#originally it wasn't meant to be on the high seas!

[citrine-elephant]

love how fanfic leads you down some weird ass paths of research sometimes...?

currently thinking, "i should look up realistic shipping routes across the atlantic and pacific" as if i'll choose to step foot onto a nicely wrapped platter for the ocean gods to snack upon.

and it's actually beneficial cause you learn random shit! all because you either want two guys to fuck in a new way, or you want to hurt your blorbo so bad.

[crystalskiesandcherrywine]

And all the pieces fall, right into place // Part Three

Just had to write more imideately - these two just had to get closer. But it seems like Feyd in this story has a somewhat soft side to him. Lets see how long it will stay this way

All feedback is welcome <3

English is not my first language 

Part One // Part Two

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Na Baron Feyd Rautha x Atreides!Reader

FxM

1.626 words

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Na Baron Feyd Rautha awoke to an unusual, high-pitched sound in his room. It was like the clinking of glass, but lacked its acrid edge. All his senses went on high alert as he opened his eyes wide and, as inconspicuously as possible, reached for the blade at his right. His fingers curled around the hilt, ready to neutralise the source of the noise. It was only a moment later that he realised the sound was coming from a bird on the windowsill. The bird, completely unfazed by the weapon, continued to trill, looking back at the Baron undaunted and curious. Its feathers glistened in the first rays of the sun. When Feyd Rautha took a step towards him, the bird thought better of it and vanished with a flap of its wings, leaving only a long blue feather as proof that it had ever been there. The Baron looked out of the window, where a tranquil sea of grass stretches beyond the walls of Arteries castle. Everything on Kaladan seemed deeper: Colours were more vivid and blended. His guest rooms were lined with soft fabrics, the carpet beneath his feet plush. The abstract notion of the differences between Kaladan and Giedi Prime was evident in every aspect. With a soft knock, the door to his room was flung open. The servant was confronted with an unusual sight. The Baron was completely naked, his muscles covered by marble-coloured skin, his broad shoulders kissed by the sun, his blade in his hand. 

"Please forgive the intrusion, Venerable Na Baron," the servant bowed deeply. "Lady Atreides requests your presence. She expects you at the west gate in 15 minutes." 

"Lady Jessica?" 

"No, my apologies, Na Baron, I meant the Princess, of course. Do you have appropriate attire for a climb?“

The morning wind settled, carrying away the remnants of the clouds. Standing before the gate in your usual gear, you felt safer than the previous night. The sensation of his unexpectedly soft lips on yours, his desire for you, left you not indifferent. Yet many questions pressed on you, for much seemed to deviate from the original plan. For now, you shook off the worries. If your soon-to-be husband was on your home planet, then he should see something of it. His figure emerged from an exit and moved towards you. His body was clad in a uniform you recognized as for combat training, complete with a leather vest and knee pads, a belt from which you spotted two blades. His heavy The morning breeze died down, carrying away the remnants of the clouds. Standing in front of the gate in your usual clothes, you felt safer than the night before. The feeling of his unexpectedly soft lips on yours, his desire for you, did not leave you unaffected. Still, many questions plagued you, for much seemed to have changed from the original plan. For the moment, you shook off your worries. If your future husband was on your home planet, he should see something of it. His figure emerged from an exit and moved towards you. His body was clad in a uniform you recognised as combat training, complete with leather vest and knee pads, a belt from which you could see two blades. His heavy boots had been replaced by lighter shoes. Approvingly, you nod. 

"Good morning, Na Baron, I'm glad you could join me," you said, handing him a dark brown rucksack. 

"I could hardly resist an invitation," he said with unmistakable sarcasm. 

You contemplated replying, but decided against it. 

"Then we should get going, we have a long way to go," and with these words you set off. The walk began in silence, you noticed Feyd Rautha struggling between irritation and astonishment. A man like him wasn't used to being ordered around, and on Giedi Prime you couldn't afford such liberties. But you had the home field advantage, and you intended to use it. His voice, a little hoarse, broke the silence. "Is it always so... intense here?" 

"Intense? What do you mean, my lord?" The word rolled off your tongue, and you noticed he was eager to hear it again.

"The colours, the sounds..." 

"No, in winter it's much quieter, the snow lies like a blanket over everything and muffles all sounds. It's all white as far as the eye can see. Do you have snow on Giedi Prime?" 

"No, our planet is different. It's much less forgiving," he says, his eyes wandering between you and the surroundings. By now you had reached your destination: a rock face full of roots and small plants, with veins of chalk. 

"I think you'll find that Kaladan has its rough edges, too," you said, unable to resist teasing him. "I hope you're as well trained as you look." 

You hear only a snort of irritation behind you as you begin the climb. Your fingers find the usual notches in the stone and you pull yourself up quickly. Feyd Rautha's gaze burns into the back of your neck, and when you turn around, you meet his ice-blue eyes. He seems to take the challenge very seriously, and after his gaze sweeps over your body once more, he makes a surprising leap to the side, overtaking you in a matter of moves. His form seems to merge like water with each challenge of the mountain, each movement calculated and seemingly effortless. By the time you reach the top, he's already standing on the cliff, looking down at you with a hint of mockery in his eyes. 

"So you like to keep your guests waiting, Princess. It's not very polite of you."

With a frustrated sigh, you pull yourself over the edge and he makes no move to offer his hand. You walk a few metres ahead and gesture for him to sit next to you. From your rucksack you pull out a blanket and several tins of food. He reaches into his backpack and finds food and drink as well. Again you sit in silence, trying to take in the view. Soon the view would give way to a monochrome, desolate landscape under a black sun. Under the blue sky, waves of pale green grass were interspersed with purple and gold flowers. Small streams meandered here and there, reflecting the image of the sky. Their babbling mixed with the rustling of the treetops as they swayed in the wind. He followed your gaze, and you could almost hear the individual mental gears in his brain. Silently, you pour wine for both of you and toast him. 

"To new adventures, Na Baron." He returned the gesture and drained the glass in one gulp. 

"Why did you bring me here?" 

"This is my home. Think of it as a kind of revelation from me: When you see this, you see a part of my soul. Soon I will follow them to Giedi Prime and the sight of them there will tell me something about them".

He seems to savour the answer on his tongue.

"I see before me something barely tamed."

You try to answer, but get lost in his eyes. A ray of sunlight lands on his cheek and before you can think, you reach out. His skin is soft, warmed by the sun, and as your fingers slide over it, he catches your wrist and brings it to his lips. Your tongue moves over the skin, picking up a light film of salt that has formed from the previous exertion. Your arm relaxes and it's the moment of weakness he's been waiting for. With a movement, it is on top of you, pressing down on your back and the grass-covered ground beneath you, your hair loosening from its braid and spreading across the blanket. The same wild expression as last night flits across his face.

"A princess alone with a monster in a remote place, how foolish, how reckless," he breathes as he spreads kisses down your neck. You turn your head slightly to the side, giving him more surface to work with, your arms held above your head in his hand.

The kisses turn to a bite, so sharp it makes you cry out. He licks over the small wound and the red smears around his lips. His other hand slides over your chest, dressed in tight hiking clothes that offer much more than the flowing evening gown of last night.

You squirm and try to free your hands, but to no avail. However, he seems to enjoy your efforts as he undoes the fastening of your jacket. Your nipples immediately become hard and as he sucks on one breast, your body bends towards him. He finally lets go of your hands, but only to hold your neck as he turns his attention to the second breast. A wave of desire sweeps over you, your nails running down his neck and finding their way under your shirt. You claw at him and he lets out a hiss. He doesn't let go of your breasts, alternately biting and sucking them until you're wriggling your hips underneath him, unable to resist a climax. As if possessed, you call out a name and he looks up at you, greed and lust clearly written on his face.

"You wish to wait, Princess, your wish is my command. One word from you and this peak will be only one of many".

Your tongue disobeys, your thoughts refuse to form. You feel a few drops of moisture slide down your inner thigh under your clothes. The desire for him and the shame of your weakness mix.

When you don't answer, he gets off you and lies down on his back next to you, looking up at the sky. 

[sailorspica]

GOOGLE TRANSLATION: "perona, nightmare after nagashidaru" from one piece: heroines by jun esaka

i posted the illustrations by suwa sayaka here

this short story collection will have an official english release in april 2025

i just ran the japanese epub through google translate and lightly picked through for readability. it gets weird with pronouns in the narration, sometimes switching to 1st person with no obvious (to me) indicators that it's meant to be perona's internal monologue, but overall i think it makes sense

if anyone reads japanese and wants to take a look, send an ask! i only have vol. 1 as of posting

The once-prosperous kingdom of Shikeaar now lies in complete ruins.

The blackened houses are crumbled and tilted as if trampled by giants, and the old castle that is barely standing looks as if it will collapse and sink into the darkness at any moment. The stone flooring is completely covered in moss and cracks in many places.

The surroundings are completely silent, and no words are spoken. Not the sound of leaves rustling, not the cries of animals, nothing can be heard.

The ruins of the kingdom of Shikeaar should be enveloped in the same silence as ever tonight -- or so it should have been.

Until a noisy duo passed by.

"You were on shopping duty last week, weren't you? Why didn't you buy any cocoa?"

"There wasn't any, so I guess that's to be expected. You should be grateful that I went around the town looking for stores. Besides, you can just go and buy it yourself."

"Don't talk like that! It takes a ton of time even to go to the nearest small town!"

Perona and Zoro were walking along, arguing with each other. They were the wandering thugs from Shikkearu Castle. Two human drills were walking ahead of them, leading the way.

It had been about fifteen minutes since the Human Drills had knocked on Perona's window while she was relaxing. They gestured for her to follow them, and as she left the castle, she ran into Zoro, who had been brought out in the same way. It seemed the Human Drills had something to show her.

They trudged across the ruins of the Kingdom of Night, passed through the forest, and came out to the sea.

"…What is this place?"

The Human Drills pointed out to the ocean, as if to hurry Perona, who was puzzled. Looking, they saw a large barrel floating on the waves. A sacred rope was wrapped around the barrel, and something like a flag was hanging from it.

"Is that by any chance a floating barrel?"

Zoro narrowed his eyes and muttered,

"Maybe there's cocoa in it!"

Perona spoke up with a cheer.

Cocoa is Perona's favorite food. However, she has been unable to get any on Kuraigana Island, which has been frustrating her.

"…The floating barrel is a tribute to the guardian deity of the sea. Who would put cocoa in it?"

"It's possible. If I were the god of the sea, I would favor anyone who can offer me high-quality cocoa!"

Originally, the barrels were used to hold alcohol or preserved foods. But it's entirely possible that the person who released the barrel was a clever person and put something better in them.

"Anyway, we have to get that floating barrel back quickly!"

After saying this enthusiastically, Perona suddenly realized something and her face clouded over.

…I don't want to go that far.

Devil Fruit users are hated by the sea. When they are immersed in water, all strength leaves their body and they are unable to do anything. Perona could have retrieved the barrel without getting wet, thanks to her ability to float, but flying above the surface of the ocean was still a little scary.

But still--

Perona glanced at Zoro beside her. It would be cruel to ask a man who was still in training and had wounds all over him to enter the sea.

I guess I'll go.

She made up her mind and turned on her heels. Just as she was about to float up, someone grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"I'll go."

With that, Zoro splashed into the sea without any hesitation. His movements were so natural that Perona almost saw him off, but then she suddenly realized and called out in a panic.

"What are you doing! It's going to sting your wounds!"

"It's not going to sting."

"You're lying!"

"Just wait."

Zoro said with his back turned to her, and jumped into the sea with a splash. He started to paddle the water and swim towards the open sea.

Perona grimaced.

"…Isn't that guy going to get another wound?"

During his daily training, Zoro was constantly being beaten by Mihawk. Not only was he always covered in wounds, but the wound he got when he was sent to this castle covered in blood was also questionable as to whether it had healed completely, yet Zoro didn't even look at his own body.

It must be for them that he wants to become so strong. Monkey D. Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates were in hiding.

Perona stared blankly at Zoro returning carrying a barrel.

