#then but their main color should be their main

[bratzkoo]

WGM episode 1 | dk

episode 1: the first date

Author: bratzkoo Pairing: seokmin x reader Genre: fluff Rating: PG-13 Word count: 1.6k~ Warnings/note: fluff, fake marriage, and real feelings. cursing, seokmin curses a lot in his head.

summary: WE GOT MARRIED is back. Seokmin and Y/N pairs up to shoot 10 episodes for a special. Turns out, there are more things happenings off-camera than what meets the eye.

taglist (hit me up if you wanna be added): @ateez-atiny380 , @aeerio . @vernons-wifey12 , @odevote118

requests are close, but you can just say hi! | masterlist series masterlist | previous episode | next episode

Seokmin arrived at the baseball stadium thirty minutes early, because of course he did. What else was he supposed to do? Show up on time like a normal, non-desperate person? Ha!

He paced outside the main entrance, checking his reflection in his phone camera every forty-five seconds. Is this jersey too much? Not enough? Should I have worn the home team colors instead? Why didn't I consult Minghao about this?

His phone kept buzzing with texts from the members, who had apparently formed a task force dedicated solely to his dating life:

Hoshi: FIGHTING!!! Remember everything I told you about baseball metaphors!!  

Jeonghan: If you don't hold her hand at least once, you're sleeping in the practice room for a week  

Joshua: Just be yourself. But maybe 20% less loud.  

Mingyu: I bet Wonwoo 50,000 won that you'll spill something on yourself within the first hour  

Vernon: Just breathe, hyung  

Seungkwan: I PREPARED A SONG LIST FOR ROMANTIC MOMENTS PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL

Seokmin was about to text back a series of increasingly panicked emojis when he spotted her walking toward the entrance.

Oh.  

Oh no.  

She looks PRETTY pretty.

Y/N was wearing a white sundress with a denim jacket and sneakers, her hair slightly tousled by the spring breeze. Seokmin's brain immediately emptied of all thoughts except one: If I mess this up, I will never forgive myself.

He shoved his phone in his pocket, completely forgetting his members' existence. The cameras were following at a discreet distance, but for once, he wasn't thinking about them.

"Hi," he managed, desperately trying to remember how normal humans greet each other. "You look nice."

Nice? NICE? That's the best you can do? She looks like a literal angel descended from heaven to grace this sweaty baseball stadium with her presence, and you said NICE?

Y/N tucked her hair behind her ear in that way that made his heart do a weird flippy thing. "Thanks. Is this okay for baseball? I wasn't sure what to wear."

"It's perfect," he said too quickly, then remembered the gift. "Oh! I got you something."

He pulled out the team cap he'd spent forty-five minutes selecting last night, trying to find one that would look cute on her without being too small or too big or too anything. "Every fan needs one."

"Does that make us officially a couple? Matching hats?" She took it with a smile that Seokmin felt in his soul.

"That's the first step," he confirmed, slipping into his performer persona because it was either that or spontaneously combust. "Next would be matching phone cases, then matching hoodies, and eventually matching gravestones."

She laughed, and the sound made Seokmin mentally high-five himself. YOU MADE HER LAUGH. POINT FOR TEAM SEOKMIN.

"Quite the commitment trajectory," she said.

"I don't make the rules of Korean couples culture," he shrugged, feeling a tiny bit more like himself. "I just follow them religiously."

She put the cap on, adjusting it slightly. "How do I look?"

Like everything I didn't know I wanted. Like the answer to a question I hadn't thought to ask. Like someone I'm going to embarrass myself over repeatedly for the next ten episodes.

"Very sporty," he said instead, the understatement of the century. "Ready to learn about America's favorite pastime?"

"I thought that was complaining on Twitter."

Seokmin burst out laughing, genuine and unfiltered. Is she always this witty? How am I supposed to survive this?

"Second favorite, then," he managed.

---

Inside the stadium, Seokmin's chaotic energy went into overdrive. The camera crew was setting up around them, but all he could focus on was how close they were sitting. Their elbows could touch. That's practically third base, right? WAIT, BAD BASEBALL METAPHOR. Erase that thought immediately.

