#like back then i shipped sun and moon at some times but also saw them as brothers at other times

[snowe-zolynn-rogers]

I just wanted to apologize got the solar x moon marriage "jump scare"

I didn't know people were going to hate it.

I don't see any of them as family except bloodmoon and his twin.

Cause they're the same code.

DNA isn't a thing for the bots, plus as far as I know two guy bots can't have kids.

Besides I didn't see the relationship as a physical one. Just platonic.

Also as a asexual and aromatic, you can be in a relationship. Just a heads up.

🩸🌙

To me, it's all good. I myself see them as besties and cousins in canon, but to each their own opinion. I don't see the point in arguing or trying to change how others see the relation of two fictional characters.

[stubz]

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

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

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

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

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

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

His ears perk as does his posture.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Not impressed?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Nu-uh."

"Yu-huh."

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

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

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

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

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

Only at the age 6.

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

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

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

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

"That could work."

"Huh?"

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

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

"Whatever."

..

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

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

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

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

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

He lunges. She's smiling.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Aw, thanks Pol."

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

"Yeah you are pretty fat."

"Fat so I can crush you."

"You two are weird friends." sighs Nova.

[llamaisllama777]

LAES,TSAMS,EAPS WEEKLY*/*DAILY REVIEW SHOW!!!!!

Okay, we had a lot of really good episodes today, so let's hurry up and talk about them!

First up, FAMILY MOMENTS! I love this thumbnail so much, especially Moon's face.. I .. I just love it!

I love how we get to learn about everyone's movie preferences. It's interesting learning these little random tidbits about them. It's fun. Also Sun...

SPY KIDS 3 IS GREAT, AND I WILL NOT HEAR OTHERWISE!!! 😡

Also, Prince of Egypt is a really good movie. You all should go watch it. Even if you aren't religious, it's really good and has some awesome animation and music. Seriously, if you haven't watched, please do. I think it's on YouTube for free???

This episode was cute.... ONTO THE TRAUMA!

Bout time, I was wondering when Nexus would try to kidnap Sun. Took longer than I expected... I wonder why? 🤔

This episode I think confirmed a theory I had...

New Moon/Nexus never cared.

I had this thought in the back of my head that Nexus never really cared about them. He never thought of them as family. He just saw them as people he was told to call family. They were NEVER his family. He never really cared. He just cared about Solar, but Solar never saw him as a brother. OOOFFFFF!

That hurts!

But I'm glad we know because DANG! The angst there!

Also, Sun is stronger than Nexus' chain ability (That ability where he forces people to the floor. I like to imagine purple chains form around the person when he uses that move)

Nexus was so close to kidnapping Sun....

BUT MONTY CAME IN STINKIN' CLUTCH!!!!!!

Monty FINALLY got to use the shotgun! He nearly killed Nexus there! Thank you, Nebula, for the starshells! The Astrals are starting to grow on me.

(Okay... maybe a was a little rash on the whole "Down with the Astrals" "Viva la revolution" thing!) Sorry, Astrals. Still don't really trust Taurus or Leo tho.

Things are getting serious! October is in like two weeks! The creator is still out there! Rez and Cetus are out there! And Dark Sun still has a stinkin' dragon! This is gonna be an exciting October! I'm so excited!

Also, thank you, Davis and Reed, for this picture of Monty with a shotty.

And lastly...

Okay, Eclipse looks like that one guy from the office that conspiracy theory guy. And Puppet just looks depressed.

Puppet really wants to catch the killer. It's really affecting her. It's the MCI incident all over again. And she clearly doesn't want anyone or herself to go through that again. Eclipse still won't watch movies with anyone. It's only a matter of time, though. The moment he says yes and joins them is the moment his redemption arc is complete for me!

So, Eclipse and Puppet have narrowed down the killer to 4 suspects. All employees of Fazbear.

1. Vincent

2. Some lady named Margo

3. A teenage intern who works in the daycare named Josh

4. And the repair man whose name I forget.

I don't think it's any of these guys. But I have a few theories on who the killer could be..

1. Michael Afton of this world. Eclipse did mention in one of the early episodes of the EAPS that the Michael of this world was/still is an employee of Fazbears.

2. Henry Emily. Just cause the angst that it would cause Puppet.

3. The Charlie of this world. Just cause again the angst it would cause Puppet being the killer of this world!

There is no way it's Wanda(the William of this world)

And I highly doubt it's Vincent or some rando employee.

It has to be someone important.

These episodes were amazing!

Davis, Reed, Kat, Valentine, you guys did amazing on these episodes again!

12/10!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Extra point cause WOW!

Also shout out to this commentor for having the funniest comment on there.

Nebula, you are starting to become my favorite Astral!

Also, Patchnotes is a ship I really hope happens now!

[dana-chan-the-control-brain]

Wish there were more people like you who were open to exploring dynamics between two characters in an alternate universe where they are not bound by familial relationship/title or whatever it's called. I get it tsams/tlaes have a lot of family things going on and a-specs things but eh what do I expect from a fandom that started the hate on sunxmoon shippers? I'll continue shipping sunxmoon, eclipsexsun, solarxmoon and solarxearth(thanks to that one anon from before for introducing me to this) not as family related, and the fandom can suck it

Honestly.

Like one person told me "Moon and Solar are brothers" once.

And?..

They're not.

That's like saying Ink and Dream or something from the Undertale Au verse are brothers cause they're alternate realities of eachother and people ship them all the time???

"but they have the same face"

So???

So does Lolbit and Funtime Foxy. They're a couple in SBshow verse.

Mickey and Minnie mouse have the same face and no one raises stink about the most classic example of same face syndrome.

They're robots and I think physical appearance matters very little to them in the grand scheme of things. But that might just be my demisexual ass talking.

On a side note, I know the VA for Earth, Aka: Kat has been very "ship and let ship" with the fandom. And I think that's why in the Solar therapy session, she clarified that she knows Solar isn't biologically related. Technically none of them are, she just wants to consider him part of the family.

I remember awhile back the fandom was so hostile to people who saw Lunar as an adult and would draw him in adult situations. (Like taxes/half joking you know what I mean)

And I believe that was the last big drama the actors like Davis was directly involved in before he took a step back from that and told the fandom to sort it out themselves. And I really don't blame him. There are people who are crazy and just feel entitled to things.

And in more recent episodes, Lunar has stated more frequently that he is an adult animatronic of sound mind who can make his own decisions, so that they can put that issue to bed with the discourse.

(I personally think that gen1/2 Lunar was very much a kid psychology and through the course of the course of the show, and due to his experiences and truama he grows up in two years and he's a young adult now. This reflects in every time he has a model change or appearance.)

See this is what I mean when I say they are robots. Robots can grow up from 13 to 24 (approximately) in the span of two years. Robots can change their mind about family dynamics and say "you know what I think that i don't feel like a cousin, as what I feel for Moon is more intense then familiar bonds. So I change my mind." And this is allowed. This is allowed. Like I would not think this way about human characters.

People in the transformers fandom are really familiar with this concept as well. At least the few people I talk to from an outsider perspective. The transformers robots change their relationships in canon to eachother all the time from what I hear.

And yes. I know tsams is focused on themes of family and found family and togetherness. Like I'm not media illiterate. I know what one of the themes are. For some reason, people think I don't know tsams is about family.

Like bruh.

This whole show took two years for them to build the family and support network they all have with eachother when before the show was a toxic family relationship with Sun and Moon only. And I think it's beautiful how it evolved and how many characters there are and how big the family is now!

It's great!

And I do separate in my brain what's going on in canon and what's going on in my shipping brain.

This doesn't mean I can have fun on the side. With silly speculations and silly headcanons.

Giggling to myself and twirling my hair about the "what ifs" and aus

Staying out of the main tags and talking to my own friends with my own company.

While also analyzing the show and leaving tsams lots of long lovely YouTube comments about what the show is actually about.

Also. Consider this.

Since the multiverse is canon in tsams, in definition, by their own rules, there is a universe where everything in tsams is the same, except your ship is canon.

Evil!Sun even said that Sun and Moon being brothers is more rare across dimensions then we initially assumed.

So they're either enemies, strangers, they killed eachother, or something else.

They only are brothers after their canon event of separating and agreeing to work together. So there are some universes where that never happened.

Meaning most likely that our Moon's portal runs on a central finite curve.

So take that as you will.

[l4brvtality]

Can I pls have Dominik Mysterio x Fem reader with the prompts “I trust you” + ➻ “May I kiss you?” where the reader goes to his room and not only tells him her feelings but also how he's helped her with her inner demons?

Apocolypse

When your all alone , I will reach for you

Pairings - Bsf!Dominik Mysterio x Wrestler/Bsf! Reader

Warnings - Fear of unrequited feelings , Just fluff rlly!!

Word Count - 0.7k , Gif Creds

You and Dominik had been the dynamic duo of The Judgment day. You would always spend time with him. He was like the sun to your moon. You always saw edits either, praising the friendship you two or, shipping you two together. You and Dominik would make fun of the edits and react to them , but little did he know how much you wished you two could be together. And the edits just fueled your need for him more. So today you decided you wanted to tell him the feelings you and hidden for a while. You felt scared telling him about it , but you didnt tell him , he would never know. 

You asked him to meet at a nearby beach at 5:00pm. The sun should be setting at that time , you thought. Checking your phone it was already 4:45. You grabbed your keys and purse as you looked into the mirror next to the door. It’s time to set your plan into action you thought, as you sighed.

You arrived to the beach as you sww Dominik sitting with his knees to his face looking at the sunset. You tapped his shoulder feeling your hands sweat up at the thought of what you were about to do. You saw Dominik turn to you , a smile forming on his face when he saw you.

“Hey mariposa, did you need me here for?” He asked.

“Hey I was wondering.. could we talk for a bit, its kinda important,” you asked as you sat down next to him.. Why were you feeling so nervous all of a sudden? You felt confident just a moment again where did it go? You thought to yourself.

Dominik looked straight ahead, feeling the breeze of the wind hit his hair. He looked so , beautiful. Almost unreal you thought as you looked into his eyes. You took a deep breath before you turned pulled dominik by his hand to look at you.