"Friends, huh…"

Even Perona has people she cares about. Gecko Moria from the Seven Warriors of the Sea is one example. Well, when Thriller Bark was in chaos, I tried to leave him behind and run away, but at least I really respected him and sincerely wanted to be of help. When his obituary was published, I was so sad that I cried my eyes out, and if I found out he was still alive, I would pack my bags and go see him right away.

Perona had been with Moria ever since she was picked up at the age of eleven. But perhaps Moria isn't Perona's "friend." At least, I don't think they're the same as Roronoa Zoro's "friends".

…What are friends?

"Hey, what are you spacing out for?"

Perona came back to her senses when Zoro's voice came from above her head.

"It wasn't as heavy as it looked. Maybe it's empty."

Saying that, Zoro lowered the barrel onto the beach with a thud. It must have been drifting at sea for a long time; looking at it up close, it was quite old. The flag that had been attached to it was completely faded, and the metal fittings were covered in rust.

Perona quickly began to remove the fasteners on the lid. The Human Drills came over, excited and making "Uh-oh" and "Uh-oh-oh."

“Holohohorohoro~…”

I hope it contains cocoa.

Perona opened the barrel with hope in her heart - "Huh?" she said, grimacing in obvious disbelief.

Despite the barrel's size, it only contained three bottles of red wine.

"What a worthless thing they put in it…!"

Perona's body shook violently. "Wine's not cute at all! I would have preferred cocoa…"

Next to an indignant Perona, Zoro also frowned, "Oh, alcohol?" This man is a drinker by nature, but Mihawk had told him not to drink until he could gather his sword and spirit.

"My navigator said that wine that has been washed by the waves is special…"

Zoro muttered boredly and grabbed three bottles of wine at once.

"Wine will please Hawk-Eye. Let's go back to the castle."

As Zoro turns around and walks off with a confident stride, Perona hastily grabs him by the scruff of the neck.

"The castle isn't that way!"

"Hm.*

+ + +

Zoro's sense of direction is so extreme that it seems to be inversely proportional to his talent with the sword. After telling him that the kitchen is on the first floor, he immediately goes up the stairs, and just to get back to his room, he wanders around the castle for an hour. At first, Perona was always there to look after him whenever he wandered around, but no matter how many times she explained to him, he never learned anything, and he seemed to have plenty of energy, so she decided to just let him be.

If she walked beside him, even Zoro could find his way home. Walking side by side along the night streets, the two returned to the darkened Shikire Castle.

Tonight had been a waste of effort. She had hoped that there would be cocoa in the cup, but to no avail, it was wine!

She'd give this to him quickly and get to bed early -- just as she was about to head to Mihawk's bedroom, Perona suddenly stopped in her tracks. Zoro was walking ahead of her, and she noticed that all three wine bottles he was holding were quite dirty.

"Maybe we should taste them first. He's really picky about wine."

"Yeah, it's possible that it went bad while drifting at sea."

Zoro nodded, and the two of them went into the dining room.

Perona lined up two wine glasses on the dining table, removed the cork, and slowly poured herself some wine.

"Oh, I wish I'd had cocoa."

She grumbled, still reluctant, and took a sip.

At that moment, Perona's eyes, which were already round, became even rounder.

"What's wrong?"

Zoro asked suspiciously, but Perona couldn't reply for a while. She couldn't open her mouth now. She'd let this happiness slip away…!

The wine was unbelievably delicious. The delicate fruitiness, moderate acidity, and subtle astringency blend in with the tongue from the moment it enters the mouth. The complex aromas of blackcurrant, red currant, and cherry are sweetly numbing in the back of the nose, and the long aftertaste leaves a faint hint of white rose at the end.

Phew, Perona sighed and shouted with shining eyes.

"This wine… it's sooooooooo good!?!?"

"You're exaggerating. There's a limit to how good it can be."

Ignoring Zoro's amazement, Perona gulped down the remaining wine in her glass in one gulp and hurriedly poured herself a second glass.

"Hey, weren't you just tasting it?"

"There are three bottles, so it's okay, just a little."

"You're not supposed to drink without something to snack on."

Muttering in annoyance, Zoro left the dining room without even a glance in Perona's direction. Since he couldn't drink due to his alcohol ban, he probably didn't want to see Perona drinking wine with gusto.

"… What a boring guy."

Muttering, Perona rested her chin on the table. She let the light shine through the wine and stared at it for a while. The thick red color became slightly brighter in the light, like melted candy. She swirled the glass around and around, and a strange aroma that sounded like a mix of fruit and smoke oozed out.

Even if you're on a no-alcohol diet, you can still enjoy the color and aroma. But no, I guess there's no point if you can't drink it.

Perona rolled her eyes.

Zoro should learn this thing called Haki quickly. Then he'll be free to drink alcohol and we'll be able to drink wine together…

"Here, eat up."

Suddenly, an arm reached out from behind her and placed a plate on the table. It was a strange dish of sliced ​​melon layered with prosciutto.

"What is this?"

When Perona asked, Zoro frowned in disappointment.

"It's food. I bet you went to the trouble of making it because you didn't have any snacks."

What, you were cooking in the kitchen? I thought for sure you'd gone off somewhere.

Perona unconsciously felt relieved and shifted her gaze to the food on her plate.

"Melon and ham… I've never seen a dish like that before. What kind of taste do you have?"

"Just try it. It's just cut and put on top, so it shouldn't taste much different from what a shitty chef makes."

Really?

Skeptical, I popped a piece into my mouth, and it was surprisingly delicious. The saltiness of the ham went well with the sweetness of the melon. It was smooth to the touch because the cut of the melon was so beautiful. As expected of someone who aims to be the world's greatest swordsman, his fruit-cutting skills seem to be at expert level.

"Oh, that's right!"

Perona suddenly had an idea and said.

"Let's make sangria out of this bottle of wine!"

"What's with that all of a sudden?"

"You and that guy are both really good with swords. You can cut fruit so beautifully!"

"You know, the reason I'm honing my sword skills is to cut fruit…"

"It'll definitely be delicious! Ha, I'm looking forward to it!!"

Perona didn't listen to Zoro's rebuttal, and gulped down the wine in one gulp, letting out a happy sigh.

Taking the opportunity, she decided to turn off the lights in the room, and the moonlight filtering in through the window gently illuminated the fragile, clear glass. It was a sad and gloomy atmosphere, just the way Perona liked it.

"Holohohorohoro~…It's the best night."

Looking at the moon in the window frame, Perona smiled. Maybe it was because she was drunk, but her body had been warm for a while now. She felt light-hearted and inexplicably happy. The wine stains on the label gradually started to look like Mihawk, and she couldn't help but let out a strange chuckle, "Hehe."

Zoro began swinging his sword against the edge of the wall. There was no need for him to do it at this time of night, but it seemed to be some light training before bed. Despite that, there was an unbelievably huge, heavy weight attached to it.

It didn't feel bad to have Zoro in sight. Wine tasted even better with someone on the other side of the table. What was this strange feeling? A modest comfort, like hot milk getting just the right temperature, or new, stiff shoes fitting your feet.

"… that's weird."

She muttered to herself, but Zoro, who has ears like a pig, responded with "Huh?"

"Nothing!"

Perona roughly brushed it off and rolled onto the floor. The cool sensation felt good on her hot body.

"Hey, I'm feeling great right now."

"That's good."

"I'll sing you a curse song. So that you'll have the most terrifying dreams tonight."

"Oh, sing, sing."

With her back against the cold floor, Perona began to sing in a good mood.

A curse song filled with resentment, played with a dark and lonely melody.

Perona's mood is contagious to the ghosts. The ghosts are usually pale, but tonight they are a little red all over, and wander around the castle in a limp state. They slip through the walls, go through the floors, and end up in a room with a good view on the top floor. In other words, Mihawk's bedroom.

"You guys, don't go into other people's rooms without permission."

Mihawk, who was reading a book while leaning his arm on a chair, annoyedly shooed away the ghosts that were trying to get close to him, and sighed in exasperation.

"That ghost girl seems to be in a really good mood."

+ + +

"Ugh…"

The next morning, Perona woke up on the chaise longue in the hall.

She forced open her stubborn eyelids, and after staring blankly at the tiny dust particles dancing in the sunlight streaming in through the window, she finally slowly got up. A blanket was on top of her, but whoever it was had put it on her.

The dining table was still littered with glasses and bottles. It seemed she had fallen asleep while drinking the wine.

"But it was a really good wine…"

Remembering the taste of yesterday, Perona grinned as she tidied up the table. It was a substitute that she couldn't get anymore, so maybe she should have savored it more. But she still had two bottles left…

Huh?

Perona suddenly stopped. There were two empty bottles. It seems she had drunk two even though she had only intended to drink one. No wonder her memory was hazy.

What's more, the unopened wine bottle that should have been left was nowhere to be found.

"…Where did my wine go?"

With the weather and time being this nice, he'll probably be there. She went outside to find her destination and sure enough saw the back of a tall figure watering a field.

"Hey, you! Where did you put the last bottle of wine?!"

As she approached, yelling, Mihawk turned around with an annoyed look on his face.

"It's not your wine. It's mine."

“I found it!”

"It washed up in my castle."

“But---! I found it first!!”

"So, I'll give you and Roronoa one each. The remaining one is mine."

"Ugh…"

I'm so pissed!!

Not knowing what to say in response, Perona pursed her lips. The sun was unusually hot today, which made her even more irritated. The sunlight was a pain, but she had been in a hurry and had forgotten to put on her hat.

Mihawk placed his straw hat on Perona's head.

"It's still getting hot. Go back to the castle now."

"Shut up, don't give me orders! I don't mind the heat. I'll work in the fields too!"

Saying this in a fit of desperation, Perona went out of her way to a distant field. New seedlings were to be planted here soon, so she had to prepare the soil now.

The soil had been plowed yesterday, so it was soft and loose. Perona crouched down and picked up some pebbles mixed in with the soil.

"He stole the wine I found… I was planning to make sangria with the third bottle."

As she continued to work, muttering to herself, forgetting that she had originally intended to give all three bottles to Mihawk, the Human Drills came and squatted down next to her. They imitated Perona and helped her by skillfully picking up pebbles with their thick fingers.

"Hey, you only need to pick up stones."

Seeing that the Human Drills were even picking up leaves mixed in with the soil, Perona quickly reprimanded them.

"The leaves can be used as fertilizer. Only remove the stones. Pick up all the small pieces, because if any are left behind, they will cause stunted growth."

The Human Drills nodded.

As she was absorbed in her work, sweat started to trickle down her temples. It was hot. But it wasn't unbearable. It was fine, as long as she had a hat.

"Phew…"

Perona took a long breath and looked up at the sun.

Working outdoors on a sunny day would be a disgrace to the name of Ghost Princess. But the trouble is, it's quite fun. It's just so satisfying to see the crops grow, and it feels good to take care of them by watering them and thinning them out. And the feeling of pride when you put the vegetables you've grown with so much effort on the dinner table is amazing!

I used to like dark, damp places, but before I knew it, I was basking in the sunlight and working with the soil. This was all Mihawk's fault. He taught me experiences I wouldn't have had if I'd stayed in the dark, damp castle.

When I think about it, Mihawk and Zoro are both strange to Perona. It's not that I feel uncomfortable being with them. But they're definitely not friends, and they're definitely not companions. So what are they?

Roommates?

We live together, so I guess we are "roommates." But it seems like a vague word to describe our relationship.

…Well, whatever. Anyway, I'm in the field now.

"By the way, what kind of seedlings are we going to plant in this field?"

"…Huh?"

Perona muttered, and the human drills looked puzzled.

"So, even if I ask you guys, there's no way you'll understand. It's a sapling that he procured. It's probably an olive that goes well with wine, whatever."

Convinced, she went back to her work.

"…"

The human drills looked at each other quizzically, but Perona, who was looking down and busy preparing the soil, didn't notice.

+ + +

Mihawk prepared dinner that day.

It was a privilege for those who lived in Shikkeir Castle to see the world's greatest swordsman standing in the kitchen wearing an apron. One would never imagine this from his solitary appearance, standing with a cross sword on his back, as he stabbed a bamboo skewer into a chicken he had just taken out of the oven to check its doneness.

Today's menu was roast and sauteed chicken. It was a dish that would go perfectly with red wine. The sauteed dish was made with an abundance of vegetables freshly picked from the fields. The food at Shikkeir Castle was surprisingly organic.

