#sharp vs blur

[kaedekolya]

alien stage "cure" lyric translations

i've been losing my mind over how poetic the korean lyrics are, so i tried translating them a little more closely to the original! there are so many implications and so much nuance that it's simply impossible to fully convey them in english, due to vocab and syntax differences, so there will be a ton of translation notes below. please cry over this tragic pair with me :")

[ disclaimer: i am in no way trying to imply that the official translations are subpar, because they're actually really good — it's difficult to convey the full extent of meaning while remaining concise enough for closed captions! i just want to share my own take on the original lyrics ^^ ]

r o u n d 6 — c u r e

Please permit me, till the tips of your hands Please permit me, till the tips of your feet I wish for you to melt me within your eyes I don't want to lose you I plead of you, inflict wounds upon me I plead of you, make it so that I am hurting Until not a single drop of me remains I dissolve in you Till these stars, which will crumble Buried within eternity, which will fade into a blur At the edge of your frigid lips Read me, please That's right, me Even the sharp words you gave me Even if they leave scratches beneath my eyes I wish they remain upon your tongue Even if everything is shattered, it's okay Now, please, look at my wounds Now, please, cure me Just so that my unease may be dampened So that I dissolve into you Above these nights, which will be drawn Screaming into the silence, which will collapse Within your pupils that gaze at me Drink me, please That's right, me This song without an end Towards each other, we dance Our story, buried within eternity Till these stars, which will crumble Buried within eternity, which will fade into a blur At the edge of your frigid lips Read me, please That's right, me Above these nights, which will be drawn Screaming into the silence, which will collapse Within your pupils that gaze at me Drink me, please That's right, me

[ translation notes below the cut. ]

━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━

translation notes

"please permit me"

허락해줘, please grant me permission; implying the person Till is singing to (henceforth Mizi, for brevity) has authority over him.

"I wish for you to..." vs "I wish..."

a slight difference in conjugation; Till wishes that Mizi will do that action for him, whereas Ivan simply wishes for things to be a certain way.

"I don't want to lose you"

놓치다, to lose something or someone by missing them or failing to catch them; implies less agency and control than "to let go."

"I plead of you, inflict wounds upon me" / "I plead of you, make it so that I am hurting"

부디, implying an earnest entreaty, a fervent plea. here, the conjugation has Till asking Mizi to give him wounds, and give him pain.

"I dissolve in you" vs "so that I dissolve into you"

there is no exact translation for 물들다 (conjugated into 물들어 and 물들게 in the lyrics), but picture this: watercolour paints soaking into a white canvas, permeating across it, imbuing it. difference in adpositions: Till says 너로, indicating "by" or "with," whereas Ivan says 네게 (너에게), indicating "to" or "towards". so for Till, Mizi is the colour and he is the canvas, whereas for Ivan, he is the colours that are spreading towards Till. difference in conjugations: Till says 물들어, in present tense and active voice, while Ivan says 물들게 [하다], to make a certain state happen (note that this is different from the ~ㄹ 게 conjugation that indicates future intention). Ivan is saying please notice my pain and heal it, so that I permeate into you, which would then quieten my unease.

"which will crumble" / "which will fade into a blur"

the ~ㄹ conjugation here is a future indicative tense; the action it describes will happen, the state it describes will come to be. 무너질, "will crumble;" to fall by crumbling, crumpling, caving in, breaking down. 흐려질, "will grow blurry;" i chose to translate this as the more poetic "fade into a blur."

"buried within eternity"

묻힌, from 묻히다, to be buried; this word can also mean "to be stained," giving the phrase an alternative meaning of "stained upon eternity."

"read me, please" / "that's right, me"

the official translation says "read my soul," which might indicate the meaning that the creators intended, but the original korean lyrics only says "me." "그래," which i translated as "that's right," can be used in many contexts with varying nuance; it is an acknowledgement and a simple, light agreement. in some contexts, it can be perfunctory, in others, it can be an acceptance.

"even if the sharp words you gave me" / "even if they leave scratches beneath my eyes"

here, Ivan is downplaying the extent of hurt that Till has inflicted upon him. Till may use sharp-edged language, but Ivan describes these words as being given to him, almost as if they are a gift, implying he treasures every word Till throws his way. the word used for "scratches" is often used to describe scrapes left by fingernails; shallow, surface-level wounds.

"even if everything is shattered, it's okay"

부숴, from 부수다, to break, smash, shatter. the official translation says "you can break me apart," which might reflect the meaning that the creators intended, but since the subject and object can be omitted in korean and still be grammatically correct, this sentence doesn't indicate the subject that is doing the breaking or the object that is being broken apart.

"now, please, look at my wounds" / "now, please, cure me"

the word for "wounds," 상처, can also be used to refer to scars, but i chose the former to indicate the open wounds that Ivan wishes Till will cure.

"just so that my unease may be dampened"

그저, "just," implying that Ivan doesn't want for much, he is only asking for this small and simple wish. 불안, unease. it's not quite as intense as "fears," though it can be an indicator of it; it's closer to worries or anxieties. 가라앉도록, from 가라앉다, to sink, to subside, to become subdued.

"above these nights, which will be drawn"

그려질, from 그려지다, to be drawn, like a sketch or painting.

"screaming into the silence, which will collapse"

the more accurate conjugation would be "screamed," but i went with "screaming" for a smoother flow. 쓰러질, "will collapse;" to fall by collapsing, fainting, passing out.

"within your pupils that gaze at me"

translating it as "eyes" would probably read smoother, but the korean lyrics use the specific word 눈동자, meaning the pupil of the eye.

"drink me, please"

the official translation says "consume me," but 마시다 (original lyric 마셔줘) means "drink." it's simple and fluid, not as forceful as "consume" or "swallow." once again, Ivan never uses harsh or violent language to describe Till's actions.

"this song without an end"

i intentionally chose this syntax to emphasise the lack of an end, and to more closely mirror that of the original. it can also be translated as "this endless song."

"towards each other, we dance"

향해, towards, indicating direction. the official translation, "face to face," can be inferred from the word, but i like the idea of them dancing towards each other, going towards each other, as if drawn together in each other's orbit. (also, the irony that in reality, it is only Ivan doing so, only Ivan going towards Till; Ivan sings this line, like he wishes it were the case, like he wishes it were mutual, even as he knows it is not.)

"our story, buried within eternity"

in the previous instance of the phrase "buried within eternity," the object is not specified. here, the clause is completed with 채, meaning "the state of." specifically, this line would be "our story, in the state of being buried within eternity."

[ and that's it — thank you for reading! please note that this is mostly a line-by-line translation, as the original lyrics are composed of distinct clauses that connect in meaning, but not in grammar. the official translation wove the clauses together in proper sentences, whereas my translation mirrors the scattered discontinuity of the korean lyrics. ]

[writing-zelda-brainrots]

Have some more apothecary![Name] because I have Apothecary Diaries brainrot. Season 2 hype! I swear to fucking god, at some point I'm going to turn this into an actual fic. Please, someone shoot me, I just don't know how to stop.

I imagine that similar to in the Apothecary Diaries, [Name] has lived in the red light district their whole life and was working as an apothecary there. Until they got kidnapped and sold off to the rear palace as a simple servant. They were planning on just working there until their contract expired, but then the universe decided that they haven't suffered enough. Through some shenanigans, they end up being promoted from glorified laundry maid to the lady in waiting for one of the Emperor's concubines.

And that's when the Chain fell into their life. Literally.

During a trip home on one of your rare days off, a girl from one of the pleasure district's brothels comes running to you in a panic, saying something about a group of strange men that need medical attention.

And things kinda spiral from then. You cure one of them from poison (you think his name was Wars? Strange name, really. But, still, none of your business), hand them some medicine and are about to head out until you get roped into solving the 'mystery' behind this little incident. The universe just loves telling you to play detective.

And when you led them out of town and see them off, you somehow end up getting pulled into one of these 'portals' that they kept talking about when they thought you couldn't hear.

The Chain is kind of more trusting of you in the beginning, you did save Wars from almost dying after all, but your stand-offish personality and obsession with drugs is a little worrying. Still, you do your work, don't complain, don't cause fights and lend a hand when needed. And your medicines do wonders when potions run out and Hyrule's low on magic. You're passive in a way.

"I'm a simple servant, lowly of birth." You say when questioned. "I know where I stand."

Bruh you're going to give them trauma flashbacks every time you put something in your mouth. Especially if you're the only human and they have no idea what things are poisonous to you vs them. They always have some emetic agent on them in case you decide to indulge in your 'hobby.'

I could really twist the knife with how the romance would go in this. The Chain knows that you're not the most extroverted person, but they wish that you didn't scoot away from them when they want to get closer to you. Maybe it's because you've grown up in an environment where the lines between 'love' and 'lust' are more than a little blurred - both celebrated and made irrelevant, both idolised and abused at the same time - where the lives of lower class people are tossed aside without a thought, the way your family life hasn't exactly been the most 'normal'... Maybe that's why you're so adverse to romance, why you insist that 'love' is an emotion that you are incapable of feeling.

In a way, they want to save you. Not from Ganon or monsters with sharp teeth (though they will save you from those, too, of course), but from this shadow looming over you.

[dimensionzero]

yet more frame-by-frame atsv analysis, art style edition!

I still cannot fucking figure out what art medium earth-50101 is supposed to be, my best guess is, like, paint/maybe markers over linework? in any case there's the fun little detail that even though pretty much everything in mumbattan has very distinct outlines, the colours aren't perfect --- sometimes they go outside the lines or don't fill the whole space inside the lines.

like, look at how the colours of the clothes and scarves bleed out past their outlines here! and check out the outlines vs. the shading of the background --- they don't quite match up. the somewhat messy colouring only seems to be for colourblocking/base colours, though. that horse's finery is very detailed and looks very precise!

here's miles crashing through the street a couple seconds later for comparison:

look at him and his sharp outlines and crisp colours! it's subtle enough that it's not distracting, but miles is still very obviously sticking out from the rest of the crowd here

something else I noticed just now: miles still has his comic-book shading dots where the light hits him, which no one else has

on the contrary, the place where the light is coming from (the right side of the frame) has some darker lines staining it --- I'm no artist but I think they might be simulating the look of art done on a canvas rather than on paper?

gwen does not seem to be retaining her watercolour anywhere except her own universe, but although she adapted to earth-1610's style before, she's apparently keeping the comic book look in mumbattan too. didn't know you could do that! (she's even got the comic-misprint motion blurs!)

then we've got pavitr, who actually also has the comic-style shading dots (which is admittedly a little confusing since nothing else in his universe has them?). other than that though he follows his universe's style pretty much exactly --- very distinct outlines, messy colouring but precise details. you can see it most clearly on the close up of his mask, where the outlines of his eyes are perfect but the red of the mask bleeds out into the background.

(another miles for compare/contrasting!)

oh wait are pav's shading dots supposed to be the "canvas" showing through the lighter colours?

I think they are! you can see it much more clearly here, it looks less like dots and more like a crosshatch kind of texture --- I think it is canvas. mystery solved!