“You trust me right? This wont ruin what he have? “You whispered to him. You saw his face switch from a smile , to a worried expression.

“Of course, mi vida , I trust you know that right?,” he replies back.

Before you knew it , your faces were closer than you had imagined. You saw Dominik’s gaze linger on your lips and then back to your eyes.

“Dom what are you do-“ but he cut you off before you could continue.

“May I kiss you?” he asked. His question was soon answered as your lips met him in an heated kiss. 

You felt Dom smile into the kiss as your lips left his. You could still feel the linger that his lips left behind. And you loved it. 

“Is that what you wanted to talk about?” He asked as smirk painting his face.

You looked back at the sunset ad you opened your mouth to speak. Feeling his gaze linger on you.

“I just wanted to tell you how much you’ve helped me through out my career. Ive been having a hard time adjusting to the judgment day lifestyle, especially with these changes— its just been hard for me. And at some point I’ve thought about quitting,” you saw Dominiks face change to worry again as you spoke.

“But you helped me through these things Withought knowing. And I love that about you Dom.” You turned to look at him , seeing his smile match yours as his face turned a brighter shade of pink.

He grabbed your hand a bubbly smile on his lips as he began to speak.

“Im happy to be that person for you, and I want you to know how much I care… even if I might not show it you’re always on my mind,” you smiled as you turned to look away , trying to hide your face getting warmer. But instead of letting you, he kept you in his touch , pulling your face closer to his chest. Making you lay down on him. You and Dominik watched the sun set , as you rested on his chest. He took glances at you from time to time, but no words were exchanged. Just the love for each other , lingering in your hearts.

A/N- I hope You like this lovley!! Thank you all for the support on my fics it means alot!! 💕

[more-sonorous]

sun, moon, stars— jatherid blurb

I adore this ship and I decided to write the hypothetical beginning of a fic loosely based on a post I saw by @blurglesmurfklaine about these three being roomies during the 2020 quarantine

Please lmk if you’d consider reading more! Also TW for mentions of the Covid pandemic!

…

“I don’t know. Maybe it’s not as bad as it seems.” 

Katherine Pulitzer watched as her best friend, David Jacobs, anxiously traced his thumb over the grooves in the table beneath them. He always had a lot of nervous energy, but this was another level.

Those round, green eyes of his were flitting about behind the lenses of his thick-framed glasses, flicking between his laptop and her. She frowned and reached across the table to gently pat his hand. 

“Maybe you’re right, David.” She said, doing her best to reassure him with a calm smile. “You might enjoy some time back at home…”

“Trapped in my parents’ house for an undisclosed amount of time without Sarah? Yeah.” He let out a dry laugh and buried his face in his hands.

She glanced over the familiar pattern of freckles on the backs of his pale hands as her mind raced to try and come up with a solution. 

Katherine and David grew up side-by-side in a small town in upstate New York. They went to the same synagogue and attended the same schools, and had been virtually inseparable since first grade. They’d even gone to the same college and purposefully lived in the same dormitories each year, because they couldn’t be roommates due to their genders. Post-college they were just as close. Kath knew David like the back of her own hand, and knew his family very well by extension. The Jacobs’s were incredibly nice. Esther and Mayer were loving parents that cared deeply for their children, Sarah, David, and Les, which often led to David feeling burdened when he visited. 

Unlike his younger brother and elder sister, David was an introvert with narcolepsy. That led to his parents smothering him when he stayed with them, something that he didn’t necessarily appreciate in large dosages. Now that an imminent quarantine in New York City had been announced, Katherine could tell he wasn’t excited to drive one-and-a-half hours upstate and out of the city just to sequester himself away with two fretting parents and a teenage younger brother. 

“Where’s Sarah staying? I still don’t think I get why you two can’t hole up in your apartment together.” She took a brief sip of her latte and closed the keyboard of her iPad, fully immersing herself in the conversation.

David shrugged as he glanced out the window adjacent to him. The streets looked deceptively normal, despite the warning the city’d just received. “She’s going to stay with her fianceé and her family. They have a vacation house in Massachusetts.”

“Right…” Katherine winced sympathetically as she tried to read him for his opinion. He had a telltale furrow in his brow that showed how disappointed he was. “I forgot Sarah’s been gold digging.”

“Yeah. Sometimes I wish I could live alone.” He lamented, glancing up at her with a sad little smile tugging on the corners of his lips. “Narcolepsy and autism aren’t a good combination.” 

Katherine rolled her eyes fondly, reaching across their little cafe table to fix his glasses. “You make it work, though.”

“Barely.” He shrugged, and as he glanced down at the string he was spinning between his fingers, probably picked off of his sweatshirt. She saw just how bothered David was about all of this. There was a rigid hunch to his shoulders and his normally smiling face had been twisted into an unhappy resting frown. “Like— I love my parents and I like visiting home, but I moved out for a reason, you know? They make me feel like I’m incapable of functioning without constant supervision, which just isn’t true.” 

“Of course.” She nodded, sympathy tugging at her heartstrings.

David was brilliant. He was one of the smartest people she knew. They’d been neck-to-neck for valedictorian in school and he’d ended up stealing the spot with his straight A’s, 4.0 GPA and 34 on the ACT. Hell, he was working through a master’s degree in Juridical Science, and still managed to tack on both a history minor and a literature minor during undergrad. She’d gladly tell anyone she knew that he was a genius. Kath didn’t know exactly why David couldn’t live alone, but she knew that narcolepsy made it dangerous. He couldn’t drive because of his condition and she knew that sometimes he needed help waking up and sleeping. She also knew that because of his autism, he tended to lose himself in reading or school projects, because she’d had to remind him herself to eat or take breaks multiple times throughout their friendship. 

He didn’t deserve to feel babied. The thought of David holed up in his house and miserable while she spent her quarantine happy with her boyfriend made her feel uncomfortable. 

Yes, Kath moved in with her boyfriend of three months, Jack Kelly, and despite what her parents said, she regretted nothing so far. Jack had a nice studio apartment in Upper Manhattan and she’d rather die than spend quarantine in the Pulitzer mansion with her asshole father and suburbanite mother. Not to mention at least one of her six other siblings would be home, and Katherine didn’t get along well with most of them.

She was sort of the black sheep in her family. A bisexual, unmarried journalist in her late twenties, moving in with her Hispanic boyfriend after only knowing him for a few months? Her family was constantly having conniption fits over her life, and she was too happy to care. 

Jack brought so much joy to her life. She didn’t care that her parents hated the fact he was a full-time artist. She ignored the snide remarks her father made about his ethnicity and illegal immigrants. Her mother liked to gossip about his ‘street style’ because he had one of his ears pierced and he liked to wear ripped jeans. They warned her about a potential ‘seedy past’ just because he had scars on his arms and face— just two little ones splitting his eyebrow and left jaw. They were wrong about Jack, though. He was sweet and funny and passionate and talented, and Katherine liked that in men.

So she’d moved in three weeks ago, and things were going swimmingly. Part of her wanted David to be that happy, and part of her didn’t even know if she could handle being away from him indefinitely.

“There’s got to be something we can do.” She stated firmly, watching him miserably pick at his untouched croissant. “Someone you can stay with…”

“I’m not burdening anyone but my family with my health issues.” He responded just as stubbornly. 

“Don’t even. You’re not a burden. What about—“ The idea struck her like some sort of cartoonish eureka moment. She felt her own grin and wondered why she hadn’t had the thought to do this before. “What about me and Jack? Jack’s brother Tony’s moving in with his boyfriend for quarantine so his room’ll be open…”

David’s cheeks began to splotch pink beneath his freckles. “I— I haven’t even met Jack.”

“Oh, that doesn’t matter. He’ll like you. He has to like you. You’re my best friend, and you’re part of the Katherine Pulitzer Package.”

A sheepish grin took over his face and he dropped eye contact again, that pinkish color tinging the tip of his nose and his endearingly wide ears. “Kath…”

“It’s true. And the thought of you spending all of this quarantine an hour and a half away from me during a pandemic is making me nervous.” She crossed her arms, starting to like the idea more with every word she said. “Listen, David, I’ll run it by Jack and you could probably move in right after! You’re already packed, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, but—“

“Then you can take the spare room and we’ll split rent three ways. It’ll be better for all of us. David, this is going to be so fun! Think of all the shows we’ll be able to binge!” She was practically near the point of squealing as she took his hands in her own. Visions of younger Kath and Davey filled her mind, composed of all of the times they’d sworn to live together or start up businesses or run libraries side by side. This was going to be fun. She’d get to spend time with her two favorite people.

Unconvinced, David’s frown deepened. “Kathy, I… I don’t know. Does he— does Jack know I’m autistic? And my narcolepsy, I don’t… I don’t wanna make him uncomfortable.”

“Uncomfortable?” Katherine scoffed, offended by the thought. “If he’s uncomfortable then that’s a huge red flag. You and I can just pack our stuff and move into your place. But Jack won’t be weird, I promise. He’s incredibly sweet. And David— you don’t make people uncomfortable.”

“I sleep all of the time and I have incredibly strange habits—“

“Everybody has weird habits.” She insisted, dead-set on the idea. “And sleeping all the time is better than leaving out dirty dishes or never closing the toilet seat, or something. Plus, you’re incredibly tidy which’ll fit right in with Jack and I. He cooks, I do laundry, and you can help us clean up.”

“I don’t want you to have to do my laundry…”

“Specifics~” In a sing-song voice, she tried to subdue his overthinking. 

He tilted his head with a slight smile, obviously confused by her. They were at the point where he didn’t have to voice his troubles reading her emotions. She found the expression adorable, anyways. “You really are determined to see this through, aren’t you?” 

“Yep.” She grinned wildly, “You know how I get when I’m determined.”

“I know.” David conceded, and Kath noticed that he already looked just a bit brighter as he carefully brushed one of his chocolate-brown curls off of his brow. “I guess I… I’ll tell my parents if your boyfriend says yes. Will you— you’re not gonna— I won’t be interrupting anything, will I?” 

Kath was confused for just a split second, until she noticed the pinkish color of his cheeks. She couldn’t suppress her own soft giggle. “Oh, no, David. You won’t be.”