Mihawk sat down at the table and ostentatiously poured the wine into glasses.

"Ugh… I hate that taste."

In the clear glass, the slightly dried red liquid shines beautifully. Just gazing at it brings back the dreamlike taste on my tongue.

As I gazed on him resentfully, Mihawk shot me an exasperated look.

"…Don't make such a pathetic face over just wine."

"What?! I didn't!"

"I did."

With that brief comment, Mihawk lightly put his mouth to the glass - "Mm," he groaned, narrowing his bird-like eyes slightly.

"This is… good wine."

"Right?"

Perona said this with some pride, and then moved her face closer to Mihawk.

"Don't you want to enjoy that delicious wine even more? You want to drink it, right? Right? So I have a suggestion. I'll make sangria out of that wine."

"No."

"Huh…"

After being flatly rejected, Perona was stunned and fell silent.

"There's no need to go to the trouble of adding things to high-quality wine."

"But! It's sweeter and cuter with fruit in it, isn't it!?"

"It's not my thing."

What!? Perona crept closer to Mihawk, but he told her "Don't get so close, you're annoying" and chased her away like a cat. Still, she didn't give up and kept trying.

"Just a little, just one glass, why don't you try making sangria? If you taste it and it's good, you might change your mind."

Mihawk replied without hesitation, but Perona ignored him and ran to the kitchen, rolled up her sleeves and grabbed a knife.

Sangria is made by soaking fruit and sugar in wine. Ideally, it should be left to sit overnight, but adding the fruit just before drinking should bring out the flavor.

Peaches, oranges, apples, lemons. She peeled each fruit and cut them into bite-sized pieces. However, despite her efforts to cut them neatly, the finished product was misshapen. It didn't have a clean, neat cut like the melon Zoro cut.

"Something's not right…"

Chop, chop, chop --

She tried cutting it into various shapes, but it just didn't work. The more she cut it, the less ideal it looked.

"Uwaah! I can't cut it properly!"

What should she do? At this rate, Mihawk will have all the remaining wine to himself.

Perona bit her lip. When she thought she might never be able to drink it again, the deliciousness of that wine seemed to come back to her tongue. The mellow aroma that wafted into her mouth the moment she put it in her mouth, the refreshing fruit flavor that lingers forever --

After all, she just couldn't give up. She wanted to drink sangria made with that wine. No matter what! "Enough with the persuasion tactics. I'll just use force!"

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

Zoro, who had just entered the kitchen, frowned suspiciously. He had apparently just finished dinner, and sunk the plate he was holding into the sink.

"What are you doing?"

He peered at Perona's hands.

"I was cutting fruit for sangria, but I can't do it right."

"Huh?"

From the pile of cut fruit on the chopping board, Zoro picked up a thinly sliced ​​apple.

"It's cut properly, isn't it?"

"But it's not like the way you cut it! The cuts need to be cleaner, smoother, and more sleek!"

"Where are you headed?"

"But that guy!"

Zoro shoved a piece of apple into his mouth.

"Hawk-Eye has already finished his dinner and gone back to his room with his wine. Anyway, weren't you saying something strange just now?"

"Oh, that's right."

Perona looked straight at Zoro with her round eyes.

"I've decided. I've decided to take the wine from Mihawk by force."

"…"

"There's no point in stopping it!"

I firmly pointed my index finger and made a strong declaration to encourage myself. As he was about to leave the kitchen with that momentum, Zoro called out, "Wait."

"What? I told you there's no point in stopping me."

"I'm going too."

Perona frowned.

"Huh? Why?"

"Even if you take on the enemy alone, you'll probably just be brushed off. You have no chance of winning."

"Oh no, why did you even come here! You're not even my friend!"

Indignant, she strode over to Zoro. At that moment, she heard a rustling sound from behind the pile of fruit peels in the sink.

She turned around to see a giant cockroach, perhaps ten centimeters in length, twitching its antennae.

"Hii…"

The blood drained from her body. Cockroaches were the thing Perona hated more than anything in the world.

No, no, no, don't come near me -- the next moment Perona tried to step back, the cockroach spread its wings and flew away.

"Nooooo!! Don't come near me!!!"

Perona instantly fell into a state of panic.

And to her surprise, the cockroach flew towards her face.

No way! If something like that lands on her face, she'll die!!

But where should she run to?

As Perona stood there in confusion, the cockroach suddenly split in half.

"Huh…"

The right and left halves of its body fell to the floor at the same time.

Not understanding what had happened, Perona's eyes widened.

…It was so fast she couldn't see it at all, but maybe that was it.

"It's true that you're not my friend."

Zoro put his sword back into its sheath and the corner of his lips turned up slightly.

"Well, we're close enough that I'll help you out if you're in trouble. For free."

+ + +

By chance, Zoro ends up joining the wine retrieval. Knowing this guy, it seems like he just wants to fight Mihawk, but he's a reliable partner nonetheless.

"However, you must be fearless to challenge Hawk-Eye by yourself."

Zoro muttered as he walked up the spiral staircase to the top floor.

"I don't want to hear that from you!"

I reflexively replied, and after a few seconds, I suddenly understood. Zoro was right, and to the naked eye it would certainly look like a reckless act. The person I was about to pick a fight with was none other than "Hawk-Eye Mihawk." Speaking of which.

When she faced off against Bartholomew Kuma, another of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, she was so intimidated that he nearly collapsed, foaming at the mouth. But when it comes to Mihawk, she is able to face him with all his might without any hesitation. I wonder why, when we see each other every day, I forget that he is one of the Seven Warlords.

"He's inside."

Arriving at the door to Mihawk's bedroom, Zoro glared at Perona.

"I'm going to challenge him to a one-on-one duel. Don't get in the way."

So you just wanted to get in a fight with Hawk-Eye, didn't you?

"You don't have to tell me, I'm not interested in your fight. All I'm interested in is wine!"

The strategy meeting was over. The only strategy was a frontal assault. Zoro turned towards the bedroom and swung one leg back.

Bang!

When he kicked the door open, Mihawk was sitting in an armchair in the center of the room. It was as if he had been sitting there waiting for the two of them to arrive - Zoro and Perona were both talking in the hallway in ridiculously loud voices, so it seemed like everything was going through the roof.

A small sword, different from the cross sword he usually carries, is propped up next to Mihawk. And on the desk behind him, the same wine is placed proudly. It seems he is being told to take it if he can.

"You've lost your mind."

Mihawk chuckled softly and stood up.

"It's not like you were overconfident in your own strength and came to take my head."

"I told you I'm not stupid enough to think I could defeat you."

"So what are we trying to discuss?"

"It's already decided."

Zoro sank down slightly.

"I've been practicing a lot!"

With a big leap, he attacked Mihawk head on. Mihawk pulled the sword in his hand closer and, without even drawing it from its sheath, lightly blocked the blade with the guard. By the time the sparks had died down, Zoro had already drawn his second sword. Mihawk finally drew his sheath after deflecting the swords swung down from both sides with the guard.

"Don't break the furniture."

"I can't guarantee that!"

With a short shout, Zoro charged forward, fuelled by his spirit. While Zoro was already looking desperate, Mihawk looked calm and somewhat amused.

A fierce sword fight began, with such force that it seemed as if the whole room would be torn to pieces.

“Horohohorohoro…”

Perona could only chuckle to herself as she watched the two of them fight.

"That Hawk-Eye guy, you've got him completely distracted…"

She got on all fours to hide her presence and moved along the wall towards the wine. She would never normally crawl on the ground, but if it meant outwitting Mihawk then anything was fine.

She was almost to the table where the wine was placed.

Five meters, four meters, three meters away - when she got within two meters, a small knife suddenly came flying towards her.

"Ahhh!"

Perona jumped up with a scream. The knife had pierced the hem of her dress and was stuck in the floor just above her knee. She turned towards the two of them in shock, and saw Mihawk shooting her a triumphant look as he blocked Zoro's sword strike.

"You! You noticed me, didn't you!?"

"Of course."

The knife was stuck in pretty deep, and it didn't budge even when Perona pulled on it. She couldn't move like this, but she absolutely didn't want to tear her dress.

"Damn… I can't get it out!!"

While Perona jumps to her feet, Zoro is engaged in a fierce battle with Mihawk.

The sword's sharp point sank deep into Mihawk's solid defense, and shot into it at once. But Mihawk didn't lose his balance, and swung his sword around to block both of Zoro's swords at the same time. He pushed back with such force that Zoro was unable to withstand the blow and was sent flying backwards.

Mihawk let out a small sigh. Zoro hadn't seen that moment of carelessness, but Perona was different.

"Take that! Negative Hollow!"

The released ghosts head towards Mihawk, laughing hollowly, "Horororo…"

“You missed me, Hawkeye! You should regret being born and get down on your knees!”

Perona's cockiness was short-lived.

Zoro, who had been thrown back, regained his balance faster than expected and dove into Mihawk's arms, cutting into the path of the ghost.

"Ah…"

By the time he frantically tried to stop the ghost, it was too late. The Negative Hollow that Perona had unleashed passed smoothly through Zoro's torso.

"Ugh…"

Zoro fell to his knees in disappointment.

"I'm sorry for walking on the same earth as all of you…!"

He apologised as best he could, then rubbed his forehead against the floor and hung his head. His hips naturally rose higher, and the tip of the sheath hanging from his waist shot up and hit a lamp that was placed against the wall. The lamp lost its balance and crashed into a nearby bookshelf, causing the pile of books to fall onto the desk with a clatter, and the vibration caused a wine bottle to tip over and roll away――

Crash!!

"Ah"

The last bottle of wine that remained hit the floor and was shattered into pieces.

+ + +

Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise, but the wine bottle broke in half from the body. Thanks to that, some wine remained at the bottom of the bottle. It was less than half a glass, but the three immediately stopped fighting and carefully carried the little remaining wine to the dining room.

and--

"Roronoa, pour it more quietly. If you stir it up, the scent will escape."

"Shut up. If you have a problem with that, you pour it yourself, Hawk-Eye!"

"Hey, there's less wine in my glass! About a millimeter."

The three of them were swearing at each other, but they struggled to rescue the remaining wine.

Zoro carefully tilts the broken bottle and pours the wine into two shot glasses. Perona watches him closely. Mihawk cuts up some of the fruit Perona had left cut up into pieces that would fit into the shot glasses. He puts this in just one of the glasses to make instant sangria.

"…This is it. This is really, really the last glass."

Perona said with a deep feeling, picking up the glass containing the sangria.

"Ah…I wanted to drink more."

"That's what I was supposed to say."

Mihawk glared at Perona with a bitter expression and picked up a glass of red wine. "You should join in the toast," urged Zoro, and he poured himself some carbonated water.

Perona gently let the light shine through the sangria in her hand. Perfectly cut square pieces of fruit sunk to the bottom of the beautiful red wine. As she shook the glass, the fruits Mihawk had cut began to dance round and round. There was no way she could cut fruit so small and neatly.

To Perona, Mihawk and Zoro were just roommates. They were definitely not friends. Definitely not. But they were not strangers either. They helped each other out when they were in trouble, they shared the same wine like this, and they worked in the fields together - that's how close they were. Probably.

"Cheers!"

Red wine, sangria, and carbonated water.

The glasses filled with each drink were clinked together in the middle of the table.

+ + +

The residents of Shikkeir Castle had shamelessly rescued the little bit of wine that remained - but a figure was secretly watching them from outside the window. It was a Human Drill.

"Wow…"

After making sure the three had finished toasting, the Humandrill quietly turned around and returned to the depths of the forest where his companions were waiting. They would sometimes come here to secretly observe how Perona and the others were doing.

"Uhh, uhhh (Perona called out over the last of the wine and invited Zoro to challenge Mihawk to a fight. Mihawk's room was a mess, but the three of them seemed to have made amends.)"

Hearing the report from the Human Drill who had gone out on a reconnaissance mission, Boss Drill raised one eyebrow.

"Uhhh, uhhhh? (Did Perona really like wine that much?)"

"Uh, uh, uh, uh, uh (Her favorite food is cocoa. But she can't get cocoa here, so she must have been craving a tasty drink.)"