"So, rule number one," he began, desperate to seem knowledgeable about something, anything, "you have to eat stadium food. It's mandatory."

"Is that an official baseball rule or a Seokmin rule?" Y/N asked, eyes twinkling in a way that made his stomach do gymnastics.

"Both," he declared, committing fully to the bit. "It's in the official rulebook: 'All spectators must consume their body weight in overpriced food to maintain the economic ecosystem of professional sports.'"

"Well, we can't break the rules on our first date," she agreed solemnly.

First date. She called it a date. IT'S JUST FOR THE SHOW, SEOKMIN. GET A GRIP.

He signaled to a vendor with perhaps too much enthusiasm. "Two of everything, please."

"I was joking!" Y/N protested, laughing.

"I wasn't," he insisted. "You need the full experience."

Soon their seats were surrounded by enough food to feed the entire team. The camera zoomed in on the spread, then on Y/N's wide eyes.

"This is ridiculous," she said, but she was smiling.

"Welcome to marriage," Seokmin replied, handing her a hotdog and trying not to think about how their fingers brushed. "Sharing calories is the foundation of any good relationship."

When she took a bite and a tiny bit of ketchup appeared at the corner of her mouth, Seokmin experienced what could only be described as a gay panic, except heterosexual. He fumbled for a napkin so violently he knocked over his soda, barely catching it before it spilled everywhere.

Great. Now Mingyu was 50,000 won richer.

---

As the game began, Seokmin tried to explain the rules while simultaneously:

1. Not staring at Y/N too much

2. Not sounding like a know-it-all

3. Not accidentally touching her

4. Not spilling anything else

5. Remembering how baseball works

It was a lot.

"So the pitcher throws the ball, and the batter tries to hit it," he explained, pointing to the field. "If they hit it, they run to the bases—first, second, third, and home."

"Like a relationship," Y/N observed. "You go through different stages before coming home."

Seokmin nearly choked on his pretzel. Is she flirting? Is this what flirting feels like? I'm dying.

"Exactly," he wheezed. "Baseball is just a metaphor for love. That's why they call it America's pastime."

"What's a strike then?" she asked, leaning slightly closer to hear over the crowd noise.

THE PROXIMITY. HANDLE THE PROXIMITY.

"When you say something stupid and your partner gives you that look," he replied automatically, pantomiming a withering glare.

Y/N laughed again, and Seokmin felt like he'd just hit a home run.

The first few innings passed with Seokmin gradually relaxing, falling into an easy rhythm of explanation and banter. He was just starting to feel confident when the stadium's giant screen suddenly displayed a heart-shaped frame with "KISS CAM" blaring across the top.

And there they were, in high-definition glory.

Oh god oh god oh god oh god.

Y/N looked equally startled, her eyes wide as the crowd began to cheer.

"We don't have to—" Seokmin started to say, but the noise was too loud. His brain short-circuited completely, all systems failing simultaneously.

In a moment of pure panic, he yanked off his own baseball cap and placed it over his face, then leaned toward her with his face completely covered.

The crowd roared with laughter. When he peeked out from behind the cap, Y/N was doubled over, shoulders shaking with mirth.

"That," she gasped between laughs, "was the smoothest avoidance maneuver I've ever seen."

"I panicked," he admitted, ears burning hot enough to power a small city.

"It was perfect," she assured him, placing a hand briefly on his arm.

PHYSICAL CONTACT. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. REMAIN CALM.

His phone buzzed. Thirty new messages, all variations of keyboard smashing from the members who were undoubtedly watching the live game broadcast.

---

By the seventh-inning stretch, Seokmin had:

1. Explained the entire history of Korean baseball

2. Told three embarrassing stories about himself unprompted

3. Memorized the exact sound of Y/N's laugh

4. Developed seven new heart palpitations

5. Caught himself staring no fewer than twelve times

6. Not spilled anything else (A MIRACLE)

During the crowd wave, their hands accidentally brushed, and Seokmin felt it like an electric shock. When Y/N didn't pull away immediately, he wondered if she felt it too.

