#like Okay I haven't 'been' one in a very long time however strangers have stopped immediately reading me as one which feels a little weird

[aces-and-angels]

DONATE TO SHAHED'S FAMILY

dear moots/lovely lurkers:

if you've been online for these last few weeks- you may have noticed how often i've been pushing shahed's gfm. her campaign has been verified (source -> no. 224 on el-shab-hussein/nabulsi's sheet of vetted campaigns). and if y'all haven't had the chance to become acquainted, this is shahed:

shahed is a 21 year old who used to be a student at al-azhar university before the genocide began. with both her parents having taken ill, she is the sole provider for her family right now, including her five siblings, youngest of whom is just a baby. before the war, shahed used to take/share the most beautiful photos. this is one of them (taken from her tumblr @shahednhall | shahed's instagram

with the generous support of friends/strangers alike, shahed has been able to reach over $40K USD, enough to begin evacuating some of her family members (her younger siblings + her father) who are in desperate need of medical care

however, our work is far from over

shahed + her family are 17 strong and they all deserve a chance to live a life worth living. the situation in gaza is beyond catastrophic and grows more dangerous with each passing day. i have been in communication with shahed and would like to share her most recent message to me:

shahed: I have been displaced from my area, my circumstances are very difficult. I can't open the Internet for long periods, so I want you to help me more in publishing my campaign. I want to have reached a very difficult stage. I want to complete the campaign as soon as possible. I want to rest, I feel that I really survived. I don't want my campaign to stop halfway.

just yesterday, shahed shared that she narrowly escaped death while trying to get food/water for her family. the attacks/bombings at her campsite have forced her to move yet again

every displacement puts both a physical and emotional strain on these families. more often than not, there is little warning before they have to move- and when the time comes- they have to act quickly, leaving behind whatever they can't carry on their backs/can't afford to take with them <- yes, it costs money for them to be able to move.

every message i receive fills me with a mixture of relief and heartbreak-- i do not wish to know what i'll feel if i were to stop getting messages from shahed. i can't. not when i know there's a path to get her family to safety

that is why i am starting this donation match for her campaign. i don't have very much to offer, but i know that if enough people contribute a little, it can amount to a lot 🖤

for those able, please consider matching my donation of $5 USD (proof of donation below cut). shahed has a long way to go before she can achieve her goal of $80K. even if you cannot match me at this time (which is totally okay)- please share this post so others may have a chance to help

IMPT NOTE: @journalsforpalestine is raffling a set of beautiful journals. 4 winners will be chosen on August 31st. for anyone interested in entering -> please read the rules here for the first person to reblog & match my donation (and wants to enter in this raffle) i will give you my entry, so you will be entered to win twice* *(every entry= $5, so if you donate more, you will be entered accordingly).

current stats: $42,726 raised of $80,000 goal

tags for reach (sorry yall- please let me know if you wish to be removed from this list- no hard feelings, truly 🖤)

@timetravellingkitty @meaganfoster @briarhips @mazzikah @mahoushojoe 

@rhubarbspring @schoolhater @pcktknife @transmutationisms @sawasawako 

@feluka @terroristiraqi @irhabiya @commissions4aid-international @wellwaterhysteria 

@deepspaceboytoy @post-brahminism @junglejim4322 @kibumkim @neechees 

@mangocheesecakes @kyra45 @marnota @7bitter @tortiefrancis 

@toiletpotato @fromjannah @omegaversereloaded @vague-humanoid @criptochecca 

@aristotels @komsomolka @neptunerings @riding-with-the-wild-hunt @heritageposts 

@ot3 @amygdalae @ankle-beez @communistchilchuck @dykesbat 

@watermotif @stuckinapril @violentrevolution @mavigator @lacecap 

@socalgal @chilewithcarnage @ghelgheli @sayruq @northgazaupdates

@parsnipjunction @mintmoth @mrfluffyturtle @colombinna @tinygalaxykid

@br-eddrolls @0luna123 @block-swing-perry @eflatminorseven @mothtral

@charlie-charlie @bitterlyromantic @pseudonymousposting @divineclouds

@interact-if

@agnesandhilda @frostbitefae @dove-tears @soljierpg @assad-zaman

@claudeleine @error-core-animations @kengi-bengi-alt @juneybug @kodigobacktosleep

@apocalyptic-dancehall @imnotthepersonyouseek @toonirl @kingofthebookcase

@kazehita @yonch @ayoedebiris @pinkdreamscape1 @king-dail 

@caseys-soup-corner @shoogachi @killy @missusmousse @j0ckhead

@whoopsiedaisy20 @squidie-tittie @dreamingamongthestars @trexpel @mischief16

@aria-ashryver @mydemonsdrivealimo @cadybear420 @thosehallowedhalls @ascindio

[quixotical-lymbo]

Hi I really love your transformers one fics and I was hoping if you could write a fic about B-127 meeting a predacon like dragon fem s/o in the surface while searching for the metrix with his friends, I would love that 😊

Pairing: B-127/Bee x fem!predacon!Reader Rating: SFW Summary: B-127 meets an unlikely stranger, and you meet an odd group of bots for the first time in a long time. Warnings/Tags:  first meetings, reader has a bad time picking up social cues, hehe B-127 is silly, has no concept of personal space, but he's also up in ur grill, size difference, D-16, Orion, and Elita are like 'damn not another one ffs'.  A/N: I'mma not put spoilers anymore since I feel like everyone has watched TFO at this point. Ty for the love!! Word Count: 800+ words 

"Uhh, guys what is that?" 

"What is what-" 

A loud crash made the group of four turn towards one of the dilapidated structures. A gaping hole could be seen in the roof as dust rose from the damaged part. 

"....we should go," Elita muttered as she began inching away while not taking her optics off of the building. D-16 nodded silently and followed the pink femme's lead. Orion and Bee, however, wanted to investigate. 

"Pax." A warning hiss came from Elita as she noticed the hesitancy from the two. "Let's go." 

"Yeahhh, I'm with Elita on this one," Bee began turning around when Orion stepped toward the building instead. 

"I just wanna get another look." Orion spoke as he walked toward the entrance of the building. He peered inside the darkness and leaned forward, nothing seemed to be moving or inside the structure. After a few more nanoklicks had passed, Orion hummed and backed away.  

Only something big popped out and tackled him to the ground. 

Orion screamed as well as the B-127. 

"Orion!" D-16 was quick to act and rushed over to his friend. Elita groaned and ran after D-16 to aid in saving Orion. 

"It's eating his face! It's eating his face!" Bee shrieked as he pointed at the weird beast thing on top of Orion. It wasn't that big, just a few sizes bigger than Orion and the more Orion examined the beast on him the more he recognized what it was. Seeing that Orion wasn't struggling anymore, the beast also stopped snapping it's maw at him.

"Hehe!" A strange laugh came from the beast as it began transforming. Before anyone knew it, a femme appeared where the beast was and sat on Orion. 

"You lot sure are funny-!" You didn't have time to introduce yourself before two bodies slammed into yours. You blinked and glanced down at the bots who were attempting to..shove you off? 

"Get off of him!" The silver mech demanded. 

"Oh! Yeah, sorry, sometimes I forget I'm stronger than most bots, but then again I haven't seen any bot for a long, longggg time so maybe I just haven't had any strong bot to test my strength against and-" 

"JUST GET OFF." 

"Okay! Okay! Geez," You raised your servos up and got off of their friend. "Better?" 

"B-better," Orion hadn't realized he was out of breath as he sat up and wheezed. "You're…a predacon?" 

"What now?" 

"A predacon," Elita's optics widened as she took in your form. "I thought…no, weren't they supposed to be dead?" 

"Who said that? I'm alive and well, thank you very much," You crossed your arms and huffed. 

"Wait, what's a predacon, guys? It sounds cool," Bee piped up as he bounced over to you. "You're like…really big and grrrr rahhh! What's that about?? What's your designation? Mine is B-127 but I like to call myself, b a d a s s a t r o n. Do you live here? How long have you been here? Hey, why are you living in this…lovely place? Hey, are you single-?" 

You sat there stunned as the barrage of questions assaulted your processor too quickly for you to even remember the first one. You turned your helm to look at the trio who only shrugged. 

"Uh, yes?" 

The yellow mech let out a joyous laugh that was infectious, your previous confusion melted away as you leaned down to examine B-127 or 'Badassatron.' 

"You're funny, I like it." You poked a claw at Bee's helm before picking at his arm. 

"Well, you're gonna like me more since…being funny is my whole thing," Bee didn't seem to mind your touchy-feelyness and even went as far as to poke and prod at you too. 

"Excuse me, sorry for interrupting the happy couple," Elita rose her voice. "But I think we have somewhere to be, let's go." 

"Oh! Right…you can come with us!" 

"What?" 

"I don't…"

"Why not?" Orion shrugged. Elita gave Orion a hard stare and D-16 just gave in with a loop-sided smile. 

"Eeeee! It's official!" Bee and you cheered as the two of you rushed ahead of the group. 

"...I mean, at least they'll balance each other out." 

"Yeah, now I won't have to entertain 'badassatron' anymore." Elita sighed but a small grin formed on her dermas. 

"I think they're kind of cute?" 

"Yeah, yeah, haul some aft, cupid." D-16 shoved Orion's arm and trailed after the chattering duo. Elita and Orion followed. 

😼 - I do not give permission for anyone to translate, copy, republish, or plagiarize any of my written works. I provide no permission for any of my literary works to be used in artificial intelligence. like my writing? consider buying me a kofi :)

honeycomb banner(s) by @thecutestgrotto!!

[genderqueerdykes]

I’m a short, plus size trans guy. I have a pretty hard time with masc clothing due to it not fitting right or at least not how I wish it did. Fem clothes usually fit how I want them to so I stick with them, plus skirts are fun and surprisingly help with the bottom dysphoria cause there’s no indent of where my dick should be like pants do, so I have 2 questions.

1: is it ok for me as a trans guy to still be upset when misgendered while wearing feminine clothing?

2: any advice on how to find masc clothes that fit properly on a fat and short guy?

hello there, thanks for taking the time to ask this! sorry for the delayed reply, but i hope you've been doing well in the mean time!

it is absolutely okay for you to be upset for being misgendered regardless of what clothing you're wearing; cisgender people get misgendered while wearing their preferred clothing, as well, many butch women get misgendered and called men when they are very much women who prefer to dress, act and look masculine. cisgender men often get misgendered if they choose to wear feminine clothing, or even men's clothing that's too "fruity". if cisgender people can get upset over this, you can too.

i feel like it's 200% impossible to know what a stranger's gender is just by looking at them and that as a society we would truly progress if we stopped assuming the genders of strangers by how they dress and avoid using gendered terms until that person reveals that information, if they so choose.

as for where to find clothing that would fit well, this one can be a bit tricky. i am tall and fat, i'm about 5' 8" and 280 lbs, so i unfortunately haven't much experience in the height department on that end, but i can tell you that wearing men's pants can be a bit tricky if you have wide hips. i have 48" hips and it can make wearing men's pants uncomfortable. if you haven't already, measure your hips (at their fullest point) and your inseam, which is the length from the crotch of your pants to the bottom of the pantleg. men's pants are sized by these two measurements, with the hip width being the first number and the inseam length being the second. my example for myself is that i wear 48x32 men's pants whenever i do buy them.

here's a guide on measuring your inseam:

here's a guide on men's clothing sizes (in both inches and centimeters) and how to measure yourself for different garments:

i will say that in the past i've thrifted most of my clothing. i'd like to be able to get to a place where i can buy myself some new clothes but up until this point most of my clothes have been thrifted. i will say if you live in a smaller area finding good clothing in plus sizes is a nightmare and you have my condolences. however i can suggest looking into men's fashion and seeing what styles you like to get an idea of what kinds of clothes you're looking for. before transitioning into buying clothes from the men's section you can always look to see if there are similar cuts of clothing (like cargo pants, for example) that are sold in the women's section for the sake of finding clothes that fit your proportions a little better at least until it's easier to figure out what size men's clothes fit you

most shirts and tops shouldn't be too much of an issue as they're made to be pretty loose fitting and don't conform to one's figure- if sleeves are too long they can be hemmed or rolled up, tails of shirts can be tucked into pants, etc. be very careful with button-up style shirts, these fit me so weird due to being intersex and i find that a lot of bigger people in general don't fit into them super well. they're not made for our proportions they just size up the shirts made for thin people and don't take into consideration how our bellies, chests and shoulders look.

button up shirts (when buttoned up, lol) can also make one's chest more prominent and create stress on the buttons that draw the eyes to the chest- i never button up these types of shirts and instead wear them open. this is a very masculine look, especially with a men's t-shirt underneath. this was my go-to in my early days of transition.

as for specific stores to look at, this will vary wildly depending on where you are in the world. i would recommend being highly cautious of buying mens' clothing from places online like Amazon, Temu, Wish, etc. that have a lot of China-based sellers, because often times you will see a 2XL+ garment and buy it thinking it will fit only to realize that that is Chinese sizing and therefore much smaller. shopping online for clothes while fat can be very hard, so i urge you to shop in person when possible

anyone have more concrete suggestions for this guy? i'm totally blanking on good suggestions of where to look for clothes.

good luck out there, stay safe, and take care of yourself. i hope you're able to find more clothing that helps you feel like yourself! thanks for stopping by

[linkemon]

W(h)ine (V/Kim Jihyun x Reader)

Friendly reminder that English is not my first language. You can check my Masterlists both in English and Polish here. Consider supporting me on Ko-fi. You can also check out my commissions if you’re interested.

Other oneshots can be found here.