When another Human Drill speculated, the Boss Drill's expression became even more puzzled.

"Uh, uh, uh, uh… (But if she waits a few more months, she'll be able to drink her favorite cocoa. Mihawk is planning to plant 'Cocoa Cacao' seedlings in the field.)"

"Uh, uh, uh, uh, uh (But it seems that Perona hasn't been told that the seedlings are 'Cocoa Cacao'.)"

"Uh? Uh, uh, uh, uh? (What? Why didn't Mihawk say it? Did he go out of his way to get it just for Perona?)"

The Boss Drill looked at her strangely, and the Human Drill tilted its head in confusion.

"Uh, uh… (Well… he's a quiet man.)"

[yuri-is-online]

hi, i'm not the same anon but i would like to hear more about the fyuuture kid au 👉👈 especially about riddle!!

hello new friend, you picked someone who is having a real bad time in this au (ﾟωﾟ；)

I am going to give some general information about Yutu and then move on to some Riddle specific stuff.

notes: they/them used for Yuu, general au explanation can be found here, and the posts can be found on my masterlist under the series section.

General Yutu Facts

"Yutu" is supposed to be a fake name fyuuture kid is using to help hide his identity, but I am open to suggestions on that. Originally he didn't remember his name and Crowley picked it out for him, but I like the idea of "Yuu two" being a nickname he had in both your world and Twisted Wonderland and picked as his alias to honor his parent. Yutu really admires Yuu, he has nothing but empathy for your situation and respect for your strength, and while he certainly fought with you from time to time (some Yutus more than others) he wants to be like you.

That desire was very much cemented when he heard about how you won against the overblot phantoms. Yutu's unique magic changes depending on who his dad is, but all Yutus have extensive experience in combat magic and have fought a lot of monsters. Including overblot phantoms, same as you. His fights didn't go as well though... he's extremely afraid of the Great Seven's phantoms and has regular nightmares about them.

Back to the names... I didn't have names picked out for every version of Yutu, but Riddle does happen to have been one of them. His real name was supposed to be March, yes like the march hare but if I'm honest I was more thinking about the saying "in like a lion out a lamb" because I thought that described Riddle's temper pretty well.

The other ones I picked out I still like are Merrin (I swear I found it on a list of mountain themed names??? But it means sea born or pearl of the sea), Laurie (yes like little women, his unique magic was supposed to something to do with painting), and Roland (I have an unironic love for French peerage ok please do not judge me).

Some of the Yutus were meant to have older siblings who stayed behind in Twisted Wonderland (Riddle! Yutu wasn't one of them), but that was very much an idea I didn't develop extensively since it was more left over from Fire Emblem Awakening. I wanted there to be a Lucina type older sibling character who was very protective of Yutu and wanting a future where he gets to stay in Twisted Wonderland and they get to be a happy family. But again I didn't cook this idea extensively so idk how to feel about keeping it as a part of the ayuu.

Anyway on to the Riddle specific stuff ¬‿¬

So that bit about Yutu's real name coming from a description from Riddle's temper: I like to leave what Yutu looks like up to the reader, but Riddle! Yutu if nothing else took two things from his father, his (lack of) height and his temper. His facial expressions when pouting and angry are eerily similar, and they both have a strong affinity for fire. Riddle! Yutu is a lot like Riddle Tsum now that I think about it? Very high energy and likes to jump around all over the place, but determined to be at least somewhat dignified.

Since traveling back in time Yutu has been "studying" with Grim to try and get his flames hot enough to burn blue to flex on his dad and to bond with the monster. He usually just ends up watching him though, the mental image he had of Grim vs what the little guy is actually like is really wild.

Back to the temper, unlike Riddle Yutu wasn't home schooled so he got into a lot of trouble for losing it on other students. He had a chip on his shoulder about not having a dad, having a parent with amnesia, and especially about being short oh god he is so spiteful about that. He got sent to detention a lot, and shamefully it made him fight with Yuu a lot too. Not that he hates Yuu, he was just very emotional and not always the easiest to deal with. His last few interactions with Yuu before they died were very strained, and he is filled with remorse for a bunch of stupid things he said.

When he gets to the point where he has to admit to Yuu who he is there is going to be a lot of crying and begging for forgiveness. He was a stupid, angry kid who just wanted to know who he was and didn't feel like he belonged lashing out at the one person who he knew wanting nothing but the best for him. He doesn't really feel the need to ask for forgiveness from his dad (yet)... by the time Yutu was isekaid into Twisted Wonderland Riddle had been corrupted by his overblot phantom and was wrecking the Queendom of Roses so he never really met the real Riddle until he traveled back in time.

He also got compared to Riddle a lot, Yutu isn't stupid by any means but because of all that time spent in detention he is a bit behind on the fundamentals. Not to mention all Riddle has done up to this point is practice magic and Yutu only just found out it was real so of course there was going to be a skill gap! But still, he's Riddle's son and Riddle was a very memorable student for Crewel, so Yutu was guaranteed to hear some comparisons. It didn't help the daddy issues though...

Speaking of Yutu's time at NRC, he did get placed into Heartslabyul by the Dark Mirror and he does know all 810 rules of the Queen's rules. He's not as obsessed with them as Riddle is but he still knows what he's supposed to do and tries to be on his best behavior. He was not interested in being dorm leader and wanted to instead focus on the things Yuu always encouraged him to do, like controlling his temper and getting good grades.

I sort of like the idea of his unique magic being the ability to grow/shrink because in the book Rule 42 of the Queen of Hearts says “All persons more than a mile high to leave the court" and I like the idea of him trying to use his spell to get out of arguments with his dad.

Riddle has no idea that Yutu hates him... at first. This is partially because Yutu is usually very polite to him and partially because he is utterly unaware of how much people are afraid of him in general, but he starts to pick up on it when he tries to interact with Yuu. He wants to have a private tea party with just Yuu? Well Yutu immediately starts acting like this is somehow scandalous and calls him out on his feelings in front of the prefect and he wants to lose it so badly- Yuu agrees anyway and Riddle immediately gets unreasonably smug while Yutu pouts. Take that sucker! He's going to study with the prefect all alone and since it's Riddle you know you really are just going to study.

I don't think Riddle really considers Yutu a rival for Yuu's romantic attention, partially because he isn't fully aware of what it is he feels for Yuu, but even if he was. Riddle knows that Yuu sees Yutu as someone under their care similar to Grim, they actually talk to him about it quite a bit and he has no issue with that. He is actually sort of grateful for Yutu's existence since it has given him an excuse to talk to Yuu more and let them know how he respects them.

Yutu's academic struggles are something that actually bring him closer to Riddle ironically enough. Riddle has created study guides for Yuu and Grim before, he has no problem doing that for Yutu and inviting himself over to give instructions.

"Did you not get a lot of help from your parents?" Riddle sounds nervous, and he should it's an invasive question to ask. Yutu wants to be angry, but when he looks at Riddle, he just feels sad. "Not that it is any of my business really but well. I just noticed you never really talk about them, even to Yuu."

"My dad wasn't really around." He forces himself to look at Riddle when he says it, but it doesn't make him feel any better. If anything it makes Yutu feel worse, he knows about as much about Riddle as Riddle knows about him now that he's forced to look at him. "And my other parent... they tried really hard. But I wasn't always willing to accept it."

"I can't say I understand what that would be like." Riddle looks like he is trying to and that should be what he wants, right? "My mother home schooled me so it's hard for me to understand that someone's parents wouldn't be a constant figure in their schooling."

"You were home schooled?"

Yutu didn't know anything about his grandmother, it didn't even really occur to him that he had one and once he learns about her... well it certainly makes things make a lot more sense. He doesn't want to meet her, but he is curious about what she thought about his parent. What would she think about him? Does he even want to know?

My last concrete thought is that Yutu doesn't really get the whole horse girl thing. He is sort of afraid of horses actually, but I can see him maybe wanting to ride with Riddle once their relationship gets a bit better just to do something with him.

I like the idea of Riddle! Yutu being very into baseball for some reason and there's no way he's going to convince his dad to do that with him ha. Well not in this timeline anyway, I can see good timeline Riddle doing a bunch of research on baseball so he can talk to his kid about it. And showing up to all his matches to scream in support of his kid instead of at the coaches. He is breaking the cycle we love to see it.

[brookstolemybrand]

Saw this post and I don't really want to respond to it directly because 1) it's old, 2) it's clearly meant to be funny and not taken overly seriously (and I don't have any actual beef with it to be absolutely clear)

But it did get me thinking

Like firstly yeah it makes sense that Sabo would be the real hoodlum and Ace the more respectable one at heart, just because Ace was never even given a chance to be a Good Kid while Sabo actively chose not to be one

We have no way of knowing what Ace would have been like if he'd been (for example) allowed to grow up peacefully with his biological mum without being persecuted for his biological dad's crimes. He was given no choice except to become a delinquent, that was the only option available to him

Sabo had every chance in the world to grow up to be a respectable and polite gentleman, he was given all the education and training and a status that was apparently high enough to even rise all the way up to royalty (as proven by Sterry), but he didn't want it so he said fuck that and actively chose to become a Bad Kid

So yeah, it makes sense Sabo is the more rebellious one, the one who has less respect for authority, because unlike for Ace, for him this was all a choice

Under different circumstances, maybe Ace would even have become a marine like Garp wanted, who knows. Sabo was never going become a respectable gentleman, much less a king

That said, it's worth noting that it's not like Sabo was doing well at home. He was unloved, he struggled fitting the mould he was expected to fit, he felt trapped. He was driven to lash out just like Ace was, just in a different way. In Sabo's case it was about him not fitting into society because of who he was. Ace wasn't allowed to even try to fit in, because of who his dad was

I don't actually think either of them is the more "responsible" one, though. Because they're both responsible in different ways, they just have different priorities:

Like that post I reblogged earlier talks about Dragon sacrificing his personal relationships for the cause, that's kinda what I think Sabo is doing too, at least to some extent

Here's my take:

Ace is the more responsible one when it comes to interpersonal relationships, but Sabo feels a responsibility for the whole world

I mean he IS still reckless about it but well, so was Ace about his own responsibilities

I get it though, this is more about making the point that Ace is not the rude miscreant of the two and Sabo isn't the polite and peaceful one, Ace just looks like a hoodlum (... which he is, to be fair, he's a pirate) and Sabo like a gentleman (which he also kinda is but only due to an accident of birth) but that doesn't indicate anything about their personalities

Ace is the polite one, and Sabo is the rude one. Ace is friendly and caring despite appearances, and Sabo is kind of vicious and ruthless despite his gentle demeanour. And Ace might be a pirate but when we meet him he's trying to maintain stability and order (among pirates, but still), while Sabo might be a nobleman but when we meet him, he's actively trying to start a revolution to overthrow the government

And Ace is the one who stepped up to take care of Luffy and to look after him, while Sabo fucked off to the sea and joined a rebel militia

I just don't think "responsibility" is the right term for the distinction, I guess? Because as I said, I think Sabo is actually still motivated by a sense of responsibility. I mean that was also why he decided to leave Luffy and Ace in the first place, thinking that him being friends with them was putting them in danger, but I also think he was feeling a more general sense of responsibility as a member of the upper class who caused all this suffering in the first place

I actually wonder if it's a thing with both Sabo and Dragon because one was born a noble and the other is a former marine (and son of a navy hero), that they feel like they have to commit to the cause to make up for their origins?

And Sabo cares about this even to the point where he's willing to sacrifice his own dream of freedom to fight for the freedom of others. This wasn't what he wanted after all: he wanted to be a pirate, just like Luffy and Ace, and he could have chosen to follow that dream when he regained his memories but he didn't, because he decided that the revolution was more important

[allmightskitten]

From the Abandoned WIP Graveyard:

"nutritious and good for your bones" a.k.a the Shuggy Omegaverse AU

tags: post-Marineford, this segment is SFW, alpha shanks/omega buggy

☆

If Shanks was to believe what everyone on his crew kept telling him, Buggy actually wanted him here.