[nadianova]

how i do my visual novel filtered photo backgrouds

ive had some questions about this so i figured i'd put together a quick post on my process and what goes into it.

this isnt really a tutorial and instead is just a ramble of how i do stuff with a ton of examples and pictures lol

read more below. this is a long post and you probably want to be looking at these images on your computer instead of your phone

step one is that i find CC0 photos or otherwise easy licenses to use because I'm lazy and don't want to have a list of credits of random photographers caue i used one of their images but also i don't want to use stuff without crediting

because they have a general lincese that just wants you to mention the site i prefer unsplash or pixabay but there's other public domain type photo sites too obviously

so like okay heres a random picture

i have a photoshop CS5 from 10 years ago. but these can be done with gimp or krita and whatever. theres even photopea that has photoshop in the browser

basic stuff is that i start by cropping my bg into my renpy resolution (i use 1920x1080) this is also the part where sometimes i might rotate a bg. it is a good way to add some chaos vibes to a scene

i tend to add some mild blur effect since i find that having too sharp photos as backgrounds clashes with the artstyle of my sprites. like just a couple pixels worth of blur tends to do it

the next part is called fuck around and find out

i like to play with the values to just get random results. hue/saturation for tinting the picture, messing with the curves to get some really sharp effects, or channel mixer to add more of a color

this part is just purely vibes based but i personally think reducing the colors of the background is the simplest way to create something that feels coherent. especially if you make backgrounds based on moods. like having a blue tinted bedroom vs a red tinted one really changes the atmosphere

you can get some pretty intense effects but its always important to remember that its meant to be a background and there's a risk it distracts from the sprites

in this case im not including the effect for the curves. after the colours look fine the final step i tend to have is apply some sort of effect.

i really like changing the colour mode to indexed colour since i like crunchy pixels. (had to zoom in to 100% to show the actual effect) downside of indexed is that it doesn't look ideal unless its displayed in the exact resolution it was made in but i like it

here is the images before indexed mode:

after indexed mode(i think you have to click the image and open it in full to see the actual effect):

another thing ive been playing with recently has been grain+chromatic aberration combo. it makes things feel surprisingly lively with just this simple thing so you'll probably see me overusing this effect in the future

you have to mess with the numbers to get the effect you want but for me these were the parameters I've been using

ignore the preview missing idk why it does that.

heres the image (the non indexed version) after these krita effects

one random special mention i have is that playing with layer blend modes is great

in this example i just copied the same background, mirrored it horizontally and set the layer blend mode to color and it lowered the layer opacity slightly. it just adds some.... idk what to call it visual noise? itj just fucks it up a bit. i used overlapping images and screen modes in some of the hopeless junction images i did for some pretty nice effects

i dont really know waht the blend modes do i just scroll until something looks good lmao

theres a ton you can do with these. like for example just adding a single air brush dot of a bright color on a separate layer and setting it to some blend mode to add a tint to a background

i used these both in malmaid and in the second one i just brushed on some color on a separate layer to give it a moodier vibe

i think having variations of the same background is an extremely easy way to add some life to the bgs without having to do new stuff. like here was the hotel lobby when entering, and here is the hotel lobby when they ran away from the place. i added a radial blur with photoshop

i think theres some beaty in artifacts that come from low resolution images too. sometimes i intentionally use images that have clear compression artifacts cause i think it looks neat. i don't really worry about the details too much as the vibe is the most important thing

its honestly just a matter of knowing these tools exist and just fidgeting around with combinations to find what you want. it also helps to look at other backgrounds or images in general that you come across and just be curious. how was this done? how could i recreate it? that's the type of experimenting that has led me to these.

idk thats all i have to say. ty for reading and play malmaid on steam like and subscribe for more gay puppies

[shitsndgiggs]

Hi!!! Your Fics are so amazing I felt like I just needed to tell you that. I was also wondering if you would write for Barış Alper? If not I totally understand. If so could you write one where the reader goes to a game (possibly the derby fener vs gala) and she’s sitting with the fans and they get a little crazy and something happens to her and he finds out after the game and just is all panicked but comforts her and showers reader with love?

MATCHDAY MAYHEM - BARIŞ ALPER YILMAZ

In which you get hurt at one of his games

Barış Alper Yılmaz x fem! reader

︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿

The roar of the crowd was deafening as I made my way to my seat, my heart pounding with anticipation.

The atmosphere at the Galatasaray vs. Fenerbahçe match was electric, the stadium alive with energy.

This was one of the biggest games of the year, and I was here to support Barış. But the sheer volume of people and the intensity of the fans around me made my social anxiety flare up.

I took a deep breath and found my seat among the Galatasaray supporters. They were already chanting and waving their flags, a sea of red and yellow.

I tried to focus on the positive, reminding myself that I was here for Barış, that he would be proud to know I was in the stands cheering him on.

As the game started, I found myself getting swept up in the excitement. The first half was intense, with both teams playing aggressively.

I cheered loudly with the rest of the fans. But as halftime approached, things took a turn.

Fenerbahçe scored a goal just before the whistle, and the Galatasaray fans around me erupted in frustration. The atmosphere grew tense and hostile, and I could feel my anxiety creeping back.

I tried to keep my composure, but the noise and the pushing from the crowd became overwhelming.

"Get up, we need to show them we're not giving up!" a man shouted, pulling me to my feet. I stumbled, trying to stay balanced, but the crowd was too much. I felt a sharp pain in my ankle as I was jostled and knocked to the ground.

I gasped, tears springing to my eyes as I tried to get up. The pain was excruciating, and I felt trapped in the mass of bodies. Panic set in, and I struggled to breathe.

"Hey, are you alright?" a concerned voice called out, but I couldn't respond. My vision blurred with tears, and the noise was too much.

Eventually, halftime arrived, and the crowd began to thin out slightly. I managed to hobble to a quieter area, clutching my ankle. A kind fan helped me to a seat and called for medical assistance.

"Just breathe, you're going to be okay," the fan said, patting my shoulder reassuringly. I nodded, trying to calm myself.

The medics arrived and quickly assessed my injury. "It's a sprain," one of them said. "We'll get you some ice and bandage it up."

As they worked, my thoughts turned to Barış. He had no idea what had happened. I wanted to text him, but I knew he was focused on the game. I didn't want to distract him.

The second half of the game passed in a blur. I tried to watch, but the pain and the anxiety made it hard to focus.

Finally, the final whistle blew, and I heard the cheers of the Galatasaray fans. They had won.

I saw the players celebrating on the field, Barış among them. My heart swelled with pride, but I also felt a pang of sadness.

I wanted to share this moment with him, to tell him how proud I was.

As the stadium began to empty, I stayed in my seat, unsure of how to get to Barış. Suddenly, my phone buzzed with a message.

Barış: Where are you? I'm coming to find you.

Relief washed over me as I texted back.

Me: I'm still in the stands. Sprained my ankle, but I'm okay.

A few minutes later, I saw Barış running towards me, his face a mixture of worry and relief. "What happened?" he asked, kneeling beside me and taking my hand.

"I got caught in the crowd during halftime," I explained, my voice shaky. "It's just a sprain."

He looked at me with such concern that it brought tears to my eyes.

"I'm so sorry I wasn't there," he said, his voice filled with guilt.

"It's not your fault," I reassured him, squeezing his hand. "You were amazing out there."

"You're what's important," he said firmly, helping me to my feet. "Let's get you home."

He wrapped his arm around me, supporting me as we made our way out of the stadium. Despite the pain, I felt a sense of calm wash over me with Barış by my side.

When we got home, Barış settled me on the couch, propping up my foot with pillows and wrapping me in a blanket. "Stay here, I'll get you some ice and tea," he said, kissing my forehead.

I watched him move around the kitchen, my heart swelling with love and gratitude.

Despite the pain and the anxiety, the day had ended in the best possible way – wrapped in the love and care of the person who meant everything to me.

As he handed me a steaming cup of tea, he sat beside me and took my hand again. "I'm so glad you're okay," he said softly, kissing my forehead.

"I am," I replied, smiling up at him. "Thanks to you."

[novaursa]

The Price of Fire (17)

- Summary: In the shadows of the Red Keep, the daughter of the Mad King, Princess Y/N Targaryen, finds herself caught between duty, love, and survival. As her father’s madness deepens and political intrigue swirls, she seeks solace in a forbidden romance with her sworn protector, Ser Arthur Dayne. With King Aerys plotting to use her as a pawn and her brother Rhaegar maneuvering to shield her from their father’s grasp, Y/N must navigate a web of deceit and desire. As tensions rise, secrets ignite into fierce passion and dangerous alliances, where the wrong move could mean the end of them all.

- Paring: targ!reader/Arthur Dayne

- Rating: Mature 16+

- Word count: 6 000+

- Previous part: 16

- Next part: 18

- Tag(s): @sachaa-ff @alyssa-dayne @oxymakestheworldgoround @lightdragonrayne @onlyrealjoy @hajmola-vs-aamchaska

The wind tore at your hair and clothes as Terrax flew through the night sky, the stars above a blur of distant light as the dragon carried you farther from familiar ground. Your hands, slick with blood from your wounds, trembled as you gripped Terrax's spine, the jagged edges of his scales digging deeper into your flesh with each passing moment. The sharp sting had become a dull throb now, but the pain was constant, a reminder of the unnatural bond you shared with the creature beneath you.

The air was cold, biting at your skin, and though the world below you seemed vast and endless, you were beginning to feel the weight of exhaustion creeping in. The blood loss had sapped your strength, making each breath more difficult than the last. You pressed your forehead against Terrax’s warm scales, your vision blurring as you fought to stay conscious. The dragon’s massive wings beat steadily, each stroke carrying you farther from safety, farther from Starfall, and closer to some unknown destination.

"Broken wings, falling stars, mother sings, father scars."

The voice in your mind was louder now, more insistent, its disjointed phrases swirling like a storm. Terrax’s thoughts were bleeding into yours, the fragmented remnants of the dark magic that had brought him into the world. You could feel the chaos in his mind, the way his thoughts twisted and tangled, a reflection of the madness that had been bound to him in the ritual.

"Fire burns, blood flows, mother weeps, father knows."

"Terrax," you whispered, your voice barely audible over the howling wind. "Please... take me back. I need to go back to Starfall."

But the dragon did not respond. His golden eyes were fixed ahead, his massive wings carrying you farther into the unknown. He was driven by something beyond your understanding, something that had brought him to these unorthodox places, far from the comfort of home. You had already flown past the ruins of Meraxes, and now, as the land shifted beneath you, the terrain below became more desolate, more barren.

Your head swam, the dizziness growing stronger as your blood continued to seep from the wounds Terrax’s scales had inflicted. The cold was seeping into your bones now, making it harder to think, harder to hold on. You clung to Terrax, your grip weakening with every passing moment.

"Terrax..." you murmured again, your words slurring as the world spun around you. "Please... take me back..."

The dragon’s thoughts continued to whisper in your mind, fractured and unhinged.

"Mother cries, father burns, all the world returns."

"Grave is near, fire is here, blood is clear, nothing to fear."

You squeezed your eyes shut, trying to block out the madness of his thoughts, but the connection between you and Terrax had grown too strong. It was as if the dragon’s mind had become entangled with your own, a reflection of the dark magic that had bound you together.

You tried again, desperation filling your voice. "Terrax, please. I need to go back."

For a moment, there was silence. Terrax’s wings continued to beat, but the chaotic swirl of his thoughts seemed to quiet, as though he had finally heard you. The dragon’s massive body shifted slightly beneath you, and you felt the subtle change in his flight path as he turned, angling his wings toward the direction of Starfall.

Relief flooded through you, but it was short-lived. The exhaustion from blood loss was catching up to you, and your vision blurred once more, the edges of the world fading into darkness. You clung to consciousness, but it was slipping away, your strength ebbing with each passing second.

"Mother sleeps, father weeps, the blood runs deep."

The voice in your mind echoed one final time before the world went black, and you felt yourself slipping away into the darkness, your body limp against Terrax’s warm scales as he carried you back toward Starfall.

You could only hope that you would survive the journey.

You woke slowly, the haze of unconsciousness lifting like a fog, but with it came the dull ache of your body, the raw sting of wounds that still hadn't fully healed. The unfamiliar scent of spices and sea salt hung in the air, and the warmth of the room felt too dry, too hot. You blinked, trying to focus as the room swam into view. This wasn’t Starfall.

The bed beneath you was soft, covered in richly woven blankets, but the architecture around you was distinctly Dornish—the arched windows open to the breeze, the light sandstone walls, the distant sound of the sea crashing against the shores. You were in Sunspear.

Confusion rippled through you, your heart pounding as the memories of the last hours—or had it been days?—flooded back. Terrax had taken you, carried you through the night sky, ignoring your pleas to return to Starfall. You had fainted, your blood loss too much to bear. But now you were here. How had Terrax brought you to Sunspear?

Before you could make sense of it all, the door to the room creaked open, and a familiar figure entered with a graceful stride.

"Ah, you’re awake at last," Ellaria Sand said, her voice carrying a soft note of amusement as she stepped closer. Her dark, sun-kissed skin seemed to glow in the warm light of the room, and her dark curls fell loosely around her shoulders. She wore the loose, flowing silks of Dorne, and her expression, though friendly, held a hint of curiosity.

