#protecting myself

[transcendencepheonix]

Unexpectedly quitting my job and getting another one because the fucking harassment and rude actions of other ppl are affecting my mental health and I need to leave before I kill someone.

[proxycrit]

Day 44- GERUDO TOWN

Bug Zapper 9000 worked too well. Not only did we get the terrifying normal corpses, we accidentally found its brood mother that can summon localized sandstorms to protect its underlings.

At least it got chased away by Riju’s lightning. Big win.

This totk au is called familiar familiar! It all started when zelda didnt fall back in time and devolved into wild violence

((Wanna support me? Check out my patreon, with my throw away sketches and references! Remember to use web or android folks, apple charges 30 percent tax.))

[lovecommajaime]

the tv girl character keeps infiltrating my stuff

[qvert]

I just really need her to know

[jerksbitch]

“winchester sisters!🫎🐿️ " - from @CrazyTom0712 on twitter

this is NOT my art ! credit is above ! please show them some love :)

[inkskinned]

he says i hate everyone except you and that is addictive and that is kind of romantic and beautiful because you're young and you're kind of a sarcastic asshole too and you don't like bad boys, per say, but you don't really like good ones either. and you like that you were the exception, it felt like winning.

except life is not a romance book, and he was kind of being honest. he doesn't learn to be nice to your friends. he only tolerates your family. you have to beg him to come with you to birthday parties, he complains the whole time. you want to go on a date but - people are often there, wherever you're going. he's just so angry. about everything, is the thing. in the romance book, doesn't he eventually soften? can't you teach him, through your own sense of whimsy and comfort?

at first - you know introverts often need smaller friend groups, and honestly, you're fine staying at home too. you like the small, tidy life you occupy. you're not going to punish him for his personality type.

except: he really does hate everyone but you. which means he doesn't get along with his therapist. which means he has no one to talk to except for you. which means you take care of him constantly, since he otherwise has no one. which means you sometimes have to apologize for him. which means he keeps you home from seeing your friends because he hates them. you're the single exception.

about a decade from this experience, you'll type into google: how to know if a relationship is codependent.

he wraps an arm around you. i hate everyone except you. these days, you're learning what he's actually confessing is i have very little practice being kind.

[demaparbat-hp]

Regarding the Cherry Wine Incident.

[soupandsorcery]

Definitely don't think about Rook approaching Lucanis after the final battle is all said and done and asking him if he and Spite are going to have to come up with a new arrangement now that their contract is complete.

And don't think about Lucanis smiling and saying that he and Spite have spoken and already come up with a new agreement that will keep them working toward the same goal for a long time.

And never consider him saying that they've agreed to do whatever it takes to keep Rook safe and happy and see them taken care of for as long as Rook allows it.

[lesbiandarvey]

this was a confession of love btw

SUITS → 3x01 “The Arrangement,” dir. Christopher Misiano

[marskid11]

CAIT LEARNED THE PROTECTIVE ARM GESTURE THING FROM VI I CAN'T

[lesbians-for-muqing]

The fact that Xie Lian is often unable to hide his pain from Hua Cheng, like when there's a needle stuck in his foot, is to me what shows most how deep their love for each other goes.

Xie Lian feels so safe with Hua Cheng, so understood, respected and loved, that even his body fully knows it and is unable to hide anything from Hua Cheng because it doesn't feel the need to.

[starry-bi-sky]

(Part of this post with older brother danyal al ghul)

...Okay, look. Sam knows she's staring. She knows very well that she is staring. And that if she doesn't stop staring it's gonna draw her unwanted attention, and that will only have to make her explain why she's staring. Which she doesn't want to do.

She's trying not to stare, which she thinks she should get brownie points for. She tries to look away, to find a spot on the wall to stare lifelessly at, maybe she can burn holes into some of these annoying socialites' heads. But eventually her eyes drift, and suddenly she's back to staring again.

Can you blame her though? Damian Wayne looks like a very close mini-me of her fucking best friend. Seriously, it's like looking into a mirror to the past. If that mirror to the past had green eyes rather than blue and a distinctive lack of a facial scar.