"ꜱʜᴇ ꜰᴏᴄᴜꜱᴇᴅ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰʟᴏᴡᴇʀꜱ ʙᴇʜɪɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ɢʟᴀꜱꜱ. ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴡᴀꜱ ɴᴏ ᴡɪɴᴅ ᴏᴜᴛꜱɪᴅᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ʏᴇᴛ ꜰᴏʀ ᴀ ᴍᴏᴍᴇɴᴛ ɪᴛ ꜱᴇᴇᴍᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʜᴇʀ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴀꜰꜰᴏᴅɪʟꜱ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ʙᴇɴᴅɪɴɢ. — ᴄʜᴇᴇʀꜱ ᴛᴏ ʏᴏᴜ… ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ'ʀᴇ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ᴜᴘ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ… ᴀɴᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴍʏ ʟɪꜰᴇ… ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜꜱᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜᴏᴜᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ɪᴛ'ꜱ ꜱᴏ ʜᴀʀᴅ ᴛᴏ ʟɪᴠᴇ. — ꜱʜᴇ ʀᴀɪꜱᴇᴅ ʜᴇʀ ɢʟᴀꜱꜱ."

ᴀᴅᴅɪᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟ ɪɴꜰᴏʀᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ: 1. ᴛʜᴇ ꜱʜᴏᴛ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴀɪɴꜱ ᴀ ꜱᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀ ꜰᴏʀ ɪ ꜱᴇᴄʀᴇᴛ ᴇɴᴅɪɴɢ.

"ᴀ ʟᴇꜱꜱᴏɴ ᴡɪᴛʜᴏᴜᴛ ᴘᴀɪɴ ɪꜱ ᴍᴇᴀɴɪɴɢʟᴇꜱꜱ. ꜰᴏʀ ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴀɴɴᴏᴛ ɢᴀɪɴ ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴡɪᴛʜᴏᴜᴛ ꜱᴀᴄʀɪꜰɪᴄɪɴɢ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴇʟꜱᴇ ɪɴ ʀᴇᴛᴜʀɴ, ʙᴜᴛ ᴏɴᴄᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴏᴠᴇʀᴄᴏᴍᴇ ɪᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ɪᴛ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴏᴡɴ…ʏᴏᴜ ᴡɪʟʟ ɢᴀɪɴ ᴀɴ ɪʀʀᴇᴘʟᴀᴄᴇᴀʙʟᴇ ꜰᴜʟʟᴍᴇᴛᴀʟ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ." ꜰᴜʟʟᴍᴇᴛᴀʟ ᴀʟᴄʜᴇᴍɪꜱᴛ: ʙʀᴏᴛʜᴇʀʜᴏᴏᴅ

— Focus. — [Reader] slapped her cheeks lightly.

She sincerely hoped no one had seen her at that moment.

Once again that day, she was nervously fixing her hair and examining her new dress. She hoped Jihyun would like it. She felt nervous and determined at the same time.

Smoothing out the tiny wrinkles in the fabric, she tried to gather her courage and form the right words in her head. It felt like ages before she made her decision.

Now, however, quite calm, she entered the cafe with a smile on her face, searching for blue hair. She wanted to have it all over with.

To her surprise, a blond-haired woman was sitting next to the tall photographer.

— I'm Rika. — The stranger held out her hand.

The woman accepted it hesitantly.

She had to resign that day but she believed that she would still find an opportunity to confess her feelings.

***

[Reader] was intoxicated. She definitely overdid the wine. From time to time, her loud laughter could be heard in Jumin's apartment, scaring away Elizabeth The 3rd.

— I have a toast to propose — V announced, rising solemnly from the couch.

The woman was sure that nothing could spoil her good mood that evening.

— Rika and I are engaged.

She almost spilled the red liquid on the carpet.

— Congratulations! — Jumin nodded.

There was no denying that the head of C&R accepted it with his typical stoic calm. Perhaps he had been anticipating this moment for some time.

[Reader] stared blankly into her glass, trying to digest the information once again. Her head was buzzing and putting her thoughts together was very difficult. Therefore, pretending to be enthusiastic was rather bad.

It started with an innocent tear rolling down my cheek. But before she knew it, she was roaring loudly, sniffling. She didn't look pretty at all, being drunk and snotty. Fortunately, the photographer handed her some tissues from the nearest table. He was afraid that if the woman started reaching for them herself, she would end up falling.

— Everything's all right?

Something inside her screamed to lie to his face. She couldn't imagine telling him the truth. In the current situation, her confession would only complicate their relationship.

— It is okay. I just fell apart because — she took a ragged breath — I'm still alone. Don't get me wrong, Jihyun. I'm very happy but I'm just a little envious of you.

She blew her chance a long time ago.

— I'm sorry, ladies and gentlemen. — She got up. — I'll go fix my mascara, it's probably smudged. — She staggered towards the bathroom.

She glanced in the mirror, realizing she hadn't brought her makeup bag.

— My excuse sucks — she muttered. — I didn't even wear make-up today...

***

The woman couldn't stop her hands from shaking as she searched through the vast purse.

It felt like everyone passing her in the park was laughing at her lack of self-control.

Staring at the smartphone screen, she dialed Yoosung's number. She knew that if she looked at V, her efforts would be in vain.

— [Reader]-ah, don't call him.

— How? How can I hide all this from him? Can you hear yourself? Haven't you seen him suffer?

It hadn't been long since she found out that the photographer was going blind because of Rika. Meanwhile, she learned more secrets. Her friend's would-be fiancée did not commit suicide and intended to found a religious cult. As if that wasn't enough, she used Saeran — Luciel's brother — for this purpose. Almost no one at RFA knew of its existence.

Jihyun reached for the phone but did not disconnect the call. He placed his hand on her shoulder, as he did when calming others down.

— I know he's been through a lot but think how dangerous it is for everyone in the organization. The very fact that you found out carries a risk.

— You wouldn't have told me anything if you didn't need my help — she said reproachfully. — How will you manage to keep it all a secret? They will hate you...

— Noona, nice of you to call. — The voice suddenly came over the loudspeaker.

She carelessly looked up at her broken friend and knew that she would not be brave enough to tell the truth to the youngest member of the organization.

— Sorry, I dialed the wrong number. — She laughed as much as she could. — We'll talk another time. — She pressed the red button.

She didn't know what she should say or do. It was hard to find the right words, especially after being asked to be discreet. She also couldn't imagine physically trying to penetrate Magenta like V wanted to do.

His love was enormous but unhealthy and destructive.

Everything was complicated.

— I'll help you. — She hugged the man. — Just promise, no more secrets.

***

— We're drinking wine again, again in the same apartment, again on the same couch…— [Reader] said, sipping the dark red liquid.

She felt her melancholic mood take over.

— It's just a pity that our group has become smaller — added Jumin, gently stroking the snow-white cat.

The woman tried to remember the times when the photographer actually took part in meetings. However, it seemed very distant. Especially when she realized that at this point he was probably hanging around a cult among mentally ill people. As if it wasn't enough that he was losing his sight.

— Holy shit, I'm worried about him — she blurted out, knowing there was nothing more she could say.

— I ask you to refrain from saying such words in front of Elizabeth The 3rd.

— You're right, I'm sorry. — She sighed, finishing her glass.

***

[Reader] managed to get used to the idea that Jihyun Kim's love will never be hers. Ironically, that was when death took him completely from her life.

— V was always consistent and reliable. He was my role model — Jaehee said.

— He was a good friend, teacher and mirror of truth — Jumin said.

— A warm, honest person who gave me a new family — Zen added.

Everything said in the past tense. As if they needed to be reminded emphatically that he was not with them.

But isn't that what funerals are for?

— I hated him... but I forgive him — Yoosung said.

She wanted to shout the truth to the youngest member of RFA. She wanted to tell him loudly and clearly that Jihyun did not commit suicide and that Rika was to blame for everything. After all, not directly but she was the one who killed him.

But she didn't say anything. She had no right to make him suffer any more.

— Don't be lonely there. Don't try to save anyone. Live selfishly. — Saeyoung raised his eyes upwards.

Maybe as a Baptist he has already seen a photographer in another place?

— Goodbye, V.

— I will never forgive you for leaving alone.

— Excuse me for a moment.

— Yoosung?

— I think he needs some time to himself. Let's leave him.

— People love, hate, kill... and then love again.

— Don't play philosopher again. I feel like my brain is failing.

— Are you sure we can leave Yoosung alone?

— He'll be fine. I know how he feels.

[Reader] heard the entire conversation but was unable to match the sentences to the people. She still had the feeling that the funeral was somewhere beyond her consciousness. It takes place but soon life will return to normal and she will see Jihyun surrounded by his friends again.

She moved away from the mourners, heading towards the blonde.

— Rika-noona... You'll get cold standing here. You're really not going to say anything now? I should be happy that you're still alive, and yet... I feel so strange when you don't say anything. Everything is going wrong. I would never have thought... that V would commit suicide. When I see all this, it's so hard to hold back my tears. I hated him but now I'm not sure about anything. God, Rika, say something. Do you think V really loved you? Did he really love and try to protect us?

[Reader] glanced at the woman's unnaturally calm face.

— Sun... — A quiet, strange voice, not fitting for its owner.

— Could you repeat it? — the boy asked, confused.

— Sun.

— What are you talking about...

— I kept my promise V. I'm here — Rika whispered, her eyes sparkling with joy.

***

[Reader] sat alone by the large window in the almost empty apartment.

The corkscrew and bottle lay sadly next to her.

Drinking alone had never seemed pleasant to her.

Seoul was just welcoming the first day of spring. The woman thought that the event coincided perfectly with her moving out. The company managed to collect all the boxes and furniture and she said to goodbyes to all RFA members. A perfect time to start over.

She focused on the flowers behind the glass. There was no wind outside and yet for a moment it seemed to her that the daffodils were bending.

— Cheers to you... if you're really up there... and to my life... because without you it's so hard to live. — She raised her glass.

[helmetjellyfish]

hello! this post is going to be a little different from anything i've written before, because today we're looking at fish.

this fish, to be exact.

this fish is one of the many prehistoric creatures we see in minato's dreams from ch. 48. the translation team did a wonderful job identifying several creatures and explaining them in general, but i haven't seen any specific discussion about this one yet. so i figured i'd talk about what i think this fish is and what i think it represents.

the rest of this post will be under the cut, because there's lots of images and it's going to get quite long. here we go!

so what fish is this?

let's start by looking at these three images for reference:

(you may have noticed that the head shape of the fish in the first image is a bit different from the one in the second. however, since the rest of their bodies are very, very similar to each other, i'm assuming that they are intended to be the same fish and the head shape of the second one is closer to the 'correct' bodyplan.)

to begin with, we can see that the fins are attached to the body with these fleshy lobes, meaning that this fish is probably a "lobe-finned fish" belonging to the clade Sarcopterygii.

Sarcopterygii can be split up into three more clades:

Actinistia - the coelacanths and their close relatives

Dipnoi - the lungfishes and their close relatives

Tetrapodomorpha - the tetrapods (four-limbed vertebrates) and their close relatives

just based on morphology, we can narrow it down to Actinistia. so coelacanths! the thing with coelacanths is that one of their most notable characteristics is their weird tail:

this is a replica of the West Indian Ocean coelacanth (Latimeria chalumnae), which is one of the two species alive today. here you can see that the tail is split up into three lobes: the top and bottom lobes are the same width and length, while the one in the middle is smaller and protrudes further out. their tail is diphycercal, which means that the vertebrae extend all the way to the tip of the tail and the tail itself is symmetrical.

both living species of coelacanth have a diphycercal tail. in fact, almost every single genus in Actinistia has a diphycercal tail. but our fish doesn't. its tail has only two lobes, where the bottom one is much bigger than the top, which is a heterocercal tail. why is that?

it turns out you have to look really, really, really far back in Actinistia to find fish without diphycercal tails. and when you look back far enough...

you find Miguashaia, a fish that lived during the Devonian period 365 million years ago. a fish that also happens to be the most primitive coelacanth we know.

in other (slightly more overgeneralizing) words, it's the oldest coelacanth, so old that it doesn’t even have one of the main features we now associate with coelacanths. neat!

okay. why do i care about this fish?

isn't it odd that we see this same fish following minato for multiple pages during the dream sequence, when most of the other creatures only appear for a single panel or two?

it's especially weird by the time we get to the reunion with nagiko, when we stop seeing any other prehistoric creatures in the foreground (save for the basilosaurus skeleton). but this fish still stays next to minato, and neither him nor nagiko seem to acknowledge its presence. it... doesn't really do anything either. it just hangs around at minato's side or right behind him, like it's watching over him.

doesn’t it look a bit out of place in this scene?

and then what’s stranger is that we see it again later on. when haruno voices his concerns about minato's mental state in ch. 50, the implication being that he thinks minato might follow his wife to the grave, we get this panel to go with it:

there’s the whale skeleton and lion’s mane jellyfish, both of which have been previously used to represent nagiko. there's minato, reaching out to the jellyfish with the hand he wears his wedding ring on. and then there’s... the fish again. as before, minato doesn't interact with it at all. in fact, his back is completely turned to it, but the fish is still continuing to watch him from afar.

i already had some suspicions even before ch. 50, but this panel is the one that made me go "oh, okay, so that's definitely supposed to be a person, right?".

nagiko isn't the only character in the story who's connected to a particular deep sea creature or two: there's nagisa with the dumbo octopus, shizuka with the basket star, ryou with the cookiecutter shark, etc. we haven't had anyone with a prehistoric species yet, let alone a prehistoric coelacanth, but we do have someone who's depicted with modern day coelacanths pretty frequently:

so who would be a likely candidate for its ancient relative: a fish that's distinct enough from its kin to be recognized as a separate entity, while still sharing many visual similarities?

who's the person that's the most likely to come to mind whenever minato thinks of nagiko? a person who had always been at his side in his younger days? a person that minato can't truly see or talk to in his dreams, because he remains out of his reach?

a person who still continues to haunt him, even now?

wonder who that could be.

[starset21]

Standard Disclaimer: I only own my original characters, I've done some research but there will likely be Navy/military inaccuracies, and I do not consent to the posting, translating, or publishing of my work to any 3rd party site, the only place it may be found is on tumblr and Wattpad under @.itswildflower

A/N: This story is heavily inspired by the hallmark movie of the same title and is very self-indulgent. I'm also trying a different format than I'm used to using so it may change in the future chapters.