“Okay… if you say so.” He shook his head at her as his attention returned to his laptop. She could see the reflection of a Quizlet in his lenses.

Now she was practically itching to leap out of her chair in the tiny café. The news outlet she worked for had already transferred them to online work, since they only went into the offices three days a week. She was going to go home to Jack and have an easy, quick conversation, and then David wouldn’t have to be miserable. Plus, she’d finally get to live with her best friend.

“You almost done studying, hon?” Kath asked, carefully bumping their ankles together. She polished off her drink, vibrating with the happy energy of a plan coming together. 

He glanced up through long, dark lashes, wearing a little smile at the nickname. “Almost. You rushing me, Kathy?”

“No. I want this future lawyer to pass his test tomorrow.” Despite her practiced tone, she could tell he was seeing right through her. She acquiesced. “But I’m also excited to get home and talk to Jack. I’ll call you right after he says yes.”

“You can’t be sure.” He murmured, and she watched a flashcard flip. 

Katherine was going to quell his nerves, because she was actually 100% positive. “We’ll see about that.” 

David only chuckled softly and returned to his studying. Katherine had long abandoned her half-finished article in favor of conversation with him, so now she just watched his elegant fingers fly across the keys at breakneck speeds. This was going to be good.

…

Katherine was rarely ever wrong, and she hadn’t been wrong about Jack. When she inquired about David, he gave her an easygoing smile and agreed to the living arrangement without much further questioning. Maybe it had been her obvious excitement, or the spiel she’d given in David’s favor before asking the question, but he seemed perfectly alright with a total stranger moving into his spare room. 

She was tossing a throw blanket over the couch when Jack exited the bedroom wearing a tank top and an unbuttoned flannel, the sleeves rolled up to display muscular forearms. He looked so goddamn pretty that it took her brain a moment to reset before she could continue her couch dressing. It wasn’t wise to get Katherine started on his excellent choice in jeans, either. She could go on for days about the way he cuffed his acid-washed pants.

Jack sent her one of his bright smiles as he crossed the room to wrap his arms around her, dropping his chin onto her shoulder since they were nearly the same height. “Is your friend gonna be here soon?”

“Yes.” She placed a soft kiss on his cheek and twisted within his arms, slinging her own around his shoulders. “David’s incredibly kind and smart, but he can be sort of awkward at first. It’s not because he doesn’t like you. And remember, he’s got narcolepsy so—“

“I remember.” He pressed a gentle kiss to her lips, his touch slow and sure. It still stole her breath, even after three months. “I even looked up some of that narcolepsy stuff, just to make sure I was ready.”

Kath’s heart squeezed at this man’s sweetness, and she felt herself smiling dopily as she cupped his cheek in one hand. “You’re incredible. Have I told you that?”

“Maybe. But I don’t mind hearin’ it again.” Jack grinned the type of smile that made Kath want to kiss him senseless. “But uh— does he do any of that sleep attack stuff? Where their muscles stop working.”

“What, cataplexy?”

He nodded, looking like a mixture between uneasy and determined. 

“David doesn’t have it as bad as some people but sometimes you might see his eyelids start to droop against his will. He gets upset about it. Normally he doesn’t have severe attacks but… he was really stressed senior year of high school and he did go limp a couple of times. I’m not saying that’ll happen, because it’s been a while, but if it does and I’m not here for some reason, just sit with him and let him ride it out. Make sure he’s breathing.” 

He gave a firm nod, a lot less nervous than she expected. Then Kath remembered his youngest brother Charlie, who had a birth defect in one leg that required him to use crutches or a wheelchair on high pain days. Jack was used to taking care of the people he loved. The thought of him doing research for David, whom he didn’t even know, made her feel ridiculously giddy. 

“Gotcha.” Jack pressed a kiss to her forehead and trailed a line of similar, sweeter little kisses down to her lips.

When his hands slipped down to press against her lower back, she knew exactly what he was getting at and laughed as she carefully pushed a hand against his firm chest. “Down, boy. He’ll be here within the hour.” 

Jack’s only protest was a childlike whine, which caused her to push him away by the forehead. Both laughed as Jack made his way into the kitchen to start on dinner. She busied herself with tidying the living room, slight nerves building within her as she hoped and prayed that David and Jack would get along. 

Eventually the intercom buzzed and Kath practically sprinted across the room to call David up. She was rife with anticipation, exactly how she felt before submitting a big article. Jack could obviously tell and chuckled softly as he kissed her forehead on the way to the living room.

Moments later came a knock on the door, and Kath excitedly opened it to reveal David in all of his nervous glory.

He wore an overstuffed backpack and a duffle bag was slung over the crook of one elbow. He was clutching two cardboard boxes to his chest, both reading ‘books’ in his neat scrawl. 

“David!” Kath exclaimed, immediately taking the boxes from him. “Did Saz drive you?”

“She’s bringing up the rest of my stuff.” David confirmed, and Kath almost offered to go down and help until she remembered the multiple powerlifting championships his older brother Sarah won in highschool. She figured Sarah would be alright.  

“Come on in, then.” Katherine smiled at him from over the heavy boxes, full of David’s extensive collection of books. His prized possessions.

They wandered into the space, David’s eyes glancing over the kitchen and their little entrance area, complete with a welcome mat and a rack for their coats and bags. Kath had never lived with a significant other, and she was finding the domesticity of it all very lovely. But she wasn’t worried about his reaction to the place itself. 

The big moment came when David stepped into the living room, Kath trailing behind. Jack quickly stood and she watched as both boys took each other in.

Inwardly, she was proud of David for making an excellent first impression. He wore a nice pair of khakis and an olive green sweater that made his eyes look almost vibrant in their green hue. His curls were tamed and he didn’t look too much like a deer in headlights, though she could already see him struggling to maintain eye contact with a smiling Jack, who gravitated towards him and offered a hand. “I’m Jack. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“I hope that’s a good thing. I’m David… it’s nice to meet you.” He took Jack’s hand, which only reminded Kath how tall he was.

Jack was a bit on the shorter side at 5”9, but David towered above just about everyone at a clean 6”2. 

“Well, it’s nice to meet ya’ too, Davey.” 

“Oh, it’s— um—“

They shook hands and David didn’t even wipe his palm off on his thigh as he normally did, staring at Jack with wide, green eyes. It had to be the nickname that had spooked him, Kath knew, and felt her anxiety peak. Last time someone had attempted to give him a nickname he’d nearly shut down, but instead his eyes just roamed over Jack’s easy expression.

He cleared his throat. “Right. So… uh… my room?”

“Right this way, sir.” Jack, goofball that he was, pretended to tip an invisible cap. A little smile split across David’s face as he followed Jack further into their space, to the spare bedroom Tony had recently vacated. The tension seemed to disappear immediately as Jack took David’s duffel from him and led the way.

That went surprisingly well. Kath wasn’t sure she’d ever seen David take to someone so easily. Except for herself, of course. But they were six years old and she’d asked him to play pirates with her since he was crying, so she wasn’t sure if that counted. Usually it took him about a month to get past prolonged, stony silences and awkward refusal of eye contact, but here he was smiling and relaxing his tense posture already. 

Snapping out of her stupor, Kath joined the boys in the bedroom, and set David’s boxes on his desk. She finally pulled him into a hug. He responded gratefully, pressing his cheek into her auburn hair. She felt the tension seep out of him like it always did when they hugged. “Thank you so much for this, Kathy.” 

“You don’t have to thank me. I think we’re too codependent to survive a quarantine apart.” 

David laughed softly and stepped back, tucking his hands into his pockets as he examined the room. He was drawn towards the window, which is sort of what Kath expected from him. His childhood bedroom had a bay window and a reading nook. They’d spend countless hours curled up there. “This place is really lovely.” 

“Thanks.” Jack leaned against the closet, eyes lingering on David. Kath could understand— sometimes it was difficult to look away. He was incredibly pretty. “My Ma’s friend used to own it and she pulled some strings to get it for me and my brother Racer.”

When she was younger, there’d been multiple years in which she was convinced she’d marry David one day. He was handsome and smart and really witty and sarcastic once you got to know him— but that dream had sort of fallen through when David never showed any interest in dating. His life revolved around his grades, his intense hyperfixation keeping him from any sort of romance. He’d never dated, to Katherine’s knowledge, and as they got closer to thirty, she wondered if he might be asexual or something.

He was a compelling person. She was glad to call him her best friend. “Have you called your parents yet, David?”

“Yeah. I think they’re disappointed, but, uh…” He grinned sheepishly. “I’m not.”

“Good.” Kath smiled and started to carefully unpack the boxes. 

They heard the intercom buzz again, and Jack politely excused himself to go help Sarah in. David slid up to stand side by side with Kath as they carefully removed his books from the boxes. He broke the comfortable silence, voice tight with nerves. “I… I’m really not interrupting anything, right?”

“No.” She answered as emphatically as possible, leaving no room for doubt. “You’re not interrupting, and you’re not a burden, so don’t even think it. I’m glad to have you here, David.”

“Okay.” He exhaled, and some more of that rigid tension seemed to slip from his slim shoulders. “Just checking.”

“I know.” She gave his arm a gentle squeeze. “What do you think of Jack?”

Green eyes grew wide and he glanced comically between Kath and the bedroom door. “Kath, he could come back any second!”

“Just tell me now!” She couldn’t stop her own giggle at the sight of David’s tiny smile, resting an eager hand on his arm. 

He tilted his head and leaned in, still glancing at the door. David’s volume dropped to an intimate sort of whisper, a tone that sounded nice in his soft voice. “He… he seems really charismatic. And handsome.”

“Isn’t he?” Kath gushed, excited to have David’s approval so quickly. “I think you two will really get along well.” 

Moments later, Jack re-entered the room with Sarah in tow. As promised, she had the bulk of David’s things and carried them with ease, impressive biceps flexed as she set the bags and boxes on the floor. Sarah, embarrassingly enough, had been Katherine’s bisexual awakening. Two years older and positively gorgeous, she’d crushed on David’s big sister for the first two years of highschool.

