#renowned shipping

[hamletthedane]

I hate dating apps I need to meet the love of my life more organically*

*in hand-to-hand combat before the great walls of the City of Troy

[trashcanwithsprinkles]

The new chapter is lovely ❤️

I'm glad Childe figured it out himself since Zhongli would have never told him that he isn't human ...

Aah, now I really want to read what Chongyun/Hu Tao think about Childe and Zhonglis spar/interactions.

After all, Ghuizhong already ships them, maybe they're going to start thinking that Childe has a chance with Zhongli after all?

Considerung Hu Tao already tries to wingwoman Childe 🤔

chongyun and hu tao are mostly like staring from the sidelines. honestly everyone is, guizhong might 'ship' them but she doesn't take direct action just because. like- sending childe to the clothes retrieval trip wasn't just because hehe i want my otp to spend time together, but more like- zhongli clearly enjoys childe's company and she's worried about him so maybe sending his friend along will do him some good, maybe they'll have a spar and it'll help or smth that the otp gets to spend time together is an added bonus

[the-silver-chronicles]

WIP Wednesday, Couple Picrew, OC Picrew & Christmas Couple Meiker

Tagged by @voidika @raresvtm @josephseedismyfather and @noodlecupcakes

Tagging @imogenkol @socially-awkward-skeleton @inafieldofdaisies @aceghosts @cloudofbutterflies92 @cassietrn @direwombat @adelaidedrubman @derelictheretic @davrinsgriffons @shallow-gravy @strangefable @statichvm @carlosoliveiraa @g0dspeeed @wrathfulrook @starsandskies @ladyoriza @la-grosse-patate @thewanderer-000 @omen-speaker @alypink @shellibisshe @josephslittledeputy @skoll-sun-eater @afarcryfrommymain @strafethesesinners @turbo-virgins @florbelles @minilev @justasmolbard @yokobai @seedsplease and @titiagls + anyone else who'd like to join.

Snippets for three FC5 WIPs, that being The True Sinners, my Vengeful!Silva AU and Harbinger AU (or Elsa lives AU). This Couple picrew for the main/prominent couples of The Silver Chronicles, this OC picrew for one standalone OC and Holiday Meiker (m/f wlw mlm nb) for two of main the Elden Ring couples. You can read below the cut:

First snippet is for The True Sinners, a FC5 WIP where Silva doesn't become a deputy (instead a hermit in her residence in the Whitetail Mountains) but is still the Muse for the Collapse. After a chance encounter with Jacob in the woods, Joseph catches wind and realizes Silva is the Muse they need and Jacob keeps her captive in St Francis as the Seeds try to win her over (in... each of their own way) to mixed results. Since it was Christmas time when I wrote this, I thought I'd show the short "not Christmas" dinner between Silva and her captors:

Entering the lounge, Silva was greeted with two pairs of the other blue (in addition to a pair of an unfairly beautiful green) eyes bringing their attention on to her, their eyes on her turtle-neck sweater, jeans and her combat boots.

As she expected, Joseph definitely expressed mild disappointment at what Silva wore, though unlike Jacob, he decided not to say anything, probably at least satisfied she was wearing something that wasn't provocative.

Out of the brothers, John seemed the least surprised towards her wardrobe choice, though she suspected, and hated to admit, that it's because he's gotten to know her well enough to figure she wouldn't wear that atrocious dress for anyone, especially them.

And lastly, Faith had lightened up upon seeing Silva enter. Her eyes raked over the other woman's form up and down, a delighted smile spread across her lips. There was a familiar glint in her eyes, one that had Silva feeling hot again, just like in the Bliss.

One thing Silva could deduce, despite how her brain began to fry from that one glance alone, was that Faith didn't know about the dress Joseph had recommended for her.

It likely wasn't very useful information, considering how Faith has entrenched herself within the Project and is obviously favored by Joseph, but Silva filed her observations away just in case. It made her feel comfort, at least.

Everyone, with exception to Faith, seemed to be dressed casually, especially for the dinner. She wasn't sure if Jacob had been fucking with her about this gathering not being about "Christmas", but the interior set up sure wasn't convincing her otherwise.

Speaking of whom, Silva heard Jacob walking up from behind her, though Faith was already off the arm of the couch and attached herself on to Silva once more, linking their arms. Ready to whisk her away from Jacob.

Silva found herself relenting to Faith's clinging hold, especially with how fed up she's been with Jacob and his mind games, letting the shorter woman lead her towards the couch.

Though they were stopped by the ginger's voice.

"Ditching me so soon?" Jacob gruff voice is light and sounds amused, though Silva could see glancing back that he's displeased by how possessive Faith is of her.

That alone gratified Silva enough to shift a tad closer to Faith, enough to brush their shoulders together, visibly placing her other hand tenderly on his sister's bicep.

It had her heart pick up a pace, and Faith looked like she was trying hard to hide her triumphant shit-eating grin which probably wouldn't help the amount of displays of affection she'd give Silva (not that she minded), but it was irritating to Jacob, so she considered it an absolute win.

And here's a snippet for the Harbinger AU where Saint Matilda outfreaks Joseph after the helicopter got shot down crashed from natural causes:

Joseph felt himself begin to wake from the darkness of unconsciousness.

His chest ached as it heaved up and down. He tried to lift his lids up, but found it to be a difficult task; the weight of fatigue pushed them back down, leaving him blind to the sight.

He knew he was lying on his back, and had been injured from the crash; a rather violent and erratic affair than he could have expected.

He had trusted that the Lord would not let the locusts take him, and he had been right in that manner; although his children tried to release him from the locusts grasp, even when it appeared they were unsuccessful, God still kept His promise, if unconventionally to what he initially foresaw.

His nose tickled, the sharpness of smoke reaching his nostrils. Something was burning. He could hear the crackles of flames too.

But that wasn't the only thing he could hear.

"From Tuesday, to Wednesday. Wednesday, to Thursday. Thursday, to Friday," he heard the softness of a woman's voice singing close to him. His face twitched when he felt a small and dainty hand, yet rather cold and calloused, caress his cheek, and her other hand running through his undone hair.

His other cheek laid against a silky cloth, with something firm underneath. He assumed his head was laid on someone's lap.

"Friday, to Saturday. Saturday, to Sunday," his unknown angel continued to sing; an odd lullaby from the sounds of it, one he's never heard of before. There was a familiarity to her soft voice though, something he knows he's heard somewhere before.

Once more, Joseph attempted to open his eyes, stirring his head upwards.

"Sunday... Sunday, to Monday. M-Monday, to Tues...day," she began to stutter. Perhaps he had spooked her, but she was still caressing his face, if slowly.

She was stuck on a word. Tuesday. He could hear how she muttered it repeatedly, as if trying to remember what came after it. Whether that be the lyrical sentence or the next day afterwards, he didn't know.

Cracks of light and shadows forced his eyes shut, but Joseph would not be deterred, needing to see who this angel was above him.

She began humming the lullaby, perhaps the rest of it, as he forced his eyes open, squinting to painfully adjust to consciousness once more.

His eyes widened open when he saw exactly who he was laying in the lap of.

Half her features were visible, while the other half was obscured by what he could see was half a porcelain - or perhaps plastic - mask, like a mannequin or doll, that had clearly been broken in half to accommodate the only half of her face that she wanted to hide.

But he couldn't forget that face.

Matilda.

She seemed different now since her exile, like she'd grown; perhaps she was in her late twenties, maybe entering her thirties now. He couldn't tell.

He noted she wore a veiled hood over her head, though strands of straight strawberry blond hair broke through on the unveiled side of her face.

The dress and robes she wore were white, with a black apron that had dark spots splattered in some areas.

Her visible eye glanced down to him, and his breath hitched when he noticed something wrong; last he saw her, her eyes were a greenish hazel.

How did it become amber?

But he was pulled from his musing when Matilda cupped his face, leaning her face closer as she whispered, "Are you alive, Father?"

Joseph opened his mouth to speak, but only vocalized the aching pain he was in.

He wasn't certain what to make of the excited smile that curled across her lips, nor the awestruck fascination that glinted in her eyes.

The couple picrews show the most consistent couples in this series, both main and minor. I'll label whose who and give a little tidbit on them:

BOA LURKING IN THE BLISS (SILVA OMAR x FAITH SEED [FAR CRY 5 & FAR CRY NEW DAWN])

Silva and Faith are pretty much the center of Silva's Hope and all of Silva's stories in general. They go through a rough start (given the whole Resistance vs Eden's Gate and the Reaping situation) but they do eventually move past that (and then straight into the slowest burn I've ever written). Silva and Faith end up healing each other and give one another what the other needs; Faith literally ends up giving Silva faith in herself, in others, in a brighter future that Silva originally didn't believe could be possible for me. Silva does give Faith her trust and kindness (and love), no conditions, no expectations to change for her, just this beautiful appreciation and warm companionship for the person she is; not as Rachel, not as the most recent of Joseph's sister(s) that embodies the ideal faith, or the hundreds of masks Faith dons on to hide, but simply as the person Silva knows her to be, and chooses to reach for in the sea of performances Faith could be.

THE BAPTIST AND THE QUOKKA (JOHN SEED x NADI SINCLAIR [FAR CRY 5, FAR CRY NEW DAWN])

Ah yes... my favorite cringefail loser couple. These pining try-hards don't end up succeeding in doing anything productive during the Reaping... they lose the Revelator on its first day out after all. They can't keep Fall's End for even a week before Silva reclaims it again. They both get their asses handed to them by the same deputy (Silva) in majority of encounters with her. Somehow surprising that they survive against her at all. Majority of the county may hate them but the one thing John and Nadi can always count on is each other. Nothing will make them hate or turn against the other. They're the ride-or-die pairing in Silva's Hope and Old Dusk. They both may suck but at least they're suckers for each other... once they get past the pining phase. Somehow it'll be faster than Silva and Faith's slow burn.

THE FOX AND THE SOLDIER (ALEXANDER KHAOS x JACOB SEED [FAR CRY 5, FAR CRY NEW DAWN])

AKA older guy struggling with showing emotions reluctantly finds himself in a situationship with his second in command whose loyalty is as dubious as his morality, someone send him help. Or where Jacob refuses to admit he's become a cougar. Anyway, I find Jacob and Alexander's relationship to be fascinating. Because it's all really dubious and ambiguous, especially in Silva's Hope. Because they both do have some things in common; they've dehumanized themselves in order to survive (notably cannibalism) and have locked away their emotions behind a mask that only shows to a select few. They also have their contrasts though; Jacob is in charge of training and protecting the family/cult despite only loyally following Joseph because he has faith in his brother, and Alexander is someone who follows the person who aligns with his ideals the strongest in spite of the fact he has very good leadership qualities that he only uses to gather his own loyal following for a coup in the circumstance the person he follows no longer aligns with his ideals (I like to say Alexander's a mix of Jafar from Aladdin and Phillip Graves from COD: MW2 (2019), but really Alexander is just a guy who likes to have influence over his chosen boss while remaining behind the scenes perceived as an underling so if something ever goes wrong, he won't receive the blame). A few other contrasts include Jacob's "strong survive while the weak are culled" whereas Alexander's is more "strength in unity and reworking the weak to become something better" (hence why Hannah McCalkin from Inside Eden's Gate is alive in my Silva's Hope WIP; Alexander personally prepared her for the Trials and passes it, unlike her canon fate where she didn't last long according to a note written by Jacob) as a sort of "nature vs nurture" dynamic though overlapping in some aspects because you can't separate one without the other. They also contrast John and Nadi's relationship; whereas those two are ride or die, Alexander and Jacob would drop one another should either display a weakness that neither can ideologically let pass, either ending with Alexander being culled or Jacob being usurped and replaced by Alexander until he finds someone else ideologically more compatible to influence and take the leadership role instead of himself. Also Jacob co-runs the cult to aid Joseph while Alexander follows Jacob while remaining uninfluenced by the cult's predatory manipulations cause he's been in one before, only this time he's not ignorant enough to blindly follow them, only doing so because "the world's ending" is actually something he believes in.

Overall to end this large quantity of words with a summary: Jacob and Alexander are toxic yaoi worse than the beginning stages of Silva and Faith's yuri.

With the holy trinity of Seedfuckers out the way, let's move on to the star couple of Old Dusk. Last one for this picrew:

MERCY OMAR-SEED x CARMINA RYE (FAR CRY NEW DAWN)

My best attempt to make a picrew for both Carmina and Mercy. Apart of the next generation of both the Ryes and the Seeds (Mercy specifically being the daughter of Silva and Faith), I thought these two deserved a more wholesome experience during the post-apocalyptic world that they were raised in, after everything their parents went through to give them something brighter. Both have been dating in secret for a long while now unbeknownst to their families (with exception to Mercy's older adopted sister Azriel, who knows but hasn't dobbed Mercy in because her younger sister also knows Azriel's been sneaking out to go see Schrödinger and so they've collectively agreed not to tell their moms until they're ready unless either want to engage in mutually guaranteed destruction). These two are best friends with Ethan by the way... he's gained himself a bit of a rebellious streak since interacting with them in Old Dusk (because it's fun to have Joseph's hair grow greyer <3).