The first time she sees him when her parents drag her over to Bruce Wayne to butter up to him she has to do a doubletake. Then a triple take. Then a quadruple take, just for good measure that she was seeing what she was actually seeing. She was sure she looked like one of those stress toys that when squeezed had their eyes pop out comically like a Saturday morning cartoon, that's what she certainly felt like anyways.

Look, Danny's come a decent way from being that scowl-y, jerkish little ten year old she first met when he arrived like the wind to Amity Park five years ago (even if he was still occasionally scowl-y and jerkish), but one thing that's stayed the same is how reserved he is about his home life prior to being taken in by the Fentons.

He doesn't talk about it much, and Sam's come to know that he's very good at changing the subject when it gets brought up. Even after being friends for nearly four years, the only thing she and Tuck know for certain is that he has a little brother that he refers to as 'starlight', whom he cares a lot about but left on really bad terms with. And that he's never met his father, but wants to and knows who he is.

He's never told her or Tucker who he was though, and glancing at Bruce Wayne, Sam is realizing why. She can begrudgingly acknowledge all the good he's done for Gotham, but... well, if Danny told her that Bruce Wayne was his dad, she wouldn't have believed him at all.

But she's starting to see the resemblance, as subtle as it is.

And she sees the resemblance to Damian Wayne, her eyes dropping back down to him as he wears a very Danny-like scowl on his face, arms crossed behind his back as his eyes swept around the ballroom. He was five years younger than Danny, and god it was so, so weird.

His eyes turned on to her, and they locked gazes for a moment.

Involuntarily, Sam makes a startled noise and looks away. Fingers tap against her purse, black and purple and unfortunately a clutch that only held her phone and her wallet in it. She would have kept a knife on her, but her parents put their foot down and there was a security detail at the door. Only in Gotham.

Silently, she was hoping that the little Danny-me didn't say anything. Or at least, he hadn't noticed her staring. Which was a tall order if she ever heard one -- and unfortunately, her silent prayers went unanswered as her mother's eyes dropped down onto her.

"Did you say something, Samantha?" She asks in a sickeningly sweet voice, a sound that makes Sam's skin crawl. Her dad and Bruce Wayne's attention also turns onto her, and she glowers at her mom from the corner of her eye.

"I didn't say anything." Sam says, barely keeping her tone polite as she turned her head away. Her mother clucks her tongue, disapproving, but from her peripherals doesn't pester her more

Bruce Wayne, the bastard, takes that time to turn to Sam and grace her with his dime-a-dozen billboard smiles. "I've been talking with your parents this whole time, Miss Manson, you must be terribly bored. How is your schooling going?"

Sam eyes him up and down. On one hand, she immediately wants to be snarky. It's none of his business what her school life is like, she doesn't care for his fucking small talk.

On the other hand, this was Danny's whole father. Someone who she knows that Danny has wanted to meet for, what she's assuming, his whole life. He's never brought it up much, but she remembers that very quiet, solemn conversation she and Tucker had with him where he admits to having never met his dad. But god does he want to.

And... wait. Sam's eyes narrow, and she meets Bruce Wayne's eyes. Does this man even know Danny exists? She drops her gaze down to Damian, who was staring at her suspiciously, and then back up to Bruce, and she alternates between them.

Why was Damian living with Bruce, but not Danny? Why hasn't Bruce done anything to reach out to him - what was going on with Danny's biological family that Danny had to be separated from them, but not Damian? Danny's always been kinda mysterious, but now things weren't adding up.

Was Danny given up? Does Bruce just not want Danny, but wanted Damian? Why the fuck does Bruce Wayne know about Damian but not her best friend -- or does he know and just not care? He's fought for custody for his adoptive kids before, does he just not want to fight for his other biological son? Does he think Danny's not worth it?

She's never cared much about the Wayne family before, other than to hear about the advancements on WE's eco-friendly tech, but Sam thinks she's gonna have to look into why Damian Wayne was living with the Waynes.

Slowly, with a protective anger beginning to burn in her gut and crawl up her throat, a scowl slowly curls at the corner of her lip as she redirects her glare from her mother onto Bruce. "It's going fine," She says curtly, jutting her chin out defiantly. "Me and my friend Danny started a petition to fix the leaky faucets in the girls and boys' bathrooms in order to conserve more water for the rest of the city."