You tried to sit up, but the effort made you dizzy. Ellaria quickly came to your side, her hand gently pressing you back against the pillows. "Take it easy. You’ve been through quite an ordeal, my dear. It’s good to see you finally awake."

Your mind spun, the weight of your confusion and worry pressing down on you. "What… what happened? How did I get here?" you asked, your voice still weak and hoarse.

Ellaria smiled faintly, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "Your dragon brought you here," she said with a slight chuckle. "He gave us quite a bit of trouble when he arrived. Terrax isn’t exactly subtle when he decides to land in the middle of Sunspear. You were unconscious when we found you, and it took a great deal of effort to calm him down. He didn’t seem too pleased with anyone touching you."

You blinked, the memories coming back in fragments—Terrax’s wild flight, the pain, the disjointed thoughts that had filled your mind. The dragon had brought you here, to Sunspear, but why?

Your heart suddenly clenched with fear as your hand flew to your abdomen. "The babe," you gasped, your voice laced with panic. "My child—"

Ellaria's expression softened as she placed a calming hand over yours. "Your child is fine," she reassured you, her voice soothing. "Don’t worry. You’ve lost a lot of blood, but the babe is unharmed. The healers checked on you as soon as you arrived. You’ll need time to recover, but you and your little one are safe."

The rush of relief that flooded you was almost overwhelming. You sank back against the pillows, closing your eyes for a moment as the worry drained from your body. The weight of that fear had been unbearable, but knowing your child was safe—knowing that despite everything, they were still with you—was enough to soothe your racing heart.

"And Arthur?" you asked softly, opening your eyes to meet Ellaria’s gaze.

She smiled warmly, her tone reassuring. "Word has been sent to him. He’ll be relieved to know you’re safe, I’m sure. He’s probably already riding this way. It’s not every day a knight finds out his lady has been flown to Sunspear by a dragon."

You let out a weak, breathless laugh, though the exhaustion still clung to you. Arthur. You knew he would come, but you hated to imagine the fear he must have felt when Terrax took you from Starfall. The bond between the two of you had always been strong, but now, with the child growing inside you, you could feel his presence with every beat of your heart. He would come. Of course, he would.

"Thank you," you whispered, your voice barely more than a breath.

Ellaria tilted her head, a mischievous smile playing at her lips. "There’s no need to thank me. You’ve brought a bit of excitement to Sunspear. Besides, it's not every day we have a dragon princess among us." Her eyes sparkled with amusement. "Just promise me you’ll keep that beast of yours under control next time. We had quite the spectacle when he landed."

You managed a small smile, though your body still felt weak, the lingering pain a reminder of just how much you had endured. "I’ll do my best," you murmured. "But Terrax has a mind of his own."

Ellaria chuckled softly, her fingers brushing a lock of hair behind your ear as she stood. "Rest now. You need your strength. Arthur will be here soon enough, and we’ll make sure you’re well taken care of in the meantime."

As she moved toward the door, you closed your eyes, the exhaustion finally pulling you back into a fitful sleep. But even in your dreams, the voice of Terrax still echoed in your mind, the disjointed words flickering like flames in the distance.

You sat near the open windows of your chamber in Sunspear, gazing out at the endless horizon. The sea beyond shimmered in the midday sun, and though the warmth was comforting, your thoughts were elsewhere, tangled in the events that had unfolded in the last few weeks. Terrax’s unpredictable behavior, the constant threat looming over your house, and the uncertainty of what the future held had left you feeling like a ship without a course.

A soft knock echoed from the door, and before you could respond, it swung open with a sudden force. You turned, startled, just as Rhaegar strode into the room, his silver hair catching the sunlight. Without hesitation, he rushed toward you, his arms open. The sight of him—your brother—flooded you with a wave of emotions, and before you knew it, you were on your feet, rushing to meet him halfway.

“Rhaegar!” you breathed, your voice catching in your throat as he wrapped you in a fierce embrace. It had been many moons since you had last seen him—since you had fled the chaos of King’s Landing—and now, here he was, holding you like he had feared he might never see you again.

“I thought I’d lost you,” Rhaegar whispered into your hair, his arms tightening around you, his voice thick with relief. He pulled back slightly, his hands moving to cup your face, his violet eyes scanning your features as if searching for any sign of harm. “Are you all right? I’ve been so worried...”

You nodded, your hands resting on his arms as you gave him a reassuring smile. “I’m fine, Rhaegar. Terrax brought me here, but I’m safe. I’m safe now.” You reached up, resting your hand over his as he continued to study your face, his brow furrowed with concern.

He sighed softly, his thumb brushing your cheek. “So many things could have happened, and I wasn’t there.” He shook his head, his gaze still lingering on you as though trying to memorize every detail. “When I heard you were here in Sunspear, I had to come. I couldn’t stay away.”

You smiled again, though the tension in his voice didn’t go unnoticed. “What are you doing here, Rhaegar?” you asked softly. “I didn’t expect you to come to Dorne.”

He released your face, stepping back slightly but still holding your hand. His expression darkened, and you could see the weight of the world on his shoulders, the burden of the rebellion and everything it had torn apart. “Most of the men who followed me have now joined Robert Baratheon,” he said quietly, his voice tinged with frustration. “He intends to remove our House from the throne—completely. All of us.”

Your breath caught in your throat. The thought of your entire family being wiped out, the Targaryen legacy erased, was unbearable. “All of us?” you whispered.

Rhaegar nodded, his jaw tight. “Every last one. He won’t stop until there is nothing left of House Targaryen.” His gaze flickered, darkened by the weight of the news. “That’s why I came here. Dorne offers support.”

Something in his eyes, something unreadable, caught your attention, and you frowned, stepping closer to him. “There’s more, isn’t there?” you asked, your voice soft but firm. You knew your brother too well to miss the unspoken tension in his posture, the way his eyes shifted slightly as if he was holding something back.

Rhaegar’s expression faltered for a moment, a flicker of hesitation crossing his face. Then he sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly. “They want something in return for their help,” he admitted, his voice quiet.

Your heart skipped a beat, and you swallowed hard. “What is it?”

He looked away for a moment, his gaze distant as if he was struggling with the words. When he finally spoke, his voice was laced with frustration and sorrow. “They want me to marry Elia,” he said, the name hanging heavily in the air between you. “Like it was planned, before Aerys refused.”

A silence fell over the room, the warmth of the sun suddenly feeling oppressive. You knew the marriage had been arranged long ago, and that Dorne had always wanted the union between the two great houses. But hearing it now, in the middle of this war, with everything that had happened—it felt like a betrayal.

Rhaegar turned back to you, his eyes filled with both defiance and tenderness. “But I won’t do it,” he whispered, his hands reaching out to take yours. “My betrothal to you still stands. You and I are the last of our line. We have to stay together.”

Your heart raced, but you couldn’t ignore the implications of his refusal. “And what about the support from Dorne?” you asked quietly. “If you don’t marry Elia, will they still help us?”

Rhaegar looked conflicted, his gaze shifting as though weighing a decision he had already made. Then, in a voice barely louder than a whisper, he said, “I’m still in contact with Varys. The Spider has promised to take us away—both of us, and Mother. To Essos, where we’ll be safe. Away from Robert’s reach.”

“Essos?” you murmured, the word foreign and distant. The idea of leaving Westeros, leaving everything behind, was both tempting and terrifying. But the thought of leaving without Arthur—without the man you loved—was unbearable.

“I won’t go without Arthur,” you said, your voice steady despite the turmoil inside you.

Rhaegar’s face softened with understanding, his hand squeezing yours gently. “I know,” he said. “We’ll find a way. But we may not have a choice. The war is coming, and we have to survive, no matter the cost.”

The thought of leaving everything behind, abandoning the fight for the throne, and fleeing to a foreign land filled you with a strange mix of hope and fear. 

But the shadows of the war loomed ever closer, and in the distance, you could still hear the whispers of dragonfire, calling you back to the flames.

The warmth of the Dornish sun bathed the stone walls of Sunspear as Rhaegar and Oberyn led you through the winding halls toward the courtyard. The breeze carried the scent of citrus and spices, and though you had been recovering from your wounds, the fresh air felt invigorating after the days spent resting indoors. Rhaegar walked at your side, his arm lightly supporting you as you moved carefully, still feeling the dull ache of the gashes Terrax's scales had inflicted. Oberyn walked just ahead, his usual swagger tempered by the seriousness of the moment.

As they guided you to the courtyard, the sound of rustling wings and agitated growls reached your ears. Terrax was there, his massive form restless as he paced, his golden eyes gleaming with a wildness that had only grown since his unpredictable flight. The dragon's agitation was visible, his claws scraping against the stone floor as his tail lashed behind him.

You swallowed, your heart tightening with a mix of affection and apprehension as you looked at him. Terrax was a creature of raw power, bound to you in ways you still didn’t fully understand, but today there was something different in the air.

"Don’t worry," Rhaegar said softly, his voice calming as he glanced at you. "He knows you're here. He’ll settle."

Oberyn smirked from just ahead, his usual devil-may-care attitude on full display. "Though I’d keep my distance while we fit him with what we’ve made. Dragons have a temper, and I’d hate for him to take it out on the wrong person."

You gave a small smile at Oberyn’s jest, though the thought of Terrax’s growing restlessness did nothing to ease the tension in your chest. As you approached the courtyard, you finally saw what Rhaegar had brought you here to see.

In the center of the courtyard, laid across a low stone bench, was a saddle—no, the saddle, the one Rhaegar had been working on with the help of Sunspear’s leatherworkers. It was unlike any saddle you had seen before, clearly designed with the unique needs of a dragon in mind. The intricate leatherwork, the reinforced straps, and the careful stitching were all signs of skilled craftsmanship, but what made it truly remarkable was its size and shape. It had been built to fit the ridges of Terrax's back, the design functional yet elegant in a way that suggested both utility and royalty.

Rhaegar gestured toward the saddle, a slight smile on his face as he glanced at you. "I found some old writings about saddle designs in books on the Conquest here in Sunspear’s library," he explained, his voice filled with pride and warmth. "Saddles like this were used by our ancestors during Aegon’s conquest. They were meant to help dragonriders better control their mounts during battle. I thought it might help with Terrax, especially after what happened."

You blinked, momentarily speechless as you took in the sight. The saddle was more than just a tool—it was a symbol of your bond with Terrax, a connection that ran deeper than blood, deeper than even your heritage. Rhaegar had gone to such lengths to make this for you, to ensure your safety and strengthen your bond with the dragon. It was humbling.

"Rhaegar..." you murmured, your voice thick with emotion. "You did all this?"

He smiled, the faintest hint of pride in his eyes. "For you. And for Terrax. I know how much he means to you—and what he represents for all of us."

Oberyn grinned, his hands resting on his hips as he looked between the two of you. "It wasn’t easy, I’ll admit. Getting a dragon to stay still long enough to measure him for a saddle? Quite the challenge. But we managed. Somehow."

Your gaze shifted back to Terrax, who was still pacing restlessly in the courtyard, his wings twitching slightly as if he could sense the attention on him. There was an air of unpredictability about him today, a wildness that made your stomach churn. But you had to trust that the saddle would make a difference—that it would allow you to ride him without the pain and danger that had come before.

Rhaegar stepped closer to the saddle, motioning to the leatherworkers who had been waiting nearby. "We’ll put it on him now. You’ll see how it fits." His voice was steady, but you could see the tension in his posture. Terrax was not an easy dragon to handle, especially when agitated.

The leatherworkers moved with caution as they approached Terrax, the saddle held carefully between them. The dragon’s eyes tracked their every movement, his golden gaze sharp and unblinking. His massive tail swayed behind him, the muscles in his body coiled with barely contained energy.

You held your breath as they moved closer to him, murmuring soothing words to calm him, though you weren’t sure if Terrax even heard them. Rhaegar watched closely, ready to step in if needed, but his focus remained on you, watching your reaction, ensuring you were comfortable.

Terrax let out a low growl, his wings flaring slightly as the leatherworkers lifted the saddle toward his back. But he did not lash out—did not burn them with fire or snap his jaws at their hands. Instead, he allowed them to fit the saddle over the ridges of his spine, though his body remained tense, his muscles twitching beneath the leather straps as they fastened them securely.