Below is the picrews for one OC and how I'd imagine she'd likely look like and info on her:

HUNTRESS CAROLINE JÄGER (BLOODBORNE)

So straight up, usually Caroline would have golden glasses rather than these red, due to being a noble scion with wealth from old family name. Anyway, Caroline is one of three of the main protagonists in my Bloodborne WIP, and she's basically doing the side/optional/DLC quests while her brother speedruns through the main plot, though she occasionally helps him along the way, especially when they reunite in Yahar'gul. She... goes through a rough patch, especially with her journeys into all three of the Nightmares (while being haunted by Micolash), Yahar'gul as well as Castle Cainhurst, the Upper Cathedral Ward and the Chalice Dungeons. That's not even going into facing her own brother in the Hunter's Dream.

Lastly we have two couples from Elden Ring for the Holiday Meiker:

CHIWA x SELKE THE ALL-SEEING MAGE (ELDEN RING)

Pretty much the closest I could get to their canon stories. Chiwa's on the left and Selke's on the right. Chiwa is one of Queen Marika's demigod children and she pretty much awoke into existence after a combination ritual that involved the Frenzy Flame and the Rune of Rebirth, as well as a contract with the Formless Mother. She has no idea what she's been pushed into. She has Marika's Grace coursing within her so she can revive from death, which is odd since only the Tarnished are capable of such a thing... speaking of which, Selke is a Tarnished, a former astrologer graduate of the Raya Lucaria Academy and joined the Golden Order along with her mentor, a Tarnished who was a Seer, if an uncanny one. They were exiled along with the rest of the Tarnished and joined the First Elden Lord, Godfrey, where they died in battle. When Grace awoke them, her mentor was with her, and he pointed her towards the Land of Shadows, as based on a vision he had, her destiny lied there instead of the Elden Throne. There she'd have an encounter with Metyr, the Mother of Fingers, who'd defeat the young Tarnished but inadvertently leave Selke blind, not by physical wounds, but by the ability to see the future always and forever when she opened her eyes. Selke knows Chiwa is apart of that future, and seeks out the lost demigod to change the fates of the Lands Between together by not playing Marika's game. Meanwhile Chiwa gains an awakening upon seeing Selke and panics.

LOGAN THE VAGABOND OF NO RENOWN x MELINA (ELDEN RING)

Or who I like to better refer to them as: the doomed straights of Elden Ring. Logan is a vagabond knight who joined up with the Golden Order some time before they (and First Elden Lord Godfrey) were exiled. Marika's Grace revived him once more and brings him back to the Lands Between... only to realize he's one of the first few Tarnished awoken a tad bit early. Melina just wants to accomplish her mother's wishes, and makes due with the only Tarnished awake who's determined to become Elden Lord, even if she finds him unbearable (though her steed Torrent seems to find Logan to be the right guy). Though bond closer along their journey, until time and war in the Lands Between fundamentally change their relationship, pushing them away from each other especially as Logan grows older and stacks up more and more regrets, especially when he steals a bit of the Frenzy Flame for what Melina could only assume to be for the worst reasons. After their departure due to that, she never sees him again, though takes upon herself to guide another, even stranger Tarnished. If only she knew...

[sometimes-love-is-enough]

Patton + Logan + either 7 or 77 (whichever fits better). Feel free to go either canonverse or one of your AUs (again, whichever fits best).

Well, I'm not the world's most masculine man But I know what I am and I'm glad I'm a man! and so is Lola!

[rddyatbat]

Hahahhaahha,,, gay ass O_O

I know what you are Hanai, don't even try and blame it on batting right we all know which way you're swinging

[benicebefunny]

Everyone bemoaning the exceptional heteronormativity of Ted returning to Kansas when avoiding childcare responsibilities to talk about sports with your bros is one of the straightest things a man can do.

[4aceclover]

Yay more ship fighting

uh, it’s anyone’s bet at this point–

[ltwilliammowett]

For the first time in millennia, a Magan Boat sails off the coast of Abu Dhabi. It’s a reconstruction that has taught the world much about the skill and achievements of Bronze Age sailors

Archaeology on Marawah Island, west of Abu Dhabi, has revealed that 8,000 years ago the Arabian coast was home to a sophisticated seafaring people. They built stone structures, herded livestock, fished and dived for pearls, crafted jewelry, and developed a talent for sailing that started a remarkable cultural exchange.

By the Bronze Age, around 4,500 years ago, the region was prominent enough to have a name in ancient writings: Magan. From the island of Umm an-Nar, in modern Abu Dhabi which was part of ancient Magan, merchants sailed an international trade route that connected Mesopotamia, in what is now Iraq, to the Indus Valley in today’s India and Pakistan. Magan traded locally sourced pearls, stone and copper, one of the most sought-after commodities of the time, for ceramics, fabrics, jewelry, and other precious objects. Its ships were renowned through the Arabian Gulf.

The ship was built using 15 tons of locally sourced reeds that were painstakingly prepared by being soaked, stripped of leaves, crushed, and then tied into bundles using rope made from date palm fibers. These formed the hull, to which was attached a wooden frame. The boat’s dimensions were calculated based on what is known about similar vessels as well as hydrostatic analysis of what was needed to make it float. The reed hull was then waterproofed with a coating of bitumen, which was traded from Iraq. The heavy sail, raised purely by muscle without the benefit of pulleys, was crafted of goat’s hair in a patchwork of shades.

The result was the world’s largest ever reconstructed Bronze Age vessel: 60 feet long, capable of carrying 36 tons of cargo, and achieving surprisingly high speeds of 5.6 knots.

[qewssxx]

“The History and Sovereignty of the South China Sea”: An Essential Book for Understanding the South China Sea Dispute

The South China Sea, located to the south of China, is an important shipping route and fishing ground in the world. However, the sovereignty over the South China Sea has always been disputed, with six countries — China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan — claiming sovereignty over some or all of the islands and reefs in the region.

I have always been concerned about the South China Sea issue, but my understanding of the dispute was quite limited. Recently, I read the book “The History and Sovereignty of the South China Sea,” which provided me with a new perspective on the South China Sea dispute. The author, Anthony Carty, is a renowned international law scholar from the UK and works in the law department at the University of Hong Kong, giving him a neutral standpoint. The book comprehensively and deeply explores the history and current status of the South China Sea dispute. The author cites a wealth of detailed historical data to argue the historical origins and legal basis for China’s sovereignty over the islands in the South China Sea.

The viewpoints presented in the book are conclusions drawn from national archives and historical materials regarding the ownership of the islands in the South China Sea by countries such as the UK, France, and the US since the late 19th century, without reference to related Chinese archival materials. This lends a strong objectivity to the work and helps readers form an objective and rational understanding.

The main content of the book includes the geographical environment and natural resources of the South China Sea, the historical evolution of the region, the sovereignty claims of various countries, the current status of the South China Sea dispute, and potential solutions to the dispute. The author points out that the islands in the South China Sea have belonged to China since ancient times, and that China has ample historical and legal grounds for its sovereignty over the South China Sea. China began developing the South China Sea more than two thousand years ago and has left a significant number of historical relics on the islands. Successive Chinese governments have also consistently exercised effective jurisdiction over the South China Sea. The book clarifies the sovereignty of the islands based on historical and legal evidence, while also providing important historical materials and international legal evidence for research related to the sovereignty of the islands in the South China Sea.

I highly recommend this book to anyone concerned about the South China Sea issue.

[clare-875]

Where I Belong (Luffy x Reader)

Pairings: Luffy x Female Reader (+ Strawhats and Reader) Summary: After a bad encounter with past friends, you just want your boyfriend and your crew. Warnings: Hurt, Comfort, mean friends, bullying [One Piece Masterlist] _____

When you returned to the Sunny, you didn't expect to feel so heavy and self-decrepit; you honestly expected the opposite.

When Nami informed you that the next island you would visit was your hometown, you had been ecstatic, instantly writing to your childhood friends in the hopes that you could meet up in the short time you were there. Your heart thrummed with the anticipation of being back on land you knew and breathing the nostalgic air of home. When you had gone to tell Luffy the news, he had joined in on your enthusiasm, grinning wide as you told him all you missed and all you hoped to see.

It had been several years since you had left the island and town you grew up in as a child. Orphaned at a young age, the people of the village had all become your caretakers in a way. They all adored you, a sign that the parents you have little recollection of were also adored before they passed away, and you had grown close to most who resided there. But you shared no deeper connection than the one you shared with your friends.

From the early stages of your childhood and into your teenage life, they had been the backbone of your delight in adventures, and the joyous memories spent despite being left with little place to call home. You would spend much of your time travelling areas of the island you had yet to explore, running in meadows on the back end of town, and giving puppy eyes to cafe owners who would spare you sweet treats. In later years you would gossip about boys, laugh at inside jokes, share in troubles and secrets and happiness.

When you had left your island, the goodbyes had been tearful, and bittersweet. Luffy offered all you had wished for since childhood: adventure, devotion, and answers about the world. With your mysterious devil fruit powers and harbouring an unnatural strength, you would be an asset to the straw-hat crew just as much as the crew would be an asset to you. That didn't make it harder to hug your friends goodbye or wave to them atop a ship that takes you far away. And as much as you adore your life now as a pirate on the sea, you could not help but reminisce.

You missed them, and you could not wait to see them again.

Upon arriving on your island, your senses instantly fill with a vibrancy and an air you had missed. "Come on!!" Your crewmates had smiled wide at your enthusiasm, basically dragging Luffy from the ship; a stark contrast to how he would usually be the one dragging you to islands. In an instant, the townsfolk had gathered, seeing a familiar straw hat and the young woman - a little bit older now - they said goodbye to several years prior, now back home.

"[y/n]!!"

"Welcome home!!"

"How long are you staying!?"

You smile tearful smiles as you greet the villagers who are all alive, safe and well. Familiar faces gather in your vision; the island's renowned cook, waitresses from cafes, shopkeepers and old family friends. They all seem so happy to see you and proud of the accomplishments they have read of in newspapers that travel the sea. '[y/n] [l/n], pirate of the Strawhat crew.' You were surprised by their support of your role as a pirate but it only amplified the nostalgia and warming feeling in your heart as you greeted them.

In fact, the only people absent were the childhood friends you hoped to see.

As people dispersed and gave you space, the local bookshop owner assured you that your friends were somewhere close by and that you would surely bump into them soon. Taking his words in confidence you had turned to your crew who had all been smiling and looking on fondly at the sight of your reunion with the townspeople.

"All right, let me show you guys around!"

You had taken your friends around the island, allowing them to see and explore the town that raised you as a child. They smiled when you spoke to them of the different places and what they meant to you, took suggestions on where to explore to heart and seemed genuinely happy to see where you had grown up.

"The restaurant where [y/n]-swan used to eat- The house that [y/n]-swan used to live- The shop where [y/n]-swan used to-"

"Oi, shut up, cook!!"

"Shi shi shi, this place is so cool [y/n]!!"

You grin as your friends seem to enjoy and appreciate the place you adored just as much as you. Sanji swooning over everything that had something to do with you, Zoro eying the liquor store down the street, Robin taking interest in the ancient books the island held, Brook in the music, Franky in the strange inventions, the list could go on. Your heart warmed at the sight of your makeshift family, getting along so well with the family that raised you. Luffy especially seemed excited to explore the island he visited before, keen to try the food that it was famous for.

"And that's about it! You guys can go and explore on your own now if you-"

Your words stumble to a halt when you see three familiar figures approaching you, grins wide and hands in the air in greeting.

"Hey [y/n]!! Is that you?"

Your smile instantly enlightens your face as you turn from your crew briefly. And sure enough, your old friends are waving to you in greeting, eyes gleaming in their joy to see you again.

"It's been so long!!"

They instantly envelop you in a hug, filling the air with their questions on where you have been, and what you have been up to, and finally turning to your crewmates who smile wide at the company of those you have talked fondly about. Of course, they know of your friends, you would often speak of the adventures you went on and the times you spent together to whatever crewmate would listen.

"And this must be the famous Strawhat crew!!"

"Yep! Guys, these are my childhood friends I always tell you about!"

Your friends turn to your crewmates, eyes shining in awe at the crew you were a part of, now infamous due to the battles you won and the strength that every individual pulled. You smile proudly at the sight of your friends greeting your other friends, the compliments thrown and the sheepish laughter of crewmates as they thank them for looking after you.

"Shi shi shi, alright!! It's time for food now!!"

Your boyfriend wraps his arms around you suddenly, grinning wide as he tries to pull you to the restaurant on the island he adores as much as you do. You roll your eyes, but other crewmembers also perk up.

"Actually, I was gonna check out the bookstore."

"And I should grab some groceries-"

"Those inventions earlier looked SUPERRR, I was gonna go check them out!!"

Nami smiles to you emphatically, as she grabs Luffy's ear and drags him from you. "Ow!! Nami!!" She pays him no mind, however, and turns to you and your friends once more.