Looking for the next chapter? U.S.S. Christmas Masterlist 

Summary:  She’s on her way to a Christmas ball to meet her brother Jackson, a fighter pilot in the Navy. There, she spots a certain blonde, tall drink of water with gold wings clad in full dress uniform waiting at the bar.

Chapter 1: The Christmas Ball

“Oh, my. I feel like I should be standing at attention,” Kayleigh whispered to her brother.

“Relax, Kate. Even the most disciplined sailors know how to have fun. You just wait until this dance floor fills up. I'll go get our table number.”

Kate took a deep breath. “Okay. I'll get drinks,” she told him before walking over to the open bar.

“Hi. A red wine and a whiskey neat, please,” she ordered. The bartender got to work quickly and was handing them to her within a minute. “Thank you so much,” she handed him a 5-dollar tip before taking them and turning around only to run smack into a woman wearing white, effectively spilling her red wine over the white fabric.

“I'm so sorry!” she gasped, turning and setting the drinks down and picking up a towel to hand to the woman.

“We have literally been here for three minutes,” the woman complained.

“I- i-i-i-i'm… I'm gonna get your dress dry-cleaned. Actually, you know what? I'm gonna go get you a new dress. I'm gonna actually go to the mall right now,” Kate rambled on.

“I finally found a flattering white dress… Of course, this happens,” the woman mutters. 

“I'm so sorry. I feel terrible,” she apologizes. “It's... fine. Accidents happen. If you'll excuse me, I am headed to the restroom.”

The woman leaves, leaving Kate with the handsome stranger.

“I'm so sorry,” she apologizes again.

“Red wine, the enemy of flattering white dresses everywhere,” the handsome blonde quipped.

“Yeah. It's a fashion emergency if I've ever seen one,” Kate muttered embarrassed.

“She'll survive. Although you might want to have your date grab your drinks for you next time,” he suggested.

“Oh, no, I'm not…” she trailed off when another man patted the handsome blonde on the shoulder.

“Hangman! Long time no see, buddy.” The two men speak for a moment.

“I better get back to my date,” Kate tells the man. “It was nice meeting you,” he tells her before she walks off. 

“Kate! Over here,” her brother calls out, standing with a familiar face.

“Merry Christmas! It's so good to see you again,” the older man greeted and opened his arms for a hug.

“It's good to see you too, Captain Kerner,” Kate hugged him.

“No, no, no, you're a civilian. No formalities. It’s Ron or Slider... I cannot believe how grown up you are, I haven't seen you since your Dad's funeral.”

Kate nodded. “Yeah. You gave such a beautiful speech, sir.”

“Thank you. Sam was one of the finest RIOs and a great wingman out at sea,” he complimented.

“Yeah, he was the best,” Jackson chimed in.

“He would have been proud of you two. Your stories in the paper, Kate, and, of course, you following in his footsteps on the Polaris, Jackson,” Ron told them.

“It's my honor to serve, sir,” Jackson smiled.

“It's a shame, however, that you didn't sign up for the Christmas tiger cruise along with your mom this year. You could have seen your brother in action,” Ron told Kate.

“I just have so much work right now. Big stories percolating,” she countered.

“A chance to watch Jackson launch a $65 million jet off the deck of a carrier, why, that's a big story,” Ron laughed. “Not to mention we're gonna make a stop in New York City this year,” he added after a pause.

“Isn't it too late, sir? The cruise leaves Norfolk day after tomorrow,” Jackson asked.

“We carry 6,000 people on the ship. I think we can find an extra bunk for Kate,” Ron patted him on the back.

“Kate?” he asks.

“Well, thank you, really, for the offer, but it's just so last-minute with Christmas being ten days away,” She tells the older man.

“Well, the offer is there if you change your mind,” Ron told her with a smile.

“Sir!” A younger service member approached them. “Ah, yes. If you'll excuse me? It was great catching up.” 

“You know Captain Kerner is my boss, right?” Jackson muttered to Kate as the older man walked away. “Like, my big boss?” he stressed.

“Yeah, I know. I'm not interested in going on a tiger cruise, okay? I didn't want to go when we were little, I don't really want to go now,” she told him.

“I get it. Now, the more important question is, where are those drinks?” he asked her.

“Oh, um…” Kate trailed off.

“Isn't that your shawl?” Jackson asks, his eyes following the woman she had spilled wine on. Kate nodded. “Who is that, anyway?” He looked at his sister.

“I don't know. I had a little bit of an accident at the bar. Some guy actually told me to have my date get the drinks next time,” she tells him, hanging her head in embarrassment.

“From the looks of that woman's dress, maybe you should have got the Merlot?” Jackson teased.

“Affirmative,” Kate sighed.

“Come on,” Jackson offered her an arm and led her to the table where they caught up on each other's lives. 

“Oh, it's Jenny. I'm gonna grab this,” Jackson told her, grabbing his phone and standing.

Kate nodded and yawned. “I know the military can be stiff… But are we really that boring?” Hangman, the handsome stranger from earlier approached.

“Sorry, it's just… It's been a long day,” Kate tells him.

“There's your shawl. Solo again?” he asks as she takes the shawl from him.

“Thank you. What about you? Is your date okay?” Kate asks.

“She's a little traumatized.”

Kate’s cheeks flushed. “Seriously?” she lamented.

“She likes things to be… Just right,” he told her.

“Oh. A good match for you, then.”

Hangman raised a brow. “Based on...?” he questioned.

“I just know most military officers are meticulous,” Kate told him.

“I can be pretty easygoing. Spontaneous, even,” he countered.

“There you are. Your tie's a little crooked, Jake,” the woman in white came up to him and fiddled with his tie. The lieutenant mouths sorry to Kate before being led away by his date.

“Is Jenny okay?” Kate asked when Jackson returned to the table.

“She's good. She'll be back tomorrow. Look, I'm real glad you came with me tonight,” he told her.

“Me too,” Kate smiled.

“Ladies and gentlemen, excuse me. May I have your attention, please? The captain would like to say a few words.”

Ron steps forward. “Thank you, Commander. For those of you who don't know me, I'm Captain Ron Kerner, skipper of the USS Polaris, and I want to wish you all happy holidays and thank you for coming to the Navy Christmas ball. Now, as you know, while the Navy is not about self, but country, I look around this room tonight and I see so many fine men and women who make incredible sacrifices for this nation every day. And I'm not just talking about the sailors, but those who love them, as well. My apologies… I know we're not an easy bunch. And I can't wait to host your families on the Christmas tiger cruise. It's always exciting to me when they get to see what an incredible job you do on the ship. So during this holiday season, be thankful for family and for this fine country. Raise your glasses in a toast. To the Navy!” he cheered.

“To the Navy!” Everyone repeated.

“Merry Christmas,” he finished before the music began once more.

[aubins]

she is rasping and literally crawling toward yuri with big wet eyes because the week has been very unkind to her and she's a little scraped up from getting caught in a wilderness trap but don't even worry about it. however! she reaches them and her fluffy head perks up.

"yuri! yuri, we weren't on the same island last week, and bernie didn't want to miss you just in case—" rustle, rustle. from her belongings, she fishes out a lilac-ribboned box. inside there is makeup, carefully curated and dorothea-certified of course, along with a flower accessory she'd made herself. its blossom is the color of their eyes, which she is doing her very best to meet now, thank you very much.

(in fact, she's trying so hard that it pinches her brow just slightly. eye contact will always be her worst enemy but god if she isn't pulling out all the stops to show her earnestness. they deserve that much and plenty more.)

"happy, uh, early birthday...!" the gift is ushered into their possession. then her arms flap at her sides, and she blurts: "please don't get eaten by alligators, okay?! wait, are there alligators on this island? w-well, don't get eaten by anything! please. um, yes." nod, nod. "i don't get this whole competition thing, but you're still bernie's dear friend. and bernie really, really wants to keep being friends by the time your next birthday comes, too."

a pause. then, lips curl into a silly, fond smile that bernadetta can't help but make. "a-and it doesn't have anything to do with this weird island, but, um... you make me happy. so i hope this makes you happy, too."

Yuri Leclerc does not celebrate their birthday.

Sometimes, there are exceptions. Like the treats and surprises of a certain red-haired girl or the odd greeting here and there from Abyssians who have known them for long enough to learn it. Yet no matter how routine these exceptions start to become, they will always be just that: exceptions. Because, for so long, the day they'd said was theirs never really was their birthday anyway. Because, a long time ago, the boy who was born on their actual birthday died on the streets of Adrestia.

“Bernadetta,” is their hummed greeting as their gaze flicks over her, pleased— well, always pleased, really, to see her, and even more so when she appears to be in relatively one piece— their usual smile curling at the corner of their lips. “That for me?” they ask, tone teasing as she fishes the box from her belongings. It's not even my birthday yet, is the follow up, already upon the tip of their tongue when—

“Happy, uh, early birthday...!”

And Yuri blinks, stunned for a moment, because no, they think, they will never quite get used to these exceptions. Even as Bernadetta shuffles the gift into their hands, babbling that they shouldn't get eaten by alligators, if there even are any— “No,” they think they hear themself say automatically, first instinct always to reassure, “I haven't seen any alligators. And I won't get eaten, so don't even worry about it.”— and that they're her dear friend— “...ah?” is the only sound they make in response to that one, a little quiet and a little confused, because there's no automatic answer to it, not one that they want to give to such a genuine effort anyway.

They glance at the box now in their hands for a beat, then pull it open gently, as if afraid it might break. “You didn't have to,” Yuri says, gaze immediately attracted to the collection of makeup within. They know, of course, what it costs, and suddenly mean it doubly so. “Must've cost you a pretty penny. You should've spent it on yourself.” And even if some people would say it just to be humble, humility has never been one of their features. They know what they do and do not deserve.

After all, Yuri is no stranger to gifts like these. Makeup and jewelry offered to them because only the finest of accessories should decorate the most beautiful dolls— and never for free, of course, because nothing in this world is ever for free, and they are quite used to trading both face and body.

They kept them all, no matter how they loathe them sometimes. They may be prideful, but they are not foolish. There is a trunk under the floorboards beneath their bed in Abyss filled with their hoard, bountiful enough to convince someone they are a magpie and not a mockingbird. Bountiful enough to remind them that, now, the Savage Mockingbird can take a noble's expensive gift and slit his throat while wearing it if they wanted, then toss it without a second thought to disappear within their collection.

But while Bernadetta is a noble, she is not like them. (But how do you know? asks a voice. Yuri silences it. They just do— they must believe that.) Not because of this island, she says next, and as much as Yuri can guess where her mind tends to spiral to, they wonder if she can do the same. Because they would have thought it next, yes, wondered about an objective handed to her in the interim that perhaps needed completing or some other game their hosts wanted to play. Even with the reassurance, they might have still wondered.

But maybe it is because it is Bernadetta, because she had known them before they were Yuri, and know all the secrets and vulnerabilities that come with that, because no matter how many times she says she has forgiven them, Yuri is used to bracing for betrayal, that the mockingbird pauses. Briefly, yet completely and utterly struck still mid-flight.

And then they believe her, even when the first instinct ingrained in them is not to.

“It...” they start, then pause. Correct themself. “You make me happy, Bernadetta. With or without the gift. But thanks for thinking about my birthday.” Because it's nice to be thought about, in the end. If it needs to be put simply for her, without the mess of their past, then it— and she— makes them happy. Bernadetta doesn't need to know the rest. Yuri grins, then plucks the flower accessory from the box to hold out to her. This one, they can think about without straining their smile. No shadow haunts it; this one is just Bernadetta. “Help me put it in my hair?”

Next birthday, we'll still be friends. But they do not say it aloud. This one is a promise all for themself. Yuri resolves not to break it.

[cellard0ors]

It's 1975 and Travis Hackett is ten years old.

His baby brother Chris is at home - sleeping the happy, peaceful sleep of someone who has yet to know he's the favored child.

Travis, while young, has long since come to the conclusion that he's not only not this child, but what one would consider a 'mistake'.

He's been called it enough times to know the truth of it. His Pa and Ma weren't expecting him, they didn't want him, but he came about regardless.

Christopher - however - was planned and chosen and the apple of their eye. Especially his mother's. She has more than said as such, tonight being yet another reminder as - after a whopping for not cleaning his plate at dinner fast enough - she'd sent him on his way, grumbling about how her new baby would never be so ungrateful.

Travis went to his room as instructed but, needing quiet and fresh air and relief from his oppressive household, he'd snuck out his window and taken to the forest.

The woods of Hackett's Quarry are more home to him than anywhere else and he likes to go down to the lake in particular.

Named after a long ago relative, Lake Septimus is dark and deep and seems to stretch on forever. At least farther into the distance than Travis's eyes can pick out on a dark, moonless night.

He pushes up his glasses and goes down to the sandy shoreline, planning to sit down and look out over the water as he's done many nights before.

But tonight is very different - because tonight someone else is there.

As he gets closer, he picks out the slim form of a kid who is probably not much younger than him and when he speaks his voice cracks some, "H-hey..."

The person startles and looks to rise up, planning on perhaps making a break for it when Travis adds, "Wait! It's okay! I won't hurt you!"

His comments must not be enough though, as they still follow their first set of plans, dashing towards the water and making one of the smoothest dives he's ever seen! Which, given his history with their family's summer camp, is very impressive.

Travis gets to the shoreline and waits for the diver to resurface.

They don't.

He calls out to them, just simple 'Hey's' and 'Hello's' over the course of the next ten minutes but he gets no answer. Did he imagine it? Just as he thinks about perhaps risking extra trouble by getting in himself, a head pops up above the surface.

It's only a slick head and eyes, but he can see that it's a person and he lets out a breath, "Holy-! I-I thought maybe I was crazy! Or-or that you drowned!"

The person doesn't respond, and he just sits down on the sandy ground, hoping it might make the stranger feel at ease, "Um...are you okay? You-? You were under for a long time..."

No answer. But the eyes keep watching him and, while it is dark, he can somehow pick them out. Pick out these eyes just staring at him. Travis licks his lips and pushes up his glasses, "I'm-? I'm Travis."

No reply.

"Travis Hackett?"

Nothing.

"Do-? Do you have a name?"