The saddle fit perfectly, its shape and size molded to Terrax’s form in a way that seemed almost natural. You could see the relief in Rhaegar’s eyes as the last strap was secured, and Terrax settled slightly, his wings folding against his body. The dragon’s agitation had not fully faded, but he was calmer now, his gaze shifting to you as if waiting for your next move.

"It’s done," Rhaegar said softly, turning to you with a small smile. "The saddle should make things easier for you. You won’t have to worry about his scales cutting into you anymore."

You took a step forward, your heart pounding as you approached Terrax, your hand brushing gently against his warm scales. The saddle felt sturdy beneath your touch, the leather smooth and well-crafted. You glanced back at Rhaegar, gratitude shining in your eyes.

"Thank you," you whispered, your voice barely carrying over the wind.

He gave you a gentle smile in return. "You’ve always had a special connection with Terrax. I just wanted to make sure you could keep riding him—without getting hurt."

Oberyn chuckled from behind you, his tone light. "It’s not every day you see a dragon tamed—or saddled. I must admit, I didn’t think we’d pull it off."

You turned to face them both, a smile tugging at your lips despite the lingering soreness in your body. "I’m grateful. To both of you."

And as you looked back at Terrax, now fitted with the saddle that would help you ride him without fear.

The air in the Water Gardens was warm. You sat on a stone bench near the edge of a shallow pool, the cool water reflecting the bright Dornish sun. The sound of children laughing in the distance, running and playing under the watchful eye of attendants, was a soothing backdrop to the quiet conversation shared between you, Ellaria, and Elia.

Your hands rested on the small, but unmistakable swell of your abdomen, a sign of the life growing inside you. The soft fabric of your gown flowed around you, the heat of the sun tempered by the shade of the lush green trees that lined the gardens. You felt more at ease here, far from the chaos of the rebellion and the constant threats that loomed over your house. Yet, the lingering weight of your recent ordeal still clung to your thoughts.

Ellaria sat beside you, her dark eyes sparkling with their usual mischief, though her tone was soft today. "You seem to be healing well," she said with a gentle smile, her gaze drifting down to your stomach. "And the babe? No more complications?"

You gave a small, contented nod, your fingers tracing the slight curve of your belly. "No, everything is as it should be," you replied softly. "The healers say I’m making a good recovery." Your voice wavered slightly as you spoke, still overwhelmed by everything that had happened.

Elia, sitting across from you, her delicate features shadowed with a quiet concern, nodded in agreement. "It’s good to see you outside again. Sunspear has done wonders for you, princess," she said gently, though her eyes lingered on your abdomen with an expression that spoke of her own unspoken worries.

You smiled at both women, appreciating their company more than words could express, but before you could continue, the sound of hurried footsteps caught your attention. Your heart skipped a beat as you turned toward the entrance of the gardens, where a familiar figure was striding through the arched doorway.

Arthur.

Your breath caught in your throat as you saw him, his eyes immediately locking onto yours. His face was drawn with worry, but the moment he spotted you sitting safely by the pool, his expression softened with overwhelming relief. Without hesitation, he moved toward you, his long strides urgent, yet careful.

Ellaria glanced between you and Arthur with a knowing smile, her hand resting lightly on Elia’s arm. "Perhaps we should leave you two alone," she murmured, rising gracefully from the bench. Elia followed suit, offering you a small, reassuring smile before they both stepped away, giving you the space you needed.

Arthur rushed toward you as soon as they were out of earshot, his breath coming in quick, shallow gasps. He knelt beside you, his hands immediately reaching for yours, his touch warm and trembling with barely restrained emotion. "Y/N," he whispered, his voice hoarse with relief. "Thank the gods… I was so worried."

You smiled weakly, your own hands gripping his tightly as your heart swelled with love and relief at seeing him. "Arthur," you breathed, tears stinging the corners of your eyes. "I’m here. I’m all right."

He stared at you for a long moment, his violet eyes filled with a mix of tenderness and anguish. His fingers trailed down to your abdomen, where the gentle curve of your stomach pressed against your gown. His hand rested there, his thumb brushing over the fabric as though he couldn’t quite believe what he was seeing.

"The child?" he asked, his voice breaking slightly.

You nodded, placing your hand over his. "Safe," you whispered. "Our child is safe."

Arthur exhaled shakily, his head lowering as he pressed his forehead against your stomach, his hands cupping your belly with such reverence that it made your heart ache. "I thought I’d lost you both," he whispered, his voice barely more than a breath. "When Terrax took you… I didn’t know if I’d see you again."

You gently stroked his hair, your fingers running through the familiar strands as you tried to calm him. "We’re here, Arthur," you said softly. "I’m not going anywhere. I promise."

For a moment, the two of you remained like that, the world around you fading into the background. The distant sounds of the gardens, the soft trickling of water, all seemed to blur as you held onto each other, your bond unspoken but unbreakable.

Arthur lifted his head after a moment, his eyes still shining with unshed tears. He leaned forward and kissed you, his lips soft and urgent against yours. It was a kiss filled with longing, with relief, with the promise of everything that was still to come. When he pulled back, he rested his forehead against yours, his hands still gently cradling your abdomen.

"I won’t let anything happen to you or the babe," he whispered, his voice fierce with determination. "No matter what comes, I’ll protect you. Both of you."

You nodded, your own heart echoing the promise in his words. 

And hope was enough. For now.

The sky was overcast as Rhaegar and Oberyn rode out, the distant mountains casting long shadows over the barren borderlands where Dorne met the Reach. Behind them, the Dornish army stretched in disciplined rows, the sun-and-spear banners of House Martell flapping in the wind. The sound of hooves on dry, cracked earth was a steady rhythm, but the tension in the air was palpable. Ahead, King Aerys and his army were approaching, their banners dark and foreboding. It was a rare thing for Aerys to leave King’s Landing, especially at such risk, but his obsession with your whereabouts had driven him to the edge of reason.

Rhaegar’s face was drawn, his jaw set as he rode in silence beside Oberyn. His thoughts were dark, his heart heavy with the knowledge of the confrontation ahead. It was no longer just a matter of rebellion or loyalty. His father’s madness had spiraled into something dangerous, and Aerys’s fixation on you—on his own daughter—had only grown with each passing moon. The rumors had spread fast, whispers that you were with child, whispers that Aerys was determined to have you and the babe for his own twisted purposes.

Oberyn glanced at Rhaegar, his expression unreadable, but the flicker of amusement in his eyes was unmistakable. "Your father has lost what little remains of his sanity," Oberyn said dryly, his tone laced with sarcasm. "And now we meet him here, on the brink of war, while Robert Baratheon likely marches on King’s Landing. Madness has never been so well-timed."

Rhaegar said nothing, though the truth of Oberyn’s words gnawed at him. By leaving the capital exposed, Aerys had all but invited Robert’s forces to strike. But that was the price of his father’s obsession. Aerys cared for nothing now except you and the child he believed was Rhaegar’s.

As they crested a low hill, Rhaegar spotted Aerys’s forces—thousands strong, their black and red banners stark against the gray sky. At the front of the formation, Aerys sat on his horse, his silver hair wild in the wind, his eyes burning with manic energy. His presence was unmistakable, a figure of chaos, dressed in dark armor that gleamed with the reflection of wildfire in his gaze. Even from a distance, Rhaegar could see the twitch of his father’s lips, the erratic movements that betrayed his instability.

The two forces halted, and a tense silence followed, the wind whipping between them as Rhaegar and Oberyn rode out to meet Aerys, the armies watching from a distance.

As they drew closer, Aerys’s gaze locked on Rhaegar, ignoring Oberyn entirely. His lips curled into a sneer, and his voice cracked as he spoke. "Where is she?" Aerys demanded, his tone sharp, biting. "Where is my daughter? Where is Y/N?"

Rhaegar met his father’s wild gaze without flinching. He had known this question was coming. "She is safe, away from you," he replied, his voice steady, but there was an edge of defiance in his words. "You will not have her, Father."

Aerys’s expression twisted into one of rage, his hands gripping the reins of his horse tightly, knuckles white. "You dare defy me? You—who stole her away from me?!" His voice grew shrill, his eyes wide and gleaming with madness. "She belongs to me, and you will bring her to me, or I will burn the world to ash!"

Oberyn, sitting astride his horse beside Rhaegar, looked utterly unbothered, a faint smirk playing on his lips. He watched Aerys with a kind of amused detachment, though he made no effort to intervene. The Dornish prince seemed content to let the mad king rant, his dark eyes glimmering with quiet amusement at the scene unfolding before him.

But Aerys ignored Oberyn entirely, his fury focused solely on Rhaegar. "And I’ve heard whispers, rumors," Aerys hissed, his voice lowering but no less venomous. "That my daughter is with child. Is it true?"

Rhaegar’s heart clenched at the question, though he had prepared for this moment. He knew what Aerys wanted to hear, what madness would drive him further into obsession. With a calm he barely felt, Rhaegar met his father’s gaze and lied without hesitation. "Yes," he said, his voice firm. "She is with child."

Aerys’s eyes blazed with manic excitement, but before he could speak, Rhaegar continued, his tone cold and final. "But the child is mine. You will not touch her, and you will not touch our babe. You will never see them."

The words hung in the air, heavy with defiance, and Aerys’s face contorted in a mixture of shock and fury. "Lies!" he shrieked, his voice cracking. "You dare claim what is mine?! You would steal from your own father—your king?! I will burn you, Rhaegar. I will burn you and that bastard child in her womb!"

Rhaegar remained calm, his expression hardening. He had expected this, but the depth of Aerys’s madness still sent a chill through him. "You will not touch them," Rhaegar repeated, his voice low and filled with quiet menace. "No matter what you do, you will never have them."

Aerys’s fury boiled over, his whole body trembling with rage. "I’ll see you dead!" he screamed, his voice echoing across the battlefield. "You and all your traitors—burned in dragonfire!"

Oberyn finally spoke, his voice calm but mocking, his amusement at Aerys’s tirade evident. "You may want to rethink your strategy, Your Grace," Oberyn drawled, leaning slightly in his saddle. "You’ve left your capital wide open for Robert’s men. While you chase after your daughter, King’s Landing may not be so forgiving of your absence."

Aerys turned his wild gaze on Oberyn, his eyes narrowing in hatred. But he said nothing, as if the words of the Dornish prince were beneath him. His obsession with you had consumed him to the point where the fate of the capital, of the Iron Throne itself, no longer mattered.

"Enough!" Aerys barked, his voice ragged. He turned back to Rhaegar, his face twisted in fury. "I will have her, Rhaegar. One way or another, I will have her. And if you stand in my way, I will see you burn."

Rhaegar’s eyes met his father’s, filled with a quiet, unyielding resolve. "You will never touch her, Father," he said once more. "No matter what you do."

Aerys’s expression twisted, and for a moment, his hands shook on the reins of his horse, his entire body trembling with the force of his rage. But then, without another word, he yanked the reins and turned his horse around, riding back toward his army in silence.

Rhaegar remained still, watching his father retreat, knowing that this was far from over. The mad king’s obsession had only deepened, and there was no telling what he might do next.

Oberyn let out a low, amused chuckle, his eyes glinting with mischief as he turned to Rhaegar. "Well, that went about as well as expected," he said with a smirk. "Though I must admit, I was hoping for more wildfire."

Rhaegar gave him a small, grim smile, though the weight of the encounter still lingered. "It’s not over," he said softly. "Not yet."

[w2soneshots]

Accident -KSI

words: 0.7k+

warnings: angst, skiing accident, hospitals, recovery.

summary: when abroad skiing for a sidemen video you have an accident and everyone’s worried about you.

notes: I love this request and I feel like JJ is such a cutie so he would definitely react like this💞. I hope you enjoy my loves!!😊🫶🏼

Liked by tobjizzle, taliamar and 521,870 others

y/username: how it started vs how it's going😭

-comments-

ksi: ❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹

freyanightingale: my poor girl🥺

y/nfanpage21: omfg what happened? Are you ok?

user31083649: isn't she filming for a sidemen vid?