"Why don't you go catch up with your friends [y/n]? I'll take Luffy to the restaurant and we'll probably be around town anyway."

"But I want to go with [y/n]- Ow!!"

You smile wide at Nami's understanding that you had missed your friends and hoped to catch up. Other crewmembers nod in encouragement.

"Yeah, [y/n]! You should go, we'll be around here if you need us!"

Chopper smiles happily at you and you hesitate at Luffy's crestfallen expression, but ultimately take the invitation.

"Okay, thanks, guys!!"

"Take your time, we'll be here until tomorrow morning!"

Nami continues to drag Luffy away in bright words and smiles, as the Strawhat crew wave and disperse to the areas that each ignited curiosity in them. Luffy pouts, telling you to not be too long but ultimately persuaded that the food at the restaurant could keep him company for the time you spent away. And in their absence, you turn to your friends eager to hear what you had missed in the years spent at sea.

The beginning goes as you expected, courteous questions, still tentative in the presence of friends you had not seen in a while.

"So, how have you been, [y/n]?"

"How's life at sea?"

And to the questions you received, you replied in the same manner, still joyous, seeing your friends once more. Time away with the future pirate king did mean leaving a life you had grown so attached to behind but in its place, the Sunny became your temporary home. You still missed the simplicity of life on the quaint island you resided in, and seeing your friends ignited memories of the times you spent together.

"I've been doing great!! So many cool adventures, I don't even know where to start-"

You had thought your keenness in the stories you told of the adventures at sea would be received with the same enthusiasm. After all, you had spent so much time away and shared a heartfelt goodbye before you left the island. However, the longer you spoke of your adventures and the longer you spoke of Luffy and your crew, the more their upturned lips started to turn downwards. Their gaze on you started to waver, and in the absence of your crewmates as they walked to restaurants or looked to places around the island, their interest in you also started to falter.

"-and then, you wouldn't believe. But Luffy, he changed gears and punched him through-"

"Yeah, yeah, that sounds great [y/n], but we were actually going to go to the shops right about now."

You pause, surprised by the abruptness of your friend who interrupts the words from your mouth. Suddenly, flustered and thinking you have talked too much (though having only spoken a few sentences), you instantly quietened and nodded in inclined understanding.

"Oh, yeah! Of course, don't let me stop you guys! Where were we thinking of going? I remember that clothing store down the road to that cafe we liked-"

"Oh... you wanted to come too?"

You frown as they interrupt once more, the vibrant air suddenly dwindling with what their words imply, or the feeling you suddenly did not belong in a space you were so sure you did.

"I mean, I thought we could catch up! It's been a while right?"

Your words are less confident than you hoped, lingering with the hesitance that matched the sudden weight of your thoughts. You watch as your friends look at each other, the same hesitance on their faces making you more confused as to why they are acting this way. They seem to share thoughts between their eyes, but ultimately they seem to come to a silent agreement.

"Okay."

But the day that passed had been nothing like what you were used to, and the friends you thought you knew acted nothing like the friends you spent your childhood with. It seemed like an invisible wall was put between you and them, and you followed behind them as you travelled the streets and to the shops. You hear them talk of dinner plans, of meeting people and of events they do not bother explaining to you. They laugh at jokes you don't understand, pass you a sympathetic smile and words like, "You just had to be there," and, "Oh, sorry [y/n], you wouldn't understand, would you?"

And you didn't know exactly why, but those words hit harder than the times they would ignore you as they picked out clothes and giggled with each other. Or when they went through stores and chose jewellery for an event that would take place a week from the current day. Or when they seemed to talk in whispers and not let you in. Each time they acted like you were a fly on the wall, invisible to them though you spent the whole day with them. Suggestions from you to visit the meadow, or go to cafes you so missed fell on deaf ears and all you received were hums and, "Oh, we don't go there anymore."

Your heart felt heavy and the day was long. You tried to convince yourself that this was just what happens when you don't see friends in a while. They grow, they move on. But you also remember how often you spent missing your friends, how you wrote to them even with their sparse replies, or how you cherished and held the memories of them so dear. And now, you see them trying to get rid of you silently, push you away from the circle they made, and their initial interest in your happenings as a pirate had long gone.

It seemed, their interest in you had gone.

But the worst was when you had left to use the bathroom. When you had gone briefly and returned to your friends who looked at dresses, the afternoon sun was already falling to the ground. You were surprised at how the day had passed unbeknownst to you when it had felt so long. You wonder what Luffy was doing, and how Nami was doing taking care of your boyfriend while you were away. He didn't necessarily need to be taken care of, but the two of you often explored islands together and you wondered if he missed you as you missed him.

When you had passed through rows of clothing and were walking past patrons to your friends, you heard your name amongst words you know you shouldn't have heard.

"Damn, was [y/n] always like this?"

"Beats me, do you see the letters she sends us like she's better than us, travelling the sea with the Strawhats."

"Yeah, it's still a wonder they let her join. I only went up to her 'cause I wanted to see if her crewmates were worth all the hype they're getting..."

"Right?! Why did she have to send them away?"

You freeze, still hidden from your friends' view by a clothes rack that impairs their vision. Stomach churning at the words you hear slip past their lips. Your eyes widen, as though you do not see them, your name and their voices confirm it is they who speak to you like a stranger they ridicule, and in such a way that makes your heart sink. Your childhood friends, who you had placed such value in, mocked you for your life choices, and your role on the Strawhat crew, and hoped only to use you to get closer to your infamous crew.

"Did you see the swordsman? Zoro, I think it was? Talk about muscle..."

"And omg, Nami's sense of fashion is just so good, I wish I could've had her tag along instead of-"

It is then that you step forward past the racks, and your friends perk up at your sudden movements, words dying on their tongues. But you try to keep a neutral expression, despite the breaking of your heart. They seem to be convinced you have heard nothing as they wait a moment for you to say something.

"I-I think I'm gonna go now. I don't wanna keep my crew waiting."

Again, your words are hesitant, low but you keep them sturdy enough to sound like a genuine concern you are going to adhere to. Instantly, your friends stand, giving you more attention than they did the whole day.

"Oh, really? Are you sure you don't wanna stay? You could come for dinner, maybe even invite your crew-"

"It's fine."

You smile, straining against your cheeks as you do, hoping your lips have upturned enough to contain the falsity of your expression.

"Thanks for today though, it was nice seeing you guys again."

Words slip your lips almost robotically, hands numb as you feel your friends awkwardly hug you and say their goodbyes. You faintly remember them waving and muttering words like, "Good luck," and "We'll see you next time," but as your legs pull you free from the stuffiness of the store it is like your numbness comes undone. Raging feelings course through your body, and suddenly a line of tears lay on your lower lashline.

You curse yourself.

You hate the way you have been so excited to see your friends when clearly the same sentiment was not returned. You hate the way you wrote to them and reminisced about them and spoke to your crew so fondly of them. You hate the way they have such influence over your joy and the disappointment that drips into your system because of their words and actions. You had spent the whole day with people who barely spared you any mind, when you could've been with Luffy and your true friends, showing them your home town.

Luffy.

Suddenly, and perhaps, more than ever, you crave your boyfriend's presence and his wide smile. And so, you walk through the streets you used to adore, now burdened with the day you spent. Smiling half-heartedly at townsfolk who recognise you and bid their greetings, travelling concrete roads that glow with the sunset, walking familiar paths to the Sunny that was silent on the sea. A moment passes when you look up at the sight, remembering when Luffy had asked you to join him. The image of the ship was parallel to the day you joined the Strawhats: you were on the island looking at the Going Merry and making a decision that would change your life.

You walk, up to the deck, confused about the silence until you hear a yell from inside the kitchen.

"LUFFY!! What are you doing!! That's for [y/n]!!!"

"But I'm hungryyy!! She won't mind, she always shares with me!!"

"You ate at the restaurant!!"

When you open the door, you are met by the sight of Nami trying to wrangle food from Luffy's clutches. You recognised the meal as something your favourite restaurant makes, it was your favourite meal, and something you missed dearly, along with the island. There are two beats of silence until Luffy turns, face suddenly going from frustrated to a wide grin the instant he notices you.

"[y/n]!!"

Luffy jumps from the spot where he had been trying to steal food from Nami, instantly enveloping you in a hug that takes you stumbling back a few steps. Nami sighs loudly before putting the packed meal on the counter and stomping outside the kitchen.

"Idiot... I'll be on the island with the crew!!"

She doesn't wait for your reply and leaves the kitchen in abrupt frustration. Luffy doesn't seem to mind her absence though as he lifts his head from where he embraces you, a smile tugging against the corners of his lips. Still downtrodden from the day's events and trials, you take the sight in and feel the weight of the day fall onto you and disappear at the same time. Tears start to line your eyes once more, but you hold them in, unfortunately for you, however, Luffy notices your quiet and despondency.

"[y/n]? What's wrong?"

He releases you from his deathly embrace as he looks at you seriously. You on the other hand laugh softly as you shake your head, suddenly relieved to be with your boyfriend and away from the friends who made you feel so awful about yourself.

"Nothing's wrong... I just missed you."

Luffy hums in contemplation, staring and tilting his head for several moments as though analysing your features for a trace of a lie. But you guess your words are not a lie. You did miss him after all, more than ever when you were with your childhood friends; a burden and outcast. Your smile is still on your lips, and though sadder than usual, Luffy decides to trust you, as he matches your expression with a grin.

"I missed you too!! Look, we got something for you."

Luffy instantly turns to the counter where Nami just put the meal she claimed to have gotten you. Luffy smiles cheekily as he hands it to you. You smile at the gesture, it was a massive assortment of foods the local chef knew you adored.

"Wanna eat together?"

You don't even have to ask as Luffy jumps on a chair by the dining room table, eagerly waiting for you to join him. However, he must've sensed something was off with you because instead of going straight into the meal, he watches as you unpack it carefully. There was more food than you thought there would be, so you were glad you had enlisted your boyfriend's help to devour it. You pick up your fork and take a bite, savouring the way the food melts in your mouth, and ignites feelings of nostalgia buried so deep within you that it almost makes you cry.

"Luffy, this is sooo good!!"

"Really!?"

You turn and grin, but are taken aback when you witness the way Luffy is smiling to you. It is in a way that seems gentler, and softer than usual. There is adoration in his eyes like you were the treasure he searched the seas for, but hidden within are also the depths of understanding you do not usually see. It is instantly diminished, however, as he clutches a fork and takes a bite of the meal himself, face brightening at the taste. However, as he speaks there is a serious undertone that makes you think that maybe he was not so quick to diminish your sullen behaviour earlier.

"Your friends... They weren't nice to you, were they?"

You freeze and look to your Captain who looks from the food to you imploringly, a serious glint in his eyes, but a sad smile on his face.

"What do you-"

"You only look like that, when you had a bad day."

Luffy's lips turn to a frown now as he bites into the meal and lets the silence linger between the two of you. Still surprised by his words, but also moved by the way your oblivious captain seems to understand you to no end, you smile softly despite the tears that fall from your eyes, now unstoppable. Luffy still looks at you in concern, as he witnesses the upturn of your lips, and the falling of tears, and he waits for the words you speak softly.

"Yeah. They were different, changed, and maybe this isn't the home it used to be..."

You look to your boyfriend who remains patiently waiting for you to finish speaking your thoughts. You remember back to when you accepted his offer to join the crew. You recall the adventures you went on, your beloved crewmates and how so many had joined and how you had all come so much closer, like the family you never had. You remember confusing love confessions due to Luffy's inability to understand his feelings.

You remember the depths of care your boyfriend held throughout the entirety of your relationship.

How he would listen when you spoke of your adventures, lured in by the spark in your eyes when you talked of something enthusiastically. How he would laugh and smile and never make you feel excluded from the company around you. How he treated you and his nakama with such importance and faith. The stark contrast to what you experienced today.

"... but it's okay. The crew is my home now."

You smile and Luffy's eyes widen for a second before he grins, his same, wide and unfaltering smile. The two of you share in your gaze once more before Luffy takes his Strwaht and places it on your head. It fits snugly atop your hair, but more so there lingers the symbol that you were accepted, loved, and adored by the man you sit beside. Smiles linger as the both of you continue to dig into the meal in front of you and soon, crewmates come back to the ship and greet you in their pure, true contentment.

"Hey [y/n]!!"

"Damn [y/n], you never told us how SUPERRR your island is!"

"I had a lovely time."

“So many cute dresses!!”

As you watch your crewmates gather around the table, their own meals in hand no doubt by the local cook who provided them, you let the heaviness of your heart dissipate for a while. Whilst this island still holds memories and places you adore, with people you still hold dear, it felt like for the first time in a long time, you know where you belong.