She eyes his face, waiting to see if anything like recognition flashes through it. And- and nothing. Sam breathes in slowly through her nose, trying to quell the red that's blurring the edge of her vision -- does he just, not know where Danny is?

Her parents however, make vaguely displeased expressions. "Our Samantha is... quite passionate about her pet projects." Her dad says, laughing low and nervously, "she's very vocal about silly things like that."

"Her friend Daniel is perhaps even worse than she is sometimes." Her mother adds on, fanning her face with her perfectly manicured hands with a sigh. "I swear, he's the one that keeps dragging her into these things."

Sam's anger turns on its head, and she whirls on her heel like a fire-breathing dragon. "It's Danyal." It rolls out like instinct. Danny's told them both that he hates the Americanized pronunciation of his name, but in a rare moment of restraint, puts up with it for reasons unknown to her. "And Danny doesn't make me do anything, it was my idea."

The name, Danyal, seems to ring some kind of bell in Brucie Wayne's head, because she sees him and Damian quietly perk up like two cats pricking up their ears. Her eyes flick onto him immediately, something dangerous rearing its head. So Bruce Wayne knows about Danny. And he's not reaching out to him. Is he? She's not sure.

She does know that she's gonna rip his throat out if she finds out that he's known about Danny this entire time and has been ignoring him while favoring his little brother. She'll hunt down Aragon herself and steal his dragon-shifting amulet and wreck house on Bruce Wayne if that's the case. Batman and his league of vigilantes be damned. Her parents don't notice her slowly turning head towards Bruce.

But Bruce does, and she makes direct eye contact with him. His smile doesn't falter, he just tilts his head like a curious puppy and looks at Sam's parents. She hopes Bruce can read minds, she hopes he can hear her threatening him.

"Danyal?" He asks, and Sam doesn't know if she hates the fact that he said it correctly or not. She just continues burning holes into him and hoping he might spontaneously combust.

Her mother waves her hand dismissively, tilting her nose up poshly into the air. "Our dear Samantha's little... foster friend from school," she says, not even bothering to hide her disdain, "a creepy little boy with the most garish scar on his face. He's a rude little thing, not good for polite company."

Scratch that, Sam mentally alternates between ripping into her parents and Bruce. She whirls on them. "Do not talk about Danny that way." She all but snarls, and they all but ignore her.

(She's tearing up the upholstery when she gets home. She's going to paint over the fine china. She's going to do something to make them pay for this.)

"Oh yes, he was taken in by that freaky Fenton family a few years ago." Her dad continues in lieu of her mom, and they both shake their heads disapprovingly. "It's just what our city needs, another menace."

"Danny is not a menace." Sam continues, raising her voice while her hands shake with rage. Her parents finally look at her, but she can already tell that they're going to scold her for raising her voice. She bulldozes over them and jabs her black-painted finger at them. "He's got a bigger heart than the both of you combined."

"Samantha, please." her mom says, exasperated. They both give her disapproving looks, Sam thinks about grabbing champagne off the tray of a nearby waiter and throwing it in their faces. "You defend that boy far too much. What do you actually know about him and his family?"

Sam sets her jaw, puffing herself up like a dragon protecting its hoard. She steps into her mom's space. "I know that he loves the stars; you can ask him anything about astronomy and he could give you an entire lecture on the formation, class types, and various gasses that stars are made up of. He can tell you how the Earth was formed, he can tell you about the visible light spectrum and about light curves, and a whole ton of other stuff that I don't really understand. But Danny loves talking about it."

Her face twists and scowls, "I know he cares a ton about the environment and about fixing light pollution, and preserving the forests and natural habitats of animals." She nearly jabs her finger into her mom's chest, "I know he loves dogs, and that there's one he feeds every day on the way to school that he calls Cujo, its a St. Bernard puppy and Danny carries him around whenever he sees him after school, and is in the middle of training him."

It's not a total lie, but it's not the whole truth either. Cujo doesn't need food, but Danny gives him it anyways. "I know he likes spicy food and loves movies but specifically only sci-fi and horror, and he hates most martial arts movies. His favorite superhero is the Martian Manhunter, but Batman comes in at a close second." For reasons to her that were pretty unknown, but it didn't matter.