They haven't moved. Not an inch. He still can't see their entire face and he's just about reaching the point where he wonders if he should be worried or scared when he hears a soft, "Llllarullla."

He blinks. Confused. Wondering where he heard it, when he hears it again and this time notices the person's head is more above the water, a tiny rosebud mouth opening to say it, "Llllarullla."

Now that he can see their whole face, he realizes it's a girl. Again, she's around his age, and she looks horrified, yet unable to stop herself. It's as if she wants to answer, but doesn't think she should. Albeit her answer is...weird.

Travis tries to repeat what she said and suddenly the horror on her face melts away to sheer amusement. She lets out a giggle and it's a very normal giggle. He can't help but laugh too and he shakes his head, "Sorry if I'm saying it wrong. Think-? Maybe you've got too much water in your mouth? Your name's coming out all funny."

She shakes her head and he pats the ground near him, "You could come on up here. Maybe then I could hear you better?"

Another head shake and he sighs, "Come on - I can't just keep shouting out to you like this!"

To be fair, he's not shouting - she isn't that far - but she's underwater enough that he can only see her head and her slicked back hair and suddenly she looks terribly sad as she shakes her head a third time, as if to say 'that settles that' and then she turns and it's at this moment that Travis's whole life changes.

Because when she turns and goes to swim away, he sees her head fully disappear under the water only for something else to rise up behind her.

He sees a big, beautiful fin.

A fin.

A fin attached to a tail.

A fish like tail and with a swift swish of it, the girl is gone, leaving Travis marveling on the shore at what he's just witnessed.

Travis Hackett, ten years old, has just seen his first mermaid.

[hevcrap]

I keep forgetting I'm not a woman.

[skygemspeaks]

okay but what if ofmd au where blackbeard and the gentleman pirate are two rival pirate captains who have been terrorizing the seas for over a decade and everyone thinks they hate each other but the truth is that they've never actually met before, not face to face

they mostly just stay out of each other's way because they don't really have any reason to fight

they do compete, though, to see who can do the craziest shit or raid the most merchant ships, etc

the two captains are complete opposites - blackbeard is loud and brash and wants everyone to know who he is. his jolly roger is recognized by everyone and people can recognize him on sight.

the gentleman pirate however is a complete enigma. few people even know what he looks like, and his crew doesn't even have a proper jolly roger, just different flags that they seem to swap out from time to time depending on their captain's whims.

and then one day edward and his crew are in the republic of pirates and edward's getting drinks at some random dive bar when the most beautiful man he's ever seen walks in and takes a seat at the bar, and what's edward supposed to do? not flirt with this super well dressed stranger who should probably look out of place in a seedy little bar like this but who seems to command the entire room with an enviable ease?

so edward walks up to him and starts using his best lines and the man looks startled when he realizes just whose attention he's caught. he flounders for a few moments before finding his footing, and then he starts flirting back, which edward is absolutely delighted by. they pass the night in easy conversation, edward finds out the guy's name is stede bonnet and that he and his crew are at the island to let off some steam. the two of them share stories long into the night, with edward getting steadily more and more drunk as time goes on.

by the time the bar closes, he's too drunk to remember where their ship is, so stede takes him back to the revenge to sleep off the alcohol. he passes out on the way there.

the rest of the crew is surprised to see a drunk blackbeard come back with their captain. wee john asks if this is when they finally kill the bastard and defeat his crew once and for all.

stede is apalled, saying that they will do no such thing and that if anyone so much as lays a hand on edward while he's on the revenge (except in self-defense), stede will not be mad at them, he will simply be very very disappointed. the crew start shuffling around nervously and pouting as they agree not to attack him.

edward is delighted when he wakes up next to the beautiful guy from the bar the next morning, though decidedly less delighted that he doesn't remember the doubtless mindblowing sex they must have had.

when stede tells him, deadpan, that they haven't had sex (yet), edward is suddenly very enthused as he starts making plans.

before he gets very far, stede has breakfast brought in for them by his suspicious-looking chef, and then afterwards he gives edward a tour of his ship, during which edward meets the rest of his wary crewmates. he can't exactly blame them - not a lot of pirates would be happy about having the blackbeard on their ship.

it's nearing the end of the tour when suddenly he hears a commotion on deck, and the sound of cannons firing. when edward and stede go up on deck, they see the queen anne's revenge closing in on them quick, with izzy at the prow like an avenging angel.

"what the fuck is he doing?" edward grumbles to himself. "this isn't the first time i've spent the night in another pirate's bed. why is he so fucking worked up this time? i can take care of myself. i'm motherfucking blackbeard."

and it's at this point that stede just kinda laughs awkwardly and doesn't answer.

edward jumps up onto the railing of the ship, waving his arms and yelling at izzy to stop fucking firing on the ship, and eventually his first mate seems to get the message.

when they're within hearing range, edward yells over at izzy, asking what the fuck he thinks he's doing.

"I'm here to save you, you fucking twat!" izzy yells back.

"I was just about to get into stede's pants, man! you totally ruined the mood and blew my chances!" edward complains. "What the fuck made you think i needed saving!?"

"i don't know, maybe the note that we got from the fucking Gentleman Pirate telling us that he had you on his ship!?" izzy yells back.

edward draws up short. he turns to gape at stede, who is laughing guiltily and looking anywhere but at edward.

"uhhh, surprise?" he says after a few minutes of awkward silence.

somehow, edward finds himself even more turned on to find out that stede isn't just a beautiful face, but someone who can stand on equal footing with him.

edward turns towards the queen anne and yells at izzy, "get the fuck out of here, iz! i don't need your help, stede's been nothing but a gentleman! if he wanted me to be dead, he sure as shit wouldn't have had to bring me back here, so stop being such a worrywart!"

and then, without any further ceremony, edward grabs stede by the hand and drags him back to the captain's quarters.

as soon as the door closes behind them, edward has stede slammed up against it, kissing him like his life depends on it.

[firesofdainix]

So who was the first em of wind and what did they use their powers for? 👀

@kassycreations @mochinoodle @leesbian42 because I think you'd like being tagged over things like this<3

Also under read more since it's so damn long <33333

Okay so first, Long Before Time Had A Name, there was a great sea serpent named Wojira who harnessed the power to control the storm and the waves by the power of the amulets on her head. She has the power of Wind and Water, and uses it haphazardly to create fear and distrust over the first inhabitants of this Realm.

During one of her particularly stormy and destructive moments, she created the Merlopians and Keepers from the essence of Water and Wind. Meaning, that while they all have elemental blood inside of them, they can only have one elemental master per generation. Thus, the Merlopians attained the Element of Water while the Keepers with the Element of Wind.

I actually have a Headcannon over how bodily limits affect the way Elemental Masters control their element. To make it short, Merlopians and Keepers have different bodily make ups so that they can control the native elements in a different manner than what is known and limited to the humans. Here's the link below to learn more about the hc: https://at.tumblr.com/manjirian/i-think-we-should-talk-about-how-kalmaar-called/19auso7h9nny

ANYWAYS you already know about Nyad, FSM, the battle to become independent from Wojira and just make her stop doing BS like this, and the creation of Ninjago. The whole Nyad merging with the sea thing kind of kick-started the FSM's fear to see people extend the limitations of their body and convinced the next elemental masters of water and Wind to marry into his new creations, the humans.

A few decades after Nyad merges with the sea, the FSM creating Ninjago, he created the First Generation if the Elemental Alliance, choosing the first users of the elements passed down to him. Fire, Ice, Earth, Lightning, even meeting a few more elements he doesn’t control that weren't derived from him such as Time, Seasons and Weather. That is when he meets what people consider to be the First Elemental Master of Wind, since this one also blends in with he Ancient tradition of the Keepers.

The Keepers were secretive, obscure people, who was given the task of guarding the storm amulet for the next thousand of years by the FSM. While there is no denying they have the element of wind for a while, all of their inscriptions, like Merlopians, had mentions and legends of wind and water users, Ninjago and by extension, the FSM, haven't seen them. Thus, Nyad was considered to be the First Master of Water.

Anyways yes, the First 'recorded' Elemental Master of Wind is a Keeper, and according to FSM he washed upon the shores of his lands wounded, found by one of his Elemental Masters. Because he was compassionate and caring, he nurses the stranger back to health, only to find out that he was what he was looking for: the Elemental Master of Wind.

They told FSM their name was Morro, and that they had been banished from the Keepers for committing a terrible crime. He expressed guilt over what they did, and FSM, sympathizing with him, comforted their conscience. He didn't know that Morro wasn't guilty over THAT particular crime, however. While no one knows what he'd been banished of, FSM has assumed it was something like petty thievery. Yet, if only he saw the signs sooner...

Morro I is a very formidable and skilled fighter, even without his powers upon the creation of Vengestone. He's always battle-ready, dressing up with elaborate armor derived to remember their Keeper heritage yet managed to still have nimble and agile feet, like the wind. They can never be controlled or put in cramped situations, they were quite flexible and resourceful as a person. Because of their craftiness and contrast to FSM's more reserved, shier attitude, they managed to be closer to him than others were.

As a person, they were kind of like the Morro we all know and love: ambitious, prideful, impulsive, temperamental, but they exude an air of charisma and stoicism that made them so popular amongst their peers. His personality is immensely popular, as he is also not quite emotionally attached to things such as missions that concern family members put in jeopardy, thinking only with his mind. Various Elemental Masters say that while they are fun and approachable as a friend, you shouldn't become a thorn on their side when they're busy completing a task. They are also quite cryptic and vague when talking, but purposefully, which puts them at odds with the others.

His most famed weapon are these beautiful, intricate fans that have been recreated a lot of times and his actual fan put in museums. They use the martial arts of Tessenjutsu, which uses the iron fan. Because of their strong power against wind and their general impressive combative moves, they were able to subdue the enemy and make him yield.

While they were a formidable, strategic fighter, they occasionally alienated himself from the other Elemental Masters. Either because of his own choice, or rather, his peers started to figure out there was something wrong with them. Their only friends in this instance would have been FSM, the EM of Seasons and Weather (which I'll make a post about I swear).

While they weren't interested in marriage or romance, they decided to do FSM a favor by marrying a nice girl upon his recommendation to continue the Elemental bloodline. They had one child at the age of 20, and returned to the Elemental Alliance shortly after to be close to FSM again. Generally a dick move and an asshole, yeah.

Why did people think he was a little nuts? Well, it started out innocent- a couple of jokes and a few weird behavior, but they weren't THAT concerned over Morro's quirkiness. Everyone is different from each other after all. But it started getting worse: Morro seemed to have developed an unhealthy attachment to the FSM, waiting for him, having a certain clinginess, and just preaching about his teachings to others when they have ears open. The way they speak about FSM was quite obsessive and strange, as if they love him but not really. They also have a strong sense of 'worthy' and 'unworthy' people, deeming all of them unworthy of their elements.

He's pretty much a fanatic over elements, and firmly believes that the FSM has the right to all of those elements once more. They usually just lock themselves in their own private house, trying to take note of the history of the elements and is just so obsessed. There's a reason why they become a cautionary tale about obsession and how friendships like those suck like balls.

Anyways a few years later, when he was 24, he started acting on his obsession and it went too far. This is all of his crimes accumulating into one consequence. One day, while he was out patrolling his designated area, he runs into a group of naysayers who were disagreeing with the FSM and his teachings. And Morro I FINALLY let the intrusive thoughts win. They were a Keeper, and they are proud of their heritage, for his body doesn't have limitations. He can conjure up wind from people's lungs without the soul complaining.

They did a forbidden Wind technique- when one of their friends figured out what was happening, all the naysayers who disagreed with the FSM were on the ground, breathless, literally. Morro I admitted that they murdered them all, but without any remorse. They firmly believe that these bunch of haters deserve what happened to them, and refused to plead guilty. Thus, once FSM hears all the BS Morro I said and did, he called for a trial.

Of course, Morro I was noted as guilty, which, for some reason, SHOCKED him. Like, my brother in the FSM, you firmly went against your own friend's condition because you have the weirdest praise kink for him EVER. They pleaded to the FSM, stated that they were only doing what had to be done, oppressing people and never letting them fulfill his own opinion. But FSM tells Morro I that their complaints can help further the way he can help teach better. FSM wonders how far Morro I would dedicate himself and how his unwavering, unhealthy loyalty would go. He just HAD to ask.

The Elemental Alliance decided that he will spend his lifetime in banishment, but before he was banished off the known Ninjago lands, into the unclaimed, uninhabited territories that were filled with Grundles and various predators that run amock, he says his final vow, his last words to the Elemental Alliance that turned their backs on him. It's well-known as the Curse of the Masters of Wind.

In a bid for sympathy, or to show how they've truly went too far gone with their obsessive love for FSM, he curses his entire line. While the lines of which he said were unclear and even something the masters have tried to forget, it's said that they give their descendants' lifespan to the FSM. They tell him that all of his descendants after him will die before the age of 30; either having an accident or sudden death before their thirtieth birthday, or just having a shitty life and dying. Just anything before thirty.

After the curse settled on the Elemental Masters, they released him into the unclaimed lands, never looking back to their face, mad and filled with injustice over simply 'saving his friend from the negativity of the people. They lurk near the line between claimed and unclaimed lands, wandering from every border, trying to talk to FSM, before vanishing completely after their 25th year alive. Many say they died, their remains dispersed through the wind, but all of them are too scared to cross into the wilderness.

The curse took its hold on Morro I's son immediately: he died a brutal death in his 29th year, and his daughter died at the age of 19, then her sister died at the age of 28. The Elemental Masters were baffled at this series of incidents, wondering if there truly WAS a curse within the Ehecatl family. Needless to say, it made the entire family erupt in paranoia, fear, and anxiety. Their breaths could be their last. They couldn’t even have multiple sons, all of them dying until only one remains.

Because of this Curse, people, especially the Elemental Masters started to look at every single Masters of Wind differently. They fear that their brevity and shortness in life would rub off on them and started to alienate the Masters of Wind from the Alliance more. The FSM, compassionate as ever, tried to undo the curse, but only found himself at odds with the circumstances of this curse, forsaking those who are victims of the curse.