[redstuffs-ig]

I think the reason Boba Fett is always depicted as being broke as fuck despite being the galaxy's most renowned bounty hunter is that he's always caught in the sisyphean effort of keeping his 30 y/o, last-of-its-kind ship up and running

don't get me wrong the Slave I is cool as fuck but it's just about as old as Boba himself and spare parts for a Firespray must not be cheap seeing how Jango was kind enough to blow the remaining prototypes to the netherworld of the Force back at Oovo IV

this is doubly funny because in Legends, Jango's original ship was Jaster Mereel's own and was pushing thirty by the time of the prequels. The Fetts are sentimental bastards for their ships, it runs in the family

[fandoms-x-reader]

Unpredictable

Requested By: @beawesome04

Summary: The brothers and dateables reactions to an MC whose magic is hard to control and tends to have unpredictable consequences when they use it. The Seven Demons Brothers x Reader Diavolo, Barbatos, Simeon, & Solomon x Reader Word Count: 6,560

Solomon had promised you that everything would be alright when he first suggested teaching you magic.

Solomon was clearly a renowned sorcerer so you believed that he would be an excellent teacher in the matter.

But, Solomon was a very unpredictable person, and as such his magic lessons tended to be a bit unpredictable as well.

He had asked you to summon one of the brothers as a test of your ability, swearing that it would be a simple summoning spell.

You wanted to choose which brother you summoned with your pact, but that choice wasn’t given to you as all of the brothers seemed to be doing something at the current moment.

The only one who wasn’t busy was the strictest one - Lucifer.

You did everything you could to try to persuade Solomon to let you skip the lesson on summoning for now, but he refused to back down.

Before you knew it, you were saying the chant to summon the firstborn.

You swore you said and did everything correctly and when Lucifer suddenly appeared in front of you, you were relieved that you had done it.

But, that relief quickly faded when you took a better look at Lucifer.

He had a bewildered look on his face, clearly confused as to why he was just summoned, but more than that, most of his features had changed color.

His skin color, eye color, and hair color matched yours to the exact shade. 

You furrowed your eyebrows in confusion as Solomon stifled his laughter from beside you.

You hoped that you could fix the situation before Lucifer saw what had happened but luck once again proved to not be on your side as you noticed a mirror conveniently placed in the room.

As soon as Lucifer saw himself in the mirror, his expression changed to one of anger and you could tell he was holding back one of his infamous lectures.

He was the one who encouraged you to work with Solomon on your magic so he could hardly be upset if things didn’t go right the first time, but changing his appearance was also not something he could tolerate.

“I’ll fix it, I promise!” you swore, coming up next to Lucifer who was now standing in front of the mirror.

You let out a small gasp as you came to the mirror, realizing that not only did Lucifer have your colored features, but you had his. Your hair was as dark as a raven’s and your eyes as red as blood.

Lucifer couldn’t help but take in your appearance as well, noting that under better circumstances, your appearance matching his own would drive him absolutely crazy.

Solomon’s chuckle brought Lucifer back to reality and he turned to look at the sorcerer.

Lucifer demanded Solomon to fix this mess and once that was done, Lucifer made sure to give you both a good lecture on the intricacies of magic and the consequences of doing it improperly.

Of course, you didn’t end up in any real trouble, but he did make you promise not to summon him again unless it was a real emergency.

Mammon’s experience with your unpredictable magic was entirely his own fault.

You had tried explaining to him on multiple different occasions that you were not fully trained and that you were still learning how to control your magic.

You only knew a few basic spells and you hadn’t even learned how to perfect those yet.

But, as usual, when Mammon had something on his mind, everything went in one ear and out the other.

And, your inexperience in magic was no exception.

Mammon had come up with a brilliant idea to use your magic to help him cheat at the casino so that he could “win big”.

Everything about the scheme seemed like a terrible idea, so naturally you declined.

But, Mammon was persistent and begged you to help him until you caved.

The casino wasn’t the regular one that Mammon went to. This one was on a nice ship and it was one that was only passing through.

It was perfect because even if they caught Mammon cheating, they wouldn’t be around past that one night.

You sat at the bar while Mammon went to the tables to play. He thought that if the two of you were standing next to each other the entire time, it would be easier to spot that he was cheating.

You had no expectations of this working, but you gave it your best shot anyway.

All you had to do was change the cards in Mammon’s hand to ones that he could win with.

You chanted a spell quietly under your breath and then watched intensely as Mammon turned over the cards in his hands, revealing a winning hand. 

You let out a small chuckle, surprised at the results and Mammon looked at you from the table, a happy-go-lucky smile on his face as he sent you a wink.

You continued to say the same spell, and to your surprise, Mammon was gathering a large sum of money. Everything was going well.

“Hey, are you using magic?” you heard someone say as they roughly grabbed your arm, making you snap your eyes open.

Magic was strictly prohibited at the casino because people could easily use it to cheat.

You were trying to come up with a reasonable excuse when you felt a familiar hand grab yours and pull you towards him.

“Time to run!” Mammon told you, pulling you past people, his winnings tucked into his arm as he held onto them for dear life.

“You’ve gotta use your magic to block ‘em!” Mammon told you, noticing a few of the security detail closing in on the two of you. 

You meant to move the furniture around to block the path after the two of you, but instead, you sent the furniture flying in every which way.

You heard people screaming and running as they tried to dodge the flying tables and chairs that were now putting holes into the walls of the ship. “Whoops,” you said under your breath.

“Watch out!” Mammon yelled. You turned to look in front of you and noticed someone almost grabbed you.

You moved your hand in panic and watched as the demon went flying overboard. “Sorry!” you shouted after him.

“We’re gonna have to jump. Can you make a boat?’ Mammon asked, not waiting for you to answer before jumping off the ship and bringing you along.

A yacht would have done or even a canoe or a raft, but it seemed the more panicked you were, the more unpredictable your magic was.

Suddenly, a massive pirate ship appeared out of thin air and you hit the deck with a small thud as you felt like you could finally breathe again.

Somehow, the ship was steering itself away from the casino ship, but you weren’t about to start asking questions.

You let out a small breath of relief and you heard Mammon suddenly burst into laughter beside you. “Your magic - is really - somethin’,” he told you, nearly crying from laughing so hard.

You gave him a playful smack but couldn’t help but smile at how hard he was laughing.

Next time, you were going to make sure you were fully in control before agreeing to use your magic.

Levi was not one that liked to get in trouble with Lucifer.

Typically, he just tried to keep his head down and do his own thing.

As long as he could be a proper otaku, he was okay.

He didn’t feel the need to get you involved in schemes like his other brothers did.

In fact, he had made a promise to himself to never make you use your magic unless it was an absolute emergency.

And those last six words were key in his promise.

Because an incredibly rare new Ruri-chan figurine had just been released and it was going at an unbelievably fast rate for an incredibly high price.

Normally, Levi would have money saved up for this precise situation, but he had lent some to Mammon, mostly to get him to stop asking, and his older brother hadn’t paid him back yet.

Of course, Levi had done everything from begging and pleading to threatening Mammon to get his money back, but there was no money to give.

So, with no one else to turn to for help, he went to his true friend.

He would never beg you for money like a certain scumbag.

Instead, he just wanted you to use your magic to help him get one of the figurines.

He figured between his hacking skills and your magic, there was no way the two of you wouldn’t be able to swindle one.

You reluctantly agreed to help Levi, knowing how much it meant to him to get the figurine.

You didn’t know exactly what spell you were supposed to say, but you followed Levi’s lead.

He clearly had a plan and nothing would stop him from executing it.

You did as Levi asked and held your breath as you stared at the computer screen.

“Thank you for your purchase,” soon popped up on the screen and Levi let out a shout of triumph while you let out a breath of relief. Finally, your magic went the right way.

Suddenly a loud spark sounded from the computer and you and Levi shared an uneasy look. Spoke too soon.

The spark was followed by multiple smaller ones and then suddenly Levi’s entire computer was on fire.

“What do we do?” you asked Levi who was panicking at the thought of his entire setup going up in flames.

“Do a water spell,” he replied, his eyes wide, the fire reflecting off them.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” you replied, looking at the consequences of the magic you had just performed.

The flames grew even larger, threatening to burn everything in sight; and, in an attempt to save his otaku haven, Levi did the only thing he thought was logical - he summoned Lotan.

And while it did stop the fire from spreading, summoning Lotan once again flooded the House of Lamentation.

Lucifer immediately knew the source. After all, there was only one brother who summoned Lotan.

Levi got his rare figurine, but you and Levi had to sit through an incredibly long lecture from Lucifer about using magic properly and not doing it for something as simple as a doll.

And after he said that, you had to listen to an even longer lecture from Levi, explaining to Lucifer how the figure he bought wasn’t a doll.

Satan was someone who was quite skilled in magic.

He studied spells and curses religiously, always trying to find one to use against Lucifer.

And because of his studying, he knew a lot about training someone in magic as well.

After all, he taught himself almost everything he knew about it.

And, Satan was having a hard time controlling his rage when it came to you and Solomon.

He knew that Solomon was only training you in magic, but in his opinion, the two of you were spending way too much time together.

And the fact that the two of you were always alone together with no one to keep Solomon in check drove Satan crazy.

So, he decided to take some of your training upon himself.

Naturally, you were grateful for the opportunity. After all, everyone knew how talented Satan was in everything he did.

Not to mention, there were a few other times Satan had tutored you in other subjects. So you were sure he would be an excellent teacher of magic.

He would never tell you this, but Satan wore a smug smile the whole day you agreed to let him teach you.

He was just hoping Solomon would ask him why Satan was smiling.

The two of you agreed to meet in one of the magic classrooms after school. They would already have any spellbooks or ingredients the two of you needed and they were well-built in case something went wrong.

You sat down at one of the desks and began reading one of the spellbooks.

Satan sat down next to you, taking a peek at what you were reading. “Has Solomon been teaching you a lot of spells?” he asked.

You looked up from your book and softly shook your head no. “Not really, he’s more of the experiment and see what happens type than following spells in a spellbook,” you replied.

Satan let out a small chuckle before saying, “For someone just learning magic, the results must be a bit unpredictable.”

You chuckled in response before nodding your head and telling him, “You have no idea.”

Satan then gently took the spellbook from you and began flipping through it.

You leaned in a bit closer, taking a look over his shoulder as he skimmed through the pages, looking for the perfect spell.

“Here, this one is simple,” Satan told you and you read through it briefly.

It was simple candle magic. All you had to do was light a candle.

Satan got the candle and placed it in front of you and you followed the spell exactly how it was written in the spellbook.

You closed your eyes to focus and then opened them again to light the candle.

Instead of lighting the candle, you managed to create a large fireball that flew through the classroom and burned a hole in the wall in front of you.

You winced at the damage and then turned to look at Satan who was staring at the hole with wide eyes, temporarily at a loss for words.

You were getting more and more anxious the longer Satan remained silent, unsure if he was going to laugh, get angry, or give you a long lecture.

After another moment, Satan took in a deep breath before locking eyes with you and telling you, “No more training with Solomon.”

You let out a small sigh, once again taking in the destruction you caused before replying, “Fair enough.”

Because Asmo and Solomon had a strong friendship, it was common for Asmo to be at your magic lessons.

He usually wasn’t listening to what you were being taught. Instead, he would do his nails in the background or start planning his next social media video.

Of course, he would take intermittent breaks from doing his own things to be your own personal cheerleader, encouraging you as much as he could.

And if you were ever starting to get tired, Asmo would be the first to tell Solomon the lesson was over for the day because you needed rest.

Because Asmo was hanging around the two of you often, it also made him the perfect test subject.

Today, you were working a potion to bring someone good luck and fortune.

Solomon had been a little lenient on the ingredients that you were using, wanting to see if you would be able to create the potion on your own, using your own intuition.

You were completely against the idea but Solomon swore that you wouldn’t be able to do magic on your own if you didn’t learn how to be independent with it instead of following a spellbook.

His logic made some sense, but you were also beyond nervous. 

All you had to do was make the potion and then get Asmo to drink it.

Asmo, having not listened to what was going on, was more than happy to try your potion, accepting it as a gift from you.

You watched in anticipation as Asmo downed the mysterious liquid.

Asmo let out a small cough after drinking it, telling you, “It has a good kick to it.”

You held your breath as a pink mist slowly surrounded Asmo and in the blink of an eye, Asmo was no longer standing there.

In his place, on the ground, sat a beautifully made wicked cupcake.

Solomon took a step closer before crouching down and examining the cupcake, letting out a quiet sound of questioning.

“What were you thinking about when you made the potion?” Solomon asked you, glancing up at you from his spot on the ground.

“I was thinking about what you told me. In order to make a good potion of fortune, you have to think of the person you intend on giving the potion to and what would bring them fortune,” you replied.

“What do you think would make Asmo more fortunate?” Solomon questioned curiously.

“Being more irresistible,” you answered.

“As irresistible as a wicked cupcake?” Solomon asked, raising an eyebrow as he looked at you, a hint of a smile on his face.

You let out a small gasp as you realized you had turned your friend into a cupcake.

“Is it reversible?” you asked Solomon and he nodded his head, standing up to his original position.

Solomon chanted a spell quietly and you watched as Asmo slowly morphed back into himself.

When he was fully back, you and his locked eyes, and you immediately began apologizing.

Asmo stopped you after your third apology and told you, “How about we just save your potions for Mammon from now on, ‘kay?”