"I know he loves wordplay and making puns, which I would have never expected from him when we first met, but it's so unbelievably Danny-like that I can't imagine him not making puns." And she smiles a little to herself, she remembers the first time Danny intentionally made a pun once and it got startled laughs out of both her and Tucker.

Her smile suddenly falters, and she swallows. Her lips purse up, wobbling, and she very quickly glances over to Damian Wayne, of whom is watching her with a vaguely bewildered expression alongside Bruce.

She turns her eyes back onto her parents. "And I know that he worries a lot, even if he has a shit way of showing it. I know he had a little brother that he hasn't seen since he was adopted by the Fentons, and he doesn't talk about him often but when he does he he calls him 'starlight'." From the corner of her eye, she sees Damian jerk.

"So- so, so what if he's not 'good for polite company'." Sam's voice, embarrassingly, cracks down the middle. But she's so angry over Danny's behalf that she doesn't really care. "Or that he can be mean, and critical, and stubborn. He's learning, and he's becoming kinder by the day. That's more than I can say about you."

(She remembers when Danny finally admitted to her and Tucker being his 'closest friends'. It was sometime before the portal incident, and it felt like a milestone because beforehand he only really referred to them as his companions or allies.)

(At the time, he'd looked unsure of himself. Skittish like a stray in the back of an alleyway, almost shy in his own way. It had come out stilted, slow, like an infant taking its first steps, and it would have been endearing if it hadn't been heartbreaking.)

Her parents rear back like she'd struck them, and her mother holds a hand against her chest in aghast. Sam doesn't care, she blinks the sting out of her eyes. "Samantha." Her mother starts.

Sam cuts her off, "I don't care what you have to say, you-- you pricks." she snaps, around her, there are gasps. Belatedly, she realizes she's grown an audience, but again she doesn't care. "Danny might be an asshole, but he cares. And I'd rather be around someone whose mean but cares, than someone whose nice but doesn't."

With that, she whirls on her foot and turns on Bruce Wayne, who has been silent the entire time with a surprised expression on his face. He starts to shake out of it when Sam turns to him, but she doesn't give him the chance to speak. "Enjoy your party." She snarls, and then stalks away.

[hyunpic]

hyunjin — dominATE: 241117 📍tokyo

[sugawhaaa]

No lube, no protection, all day all night, until the walls turn white, GODDAMN. I'd suck his cock so good 😩

[I think I may possibly be ovulating again...wait actually no, yk idgaf anymore I can't read my cycle at all]

[patron-saint-of-lesbeans]

Please pray for all those going to the March for Life this week, that they put their trust in God and not in princes.

[hannahbarberra162]

Snow Fall (Alpha!Izo x Omega!Reader)

18+ MDNI on Ao3

Summary: Izo’s search for his mate had ended before it had begun. He'd never been able to tolerate the scent of any Omega, finding their floral scents all far too strong. Until he meets you, a baker originally from Wano who sells desserts on a tiny winter island...

~~~

Yes. I know. Another one. But also.....it's fun for me! I just love Izo, OK? Not NSFW in this chapter.

~~~

Izo’s search for his mate had ended before it had begun. By the time Izo had reached puberty and presented as an Alpha, he’d found the scent of every Omega he’d encountered to be overwhelming and unpleasant. In theory, he was supposed to be attracted to the floral scents that the Omegas threw off but in reality they singed his nose and gave him a headache. He hadn’t had much chance to explore his options in Wano, quickly becoming a retainer for Oden and spending his time with the Shogun. But as he sailed the seas with Whitebeard, he came across hundreds if not thousands of Omegas across the Grand Line and all of them smelled absolutely wretched to Izo. 

Time and time again his brothers had urged him to find an omega to settle himself with, even going so far as to bring a few on board and leaving them in his room as a “surprise.” No matter how beautiful or kind they were, Izo couldn’t overcome his aversion to their strong saccharine smells, politely removing them from his cabin before opening all the windows. He’d admonish his brothers for wasting everyone’s time, but his brothers wanted to see him happily mated and hadn’t given up their quest yet. They didn’t understand - the Alphas among them loved the scents and the Betas couldn’t smell it as strongly. His brothers thought he was being too picky but the truth was he couldn’t bear to be in the same room as a flowering Omega. Izo had accepted the fact that he would likely remain unmated through his life. Sure, he could (and did) bed betas at nearly every island - but finding a mate seemed an impossible task.