Don't read into it. It's for the cameras. It's for the show. It doesn't mean anything.

But when the home team hit a home run and everyone jumped to their feet cheering, Y/N impulsively hugged him in celebration, and for just a moment, with her arms around him and the roar of the crowd surrounding them, Seokmin forgot about the cameras completely.

---

As they walked out of the stadium after the game, Y/N still wearing the cap he'd given her, Seokmin gathered his courage.

"Did you have fun? Even though we lost?"

"Are you kidding? It was the most fun I've had in ages," she said, and he desperately wanted to believe it wasn't just for the show.

"So, for our next... episode," he began carefully, "would you be up for something I plan? Since Hoshi picked this one."

"I'd like that," she said, smiling that smile again. "Surprise me."

The production director called a wrap for the day, and the cameras finally turned off. There was a moment of awkward silence as reality reasserted itself.

"Can I walk you to your car?" Seokmin offered.

"Sure," Y/N said, falling into step beside him.

As they walked, Seokmin quietly slipped the game ticket stub into his pocket. A souvenir of something that wasn't real, but felt like it could be.

Later that night, after enduring an hour of teasing from the members about his kiss cam panic, he received a text:

Y/N: Thanks for today. I actually had a great time. You're a good teacher. :)

Seokmin smiled at his phone like an idiot for a full minute before replying:

Seokmin: Anytime. Looking forward to our next "date." Sleep well, fake wife.

As he set his phone down, he tried not to think about how much he was looking forward to episode two. Or how the word "fake" was already starting to feel like a lie.

[trashedsunsets]

Spoiled Honey

Chapter 2: Local Honey

***

Summary ~

Small towns need big personalities to compensate. If only overworked ER doctors knew that.

wc ~ 1k+

a/n ~

thank you for the love on the previous part! made my heart swell and confirmed that I wanted to do a series :) updates??? whenever I can lol. happy to answer any questions!

prev chapter

“My daddy said he’d buy me my next horse when I make him a million dollars at the store.”

It’s you, the cashier from the store, stood with your feet on the first rungs of the corral fence leaning over to look at the grazing foals.

Mrs. Talbot had convinced the men staying on her property to come to the famers market on the weekends at the edge of Main Street. Meaning that Jack had to convince Michael who was more than happy to stay in at the cozy farm property.

“You have a horse?” Robby can’t say he’s not intrigued by this girl, the pair had only just arrived at the event and she was already on them. “Of course I do, got my sweet girl Custard when I was eight.”

Soft kissy noises are heard as you call for one of the foals to come over to you, hand already extended for sniffs and pets. A curious caramel colored one makes their way over pushing their snout into your palm. Amused the men watch as you love on the baby horse cooing and rubbing the soft mane. Eventually you give your final pets to the foal then hop off the fence making your way closer to Robby and Abbot. “Alma said you boys are ER doctors. Is that true?”

“Alma?”

“Boys?”

Soft giggles leave you at their confusion. “Mrs. Talbots first name is Alma.” You stand up a little straighter sincerity taking over your face. “And I don’t mean to assume calling you both boys, I know in this day and age you should never assume. I apolog-“

“No no you’re fine. But don’t you think we’re a little too old to be called ‘boys’.” Abbot dismisses your worries with an easy hand wave. He nudges Robby lightly glancing to see if he heard that. The only response he gets is an eye roll, but there’s a smile twitching at the corners of his lips unspoken flattery at being referred to as young.

The crease in your forehead is replaced by a smile, a shrug of your shoulders before speaking again. “Well I don’t think you’re that old. I’m sure there’s some spritefulness left in you two.”

“Yes we are doctors sweetheart,” your previous question answered by Robby lights up glimmers of interest in your eyes. “and as for ‘spritefulness’ well… not so sure about that.”

“Aren’t we lucky to have such esteemed guests in our town then,” your voice is warm, inviting, but your gaze is just past them. A flicker of a frown graces your lips while one of your hands makes a discrete shooing motion by your side. Then your focus is back on the men a guiding palm extended in the direction of the market stands, “why don’t we go this way. I’ll be your own personal tour guide of all the best vendors.”