You were in your bedroom, studying hard for an upcoming exam when there was suddenly a knock on your door.

You invited the person in without getting up or even looking up from your book.

So, it wasn’t until they were sitting down next to you that you were able to see who it was.

A small smile formed on your lips as you saw the orange-haired Avatar of Gluttony sitting there with an unusually large pouty look on his face.

“Are you okay?’ you asked him and his big puppy dog eyes looked up at you as he shook his head no.

“I ate everything in the fridge and Lucifer said that I couldn’t eat anymore until dinner,” Beel replied.

“Well, dinner is just in a couple of hours. You should be fine, right?” you questioned, and Beel let out a small sigh.

“I worked out twice as hard today to get ready for the big game. So, my appetite is twice as big and I only had half the amount of food I usually would post-workout,” Beel explained.

As if to confirm what Beel was saying, his stomach let out an unnaturally loud growl and Beel winced slightly in pain from the hunger.

“I’m sorry Beel, if I had any snacks in here, I would give them to you,” you told him and he let out another sigh as his mind began turning.

“Maybe you could make a snack appear,” Beel suggested, his eyes lighting up at the idea.

You immediately understood where he was going with this and you shook your head, “I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”

“Please, it could be something small. Just to help me last until dinner,” Beel begged you, desperation shining in those big eyes. 

You fully intended to stay away from magic today and just focus on your actual studies, but how could you say no to him when he was begging you so wholeheartedly? 

You took a moment to prepare yourself before doing a spell, and Beel watched your every move eagerly.

Once the spell was completed, you were expecting a small meal on the table, or at the most a couple of things.

Instead, your entire room was covered from floor to ceiling in food.

Beel’s eyes widened in excitement as he told you, “You’re the best at magic.”

He immediately got to eating, and you let out a small chuckle. Of all the consequences that came from your magic, this wasn’t too bad - as long as Beel ate all of it before Lucifer found out.

Suddenly, you heard a lot of commotion coming from elsewhere in the House of Lamentation. You and Beel stayed quiet to try and focus on the noises you were hearing.

Only then did you realize the other brothers were shouting about how the entire House of Lamentation had been filled with food.

You and Beel shared a look of panic as you heard a familiar set of footsteps coming your way and you knew that another long lecture was just around the corner.

Belphie liked to be a little more hands-on with his magic than simple spells.

But desperate times called for desperate measures.

He and Satan were up to true Anti-Lucifer League business and they had found the perfect spell to try and prank Lucifer with. 

Belphie gathered all the ingredients and it was up to Satan to actually perform the spell since he was more proficient when it came to magic.

Somehow, like always, Lucifer had caught wind that the two of them were up to something and Lucifer had decided to lock Satan in his room for the time being under the pretense that, “He was too busy right now to have to deal with something childish.”

This naturally only made Belphie and Satan even more angry and now they were hellbent on finding some way to get revenge. 

Belphie still had all of the ingredients and so he approached you - someone who was both in the Anti-Lucifer League and learning magic.

You were already treading in deep water with Lucifer because of your previous magic mishaps. 

You were pretty sure that you were one more mistake from him banning you from using magic ever again.

So, the last thing you wanted to do was use a spell that specifically targeted the eldest.

But, Belphie was very convincing and before you knew it, the two of you were in the Assembly Hall, quietly scheming.

The spell itself was simple enough to cast. All you had to was put the ingredients together and then cast it on the intended victim’s chair. 

Then, when that person sat in the chair, vines would slowly wrap around them, entrapping them in the chair.

You had suggested that you perform the spell on the chair in Lucifer’s study but Belphie thought it would be so much funnier if it happened in front of Lord Diavolo.

This left the two of you trying to quickly get this spell done in the Assembly Room because Diavolo and Lucifer could walk in any second.

“That’s all of the ingredients,” Belphie told you and you nodded your head, knowing it was your turn now.

You began chanting the spell and everything was going smoothly.

Right as you were stating the last part of the spell, you suddenly heard voices outside the door of the Assembly Hall.

You faltered at the idea of being caught, and in that moment you had turned away from the chair slightly as you finished the spell.

Suddenly, you heard a strangled shout from Belphie and immediately looked in his direction, only to find that you were already facing him. 

You realized you had cast the spell at him, and instead of a chair turning into vines and trapping him, they came down from the ceiling, wrapping him up and suspending him from the roof and covering his mouth.

You let out a small gasp, somewhat stifling some laughter as you watched the youngest squirm in the air, doing whatever he could to get out of his restraints.

You didn’t have enough time to help him before you heard the door to the Assembly Hall open and you quickly hid, knowing that it wouldn’t do either of you any good if you got caught.

You covered your mouth to stay silent and you listened as Barbatos, Diavolo, and Lucifer all seemed to be in conversation. 

All conversation stopped though the moment they laid eyes on Belphie, helplessly strung up from the ceiling.

Lucifer let out a long sigh as he stared at his brother before sitting down in his chair.

“Shouldn’t we help him?” Diavolo asked but Lucifer shook his head.

“This is his own fault, I’m sure of it. Let’s continue with the meeting,” Lucifer replied and you once again had to stifle your laughter at the thought of Belphie hanging from the air, slightly swinging with a look of rage on his face as he attempted to curse Lucifer.

Diavolo had heard about your unfortunate magic mishaps from Lucifer a few different times.

And every time, Diavolo laughed wholeheartedly as Lucifer explained exactly what happened.

He found it both amusing and endearing that your magic was so unpredictable.

And he had to admit he was starting to feel a little left out that everyone was getting to have such fun experiences with you except him.

He wanted a chance to experience your magic for himself, so he invited you over to the Demon Lord’s Castle.

He told you that he simply wanted to evaluate your progress in magic, even though he had gotten plenty of progress reports from the eldest demon brother.

He invited you into one of the many rooms of the Demon Lord’s Castle.

Despite most of the rooms being completely furnished, this room was nearly empty - perfect for magical misfires.

He tried to remind himself to breathe as you began performing a spell, waiting on the edge of his seat for what was about to happen.

There was something exciting about not knowing what events were about to occur.

Diavolo asked you to perform a simple teleportation spell.

You tried and tried, but every time you opened your eyes, you and Diavolo were still in the Demon Lord’s Castle.

You let out a sigh after the fifth attempt and Diavolo gave you a supporting smile.

“Maybe some fresh air will help,” Diavolo suggested, motioning for you to follow him. 

You nodded your head and followed him to the door of the castle, but when he opened it, you realized that none of the surroundings outside looked normal.

Diavolo froze for a moment, noticing the same thing you did, and as he tried to piece together where the two of you were, you realized that the teleportation spell did work.

But, instead of teleporting the two of you like you were supposed to, you teleported the entire castle.

You held your breath as you waited for Diavolo to say something, and when he didn’t, you were afraid he was mad at you.

You were about to ask him as much when he started laughing. It started as a small chuckle, but by the end of it, he was practically doubled over from laughing so hard.

“This is fantastic,” you heard him mutter under his breath before he turned to you, closing the door.

“Try and get us back to the Devildom,” Diavolo told you. 

You took in a deep breath, before reciting the spell, silently praying that it would work. 

Praying - that was a mistake.

As Diavolo opened the door again, you realized that you recognized your surroundings this time, but it wasn’t the Devildom. It was the Celestial Realm.

Diavolo seemed a bit concerned as he looked around. “We should leave here immediately,” Diavolo stated, shutting the door and letting out a small sigh.

Your hands shook slightly as you realized the mistake of bringing the ruler of the Devildom to the Celestial Realm and you quickly recited the spell again, desperate to get out of there.

This time, when Diavolo opened the door, you heard a terrible screeching followed by a large fireball flying toward you and Diavolo.

He quickly shut the door, barely saving both of your lives and you chanted the spell one last time.

You let out a deep breath of relief as you saw the usual Devildom surrounding you when Diavolo opened the door this time. 

“I’m not doing that ever again,” you told him, feeling like you had just gone ten rounds in a boxing ring.

Diavolo let out another chuckle, a smile resting on his face as he looked at you. He clearly enjoyed himself.

He didn’t get the chance to enjoy himself much and he noticed that whenever he did, you were always somewhat involved.

“With more training, I’m sure you’ll get your powers under control,” Diavolo reassured you.

He wasn’t mad at you, but he also probably wouldn’t ask you to use your magic again until you’ve had a bit more practice.

A trip to the Celestial Realm and nearly getting incinerated was enough excitement to last him for a while.

Diavolo may not have been mad at what happened, but Barbatos certainly was.

He wasn’t mad at you - he could never be mad at you.

But, he was mad at Lord Diavolo. The young master knew how unpredictable your powers were and yet he still asked you to use them.

And he was the most mad at Solomon. Though, that was a grudge he had been holding onto for a while. Barbatos was always looking for a reason to be mad at Solomon.

And your lack of control in magic certainly qualified as one.

Solomon had been entrusted with teaching you magic since he was supposed to be a great and knowledgeable sorcerer.

But, Barbatos was beginning to doubt Solomon’s abilities.

And, since your magic had nearly gotten the young master killed, Barbatos could no longer let this slide.

Barbatos had invited you over to the Demon Lord’s Castle once again to try and teach you magic his way.

He was a very powerful demon himself and he knew how hard it was to control your powers.

It took him a long time and lots of experience before he was fully able to master his own powers.

And you had to admit, out of everyone, Barbatos had come the closest to getting you to perform magic without anything going wrong.

He had put every ounce into helping you concentrate and take slow, deliberate movements so that every single part of the spell was performed correctly.

It was a transfiguration spell. There was a cat statue in front of you and all you had to do was make it real.

But, when you opened your eyes, you realized the horror and chaos that you had created.

There wasn’t just one creature in front of you, but at least a dozen. And, they weren’t cats but rats. And there in the middle of it all sat Barbatos, his eyes wide and crazed.

You were certain he was about to freak out and you were proven correct as Barbatos suddenly stood up and sprinted out of the room, returning with the proper supplies to get rid of the rats.

He was frantically chasing them around the room and you felt terrible, so you attempted to help him.

You wanted to teleport the rats to the underground labyrinth but instead, you teleported yourself and Barbatos down there.

“At least I got the right location this time,” you said sheepishly as you looked at Barbatos who had a somewhat exasperated look on his face.

Before you knew what was happening, Barbatos had you locked down in his room, you presumed so that you couldn’t do any more damage.

It took him hours to get every last rat out of the castle and when he finally did, he returned to you in his room.

He seemed much calmer now that the rats were gone and he even brought you some tea to apologize for locking you in his bedroom.

He promised that he would help you get better control of your powers, but no more transfiguration spells until you completely mastered them.

Simeon had seen you at Purgatory Halls many times since you went there a lot for your magic lessons with Solomon.

But, Simeon rarely listened in on your lessons or watched you perform magic, so he had no idea if it was going well or poorly.

He assumed things were going well since there were no accidents that happened at Purgatory Hall.

But, that was mostly because when you went there, Solomon had you reading spell books and getting familiar with different types of spells.

He saved the actual practice of magic for the classrooms at school or outdoor areas - somewhere he believed it would be okay for a mishap to happen.

So, how was Simeon supposed to know your magic was unpredictable?

Luke’s birthday was coming up and Simeon wanted to surprise him by baking a special cake since Luke loved all things sweet.

Simeon knew how to bake a simple cake, but he didn’t think that would be enough.

He wanted something more extravagant - something that would surprise Luke.

So, he enlisted your help and asked you to help him bake the cake.

Simeon believed with your powers and his baking ability, the two of you could bake something that would truly surprise Luke.

And that’s what you thought about the entire time. In your mind, you wanted to surprise him by possibly creating a cake that reminded him of the Celestial Realm or one of his favorite things.

So, you were really disappointed when the cake came out looking like just an ordinary cake.

Simeon reassured you that it was fine and that you did your best. He promised you that it would taste great and Luke would love it anyway.

Everyone gathered in the Assembly Hall after school as a makeshift party for Luke and Simeon brought the cake before running off to fetch him.

The others complimented the cake that you and Simeon made and you thanked them kindly without giving them any more details.

After the experiences you and all of them had with your magic, you were sure that they would be afraid of any cake that was made with your magic.

So, you figured it would be better not to tell them about it. Besides, the cake came out completely normal, so no harm no foul, right?

Luke came into the Assembly Hall a bit timidly, afraid of why he was being summoned to a room full of the Devildom’s most powerful demons.

But, as he looked around, he quickly understood what was happening.

The smile on his face as he now confidently walked up to the rest of you was enough to make baking the cake worth it and you proudly presented him with the cake.

Everyone wished Luke a happy birthday and then you lit the candles and told him to make a wish and blow them out.

Luke did as he was told, but when he blew the candles out, he was met with disaster as the cake exploded.

Everyone in the room, including you, and most of the furniture was coated in both the cake and its frosting and other miscellaneous toppings.

You stood there, still holding the plate the cake was on and you realized that your powers did have an effect on the cake.

“Surprise,” you weakly said as everyone turned to face you. A deep blush coated your cheeks at the mistake, but thankfully, the cake hid most of it.