The Moby was docked at an autumn island in its winter season, they’d been there for about a day, restocking what they could from the available resources. . The Commanders were bitching about the cold weather as they walked while huddling together on the icy sidewalks of the small settlement on the island.

Izo didn’t mind the cold, if anything he preferred it, and not just because he was from a snowy village himself. In the cold, the rancid and overpowering smells of Omegas were more muted than on warm summer islands. Once they were mated, the Omega stench was less pronounced but even then he could hardly bear it. Summer islands brought dresses, shorts, and exposed skin that all but coated the air with their smells, much to his chagrin. No, he liked the snow on the ground, the cold wind on his face, and the long sleeves and pants covering all the Omegas on the island.

Ignoring his fellow Commanders as they moaned about their frozen fingers, Izo focused on the crunch of his boots in the snow and the sharp sting of the frigid air as he inhaled. There was a local bakery on the island and rumors were that they served authentic Wano desserts. Along with overpowerful smells, Izo also disliked oppressively sweet tastes. He would never say anything for fear of hurting the Chef’s feelings, but Izo hadn’t enjoyed a dessert since he’d left Wano with Oden. He didn’t want to get his hopes up for the bakery - he had come to realize over the years that “authentic Wano desserts” usually meant “Wano inspired desserts.” But the locals working the docks said that the baker was actually from Wano, barely speaking Common. 

A tinny bell ringing signaled their entrance to the small, cosy establishment. There were only two small tables with six old chairs inside, most of the meager space dedicated to the wares being sold. It was worn down but clean, the kind of place that opened at 5 to serve food to hungry dock workers. As he moved towards the displays, Izo detected something in the air that had him inhaling deep breaths through his nose, searching for more. There was the smell of snow falling on a moon lit winter’s night - a subtle smell that he’d long forgotten in the murky depths of his childhood memory. The smell was too weak and fleeting, he wasn’t able to track down the smell as he entered further into the shop. His nose was flooded with the smells of sugar, cream and other sickly sweet pastries he would likely gag if he tried.

Undeterred, Izo glanced at the offerings of the bakery to determine if there really was Wanese food for sale. Izo’s eyes widened slightly as he saw an entire case of Wano desserts sandwiched between the usual island sweet breads and cakes that the island workers likely favored. Approaching the refrigerated case, he raised his eyebrows as he saw noshiumi and nanbu senbei on the top shelf , the latter of which were his favorite treat as a child, when his family still had money to spare. 

“Are you going to stare all day or are we gonna order?” asked Thatch, already unbuttoning his wool double breasted coat and placing it on a coat rack by the door. Izou had been trailed by some of his favorite brothers - Thatch, Marco, and Ace - to the homey establishment. 

“Yeah, you’re practically salivating at the sight of those desserts yoi” Marco teased. Izo was often told that he was expressionless and difficult to decipher, but his brothers had no difficulty understanding his feelings. Izo rolled his eyes - after so many years living and sailing together, his brothers could read him like a book. 

“Yes, yes, don’t rush me,” Izo replied, flicking his long hair over his shoulder. Approaching the counter, he saw a lazy looking young Beta working the counter. She was staring at herself in the mirror, practicing her smile. Izou snapped his fingers in front of her face, bringing her attention away from her own reflection. Your face had a toad like appearance, large bulging eyes and thin limp hair that hung down in clumps by her face. 

“What do you want?” she asked, clearly unhappy to be taken away from her pastime. Izo wasn’t sure that practicing smiling in the mirror would help the Beta find a mate. As she spoke, Izou detected a slight smell of yeasty bread. It wasn’t wholly unpleasant but didn’t explain the light snow scent he detected upon entering the building. Alphas and omegas in food service often smelled more potent than the food they cooked. Izo had eaten many meals outdoors to avoid the stench. Though it was no one’s fault, sometimes he could hardly tell what he was eating in the presence of Alphas and Omegas.