Abbot glances behind them to spot a group of girls about your age, giggling and waving at you. “You got some friends over there?”

“Uhh yeah but they can wait I see em all the time. Come on then.” Nodding your head to the path you want to take before stalking off confidently without letting them get another word in. For whatever reason they do follow you listening as you launch into a spiel about all the different stands. You’re very knowledgeable, but curious too. Head tiled as you lean against a display of products fingers tapping lightly.

“What’s the oldest age you’ve ever operated on?” While Abbot is deciding what loaf of sourdough bread to get. “Ninety-Five.”

You mouth the number back to yourself quietly in shock. He’s chuckling as he’s exchanging money with the baker.

At the strawberry stand you’re crouched petting the owners corgi, Butterball, when you look up at Robby, “On average how many stitches do you have to give a woman after she gives birth naturally?”

He shakes his head in disbelief but the look in your eyes is so earnest he answers you truthfully instead of scolding you. A warmth in his chest at the scrunched look of pain on your face when he tells you the number.

“Have you ever performed an amputation?” The pair share a glance before Robby gives his own response before turning the questions to you. “Sweetheart what’s your favorite jelly from here?”

Your eyebrows furrow before starting to explain that the booth sells jams not jellies, then explaining the difference between the two.

You’re clearly popular as the vendors eagerly greet you by name smiling as they chat with you. Before the pair knows it they’ve picked up a couple of things mainly(all) at your insistence.

In the middle of you describing all the variety of recipes people make with rhubarb there’s a sharp whistle that catches your groups attention. A pair of young men at the leather goods stall calls your name. The men you’re with stop but you roll your eyes hard feet quickly moving intent on passing them by. “Come on darling, lemme take you out. I’ll even buy you a new dress for your collection!”

From you a hand raises in protest. “A no once is a no a million times Jeremiah.”

Mocking a wounded grip to the heart the young man is undeterred with a snarky smirk. “You’ll give in one day princess.” The boys are laughing together delighted as if making you upset was a prize.

Disapproving glares are given by both doctors as they follow your haughty strut away. Silently deciding it’s more important that you’re okay before causing problems with the locals. Unfortunately for the older men you’re pretty quick managing to put considerable distance between you. When you’re almost at the edge of the market near the last row of stalls is when you turn around. There’s a look of surprise on your face upon spotting the pair of men, they followed you. Other emotions are faster to take over though, an angry huff escaping you. Pacing back and forth with your arms crossed you look pretty pissed. “Don’t you just hate it when people don’t listen! Especially when you tell them several different times on several different occasions. Like I hate to call people stupid but I think rejection is a very simple concept!”

Robby steps up palms raised ready to defuse the situation his deep understanding eyes taking in your emotional state.

Mrs. Talbot is suddenly calling your little group over to her own stand clearly very excited the men decided to come. In an instant your demeanor changes, the pacing seizes, your posture straightens out. But your smile is a little tight as you make your way over to your neighbor. The men follow seeing no other option as you greet Mrs. Talbot waving them over. “Hi there Michael and Jack! I see you’ve met Honey Belle already!” The older woman is smoothing your hair with familiarity as a rosey heat comes to your cheeks at her words. “Alma…”

“What? I can’t compliment the prettiest girl in town?! Oh— I’ll be there one moment.” You shake your head fondly as she shuffles away to help a customer. Looking up the men’s eyes are on you with amused expressions, Abbot opens his mouth first. “Honey Belle?”

“Okay well if you haven’t noticed everyone calls me honey,” they did notice but they thought it was colloquial around here “she is the only one who calls me ‘Belle’ because she said she thinks I’m the prettiest but I told her she can’t say that. She says she’s old so she can say what she wants with her time left. We’re working on it.” Your face is slightly exasperated but there’s no lack of fondness.

“Like the princess then?” Robby questions, meanwhile Abbot is unable to hide his laughter at your predicament. Your face twists with the reaction of the second man, nose lifted in the air with displeasure.

“Yes. Like the princess.”

Nudging his partners good foot then nodding to you.

Stop upsetting the girl would you?