-> user29736105: yea. I'm not sure if they'll post it now tho🤷‍♂️

"Shit! Babe, are you okay?!" JJ shouted, racing over to me. I could barely hear him. My ears were ringing and my head hurt. "y/n? y/n can you hear me? Answer me!" He scrambled as I began to come back into consciousness. "I'm ok." I croaked. My voice coming out much more quiet than I thought it would. "Fucking hell! You scared the shit out of me." I tried to sit up, a sharp pain spread through my leg. I hissed. JJ started to panic for a second time. "Don't move! What is it? Your leg?" I nodded. "Ok I'm gonna call an ambulance."

It felt a little bit like a blur after that. I was rushed to the nearby hospital where they completely checked me over. Almost an hour after we arrived the doctor came back with the results of their tests. "So, you have a concussion which is most likely from the impact of the fall and is the reason you blacked out. Your leg is severely bruised since that was what you landed on but nothing is broken. You are very lucky." She explained sweetly. A weight lifted from my shoulders. JJ let out a relived breath. "Thank you." I smiled. "You'll need to rest and take it easy for the next few weeks but you should be just fine."

We flew home the next day and I was treated like a complete princess. JJ cancelled everything in order to take care of me. I slept, watched reality tv, cuddled with our little dog and ate the food JJ brought to me, which mostly consisted of uber eats since I'm usually the cook. Yinka (JJ's mum) came round to bring me some home cooked food and to make sure that I was okay, which was really sweet. I got many texts from all of my friends along with the boys who were really concerned when they saw I'd had an accident.

I wasn't initially supposed to be going on the trip but Vik became Ill so they asked if I could step in last minute, since every time I go on there channel the video does really well. I agreed and we left for the airport the next day.

I spent the first day on the bad team with Simon and Harry which they both felt bad about but I'm really close with Simon since I've known him for so many years so I wasn't that bothered. I had to spend the night in a tiny room with them, me on the top bunk. Then JJ and Harry swapped so I ended up remaining on the bad team with Simon and JJ, I wasn't really mad though because I can't ski and I'd rather have the funny experience with JJ.

Then only one hour in I lost control and practically rolled off of a small snowy cliff. I landed in the snow after only falling about three metres but I was going full speed, doing something I wasn't familiar with. They asked if I wanted the video to be cancelled and I told them that was ridiculous. I fell on the last day and wasn't injured that badly plus the whole thing was caught on camera so it was great content.

"I'm seriously so glad you're ok. I was really worried for a second." JJ said quietly as he gently ran his hand through my hair. I yawned as we were about to go to sleep. "Could you imagine if I had died? I can see the headlines now, 'KSI's girlfriend dies while filming sidemen Sunday'" I played it out with my hands. He chuckled. "I love you. Good night." He kissed my forehead. I nuzzled closer into his shoulder. "I love you too." I whispered as I drifted off to sleep.

Liked by ksi, faithloisak and 410,732 others

y/username: thank you for your lovely messages but I'm ok, just realised I'm shit at skiing😘

-comments-

miniminter: committed to the content

-> y/username: a little too committed😂

taliamar: side note: you look stunning!

y/nfanpage21: I'm glad she's alive x

user71209374: the puppy🥹💕

[dgrailwar]

Round 10, Day 2 - Team Pretender vs. Team Alter-Ego - NOBLE PHANTASM

"Alright, lady. Time to fight!"

"Oh no~! I'm in trouble~!"

"Or maybe not. Xiǎo xīn!"

"What's that supposed to mea--"

"---!?"

The Pretender felt a sharp pain in his side, a blade twisting into his body before being ripped out. A heavy kick sent the Pretender flying. He slammed into the rubble, his body bouncing off the stone and collapsing to the ground. He coughed, blood flowing from his mouth as he tried to wipe it away, struggling to his feet.

The ground began to run red, as more and more water began to rise, as if the tides themselves had suddenly surged upon the earth. He finally caught sight of the perpetrator, slowly approaching, her legs dancing on the slick surface of the rising water.

"Pretender… you're a real nuisance, aren't you? I'll just swallow you up and reduce you to nothing, then! It's only fair, isn't it?"

Her approach suddenly became much faster, her form distorting into a barrage of afterimages.

"Hehehe-- Hahahaha-- HAHAHAHA--!"

A blur of motion, coming from every angle. Cycling, cycling. Spinning, spinning. Again and again. A pillar of rising water, from the sheer cyclone motion of the Alter-Ego, the Pretender finding himself trapped inside.

A grand Noble Phantasm. Beautiful. Deadly. A song- a tale- of collapse and rebirth. Befitting of the Alter-Ego who wielded it, a Noble Phantasm that could collapse people, nations, cultures, even the world- if she so chose. A true deluge, manifested in the digital space.

Behold--

"Saraswati... Meltout!"

"Imperial Edict. Wage war.": Boosts and demerits will be doubled for the upcoming round, as part of the Imperial Edict!

If someone wins with greater than 15%, they do double-damage!

Alter-Ego has triggered her Noble Phantasm! Saraswati Meltout: Benzaiten's Five-String Biwa!

Pretender: 9% x 2 (18%)

Alter-Ego: 36% x 2 (72%)

SERVANT DETAILS:

Oberon-Vortigern (PRETENDER)

HP: 2/3

Team Pretender has no Command Spells remaining!

Oberon's True Name has been unveiled! His power has increased, but he's lost the ability to recover!

Evening Shroud and Morning Lark (EX Rank) - In the cover of night, even the most unscrupulous warriors can at least feign greatness. When the sun rises, warriors gain the morale to fight another day. When engaged in combat, gain a +5% boost.

Affection of the Fairy Princess (Unranked) - A 'false' skill. The fair Princess of the Autumn Forest fell in love with the vile King of the Mors, who was cursed to never love. A tragedy almost Shakespearean in nature. When Oberon would take his final wound, Blanca will take the damage in his place, killing herself in his stead. This does not work against 'red'-grade Noble Phantasms, that possess a power that can destroy both Oberon and Blanca together.

Fairy Eyes (Unranked) - When 'Playing Defensively', increase your +5% combat boost to +7%. He also cannot be 'Ambushed'.

A Midsummer Night's Dream (EX Rank) - Rather than just reducing the effectiveness of Servant-imposed demerits, he is immune to them entirely. Unlike other demerit immunities, this ignores the effects of Servant traits and Free-for-All demerits as well. He gathers 'Curses' from combat, which can be used to fuel his Noble Phantasm (baseline +1 for participating, +2 for winning, and +3 for winning with more than 20% over your opponent).

Current Curses: 1

-

Class-Trait:

PRETENDER-CLASS Servants possess an inherent trickster nature. If they fall in last place during a Free-for-All, if there is a gap of 3% within their final score and that of the Servant in 2nd place, they can evade taking a wound. Additionally, if they're victorious against other Servants, other teams cannot attempt to study the Pretender in order to gain a percentage bonus against them.

Meltryllis (ALTER-EGO)

HP: 3/3

Team Alter-Ego has no Command Spells remaining!

Servant Skills:

Melt Virus (EX Rank) - When engaged in a Free-for-All, inflict all foes with a -3% demerit. If Meltryllis gains 1st place in the Free-for-All by a margin of 10% or more, inflict a -3% demerit to your foes for their next round and gain a +3% boost for your next combat round.

Crime Ballet (A Rank) - When engaged in a one-on-one, increase the Alter-Ego Class Trait one-on-one boost to +5% rather than +3% (+6% if targeting a Servant that's Playing Defensively).

Saint Graph Expansion (B Rank): When engaged in a Free-for-All, gain a +2% boost. Additionally, if Alter-Ego finds herself in a tie against an opponent in a one-on-one (according to the final results, including boosts), her opponent takes a wound and a -2% demerit while she fully escapes damage and gains a +2% bonus for the next round.

NOBLE PHANTASM: Saraswati Meltout (EX Rank)

A powerful, debilitating Noble Phantasm that inflicts 2 ‘wounds’ instead of one. Meltryllis gains a +30% boost in her combat poll scores for the round, and if her target survives, they’re struck with a -10% demerit for the immediate next round as Meltryllis holds onto a +10% boost.

If the Noble Phantasm successfully kills, Meltryllis successfully absorbs the ‘Class Traits’ of the destroyed enemies.

Boost from the Imperial Edict: If the gap between scores is wider than 50%, the Noble Phantasm inflicts 3 wounds rather than 2.

-

Class-Trait:

ALTEREGO-CLASS Servants fight at their best when given a specific target. When engaged in a standard one-on-one confrontation, they gain a +3% boost. If attacking a Servant 'Playing Defensively', they gain a +4% boost instead.

[bunji-enthusiast]

Sorry again but that scourge fic?? TYYYYY imagine this now, you're still Sonic's friend and he's particularly protective over you, the whole Sonic vs Scourge fight begins as Scourge walks out from the portal, crown on his head, Scourge flirting with YOU as he's fighting Sonic just to mess with said hedgehog and prob you?? Ooc I think but idc right now 😭

Heavy Lies The Crown — Scourge The Hedgehog

Note || thank you! I really didn’t know what to do, so I just went off on the top of my head for that fic lol. Went off the top off of my head for this one too, but I’ll do something more proper for him in the future when I can force myself to.

WC || 480

Sypnosis || One Hedgehog, Two Hedgehogs. It can get rather confusing when the greener of the two can be very indifferent compared to your more heroic friend.

“Well ain't this interestin?” Scourge chuckled, legs pushing forward as he revealed himself forth from the portal. Right now, it was just; you, Sonic and Scourge. This was a tense atmosphere of which you were not absolutely sure you could redirect, or for that matter prevent the two from fighting. 

What the hell was with the crown though? That was a brand new addition, and in your honest opinion wasn’t a good choice of fashion for the rebellious hedgehog. 

“Leave ‘em outta this.”Sonic growled, tentatively side-stepping to block you from his view. You were albeit confused, a hint of confusion remaining on your face despite the clear clarity of the situation. 

Scourge threw his hands up in a matter of a dramatic gesture of a display, a sharp smile forming on his face, “Come on, I’m pretty sure the pretty little thing has as much business and priority in this as much as you.”

“I-”

For a moment you thought you saw the blue blur falter in his steps as he rose up to go face to face with Scourge, but you would talk about that with him later. You didn’t want to get in his way, regardless of how much you wanted to understand what the two meant. 

“Eh it’s really too bad, honestly.” Scourge mentions at one point or another, whilst in the midst of fighting Sonic. This seemed to confuse you, but you couldn’t tell with the look on Sonic’s face, it looked like he just wanted to get this done and over with. You wanted too as well, but Scourge was highly unpredictable at times that even you could not understand. “You're really cute darlin, and that’s the real shame here.”

He grins when he realizes that Sonic had stopped speaking completely, leaving all preconditions out the window. That really bothered him, and Scourge was feeling all the better with it. 

 “Maybe you should pay attention, instead of making useless comments.” You note, crossing your arms as you already had found a safe distance away from their fighting. At most, even Sonic had found himself silently agreeing with you. 

“Yeah, you gotta be sick of chasing after so many innocent mobians who had nothing to do with you in the first place.” Sonic snickers as he slides back from a rebounded attack from Scourge, he pants for a few moments as he gains his bearings again. 

Scourge’s lips almost falters, revealing a short-sighted frown. “Oh shaddup, you should be the one to pay attention chump.” He gains a running start as he attacks Sonic with a stronger dash, strength was not something the green hedgehog had lacked for a very long time now. Ever since his fortunate upgrade, he felt lucky otherwise.

To be able to gain some sort of revenge on Sonic, and mess with you too at the same time was even better.

[ivanttakethis]

End of Round 7 - Tov’s Log

Daiki (57) vs. Tallis (42) - Daiki Win

————————————————————

Someone screamed.

A loud, piercing wail ripped from the depths of a soul consumed by sudden and overwhelming grief.

It didn’t sound human.

It sounded too human.

It took Tov a moment to realize she was the one screaming.

She couldn’t stop— didn’t want to stop.

Tov wanted to scream until her throat burned raw, until she damaged her vocal cords and could never sing again.

Maybe then this never ending nightmare would be over.

Her heart had been torn from her chest, weakened but still throbbing in pain. She fell to her knees, aching to the very core of her being.