“Who makes these desserts?” Izo demanded, pointing to the Wanese desserts in the case. The girl frowned and turned her head to the door leading to the kitchens.

“TASUKE! SOMEONE WANTS YOU,” the girl yelled, not bothering to fetch the woman herself. Izo raised an eyebrow at the name. It wasn’t completely unheard of but it certainly was not a popular name for females. A young woman with flour dusted up to your elbows and on your apron appeared in the doorway, wiping your hands on a kitchen towel. Your shoulders were tightly drawn inward as she came to the call of the rude woman, as if to make herself smaller. Upon seeing Izo in the doorway, your pinched face broke into a huge smile as she bowed to the Commander.

“Can help you?” she asked in a chipper tone, your Wanese accent strongly affecting your intonation. She had your hands clasped in front of your, patiently waiting for the Commander to speak.

“Tasuke doesn’t speak a lot of Common, just show your what you want and she’ll get it,” the girl said in a bored tone, already looking at herself in the mirror again.

“Good afternoon, Miss Tasuke. Would you please tell me about these desserts in the window?” Izo asked in Wanese. It had been years since he’d spoken Wanese aloud but he relished the opportunity.

“Good afternoon, Commander Izo. Of course, it would be my pleasure. Which are you interested in?” replied the young lady, already moving gracefully towards the shelving. Your Wanese was also accented, showing that she was originally from Northern Wano, like himself. 

“May I sample the noshiumi and nanbu senbei please Miss Tasuke? It has been so long since I have been able to enjoy such delights,” Izou replied with a small smile. He didn’t need to use his observation Haki or even turn around to know that his brothers were paying rapt attention to the exchange. They weren’t chatting with one another and Ace wasn’t complaining, he could practically feel holes being bored into his back from Marco’s intense stare.

“Thank you, Commander Izo! I hope they are up to your standard. Please, sit down, and I will bring them to you,” Tasuke said with a small bow, walking quickly into the cafe portion of the building. She was shorter than Izo expected, the top of your head reaching only to his chest.  He complied with your request, sitting at the remaining empty chair by his brothers. Watching the woman work quickly, he noted that the other woman didn’t move a muscle, not even bothering to get out of Tasuke’s way when she was carrying multiple plates. 

“Commander Izo, here are the desserts you requested as well as a few more. I wish I had known you were coming, I would have made something more befitting someone of your position,” the young woman lamented, placing several dishes stacked high with treats in front of him and the other Commanders. Your hands were shaking slightly and your face was flushed as she served the table of men. “Would you care for something to drink? I do keep some barley tea if you wish for me to brew it, but we also have regular tea, coffee, whatever you would like, Sir,” Tasuke asked, rambling on in your nervousness, gripping your serving tray tightly between your fingers as she held it flush against your stomach. Curiously, he couldn’t detect any scent from your, regardless of what your dynamic was. Though, working in a kitchen could dull your natural scent.

Smiling at you once more to try and alleviate your tension, Izou replied “Barley tea would be wonderful for me, thank you. The others will be satisfied with coffee.” You bowed again and turned to begin brewing the tea.

“By the way, how did you know who I was?” Izo asked before you left. He had a hunch but he wanted to hear it from your pretty mouth. you blushed deeply, which Izo found endearing.

“ I read and keep all your wanted posters. You are the only person I see from Wano on them and I felt a kind of…connection to you? It can be lonely not speaking the same language as everyone else and I…I just…I don’t know. I feel foolish for saying all this to you, Sir, I apologize” you finished with a small bow. You practically ran away thereafter, leaving Izo sitting with the corner of his mouth upturned.

“Whoa,” Ace said, with his mouth hanging open, reaching for the plate in front of Izo. Izo smacked Ace’s hand with his chopsticks as Ace tried to grab one of his dorayaki, wanting to keep the special treat all for himself.

“Whoa indeed. You practically proposed to that girl,” Thatch said, resting his head on his hand as he leaned on the small table

“What are you yammering on about now?” Izo scowled, admiring the nishiumi in his chopsticks. It was perfectly proportioned and formed, he couldn’t wait to taste it.