Oh, also! Since the Masters of Wind slowly but surely become more and more full-blood human, they are unable to do the feats that Morro I had done. Morro’s power he showcased in S5, no matter how much of an actual prodigy he is, pales in comparison to Morro I’s and Nyad’s power. Like I said in one of my posts, Wojira is a step above the rest when it comes to Water and Wind.

Because of the curse, not only do they try to vilify and erase Morro I out from records or use them as an allegory for obsession and how it can doom the person, ‘Morro’ was generally a terrible name and was almost written out of naming suggestions, saying that the person who name their infant as Morro curses their child into misery. Morro’s bio family actually was debating whether to call him Morro or just leave him blank, so...

They were turned into a scary campfire story, like the Overlord, the Great Devourer, Wojira, by the FSM, even bringing down one of Morro I’s old friends to his level. Wu and Garmadon were not comfortable by these stories, and Wu only tells Morro I’s story to children who were quite obsessive, to learn their lesson. However, he did not think that one of his students would idolize Morro I, to the point of naming himself after him...

Now time for some cute trivia about the first EM of Wind <333333:

uses he/they pronouns, if that wasn’t clear

the reason why I chose the name Morro is because it’s cute Nya was named after Nyad, first Elemental Master of Water. except, when she landed fame he gained notoriety.

either uses Feng or Ehecatl as a last name. Feng’s bloodline ended two thousand years ago after the main branch didn’t have any heirs left, so the Ehecatl line had to take over.

he is into music!!! he loves playing guitars or any other stringed instruments. they’re the reason why all Masters of Sound to this day continue to play with stringed instruments

he sucks at teaching, nor is he a good companion. they joke a lot and almost get themselves and their partner in trouble.

cryptic. they’re a little shit that is also quite flexible, their personality changing everyday to accommodate the masters.

they have the texture and skin of Keepers, but they have ebony dark hair that reaches to the floor. they look like a purple Sadako if you want to imagine him. except they’re buff. and they have a fuck ton of armor.

didn’t end up in the Cursed Realm?! that honor is bestowed upon their friend who got fucked over <3333

all of Morro I’s descendants have different pigmented hair stripes, and they’re all dark-haired. wow, the phenotype continues to haunt the family after 5000 years. anyways the stripe is either to signify his curse still quite prevalent, or just a genetic thing.

what if I told you Nelson is descended from a descendant of Wind. that’s why his dad never showed up. that’s why his mom is so worried about him. that’s why he always breaks bones. what if i told you he’s going to die someday.

probably would have laughed at all the costumes made of him, and the stories told of their ‘deviousness’ and ‘evil’

also works as a medium. Wind is the element of spirits after all, and Morro I has a better grasp over the element.

he was created for angst and comparison for Morro in my magnum opus, my Morro redemption fic TAGOMJTR. he was mentioned through chapter 1, and showed up in chapter 3.

too bad he’s the main antagonist for this new fanseason i’m making.

[redorich]

Hey, my sister and I wanted to take your Hermit Canyon AU, patch a few plotholes we found, add a little bit of our own creativity, and iron it into a single cohesive story with a story format and an easy-to-follow plot. It won't have any of your writing directly copied, but it will be so heavily inspired by it – at least in the first few chapters – that it'll be super, blindingly obvious. 1: are you okay with us publishing it on Ao3/here, and 2: do you want any updates, info, etc? – Tiger

...hi. it's been a while, hasn't it?

to be completely honest with you, i've been ignoring this message for a while-- partly because i've been living in a cell service-less cabin in the woods with mold, mice, worms, ticks, hornets, and what have you-- but partly for other reasons.

you see, i didn't know how to answer this. on a surface level, i should be thrilled that someone likes my work enough to want to "patch it up" and make a work so inspired by it. however...

my AUs were never meant to be stories.

from what i've seen in the mcyt fandom, people who run AUs throw out ideas they think are cool, then someone sends them an ask with a new idea, the blog responds, and post by post all of these ideas develop plot points. they're not "stories" in the traditional sense; they're written very differently to accommodate the format and time frame they're posted in. i posted a collection of all the posts in my AUs to ao3 so they could all be in one spot. i didn't want them to be buried and forgotten.

and you know what? people like you, who ask me if they can smooth over the things that i wrote? they have a point. from an objective standpoint, my fics are bad-- they were never supposed to be fics in the first place. they're fragmented. scenes are too short. the pacing is wrong and so are some characterizations. i pick up and drop plot threads at random. pick your poison, i guess.

it still hurts when you ask to change my writing.

it's like you're telling me that i didn't write a good enough story. you're telling me that for all the months of time and tens of thousands of words that i did put in, none of that was enough because you could have done what i did, but better.

whenever people ask to rewrite my stories, to "patch a few plotholes", to "iron it into a single cohesive story", to make the plot "easy to follow", do you think i take it positively? how could anyone see things like that about their own work and feel good? the mistakes i made apparently bothered people to the point that several of them asked to fix them. like my stories need to be fixed.

this isn't the first or last time i've received a message like this, but it's the only one in my inbox that i haven't deleted. i stressed over this for a long time. the way i see it, i have a few options.

i could delete this message too, and the next one, and the next one. i'll ignore the problem until people stop asking-- except that they won't stop, will they? so, how about i just say no? if i just definitively say "no, you can't rewrite my fics", i'd feel like a total tool who's getting way too up their own ass about a stupid fanfiction that wasn't even good.

should i suck it up and allow people to "fix" my works, then? it feels... disingenuous, for lack of a better word. it may be a shitty fanfiction, but it's my shitty fanfiction, and i don't want to see complete strangers proudly displaying their improvements to its patchwork corpse. don't get me wrong, i love that people want to put their own spin on my fics. if you wanna make a work inspired by my fics then go ahead, you always have my blessing. but inspiration and "fixing what someone else wrote" aren't the same thing.

my last idea is that i could rewrite my AU compilations into real fics myself. i'd enjoy it, honestly, but that doesnt change the fact that it would be a massive task. my hermit!tommy AU and hermit canyon AU are, respectively, 35,000 and 55,000 words each. turning them into "real stories" would see their word counts massively bloated with revisions, to say nothing of the huge swaths of text that would be completely new.

writing takes time and energy, and to be frank, i have a life-- a busy one, at that. it's stressful. i won't go into personal details, because fishing for pity is not the point of what i'm trying to say here. (though, i will say that the whole joke about living in a house with pests, no wifi, no beds, and no doors? one hundred percent not a joke.)

i want to move on to new things. the current AU on my blog, the hermit!ghostbur AU, has been on hiatus for months for reasons mentioned above. i've been hyping myself up for it so much, because people have made amazing art and comments and ideas for it. they care. i don't want to let them down. because of the ending of hermitcraft season eight, and all the things that have happened so far in season nine, i have to scrap and rewrite the plan i had for the entire AU. it feels insurmountable. i love the au, and i want to jump straight into writing it, but... maybe rewriting my older stuff will help me shake off the rust.

so. my choice.

i'll rewrite it, i think. i don't know if i'll rewrite both hermit!tommy and hermit canyon, and i don't know which one i'll start with. (the few people who bothered to read this much of my drivel thus far into the post can send in their votes, i guess.) this is a big project, so please be patient with me.

whew, that was a lot of talking!! i'll summarize all my word-vomit. i'm gonna rewrite one or both of my AU collections so no one else feels like they have to. keep in mind that this is not the norm for tumblr-run AUs or their collections. i'm a person, as all writers are; keep in mind how your words hurt people. even though you meant no harm, that you just wanted to take something you liked and make it better, that shit grinds away at a person's self-esteem. so, if you want to write something using my works as inspiration, please do!! but inspiration and plagiarism are two different beasts. sorry for making you wait so long, and thank you for understanding.

[pure-kirarin]

More than friends : Koby x f!reader

A/N : Okay, I am just obsessed with Koby and there aren’t many scenarios with him so thought I might over indulge and write something. 

Overview: You and Koby were childhood friends but haven’t met in four years...

-----------------------------------------

« - I am coming ! »

You get out of your room, wondering who was paying you a visit so late. You open the door slowly, carefully, only to discover a man in a marine uniform. You narrowed your eyes, scanning his familiar silhouette. Pink hair, gentle eyes, it could only be...him. You put your hand on your lips, retaining a shriek of surprise. Whenever you thought of Koby, you were only met by the image of the small child that you used to play the pirate and the marine with. The person you had in front of you now was nothing like that child, it was different, but the eyes were the same.

-It has been such a long time, (Y/N)-san. I am sorry that I didn't tell you in advance, I wanted to keep it as a surprise. He smiles and rubs the back of his neck.

-Koby-san !

You try to hold your excitement, feeling as if you were in a dream. You two haven't seen each other in more than four years. Four years of solitude. You only heard that he has joined the marines two years ago, and that's how you kept in touch by exchanging letters.

-Please get in. You say, opening the door a bit wider so he can get inside. You notice now that he grew way taller than you. To say that you used to tease him about his height...You couln't retain a smile while taking his coat, asking him to get comfortable.

-I hope that I am not bothering you. I didn't think much before coming. I was on duty on the island and-...

-Why are you acting like we are strangers ? You can come whenever you want. I am...really happy that you did.

You were a little embarrassed since you weren't used to seeing him in person. It's true that you both exchanged long letters in which Koby described his marine life to you, but being next to him, right now...Made you feel like you were meeting for the first time. He on the other hand, seemed more assured, nothing like the self conscious little boy that you used to know but so similar at the same time.

-I am happy too. You have changed a lot, (Y/N)-san. He says with a little smile.

-Says who ! You are taller than me now. You say with a pouty face. Wait for me in my room, you point to the door with a hand gesture, I will bring some tea.

Koby makes himself comfortable. It was also now a strange feeling for him. The feeling of having always been there for you through words but also one of being strangers. He takes a sit and first thing he notices is a pile of letters next to your bed ; his letters ? He smiles at the sight. Koby has always been extremely moved by how much effort you put into keeping in touch. When he received your first letter after he joined the marine, he was surprised that you still remembered him and that you even wrote him. None of his childhood friends have done that, but you did. He still remembers your shaky handwriting, the same flowry paper that you always use and the very first words that you wrote ;

« Dear Koby-san,

I am not sure if you remember me but I am (Y/N),

we used to play together when we were kids. »

Of course he did remember. He even recalls the happiness of having someone write to him almost religiously. You never missed a holiday, a birthday, anything. Anytime something will show up about the marines in a newspaper you would write to him to make sure that he was doing alright. He chuckles when he thinks about Helmeppo asking if these letters were from his mom.

Your words were always there when he needed someone, encouraging when he lost confidence, entertaining in the long lonely nights, a clutch, a breeze of innocence in his world.

Your silhouette shows by the frame of the door, ruddy cheeks, shaky hands, noticing the scattered letters on the night stand. You put the plate on the table and hide away the letters in a drawer under his amused gaze, he didn't recall you being so shy. You take place next to him, pouring black tea in porcelain cups. He looks at your shaky hands and says ;

-You used to hate black tea.

-I am not a little girl anymore. I can have tea now ! You hand him the cup with a wide smile. Him remembering small details about you put your heart ablaze. He brings the cup to his lips and you just simply add ;

-You drink it without sugar now.

-I guess that changed too.

He inexpected you more in details, it was true that you were also far from the little girl that he knew. Actually, he surprised himself quite a few times imagining your face through your words but it was nothing like the woman that he had next to him. He gets a little distabilized by that thought, and you look at him with big eyes, trying to figure out what he was thinking about.

-You looked so cool in that uniform Koby-san... ! I am sure that you will become soon an admiral !

You said, trying to make the atmosphere a bit lighter, making him choke on his tea and say while waving his hand in front of his face

-I still have a way to go ! (Y/N)-san !

-You will be there in no time ! I am sure. You laugh lightly. Then, you tell him to wait for a second before taking a book out of your drawyer and putting it on your legs. Look what I have found last time by the way !

He looks at the book with an interested face before you open it. It was an old photo album with yellowish pages. Inside, there were many photographs of you. He remembers the girl-child with full cheeks and a contagious smile that was now imprinted on his lips. You turn the pages and then stop pointing at a picture of the both of you ; Him dressed up as a marine boy and you wearing a red-like cape, how old were you ? 8 probably ? You smile at that memory and say ;

-I really miss those days ! You were so cute, and you had such big cheeks. I'm sad that I can't pinch them anymore now !

Koby blushes and tries to take the picture off you hand but you hold it above your head before jumping on your feet like a kitten ;

-(Y/N)-san ! That's so...give it back. His voice was adorable,

-What ? Are you embarrassed now ?

-No it's just..

-Hehe ! Don't tell me that you are too shy ? You say with a playful voice.

Koby gets up and holds you by the wrist, you get a bit surprised but then you try to move your hand away from him, teasing him further. However, you didn't expect the man to have this much force and you fall back on your bed, making him lose balance as well. You open your eyes only to discover that Koby was now on top of you, your hand letting the picture go and fall on the ground. He lets go of your wrist and you both look deeply into each others eyes, distabilized by the sudden proximity. The proximity and the heat of the moment made you remember that he will only be spending a few hours in your presence. Your heart started beating fast thinking that it was your only chance to tell him what you have hidden for so long. You didn't want to do it like a coward, you didn't want to have hopes for the next four years, who knows when you will be able to meet again ?

« I want to be more than friends, Koby. »

Your words were fast, blunt, surprising. Koby wasn't able to process what was happening, you just went from zero to nine. You were always that way, so random, impredictible, always acting on the heat of the moment ;

- I am going to kiss you now. You whisper.

- huh ?

You didn't wait for him, you took his hand in yours, it was warm and a bit moist, was he as stressed as you were ? You closed your eyes, intoxicated by his smell ; a mixture of soap and cologne. At first, he didn't know what to do, feeling your soft lips just brushing against his. He stayed inert for a second then, he instinctively pinned your wrists by each side of your head, firmly yet gently. You let yourself go, you let yourself get guided by the weight of his body, engraving every single moment in your memory. I don't want to let go of him...You were eager, not willing to let go, you kissed him passionately as if you tried to pour all your love in that gesture. His mind was a wreck, his head was clouded, he has never thought that he wanted to kiss you that much , that you both needed it. When the kiss had to come to an end, Koby separated your lips, rosy cheeks, eyes meeting yours, half open. You held him by the collar, bringing him closer, an ocean of yearning mirrored in your irises.