Tallis was gone. Tallis was gone.

An hour ago he’d been alive.

Tov had held his face in her hands, looked into his eyes, and told him she loved him. That was the first time she’d told anyone.

And then he said he loved her too.

And now—

Now there was a bullet in his chest.

They shot him the same way they shot Stasya.

Tov screamed louder. She tasted blood in the back of her throat.

She covered her ears to muffle to sounds of the crowd. She didn’t want to hear their manic, bloodlust-fueled cheering. It made her want to rip something apart with her teeth.

There was a heartbeat pounding away in Tov’s head, but it wasn’t hers.

It was Tallis’s.

His heartbeat was always steady, but it had a different rhythm than hers or Himei’s. She would know it was his by the rhythm alone.

But that heart didn’t beat anymore. It was just a memory.

Now everything about Tallis was a memory.

His voice. His eyes. His constellation of freckles. His love for instruments. His comfort. His warmth. His understanding.

All of it was just gone.

Hot tears welled up in her eyes and streamed down her cheeks unbidden.

She choked on a chest racking sob, curling further in on herself. It sounded strained, hoarse from lack of use.

When was the last time I cried?

When was the last time I was in this much pain?

Never.

Never.

She tried to close her eyes, but all she could see was his face. Up close. Close enough to count his freckles if she wanted to.

Tov always knew Tallis would take a piece of her heart when he died. This felt more like half.

A gentle hand rested on her back. Tov saw red.

She whipped around, baring her teeth and ready to snap, only to find Cassio kneeling beside her.

They had shifted their form slightly, more human sized than usual. The sadness in their eyes struck her hard.

“I’m sorry, Tov.”

Tov tried to speak, but her throat was thick with tears. Her vision blurred again. She collapsed into her guardian’s arms and sobbed.

Cassio held her tightly and stroked her braids in an attempt to soothe her. Their efforts were in vain. The comfort only made Tov cry harder.

There was movement around them. People were probably staring. It didn’t matter.

None of it fucking mattered.

Tallis was dead.

She’d believed in him. Just like she’d believed in Azure and Moran and even Stasya. And they were all dead too.

Her belief in their ability to win was a fucking curse.

Why hadn’t she seen the pattern before?

Every time she thought someone would win, they always lost.

Every time, except—

“Himei—” She gasps.

Tov felt sick to her stomach. Himei was in one of those pods for the other contestants. She’d had a front row seat to watch Tallis die on that stage.

Oh Himei… I’m so, so sorry.

She pulled away from Cassio to seize them by the shoulders. “Where’s Himei?” She asked frantically. “I need to see Himei.”

Tov saw her wild expression in the reflection of Cassio’s milky white eyes.

They spoke in a very measured voice, like they were trying not to spook a feral creature, “We should get you home.”

Cassio reached out for her but she knocked their hand away, her anger flaring hot.

“NO!” Tov shouted, voice sharp.

They reeled back, a look of disbelief etched into their human-like features.

It was the first time Tov had ever yelled at them. It was the first time Tov had yelled at anyone.

“I’m not leaving here until I see Himei.” She said, her chest heaving hard and fast. “Where is she?”

Cassio grimaced, but relented with a sigh. “Himei had to be dragged away from the stage… and she bit a guard.” They said. “She’s been collared and placed in isolation.”

…

Oh.

Fuck.

Tov vomited all over her shoes.

————————————————————

Tallis is gone y’all. My heart hurts 😭

Round 7 emotionally devastated me so bad it took longer than I wanted to write this. But I’m kinda glad I waited because I got to read Himei’s reaction to the round and add Tov’s reaction to Himei in this log.

Also, Tov and Himei’s similar reactions to Tallis’s death were NOT planned. @lookatmysillies and I just share the exact same braincell lmao (kind of iconic, actually).

There is something very funny about two beautiful models known for being pretty chill absolutely flipping their shit because their emotional support harpist lost to a morally questionable lesbian.

Anyways, congratulations to Daiki (I say with tears in my eyes).

And please check out this lovely art of Tov by @rockwgooglyeyes! (tw: blood)

Tallis and Himei belong to @lookatmysillies.

Daiki belongs to @daiki1k.

Azure ( @azureitri ), Moran ( @geospiral ), and Stasya ( @billwasnot ) are once again haunting the narrative. (Lmk if the tags for these posts get annoying, I just try to credit everyone’s ocs that I mention and these people meant a lot to Tov so they come up often)

[ourmondobongo]

It isn't something new to Gege's manga style to play and extrapolate in-panel drawing perspectives with the overall design of panel frames and some of the textboxes. He uses this stylistic choice during most intense fights, which makes the reading more dynamic as well as serves to show how "outside the box" he likes to do things.

That said, I just want to highlight how nice these details were put and played around throughout this chapter.

We start with a sword directly pointed at us. It's a salute to the jjk 0 cover, yes, but also - don't you get the feeling that Yuta is breaking out the confines of the page? Like, if we had a virtual or 3D glasses on, he would be about to stab us? Cool!

Here, Rika is divided into three 'batdevil' missiles, and they trespass the limites of the panel, giving a deeper sense that they are fast and really moving at high-speed to attack Sukuna. Meanwhile, Gege also uses sfxs that differ in size and 'font' to emphasize the sharp, clean speed (bats) and the brute fierceness (yuji's punch) while the attacks happen nearly simultaneously.

Ps: I love how Gege keeps showing Sukuna's soul shaking after Yuji's attack. You can feel the 'trembling', almost like when Choso felt Yuji's delayed/double punch in the anime.

Again, Yuta comes extrapolating the limits of the panel framing— but as if he is coming in jumping from somewhere outside the pages. And not only that, but this jump also distorts the solidness of the place to the point that even the 'inked' sfx blurs with it. So cool!

Another panel extrapolation, now featuring Yuji going so fast he is passing through three frames at once +

Sukuna is so tall and physically strong that he holds Yuji between two panels!

And now two of my favs:

The CT is literally so powerful it shatters the panel frame! An awesome detail most ppl might not even notice in the heat of the reading!

And later, there is Sukuna expanding his deadly fingers and cursed slashes beyond the dimensions of the panel he is alone in.

The visual is also clearly inspired by the animation (Maho fight)!

And at last, we come back to the Yuta's sword perspective:

It's interesting how the double pov on Sukuna's character give a little bit of a feeling that there is a David vs Goliath going on. Compared to Sukuna's size and mature features, Yuta looks like what he truly is - a 16yo boy wielding a sword to a 1000yo man who has transcended what lies beyond the horizon of curses and humanity.

And with this worrisome perspective in mind until next week, I hope Gege thinks twice before he does what I fear he might do to my son T_T

[justsasuke]

A few months ago it occurred to me that because the Uchiha were killed so early there's so much that Sasuke didn't get to learn about their traditions, habits, culture, etc. I started wondering what it would look like if Sasuke hadn't learned to wear those arm covers from his family and that it was something he had to discover on his own. What kind of impact would that have on him? How would that affect him as a child vs. when he's a little older? How would looking at those scars make him feel? It seems like it would be such a simple, no-big-deal thing but there's no way it didn't affect him at all, right? I may have put too much thought into it and made it something it’s not but in any case this fic-let thing is the exploration of those ideas... (it's also a small exploration of Juugo and Sasuke's relationship and how Juugo quietly observes and notices things that go unseen and unfelt by others but never pushes Sasuke to open up or tell him anything.)

.

.

Juugo’s calluses are rough against Sasuke’s skin as he carefully spreads ointment that’s too cold on Sasuke’s bruised body.

Everything aches. Sasuke is zoned out.  He needs a distraction from the other nin’s touch but the only thing to look at in the room besides the wall is the single lamp that Juugo came in with.  So Sasuke looks at nothing instead, unfocusing his vision until all he can see is a blur.  The indistinguishable shapes and how they’re melting together aren’t enough to distract him from anything.  

Juugo’s touch is jarring against his skin, not because of the callouses, but because of how gentle his movements are. There’s a large gash on Sasuke’s forearm and elbow where he had used it to cushion a fall against a patch of gravel in the dirt.  Juugo’s hands make their way there and so does his touch.  the larger nin has to shift to the side so he can reach it and as he does he enters Sasuke’s peripheral vision. Even with his gaze unfocused Sasuke can see the shadow of Juugo now so he closes his eyes. Juugo spreads some ointment, still cold but getting warmer onto the scrape.  The sting is enough of a distraction, it burns awfully. Sasuke draws in a controlled breath through his nose, holding it before exhaling slowly.  The sharp pain feels like it’s reaching his bones. He doesn’t notice when Juugo suddenly stills. He does notice, unwillingly so, when calloused fingers brush over his forearm down to his wrist.  There is no ointment this time.  He knows because the touch is warm. Juugo’s hand stills and because of the sudden stillness Sasuke opens his eyes.  Everything is in focus now.  He’s never been able to open his eyes to a blur when they weren’t fogged with tears or blood. Juugo is looking at Sasuke’s forearm, examining the pale skin that’s littered with hundreds of tiny scars like stars thrown carelessly into a polluted night sky.  The scars are burn marks.  Left by thousands of embers blown back by the wind from hundreds of jutsu cast.  Some in practice, most in desperation to live. Sasuke shifts to take his arm back.  He doesn’t want it to be looked at, not by anyone who knows more of him than just his name.  He had worn the scars openly when he was a child in front of people who didn’t know him.  He’d thought they made him look strong, that they were evidence of the blood that ran through his veins.  He knows better now. Juugo’s grip isn’t loose enough for him to easily pull away. The large nin runs his thumb over and over across a particularly large mark inches above Sasuke’s wrist.  It’s one of the largest ones. 

When he’d shown up to class with it untreated, still raw and burning from the night before, a classmate who would never make it to Genin had acted like he’d come back from battle.  He had been so proud that day. The scar is smaller than the pad of Juugo’s thumb. Sasuke is suddenly conscious of the fact that he’s stripped to the waist, shirt on the floor next to him, and how exposed it makes him. He had willingly let Juugo remove the garment.  Had let the man unguard him without a second thought, knowing it was necessary to give Juugo access to the wounds that needed attention. He had prepared himself for that much vulnerability.  He hadn’t thought about what else he had given Juugo access to. “Sasuke…” Juugo hesitates.  Sasuke wants to close his eyes again but he knows he can’t block out sound with darkness.  

He keeps his eyes open, and because there’s nothing to look at he looks at the contrast of Juugo’s tanned skin pressed against his pale wrist. There’s a scar on the back of Juugo’s hand, Sasuke notices for the first time, starting where his thumb joins his palm and ending a few centimeters above the back of his wrist.  It must have been a deep cut because even healed it’s a shallow trench.   It’s much larger than any of the scars scattered across his own arms up to his elbows and probably holds infinitely more meaning and yet Juugo is examining him and his scars as if he’s the one that means something. As if his scars are from something deeper than childhood stupidity.

“Sasuke…”

There’s a question in the syllables Juugo is speaking that sound like his name.

Sasuke wishes he understood what it was.

He glances up at Juugo, searching for a clue in the other man’s face.  There’s nothing. “Is this from fireball jutsu?”  Juugo’s question is softer than his hands were on Sasuke’s skin minutes earlier. Sasuke feels it then.  The sharp pang of shame.  It’s not from fireball jutsu, he thinks bitterly.  It’s from a child who knew nothing but had been trying to be a man. He pulls his arm back, this time with enough force that Juugo has to let go. He doesn’t want Juugo examining him if it means examining his past too. 

“I’m sorry” Juugo whispers.  There’s a crack in his voice. It surprises Sasuke so he looks up at him. He wishes he hadn’t. Juugo is watching him carefully.  His eyes look so sad.  Sasuke hates that he can’t understand what Juugo is even sorry for.

He shakes his head. “I used to not wear coverings on my arms” He explains simply. 

He doesn’t tell Juugo that it’s because he didn’t know he was supposed to.  That having burn marks was the sign of an amateur, proof that he was an orphan who would never know enough about his family to ever truly belong. That each scar meant he had learned to make fire before he learned to protect himself from it.