Privately, Kath couldn’t think of anyone that wouldn’t find Sarah stunning. She was tall and built and she had the prettiest dark hair. It was funny- David was like a string bean compared to her as he hugged her tightly. They were close. Sarah might’ve been the only person closer to David than Kath herself.

They exchanged greetings as everyone helped David unpack, setting up the room and slowly making it his own.  

Jack took a liking to Sarah as well, but to Kath’s utter delight, he really seemed to click with David. David laughed at Jack’s ridiculous little jokes and seemed to enjoy his passionate ranting about art. He even let Jack call him Davey for the entirety of the night, which both Sarah and Kath were floored about.  

On the other hand, Jack seemed to like David’s dry humor and found his awkwardness just as endearing as Kath did. He listened to David talk about his rigorous law courses with rapt interest, and Kath decided then and there that they’d be fast friends.

She knew change was hard for David, and that was evident in the way he clung to Sarah once his room was set up. She rocked him back and forth in the hug and gently ruffled his hair as they said their goodbyes. 

Soon Sarah was gone, and Kath could see actual tears in David’s eyes as she left. The only logical thing to do was tug him into a hug, which he melted into. “You’re both gonna be okay, David.”

“I know.” He sniffled, fists gently curling into the material of Kath’s shirt. “I’ve just— I’ve never not lived with Saz.”

“It’s a big change.” Kath agreed, and gently ran her fingers through his curls. 

Jack was wearing a familiar look of sympathy as he stepped closer, gently placing a hand on David’s back. His love language was physical affection above anything else, and thankfully David didn’t flinch away as Jack spoke. “How’d you feel about a movie tonight, Davey?”

Davey hiccuped, “Sounds good.” 

Carefully, Jack patted him on the back and slipped out into the living room. Once they were in private, David’s chest started to shake with little sobs and Kath hugged him even tighter. She’d expected this, but it didn’t make seeing her best friend cry any easier. 

“Shh, David. I’ve got you.” She assured, continuing to card her fingers through his hair. The poor thing was bent at an awkward angle, glasses smushed against his cheek. “This is gonna be fun, right? Longest sleepover ever.”

He laughed wetly and nodded,  pushing his hands beneath his glasses to dry his eyes. “Okay. I think it’s out of my system.”

“Even if it’s not, I’m always right here.” She gave his arm a gentle squeeze, remembering the countless times he’d held her while she cried over her frustrating parents. Tears weren’t a foreign thing between the two. “Change into something comfortable and I’ll put on Dead Poets Society.”

“Thanks, Kathy.” He whispered, fingers gently trailing down to wrap around her wrist.

Stupidly, her heart skipped a beat. Sometimes he looked at her like she was the most precious thing in the world, and the sheer sincerity in his green eyes made her feel some type of way.

The strangest thing was that Jack made her feel the exact same. She tried to push that down and gave him another reassuring squeeze before exiting the room.

David with tear-streaked cheeks was an unfairly pretty sight. 

The smell of popcorn filled the living area as Kath reclined on the couch, pulling up the movie of choice just in time for Jack to join her with a bowl full of popcorn. He glanced at the bedroom door David had since shut, concern lining his features. “Is he okay?” 

“He will be.” She leaned into Jack’s side, balancing the popcorn on her lap. When he still looked uneasy, she laughed softly and nudged his knee. “I promise. It’s tough for him to regulate his emotions when he’s tired, and I’m sure he’s had a long day. Plus, he and Sarah are super close so he might have sister withdrawals.” 

“Okay. That was just sort of heartbreaking.” Jack muttered like the human teddy bear he was, one arm tightening around Katherine. 

“You’re too nice for your own good, did you know that?” She teased, running her fingertips down his cheek. “David will be fine. I promise.” 

Jack smiled and nudged their noses together. “I’ve never seen this movie.” 

“It’s his favorite.” She explained simply, smoothing down the collar of Jack’s flannel. “Don’t let him hear you say that.”

They shared a little laugh as David emerged from his bedroom, looking a little more put together despite his puffy eyes. He wore a Columbia t-shirt and a pair of soft gray sweatpants that Kath knew he adored. He curled up on the opposite end of the couch, about a foot away, and Kath felt like it wouldn’t be proper to call him over and close the gap. Instead she balanced the popcorn on the cushion between them, wishing he would just sit next to her like he normally did.

His little smile at the sight of the title on the screen was enough. “Have you seen this, Jack?”

Jack and Kath exchanged a look before Jack grinned at David, wide and blinding. “Nope.” 

David’s jaw dropped, and when laughter filled the room, Katherine was sure everything would be alright.

Like most movie nights with her best friend went, he was curled up asleep by the end of the film, using the armrest of the couch as a pillow with his knees drawn up to his chest. She didn’t know how someone so tall could make themselves so tiny in sleep. They liked to joke that he’d never seen the end of a movie before. Jack was crying incoherently behind her as the credits rolled and she decided that this spontaneous quarantine was going to be a bit less terrifying with these boys around.

[theinstagrahame]

One of the best things about Crowdfunding is, stuff arrives even when you're cutting way back on spending. A *ton* of stuff arrived in the last month and a bit. Got a bunch of really neat projects in, and it's time to get hype about it!

Why these games rule, under the cut

The Revenant Society: Banana Chan is one of those names that immediately catches my attention when she's on a project. Actually, looking at the list again, the team for this game was stacked, it was a real All-Star Cast. But like, even without the powerhouse designers on the case, this just gets all the things I want in a game: Time loops, murder mysteries, trapped on the Underground. A PbtA game where you solve your own murder is, y'know, a pitch that'll attract my attention.

Hellwhalers: I saw this game coming up through design phases in the Plus One Exp Discord, and it sounded incredible. Using tokens and an old ship betting game, you're part of a whaling crew chasing Moby Dick into actual hell. Maybe Ahab wasn't crazy after all, and maybe we won't survive.

Xenolanguage: I might own everything Thorny Games makes now, because they make games about language. Folks who may not know me might not know that I *love* linquistics. Honestly, if I could repeat college, I'd put more of my time into Linguistics. But due to the linear nature of time, I'll settle for playing games about decoding alien language in a first contact situation. Sorta like that movie Contact. Which, I loved.

Mothership and Desert Moons of Karth: I read through the original version of Mothership a couple of years ago, and it's one I wanted to get more into. When I saw that there was a chance to pick up the full 1e boxset on KS, I jumped. I've also seen tons of people talk about Karth as a really awesome sandbox module for the system, so when I had a little cash on DTRPG from selling books, it was an easy pickup.

Inscrutable Cities: Possum Creek Games told me to back this, so I did (this is a joke, but I do love PCG a whole lot). In reality, I saw Inscrutable Cities on Itch a while ago, and the pitch grabbed me. I love reading solo journaling games (I still haven't found a way I like to play them, if I'm completely honest, but they're really neat reads). Walking through an impossible city is something I'd love to do, so, I have the book for it now.

Reap: Spencer Cambell makes bangers, and bangers only. I'm not *not* on a mission to collect all of his work, but Necromancers? Solo tactical board games, built on Rune? Sure. I'm in.

Luna: Spencer Campbell makes bangers, and bangers only. I also picked up another of his books this month. The Nova universe? Moon cultists trying to destroy the sun? Sure, I'm in.

3 Moonlight on Roseville Beach zines: I played Moonlight on Roseville Beach on my now-defunct podcast, and it's a game that I honestly think about a lot. The dice system was complicated, but in a really neat way that gave the players a ton of really interesting decisions with every roll. What part of my action succeeds? What kinds of complications am I opening myself to?

Anyway, R. Rook put together some characters, mysteries, and monsters for the game, and I really wanted to explore more.

Hiria, In the Margins, A Visit to San Sibilia: I mentioned earlier that I like the notion of exploring weird cities, right? Well, here's two games about that, and a cool bookmark RPG for reading. I listened to San Sibilia played in an episode of Friends at the Table, and it really captured my attention. The questions were fascinating, and they let the players flesh out a city we'd only heard of, but not seen prior to that game. It was a cool coda on a really fantastic and weird season, Sangfielle.

Grandmothership: The title alone had me, but Armanda Haller is a creator I keep an eye on, because she makes really rad stuff. This caught my attention because solving mysteries in a weird, Mothership-esque sci-fi setting, as nosy grandmothers, really just, gets me. I want to do that. I want to live that.

Holdfast Station: I've been watching Stonetop develop through its email updates. It's another PbtA game, but with a robust city-building and city development core loop that, is 100% my jam. (Low-key, one of my favorite games is Dragon Quest Builders 2.) This game takes that concept to space, which is 1000% my jam, in fact.

Spectres of Brocken: Aaron Lim is a designer I got into early on in my foray into games, and I do love Mech Anime. I am eager to see his take on Mech Anime, and I am really intrigued by the way this game handles playsets and worldbuilding as part of the game itself. Really can't wait to dive into this.

Lay on Hands: This is another of those games I've heard about, but never actually checked out. I know Alfred Valley better by reputation than by direct experience, but this is one of those games I hear people constantly telling people to check out. So, I'm gonna!

Penumbra City: Maybe 5 years ago, I read a novella by Margaret Killjoy about anarchists living in an abandoned city, and beset by assholes within their community, and supernatural horrors from without. The world kinda stuck with me, so when I saw she was working on an RPG not in the same world), I was curious to see what that would look like. I haven't cracked Penumbra City open yet, but I'm jazzed to do so.

These two fell off the pile for the big photo, so I forgot:

Deathmatch Island: I enjoyed the Hunger Games and Battle Royale movies a pretty moderate amount, but what really caught my attention here was the promise that players could also break the Reality TV Parody. The use of the Paragon system also caught my attention. After hearing one AP of Agon, I really wanted to see how that would translate into this, and it didn't take me too long reading it to go "Oh, okay, this rules."

Our God is Dead: What if you were a paladin or priest of a faith, and you found out your god was dead? What if you also had like, a bunch of people who really needed that god not to be dead, like this weekend? This sounds hilarious, and I am going to insert it into conversation often to see if people want to play it. Apologies to people who know me.

Eagle eyed viewers may have noticed a second Mothership box. What's that about?

It's a storage box for all my Mothership Zines so far... Except the two that are just slightly too big!