-I kissed you anyways...

This time, it was him closing the gap between your lips. It was different, rougher, desperate, teeth tugging at his lower lip. One hand got lost in his hair while the other one rested on his chest, surprised to discover how fast it was beating, almost as fast as yours.

-(Y/N)-san... He says puzzled, not understanding how things turned up this way that quickly, nor what he was feeling at that moment and why he enjoyed it so much.

-..I...I wanted to...I have always liked you, Koby-san...That's why I...I looked for you everywhere...I want more...Than just friends.

Looking at you so fragile under his body made his heart melt. Nobody has ever waited for him for that long. He thought about the times that your words have cheered him up and about the times that you spent together as kids. He even thought about the promise that you have both exchanged, one day, in your yard. His hand brushes your cheek softly ;

-You still remember our promise then...He says.

Could it be ? What was just despair in your eyes turned into hope. You nodded, now encercling his chest holding him closer ;

-Then hurry up and become an admiral...

You said, remembering that hot summer day, eight years ago, a day when you promised that you'd marry Koby when he becomes an admiral.

[cinnamon-bebe]

Chemtrails (Pedro Pascal x Fem!Reader)

Chemtrails (Pedro Pascal X Fem!Reader)

Summary: "If you died today, would you be happy with the life you've lived?" What happens when you've sacrificed your love for fame and fortune? Despite the glitz and glamour, the Reader is all Pedro can think about. The stars have never been on your side but can you rewrite the plans they have for you?

Warning: Angst, Fluff, Occasional Cursing

Inspired by the song Chemtrails Over the Country Club by Lana Del Rey

"I'm on the run with you, my sweet love

There's nothing wrong contemplating God

Under the chemtrails over the country club"

"Baby what's your sign?"

"You're in the wind, I'm in the water

Nobody's son, nobody's daughter

Watching the chemtrails over the country club"

Pedro's POV

The chatter of a hundred people and yet I still only hear your voice. Memories of your words, from years past.

You asked me what my sign was, I told you I was an Aries. You laughed and told me we shouldn't be friends, the stars say so. The stars say we're incompatible, we'd be at each other's throats. I'm a fire sign and you didn't need any more drama. I kissed you for the first time and told you I'd prove you wrong, you simply smiled and looked off to the chemtrails that flew over us.  

Memories from years past.

I didn't have much to offer you but I told you that you could take my word. At that time, it was worth more than anything I could have given you.

"You want me to defy the stars?" You raised an eyebrow, a smile teasing your face.

"The stars can go fuck themselves." I told you and kissed you again.

We were so young. We were nobodies. Running through the concrete jungle, with your hand in mine. Sun dress and kisses at midnight convenience stores, splitting a hot dog on a summer day because we needed money for the show at 7.

We used to contemplate the meaning of life over a bottle on our little balcony. I asked you if you were happy and you smiled but did not reply.

"If you died today, would you be happy with the life you've lived?" You asked me instead.

"No." I told you. "There's so much more I want to do. I want to be somebody."

I didn't know it then but that was the moment I started to lose you.

Memories from years past.

I find myself sitting at a restaurant now, with more money to line my pockets, pats on the back from strangers. People know my name and it comes out in whispers, as they stare over their expensive plate, getting cold just to catch a glimpse of me.

A beautiful woman sits across from me. As if a movie star isn't a big enough draw, a woman like her only invites more gazes. She looks like she'd just stepped off a screen herself. She gives me all her attention, so much so that she does not register the envious stares from the others around her.

Her lips are moving, perhaps a funny anecdote came to mind or is she telling me about her sister's wedding again that she mentioned before?  I cannot tell you, for my mind is elsewhere, with someone else.

"So would you like to come?" She smiles brightly at me, her perfect teeth sitting between her lips, painted in a dusty pink.  

"Huh?" I snap out of my daze, embarrassed that I was clearly not paying attention.

"Jule's wedding, did you...want to be my date for the day?" She blushes, hopeful.

"Oh. I...uh. I don't know Kate. I have a pretty packed schedule coming up, I don't know if I'll have time." I try to make up an excuse.

"It's too early isn't?" She bites her lip sheepishly. "I'm sorry, I know we've only been dating for a few weeks, I shouldn't have sprung this up on you so fast."

"No no, please don't be silly. I love weddings!" I try to laugh it off. "It's just that, with the new movie coming up, I need to start preparing before we go into production."

"I understand." She nods with a smile, "Comes with the territory when you're dating a big movie star I guess." She looks at me, I'm not sure if she's anticipating a response but I reciprocate with a grin and wave at the waiter for another drink.

Soon enough, she excuses herself from the table to go to the ladies room and I'm left sitting alone at our spot. I grow tiresome of the incessant chattering from the tables around me and I massage the temples of head, wishing I was at home in the comfort of my bed with just the company of my television.

I see glances from a small table to the side of me, a group of young women clearly too shy to ask for a photograph, egging each other on to make the first move over to me. Their hopes quickly dashed as I feel a firm hand on my shoulder, turning me around.

"Pedro?" A familiar voice calls my name.

"Anthony! Fancy seeing you here!" My eyes widen as I pull an old friend down for a hug.

"It's my anniversary with Charlize, we're just celebrating! God I haven't seen you for so long!" He shakes his head, slowly looking me up and down, examining my so-called transformation. I've aged so much since we last we saw each.

"How long have you been here?" I ask.

"A couple of hours, I actually saw you before but I..uh...I didn't want to interrupt your date."

Date? I swallow the word whole.

"You lucky man. She's very pretty." He comments.

"Yeah, she is."

"You could seem a bit more interested though but those are Charlize's words, not mine." He raises his hands up, letting his wife take the blame.

"I must seem like an ass, don't I?" Poor Kate, how spoilt am I to show a woman like her so little interest. "I haven't dated for so long, it's just hard getting back into the scene that's all."

Anthony let's out an inaudible "oh" and I know he's thinking the same thing, I can practically hear the name sitting on his tongue, desperately wanting to come out. 

"How is Y/N?" I break the ice, allowing the elephant in the room an escape before he suffocates along with me.

"She's good, very good actually. She's a documentary film maker now. Her work is amazing, you'd love it." Anthony couldn't help his excitement when speaking about you and I feel an intense pang of sadness and jealousy seeing his eyes light up. To see you, celebrate you. I wonder if you've aged like me or do you still look the same as how I remember. Do you still crinkle your nose every time you hear a bad joke? Do your eyes still get red and glassy when you look at the sky because you're wondering if anyone's looking down on you? I wish I knew.

"Listen, I have to go." Anthony looks back at his wife who gives me a polite wave from a distance.

"It was really good seeing you Anthony, I'm sorry we haven't spoken all these years. It's just with work..." I recycle that old excuse again.

"Don't worry about it...you made it! I know you worked really hard to get where you are now. I know you had to make a lot of sacrifices..." The last sentence, spoken so softly, it was almost drowned out. "I'm genuinely happy for you."

I nod, giving my friend one last hug before I ready for him to turn and leave, instead he hesitates and looks at me.  

"Hey Pedro?"

"Yeah?"

"She still lives in the neighbourhood." He looks down at the scarf in his hand before patting me on my arm. "Just so you know."

With that, he waves me goodbye. Walking back to his wife, who he wraps his arm around. The way she naturally rests into him and slips her hand into his coat pocket as they exit the restaurant, I wonder if I'd ever have that level of intimacy with Kate.  

__________________________________________________

I sent her home in a taxi. "I have an early morning and need to prep for some meetings", my excuse for her this time. Kate's disappointed expression, as I gave her a kiss on the cheek is the last thing on my mind.

Scuffing the cap of my leather shoes, I kick at the pavement. The world moves past me as I hide myself in the bubble of my thoughts. I have no sense of direction, my legs taking me to no intended destination, only letting the neon lights around guide me to where it desires.

Anthony's words were still ringing in my ears.

Would you want to see me?

My mind reminds me of the last time we were together.

"I don't know how much longer I can keep doing this, if I don't leave the city now, I may never get my chanc-"

"Get your chance to do what? Be a star?" You were sat deep in the corner of the sofa, far from me. Your voice calm and monotonous as you watched me pace up and down our tiny apartment. I couldn't decipher your expression, it was as if you knew what I was going to say.

"I want to make something out of my life! I want to prove to everyone and myself that I can make it Y/N. I don't want to waste my life away." I moved towards you, our presence separated by the little vintage coffee table I hated but still bought home because you loved it so much.

"Well then go, I don't want to hold you back from chasing your dreams."

"Y/N-"

"No. It's okay Pedro. I understand...I really do. I don't want to stop you from pursuing what you love." You got up from your spot, you seemed so small to me as you closed the gap between us. Your hand felt so light against my face, like you were disappearing before me. "Don't live in regret because of me."

"Y/N come wi-" I tried to hold you, hold you before you evaporated.

"No. My place is here." You took your hand away, moved back, the space between us grew more and more distant. "I don't have big dreams like you do. I like normality. I like living my life however I want it, do whatever I want, whenever I want. You asked me if I was happy...and I am."

"Would you still be happy without me?"

I stared at you. My gut sank because I already knew this was the end. You didn't have to tell me.

"I don't know..." You managed to smile, even through the gentle tears that formed in your eyes. "But I know you would be without me."

"That's not true." I tried to reach for you but you pulled away.

"We're very different people Pedro...I told you, we're incompatible. It's time we listened to the stars."

My thoughts are suddenly interrupted as I feel a hand rest softly on the small of my back.

"Hello sir, would you like to buy a rose?" An elderly woman smiles up at me. A child stands obediently nearby, holding a bouquet of individually wrapped stems, clearly past his bedtime but still helping Grandma late at night. The child looks tired, sad. Judging by the number of roses still in his hands, they must have had an unlucky day.

"How much for one?" I return her kind smile, taking out my wallet.

"$2. Thank you, thank you so much sir." The old woman sighs in relief calling the child over to bring the flowers for me to pick. Each stem had a handwritten tag with various cheesy sentiments adorned.

....A kiss in exchange for a rose...

...You're more beautiful than any flower but here's one to show you my love anyway...

....Would you be my Valentine?...

....Please forgive me, I was an idiot.

I chuckle at the last one before picking a rose at random.

I take out $100 and watch the old lady's eyes panic as she reaches in her purse to find change. Taking her hand firmly in mine, I assure her it wasn't necessary.

"I'll take one rose for the $100. You keep the rest of the flowers and have a good night okay?"

The woman looks at the child with her mouth agape and then back at me, clearly taken aback by the gesture.

"Sir, are you sure?"

"Yes, take the kid home and get some rest. This one rose itself is worth every dollar." I pat her hand which trembles in mine.

"Thank you! Thank you! Bless you and the woman who receives your rose!"

Taking the child's hand they quickly walk away, whispering to each other and disappearing into the night.

I stare at the flower in my hand and bring it closer to my face, studying the message on the tag.

...Let's defy the stars and write our own destiny.

I stand in the dark of night, illuminated only by the cafe lights ready to turn off for the day. My hand grips the stem as if it weighed a hundred tons yet afraid it would float away like a feather. The frantic honking of the traffic seems to taunt me, the laughter from the bars nearby seem to be mocking this idiot of a man standing in the middle of the streets, holding a flower he paid $100 for.

"Just do it!" I hear a young boy shout at his friend attempting a skateboard trick up the block.

Just do it. I repeat to myself. Just fucking do it.

"Taxi!"

 _________________________________________________

I remember these steps, we used to sit here with the neighbours' kids. Charlie, I think that was his name? I remember little Charlie proposing to you with a plastic ring and threatening to get his kindergarten buddies on me, simply for existing. I can't help but laugh at that memory.

Everyone was in love with you, the young, the old. They couldn't help but fall for your charms, your kindness, the way you'd smile at them even if you've never spoken a word to each other. Everyone was under your spell, including me.

You told me you loved me on these steps.

I had gotten back from a bad audition and couldn't bear to go home to you. I sat here for hours until you saw me from the balcony and came down. You didn't ask me anything. You just sat with me as we watched the kids run up and down the block, racing each other, teasing each other. I looked at you and you gave me a kiss on the nose.

"I love you."

You said it so quietly at first that I pretended I didn't I understand.

You rolled your eyes and pulled my face into yours, telling me you loved me over and over again as you smothered me with your kisses.

That was one of the happiest moments of my life.

Walking past our faded figures, I enter the building and see that nothing has changed.

The walls were the same duck egg green. The bulletin board covered in layers of flyers and advertisement, some new, with plenty dated months back. I wouldn't be surprised if the audition ads I tried out for from years ago were still there.

The smell of various cuisines mingle together to form its own unique indecipherable aroma.

A comforting aroma.

I look to the elevator, still out of order. Obviously.

We only lived on the third floor, the stairs will be fine.

I prepare myself for the incline when a voice calls out to me.

"Where are you going?"

I turn around and see our old building superintendent, decked out in his uniform. Stanley.

"Stan! It's me Pedro! Wow, you're still here!" I walk to him.

"Who?" He looks me up and down, completely confused as to who the hell I am.

"Pedro from 3B upstairs? I used to live with Y/N...maybe you don't remember me because of the moustache." I rub the bottom of my nose sheepishly.

"No...I don't remember you."

Old Stanley, perhaps age is catching up to him.

"I'm just going to see Y/N." I try to resume my journey but he stops me once more.

"No entry into the building if you're not a resident!" He points to the sign on the wall.

"Since when was that a rule?" I throw my hand in the air.

"Since today. We have too many unsavoury men try to come into the building, how do I know if you really know Miss Y/L/N? I'm not letting any potential predators or burglars into the building."

"But Stan she-"

Pointing to the sign on the wall again, he raises an angry brow. Not wishing a full body beat down by ol' Stan, I take myself back out the building like a bad dog.  