[cal-writes]

Hi! I was perusing your #moi as one does and saw that little bit where some wheels may be a turnin’ about Zoro and Franky. Is it like… broship, platonic, romantic, d- all of the above? 👉👈 do you have anything written for the idea(s) or snippets you would want to share?

I’m insanely intrigued because I have never once in my entire fanship of OP thought about a dynamic between those two.

i have! i mean any dynamic between them really like that one panel of franky catching zoro like a baseball lives rent free in my head

i saw this gorgeous fanart by tarnationee on twitter and it got my wheels turning. i think a while ago when we were talking about zoro and chronic pain we made some connections about how franky would probably be able to emphasize with that being an amputee and all.

in the fancomic i linked its more about like bodily autonomy which i think is also intriguing to think about with the two of them. i talked with @bumbleboa about it the other day

zoros “i shall become what is required” vs frankys “i will reshape myself in my own image”

i did write a bit about it yesterday!

-

"Yeah, but like, do you want to be a weapon?" Franky asks, twisting his upper body around, arm on the back of his chair.

Zoro lies motionless on the cot, gaze fixed on the ceiling. His chest lifts with a heavy breath. One hand on his stomach, the other behind his head should make him appear relaxed - and he had, right until this moment.

The silence rings deafening in the aftermath.

Franky's chair creaks as he pushes away from the table, tiny wheels scraping on the wooden planks of the floor until he can lean over Zoro. He blinks once to refocus his eyes before lifting an eyebrow.

"Do you?" Franky repeats, his brow furrowed. Zoro shoulders tense and he glances past Franky's shoulder. The tendons on his neck flex as his jaw moves.

He shrugs halfheartedly. "Never thought about it." Zoro mutters and Franky's frown deepens.

"Bro." Franky says with a sharp inhale. "It's your body. You should do what you want with it." He leans back, lifting his new arms to flex. "Like get giant guns!"

Zoro snorts softly. Clothing rustles as he sits up, pulling one leg close to his body so he can prop his elbow on it. He rests his chin on his hand with a soft melancholic smile on his lips. With his blind side turned towards Franky it's hard to gauge his expression but Franky likes to think he knows Zoro well enough to infer what he can't see.

"What did you wanna be? Like as a kid." He asks, crossing his arms over the back of his chair and scooting as close to the cot as he can. Zoro turns his head towards him in bemusement.

"The world's strongest swordsman." He replies easily.

Franky grins. "Why is that?" He asks eagerly.

He's not prepared for how Zoro's expression shutters in response.

His gaze falls a little, looking off into the past. "I promised someone."

Franky feels his enthusiasm sink like an anchor to the ocean floor. He holds his expression in anticipation, hoping for more elaboration. But that's it. Zoro stays silent.

"That's super bro." Franky tells him. "But like, what do you want?"

Zoro frowns at him. "Eh?"

"Like you promise, and that's cool. Very manly. But did you want to do that?" Franky clarifies.

"Yeah." Zoro says and Franky looks at him intensely. "I guess. I always wanted to beat her." He adds reluctantly, falling off towards the end. "I never got to so," He shrugs. "That's the closest thing."

Franky feels that itch of tears start in the back of his throat and tickle his nose, vision blurring as he blinks against the tears. "Damn, bro." He sniffles. "I never knew."

"It was a long time ago." Zoro mumbles into his hand. His other one comes to rest on the hilt of one of his swords, lying next to him.

Franky wipes his face and pats his cheeks to discourage the honest tears trying to well free. He puffs his chest. "That's so admirable bro. But you can also want things for yourself, you know?" Franky says and reaches out to poke Zoro's chest with his finger. "Especially for your own body."

Zoro huffs softly, the movement making Franky's finger jump. Outside of the workshop Luffy's voice sounds muffled, followed by Sanji's chiding. "Don't think what we want comes into it." Zoro says with intense gravity.

Franky inhales deeply, leaning back and nearly topping off the chair when he forgets he sits backwards on it. Fumbles to regain balance. His joints never creak but he feels them move today, gunked up with the thick ocean spray. If he leaves it long enough the salt will crust up in the crevices. When he has to dig it out, when it falls to the floor like snowflakes, he's back on Karakuri. Ignoring the biting cold turning his limbs to icicles, biting his lip against the despair to be away from Luffy's side.

It had felt an impossible request. To wait years to return to him.

He wonders suddenly, how Zoro had been able to bear it so shortly after Thriller Bark. Still recovering. The first of them to be ripped away.

With a deep sigh, Franky puts his hand on Zoro's back. He has the big ones equipped so his palm covers him from shoulder to shoulder. Zoro melts into it a little and Franky falls in love with his own creation all over again. Big bro. Protector. He gives into the urge to engulf Zoro in a hug, pressing him against his chest.

Zoro grunts a little in surprise, breath puffing against Franky's naked skin.

"When he's king." Franky says, tucking Zoro's head under his chin. "You should do something you wanna do."

Zoro chuckles. His hand sneaks around Franky's waist to pat his back. "Sure." He says.

[thewidowsghost]

hiii can I request an enemies to lovers with Maddox x reader? thank you!

Sure!

A/n: I went with a Season 3 Maddox on the Yellow team vs. R on the blue team :) 

Thanks for the request <3

“Rise and shine, Shallow Lake!” Corbin Bleu yells in the boys’ bunk. 

“Intruder!” Ricky screams. “Get him!” Ricky stumbles out of his bed, and charges towards Corbin. 

“Ricky, stop!” EJ grabs Ricky’s arms. “It’s Mr. Bleu.”

“What if I didn’t have a shirt on?” Carlos exclaims. 

“Looks like you have three shirts on,” Channing, the cameraman, replies.

“You. You filmed me behind the bush,” Ricky says angrily, pointing at Channing. 

“Hey, you,” Corbin blares his airhorn, looking at Jett. “Up.” A stuffed duck tumbles from Jett’s bunk. “Cute duck.” Corbin comments, and Jett jumps down, grabbing the duck off the floor.

“I’m calling it,” Kourtney comments, stepping into the boys’ bunk and looking at Corbin with disdain. “Corbin Bleu has officially lost his mind.” Then she catches sight of the duck in Jett’s arms. “Cute duck.”

“Folks, we’re two hours away from Camp Shallow Lake’s most exciting tradition. Tune in to see a bunch of theater kids get their heads out of the clouds and into the game.”

“I’m praying the game is chess,” Carlos deadpans.

“Report to the amphitheater at 8AM sharp for a day of sports. It’s Color War!” 

. . . 

“And then turn the paddle up near the ceiling near the end,” Maddox tells Gina. “Over and over again.”

“Like that?” Gina asks, mimicking the motion. 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Maddox says. 

“Okay,” Gina keeps making the rowing motion. 

“Yeah, got it,” Maddox says. “Natural.”

Gina laughs. 

“You just gotta commit to one side,” Maddox says, and Gina looks over, seemingly bewildered. “Of the canoe. Or else you’ll fall out. You’ll be fine. (Y/n) always is, and she’s so bad at canoe racing.”

“I heard that,” two figures walking through the barn door. Gina and Maddox look at the door, and both girls’ expressions brighten. 

“She isn’t wrong,” EJ says, nudging his sister with a shoulder. 

“Yeah, I hate both of you,” (Y/n) deadpans, but she winks at Maddox. 

“Good morning,” EJ’s gaze falls on Gina. “And ahoy?”

“Oh, brother,” (Y/n) grumbles. 

“Yes?” EJ asks, and (Y/n) lets out a groan. “Come on, Maddie,” (Y/n) says. 

“Good luck, sailors,” Maddox says, and she and (Y/n) head out the back door. 

. . . 

“When I heard that the camp that’s putting on Frozen for Disney Plus has a day that’s emotionally similar to the 2006 to 2008 Disney Channel Games, I and the folks at the Mouse HQ jumped at the chance to include this in our docu-series. Dewey, you wanna explain the rules?” Corbin asks the camp director. 

“Uh, sure,” Dewey steps forward. “Yeah. Every camper is required to participate in a few challenges. There’s two teams . . .”

“And within each team are teammates,” Corbin interrupts. “Okay, I got this. Okay. You know her. You love her. The captain of the Yellow Team, Maddox!” 

The campers cheer, and (Y/n) nudges her friend. 

“Not sure everybody loves me, but thank you,” Maddox says, and (Y/n) cracks a grin. 

“Didn’t say they all did,” Corbin replies, and Maddox takes a spot at the front. “And the captain of the blue team, we’ve got the youngest Caswell, (Y/n).”

“Let’s go,” (Y/n) says, and everyone cheers. (Y/n) steps up beside Maddox. “You know my team is gonna win.” She says. “My team wins every year.”

“And every year, we’re on the same team,” Maddox says, her lips twitching. “Maybe it’s me, and not you.”

“Ha, you wish,” (Y/n) replies. 

“No, with a big smile,” Corbin says, handing (Y/n) the clipboard, “tell the camera which of your Frozen friends are on each team.”

“What about the other campers?” (Y/n) asks. 

“We had to blur their faces out for the doc, so, legally, we aren’t naming any other names unless they’ve signed the release. Yeah,” Corbin replies.

“Okay,” (Y/n) says. She clears her throat and reads. “On my team is Ricky, Ashlyn, Gina, and EJ.” The blue team cheers, and they gather around (Y/n) up front. “And on Maddox’s team, has Kourtney, Carlos, Jett, and Emmy.” When (Y/n) says Jett’s name, Maddox freezes slightly, and (Y/n) notices it out of the corner of her eye. 

“Just so y’all know,” (Y/n) hears Kourtney say, “I’m scrappy. I fight dirty, and I will cheat.”

“Hmm!” Maddox says. “So it’s in the bag.”

“I’m also incredibly afraid of heights,” Kourtney continues. 

Maddox’s smile falters. “Okay, so plus, minus.”

“Guys, if you were on a deserted island and could text one person, who would it be? Your mom? Your ex? Your life coach?” Corbin steps off the stage and up to Channing, who is still holding the camera. Tomorrow, the winning team can text whoever they want when they get their phones back.”

The campers cheer loudly, talking loudly with their fellow campers. 

“Get your team colors from the bins,” Corbin continues. “I’m Corbin Bleu, and you’re watching Disney Plus.”

. . . 

(Y/n), now clad in all blue, runs over to find Jett lying on the ground picking at the glass.

“Hey, man,” (Y/n) sits down beside him. “Gettin’ in the zone?”

“Not exactly,” Jett replies, picking up a yellow and black soccer ball and throwing it between his hands.

“I guess it was pretty intense last night,” (Y/n) says. 

“Do you think I’m the worst? For the stuff that Maddie yelled at me about?” Jett sits up, looking at (Y/n). 

“I’ve done more than a few things I’m ashamed of, dude,” (Y/n) replies. “I’m not one to judge.”

“I thought those texts came from a guy, and I was like, why does she get to date and I can’t. I didn’t even know what I was looking at,” Jett says. 

“Does Mads know this?” (Y/n) questions. 

“Not sure she’d even hear me,” Jett replies. “We used to sing together all the time as kids. Now we barely talk.”

(Y/n) crosses her legs underneath her. “So, I once knew this girl who was pretty mad at me, and I’ll tell you, I deserved it. Um, but the one thing that really helped is that I threw myself into something she cared about. Like, I joined the crew, and I worked really hard.”

“Is being a theater kid the answer to, like, everything in your world?” Jett asks.

“It doesn’t always have to be theater, but . . .” (Y/n) takes a moment, knowing that what she was about to say might make her team lose. “Look, Maddie loves camp. It’s Color War. Maybe help her win?” (Y/n) leans back. “I mean, it’s a fifty-fifty shot, dude. One team wins, or the other does.”

“Or there’s the third option, where they toss the results in a pizza oven,” Ashlyn walks over. 

“I get it, that’s good,” (Y/n) laughs.

. . . 

“How you feelin’, Maddie?” (Y/n) asks, nudging her friend. 

“Oh, you know I’m gonna win,” Maddox replies, turning to face (Y/n). 

(Y/n) looks over and watches both Gina and Ricky miss their practice shots, “Yeah, you’re probably gonna win this one.”

Maddox looks over at her friend, studying her face. She looks away quickly before (Y/n) turns her attention back to Maddox. 

. . . 