It was approaching their fifth day sailing side by side since their chance encounter on these seas. The navigators of both crews had advised on the same exact path and pace– despite Buggy's relentless efforts to convince his own navigator otherwise– which had lead to some helpful collaboration during the spotty storms that hit them. The storms came and went at random, sometimes twice a day, but everyone was growing used to it, following what was by now a true and tested procedure to handle one as soon as it hit.

When it wasn't stormy, the seas were deceptively calm.

These periods provided the best excuse for good alcohol-fueled parties and feasts, an irresistible draw for any pirate. Having two crews present meant even more food and booze, so no matter how feared the Red-Haired pirates were, Buggy's crew didn't hesitate to accept their invitations.

These periods also provided the best excuse for Shanks to go seeking his oldest friend.

It started with business, because he knew how cagey the clown could be, and when Shanks started to run out of captain-to-captain discussions he could frame as 'business', he grasped at every chance he got. Buggy sometimes let his guard down and laughed at things he said or got along with him too well until he noticed and went cold again. Unlike Shanks, Buggy didn't exactly act like he was thrilled to be in this situation.

"No, no," Beck grumbled at Shanks's half-hearted offer to help repair some damages sustained to the mast from the last storm. "I know you're itching to go see him. Get out of here."

Shanks scratched the back of his head, having the good grace to feel sheepish.

"It wouldn't be right if I didn't help around the ship..."

Beck stopped what he doing to turn around and look at him dryly, with no appreciation or amusement.

"I think you would be doing both our crews a huge favour if you just slept with him already. The pheromones from both of you are absolutely insufferable to those of us who can detect them, so. You can help by..." He made a vague gesture with his free hand. "...sorting out whatever the hell it is you've got going on with Buggy."

Shanks was briefly dumbfounded, before his shock turned to embarrassment and he sputtered.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. Buggy doesn't even want me here."

Beck raised an eyebrow so high up it touched his hairline.

"Oh, he wants you here, alright. You probably can't smell it because that's what he always smells like around you. Do us all a solid and fuck that clown, will you?"

Shanks choked on his spit, indignant, but before he could start an argument, his first mate left his post and headed with a bunch of planks in the direction of some other repair works, leaving Shanks uselessly staring after him.

Beck was not even the first person to tell him that these past few days.

The original plan had anyway been to go looking for Buggy, this time with a peace offering of some good sake he'd coveted in his cabin for a while, so that was what he did following this interaction. Beck's words echoed in his head.

Could he really not detect what everyone else was apparently catching in Buggy's scent?

☆

A/N; I apologise profusely for abandoning this one, but if it makes things better it was just gonna be pure filthy smut (the title is a reference to the, um, lactation kink that's supposed to happen–) with no other substance, so!

[naushtheaspiringauthor]

hi! i saw your autumn writing event post and maybe you can do a nikolai lantsov x grisha!f!reader (preferably a tidemaker) using the prompt of "The Great War"? thank you ^^

War Of Hearts- Nikolai Lantsov x Reader

A/N- Hi anon! Tysm for this request I had a lot of fun writing it! So I hope you enjoy reading it.

Warnings- None

Summary- You were by Nikolai's side through all of his battles. You helped him endure all kinds of hardships. Yet, you never found yourself to be worthy of him. Until you were proven wrong

You'd met Nikolai during the hunt for the Sea Whip. You were originally with the Darkling's crew, but not upon your will. So you betrayed him, and helped Alina and Mal to escape along with Sturmhond's crew. And that might've been one of the best decision you ever made.

You were quite startled to find out that Sturmhond was actually the second born prince of Ravka, Nikolai Lantsov. But your reaction wasn't as extreme as Alina, who decided to immediately punch him in the face. 

At first, you didn't pay much mind to the prince as he was too deep indulged elsewhere and you were just happy to be back with your friends at the Little Palace. But soon you found yourself getting attached to the him as you spent more of your time with him. But you dismissed any unnecessary feelings from entering your heart, because you knew he was meant to be with the Sun Summoner or someone who was as high status as him, and not just another Grisha soldier. Yet still you found yourself to be the one who was mostly affected when he'd been plagued with Merzost. And you've been by his side when its effects wore off and he became him ,again.

When the civil war ended, Alina left to live the life she always wished for, and made you a member of the triumvirate to represent the Etherealki. You wondered if the prince even remembered you after all this time, but it turned out that he did more than just keep your memories alive. 

You were the person he trusted to share his secret with, and help him through it all. And so you did, every night you went to the Grand Palace, to his chambers and binded him in chains so as to not let the demon within him come out. No matter how much it shattered your hear, you did it every night with a fearless look. 

You accompanied him during the trip to find the thorn wood and perform the Obisbaya to rid himself of his demon, even though it didn't work out in the end. You fought by his side when the Fjerdans unleashed their army of parem-drugged Grisha.

Yet even after all, you didn't find yourself to be worthy of him. He was the King of Ravka, the saviour of the people, their protector and you, you didn't even know who you were anymore. He deserved to marry a princess or some respected noble's daughter. And yet still, you would stand by his side and be happy for him and you would protect him with your lie, yet still. 

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

You were sitting by yourself under one of the verandas of the grand palace, as it was raining steadily. You always enjoyed the calmness and peace the rain brought along. You reached out your hand to let raindrops fall on your palm, and then used your small science to freeze them. You slowly mended the raindrops to form various figures. You were entirely grateful for every moment of peace you attained after fighting in countless battles and wars. 

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

Nikolai was passing by the verandas when he saw you sitting by yourself. He silent crept to a corner of a walk and leaned on to it as he watched you with great interest. He was delighted to see the rare sight of you without your armour of bravery. He was delighted to see you being, you.

He reminisced of all the memories he had with you, all the days and nights you were by his side. Truth was, that no one has been by his side as you had. You had held his hand when others didn't even notice how hurt he was. You'd saved him on countless occasions, even when his demon had almost succeeded in hurting you. 

He knew he was required to be with someone who was of high status, a princess, a nobel's daughter, but he could never stop his gaze from falling towards only one person that being you. He'd done so much for this country, sacrificed so many things, so couldn't he for once get what he wished for? 

So he finally decided to approach you

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

You were too deeply indulged in your thoughts to notice Nikolai coming from behind. 

"Enjoying the rain? " You turned around in a haste to see him leaning against a wall. 

"Yeah, and the quiet environment" you responded as he sat beside you

"Peace, quite, difficult to come by these days" he sighed

"Yeah". You both remained silent for a moment and looked at the endearing scene in front of you before he spoke again

"Y/n?"

"Yes?" you raised an eyebrow

"Thank you, for everything. For being with me through it all" his gaze turned towards you

"Of course, Nikolai. Besides, there should be someone to stop you from doing the most idiotic things in the face of earth" You grinned. 

"I- well that is true. But you do enjoy my company, don't you" he raised both his eyebrows and tilted his side to a side

"Maybe" you shrugged playfully

He placed a hand on his chest to and gave you a fake hurt look. "I expected more" he frowned

" What, you want me tell you how much you mean to me and how you've been my light, my hope in the darkness" you responded, dragging the syllables in a mocking tone

"Yeah, actually, you have" His gaze grew softer as he looked deep in your eyes, making you look at him with confused expression

"You've truly been with me through all of my battles, y/n. You've helped me in ways no one else ever had,. You have healed me in ways, that no one else ever had. And even if you won't think of me in the way I do, I can never think of being with anyone but you, y/n. I can never need anyone as much as I need you" He held up your hand in his. 

His words made all of your worries fade away. You'd never expected him to say anything like this, and even when he did, you wondered if your ears had deceived you. 

You placed your other hand on top of his and smiled softly as your gaze met his. "I would do it all again for you, Nikolai.  You've no idea of the ways you have helped me. I would fight countless battles and wars, just to see you smile once again. And even though you're not mine, I would still do everything in my power and more to see you happy"

"Oh but I don't wish to be with any other but you, my love. I only want you" he slowly raised his hand and cupped a side of your face.

You no longer restrained yourself, and closed the distance between you and pressed your lips on his, but slowly pulled away from him hesitantly. You both looked at each other for a moment, before his lips crashed on yours. His lips had the kind of warmth that you never had felt before. It was the moment you'd always yearned for, but never thought it would every be true. And you wished for nothing more but just for this moment to last forever. 

You slowly pulled away from him and pressed your forehead on his. In that moment, you really won the greatest battle of your life. 

[fatherbearfreddy]

Shine nods to the camera, set to Bonnie's height, with Perramores help as she can'treach that high in her wheelchair. "OK big guy, I know it's awkward, but just talk to the camera like it's him. We can give it to him directly and for him, it'll feel like he was there. I'm going to leave now. Just hit that button when you're done. It's late enough that no one else will disturb you." She waves goodbye. "I had a good time, and I think we all liked your presents. Love you, glamdad."

Freddy waves goodbye and presses the on button. Four seconds later it begins to record.

"Hello Bonnie, I got your presents." Freddy imitated an inhale and his eyes glanced away with a smile. "The recordings are always strange to see, to hear my voice and see through my eyes, when I cannot remember them. But that was me. And I would have said I Do even now."

He touched the ring on his ear, for now he could remember what it really meant. His wedding ring. "I saw the day the glitter spilled all over the floor from the second floor balcony and we all played in it before anyone could make us stop." Freddy closed his eyes and kicked one of the rubber balls near his feet. "I have trouble saying things in a fancy way, I'm not like you are. But I thought you looked handsome, sparkling in the neon lights. They had to pretend this was on purpose, and the children came running to play. But before that, seeing you sitting there, dumping glitter over your ears was...special. Your eyes were beautiful."

Freddy smiled and imagined it really was Bonnie standing there.

"I know it's been a long year, even if we cannot remember much of it. I have learned so many things with you, and made so many new friends."

Freddy stepped closer to the camera and pretended to breathe in again. Games of pretend made things better. That was what Bonnie told him. Bonnie loved pretend. And poems. And dramatic speeches.

"We got married, and even if we can't remember that, I want to stay married. You told me we can live forever if we try. And that the world is going to open up to us one day."

"...you wrote a poem for us, about one day having a home by the sea, where we could watch sunsets every night."

"I saved my- our first sunset, on the bus together, for our performance outside the pizzaplex. You were there in my head, and you can be there through my eyes. The important part was seeing the world. Now you can see it through me."

"Our plans have changed a bit, now that we have this beautiful young boy in our lives. But I know you will be just as good a father as I try to be. And if you are not, we can learn together. He loves bunnies, I have no doubt he loves you as well."

Freddy's ears perked up. "You said you would never stop loving me. And I agreed. But did you know how true that was?"

He reached towards the camera, pretending it was where he was, and Bonnie just didn't look down. "You worried about us forgetting too much, and you worried we would never get a chance to truly be in love."

"But...as I said once, many versions of us ago..."

Freddy looked into what could be Bonnie's eyes. "I will gladly fall for you over and over again, forever and ever."

"I will happily let every kiss be our first. I will tell you I do until the walls of the Pizza Plex crumble. We can dance our first dance as many times as it takes. I will listen to your first original song until it is the most listened song in the world."

His voice was emotional. Positive, negative, he wasn't sure which it was anymore talking to Bonnie, but not the real Bonnie.

"I love you Bonnie. I love you, and we can dance this eternal first love, first date, first confession until the sun can no longer rise if you'll have me. I know I have trouble stepping up, and asking you out instead, but I can try."

Freddy smiled. "I know you prefer our nonhuman ways of affection, but the mistletoe is a tradition. It is right there." Freddy leaned in and pressed his nose against an outcropping on the camera. Squeak.

"Now we can do what you wanted to do."

"I love you Bonnie. Let us play together forever. Because forever is how long I will love you. No matter how many time they burn our memories away."

"Merry Christmas, Bun."

The camera saved the recording. Click.

"...Bear misses you so much."