“You smiled at that lady. Extended smiles, too. You might as well tell Pops you’ve found The One,” Thatch teased, biting into an anko mochi. Chewing and swallowing thoughtfully, the Chef looked into the interior of the tiny dessert, rolling it between his fingers. “ ‘S good. Like, really good. I should ask for the recipe,” he mused, finishing it off in another bite. 

“Won’t be as good yoi. She’s from Wano, didn’t you hear them speaking together? Who knows what they were talking about,” Marco observed, biting into a mochi of his own. Knowing Marco as long as he had, Izou knew the Phoenix was teasing him as well in his own dry way. Sometimes it was pleasant having hundreds of siblings, and sometimes…less so.

Bringing the nishiumo to his mouth, Izo took a small bite. He closed his eyes as he was transported in thought back to his childhood, back to Ringo, back to the endless snowy nights under moonlit skies, back to a treat after dance class, back to the moon shining down on pure, glittery snow, back to Wano. The dessert tasted just as he remembered it, perhaps even better after all the years of longing for its flavor on his tongue.

By the time you had come back bearing the tea and three coffees, nearly all the desserts were gone, leaving only empty plates stacked high. Ace and his voracious appetite were partially to blame, but the other three Commanders had indulged just as much. They’d left at least one of each type of dessert for Izou but had rave reviews for all the sampled items.

You unburdened your serving tray by handing the other Commanders their coffees first, walking around the table and picking up the empty plates and placing them on your tray. As you worked, you spoke to Izou.

“I hope it is ok that I am speaking only to you, Commander Izo. I mean no offense to the other Commanders, I don’t speak much Common and would not be able to communicate all that well with them. Besides, I haven’t met anyone else from Wano since I left. It feels…pleasant to be speaking to someone who can understand me once more,” Tasuke finished, reaching past him to place his tea on the table.

As your arm moved by, Izo smelled snow fall once again. It was faint, but emanating from the woman at his side. Grabbing your arm suddenly in his large hand, Izo brought your wrist to his nose and inhaled deeply. Tasuke startled, dropping your tray plates, and tried to retract your arm. Izo couldn’t let go, not when the smell was so enticing. He dragged his nose from your wrist to your elbow, taking in the subtle scent of the omega in front of him. 

“TASUKE! PICK UP THOSE PLATES OR I’M GONNA TELL WIDO!” the other girl yelled from across the room. Izo felt you wince as the name was mentioned, he’d have to investigate further. Izo noted that the girl didn’t bother to help you or stop him from scenting you, just commanded you to continue working. 

“Izo, what the hell?” asked Thatch, watching the scene unfold. He wasn’t moving to help the woman escape Izo’s grasp, but Izo knew his actions were…out of character. His brothers looked from one to the other with concern but allowed him to continue his scenting.

Izo couldn’t stop himself from enjoying the smell of snow falling on pine trees…The smell of snow falling under the moonlight…a meter of snow already stacked high on the ground…walking on snow packed hard from others who already have used the path…his hand in his sister’s, shivering in the cold of the winter…

“Please, Commander, I apologize for my misdeeds! Please forgive me for what I’ve done!” Izo belatedly realized the woman was trying to pull your arm away and apologizing while he’d been lost in his memories. Turning your delicate arm over in his hand, he saw a number of finger shaped bruises lining your inner arm. He didn’t let you go but he did avert his face from your arm and looked into your frantic face.

“You are an Omega, yes?” Izo asked the scared baker.

“I-I’m not sure, Commander Izo. I was supposed to be, but I never developed a scent,” Tasuke explained, still weakly trying to remove your wrist from Izo’s grip.

“You have the most intoxicating scent I’ve ever smelled on an Omega. Are you mated?” Izo knew he would likely embarrass the young woman but he had to know. Your cheeks heated red as you averted your gaze. He heard his brothers pick up an awkward conversation to pretend they weren’t trying to listen in, perhaps to give you some emotional space. 

“No, I’m not mated. I, um, I’m not allowed to be. Please, I apologize for what I’ve done, please allow me to clean this mess,” you pleaded, still trying to remove your arm from Izou’s grasp. Reluctantly, he let go and you immediately bowed deeply to him, practically parallel to the floor. You then took your tray and started cleaning up the plates that had clattered to the floor from earlier.