And, some fun comics/graphic novels:

Good Boy Paws: A friend of mine in comics put this together, and it looked extremely cute. A sweet tale of a good boi.

Wine Ghost Goes to Hell: Picked this up because the creator had contributed to Bugsnax, which is a game I enjoyed, and the concept seemed fun. Will have to check it out and report back!

[blacklegsanjiii]

Your thoughts about Marco x Sora are so good omgggg (<- the anon who asked you about them)

I can't stop thinking about Sora being a pirate after some time, because she's already living on the Moby Dick and married with the First Commander, so why not? (Marco loves loves loves see her fight, actually)

And if the acesan happens would be very funny, and the StrawHats reaction about this?!

Welcome back and I'm glad you like it, truly i am obsessed with Sanji having good parental figures and Sora getting the love she properly deserves. Sora became a pirate in NBL so I don't see why she wouldn't here. Even if she played a more behind the scenes roll there.

Also we didn't really set a time frame for them? So like Sanji could be eight when they join the Shirohige. Sora and Sanji both freaked out by Marco flying them in his talons but they need to make a quick escape from the Navy and animal brain went 'mine' when he saw them. Marco's only explanation is to quite literally look at White Beard and go 'my bird brain went "oo shiny" so i had to bring them' which makes the man laugh so hard the Earth shakes. Vista starts calling him a crow and Marco sets him on fire with a singular look. Marco is so thankful Sanji and Sora are in the infirmary so they didn't see that.

Marco explaining his fruit to them and his place and job in the Shirohige fleet. How his fruit helps because it allows him to treat more than one person at a time or give enough time for back up to come. It doesn't always work. Marco uses it on Sora a lot first mostly because the poison is still affecting her and it's like a god send almost because his fire over time basically cures her. They also use the time to get to know each other and start "dating" because it's really hard to date as a pirate, or a doctor, or a fleet commander. All of which Marco is. They tell Sanji first and he approves of Marco and Sora and Sanji have already joined the crew so ya know, they just gotta tell the crew. The party is extravagant.

Sora makes a comment that she wants to be able to help defend the fleet and the family and Marco agrees and says they'll talk to Jozu and some others about training for her. Sanji is probably already training his kicks and everything because Thatch insists on protecting the kids hands and Jozu has been doing well with him. So them taking on Sora to train is nothing and Vista finds she does very well with a sword and his eyes light up as he looks at Marco and damns him for getting to her first. Marco says he better watch it and they scuffle.

Sanji has to set himself on fire at like thirteen. Marco is watching him and Sora train with Jozu and Vista only to then see his kid set his legs on fire and be thrown into the ocean. He flies out to collect his son and then laughs his ass off at Sora wailing on Vista and Jozu screaming about the dangers of throwing a child off a ship. Marco says she has that covered and checks Sanji over and yep, that's his over abundant(sensitive) haki. Marco says Sanji might be a good candidate for learning to sky walk which is like flying but not really. Sanji is fucking excited. Marco is also so thankful all the god damn time that he and Sora have their own room and they sound proofed it because Marco fully believes Sora hung the moon and the stars and pulls the sun up each morning. Sora has it just as bad back and thinks Marco makes the waves and sea foam. THEY ARE SO GROSS I LOVE THEM OMG

Also could you imagine Ace rocking up to kill the old man and is then held hostage and thinks that blondie around his age is super cute? Too bad he's in the shirohige and Ace fully plans to demolish the fleet until he's forcefully adopted with love and care. Like Ace has no clue what's going on at first because he looks at Marco and then the woman he knows is the guy's wife and just how draped over her he is, like they have to make everyone sick all the fucking time. They have some the highest bounties in the New World. Ace starts flirting with Sanji without a clue to who his parents are and Sanji just gives him that "oh darling" small smile while he leans on the railing and smokes.

During one of these flirting sessions Marco strolls up and is like 'Hey, Thatch said you're in charge of shopping this time, you can head to the island if you want' and Sanji nods and sky walks to the land mass. Marco laughs at that and takes Sanji's spot and gives Ace a smile. When he asks Ace what his intentions are with his son Ace goes pale and sinks to the deck as Marco fucking loses it. Marco pats his shoulder and says he takes after his mom just like Sanji takes after Sora and they approve of the relationship.

Sanji ends up joining the Straw Hat crew on the hunt for Teach and absolutely flirts with Ace in Alabasta who flirts back way harder. Like they are the remix of Sora and Marco and clingy flirting and draping okay? Marco said that's a Roger thing and White Beard 100% agreed with that assessment and said Marco is a bird that mated for life and Marco couldn't argue because his fruit some times overwrites his human nature.

Back on track: Ace and Sanji flirt so fucking hard no one on the ship can believe it. Despite the fact they've been dating for a while, Sanji probably never mentioned he had a boyfriend(or parents) to the crew and just went along with whatever they thought. When they meet Rayleigh he and Shakky look Sanji over with a very high interest because he looks like that one brat's wife. Sanji is like 'yeah, Marco took me and mom to the fleet and we joined and they're married and he's the man I consider my father' which makes Rayleigh blink because why the fuck is he in the Straw Hat crew? He's a White Beard brat? Sanji just shrugs and is like 'idk seemed fun, bonding with my bf's little bro' which makes the Strawhats fucking lose it. They are sent to another plain of existence except Luffy who is like 'cool, we're brothers'.

Then like Marineford happens and Luffy is there, Sanji isn't, Ace is about to be fucking merced and then Sora and Marco are there like 'can't kill the son in law fuckers' and like yeah, White Beard dies but Ace doesn't. That wound is a mortal wound and so is Luffy's but Marco is a bird brained doctor and he has absolutely 'oo shiny''d his son's bf so like he's in the family in the family, ya know? It's fine if not and we can go deeper in that later need be.

Also could you imagine Marco coming up as an Emperor in this? Like the battle against Black Beard is more a draw than anything else so they are both brought to the status of Emperor and damn those bounties are fucking HIGH. Of course parental sin bullshit means Sanji and Ace's bounties also fucking go astronomical, more so than before. Like holy shit the straw hat crew is looking at Ace and Sanji post ts and how fucking gross they are but they are still two of the most wanted men in the new generation and should be feared.

Would you guys believe I got a normal amount of sleep?

[sashisuse]

okay last one monsieur sabé ,,, but a long one !!! 🪛

shoko setsuko ;; royal au, 🤝, 🌙, 🦅 !!!

suguru setsuko ;; cosmic deity au, 🤝, 🌹, 🥀 !!!

satoru setsuko ;; arranged marriage au, 🐱, 🧸, 🕊 !!!

sashisuse ;; 🧸, 🕊, 🌑, 🌹 !!!

whew… 🪛 anon… thank you but i’m going a bit crazy over here. OKAY. LAST ROUND. LET’S KNOCK EM OUT.

shotsuko

royal au; setsuko is the princess and she’s in love with the royal doctor. NEXT 🗣

🤝; how did they meet in the first place? what was their first impression of each other?

on the first day of school at jujutsu tech! formal greetings and whatnot. setsuko thinks shoko is one of the prettiest people ever and is so thrilled about the concept of her being a healer. shoko is hella intimidated by setsuko because she’s so damn pretty 😭 shoko i know what you are…….. also intimidated because setsuko’s technique is TERRIFYING.

🌙; who has to force the other into having healthy sleeping habits? how well does that go for em?

um both of them technically but it’s mostly setsuko forcing shoko to sleep. setsuko traps her in an iron grip and forces her to stay in the bed and sleep. laugh out loud. they’re so cute 😭

🦅; okay in the au where it’s JUST shotsuko… suguru, first off, is the BIGGEST hype man in this case. he’s so excited for his best friend and her ginormous crush on shoko. he pushes them together. satoru is a little oblivious but once he catches on he’s also on the shotsuko train!!

sugutsuko

cosmic deity au; oh setsuko is the sun, suguru is the moon. forever loving from afar but never being able to fully love each other. (going to eat drywall.)

🤝; AGHDHDJKDKFKFJF!!! here’s the excerpt

The day they moved in, Setsuko spotted a gloomy looking boy her age next door, watching her. She mustered a smile and waved at him. He seemed shocked at first, but he smiled and waved back. She doesn't think she would ever regret waving at him, no matter where they ended up twenty years from then. He was the first friend she ever made, and the only one she ever made in that chilly town. Setsuko met him again for the second time as she worked to clean the windows around the house. She saw him and smiled again. "Hello. I'm Tsuyuri Setsuko."

"Geto Suguru," the boy said. He stared at her for a moment then asked, "Would you like to have some tea?"

🌹; is their relationship healthy, or more unhealthy/complicated?

you know. it’s actually really healthy all things considered. it’s complicated for sure. but definitely healthy!

🥀; favorite thing about your ship?

how, no matter the universe, suguru and setsuko love each other so deeply, wholly, and completely. no matter if it’s platonic or romantic. it doesn’t matter. they love each other.

satotsuko

arranged marriage au; I HAVE A WHOLE THING BASED OFF OF THIS ACTUALLY!! crown prince satoru is about to become king. he’s arranged to a marriage with princess setsuko from a country across the ocean. they have their first meeting as a replica from the garden scene in queen charlotte when she meets george for the first time.

“i am a lady in distress 🤨 you will not help a lady in distress????” “not when she’s trying to climb over the garden wall to avoid marrying me” “😦😦😦”

🐱; do they have pet names for each other, if so what are they? how does their partner feel about their pet name?

satoru has an obscene amount of pet names for setsuko, it’s kind of ridiculous. she does not mind. she also has a few.

satoru calls her: sweets, sweetheart, cookie (she hit him over that one), lovey, babe, baby, sweet girl, honey, honey pie (she pinched him), honey bear, honey bee, sweetie pie, my sweets, pretty girl, pretty love, pretty baby, tsu-tsu, the list goes ON.

setsuko calls him: my love, honey, dear, toru, baby.

🧸; would they want to have kids together? if so what are their kid(s) like? how are they as parents?

oh well technically they already are parents. but also more like parentified big siblings…???? they raised salma, megumi, and tsumiki together. they’re great at it. setsuko more so than satoru. she mothers very hard. they would also have biological children given the chance, but they’re not super huge on that considering they’re both like. weapons of the state 😭 they would have a bunch of daughters though. i’m sure of this.