[originemesis]

@chasingrainbcws xxx

This is... amazing ! She's only ever flown with her Father, and while it's a terrible sin to be envious, she's always wanted wings. Heaven's Gate had always seemed so far away, so high out of reach, like a moon hung in the sky. Her Father ( albeit unable to for other reasons entirely ) could simply take a flying leap from anywhere in this ring and float himself up... but he had been born there. Charlie had been born here, a child of brimstone and cinders. She didn't belong up there among the beloved and the beautiful --- --- wait... beautiful ? Carmine irises draw wide, blinking behind the embedded pearls of her mask as their weightless waltz takes a downward dip. She's uncertain if her expression paints a portrait of flushed, demure confusion or record-scratching shock and disbelief, as one who'd just watched a mouse detach its jaw like a serpent and devour a cat in one gulp. His palm feels... warm against the apple of her cheek; funny. She'd thought he'd be more hesitant now to touch apples. Why is he looking at her like that ? It's impossible to tell through his mask but... he almost looks... happy ? No --- that's not possible, is it ? And the hushed drop in his voice was sweet like honey. Was... was he mocking her ? He couldn't possibly be flirting with her. She's only ever seen Adam flirt in filthy innuendos and vulgar gestures. Was that a compliment ? Fit right in ? Her ? Had he just ---

❝ ... ? I --- wait... did --- you just... call me... beautiful ? I --- Do you have vertigo or something ?? ❞

"I mean ~ your words, babe."

He tuts in response to her confusion, though not without taking taking note of the litmus test that is the heat blossoming in the cheek he's clasped. There wasn't any point in his approach that he'd done more than insinuate what she'd meant could possibly be about her, but it's amusing to see that self centered pride from both sides of her origins flutter up as transfixed as a moth to multitudes of lights they graze by with the firm steering of his hand- an intermittent wing beat fluttering the ends of her dress as they drift along.

Being the center of attention is not exactly a difficult task in his case (usually he's just loud as shit, and that works) so relying on her as his prop is a bit tricky. But there's no way folks below don't notice the lattice patterns of light particles flashing around them from above, so he enjoys the process of projecting them a tad longer as he gets her acquainted with the expensive sea of colorful bulbs screwed into the ceiling. The more attention on their display- particularly from her back of a father, the better! The heat of them match the curve of her cheek in his palm, but he pretends not to notice as their flighty dance takes a moment of descent to cool down.

His voice mimicking the direction of their free floating fall, he croons low and close as dance partners get. "Think what you want ~ but angels don't tell lies." Waiting a moment for the static in his mask to build up enough to tingle her lips at this distance, he gives the curve of her back an encouraging caress as the current song's finale sends them slowly but carefully careening back to the dance floor.

"Tell me I'm wrong?"

[aheckinmess]

Cuddling 101: The Intricacies of Intimacy [Enji] (Angst)

[One-Shot 15/? in a collection of My Hero Academia one-shots posted regularly on Saturdays - and sometimes Sundays.)

Read on AO3.

Tags: Enji x OC, Endeavor x OC, Enji Todoroki, Endeavor, Angst with a Happy Ending, Original Female Character(s), Ichijiku Aoki, Ice Quirk, Teaching Fire Boy to Cuddle, Married for a Few Months, OC is an Emotional Bean, Enji is a Softie, And Nobody Can Convince Me Otherwise, And They've TRIED

Word Count: 1,963 words

Summary: Only a few months into their marriage, Ichijiku and Enji still have to learn to navigate each others’ unique love language. It results in a conversation about the worries each of them have.

Author's Note: In this prompt, Ichijiku has an ice quirk for the sake of this prompt.

Ichijiku (Tigress)

Morning light filters through a crack in the blackout curtains, nudging my eyelids open and reminding me of a beautiful sight: Enji Todoroki in bed beside me. When Enji's in bed, the worries of the day no longer crease his forehead or draw a scowl on his face. He is Enji...my Enji most fully in the morning.

For these scarce moments in time - in which I wake up before him - I allow myself a rare treat and carefully squirm against his chest, pulling his arm around my back. Cuddles do not come naturally to Enji as emotions disturb him about as much as a high-class villain. 

I'm sure if I asked him he'd say emotions are villains.

Still, on lazy mornings such as this, I tuck myself into his cozy presence and pretend he’s cuddling on purpose. It certainly helps that his fingers rub over my back, tracing soft patterns into my skin. An added bonus? The way his fingers gently tug through my hair.

Wait.

I carefully open my eyes to find the sea and sky looking back at me.

"Good morning," He greets, kissing my forehead before he clambers out of bed. 

And the tender moment flutters through my fingers like smoke. I even sit up and stretch my hand out, grasping for it, grasping for him. When the bathroom door closes, I figure I'll see if I can rope him into a morning cuddle when he gets out.

In the meantime, I fix the sheets up a bit so it'll look neat. I fix my pajamas and ruffle my hair a bit in the hopes that making it look messy will entice him to me. By the time the bathroom door opens again, I'm laying on my elbows with a pair of kitten eyes and reaching out to him.

"Come back?" I chirp softly.

"What do you need, Frosty Queen?" He chuckles, padding over to the bed and sitting at the edge.

I scoot up and hug his arm, leaning into his warmth and soaking it up like a plant photosynthesizing from the sun. It lasts for a few seconds before he nudges me with his arm.

"You needed something?" He repeats, confused.

"Yeah. Cuddles." I look up at him, resting my chin on his arm. "Just for a little bit?" 

Silence permeates the room and he looks at the doorway.

"Can we eat breakfast first?" He asks just as a rumble sounds from his stomach. "I've never been great at the whole cuddling thing...and I'm hungry."

"Oh, um, yeah, sorry. I can make you some food." I quickly retreat, hopping out of bed and looking at my feet as I make my way down the hall. 

"Hey," Enji catches my hand before I get too far and spins me against his front. He presses his lips to my forehead and then his eyes meet mine. "That wasn't meant as a denial. I really will try out the whole...cuddling thing." He doesn't sound happy about it, but I'm glad he clarifies that he's willing to try. "I just don't want to be hungry and end up ruining it. I know it's important to you."

"Physical touch is my love language." I explain.

"So you’ve said before," Enji yawns as he spontaneously carries me to the kitchen. I've always been self-conscious about my weight, but his strong muscles holding me up acts as a balm for this particular insecurity. "But we're intimate regularly. I often sit by you and give you kisses throughout the day. Doesn't that satisfy your need for physical touch?"

"It does." I admit, closing my eyes and leaning against him until he sets me down onto the cool tile. "But I have different types of physical touch I want to have met. And sometimes, different touches can mean different things."

"Like what?" 

I file through the cabinets for breakfast ingredients as I contemplate how to explain. The fact that he ranks my emotional needs high enough to try something out of his comfort zone makes my heart grow fonder of him.

"It's like...cuddles are a different level of intimacy. Sex makes me feel loved, vulnerable, and physically attractive. Kisses make me feel protected and valued. But cuddles make me feel like I'm worth the effort." I shrug, humming as I work my way around the stove.

Enji quiets for a few moments with a hum, before his hands skirt around my waist from behind. The weight of his head on my shoulder relaxes me.

"What about this?" He asks.

"This feels similar to cuddles." I smile. "It makes me feel like you think I'm your one and only."

"You are my one and only. Don't you know that?" 

Several quiet minutes go by. I flip the fish in the frying pan and stir the soup. I glance at the rice cooker to find only a few minutes left. 

"Breakfast shouldn’t take too much longer."

"Ichan," He turns me around and puts a hand under my chin. It’s not often those cold, blue eyes look so soft and warm. "You do know you're my one and only, don't you?"

Once again, I’m quiet. When his hold tightens, he squeezes out a flood of tears in his wake.

“I guess…” I shrug out of his hold and grab plates and bowls to set up breakfast.

“You guess?” Even though he lets me go, he follows my every move. I feel a weight lifted from my shoulders as he pulls my hair out of my shirt and combs his fingers gently through the tangles. “Surely you’re more certain than just a guess? Why would you believe otherwise?”

An answer has to wait as I plate fish, miso, and then finish off with a bit of rice. I pull out some cups and splash some orange juice in both.

“You arranged for a quirk marriage because you wanted to make the perfect child to surpass All Might,” I begin bluntly. “You’ve been very good to me, I won’t pretend you haven’t. You pay for everything to keep us fed and splurge on me for my hobbies…you’ve even surprised me with flowers before and I’m forever in your debt for paying off what was left of my student loans.” I don’t look at him. I can’t. “But…I don’t know how to explain it well. I’m appreciative of all that, please don’t think I’m not. It’s just, I thrive off of physical touch and emotional warmth. Whenever you come home and I ask about work, you just shrug it off and say it’s fine. When I try to cuddle you in the mornings or before bed, it’s reduced to a quickie or you leave for the bathroom and I’m left alone. I just want…” I pause.

What do I want? Enji does all the right things. Does that mean I’m selfish for asking for more?

“I don’t want to lose you.” I choke out, not realizing I’ve said it until Enji tilts my chin up. Those blue eyes capture me with their concern. I force my eyes away. “I’m scared that once we start having babies you’ll forget all about me. I don’t want to be a means to an end for your heroic ambitions, Enchan. I want to feel like you love me because I’m me. Not because of what I can give you. I want you to feel like you can be vulnerable and let me carry whatever troubles you. I know you think you’re supposed to protect me, keep me safe, but I want to be able to carry your burden every now and then so you can rest when you need it.”

 Large fingers pad away the liquid in the corners of my eyes. When I finally look back at him, he rests his forehead against mine. There’s no escape. Everything about him draws me in and acts as a salve to my woes even though he hasn’t spoken.

“Ichan,” He says. “I…” He inhales and stops, closing his mouth and sighing through his nose. His mouth opens and closes, then repeats the motion until his head slumps against my shoulder. “I wish I had something better to say, but all I can say is I’m sorry I’ve made you feel that way. I have no excuses.”

My fingers indulge in the coarse depths of his fiery hair. This…this is the kind of intimacy I want. To know every precious little thing about you. For a few moments, the world around us keeps moving, but we’re caught in time with each other.

Both of us against a raging world.

“When I first asked you about the quirk marriage, it was originally just for your quirk.” His fingers paint sweet pictures across my shoulders. With every stroke, my muscles melt under his touch. “Of course, the more I met up with you after your agreement, I hadn’t expected to enjoy your company so much. You’re so vibrant and passionate about the things you love, it’s intoxicating.” The familiar feeling of his lips on my neck pulls a gasp from my throat. “Your enthusiasm for life reminds me of why I became a pro.”

After some doting kisses, he lifts his head and cups my face. 

“I’m sorry that I haven’t said it, but you’ve changed so much in my life for the better. When a villain attack delayed you at the grocery store last week? I was at my wit’s end. I wondered what I’d do if you didn’t come home. Surpassing All Might was forgotten because all I could think about was how much I’d miss seeing you, how much I’d miss waking up beside you, how much your presence brings this house to life.” Sorrow glistens in his eyes as he presses a soft, brief kiss on my lips. “Ichijiku Todoroki, even if my intentions were initially selfish…you changed my life for the better when you became a part of it. Never doubt that.”

Sincerity hangs from his every word, draping me in comfort and affection that soothes the worry buzzing in the background of my head these past couple months following our wedding.

I lead him back over to the table before breakfast gets cold while I process these deeper emotions. We eat in a more comfortable silence. When he takes my empty dishes over to the sink and sweeps me up in his arms, I squeal and hold on tight.

He steps over to the couch and lays down, getting comfy against the pillows before he holds me firm against his chest. As my head nestles into the crook of his neck, tension oozes out of my body and a smile sneaks onto my face. Just like earlier, his fingers trace patterns along my back. Unlike earlier, he smatters kisses all over the side of my face. I giggle as they tickle my cheek like little butterfly wings. He rumbles out a chuckle as I squirm and wrap my legs around his waist, before I feel his lips twitch and his fingers wriggle against my sides.

“Enji!” I shriek, cackling as I move away from him and he pulls me back to smother my other cheek in kisses. “You could have just asked me to turn!”

“Now, where’s the fun in that?” 

With a huff, I try tickling his sides in retribution. Nothing. I try his neck. Still nothing. He smirks up at me until my fingers assault his stomach and then he twitches with a snort.

“Not there!” He laughs, pulling me under him while hovering over me. 

He rests his forehead against mine with a small smile, something so rare that it warms me down to the tips of my toes.

“Enji?”

“Mm?”

“Thank you.”

“Anything for you, my queen.”

Want More Enji? Try: A Girl Worth Fighting For

[littleredpandanaps]

get to know your moots

Thank you @oonajaeadira, I'm sorry for repeatedly liking the post whilst my little sausage fingers tried to remember how to copy and paste on mobile!