“ What do you mean you’re not allowed to be mated?” Izo asked, crouching on the floor next to you to pick up the dishes off the floor. You tried picking them up before he could, preventing him from aiding even though he’d caused the spill. You still wouldn’t look at him, instead focusing on cleaning the crumbs off the floor. 

“Please, Commander, sit, I don’t want you to sully your fine clothing. I, um, the family who I work for says that my debt is not paid off and that I can’t be mated until it is. Besides, no one has ever expressed interest, so…” you trailed off, tucking your hair behind your ear. Izo turned your face to his own with a gentle hand.

“I will speak to your family,” Izo declared, pushing off his knees to standing. Offering you a hand, you gently placed your calloused hand in his softer one as Izo pulled you to standing.

“ Please, don’t. I -” you started but Izo already knew the rest of the sentence as your scent turned sour from fear. You were afraid of reprisal from your adopted family, most likely from your eldest “brother.” 

“ You have nothing to fear. No harm will come to you. Can you trust me?” Izo asked, placing his fingertips under your chin and lifting your face. You looked up at him with your doe eyes and Izo knew in that instant you’d be coming with him on the ship. He’d been wavering on it since he smelled your scent but the fear in your eyes and the bruises on your arms told a story of their own.

“ I trust you, Commander Izo.” You hadn’t tried to scent him but he wondered if his presence was as calming to you as yours was to his. You picked up your tray and scurried to the back to begin working again.

“Who is it? I’m guessing whoever Wido is” Marco asked quietly. 

“Wido, likely the whole family. I’m not sure exactly what the situation is but it’s nothing good,” Izo commented, finally able to take a sip of the barley tea. He closed his eyes to enjoy the long forgotten taste on his tongue, the simple drink bringing his taste buds to life. “Let me finish the tea first then we’ll investigate,” Izo requested, taking another sip. 

A crash and a voice hissing in the back kitchen told him that wasn’t going to be the case. Izo exchanged a brief glance with Marco before standing so quickly he toppled his chair.

“You stupid bitch! You dropped all those plates? You’d better hope those pirates don’t dine and dash or it’s being added to your debt,” Izo heard the man whisper-yell. Already in motion, Izo had his gun in his hand as he passed through the half curtains into the kitchen. You were cowering from an ugly man, pig nosed just like his sister. He had your upper arms in his tight grip, bruising you even further. He was in the process of shaking you, your hair loose around your face where it had fallen from its style, your cheeks already stained with tears. Izo cocked his gun and pointed it at the man.

“Let go,” was all Izo had the ability to say through his anger. He wanted to shred the man with his bare hands but that would ruin his manicure. Wido let go of you, his arms lifting into the air in the universal image of surrender. 

“ Come here Tasuke,” he called to you in a soft voice. Looking first at Wido, who hadn’t moved since Izo had come into the kitchen, you looked at his gun pointed at your adopted “brother.”

“Come little Omega, I won’t hurt you,” he continued to coo at you as you tentatively came to his side. He put his arm around your shoulders, wrapping you in the scent and comfort of his winter kimono. 

“She’s leaving. For good,” Izo informed the paling man.

“B-but we need her, she’s -” Wido stammered. You gasped as Izo fired a warning shot, grazing the man’s ear. He screamed in pain and fell to the ground as if Izo had shot him in the stomach.

"Get up," Izo sneered to the crying man. He had no patience for those who would inflict violence on others but were weak to the smallest injury themselves.

“Let’s go,” Izo told the shaking Omega. He’d explain everything to Pops, he wasn’t worried about your reception. You could easily join Thatch’s division with your obvious talent in baking. He’d be there to help you every step of the way, basking in your scent all the while.

“Don’t know why you’d want the scentless bitch anyway, useless trash,” Izo heard Wido mutter under his breath as you left the kitchens. Marco frowned and stood up as Thatch finished off the rest of his tea and did the same, cracking his knuckles. He made eye contact with Ace and smiled. Ace’s eyes lit up with glee as his hands crackled with fire, the implication between them clear. 

“Have fun, Ace," Izo said, herding the Omega out of the shop. 

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