🕊; give just a general domestic tidbit for em (things they like about each other, routines, habits, and just overall sweet stuff)

aww okay omg. setsuko loves the moments of vulnerability she gets from satoru. she’s a firm believer of wanting him to just be satoru around her. not the strongest. satoru loves that setsuko loves him for him, not because of what he can do.

sashisuse!!

🧸; would they want to have kids together? if so what are their kid(s) like? how are they as parents?

okay my absolute favorite au is where it’s sashisuse and their five kids — tsumiki, nanako, mimiko, salma, and megumi (in order of oldest to youngest!) they’re all parents. they all love their kids. they’re the best. TRUST!!!

🕊; give just a general domestic tidbit for em (things they like about each other, routines, habits, and just overall sweet stuff)

see above for satotsuko dynamic. setsuko loves her closeness with suguru and how he knows her better than she knows herself. suguru loves that setsuko can basically read his every thought and always knows what he needs. setsuko loves how carefree she can be with shoko. shoko loves how she’s allowed to have the weight lifted off her shoulders with setsuko.

🌑; what was the canon character’s first impression of them, and what do they think of them now?

suguru: thought setsuko was very intriguing as his new next door neighbor. thought she was very sweet and kind. now he loves her so dearly. so wholly and completely and RRRGHHH

shoko: see above. was intimidated at first but grew to love setsuko and her silliness as a teen. loves her dearly to this day.

satoru: oh my god they annoyed each other so bad. satoru thought she was kinda dumb. and then she wore a digimon shirt and he was like ‘oh you like digimon??? tell me the ENTIRE LORE YOU FAKE FAN’ now loves setsuko dearly. unsurprising. she is basically the only person who can rein him in.

🌹; is their relationship healthy, or more unhealthy/complicated?

the healthiest and most loving dynamic you’ve ever seen.

[silliemop]

watched The Sea Beast again like two days ago and couldnt help but think of a new au SOOOOOOO

Y/N would be a hunter of the sea monsters. They’d be either the captain or someone else important on the ship.

When Y/N was younger, they met the also young Sun and Moon. Sun and Moon were pretty small when they were younger. Y/N met them when they looked over the edge of the ship and saw them down below just scratching at the sides. (they wanted food sooo Y/N gave them some food)

A bunch of years later, Y/N thought the interaction was just their imagination.

Y/N’s crew finds Sun and Moon(also known as the Celestial Reapers??maybbbee). The sun is setting around this time. They get into a battle. The crew firing their canons and throwing their spears. Sun and Moon are huge btw and are attacking the ship. Y/N accidentally fell off the ship. The ship was badly damaged so they sailed away quickly and didn’t hear Y/N calling out for them.

It was night by now. Y/N was able to rest on a piece of wood. They kept staring at themselves in the water till they closed their eyes due to exhaustion but before they slept they barely noticed the pair of eyes staring up at them in the depth of the water.

Y/N wakes up and is immediately met with a huge yellow sea beast right in front of them. They obviously freak out and panic while Sun just stares. Then Sun picks them up and Y/N is flailing around(giving weak punches which doesn’t harm Sun at all).

Sun and Moon remember who they are from all those years ago and get excited, taking Y/N to that monster island. Y/N is terrified because they have no idea what’s happening or where they’re going.

There would just be a bunch of shenanigans of Y/N trying to run away while Sun and Moon are trying to hang out with them.

Later on when Y/N is comfortable, they go for swims where Y/N would be on one of their backs. They’d also be shown other sea beasts on the island and see that most are good.

THENNNNN there would be that conflict of during a long swim they see a ship about to attack them and so maybeee Sun and Moon get more aggressive than usual to defend Y/N. Y/N would be like “nooo guys noooooo! dont killll!! just swim awayyyy!!!!” But Sun and Moon would attack the ship(it got away just barely) and Y/N would be left wondering how they could convince people to stop attacking sea beasts.

There would also be a moment way later on probably when Y/N would meet again with their crew but during an attack against Sun and Moon. Y/N would be yelling at them to stop attacking. The crew would try to force Y/N to come back making Sun and Moon become more aggressive to get Y/N back (maybbeee Y/N would get taken and Sun and Moon would be too wounded to follow hmmm)

Another idea would be that Sun and Moon come back very wounded one day and Y/N gets super worried for them and tries to care for them(like pulling out the spears from their body)

anywayyy I did some quick doodles of this so hereeee u go

JUST IN TIME FOR THE FIRST DAY OF MERMAYY YAYYY

[luka-couffaine-ship-tournament]

Round 1 Side A - Pair 1

CAMPAIGN

Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng

-They‘re just so good for each other. Luka is such a calming presence in Marinette‘s chaotic life and helps her relax when she feels anxious and unsure of herself, always willing to be there for her and offer a helping hand during tough times. Marinette has a deep appreciation not only for Luka‘s ability to play music but also hear heart songs, as if she understood immediately what he meant after listening to him play for the first time. They feed off each other‘s creative energy and are just generally so wholesome together. I could talk about them forever, they make me so happy!!

-Luka is the best boy, and deserves love from the girl he adores

-I just woke up and am too lazy to think of words for my favorite couple so here's some gifs as propaganda

Gif de gifs-misc

Gif de bizarrelovesquare

Gif de notasiren21

Gif de ouiladybug

Gif de kochengnoir

Gif de jeldraximo14

Gif de notasiren21

Luka Couffaine/Sabrina Raincomprix

-Listen, Sabrina needs someone who treats her well, she needs someone who considers her an equal and someone to show her what real love is like. And I truly and honestly think that she would try her best to understand and appreciate Luka but who he really is (if she can see the good in Chloe she is capable of seeing a God when she meets one)

-Vote lukabrina people. We cant lose this!

-This is just unfair we need to help our girl out!

I'll start!

Item Number One: Viperhound Is S Tier

This is the fucking duo right here, this is endlessly clever and positive tag team action, this is a pair who will NOT fail the mission alright?

They are designed so interestingly parallel and then put right next to each other in this sweeping shot of the new miraculous squad???

Like, am I supposed to not assume something about it??

Item Number Two: opposites contrast

Orange and Blue, extremely Sun and Moon energy, but I don't think that would make this ship sail smoothly. See, Luka likes being a moon. He is happy to support and enjoys being someone's shining beacon in the endless dark of night, and no one needs that kind of anchor to hold onto more than Sabrina right now. Sabrina cut ties with her best and only friend and while we see her hanging out with other classmates just fine, we don't really know how she is with being actual friends with people. I don't think anyone has tries to reach out to her since evillustrator and we saw in that episode how she approaches new potential connections. Overwhelmingly cheerful and warm and oppressively clingy, like a ray of sunlight that won't leave your eyesight on the hottest day of the year. She means well but, boy, she can be a lot. And more importantly, she needs to be the one helping because, what kind of friend is she if she isn't? Who is she if she's not doing everything for everybody else? It would, amusingly and annoyingly and endearingly, put her into conflict with Luka, who is similarly always pushing his own problems aside to help people with theirs. This would lead them into a loving rivalry of "take care of yourself" "no u" that goes both ways, a back and forth that ends with them reluctantly letting the other help them. And after so many years as someone's shadow, Sabrina deserves to have someone in her orbit, someone she shines a light on when he needs to be seen.

Item Number Three: YOU HAD YOUR CHANCE

Look I'm SORRY okay, but I have to say this even tho I also think their ship got done dirty by the show, I still think they wouldn't have lasted. I think Marinette and Luka being "too easy" is exactly their problem, as even if they didn't have everything else to worry about Marinette needs complexity or she starts to lose her mind overthinking things and goes looking for it. The simple nature of her relationship with Luka is what 13 year old Marinette needed, the Marinette who wasn't Ladybug yet, who hadn't stood up to Chloe and maybe even just had her heart broken in a mean prank. It makes sense she'd fall in love with and gravitate towards this living embodiment of all the comfort and security she wished she had, she had desperately needed at that time. But that's just it, she needed it then. And now she can rely on herself a lot better, she has a whole support system to fall back on, and what she needs from a romantic partner is something else. But Sabrina? She's done horrible things in the name of her friendship with Chloe and even enjoyed some of them, but had finally hit her limit of how much abuse she can both dish out and take herself. Sabrina can definitely recognize that Luka is a good person, but more importantly Luka would have to actually try to sympathize with a person, rather than just immedietely like them. Lest we forget, Sabrina is the one who locked Juleka in the bathroom on picture day. Chloe told her to but Sabrina physically did it. Being confronted with someone who hurt his sister but is, herself, hurting, and is determined to help everyone but herself will be a lot of conflicting emotions for Luka, and Sabrina would need to get used to being the center of someone else's attention in a way not entirely dissimilar to how Chloe was for her, although significantly less codependent.

What makes Lukabrina interesting isn't that they're perfect for each other or that it's immedietly easy.

It's awkward and messy and they clash, they push each other out of their comfort zones and find a new one to settle in together.

It isn't instant or love at first sight, but by resolving their issues with each other through communication, honesty and trust, they are able to become a happy and wholesome couple.

Don't fucking tell me the odds lol, I know they're probably not winning but they deserve a fighting chance. So please feel free to add your own Lukabrina Viperhound propaganda!

TAG:

Luka/Marinette - @mikoriin

Luka - Twitter @Karma_sensei_

@lukacouffaineappreciation

[zvtara-was-never-canon]

Of all the zvtara favorite stuff “the Sun and the Moon” trope seems pretty harmless compared to the other bullshit, yet it enrages me very much.

Like, try to retell the book 1 finale, except you are not allowed to mention that Yue sacrificed herself to save the Moon Spirit and became one herself. Actually, I would like to suggest this a challenge to all the shippers who likes this trope. You cannot mention Yue becoming the Moon Spirit in any way if you think that Katara is the Moon. Does the narrative still make sense?

If it does not, and if you are okay with that, then, apparently, one Zuko’s “now I have an upper hand in our battle and not you” line outweighs the whole damn actual plot of the show for you. And it sucks.