I sit on the steps, sighing in defeat. I try to convince myself that coming here is a mistake.

"Defy the stars...pfft! You've been in way too many movies Pedro." I mumble to myself, as I dig my thumb nail into the stem of the rose.

Perhaps we're only given the choice to rewrite our destiny but it doesn't mean destiny would just sit idly by and let you do whatever you want. It's probably for the best. What would I say anyway?

Running my hand through my hair, I get up to leave. The adrenaline from earlier had drained so quickly out of me, that its left me a fatigued mess. Move on Pedro, it's time to go home.

"Hey movie star." A voice calls from above. "You looking for me?"

Your hair falls past your face as you lean over the balcony and in that moment I feel my heart break into a million pieces.

There you are.

Standing before me, even more beautiful than when you left, if that is even possible.

You're wearing a simple white vest and grey shorts, one leg rubbing softly against the other. Your skin bears the warm orange glow reflected from the lights inside your apartment.

You look so raw, so delicate.

Every pulse in my body aches seeing you again.

"Wow." I breathe. "You look..."

You hide your laugh and I can see you blushing from behind your hand.

"Thanks. You look great too. I'm like the...um..." You rub under your nose with your finger.

"Thank you, I grew it out for a role but now people tell me I look like their grandma without it." I shrug, much to your amusement.

"What are you doing here?" You speak, more softly, more seriously.

How do I even respond to this question? I was out on a date with another woman but I bumped into our old friend who told me I should find you? Or should I go with I met an old woman and her kid, who I'm pretty sure were cupid's little minions, sent down to earth to give me a rose and to fuck with me?

"I was just in the neighbourhood. I wanted to see if you wanted to um...go out for a coffee?" I lie.

You look at me incredulously, clearly seeing through my bullshit.

"Everything is shut by now." You simply respond.

"Oh...well maybe we can just talk then?"

You tap the metal rails, where you lay your arms. Are you contemplating whether to come down or throw a bucket of water over me? I guess I'll have to wait and see.

Without saying a word, you disappear out of sight. The lights in your apartment switches off.

What does this mean? Are you off to bed?

Before I could ruminate any more, the doors open from behind me and you slip through.

God, you look even better up close.

My hands instinctively reach out to touch you but I withdraw quickly before you could see. You had wrapped yourself in a fleecy blanket, the threads a deep purple.

Without saying a word, you sit down on the step and I can only follow suit, my mind can no longer make decisions for itself it seems.

You smell the same, that same soft floral scent I used to love. The one I used to breathe in when I'd hold you close to me in bed because I didn't want you to leave for work.

Our knees are so close, they almost touch.

"So what did you want to talk about?"

For a minute I don't know how to respond, I just don't want to stop looking at you.

"I was...I was wondering if you were thinking about me?"

You laugh, I laugh too. Of course you weren't.

"I think about you all the time." You tell me so casually, it catches me off guard.

"You do?" I whisper in disbelief.

"It's hard not to when you're on every other billboard in the city."

Oh.

"I think about you all the time too Y/N."

You smile and look up at the sky. The night is aligned with many stars tonight and they all call for your attention but mine. I feel greedy staring at you but I'm simply making up for all the nights that I was alone without you, all those kisses I've shared with women that weren't you.

"What do you think the stars are telling us tonight?" I ask.

You grin and without looking back at me, you say "I think the stars are laughing at us."

"Do you think the stars have changed their mind about us?"

You finally turn to me, your eyes drop. "I don't think that's how it works Pedro."

"If this is the life the stars have planned for me, a life without you, then I don't want it Y/N."

"Pedro-"

"I thought if I made a name for myself, if people knew who I was, then I'd be sure of who I am...but who I'm meant to be, who I want to be...is to be with you." Your eyes meet mine, coloured with emotions you are scared to express. "I look for you everywhere I go Y/N, in every women I meet but you are always a world away."

"We don't even know each other anymore Pedro."

"You are the only one who has always known who I am, even before me Y/N. I'm still as strange and as wild as I have always been. I'm still as messy and as clumsy as I was before. I still love cheap corner store liquor and dancing terribly in public. I still look at chemtrails whenever they past me...because they remind me of you."

"Chemtrails are bad for you, they say they're chemicals."  You tell me, your voice low and expressionless.

"If I die with you as my last thought, it won't be so bad."

I finally find the courage to reach for you and you don't recoil from me, you let me gently run my finger against the hair that falls down past your face. You close your eyes and I selfishly take you, pulling you towards me.

I rest my forehead against yours and I savour this moment where I can be close to you and not let it be a memory.

"What if I've changed?" You whisper.

"Well then I'll spend the rest of my life getting to know you again."

"If I told you to run away with me tonight, would you?" You open your eyes to see me, your expression as serious as ever.

"You're my home Y/N. I'll go wherever you go. Even if it's to another galaxy, we'll drive a little red Corvette into space together and leave this all behind."

You smile and tug on the bottom of your lip. "You think the stars would still allow us to go to space?"

"Fuck the stars." I say as I take your lips.

Oh, how I've missed the sweetness of your taste; in this moment you are spoiling me rotten. You wrap your arms around me and allow the blanket to drop from your shoulders. The only stars that mattered now are those in our eyes. They're telling me the future and it's you. It's always been you.

The sirens of the city and the plane overhead may be loud but I hear nothing over the sound of your heart beat.

You pull away and we both laugh.

In this moment, we are perfect. I am no longer the famous celebrity that belonged to everyone. I am not a son and you are no one's daughter.

We only belong to each other.

I see you shiver and look towards the door.

"Let's go inside." You get up and take my hand, guiding me back to our home. The one I've longed for ever since I left.

The building is quiet, everyone asleep by this hour but old Stan at his desk. I try to shuffle past as inconspicuously as I could, my hand entwine with yours.

"Welcome back Mr Pascal." Stanley greets us as clear as day, his head not even looking up from above his phone.

"Wha- so you do remember me!"

Sly old dog.

Stanley doesn't respond and concentrates on his screen instead.

You shake your head and pull me up the steps but not before I set down my lucky rose on the desk.

"Good night Stan."

I call out before I chase my love up the stairs, both of us ready to write our next chapter together. I don't know what it will entail but I know if you're in it, it will be the greatest adventure I'll ever take.

"Kids these days." Stan sighs, closing the article on his phone and clicking on a familiar app. Putting his feet up, he relaxes with a smile on his face as the Mandalorian theme song begins to play.

[desertofsnowflakes]

Incorrect Order Chapter 4 (Nessian AU)

A/N: I know I haven't been able to update as fast as you'd want me to but I'll try to fix that. Your comments and feedbacks are very much appreciated. Do inform me if you wanna be added/removed from the taglist! If you happen to find my storyline similar to another fic or one of yours, I'm extremely sorry, I might've just not known. All characters belong to the author Sarah J. Mass. Enjoy!

Summary: Don't first impressions always affect the way you see someone? Well, what more with the Nesta Archeron? Nesta meets Cassian at few unexpected places and to say it didn't go well was a major understatement. Certain circumstances make them become enemies to tolerable company to friends to lovers.

Trigger Warnings: None really

1652words | Incorrect Order Masterlist | Read on AO3

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The best way to keep whatever problems one has out of their mind was to do something they liked. That was the only way Cassian kept from spiraling. Since sending the woman to her own house, Cassian had more than a few moments when he wanted to repeatedly slam his head against a wall. That’s why he spent most of his time sparring with Azriel. He won’t admit he was simping for that woman in his free time too. Or maybe that was always.

Now, sprawled on a couch in front of the TV, with nothing to do but stare at a blank screen, Cassian led his thoughts to the box he kept all unwanted thoughts locked in. He thought about Tomas, her ex-boyfriend. Funny, he thought. I know her ex's name but not hers.

It took him a little too long the other day to realise they didn't exchange names. Again. He once thought that maybe she was purposely not giving him her name. That maybe, for her, he was just a random stranger who happened to save her life. He snorted. Surely anyone would know the name of the person they saved or was saved by— stranger or not. He supposed he'll have to make do with pronouns for now.

After she left his home, it took every scrap of self-restraint not to beat this Tomas dude to pulp and let him rot in the same alley he had the misfortune of meeting him in. He may or may not have been the cause for some extra injuries. Cassian appreciated the woman’s attempt at mercy. He, however, didn’t trust Tomas at all. He was dubious about just handing him over to the police. Who’s to know he won’t frame him and the woman for absurd things? Anyway, he left a note in Tomas’s house saying something like “Step out of line, lose your favourite part of anatomy. Name it and have it for your meal.” He made sure he printed so that no one would recognise his writing. Yet, all this didn’t calm his nerves one bit. He presumed he’ll have to stay on guard for some time now.

Now, back to the girl. He sighed. He didn’t dare change the sheets in his guest bedroom. He didn’t even let Mor use the room when she came over last weekend— which he could bet created suspicion. No, that room was only open when he craved her scent. He even realised one of his shirts was missing. He shrugged it off thinking he would've left it somewhere and just couldn't find it. Once she came to his house, he was constantly thinking about her. So much that now he started pinching himself often. It was the only way he could stop thinking about her— by creating physical pain.

Cassian glanced at the clock on the wall. 2.30 in the afternoon. He walked to the refrigerator and checked his freezer compartment. Huh. No ice-cream. He sighed, grabbed his jacket and keys and headed to the mall to get an ice-cream with a pout. He’ll have to leave for Rhys and Feyre’s first anniversary only around 5.30 to prepare everything. He has enough time to get an ice-cream and probably hang out for some time. Good enough to stop thinking about her. Or so he thought.

***

Nesta wasn’t sore anymore. Her headache was gone almost a week after the incident. Her nose didn’t hurt anymore. Okay, maybe a little bit. It didn’t hurt unless she bumped her nose against something. Today, her nose was dully throbbing because she hit her nose against a pillow yesterday. A very, very soft pillow and yet it hurt this much.

The man’s first-aid and medicines were really helpful.

It really wasn’t fair that he excelled at basic first aid too. It wasn’t fair that he looked so good. With black tattoos swirling over generously muscled arms and shoulder-length dark hair curling at the edges and gloriously tanned skin and hazel eyes with minute flecks of green and brown when taken a closer look at and dimples and—

A quiet “Who is it?” snapped Nesta out of her moping. She looked up to see Gwyn walking to her.

“Who is what?” she asked, feigning nonchalance. Gwyn's pursed lips and glare conveyed that her act wasn't enough.

“Who are you thinking about?” Gwyn clarified.

“What makes you think I'm thinking about someone?” Nesta retorted.

Gwyn sat on the chair next to her and started assisting with classifying the unceremonious heap of books on the table to be kept back in its correct positions on its own rack.

“Nesta,” Gwyn sighed, “Clotho assigned you this stack almost an hour ago. And you've barely finished a third of the stack. Normally, you'd finish stacks bigger than this in an hour. So there's clearly something.”

“It wasn't anyone,” Nesta mumbled.

As usual, Gwyn saw through her lie. “You were twirling your hair,” she said flatly.

Heat inched up her neck. “I was not!”

Gwyn murmured a “uh-huh” and they lapsed into an easy silence till they were almost over.

Gwyn's eyes lit up as it normally did whenever she got an idea. “Is it him? The guy you came with that day?”

Nesta scowled, “How do you know…” she broke off when she realised which 'that day' Gwyn was talking about. Nesta fought back a blush. “No, no, this isn't about him. We don't know each other. Much. Like, we've seen each other a number of times? That's it. Nothing else.” Cauldron, the first part was a complete lie. But at least the rest are true. Will Gwyn happen to know his name? Maybe I ought to ask her. Or maybe I shouldn't.

She should, she decided. She cleared her throat. “Uh, Gwyn? Do you happen to know his name?”

Gwyn frowned and asked, “He hasn't told you yet?”

Nesta shook her head and answered, “No, we, uh, forgot. I guess. We haven't really exchanged names.”

Gwyn nodded and smiled. “Well, he is—”

“Gwyn!” a voice called. “You can't expect me to come over to you and beg for you to help me. Help me only if you want to or don't work under me.”

Gwyn’s eyes widened. She abruptly stood up and mouthed, “Merrill. I gotta go. I’m so sorry.” She all but ran to Merrill, the very strict librarian Gwyn was working under.

Nesta sighed and continued her work. There wasn’t much left so she was able to finish fast. She picked her things and left the library with a word to Clotho, heading to the mall.

***

The best way to keep whatever problems one has out of their mind was to also eat something they liked. So, ice-cream it was. After having his ice-cream, Cassian was aimlessly walking around the mall. Here, not more than a month ago, he met her for the first time. Almost a month ago. He huffed out a breath. The fact that he was pining for her this long blew his mind off. He—

“This is your fault— not mine. I’m not taking the blame for this,” he told her. They bumped into each other. Again.

Her lips quirked up. “It is kind of my fault. But blame this—,” she poked his chest, “— for making my nose hurt again.”

Just like that, his mood sobered. “How are you?” he asked.

She pointed at the cafe to her left. “Coffee?”

He nodded. Who was he to say no to her?

So they ordered coffee and talked about everything and nothing. He grinned and she laughed. He laughed and she smirked. He wouldn’t say he knew her well but he’d never seen her so carefree. Her laugh was like nectar for a starving man. Her eyes bright and welling up with tears from laughing.

“I don’t think I’ve laughed this much,” she said.

Cassian put a hand on his heart dramatically and said, “I know, I know. I’m very funny.”

Her lips kicked up a notch. She straightened as if she just realised something. He was about to ask when she drawled, “So I just realised that we still haven’t exchanged names.”

Oh. Right. Of course. “Yeah,” he nodded. “Usually, when people meet, they start with introductions but in our case we’ve literally bumped into each other three times and still we don’t know each other.” He shook his head and extended his hand. “Well, hello there. I’m—”

His phone rang in his pocket. Fuck. He was going to kill whoever was calling him now. He was so close to knowing her name. He pulled out his phone to see an incoming call from Azriel. He apologetically looked up at her and said, “I’m sorry. I wish I could choose not to take this call and instead kill this idiot but I can’t. Just give me a moment, okay?”