What's the origin of your blog title?

Favourite animal + favourite activity. Also, have you seen red pandas napping?! Adorable

OTP(s) + Shipname:

I thought this meant One Time Password and after much Googling I learn that in this context it means One True Pairing and having learnt that, I cannot think of a single couple ever throughout the history of time and space.

Favourite colour:

💜💜💜💜💜

Favourite game:

I like me some boardgames, Articulate and Telestrations being present faves

Song stuck in your head:

I've had a medley of sea shanties stuck in my head since Christmas, currently it's The Wellermen. I spent a good six weeks in the run up to Christmas singing the well known festive classics, Islands in the Stream by Dolly Parton.

Weirdest habit/trait?

I have many, that I don't think are weird but others do. When out in a public place like a restaurant, I like to be in a corner, I don't like not having edges/walls around me

Hobbies:

I'm struggling with hobbies at bit at the mo (injury+low mood) but Lindy hopping (it's a thing!) swimming (particularly open water and open air pools), vintage *stuff*, reading, going to museums, making jewelry, hiking, cooking and napping

If you work, what's your profession?

I do work but I like to keep work and Tumblr very separate. I love my job but it can be stressful and confusing and this is my current safe space from that.

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

Probably what I do now but in the charity/voluntary sector instead OR I'd go wild and I'd love to work with animals in some capacity OR if I had any talent, I'd be an artist

Something you're good at:

Remembering incredibly niche random shit. Untying knots in necklaces/chains.

Something you're bad at:

Basic maths and cleaning, life is too short to clean a bathroom!

Something you love:

Being in a woodland at any time of year

Something you could talk about for hours off the cuff:

Dogs. Lindy hop and associated dance forms. Star Wars. Musical films from the 1930-1950s aka the 'Hollywood Golden Age'. Pre-Raphaelite art. Gerbils (don't ask). How to pick apart a film and analyse it in a way that would bore most people to tears. Food throughout history and cultures. House plants.

If I like something, I go all in is what I'll say.

Something you hate:

The sound of people brushing their teeth

Something you collect:

Books. Interesting rocks. House plants. Dungarees. Ticket stubs from theatre/concerts/gigs that I've been to. Vintage hats. Badges.

Something you forget:

What day of the week it is fairly frequently, where I've put my glasses, damp washing in the machine...

What's your love language?

Recieving: quality time, could be a walk, cooking together, just spending some really good one on one time with someone special.

Giving: I guess acts of service? I come from a family that shows their love for each other through food. We feed our loved ones, we bake for those we care for and batch cook at a time of crisis.

Favourite movie/show:

Taskmaster / The Mandalorian

Favourite food:

*BREAD* though I've just found out I have a high yeast intolerance

Favourite animal:

Red panda, duh. Or dogs.

What were you like as a child?

I collected snails and said they were my friends. Not so good at making human friends, got bullied a lot. Very creative and imaginative though.

Favourite subject at school?

Art, music and history

Least favourite subject at school?

Sports, unless it was swimming and maths.

What's your best character trait?

I think I'm reasonably empathetic

What's your worst character trait?

I procrastinate so much

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

I would have procrastinated less and got more work done so my anxiety wasn't so bad now.

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

I'd like to have met and become friends with PP back in high school (I think that's what it's called in the US, it's secondary school where I'm from) I think we could have been two oddballs together. Failing that, my maternal grandfather, he passed away shortly before I was born but sounded like a lovely, kind man.

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

@oonajaeadira latest PATS journal entry has been living in my head rent free recently and @wrathkitty 's Short Debts Make Long Friends is my Mando fever dream

tagging:

@sawymredfox @galaxyedging @for-a-longlongtime

[kvalenagle]

Map time! Here's the map of Belamuria, the setting of the Gryphon Insurrection series, starting with Eyrie. This map was made by Jeff Brown, who promised a map if the series hit five books. The original idea was for the map to be divided into sixths with one in each book. Hence the Redwood Valley in the southeast is perhaps larger than it would be on a to-scale map (I like to think this is Kia or Cherine's map, perhaps one they both contribute to, so their home is larger). Then again, perhaps it's an Ashen Weald map, with how the kjarr and bog are featured. The tagline for the series was "interesting gryphons in interesting locations," and Belamuria offers that. Though the series begins in a redwood weald (a weald is an untamed, overgrown forest), it heads out to underwater settings, the frozen aneda taiga, valleys of poisonous monitor lizards, high peaks, abandoned kjarrs (forests becoming wetlands), infected bogs, plague cities collapsed through limestone erosion, inland seas of luminescent, toxic jellies and basilosauruses, jungles who only spend half the year above water, underground cave systems of all sorts, desert red rock canyons or plateaus of toxic pools ruled by flamingos, coasts with toxic algae blooms killing all mammalian life, not to mention the Abyssal Naze, where water and land vanish into darkness.

Making the map while writing book 4 of a series where I'm currently working on book nine presented some challenges. I think the mountains are generally a bit bulkier, wider, and fill in more space than I originally estimated. (Jeff is working off my sketches here, so those errors are mine. He did such an amazing job, down to the reeve's pet lurking in the Crackling Sea.) Books necessitate a rectangular map, but I'd imagine things stretched out more. The Winter Jungle would extend down and far past the edge. Speaking of past the edge, Goldrin Goldpaw's pawprints cover Ashfoot Isle, directly south of Sandpiper's Dune, and The Wrecks are due south from there. The Pitohui Eyrie might be a bit farther off the coast, too. And the kjarr and bog would be a little skinnier, though I like having things spread out to refer to when writing books like The Crackling Sea.

It's strange to think that after nine books, we've visited most of Belamuria. GryphIns, despite the tagline, isn't meant as a travelogue. It has a strong series plot arc. War and disease don't often stay contained, spreading like a wildfire across an entire continent. Yet the same might be said of kindness. Okay, back to writing Saberbeak for me. I just needed to bring up the map, and I couldn't remember if I'd shared it on Tumblr yet. Fun trivia fact: but because of how many different printers make the editions of GryphIns in different countries, it's very difficult to get a proper two page spread. Reevesbane often has it, but with other books, the printing wasn't reliable enough due to how the binding works. That's also why Reevesbane has the two page spread of a certain villain... because their body is elongated, it doesn't necessarily matter how it's bound, since they're meant to look a little off. In most editions, if you could unbind it, you'd see that the left page has all of the Crackling Sea and the right page also has all of it. Since the middle of the page is lost in binding, it tends to give the illusion of going across both pages together. (Though, depending on your country or even what store you order from, it can look better or worse.) Back to smilodon gryphon writing, though. Pridelord's copy edits had a slight delay but are back on track, for those asking. Once they're in, I'll go back to Pridelord so it'll release as soon as publishing allows. -Vale

[le-panda-chocovore]

Can I ask your top 10 fav fics ever (from any fandom, if you don't mind)?

Also, just curious, is there a story behind your name "le-panda-chocovore "?

Oh I think I can actually answer that without rambling too much !! (<- took an entire week to answer the ask and select the fics, and I commented on each one of them lol) It won't be a Top in order of preference tho, there's no actual classment, it's just the ones I loved the most.

The Way I Behaved - EraserMic (MHA)

This fanfic gave me the inspiration to write my greatest work (still unfinished to this day) and literally changed so many things about me. It also made me discover a whole genre of music that I've never listened to before and with which I am entirely in love now. Prepare to cry tho, because this is deeply heartbreaking. It's a Villain Mic AU where Aizawa was never a teacher. And it is good.

What if Percy did become a God - Percy Jackson and the Olympians (based on the books !!! do not read if you just watched the show !!!)

The title says everything. This is not a happy story, you will cry, I promise. It's short, like a 1k word OS, it's really poetic, it's deep, it's beautiful, and also, it's painful. Humans were never meant to be gods, not even Percy. It's written like a poem, I read it so many times and it hurt me every time.

Demon and Angel Professors - Ineffable Spouses (Good Omens)

Not a fanfiction but a serie of short works about Crowley and Aziraphale and the people around them. A teachers AU very nice to read with many Original Characters (the students) who are all captivating and appreciable. The story is extremely queer-positive and neurodivergent inclusive and physical handicap representative, honestly, you want to read it. There's everything inside it. If you have chronic pain or if you're a closeted queer or even a curious ally who wants to understand their peers, this is what you need. The love is so pure it's overwhelming.

Honor and Vengeance on the High Sea - Zuko (ATLA)

Tbh this deserves to be published, it's a novel itself (I haven't finished it yet). The author reappropriated the Avatar universe to write something completely new. It's an AU where Zuko becomes a Pirate after his banishment and fights against the Fire Nation Navy, and eventually joins the Avatar's team. There's a whole work around internalized homophobia, the discovery of the self, acceptance, injustice, family trauma and everything. Original Characters are cool too. Chapters are long and very, very complete, you can see the author has historical and cultural knowledge.

Strength, the meaning of - Asano Gakuhou (Assassination Classroom)

I can't believe a fanfic about this total asshole made it to my top 10, but it is beautifully written. The progressive mental breakdown of a man who used to stand proud above everyone, the slow fall down to hell without even realizing it. There's also his son's POV here, which is equally beautifully written. I really hate the man and I don't like the fact that the end of AssClass completely disregard the consequences of what happened on the character's mental state, and reading how even him wasn't okay at all is very pleasant to read. That's karma my bitch.

Je suis assis - BokuAka (Haikyuu)

Yeah it's in french and on wattpad. It has been a while since I read it but I still remember the principal. It's a OS anyway so it's not very long (we didn't do that 20k words OS on Wattpad, this madness is only popular on AO3 lol). Since I'm sensitive to everything that is around handicap, it touched me. It ended up being cute and warm. Honestly I was more thinking of another BokuAka fanfiction but I couldn't remember the name nor found it online so I put this one.

25 - Riren (SnK)

Yeah yeah I know, pedo ship etc, but I was 14 and this is a High School AU where they're both 16 so, it's okay I guess. Yes the name of the fanfic is twenty-five. It's in french, it's on wattpad, and there's Eren's POV too. I don't know how I'm supposed to describe it... I think you have to read it, it's not actually strange or weird but, it's a whole experience.

Here there be dragons - Centennial Husbands (the Sandman)

This is the exact definition of love. What is love to me ? This fanfiction. Engagement, devotion, caring, this is it, this fanfic has the meaning of all these words. I had a hard time reading it because I hate ultra-long OS (I need CHAPTERS, give me a BREAK) but it was soooo enjoyable, and I was crying the whole time 'cause it's so pure and beautiful.

Palm to Palm - KaRen (Assassination Classroom)

Yes I am a part of the extremely tiny fandom that ships Karma and Ren (I do ship Karma with multiple people throughout the manga lmao) but only in THIS specific context. And this is beautifully written, I can't stop re-reading it. Also, the name of the ship makes me laugh. Karma and Ren relationship after losing Gakushuu -the boy they both love above everything else- is peak romance.

Le goût du chocolat - L x Light (Death Note)

I honestly don't remember a thing about this fanfiction except a single sentence, but I do know that I totally fell in love with it. It was one of my fave fanfic when I was full active on Wattpad, and I even archived it because I didn't want to lose it. I should read it again now that I found it again.

Alright that's 10 !!! Finally !!

Oh it was so fun to fall back into all the things I read before ! But it was harder than I expected because, well, I only have AO3 for 3 years and I've been on Wattpad for 7 years, but I started reading fanfiction even before that, I just didn't have any account back then. So, I kinda forgot about some of the things I read more than 4 years ago, and I couldn't find the gems I discovered when I was 12. Most of the books that made out to this list are my recent lectures, it's a bit biased I guess.

Anyway, thank you for the ask ! It was fun to analyze all my bookmarks and everything !

[mechimplants]

cw: being ordered to die, asphyxiation in space, mind-melding

When a shock trooper or deckhand dies, they're respectfully stripped of augments and shipped home, cold-storage, for a closed-casket funeral. Their family weeps, and somebody in charge speaks about how these times call for bravery and sacrifice.

No such grace is given to pilots. A high-strung thing who's seen too much action gets the call, and you just stop seeing them at mess hall. If you're lucky, they get the news delivered in the bunks, so you can hug them tight and say goodbye.