It’s not “just aesthetics”. It’s straight up telling you actually don’t care about the show without explicitly saying that you don’t care about the show. And I fucking hate this.

Fuck, poor Yue is not even a threat to this ship, my god…

To be fair, the point of that quote is not that they are the actual sun and moon. It is about who has the higher ground at that moment in the battle - Katara, as a waterbender, had the advantage during the nightime, but once the sun came out, Zuko, like any firebender, had the advantage.

And THAT is what kinda baffles me about zutarians acting like this is some crazy foreshadowing/romantic set up for their OTP. It's exclusively about battle, doesn't apply solely to these two characters, and it only comes back on the day of the eclipse, with ALL the heroes using that as a way to try and gain the upper hand against the Fire Nation.

Even the two times we saw Zuko and Katara working as a team, this never became factor - probably because this quote actually means that they are more useful APART, with one acting during the day and the other at night. Sure, in the context of the Gaang it is still team work, but it still highlights that these two are NOT a duo. They wouldn't really get in each other's way, but in the context of battle it means that, unless their group is in a situation in which they need to use every resource they have, making them work SEPARATELY, in a "day shift, night shift" way, would be the ideal, since they'd be saving up energy to go all out when they have the advantage and end a conflict more easily.

Not only is this too impersonal to be special and too "practical/militaristic" to be romantic, it also shows that they are more useful acting alone, or being paired up with other people, than they are playing off of each other. I genuinely don't get how this is a win for Zutara.

Sure, a battle tactic says nothing about how good or bad of a match they'd be romantically, but since the shippers constantly conflate "Awesome battle duo" and "literal soulmates/opposites attract" it is crazy to think that their "evidence" for it is a quote that literally means "Pairing these two up is a waste."

[moonlit-dreamers]

Top 5 favourite TSAMS characters?

youve opened pandoras box btw i hope u know that

starting with numbah one is sun. hes so good for whump. i love torturing him hes so pathetic i wanna see him sobbing and i find so much joy in it. but i also like shipping him with everyone and putting him in sickeningly fluffy scenarios that also break him tho more emotionally and due to being flustered but eh same thing as getting ur leg ripped off ig/j

numbah 2 is eclipse. i actually used to hate him up until we saw like the "origin story" or wutever and i was like "oh shit he just like me fr" (im a fictive in a system so i FULLY understand wut its like waking up in an unknown place and being trapped and unable to go back to ur home). hes also good for whump with a nice mix of having him being the whumper and the whumpee depending on my mood. i also like shipping him tho not nearly as much as sun. but eclipse is the one i project onto THE MOST (loveless aroace eclipse beloved <3🙏) also love writing him

numbah 3 is solar obviously. i feel like they couldve done his character better but its okay bc i traumatize him in ways they never could <3 hes also good for ships but, again, not as good as sun. solars just so fun to poke and prod and put in Situations

obligatory 4 is sunvant. he’s too good for whump he’s better than everyone else. he’s just such a lil guy he’s so pathetic

if i’m allowed to do this (which i say i can bc this is my blog) then 5 would be og lunar before he died. listen man he was such a lil shit with such altruistic reasonings behind everything. he was Just there to have a good time it didn’t matter how he got it. literally the only reason y he joined sun n moon wasn’t bc he cared about hurting them (he only showed remorse later on) but bc moon let him play flappy bird. i do kinda wish he kept some of that character tbh. specifically him doing things for the “wrong reasons” bc i love that being shown in characters (it’s very me fr)

[moonsquaremars]

I've had an extremely turbulant emotional life, which I can attribute to many different astrological aspects + placements I have.

It's been strange coming to discover as I get older how much of my world is inside my head, though. How many times I've assumed something, had meltdowns, only to later find out 90% of it was in my own head.

Moon square mars, like my blog suggests. My other blog was sunsextilemoon, but after tumblr flagged my account for adult content, I figured it was best to start over so I could still have reach.

Moon square mars makes one passionate and headstrong. I read that it is similar to the relationship between Cancer and Aries. Cancer, the emotionally nurturing, sensitive, going head to head with the impulsive and self expressive Aries. Aries was always one of my least favorite signs. My sun is in cancer, and moon in virgo. I've always been surrounded by Saggitarius, that's my favorite sign. But I always saw aries as childish and insensitive. I had a roommate, coworker, and someone who has become a best friend who is an aries. So my aries prejudice has been tamed a bit.

I would attribute my intense anger problems to my moon square mars. I don't struggle with it so much anymore, but as a kid, if somebody accidentally hurt me, I would come back at them twice as hard. Like ruthless. I also constantly struggle, on a day to day basis, with this inner conflict between what I 'feel' like I need to do, vs what I want to do. I usually let want win. Sometimes I can get too lost in my feelings, I guess because of my 12th house sun.

Moon Square Pluto.

This aspect I think gets me in a lot of trouble. It's not intentional, of course. But I definitely feel the emotional block. I will be fine, things will be going alright, then out of nowhere, a wave will come and completely knock me off balance. I'll get so overwhelmed and almost hysterical. Sometimes just super moody. and then when it's over, I'm like, what the hell happened? there doesn't seem to be a concrete cause or trigger. It just happens. I'm 27 and it still just happens.

The 12th house placement I think is a blessing and a curse. I sense the strangest of things, and have spiritual gifts. but I've been to the psych ward more times than I can count, and my daddy a crackhead who is also a 12th house sun. I love him of course, but the 12th house energy is obvious. His house has a feeling of being a hut on a deserted island, yet it's in the middle of a subdivision surrounded by other houses. He just gives me tom hanks castaway vibes, even when he's surrounded by society.

I take various drugs and medications to help tame my turbulant emotions and achieve my goals. I do weed often, because it helps with my temper. I'm also extremely impatient. I feel like weed puts me in touch with my moon. You'd think that'd be a good thing, but when your moon squares your mars and your pluto, it can cause some problems.

I also have Sun Square Saturn, which quite honestly, is a PAINFUL placement.

I've had terrible, terrible, terrible depression for most of my life. Completely sucks the life out of me. Apparently saturn can deplete the energy of the sun, and I get depleted baby.

I went to a church service on time, and the preacher said something about "misery being a ship that needs to set sail, instead of being avoided" and that really healed me. I feel like I got so scared of my depression, my own mind and thoughts, I would run around manicly just doing WHATEVER I could so I would not feel that way anymore. I was so scared of it. But sometimes you just have to sit with yourself and your emotions, and grit your teeth.

In all I feel like my sun sextile my moon really saves me. It gives a balanced personality, since the ego and the emotional nature are in such harmony. It's funny because my dad, close friends, and boyfriends almost always have sun trine moon. My little sister also has sun sextile moon. If it weren't for this, I'd probably be much worse off...

[castingspellsanddaisies]

The Matt Bomer and Jonathan Bailey Tarot Reading

DISCLAIMER: Take everything with a grain of salt and enjoy!

Finally! omg I can't believe it! We're finally here! 😂😂😂

What's their bond's future for 2025?

birds + tower + fish + clouds + stork + chip | Back of the deck: letter

3 of wands + 8 of wands + 7 of pentacles + 6 of cups reversed + the lovers reversed + king of swords | back of the deck: strength

The first thing I saw was both of them gathering courage to make a movement that both already know they need to make. It's a very important decision that both of them already know they need to make, but they're still unsure on how to proceed with it.

For 2025, I see both men communicating that how they had been acting with each in the past must change - and it will change. I don't see them parting ways for good, but I see them taking their time to figure out how their bond will be in their future, because how it is currently doesn't work for them anymore.

I do see some distance between them, but it's mostly because they're quite confused in how they should act. And it's a very logical path for them. They're both deciding it as two adults, not two immature people.

They worked together in ''Fellow Travelers'', will they share another on screen partnership again?

ship + letter + tower

There's a huge possibility they could work together again, but it's unlikely they will be a couple in it.

Matt Bomer is married to Simon Halls, how's their relationship in the present?

heart + whip + scynthe + moon + key + ship | back of the deck: house

knight of wands + 10 of wands reversed + the sun reversed + king of cups + death + 5 of pentacles | back of the deck: the devil

Oh boy, so...

I see there's love between them and a sense of responsability with each other, but I also see problems happening right now.

They're keeping some secrets from each other and this has been causing many struggles, many arguments and a sense of distance between them. I see that they use sex to resolve their fights but this ''peace'' is only temporary; soon they're fighting again.

It's like they both know what their problems are and they're both committing each other to fix it and make it work, but then, after realizing that fact, they fall off again on each other.

There's an emotional maturity here though, there's a will to change their relationship as it is (because currently it's tough), but they're also insecure if they have what it takes to fix it, if their feelings for one another are worth of them fighting for it. So it's more of a thin layer of security.

But there's care, there's empathy for each other. Even though it seems sometimes that they're insisting in vain to keep the relationship up, these men also wich to keep it as it is.

Future predictions for the couple in 2025?

tree + tower + scynthe + woman + birds + ship | back of the deck: garden

6 of wands + 10 of cups + the magician reversed + 3 of pentacled reversed + the moon + 8 of pentacles | back of the deck: 2 of swords reversed

It's interesting. The couple seems to always be under stress but somehow they stay together. It feels like they like the rollercoaster turmoil their relationship gives them and they feel satisfied with it somehow.

For 2025, I see them overcoming another problem in their marriage and exposing more their relationship to the media - but just a little bit hahaha It could be not necessarily them exposing themselves, but much more news coming out about their relationship.

Sometimes when they clash they might feel very disrespected by the other, but then they choose to fight for the marriage, again, with layers of insecurity masked by a thin layer of maturity.

There's a huge possibility they might take some time off. Yes, because they will feel very confused and lost about their connection at some point. There's a woman who will be very important for them and their relationship in 2025. This woman will help to cease some chaos that I see happening for them in 2025.

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

What a rollercoaster these people, story worthy of a movie, huh?

That's it for now, folks! I'll see you soon. Bye Bye <33

[justsome-di]

The Fairest of All Stars: Chapter 8

Andy didn’t mean to become a pirate captain, but after killing the captain of her ship, she finds herself thrust into the role. Years after the incident, she is fierce and feared and recovering from a tropical fever that wiped out half her crew.