She nodded and he picked up his call.

“What do you want?” he hissed.

“It’s 5.30 already, you idiot. We’ve got to get the things ready for the party. Mor already went to get the cake and you’re not even at home. Where on all earth and hell are you?” came Az’s faint voice.

“15 minutes only? Mother above, I’m coming.” he said.

Az’s “make it fast” was the last thing he heard before hanging up. “I wish we could stay here and talk forever,” he said to her, “but I have something up in a short while and I totally didn’t realise time was passing this fast. I’m so sorry. It was nice talking to you. Really. And I wish we could meet again. Though without the bumping part.”

He grinned when she smiled and said, “Bye. Have a nice day.”

“You too,” he called back. He didn’t want to think he imagined the subtle look of disappointment on her face because hell, he was a walking epitome of disappointment right now.

taglist:

@shadowsinger07 @im-someone-i-guess @saltyfortunes @cressjacquine @julian-blackthorn-supremacy @champanheandluxxury @zemiraa @ladygabrielli1997 @nehemikkele @heartless--aromantic @sv0430 @ddsworldofbooks @irenethaleia @sjm-things @dontgetsalmonella

[alison-anonymous]

I Want to Write a Mikayuu Series

Okay.

So um.

If you're reading this, HELLO. All of you long time ONS fans probably don't know me, but I'm Alison and I'm a hardcore Mikayuu, Mitsunoa, Gureshin, etc shipper. I've been in the ONS fandom for almost a year and dear god. The amount of people telling me that Mikayuu is queerbait is just making me really sad 😅 I'm a writer, and I'm the type of person who honestly feels like the author of a series should have the ability to choose how a story ends without influence of their readers. I mean, if it's their story, then it should be their ending, right? However, I also do have some qualms when it comes to how this "love triangle" between Yu, Mika, and Shinoa is being portrayed. This is entirely my personal opinion, but I feel like Shinoa seems to be forcing herself to love Yu. I honestly don't think she cares for him in a romantic way, but more of a very deep-rooted admiration or even envy that she's trying to convince herself to be romantic love. And Yu has said multiple times that he values Mika's life above his own, that he doesn't know what he would do without him if he were to die again (I mean the fact that he suffered seeing his best friend and potential lover die a first time was definitely scarring enough, PLEASE STOP TORTURING OUR POOR BABIES). And it's basically confirmed by now that when Mika said I love you in the manga, it was in the romantic sense. Even though I wish, I hope, I dream, and I pray that Mikayuu will become canon, I honestly can't say for certain what I think will happen. I think it could sway any way, with Mikayuu becoming canon, Yu and Shinoa becoming canon, or it being one of those ambiguous endings where it's heavily implied but nothing actually happens. And in order to make myself feel better when stuff like this happens, I tend to rewrite the entire story with the ending that I would have liked to see ;)

You're probably wondering where the hell this stranger is going with this. Well, I want to write a book. A series, actually.

One that's inspired by Seraph of the End.

Now, if you're interested in hearing me out, then feel free to keep reading. But if not, continue on with your scrolling, no hard feelings. But if you do, and I really hope that you do, give me a chance to explain.

I want to write a series inspired by Seraph of the End called Bloodsucker (working title, obviously). And this series is going to be a reimagination of ONS with an ending that I would have loved to see in the anime and manga. I plan to have three main characters (please keep in mind that I'm going to have name changes): Yuichiro, Mikaela, and a brand new character, Epic.

Now, I would begin this series a bit before the anime and I'm assuming the manga begins. I'd start with introducing our main three characters as they meet in the orphanage (yes, Epic would be a part of this orphanage as well) and how Epic and Yu try to make moves to run away only to be stopped by Mika and Akane.

I plan to include a scene between Epic and Akane where Epic tries to run out in the middle of the night only to be stopped by Akane, and this is what caused Epic to develop a crush on her (Epic is a girl btw). Then I would begin the whole shit with the vampires and how they set the world on fire and shit, but instead of the apocolypse, I'd make it so that most of the adults died in the fire while the kids were taken alive (because young blood is better and whatnot). This includes our little Hyakuya family. The directors would have tried to trade the kids lives for their own, and due to their selfishness, the vamps killed them and took the kids anyway.

This would begin my first story arc: the prewar.

Epic, Akane, Mika, and Yu would all be living under the vampires at this point along with the rest of the kids in their orphanage. I plan to include lots of moments of bonding that heavily imply Epic loves Akane even though she doesn't know it yet and Mika loves Yu, but Yu is fucking oblivious. The four begin to plot their escape, but while Mika and Akane (yes Akane too) are making deals with the vampires to help out with their family, Epic is constantly finding herself getting dragged along to visit Queen Krul. The pink haired vamp has a soft spot for her for some reason and often tells her that Epic and her family are "special" or sum shit. And she's super confused and semi grossed out. But none of the vamps ever dare to hurt her so she thinks it's fine. Then one day they all plot their escape and it's much more planned out and lengthy and less rushed than it is in the anime. Things almost seem to work out until the vampires stop them

And Mika and Akane DIE.

I know. I'm horrid.

Epic is standing here in shock as she watches the love of her life die before her and Mika BEGS for Yu to take Epic and run while they can. So while in the series only Yu survives, he obeys Mika and both him and Epic survive this. They're found by Guren (a new character I haven't come up with yet lol) and Yu is super protective over Epic, not wanting anyone to take the only piece of his family he has left (he's a fucking mess without Mika let's just be honest) and Guren ends up taking them under his wing.

Now we hit the second arc. Still with me?

The War.

Hold onto your hats everyone because this is where shit is about to get complicated. So I do plan to have a bit of a time skip into the current spot where Yu and Epic are attending school with Guren as their father figure and they've become very close. So close that Yu refuses to work with anyone else but her. They end up getting onto Shinoa Squad (obviously going to be completely different in my version) and they get put onto the battlefield. But here's the catch. Well, two catches.

Yu and Epic do have demon weapons. I do plan to try to incorporate that into this. BUT the backstory is different. I plan to make it so that the vampires obviously see the humans as fies. Insignificant things that are more playthings than threats. And they didn't want to have to deal with killing all of them, so they sent demons in their place to handle it. But the humans were able to form deals or "contracts" with the demons and therefore turned the vampires' own secret weapon against them.

Now, catch no. 2

So, Epic, Mika, and Yu aren't seraphs in this. But they are something else. I'm going to try to explain this as simply as I can, but each of them (besides Mika since he doesn't have a demon) have 3 souls inside their body:

Soul 1 is their current soul, the one that identifies as Mika or Epic or Yu.

Soul 2 is their demon soul, like what Asuramaru is to Yu.

And soul 3 is their archangel soul (I might change that name later on).

So I'm just going to come right out and say it. In this series, Epic is the villain.

Yes.

You read that right.

Epic is the villain. But she doesn't know that she is. These Soul 3s were reincarnated into the current bodies of Mika, Epic, and Ari (and I know that's not exactly how it works but screw logic this is just a fucking concept) from their lives centuries ago.

These souls existed way before vampires existed and Epic (or Essie) was very close friends with Yu (or Aytigin). Aytigin was in love with Haru (Mika) but for one reason or another, they couldn't be together. Essie wanted to do something, willing to do anything to make the two of them happy. So she made a deal that brought the vampires into creation so that Haru and Aytigin could be happy. She was willing to sacrifice everything that they stood for so that the two of them could be in love together.

She had good intentions, but of course Haru and Aytigin were furious because now the vampires were turning against the humans and they all basically died. Until they were reborn respectively, but unknowingly.

Now picking back up in the present, Yu and Epic are fighting in one of the main battles and the two are very confused when the vampires make a very deliberate attempt not to hurt Epic. They're unsure as to why, but Guren tells them not to worry about it.

Suspicious bastard.

Anyway, it's revealed finally that MIKA IS ALIVE

BUT HE'S ALSO DEAD

Yes he is a vampire. And Yu falls in love all over again upon seeing him, and after a bunch of struggling, Epic gets kidnapped. At first she gets strangled by Lacus and then she gets kidnapped by Ferid who doesn't kill her surprisingly.

Oh and uh... Ferid is nice in this. He's still a fucking creep, but he's a lot nicer than he is in the series. I plan to make Queen Krul or whoever I turn her into be the villain.

Anyway, they take Epic back to the vampire palace or whatever and Queen Krul and Epic are reunited! And Krul is the one who reveals to Epic exactly who she, Mika, and Yu are and this is what sparks Epic's fall to insanity.

I mean, she's the killer. She's the one who brought them into this world. She's responsible for every death the vampires cause.

I would go crazy too.

So, she manages to escape (partially thanks to Mika) and the two join Yu and the others again and it's revealed a second time exactly what is going on. And while no one actually blames Epic on the Shinoa Squad, that doesn't stop people like Kureto and even herself from blaming.

And this causes her demon to go haywire.

She begins losing her marbles, almost killing her teammates and trying to kill herself, all while the three begin to experience dreams or visions of their Soul 3s.

While all this shit is going on, there's heavy romance between Mika and Yu because these two lovers just got reunited and FUCK did they have glow ups but yes -

Oh. And there is another spark for Epic, even though she doesn't think she's worthy of love.

Okay. I'm just gonna say it.

Lacus falls in love with Epic. Yes. You read that correctly too.

I plan to make the two of them get trapped together at some point and they have to work together to escape. It's during this time that Epic realizes he's not all that bad and has some form of self control and he realizes that she's the most interesting thing he's ever met in this disgusting and boring life and damn do her eyes look pretty-

But yes. She forms a permanent alliance with him that he jokes about as marriage and they meet on other occassions too, but lol yes.

Anyway, blah blah blah, more fall to insanity, the Soul 3s take over their bodies on multiple occasions and there's a lot of bonding and fighting and Epic and Mika somehow manage to get some of the vampires on the human side.

And in the end, Epic and Yu basically sacifice themselves to save the human race and kill Queen Krul. It's a very rough ending I haven't quite perfected yet, but Yu has a moment like he did with the King of Salt. But though he inflicted a lot of damage, it's not enough. So while the team is worried about him, Epic takes this opportunity to fix her and Essie's mistakes.

She allows both Essie and her demon to take control of her body and dies on the battlefield. Queen Krul is eliminated. Most of the vampires are gone. The humans won.

Horray.

Epic is dead.

Kinda. Yu and Mika take her back home and this is the preview to the last arc where everyone's in the hospital and Epic's in a coma. Mika and Yu barely ever leave her side and it's only when Lacus of all people comes to visit that she fucking wakes up.

Okay. Are you still with me? Now come with me to the final arc.

The Post-War.

No my friend. It doesn't end there. Because Mika and Lacus are still vamps and life still sucks and I drank too much coffee this morning.

No it's not over yet.

So flash forward a couple years and Kureto and Crew are working as the heads of this city. Stuff is being rebuilt, people are settling down in homes, Lacus and some of the other "good" vampires find jobs, and Mika, Yu, and Epic get a house together (in case I didn't mention before, Epic is pansexual. She loved Akane dearly and I plan to include scenes where she sees her in her mind and dreams like Mikayuu so she's never truly gone, but she falls for Lacus too when he's not being a sadistic asshole). Things are going strangely when

BAM. Epic and Yu come up with a cure for vampirism.

How, you may ask? I don't fucking know, I haven't read about it in the manga yet but before we come up with an idea for it, imma say they came up with it through a spell. They share their findings with Guren and soon all vampires are being cured, most notably Mika, Lacus, and even Rene.

BUT and there's always a but, Kureto passes a new law claiming all vampires to be property. That any vampire or previous vampire or even vampire supporter/owner that tries to disobey these new laws is to be killed immediately. Now Epic and Yu are in jeopardy because their ex-vampires are in danger (Epic and Lacus have been hanging out a lot more and he's proven himself to be a decent guy. Contrary to popular belief, I headcanon him as not really knowing what to do when he actually cares about someone since he's been a heartless vamp for so long. So when he turns to Mika and begrudgingly asks him for LOVE ADVICE of all fucking things, Mika is ready to die). So basically, Mika and Lacus end up getting locked up along with the other ex-vamps (including Ferid which was a pain in the ass) and did I forget to mention that there's a proposal?

Oh yeah, Yu proposes to Mika and the blond still has yet to give him an actual answer because poor baby is still having a hard time accepting that Yu can love a "monster" like him.

But anyways, now Epic and Yu are furious and SHINOA SQUAD IS BACK IN BUSINESS. With the help of Guren and Shinya and everyone, they form a sort of rebellion and blah blah blah they manage to get Mika and Lacus and everyone out and blah blah blah they all get separated and Lacus begins to get INSANELY protective of Epic and ends up confessing his feelings to her before he nearly dies and blah blah blah did I forget to mention that I'm making Mitsunnoa and Kimizuki x Yoichi canon and blah blah blah.

Epic kisses Lacus as an instinct. Lacus kisses her again. Mika accepts Yu's proposal then almost dies AGAIN. I kill off some characters for emotional tugs and after a ton of more fighting and revenge and psychological breakings later, Kureto is killed. And Guren (or someone else haven't decided yet) is the new head of their city.

Epic, Mika, and Yu finally let Akane and the kids go. There's a lot of Shinoa Squad bonding but this is a summary so I haven't included much besides the main three. Epic and Lacus becomes canon. Mika and Yu get married. Guren and Shinya get married. Shinoa gets pregnant.

And everyone gets the FUCKING HAPPY ENDING THAT THEY ALL FUCKING DESERVE BECAUSE FUCK

I do plan to be slightly ruthless like the creator and include a lot of heartbreaking scenes, but it's going to be much different than ONS but I still want it to hold on to some core relationships.

I just want them to be happy. And I just want to make other people happy because fuck I JUST WANT TO BE HAPPY

So. Yeah.

That's Bloodsucker...

So my question to you is... if I wrote this shit.

If I sat down and typed about 30 books roughly inspired by Seraph of the End and Mikayuu and Mitsunnoa and shit...

Would anyone read it?

♡ a.a.