Everybody knows the name: Autophage Process. We don't talk about it. But she knew it was only a matter of time, after that disastrous last deployment. Nothing to be done now.

Her comm chimed at 1100 hours. "Report to August Bell, effective immediate. Initiate Autophage Process." Took them long enough. There was nothing to be done, no place to hide on a light carrier like this. She took the stairs, avoiding the bunks. Better not to talk to anybody.

There was the Bell in its hanger, as beautiful as the day she'd first been given it to pilot. A Gratia-class air-mobility frame: four 130mm railcannons and shoulder-mounted batteries of smart-missiles. Trailing streamers of smartcloth for preternatural grace in atmosphere, dual thruster banks for unmatched power in space.

Bell extended a hand and opened its cockpit. It won't be so bad, she thought. Midshipmen tell lots of stories about pilots--why should this one be any more truthful? She slid into the harness, clipped her boots onto the footpetals, and slammed the hatch shut.

Darkness.

"August Bell, this is Pilot Cantrell. Initiate connection!"

And then the blinding light of sensors, of being, blazed across her nerves. Her legs twitched against their docking clamps, her smartcloth wings ached to soar. Fuck.

In her mind, the mech's voice. Pilot Cantrell. We will begin the Autophage Process soon. Perhaps you would like to run one more training exercise first, to calm your nerves?

She signaled assent, though she knew the frame would be reading her confusion and desperation as well. There's no point putting on a brave face to a mech.

I'm gonna miss you, Bell. A stupid thing to say. A billion times too small to say what she meant.

A training program loaded on her HUD, a simple maneuverability exercise. Ten gates, get through them all as fast as possible. The docking clamps released, the launch sequence began, and then the Bell threw itself out of the hangar and into null-G.

She forgot the dread in an instant, as she focused everything on the practiced movements. Through gate one, then kick off the carrier's hull to redirect to gate two.

It wasn't until gate 3 that she realized anything was wrong. Distantly, her base implants chimed. Oxygen. Oxygen. Oxygen. Confused, she mismanaged the thruster banks and nearly overshot the gate.

She tried to pick out her original senses amidst the sea of Bell's analytics. There were... stars? Shit. The cockpit hatch was open. She was--yes, the senses from her body were returning now. The air was being pulled from her lungs. Her tongue was swollen and tasted of blood. Her eyes--

Pilot Cantrell. Focus on the mission.

She wanted to scream, but no air came. She struggled with her harness, but her fingers were swollen and clumsy. Fuck.

It is critical that you focus on the mission. The mech said it with such certainty. She wanted to believe it.

Hell, she reasoned. It's not like i could do anything at this point.

30 seconds of hard vacuum and you were done for--a fact every recruit knew. Frostbitten hands gripped the joysticks and she dove back in, searching for the August Bell's sensorium.

They were cruising towards the fourth gate, picking up speed. She reoriented, curving a smooth arc towards the fifth. Focus on the mission. She trusted Bell.

Distantly, she felt her hands twitching, her neck lolling in the seat in response to the g-forces. Her legs were reduced to a prickling pins-and-needles sensation. Gate six. Gate seven.

There was no sensation from her body anymore. Idly, she wondered how long her brain would stay linked before it, too, was too frozen and oxygen-starved to function. Could she at least get the satisfaction of completing the exercise?

Without knowing why, she pulled up short of the next gate.

Her mech spoke. The mission is complete. There is just one thing left to do.

She understood. She reached gently into her cockpit, and pulled out her pilot--an ugly, swollen thing, blood quickly turning an ugly color under the skin. A body that was not built for vacuum like she was.

But it had served her well, in an ungainly way, hadn't it. She had fought for that body, and it had taken her through school dances, through basic training, through a few disastrous and short-lived relationships. It hardly seemed right to abandon it without ceremony.

The others--she was starting to feel them now--assented, and she ripped a small piece of her smartcloth to enfold the body. Pilots don't get funerals, she knew. But she could offer that body some grace, at least. They watched it drift away in silence.

.....

The new pilot was tense. E clutched the joysticks tightly, and they could all feel that e was shaking. E tried eir best to keep a steady voice on the radio. "August Bell, ready for atmospheric entry!" Then, the sudden roar of noise and light as they slammed into the atmosphere, plasma lighting up their smartcloth.

Somebody needed to calm em down. She spoke.

Pilot Das, there is no need to be worried. We're going to be incredible.

The lanky novice let out a shaky breath, but relaxed eir grip. "This is going to take some getting used to."

E doesn't know the half of it, she thought.

[illarian-rambling]

Izjik seems so nice I’m srry I’m obsessed with her she deserves a hug and a good night’s sleep

btw free ramble card- I really wanna know her story if you’d like to tell me!

I'll never turn down a free ramble card <3

Izjik Meautammera was born in the swamps of N'Diki, in the halawemavar enclave of Edeme’eneha. Halawemavar are one of two selkie peoples on Illaros and resemble catfish in their aquatic form more so than seals. In their land form, they wear scaled cloaks, have hair the color of their scales (silver in Izjik’s case), and possess a mouth full of sharp teeth.

In the fashion of her people, she was raised communally by the whole enclave, rather than just her parents. She spent her youth apprenticed to a hunter named Dzako - a rather gruff man who did his best to curb her cocky nature. Her childhood was largely happy, until a fateful event in her sixteenth year.

After a party celebrating a successful hunt, Izjik - who'd already drank, danced, fought, and flirted her way through the night - was struck by a strange sensation. A pressure in her mind, directing her out into the swamp and away from the enclave. Being a curious and naive child, Izjik followed the feeling eagerly, uncertain of its origin but excited at what it might promise. Under the duckweed covered water, she found no such dazzling adventure. The remains of a human child floated there, torn asunder and in the middle of being consumed by a twisted, many limbed beast. When the beast charged towards her, Izjik’s muscle memory took over and she stood her ground, holding out her spear for the thing to gore itself upon.

It died in a flare of starlight.

When Izjik brought the shaman of her enclave to see the beast's corpse, unsure of what it was, the shaman's reaction was pure horror. Somehow, Izjik had killed one of the halawemavar's many immortal spirits - the travel spirit to be exact. The shaman didn't know how such a thing was possible, so they locked her away and called the only people on the high seas equipt to deal with such horrifying mysteries: the Trench.

The Trench is an undersea prison for the worst seafolk criminals and the landfolk monsters too powerful to need such petty things as air. It's found in a seafloor cave system, all the entrances and exits blocked by magic. The people of Edeme’eneha couldn't bring themselves to kill Izjik, though they knew she was dangerous, so here was where they sent her instead. It was a Trench guard who put a name to her condition: End-Made-Flesh. Izjik never really learned what this meant; she just knew she had the power to kill what couldn't be killed.

She was tossed rather unceremoniously into the Trench. Within the prison, there are no wardens. It's a lightless scrabble for survival amongst demigods and leviathans too dangerous to let free, but too powerful to kill. Izjik was a skilled hunter and trapper, however surviving in the Trench was another level. Thankfully though, she wasn't alone there for long.

Sepo Kaiacynthus is Izjik’s best friend. She thinks of him as a brother. He's a siren ex-priest whose tongue was cut out as punishment for killing the heir of the siren empire, severely limiting his vocal magic, and he was tossed into the Trench about two years before her as a 'fate worse than death' sort of punishment. The two of them banded together for survival, and despite some early tension, became the closest of companions. For eight years, they fought tooth and nail for survival, fending off all sorts of monsters on top of simple starvation.

One day, there was a strange lull in magic all across the Trench. Rather than ask how or why (It had to do with a certain mage, but she doesn't make any trouble in this book, at least), they bolted for an exit they knew. With that, Izjik and Sepo were out!

The two decided land would be the safest place for them to hide out, since selkies can easily assume a land form and sirens can complete a difficult ritual to do the same. The pair hid out for two years on the island village of Saaz, Izjik working as a roofer and Sepo practicing medicine. They lived quietly there until a young, scared castaway washed up on their shore, introduced herself as Twenari Undetasib, and turned their lives upside down.

And that's where Honor's Outcasts picks up! Sorry if this was a little more than you expected, I just love my characters' backstories. If you want more, I have Izjik’s character intro pinned in my intro post and here's a link to a short story I wrote of her meeting Sepo :)

It makes me so happy to have people excited about my characters, I hope you find my og oc as lovely as I do <3

Have a bitchin day!

[aprillikesthings]

I lead part of EfM thing today (see earlier posts) and it went well ahhhhh thank God

and I've made my lunches for the next week!

and I'm munching on a salad

and all day I was looking forward to this, the moment I can (re)watch MORE SHE-RA

I've barely worked on my longer fic this weekend (other than copy/pasting a bunch of things Nate said after the show ended into the notes section of the doc) and tbh rewatching the ACTUAL SHOW is hella distracting bc with twenty eps left we're going to start getting into more of the really high-stakes stuff

Also, true story: I originally watched, like, the second half of season 4 and all of season 5 in two days of marathoning with Daci. So quite frankly? The last, like, third of the show is just kind of a blur to me now.

SO LET'S GO

s4 ep7 Mer-Mysteries

A mission in Dryl went badly, they've figured out someone's telling the Horde what they're doing, they're not tracking Adora because she wasn't even there--

YES

plz enjoy Sea Hawk's faces

Bow's sudden nervousness reminds me of when I was in line at the TSA in Dulles airport and was weirdly nervous. I had no reason to be nervous. AND YET. I'm usually totally fine at TSA? But the people at Dulles were scary!!!

(I was way less nervous coming back from Iceland, despite knowing I had Kinder Surprise Eggs in my suitcase. Which are actually illegal to bring into the USA. You can buy "Kinder Joy Eggs" in the USA, which do not have the toy, but the ones with the toys are against the law! Anyway I bought them for Daci. I was only nervous for a split second at customs in the USA bc they asked me what I'd brought home from Iceland and I was like...wool yarn. books. sweets (I'd also bought licorice and chocolate). But he just waved me through. WHEW.)

she's still big mad about this lolol

BUT she's right a spy IS the only thing that makes sense (but also the audience knows shit they don't)

Pearl?? A Pearl who knows too much?????

c'mon I had to

lolol they lampshaded the way lightning keeps striking when Mermista says something

to be fair she IS the most recent addition and the one they know the least

oh hey I also write everything in purple (or lavender) ink

lol

oh, shut up

well not this episode, specifically

LOLLLLL

honestly this is a lot like the DnD episode

so on the one hand, I know Flutterina is doing this to make them fight, but on the other hand Glimmer is right; on the other OTHER hand, I also would prefer a warning before being forced to see my abusive parent having free range of the castle I live in

BAHAHAHA I read Nate saying these two were interrupted on a date night, but also plz notice the colors of the flowers, it's literally most of the lesbian pride flag, they were SO unsubtle

The Ken from Plumeria is talking to the pastry chef from Dryl with the super cute outfit, and she looks bashful for a second after this screenshot; I am now shipping this and no one can stop me

speaking of ships (yes I know this isn't meant to be shippy lol)

a youtube video titled "it's raining on your window and you live in Bright Moon Castle ASMR for sleep 4 hours"

(....I'd listen to that)

(On a related note, mynoise dot net has a bunch of rain sounds on the website, and it also has an app--it's seriously the BEST website/app for ambient sounds because they're so adjustable and never repeat, and I just want everyone to know about them. The rain and ocean sounds are great on earbuds to cover up snoring so you can sleep!!! Worked better than my fancy earplugs while I was on the Camino and sleeping in all those hostels)

And back to the cartoon, where there's obviously suspicious shit happening because people seem to be in two places at once and their communications thing got shattered

oh so her name IS just The General

Flutterina (aka Double Trouble) has got to be like "oh my god wtf is up with this dude I cannot handle this bullshit"

Once again Glimmer proves that her and Catra are actually very, very alike

BUSTED

OOHHHHH they set up a trap I forgot, this is amazing

Adora: "we created a diversion :)" Glimmer: "You were a really good actress. For once."

pfft

Anyway Double Trouble is confessing the whole plan

:(

poor Mermista :(

there's a creepy-ass moment of seeing part of Horde Prime's face as he smiles, roll credits