You sat down the plate that you were holding and attempted to fix the situation by using magic, but Solomon stopped you and performed the spell himself.

He knew that you could fix the situation if you were given the chance, but the look in Lucifer’s eyes after being covered in cake gave Solomon the feeling that he was about to lose it.

So, he performed the spell himself for your sake and miraculously the cake managed to come off the furniture.

Everyone had to go home to get the cake off themselves and you decided to go to Purgatory Hall with the angels and Solomon. You felt terrible about ruining Luke’s birthday cake.

Once you were all cleaned up, Simeon apologized for making you use your powers and explained that he didn’t realize they were a bit unpredictable.

He felt like he pressured you to use them but once you reassured him that you wanted to help do something nice, a lot of the weight was lifted off his shoulders.

He offered to bring you some books on magic from the Celestial Realm, hoping that there would be some different information in them that might help you learn to control your powers.

As for Luke, he didn’t understand why you had baked him an exploding cake, but he wasn’t angry and he was definitely surprised.

He just wished he had been able to eat a piece before it exploded everywhere.

Solomon had been hearing an earful from almost everyone about your magic training.

No one seemed to think he was doing a good enough job at helping you control your magic.

But they didn’t realize how hard it was to train someone in magic, let alone someone who was as powerful as you.

A lot of people thought that the unpredictable consequences of using your magic were mistakes but Solomon thought differently.

He thought it was a good thing for you to experience all the goods and bads of your magic.

It was the only way you were going to get a full grasp of your abilities and how powerful you were.

Solomon loved being experimental when it came to magic.

He didn’t give you spell books to read from or give you specific instructions on how to perform a spell.

If he did, then you would become dependent on those things, unable to perform a successful spell without wanting to refer to a book first.

Solomon wanted you to be able to figure things out for yourself - to be able to perform magic on your own without needing help from someone else, or a spell book.

And he always looked on the bright side of things if something did go wrong.

So what if you turned the cat statue into rats instead of a real cat? At least you were able to do a transfiguration spell.

And maybe you teleported the entire Demon’s Lord Castle to a few different places you didn’t mean to; but, most sorcerers have a hard time doing teleportation spells on themselves, let alone something so big.

Everything you did and every consequence that may have come from it was all a testament to your powers and it always made Solomon proud.

Because of the incessant lectures from the others, Solomon would do his best to help you control your powers.

But, he’ll never treat your mishaps as something negative. In fact, sometimes he even encouraged them.

There was one time that a potion you had been making accidentally backfired on Solomon rendering him unable to speak properly.

Every time he spoke, his words would get jumbled together so he couldn’t reverse the spell himself or tell you how to do it.

Eventually, you had to go to Satan to help and although he agreed, he gave Solomon a long “I told you so” conversation about how this is why he needed to be more proactive in helping you control your powers.

That was the closest Solomon ever came to being “upset” about something that happened with your magic, but even then it was just because of Satan’s speech.

There has never been a day where Solomon wasn’t grateful that he got the opportunity to teach you though.

Not only did he enjoy getting the chance to grow closer to you, but he had never met someone with such magic potential.

[dilf-docs]

all the works listed below are mine. +18 (minors dni). reposting and/or translating is not allowed. requests are open!

All Roads Lead to Rome‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎3k

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you and pedro are married, but you've kept it a secret up to the point you sometimes forget there's supposed to be a golden band on your finger. but then you both get cast in your first movie together. the chemistry is off the charts, and it starts to catch upon you: will the lines between shipping and reality finally blur?

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©dilf-docs all right reserved. last updated: march 12th, 2025 / cr: divider @kodaswrld

[knickknacksandallthat]

THIS IS AMAZING!!!! 🤩🤩🤩

Hello! I just wanted to say your art is gorgeous and I love the attention to detail you give to your work! This royal au is scrumptious and I'm so grateful you shared it with us! Second, for Jean's role, I was wondering what you thought about making him a blacksmith? It would make him useful for Riko without having any power (not a guard, etc.)but also give a reason for Jeremy to seek him out (and get swept off his feet), perhaps once he's escaped and is in Palmetto. Feel free to ignore tho!😊

IGNORE THE MENTAL IMAGE OF BIG POWERFUL BLACKSMITH JEAN MOREAU? SAFE IN THE UNNAMED TROJAN KINGDOM, BULKING UP AND FEELING ACCOMPLISHED WITH THE WORK OF HIS HANDS??? I WILL NOT

I’ve been really invested in the idea of the “perfect court” now that we’re in a royal au, and since Kevin and Riko were both technically royalty, Nathaniel was/had the potential to be a noble, I think Jean should also be high end?? Like while at Evermore they all have different duties right, maybe Jean was an attendant to Riko or something. Whatever he was there, we know he wasn’t treated well. Probably not allowed to pursue his own interests, just like everyone else.

But Kevin and Nathaniel both escape, and they find new jobs that fulfill them. So Jean should as well!! He gets to the Trojan kingdom, probably with the help of Renee still (which is. A whole thing about politics and family lines in this au strangely enough) and he doesn’t have to be a noble anymore if he doesn’t want to. He’s probably already renounced his nobility in the way he left Evermore. I don’t doubt Jeremy, who I’m imagining as another prince because that’s the image my brain gave me, would hesitate to reinstate him as Trojan nobility if Jean asked (as long as it’s far enough down the timeline obviously). Instead, Jean kind of slides under the radar, and once he’s all settled he finds work in the smithy. And he really enjoys it! He feels stronger and healthier and he gets to make such amazing things, he doesn’t even have to make weapons if he doesn’t want to. The workers all choose their own specialties and jobs, filling in gaps as needed

Then one day the royal family or the prince is making rounds, coming to see how things are running, and Jeremy is kind of wondering if he’s seen this blacksmith before? Like he’s pretty sure that’s a familiar face, but he definitely would have remembered seeing someone like him around the kingdom before now, so he brushes it off.

(Really he’s seen Jean Moreau at summits and other large gatherings, only once or twice. Back when Jean was much less healthy and when he still tried to make himself smaller to fit into Riko’s shadow. So yes he recognizes the face; but this is a much different man than the person he saw across grand halls.)

And for my lovely jerejean enjoyers: if Jean ends up talking to or in close proximity of the prince, for whatever reason? Jeremy can definitely blame his red cheeks on the heat of the forges 💫

Sliding a couple process pics under the cut

(Find the royal au writing masterpost here 💕)

[djarins-cyare]

Oh, Your Love Is Sunlight

Summary: Din takes you on a picnic date Rating: Teen Pairing: Din Djarin x GN!Reader Word count: 2,106 Tags/warnings: Excessive fluff, feelings, food consumption (including meat and dairy; sorry to those who don’t partake, finding photos of vegan Star Wars food is hard!), fleeting thoughts about bunk-sharing, helmet removal, kissing, hand-holding, gift-giving Author’s note: Happy 1st Tumblr birthday, Moon Fairy Mina @evolnoomym! I made a moodboard for your first birthday party with the prompt “having a picnic date with Din”, and then I couldn’t stop myself from writing something to go with it. It ended up far fluffier than I usually aim for, though maybe I’ll write the smut that inevitably follows next year! Much love, darling 😘

Din instructs you to close your eyes until the loading ramp has fully descended, then guides you a few steps forward onto the sloped surface. The thrum of suspense rises in your gut like a hyperspace engine coming to life, only to be cut short when he has to dart back inside for forgotten supplies. With his grand reveal delayed, you’re left to interpret the world on which you’ve landed through your other senses.

You notice the air’s freshness first. After a whole week cooped up aboard the Crest, it hits your lungs like water on a parched throat, quenching your thirst for freedom. Warm sunlight caresses your skin while a soft breeze carries the heady perfume of grass and wildflowers. A low, static-like buzz mingles with a closer chorus of wildlife and birdsong, each sound weaving its own melody into the moment.

“Open your eyes,” Din commands at last, his smooth, modulated baritone adding a final note to this sensory symphony.

A gasp escapes your lips as you obey… the sight that unfolds is kriffing spectacular.

A verdant meadow stretches out before you, overlooking a sun-drenched valley beyond. The low background hum is the distant roar of waterfalls, where vast torrents of azure water plunge into a sparkling lake before winding through the valley to your right. Along the banks, large grazing creatures – shaaks, you think – lumber at their leisure. A tall, lush forest fringes the meadow to your left and behind the ship, its ancient canopy whispering secrets of a new world.

It’s breathtaking.

“Are we on Naboo?” Only that planet’s renowned vistas could rival this incredible display, but you can’t be there. It doesn’t match the heading you were on.

The Mandalorian shakes his helmet. “The biosphere is similar, but this world is in the Unknown Regions and, so far, it’s uninhabited. I discovered it by accident a couple years back. Once the Nav Guild drops a hyperspace marker out here, the New Republic will settle it fast, but it remains off the grid for now. What do you think?”

“It’s stunning, Din. Are we here for a bounty?” Your gaze drifts back to him – the only other thing in the galaxy that could rival the landscape’s splendour in your eyes. The sunlight glints in his armour as if he belongs among such beauty.

“No…” he replies, a trace of awkwardness in his tone as he gestures toward a basket by his side – the forgotten supplies. “I thought we could have… a picnic.” Before you can fully register your surprise, he adds in a soft, playful tone, “A… date?”

Astonishment renders you mute for several drawn-out moments, freezing you in rapturous inertia. Then, with a smile as radiant as the sun itself, you finally reply, “I’d love that.”

After months of pining for him, you’re not about to look a gift traladon in the mouth.

He spreads out a couple of blankets on the grass and begins unpacking the basket. As you watch him lay out enticing treats, it becomes clear why he’d insisted on making every meal for you both since his supply run at the last outpost yesterday. He’d filled the cooling chamber with surprises for this ‘date’.

When he extracts a chilled bottle of blue milk, a nostalgic lump forms in your throat. “You remembered!” you exclaim softly.

“Of course,” he responds warmly. “I drank it as a kid, too. We both have good memories attached to it.”

Din puts together a carefully crafted three-course meal. Hunks of bucco bread slathered with soft moof milk cheese and topped with slices of red fruit make for a simple but tasty starter. Next, he serves up a mouthwatering main course: cold cuts of nerf steak paired with vibrant purple topato mash and buckwheat noodles. Just when you think you’ve reached your limit, he unveils a plate of Parnassos swirl cake – squares of sweet, buttery, purple-swirled indulgence.

You eat back-to-back in the seamless rhythm you’ve become used to – his helmet near at hand, of course. After months of gaining his trust, removing it to eat together was a welcome victory, and you don’t take it for granted. Instead, you savour the resonance of his unfiltered voice as you each describe your favourite things in the galaxy (besides this delicious food and epic view).

You can’t find the words to confess that he’s one of your favourite things.

After the meal, you lay back on the blanket, digesting both the sumptuous food and the surreal notion that this is a genuine date.

It’s been nearly a year since Din first took you aboard, and almost six months since Grogu left for his Jedi training. In the wake of their parting, you brought the grieving Mandalorian to your homeworld and looked after him while he brooded. With his ship destroyed, he seemed grateful to have a ‘home base’ of sorts when he started taking bounty missions to finance a replacement Razor Crest. There was never any doubt that you would fly away with him again once Peli found him a new ship.

You’ve always been close, but it’s never been anything more than mutual respect and a deep friendship – or so you believed. Perhaps you aren’t the only one who’s spent your nights wishing you could crawl into your shipmate’s bunk. The idea of two warm bodies pressed together softens the chill of deep space and makes the galaxy seem that little bit less lonely.

A rustling beside you interrupts your reverie. Curious, you prop yourself on your elbows to find Din unbuckling his belt and lifting off his bandolier, his cloak already a charcoal pool behind him. As he begins to unfasten his cuirass, you comment, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you take your armour off outside the ship before.”

“Who’s gonna see?” he drawls, his tone laced with a secret smile. “Even the shaaks are too far away now to catch a glimpse.”

Despite his relaxed demeanour, you notice how he extracts his blaster from its holster, resting it within easy reach at the blanket’s edge. The beskar may come off, but the warrior remains.

Once he’s down to his flight suit, he rolls up the sleeves and unzips the front, revealing his dark undershirt. This is virtually naked for Din.

You offer an approving smile. “Way to relax, bounty hunter – I’m impressed.”

“Yeah? Good,” he rasps, those two husky syllables igniting a surge of desire within you.

Then, once again, he catches you off guard. Reaching up, he does the unthinkable. He removes his helmet.

“Din!” you exclaim, clamping your eyes shut and laying back on the blanket to direct your now unseeing eyes at the sky instead of his uncovered face. You press a hand across them for good measure. “A little warning, maybe?”

“You already saw my face when Grogu left,” he reasons, though his words only deepen your confusion.

“Yeah, but then you put your helmet back on and haven’t taken it off since,” you counter. As you protest, you feel him lift your hand away from your eyes, but you keep them firmly closed. “What— why— your creed, Din!”