“Gina,” (Y/n) shakes her friend’s shoulder. “Gina!”

Gina sits up, her forehead slamming into (Y/n)’s nose. 

“Oh my god,” Gina says apologetically, as (Y/n) clutches at her nose.

“I’m fine,” (Y/n) replies, her eyes watering. “Are you? You collapsed?”

“I’m, uh, fine,” Gina replies and Ricky and (Y/n) help her to her feet.

“You still have a chance to be our hero,” (Y/n) says. “We’re tied. If you make the shot, we win.”

“You got this,” Ricky says. “Probably.” He hands her the basketball. 

“Back up,” Gina says, and everyone takes a few steps back. 

She spins a few times, throws the ball and it swishes into the net.

“Blue Team wins!” Corbin yells and the Blue Team cheers. 

“Nice, G,” (Y/n) offers her hand for a fist-bump. Gina accepts. 

“That was crazy!” Ricky says. 

(Y/n) turns to Maddox. “Nevermind,” she jokes. “Blue Team might just win after all.”

. . . 

“Hey, Dewey?” (Y/n) hops on one foot. “Is Simon gonna sue you for stealing his game?” (Y/n) asks. 

“I don’t know Simon personally,” Dewey replies. 

“Breaking news,” (Y/n) jokes still hopping on one foot. “Dewey Wood locks Simon of Simon Says in his basement.” 

Maddox laughs. 

“Dewey says stop!” Dewey says and the campers stop hopping. “Dewey says dance like you’re at the camp prom.”

The campers begin dancing, except for Ricky and Ashlyn. 

“What he say?” Ashlyn asks. 

“There’s a camp prom?” Ricky asks. 

Peep, says Dewey’s whistle. “You two, out,” he says. “Stop.” Gina stops spinning. Peep, “Out,” he gestures to Gina. “Dewey says spin in a circle,” Dewey says. “Simon says stop.” (Y/n) stops spinning. “Oh! I’m Dewey, not Simon! You’re out.” (Y/n) hops over the line. “Dewey says that is a great victory for the Yellow Team. Congrats, you two.” Jett and Maddox are the only two left. 

“Whoa, hello, new person who’s trying really hard today,” Maddox turns to her brother. 

“Yeah? Let’s keep it going!” Jett says, lifting his hand for a high-five, and Maddox accepts.

Jett passes by (Y/n), breathing a thank you, before he goes to stand by Carlos and Kourtney. 

. . .

“Okay. Hi,” Val steps onto the stage, all the campers having gathered back in the amphitheater, now sitting sorted to color. “Um, it’s a tie game,” Val says, “so the outcome of this cheer-off determines the fate of Color War.

“Wooo!” Ricky cheers. 

“Let’s go Blue!” (Y/n) adds, and the Blue Team cheers louder.

“Okay. So, this year, I have picked It’s On from Camp Rock 2,” Val continues. “And I’ve printed off lyric sheets, but if you don’t know the words, that means something went deeply wrong in your childhood, and you didn’t watch this iconic sequel. Oh, and as a reminder, when I stop singing, somebody has to take over. Here we go.”

“Drums,” Jett starts.

“A little guitar, please,” Val takes over. “One, two, three, four,” Val continues.

“I hope you're ready for the time of your life Just look at me, I put a gleam in your eye Buckle-up, we're gonna take you for a ride”

“Let's go, we gotcha goin' good in a vibe Everybody put your hands to the sky Buckle-up, we're gonna take you, take you high” (Y/n) takes over, passing in front of Maddox and winking. 

“Show me, show me, show me, show me, show what you got Come on, come on, come on, come on, ready or not La-la, la-la, la-la, let me see how you vibe It's on, it's on, it's on” All the campers join in.

“Get crazy, crazy, crazy, take it over the top 'Cause we, 'cause we, 'cause when we rock we let it rock Rock it, rock it, rock it, rock it, dance 'til we drop" It's on, it's on, it's on” All of the campers again.

“Okay now, are you ready? One, two, one, two, three, four” Jett takes over.

“Show stoppin' when I step in the place Before it's done, you're gonna beg me to stay Get on board, come on, let's ride the wave” Jett continues.

“Let's go, let's go, we just do what we do Watch me break and pop, I'll pass it to you You wanna rock like us 'cause we're never second place” Maddox takes over, passing by (Y/n) and doing a similar wink. 

“Show me, show me, show me, show me, show what you got Come on, come on, come on, come on, ready or not La-la, la-la, la-la, let me see how you vibe It's on, it's on, it's on” All the campers chime in once more.

“Get crazy, crazy, crazy, take it over the top 'Cause we, 'cause we, 'cause when we rock we let it rock Rock it, rock it, rock it, rock it, dance 'til we drop It's on, it's on, it's on”

“Okay now, are you ready? One, two, one, two, three” (Y/n) takes the mic. 

“Th-th-there is no competition That's why we in the number one position Your crew can't hang with us, man, we're too dangerous” Jett takes another mic.

“Ain't got the style or the stamina” Maddox takes Jett’s mic. “Just doin' my thing, get hooked on my swing” Ricky and Ashlyn take (Y/n)’s mic. 

Rockin' the place, droppin' the bass, makin' all the girls sing” Carlos and Kourtney chime in. “Yeah, we make the bell ring

It's on, it's on” Jett and Maddox sing together.

“Show me, show me, show me, show me, show what you got Come on, come on, come on, come on, ready or not La-la, la-la, la-la, let me see how you vibe It's on, it's on, it's on Get crazy, crazy, crazy, take it over the top 'Cause we, 'cause we, 'cause when we rock we let it rock Rock it, rock it, rock it, rock it, dance 'til we drop It's on, it's on, it's on Show me, show me, show me, show me, show what you got Come on, come on, come on, come on, ready or not La-la, la-la, la-la, let me see how you vibe It's on, it's on, it's on Get crazy, crazy, crazy, take it over the top 'Cause we, 'cause we, 'cause when we rock we let it rock Rock it, rock it, rock it, rock it, dance 'til we drop It's on, it's on, it's on” All of the campers finish. 

“It's on,” Jett finishes, and the Yellow Team lifts him on their shoulders. 

“America, I am so glad that the missing camper got rescued, because he just won for the Yellow Team!” Corbin announces in his mic. 

Val walks over and hands Jett the trophy-oar, and he shakes it in the air happily. 

“Whooo!” Jett says, as yellow and blue confetti explode from the confetti cannons. He steps over to his sister. “Hey. Don’t tell anyone, but today wasn’t the worst,” he hands Maddox the oar. 

Maddox looks at her brother for a moment. “Quite the turnaround, Jett.”

“We did it together, Maddie,” Jett says as (Y/n) watches the two. “We got the win,” Jett adds.

“Yeah,” Maddox’s tone softens. “Yeah, we did.”

Jett steps off to talk to Ricky and Gina, and (Y/n) steps over to her friend. 

“He’s a very committed young man, huh?” (Y/n) nudges her friend. 

“Yeah. Yeah. I’m not sure exactly what changed,” Maddox says. 

“Maybe he just wants to show you he cares?” (Y/n) asks. 

Maddox looks up into her friend’s face. “(Y/n), I think I see what you’re trying to do, and I appreciate it so much. But we’ve had good days before and . . . I just don’t wanna let my guard down and get hurt again, you know?”

(Y/n) nods thoughtfully, and Maddox wraps her in a hug. 

“I meant it when I said I appreciated it,” Maddox says. (Y/n)’s expression softens, and she returns the hug. 

. . .

(Y/n) heads down to the amphitheater and begins helping pick up some of the blue and yellow streamers off the ground. 

“You know you don’t have to do that,” Maddox says, though her tone is teasing. (Y/n) rolls her eyes playfully. 

“You say that every year, Madds,” (Y/n) walks up to her friend. “And every year I still help.”

Maddox grins, amused, at her friend. 

(Y/n) studies Maddox’s face closely, taking in her friend dirty blonde hair, and splash of freckles. 

Suddenly, both girls surge towards each other. 

Maddox cups her friend’s face, and presses their lips together. She suddenly pulls back, “I-i’m sor–”

(Y/n) snorts, and pulls Maddox back in, cupping her face this time. 

The fireworks go off overhead, and Maddox pulls away, looking at the beautiful colors in the sky. 

“Fireworks,” Maddox murmurs. 

(Y/n) laughs delightly. “Makes total sense to me,” (Y/n) looks back down, looking into Maddox’s face once more. 

Word Count: 2718 words

[starlightshore]

OH GREAT ONE! Please. . . Can you please give us a tutorial on how to make Pixel Character sprites on Asepeite? You do them so beautifully. . . *Sheds a tear*

please don't call me "oh great one" even as a joke; don't put me on a pedestal. I'm just Some Guy.

anyway there are plenty of cool tutorials on youtube, just search stuff like "pixel art tutorial" or "pixel grass" or "pixel trees" for specifics

but what i'd recommend as my top rule: experiment! make more art! Have fun! just make things and you'll naturally improve

but past that, for some more tangible advice:

look into stylization. pixel art NEEDS clarity and simple shapes to work. you can achieve this by thinking of the shapes (thus the importance of stylization) and by doing simple math or consistent "scales" of going down or up in number. see how the second line goes from looong to long to short shorter then a dot vs. how the left one just does things randomly, there's no scale here. it shows purpose and confidence when you use more math-based art. see how the circle uses the scale/ math vs. this blob where i purposefully didn't?

keep the linework clean:

aesprite has a feature called "pixel perfect" which prevents jaggies, which are these clumps of pixels as you can see on the right.

keep the art consitant. don't use blur effects or gradients, i'd say that's more so for VERY rare circumstances and should only be approached from a more experienced hand. (ie, bigger background pieces and used sparingly)

how you draw the shapes/angles matters a lot as well.

left, i kept things more "blocky" and less "sharp" I also simplified the shape (note the fur on the side of the legs) is more clumped together while the other has a larger emphasis on separating them and making them sharper. overall, the right one is a lot more complex which I don't want for a character who is moving a lot, and seen from a smaller size. its a SMALL cartoon! i want it to be clear to the viewer without any details to muddy things.

note how by making the sideburn fluff more jagged removes some of the room for the white fur. you only see ONE shaded white/blue pixel on the left, which adds more contrast and emphasizes that spot. there's less of a clear distinction between he had and the body.

here's the silhouettes, you cans see how the body on the left is more clear in what part is what. Tail, ear, head, body and legs. the other one, sure, i know what those are, but its less distinct.

add "weight" to the shapes. have one side of the shape be bigger in proportion. note how the head has a wider bottom than the top, even from the jaw to the tip of the head. the overall body is bigger than the head as well.

symmetry is important and your life savior in pixel art. but not EVERYTHING should be symmetrical. look at the head stripe, mouth, chest fluff, and handkerchief. have one side favored or the other and not a perfect head-on position creates this asymmetry as well a more "organic" view of the character. (typically you want to avoid direct head-on looks unless it's for 3d modeling or character reference sheets, otherwise your character won't feel as "alive." it's not natural to stand perfectly 1-1 facing the camera perfectly)

note on legs and bodies: you can't always get an accurate symmetry based on the head size. depending on if it's an odd or even number of pixels wide, it'll affect how the body becomes symmetrical to it. in this case, there's a pixel difference that prevents a gap. note how the middle looks like a SUPER thick line because there's no room for a single pixel line. my solution was to have her favor one leg over the other, which works nicely as it adds a more weighted interest to the right leg while her bangs favor the left, creating balance. toby's solution to this problem was to give the humans one wider leg and it haunts me.

another example of this is toriel

toriel's side mouth would be fine if it was a consistent choice and other characters did it (sonic is famous for this stylistic choice) but because she doesn't even match her family regarding this, it stands out and confuses people. i originally, and many people I've met have thought this was her nose. EVEN THO you can see her mouth open when speaking in-game.

btw even tho this also haunts me, i don't mind it as much cause i know this is a result of early game development inconstancies born from inexperience. its a cute quirk honestly, even if it was an easy fix. i actually ADMIRE that toby doesn't go and retroactively fix things, and instead prioritizes making new things with the information of how to do better now. its very easy and exhausting to go back and fix things rather than move on. mad respect for that.