Just as they’re about to dock, they find an injured siren left behind by her choir. Andy, drawn to her, pulls her onto the ship and decides to keep her there until she recovers. But with the Navy hunting for both pirates and sirens, Andy has just made her ship an even bigger target for an iniquitous captain looking for revenge.

Warning for suicidal thoughts and violence. Will contain mature scenes.

Also available for free on Patreon (paid members are five installments ahead and will get exclusive bonus stories) and on AO3. If you enjoy reading Stars please consider leaving a comment on AO3, Patreon, or reblogging these chapters! Follow for more updates!

Despite her apparent disdain for Andy, Syan followed her around like a lost puppy every moment of the day and slept in her room at night.

Andy was becoming pretty fond of her, asking her again and again about the little things about sirens. The novelty of being one of the only humans to speak to a siren only grew with each day. Every time Andy noticed her extra-broad shoulders or the unsettling size of her palms or the way her eyes reflected silver in the dark, Andy remembered how that was a monster. Something that belonged to myths and horror stories told on dark nights—cautionary tales passed from father to child.

“How would I know how to read? Do you think we have books in the ocean?”

“I don’t know! That’s why I’m fucking asking.”

But then Syan also started showing her curiosity.

“What are they doing?”

“They’re telling ghost stories. It’s a new moon tradition. We can join them if you want.”

“How do you shoot a gun?”

“You aim and pull a trigger.”

“And handling a sword?”

Another week passed, and by then, no one turned their heads or batted an eye at Syan being on board. She didn’t take up many of their food rations which were dwindling pathetically low. She didn’t need to drink any of their rum or wine—she was perfectly capable of drinking sea water pulled up onto the ship in a bucket on a rope.

It left Tobi with little to complain about, though he still found excuses to lament the danger of keeping a siren roaming around the ship. The rest of the crew had seemed to accept her as one of them. And why shouldn’t they? They were all drifters. Many of them were left in similar situations than Syan had been on that islet. Why mistrust her once she proved that she couldn’t be bothered to kill any of them?

And that was another thing. Outside of Andy, Syan was almost entirely uninterested in everything and everyone. There was just one other person she regularly talked to.

Pinkey would strike up a conversation with Syan whenever he was around, and Andy surprised herself by not cringing every time she had to overhear him detailing his weapons, the ship’s cannons, his favorite flowers when he got the chance to see them on land. Syan never offered her own interests back to him, but she stayed put when Pinkey talked.

Pinkey and Syan grew so close—as close as two can grow on a pirate ship—that Andy found them together one week in the lower cabin that was designated as the practice space by Pinkey. Though most of the crew preferred to spar above deck in the sun, Pinkey had created an incredible training room with empty barrels as targets and an open floor for practicing footwork. He encouraged crew to come down often, but it was almost always just him alone, running through the motions of well-rehearsed fights and some type of fighting style of the East that Andy had never witnessed before.

That was where Andy saw Pinkey standing behind Syan, his arm wrapped around to her hand where he helped her hold a sword. Syan’s back was pressed against Pinkey’s front. Their shoulders met one another’s.

Syan wielded the saber awkwardly, her long fingers and broad palm not exactly certain how to place themselves around the hilt. There was no confidence in her stance as if she still wasn’t that sturdy on her feet or if she just wasn’t used to being on them in the first place.

“You’ve nearly got it,” Pinkey said.

He used a much more gentle tone than he usually did with the rest of the crew. With those men, he would yell and condescend to them. They were pirates, after all. They should know their shit.

“Everything is so much heavier out of water,” Syan said.

She rotated her shoulder, trying to ease some ache in her arm.

“But you have all this muscle from swimming,” Pinkey said. “Your arms are in good shape. You have a great core. Use that to your advantage.”

Pinkey’s hand shifted to Syan’s waist. He squared her hips with her feet. And seeing his hand touch her delicate waist, the inverted triangle of it, Andy felt a pang of jealousy.

She wasn’t sure why.

Sure, she had been hitting on Syan and had been captivated by her beauty for weeks, but none of it was any genuine romantic feelings. She just didn’t do that. Relationships were never worth the work—any of them. It was safer to be a loner, to do everything on her own and never have expectations to lug someone else around.

Her teasing Syan was no different than when Andy slipped into ports and found women to spend the night with. Andy liked pretty women and never felt anything other than lust for them. It had suited her fine for years. She never felt like she needed anything she didn’t already get.

“Would you like to try dueling with the captain?” Pinkey asked.

He looked over his shoulder and gave Andy a mischievous smile. Syan looked over as well, her face turned down in her usual gloomy look.

“Sure,” Syan said. “If she accepts.”

“It’d be dishonorable to say no,” Andy said.

Syan sighed. “That supposed honor again.”

Pinkey pulled his hand away from Syan’s waist. Andy’s eyes lingered on where he had held her. She wondered how warm Syan’s skin was. She wondered if the heat could be felt from over her shirt.

“Remember what I showed you,” Pinkey whispered to Syan.

Always quick to anger, Andy felt a stab to her ego that hemorrhaged into something furious.

Who did Pinkey think he was teaching Andy so much? Who put him in charge of looking after her? And why did Syan accept all of it when she always put up a fuss in front of Andy?

Why did Syan even begin this mini-lesson? Both she and Pinkey had gone behind her back to do this. It’s not like Syan needed it. She should have had badass siren skills that could kill a ship. She didn’t need private tutoring to learn how to hold a sword.

Andy took a practice sword off the wall, its blade blunt. She waved it around her body, testing out her joints. She felt more mobile than she had in a long while. Her muscles didn’t protest much. The feverish aches that had plagued her for so long had finally let go of her.

The saber felt good in her hands. It had been too long since she had had a good sparring session. She longed for the sweat of a good workout and the satisfying burn that would settle in her muscles hours later.

Andy held up her saber. Syan matched, their blades perpendicular.

Her strength still hadn’t totally returned, but she had no issue overpowering Syan whose movements were clumsy and hesitant from the second she started.

Andy slammed her blade into Syan’s, knocking Syan’s entire arm to the side. Syan almost perfectly hid a wince as her shoulder was nearly knocked out of its socket by the impact.

Andy didn’t give her more than a second to recover. She slammed her blade down again into Syan’s sword and then again and again. As soon as Syan managed to raise it back up, Andy knocked it back down.

Syan began taking steps back just to try to buy herself more time. She was just barely blocking Andy’s hits that were getting closer and closer to actually striking her body.

It was easy enough for Andy. It didn’t feel like a true workout. She was barely sweating, and her heart had only begun to pump a little harder. It was nothing like the usual session against Pinkey who could hold his own.

Andy struck harder, putting her whole strength into hitting Syan’s sword.

Syan’s wobbly legs finally misstepped. Distracted with regaining her footing, she dropped her sword a bit too low. Andy threw her sword down on it, hard. Syan gasped in surprise, in pain when her wrist was forced to turn down.

Totally defenseless, Andy sliced her sword against Syan’s shoulder. The one that held the sword. It wasn’t able to cut through her skin, but her breath was taken away and her grip was weakened. Andy had been hit by the practice swords plenty of times. With enough force behind them, it was enough to numb a limb if they hit just right.

With a clatter, Syan’s sword fell to the ground.

Syan looked up to glare, hand grabbing her shoulder. Andy didn’t let up. She used the hilt of her sword to punch—not as hard as she knew she could have—Syan’s chest. Knocked off balance again, Syan teetered back.

Andy kicked her legs out from under her.

Syan collapsed to the floor in a heap. Still grabbing her shoulder and curled around her chest, she fell hard, flat, on her back.

Andy stood over her and placed the dull tip of her sword to her throat.

“Surrender?” Andy asked.

Syan pushed herself up to her elbows. Her hair fell into her face. She breathed hard, teeth bared. Andy could see how her teeth were just slightly sharper than a human’s, and it looked almost like they were getting sharper by the second. Her pupils had turned to pinpricks.

She looked feral.

Finally, a monster was before Andy.

It felt good for Andy to see Syan like this. Knocked down a peg, her pride hurt. There was a rush of satisfaction through Andy when she thought about Syan’s cocky attitude taking a blow.

“What the fuck is your problem?” Syan asked.

“You said you wanted a duel. That’s a fucking duel. No wonder you were so easily caught in a fishing net. You’re pretty weak.”

Except Andy knew that she wasn’t all that weak. To be able to remain standing for so long in a first duel was impressive on its own.

Syan knocked the sword blade away from her throat. With a feral cry, she lunged forward at Andy.

The women fell to the ground together. Syan’s knees hit Andy’s crotch and stomach. Her hands—so strong and talented—wrapped around Andy’s arms and very nearly pinned her down.

It was thrilling. Andy couldn’t stop herself from thinking, as she wiggled under Syan, if her throat was about to get torn out. If those slightly-pointy teeth were going to dig down into her flesh, cut through her arteries, and rip the meat of her body apart.

Pinkey grabbed Syan with one arm and pushed Andy away with the other.

“Stop it!” he scolded. “Knock it off!”

They were parted, finally. Andy could feel fresh bruises blossoming under her clothes. Her heart was racing. Sweat had broken out along her brow.

“Not during my training session!” Pinkey said. “Not in my practice space!”

My fucking ship, Andy thought. She should have been allowed to do whatever she wanted.

She pulled away from Pinkey and got to her feet.

“Do me a favor,” she said, “if shit goes down while you’re here, stay far away from it.”

Syan sneered. She tried finding her balance on her legs, but she struggled to stay upright even with Pinkey’s support.

“I’m not letting what I have left of this crew die because you fucked us all over and caused distractions,” Andy said.

And then she couldn’t place Syan’s expression. Her sneer fell a fraction, and she yanked her arm away from Pinkey.

Syan stormed out of the room, her legs wobbly and ruining any impression of confidence and anger.

Pinkey rubbed the back of his neck and looked at Andy. She wouldn’t let herself feel guilty. Syan shouldn’t have been playing with swords in the first place, only mastering false confidence with Pinkey’s enabling.

“I’m not apologizing,” Andy said.

“I didn’t say anything, sir.”

Andy kicked one of the practice swords to the side. She wouldn’t apologize. She never apologized.