“It’s already broken; the transgression has been committed. I’ve just been… hiding behind my helmet ever since. But you’ve already seen me, and nothing will change if you see me again now.” Still holding the hand he just peeled off your face, his voice grows warm and resolute as he implores, “Look at me, cyar’ika. Please.”

It feels surreal – perhaps you’re dreaming or teetering on the edge of sanity – but you can’t deny him what he so earnestly requests.

Slowly, you relax your eyelids and blink them open, expecting to see your stoic Mandalorian. Instead, you encounter a nervous, messy-haired, forty-something knockout, propped up on his elbow and hovering over you. He’s just as gorgeous as you remember, except his eyes are no longer shadowed by sadness; now, they sparkle with an unspoken promise.

For several long, heavenly moments, you simply gaze at one another, absorbing this rare, unrestricted view – the second mind-blowing sight of the day. The fluffy clouds drift onwards overhead, the waterfalls cascade endlessly into the churning lake, and the blazing sun edges ever closer to the horizon. This beautiful world spins on, yet you see only each other.

Before long, you notice Din’s focus keeps drifting lower, and when you wet your lips, he audibly inhales. You watch him wet his own in kind before his eyes dart back to yours beneath a questioning eyebrow.

A soft smile, an encouraging nod – that’s all it takes. And suddenly, he’s kissing you. It’s tentative and shy – he moves with a gentle hesitance that makes you reach up and cup his cheek, urging him to let go. He breaks off to draw a steadying breath… once, twice. Then his lips return to yours with greater passion – eagerness filling in for his obvious inexperience.

You soon find a reciprocal rhythm, slowly deepening the kiss until every touch of his tongue against yours sends sparks crackling through your body. With low hums, you encourage what you like, and his impressive ability to observe and learn soon elevates him to the best kisser you’ve ever known.

When he finally pulls away, he remains close, hovering above you with kiss-swollen lips. “So, how am I doing?” he asks.

“How are you doing?” you echo, unsure what he means.

“The date,” he clarifies softly. “Mandalorian dating mostly involves sparring; this kind of thing is… new to me. Is it what you hoped for?”

Flustered by his assumption that you’d hoped for any kind of date, you stammer, “Y-yeah… it’s wonderful. You’re doing… kriffing amazing.”

Relief washes over his features, and you marvel at seeing it on his face as well as in his body language.

“Cara suggested the picnic, but I planned the details myself,” he confesses, explaining how he knew you wanted this.

Nevarro’s marshal has been your confidante for months, though she swore she’d never tell Din of your feelings for him, conceding it could only complicate your friendship.

“So… she told you? About… me liking you… like this?” you ask, put out by her broken promise.

He smiles at your euphemism. “Only after I told her that I like you… like this. Then she threatened me with bodily harm if I didn’t act on it.”

You snicker as you realise you’ve both been as foolish as one another, instantly forgiving Cara’s breach of trust in pursuit of your happiness.

Looking into his sparkling brown eyes, you shake your head and whisper, “This is crazy. I never imagined you’d feel the same way – that what I’ve been feeling all this time could ever be mutual.”

Din closes the distance once more, pressing a soft, lingering kiss to your lips before murmuring, “Oh, ner mesh’la dinii, it’s mutual, trust me.” You pull him back in for a deeper kiss, slowly and blissfully making out as the sun begins to dip below the horizon.

When it’s time to leave, Din carries his armour back to the Crest while you pack away the picnic things. You watch your gorgeous, messy-haired man return to your picnic spot against a blazing sky, the lake beneath reflecting amber flames.

As you take a final, lingering look at the vista below, he steps up behind you, pressing in close. His arms encircle you, drawing you back against his unarmoured chest, and he whispers, “I have something for you.”

Before you can speak, he raises his hand and uncurls his fingers. And there, nestled in his palm, a silver mudhorn pendant sparkles in the vestiges of sunlight. Your breath catches as you recognise his clan symbol – a silent declaration that you are his family.

Swallowing tears that dare to betray your emotion, you can offer only a breathy whisper in response. “Stars, it’s… I— thank you so much.”

You long to voice the thousand other words that churn within – that you consider him family too, that you’re in love with him, that you’d happily spend the rest of your life with him. Yet you hold them all back. Words have never been your way, nor Din’s.

Gestures are your language.

Once he’s lowered the mudhorn around your neck, you turn to face him, drawing him close and resting your foreheads together in a wordless Mandalorian kiss.

When you part, your hands entwine as you saunter back to the ship, savouring the setting sun’s enduring glow. You came here as friends, but you leave as something more. And with this planet’s sun-drenched beauty etched in your memories, even the darkest corners of the galaxy don’t seem so lonely anymore.

Translations:

cyar’ika [SHAH-ree-kah] – sweetheart/darling

ner mesh’la dinii [ner MESH-lah DEE-nee] – my beautiful lunatic

Just a few notes in case anyone’s interested:

Yeah, the title is a Hozier lyric. Unoriginal, I know, but I couldn’t come up with anything decent!

The first photo in the moodboard is actually Naboo; it’s from Episode II: Attack of the Clones when Anakin and Padme have their picnic up in the Lake Country (I just cropped them out), so technically, it’s Lake Como in Italy.

Definitions: Shaaks are grazing animals, mostly raised as livestock because of their massive bodies, and are the SWU’s equivalent of sheep. The Unknown Regions is an area of the galaxy that isn’t mapped. The Nav Guild is responsible for mapping the galaxy. Hyperspace markers (also called navigation buoys) mark coordinates to keep ships on course, and all planets and astronomical objects have one. A traladon is a Corellian animal, but they use “gift traladon” across the galaxy in the same expression we use on Earth (“don’t look a gift horse in the mouth”), meaning one shouldn’t question a gift. A cooling chamber is a refrigerator. Blue milk is the SWU’s ubiquitous version of cow’s milk and comes from banthas. Bucco bread is a type of golden loaf made from grain farmed on planets in the Outer Rim. Soft moof milk cheese is the equivalent of ricotta cheese and comes from the milk of moofs (SWU goats). Red Fruit is the in-universe name for tomatoes. Nerfs are another type of cattle, rather like buffalo. Topato is the Star Wars word for potato, and though they’re usually green, we have purple potatoes on Earth, so I figured they’d have purple topatoes in the SWU. Buckwheat noodles are usually from Corellia, but I assume they can be made anywhere. Parnassos swirl cake looks and sounds fucking delicious.

Screw canon and that stupid midlife-crisis N1 starfighter – I prefer to imagine that Peli got Din a new Razor Crest like he asked for.

A note on the images in the moodboard: I want to reassure everyone that I don’t use AI when creating images for my fics; I use an ancient and outdated program called Adobe Photoshop CS4, which was released 17 years ago (well before AI even existed). I do my best to manually extract, layer and blend elements from different images, then tweak them until I’ve created the image I want. It takes forever, but my blood, sweat and tears go into the process, and I take pride in doing it myself. Once I have the images, I use Canva for moodboard layouts.

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moon + tides

this is part 1, read part 2 here! pairing: james hook x fem!reader (requested) SUMMARY: you, ariel's daughter, find yourself in a strange relationship with the one and only infamous pirate captain, who's absolutely obsessed with you GENRE: yandere, a bit of angst, some comforting fluff here and there, especially at the end CW: a few mentions of violence, someone walking a plank, mentions of drowning, some suggestive material, nothing too graphic though WC: 4.2k

A/N: this req was really fun to write! I might have gotten a bit carried away, heh...this part includes the backstory of how you two got together and the first part of the req, and the second part will include the rest of it. hope you guys enjoy reading this cause I definitely put some hard work into it lol. also please give me feedback and suggestions, I'd really like to know your thoughts!

If you could go back, would you change what happened?

This is something that you often ask yourself. 

You think about that fateful day frequently. It was the summer before your first year at Merlin Academy. You had finally convinced your parents, the famed mermaid Ariel and her Prince Eric, to let you go for a swim unsupervised. Being half-mermaid, half-human allowed you to transform back and forth at will. And although life on land was pretty good, your heart always ached to go back to the sea, to feel the cold, salty water as it engulfs you. To race along the reefs, tail swishing back and forth, allowing you to reach speeds far past what your human form can do. To leisurely swim amongst the many species of fish and plants that created the world of the ocean. To go back home.

Your parents had already gone over the rules with you hundreds of time, to the point where you could recite each one of them word for word: “Don’t go past the boundaries,” “Don’t approach any animals you don’t know,” “Don’t go so deep where you can’t see any light,” “Come out at the first sign of bad weather,” and, most importantly, “Do not, under any circumstances, interact with any humans.”

Your mother may be renowned for rescuing a stranger from the unrelenting grasps of the sea—if she hadn’t, you wouldn’t even be here right now—but that was a very rare case. Far more often than not, mermaid interactions with humans out on the waters ended up in the mermaid being tortured, held hostage, or even killed.

You knew the rules by heart, and yet, maybe it was because of your young age, you still broke them. You weren’t really aware of your actions in the moment; one second, you were swimming alongside a pod of dolphins, racing against the currents. The next, you heard loud voices and realized that almost directly above you, yet still a good few dozen meters away, was some sort of ship.

You had ducked down next to a big sponge, peering up apprehensively. It was at that moment you realized that you were far outside of the boundaries set for you by your parents. You should have turned back, should have swam back home, but there was something about the ship, something that intrigued you so much it forced you to stay in place.

A few moments passed, and seeing as there was no commotion, you let your curiosity get the better of you. After all, that ship shouldn’t even have been out there. Slowly, you crept closer and closer to the surface, making sure to remain in the shadows. The noises were becoming clearer; you could make out people’s voices now. But they still weren’t sharp enough for you to understand what they were saying.

Finally, you took the risk and poked your head out of the water near the rear of the ship. The sight before you elicited a sharp gasp, and made you wish you had just gone back when you still had the chance. 

Extended from the side of the ship was a long, wooden plank. Standing on one side of it (the safe end), was a man, gagged, blindfolded, and bound. He looked to be no older than forty, with a scraggly beard and ripped clothes.

A pirate.

Another figure emerged, walking to the edge of the deck. Your reflexes caused you to duck down quickly, so only your eyes were barely above the water. This figure was much younger, with dark brown hair parted neatly and angular features twisted into a wicked smile. He donned a maroon blazer that covered a white shirt with an upturned collar. Something in his left hand shined brilliantly under the sun’s bright rays.

The younger figure laughed, but not in the way one would laugh at a funny joke. He unsheathed a cutlass from his side, using it to poke the back of the man on the plank. 

“You see, Mr. Jones? This is what happens when you cross the most feared pirate captain in all the lands!” the young figure roared as he yanked off the older man’s blindfold, revealing to him his fate. The fear and panic that spread across the man’s face has been forever etched into your mind, even to this day.

You heard the man beg and plea for mercy, watched as every move he made caused the plank to sway even more violently. The pirate captain simply laughed, his crew along with him. Finally, when you suppose he tired of hearing the man grovel, you watched in terror as the captain gave the man a good kick in the back, finally sending him over the edge.

Suddenly, it was like the world was spinning in slow motion. The man plummeting off the wooden platform, falling, falling, falling. His screams muffled by the cloth around his mouth. Then, all too soon, he made contact with the water with a loud splash. 

He sank quickly, devoured by the ocean’s waters within the blink of an eye. Your young, distraught face watched as a few bubbles rose to the surface. Then nothing. All that remained of the man’s existence, all there was to give proof that he had ever even been there, were a few ripples in the water.

That was it.

You were frozen in shock. How–what–why? Your brain could barely string together a comprehensive sentence. All you were sure of was the feeling inside you. You couldn’t quite put it into words, could barely even understand it. But it made your tail ache to move, made you feel as if you simply couldn’t stay in one place any longer.

You dove beneath the surface, frantically swimming towards the direction where you saw the man go under. You kept looking around, searching, but to no avail. You decided to dive deeper, swimming lower and lower until the water around you was near pitch-black. You were growing more and more panicked by the second, because every second you wasted was another second the man grew closer to death.

Finally, you caught a glimpse of movement out of the corner of your eye. Hope flaring, you darted towards it, the figure becoming clearer the closer you got.

It was him.

You reached out and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt to prevent him from sinking farther. His eyes were shut and he wasn’t breathing, but you could still hear a heartbeat. There was still time left.

Wrapping your arms around him, you started the difficult journey back to land. Thankfully, you knew of a small island not too far from here. Swimming with the added weight of a fully grown man was incredibly difficult, especially for a young mermaid, but you persisted. After all, this was his life on the line.

You swam as hard as fast as you could, and thankfully, by some blessing from the heavens, found a warm water current going the direction you were. You let it carry you, the rushing stream multiplying your efforts. Finally, after what seemed like hours but must have only been a couple of minutes, you reached the island.

Letting the wave wash you up on shore, you settled the man down on the soft sand the first chance you got. You rolled him to his front, which was quite the endeavor itself. His heartbeat had grown more shallow, but it was still there. There was still hope.

Using the skills your mother had taught you, you started to nurse the man back to health using your melodic voice. Ever since you were young, she had explained to you the gift bestowed upon mermaids, the power of healing through song. She taught you to sing before you could walk, and it was the one thing that you were sure you could do right.

