has to do is mention not getting distracted/sidetracked this stream, and chat is filled with Gem and pickles and whatnot. Head collecting? Ask Gem. Hungry Hemits? Agh, if only Gem was online. Need to borrow something from someone’s storage? It’s no longer Impy or Tango, but Gem, that’s first suggested.

And then that day Gem streamed in Pearl’s stead (cool coworker and friend move of her btw) and mentioned “our chats have just enough overlap” about knowing Oli’s peardle theme hotkey. That stream was explicitly connected to Pearl obviously, Gem herself kept bringing her up, but my point is how the cc’s are also aware of how merged they are.

I guess we’re like? Trained? That they’re a package deal. But it’s at bizarre levels compared to other streamers, even ones with more popular pairings. And yeah, it’s pretty funny / cute, especially when one of them gets a good quip in about it. I, too, voted in every round of the unhinged gempearl moments poll. But lately it feels so constant in streams, when even during WL chat usually contained it to episode discussion. Streamers play off the chat’s energy, making more moments chat goes crazy over, and so on, until we get here.

(This might tie into a larger discussion about chat moderation / tone / vibe, especially for Pearl, as seen in the latest stream with many unearned innuendo accusations. But I digress.)

The vibes are off in chat, and it’s lowkey a bit uncomfortable. Or maybe I’m overthinking. Love to hear your thoughts xoxo

I haven’t been able to catch the recent streams because of. Well. Life. But yeah I can see what you mean from the streams that I have been able to watch from the weeks before, this isn’t meant to discourage chat/fan interaction with ccs or anything, just to clarify first of all, because it’s normal for a streamer to have some back and forth with their chat, and like, it makes sense for a content creator to be seeking out and be aware of what their fans like, y’know? I don’t personally like having ccs acknowledge my existence like. At all. So I never show up in chat, but it’s still perfectly valid for fans to be engaging in chat and being vocal about what they like seeing

But still, if you’re asking for just my thoughts and stuff, I’d agree that there’s been an abundance of chat messages trying to push for more shiny duo interactions, which is most likely just because they’ve gained a lot more popularity as a duo/ship compared to, say, before Secret Life, so naturally, people wanna see more of them! And that just snowballs to. Uh. Feet apparently

Like you said, I think at its simplest it’s just cute that they’re such good friends and it’s so fun watching them banter and interact, it makes me incredibly happy watching them together!!! In my heart they are just. So. They’re frequently bought together do not separate secret third thing bonded by the stars and beyond etc. and I imagine for a lot of the fans expressing their love for them together/want for them to interact feel more or less like that

I don’t necessarily want to place blame on anyone for being vocal about it in chat because that’s what the stream chat is for, but you’re still making a pretty good point about chat being really focused with making Pearl interact with Gem on stream when she’s not really wanting/needing to do that. It’s a bit upsetting sometimes to see loads of messages trying to get an interaction and perhaps even derailing what’s happening in the stream, it’s frustrating to see some people in chat bring up shipping/shipping-adjacent topics when it’s already been made clear that it’s not something they want to see/have shoved at them (THIS IS DIFFERENT FROM THEM VOICING DISLIKE/HATRED FOR SHIPPING! NOT AN EXCUSE FOR PEOPLE TO DISS ON SHIPPERS!), so it does get a bit too much for me to see so many chat messages poking for a shiny duo interaction— I’m not really the person to speak on chat moderation stuff, I’m just. A girlie who likes shiny duo a bit too much, so there’s not much I can say regarding what I feel like is appropriate, we can all make our own call on what’s an okay amount of poking and nudging. Strictly in my own opinion, I do think we can chill a bit on that front, because I don’t want ccs to feel forced to only do this one thing and interact with just this one person, there’s plenty of other enjoyable player interactions and stream moments