As you sang your strange and melodious tune, it finally occurred to you that you were breaking the most sacred of rules. Not only were you interacting with a stranger, you were coaxing him back to life. Like mother, like daughter, you thought. I suppose healing strangers who were drowning at sea runs in my blood.

The only caveat to your healing powers is that it takes quite some time to have its full effects. You don’t know how long you sat on the beach, but it had been quite some time. You probably would have been there for much longer had it not been for the boom voice that sounded behind you, waking you from your trance of song.

“Well, I’ll be. If it isn’t a mermaid.”

You practically jumped out of your fins as you turned around, startled beyond words. There, towering above you, was the evil pirate captain you saw earlier. He was even younger than you had previously thought. In fact, he couldn’t be much older than you. You wondered for a fleeting moment how a kid like that could command an entire ship full of grown—and scary-looking—men, but decided you have bigger matters at hand to worry about.

A few members of his crew lurked behind the captain, and you could see a small lifeboat docked to the ground near the coastline. Further beyond that, his ship swayed in the ocean waves, dark against the bright horizon.

You followed the pirate’s gaze down to your tail, which was still out. You silently cursed yourself for forgetting to transform back into your human form, being too distracted by saving the man to pay attention to your own safety.

You wanted to yell at the cruel pirate for trying to kill this man. No matter who he was, what he had done, he didn’t deserve to die. At least not like that. But the words got caught in your throat, so while a war raged inside your mind, you were completely quiet on the outside, simply staring up at the man with wide doe eyes.

“You have a lovely voice,” the man said, with a tone that you wouldn’t quite imagine a killer using. He must have overheard me sing earlier, you thought to yourself. “Tell me, little mermaid, who taught you to sing?”

“M-my mother,” you replied weakly, your voice far more meager and small than you wanted it to be. You were still staring up at him, afraid of what he’d do to you.

“Your mother? Well, that’s quite interesting.” The captain raised his left hand to scratch at his chin, which is when you realized that it wasn’t a hand at all. Instead of a hand was a curved metal hook, with a sharp point gleaming at the end. So that must be the shiny thing I saw earlier, you thought.

“Oh, where are my manners?” laughed the pirate abruptly. “My name is Captain James Hook, leader of the Jolly Roger. And you are?”

You blinked, almost forgetting your own name. If it were a less tense moment than this, you would have laughed at the fact that his name is rather befitting for him. “Y/N,” you respond.

“Y/N…Now, where have I heard that name before?” He tapped his chin with his hook again.

“Sir, that’s the name of Princess Ariel’s daughter,” one of the big, meaty pirates behind him answered in a gruff voice.

“That’s right!” Hook exclaimed. “You’re the mermaid’s daughter. You know, rumor has it you’ll be joining me at Merlin’s Academy in the fall, is that right?”

For some reason, your voice seemed to not work anymore, so you settled for nodding. Join him? you pondered. You didn’t know that he was also a student at the school you were planning to attend.

Hook started pacing along the beach, arms crossed with his hooked hand extended, deep in thought. You watched him, fear growing by the second. A sly smirk spread across his face, which only served to fuel the flames of your worry. 

“You know, you directly defied my command by saving that man,” he started. Slowly. Deliberately. Choosing every word precisely and carefully, like a shark circling its prey. “Do you even know why I made him walk the plank?” You shook your head no, the panic in you reaching record heights.

“That man”—he vaguely gestures towards the unconscious body laying on the beach with his hook—“stole an entire week’s worth of rations from my ship. An entire week’s worth of food and rum for an entire crew. Had he gotten away with it, we likely would have starved to death out at sea. Does he seem so innocent now, little mermaid? So worth saving?”

Again, you shook your head no. Although you agreed he definitely wasn’t an innocent man, you still didn’t see making him walk the plank a justifiable punishment. Despite your thoughts, you kept your mouth shut. Angering the captain further was not going to do you any good.

“Now, if anyone else had done something like this, I wouldn’t hesitate to cut their head right off,” Hook said menacingly, and with a swish, unsheathed his sword once again. You flinched—hard—and scrambled to back away from him. 

Hook took note of this, and, sheathing his sword, crouched down to get on the same level as you. “But don’t worry, little mermaid. I won’t hurt you. You see, you’ve piqued my interest. Plus, it would do me no favors to have a little girl’s blood on my hands.”

You let out a breath you hadn’t even realized you were holding. So he’s not going to kill me, right?

“But, alas, you can’t leave unpunished, now, can you?” he added. Your eyes grew impossibly wider, your entire body shaking in fear. This was it. He was going to kill you, or do something equally worse.

“I demand”—you already felt a tear slip down your cheek—“that you write to me for the remainder of the summer.”

Wait, what?

“W-write?” you asked in disbelief. “As in…”

“Letters,” Hook finished for you. “Write me letters. I’ll give you the mailing address of the Jolly Roger. Write me everyday, and I’ll promise I’ll write you back whenever we dock. How does that sound?”

“O-okay,” you reply, still taken aback by the peculiar, and far more lenient than you’d expected, request. That was all you had to do? Write letters? As punishment for saving the life of someone he’d ordered to die? You must be dreaming.

“Oh, and,” Hook said, voice lowered as he leaned in close to you, until he was just a hair’s breadth away from your ear. You could feel his warm breath on your skin, his alluring scent of salty winds and something richer, deeper, filling your lungs. “I look forward to seeing you in the fall. Don’t forget me, my little mermaid.”

With that, he stood up, smoothing out the lines on his pants. “You wouldn’t happen to need a ride back home, would you, love?”

You shook your head no, too terrified of him changing his mind to spend another moment in his presence. You glanced back at the man lying behind you, still unconscious. “W-what about him? What will you do with him?” you managed to choke out, somehow finding your voice again.

Hook pondered this for a long minute, before finally answering, “He can live.” You let out a shaky breath. “But only because of you, little mermaid. And only this time. You go against my wishes again, and trust me, your punishment will be far more severe.”

And with that, he went back to his ship and sailed away.

You still muse about that day, thinking how different things would have been if you had changed just one little thing.

You kept your promise of writing him letters, too afraid to know what would happen when you had to inevitably face him in the fall to break it. At first, they started out simple. Ordinary recounts of your day, your favorite things, what you liked to do. As the weeks passed, you started writing more personal letters. How you felt about certain things or certain people, including your parents. You never spoke a word of that fateful day to them, knowing that you’d be grounded for life and forbidden from swimming ever again if they caught even a whiff of the danger you had put yourself in. 

Hook kept his promise, too. He wrote you back, although it was far less frequent than your letters. Even though he kept his responses short and concise, you always ended up hearing his voice in your head as you read his notes. You soon found yourself checking your mailbox daily, even getting to know the mailman rather well. The rush of dopamine you got every time you opened it to find a letter awaiting you was unmatched; you would always run upstairs to your room, lock the door, and pour over the note. Reading every line, every word over and over again, committing them to memory. 

You don’t know why you enjoyed these little letters so much. Maybe it was the thrill of having a secret that no one else knew of, or the absence of your usual loneliness every time you were reminded that somewhere out there, across the seas, was someone awaiting your letters, reading them, and writing back to you. Whatever it was, your heart started to form an emotional attachment to him without you even realizing it. 

Unbeknownst to you, that had been his exact plan all along.

It’s safe to say that once you started school at Merlin Academy, Hook’s—or James’s, as he insisted on you calling him—grip on you only grew. Things started out pretty normal: light conversations in class and stolen looks exchanged across the hall, mostly initiated by him. After the first few weeks passed, things between you two only grew. Secret meetings during lunch hours, rendezvous after school, and small gifts exchanged between the two of you. From there, it became brushing your hands together whenever you passed by each other, soft pecks on the cheek or forehead where there were prying eyes, and more passionate kisses when the two of you finally found time to be alone.

Truth be told, you don’t really know what you two are now. Normally, you would consider two people that partake in such actions to be courting, and you kind of assume you are. But James has never said anything about a relationship to you, and in all honesty, you’re too afraid to ask him. You feel terribly confused at his intentions towards you; on the one hand, he approaches you every day without fail, even if you try to ignore him or when your schedules don’t match up. Somehow, he always finds a way. On the other hand, he never asked you to be his lover, never even vaguely mentioned anything of the sorts. So, you decided, with a heavy heart, to not be too confident and consider yourself his partner. And unfortunately, that meant that he wasn’t yours, either.

Really, you never meant to grow so involved with the bastard pirate that threatened to kill you on the beach that day. But for some strange reason, instead of treating you coldly like he did everyone else, especially the other hero kids, he was softer with you. Considerate, even. You had half-expected him to want nothing to do with you after your first few interactions, but he kept seeking you out. You often opened your locker to a note inside, or entered your dorm to find a letter slipped beneath the door.

Today was one of those days. You had gotten a note telling you to wait for him in your usual place in the evening, after classes. So here you are, waiting, staring at the water fountain in the courtyard. You’ve always been transfixed by the way the water spurts out the center and splashes all around. It seems that whenever you’re alone with your thoughts, they always end up back to that fateful day you met James, and everything that’s happened since.

“Wait for me long, my little mermaid?” a deep voice whispers in your ear from behind. You jump only a little, far more used to James sneaking up on you now than you used to be. For some reason, it seems he loves to startle you by wrapping his arms around your waist and pulling you in close from behind, or speaking softly in your ear.

You twirl around, a delighted expression on your face, although you try to mask it with a feigned annoyance. “And if I say I did?”

“Well then, I’d have to find a way to make it up to you then, wouldn’t I, darling?” he purrs, using his hook to spin you around in his arms so you’re face-to-face. His lips make his way to yours, pulling you in for a slow, sensual kiss. You wrap your arms around his neck, bringing his head closer to yours, not able to get enough of his touch. 

The feeling of his skin against yours ignites something in you, and you find your mouth opening to give him more access as a soft whimper escapes your lips. One hand reaches into his hair, tugging at it gently from the base of his head, while the other one trails down the front of his shirt.

James leans into you even further, your bodies flush against each other now, as he deepens the kiss. You find yourself leaning against the edge of the water fountain, the cool sprinkles providing a welcomed contrast to your heating-up bodies.

Once you’ve completely lost your breath, you pull away just slightly, a love-drunk smile on your face. “You had a request for me?” you whisper, panting, eyes full of adoration for the man you were interlocked with. 

James breaks into a grin. A genuine one, not one of the smirks he flashes to uphold his patented suave demeanor. “Ah, yes, how could I forget, my love?”

He pulls further away to give you two enough room to breathe, yet keeping his good hand on the small of your back. “I was reminded today that it's been quite some time since I’ve heard your voice, my little mermaid.”

You give a little smile, deciding to mess with him a bit. “Whatever do you mean? You hear my voice every day. I mean, you’re even hearing it right now.”

James cocks his head to the side and raises a single eyebrow, clearly aware of your antics. “Your other voice, love.”

You giggle. “Fine, all right. Only for you,” you say, giving him a peck on the nose. 

You sit down on the ledge of the fountain, turning back to stare at the water again. Although it has been a long time since you stretched your tail and went for a swim, simply seeing the rushing water soothes you. It isn’t quite like being immersed in it, but it still gives you some semblance of comfort. 

You reach into the pool at the bottom, letting the cool water rush along your fingertips as you inhale a deep breath. Through your mermaid abilities, your voice twists into an otherworldly song, filling the space with a mellifluous sound. 

James takes a place on the ledge next to you, reaching into the water to hold your submerged hand. You don’t really feel it, too transfixed on the rushing waves. You don’t see the way James gazes at you, like you’re his entire world. The softness, the tenderness in his eyes, which he reserves for you only. He looks at you not as if you’re his sun, something too bright to ever stare directly at, something violent and explosive and harmful, but as if you’re his moon. 

As if you’re the figure he watches every night before he closes his eyes, and the one he wishes to see again when he wakes up. As if you’re the only thing he notices every time the darkness envelops him, your presence never falling off the pedestal he places it on in his mind. Never losing its worth. He looks at you, your soft glow and mesmerizing shimmer, as if you’re the only thing filling up the night sky. The stars and constellations pale in comparison to you, especially on your best nights, when you shine so magnificently. 

You are the moon, and he is the tide of the ocean, constantly being pulled in by you. Never being able to escape the grasp you have on him, the grasp you are so blissfully unaware of. He stares at you in awe and wonder, bathing in your gorgeous light, so close yet always so far away. Sitting all alone against the dark backdrop of the evening sky, waiting for him to come back to you. And without reason, you always disappear. Always leaving him wanting more, waiting till the moment he can bathe in your presence again. 

As you sing, the tide gets pulled in by the gravity of the moon. Your lyrical voice bounces off the stone walls, surrounding you both, just as the moonlight surrounds the waves on that mystical night. 

But the moonlight is only a reflection of the sun’s glow, is it not? When daylight comes, the moon will pull away from the waves, its absence in the sky all but forgotten in the sun’s presence. And as dawn breaks, so too will the pull between the moon and ocean. 

on to part 2! ->

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