Is said in a glance.

Looking back to you a smile tugs Robby’s lips. “She’s got a good eye then.”

Quickly as it came your bristled demeanor dissipates at the compliment with a quick nod. “When she remembers to wear her glasses sure.”

Flinching slightly from the light swat to the back of your head as Mrs. Talbot reappears by your side. “Calling me old are you Honey?”

Grinning lazily as you glance to the side then back at the boys, a silent plea to keep a secret. “Oh nothing my dearest Alma.”

credits to @olenvasynyt for the dividers!

btw the pics at the top aren’t meant to describe readers looks, purely for vibes/setting the scene!

[poohsources]

🐝  *  ―  𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐃 𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝟎𝟐𝟖: 𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐀 𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐌. ( so, um, i literally only got inspired to make a new template because i'm obsessing over a new fandom and thinking about returning to rping because of it. and well, i mostly make templates whenever i may or may not use them in the future myself. anyway, the preview can be found here. it's a multimuse template with a navigation page, a rules page, a muse directory with multiple sections for different kind of muses, and a mains and exclusives page. due to the number of elements used, this template requires at least a pro lite account. if you want to upgrade, feel free to use my referral code KB4W13V3 because it helps me out. )

―  HOW TO USE

please don’t claim this as your own, and don’t delete the credit.  you can change it’s size or color but it should stay where it is.

of course, you can edit all the colors, sizes, fonts, etc. however you like.

to get this template please click here.  it’s on a pay-what-you-want basis, so it is possible to get it for free if you set the amount to 0. ( if you’d like to leave a little tip, i'd very much appreciate it, though. )

actual image sizes don't matter since carrd scales them to fit but you can see examples of the image sizes i’ve used in the demo to get an idea for the dimensions.  or just try your own and play around with the settings to get the desired outcome.

if you have any questions about how to edit it, just send me a message, and i'll try to explain it to you.

[buttercupyarnart]

As a result of a medication switch, I find myself losing weight. No change in diet or exercise, literally just the medication change, and I've lost as much weight in seven months as I gained in the three prior years. (I am extremely weirded out by and uncomfortable with the rapidity of the loss compared with how gradual the gain was.) Which means that I'm smaller than I was when I started knitting the half fisherman's rib sweater, and likely to continue shrinking. I don't know if I'll regain the weight someday, or if I'll continue shrinking, or how far I'll shrink.

I'm torn on what to do with it. I have not yet finished the yoke, so it's not like I'm almost done with it. Plus, ribbed garments tend to look better with less ease, generally, but are usually cozy regardless. And I'm mostly working on my crush's sweater, which will take a while anyway. On the flip side, I've cut several pieces off the main color for stripes and the neck band so far, and have put so much work into it so far. The sunk cost fallacy is STRONG.

[saratalksaboutdesign]

Claude is a bit of a difficult character design to talk about for me, mostly because of his actual character.

In my past posts about Edelgard and Dimitri, a great part of my reading on their designs is based on the story that said designs embody. Claude is a character that exists entirely divorced from the main plot of the game he is supposed to be a protagonist of. He barely has anything tying him to the war, and more importantly, his defyning personality trait is his air of mystery. How little he lets on about who he is as a person is his main appeal.

So, how exactly do you make a design that is intertwined with the story, for a character that refuses to be at the center of it?

The answer is very simple: You don't!

As is both the child of a powerful noble from the Leicester Alliance and the heir to the throne of the neighbor country of Almyra. Claude is a stranger to both of his home countries, too much of the other to actually belong in either. And this aspect of his racial identity is reflected in the clothes he wears.

His war attire is mainly inspired after medival european clothing, which makes sense as it is the outfit he sports to fight the war over in the european-inspired fictional continent of Fodlan. But his design also includes one acessory of more eastern influence and was very likely inspired by the colorful geometric embroidery that is common in real life near eastern countries. Which would be that patterned cloth tied around his waist like a belt. An element which stands out a lot given that the game goes out of its way to not show any characters wearing this kind of pattern besides him.

One could even interpret such fashion choice as a statement, that he refuses to give up his Almyran heritage and proudly wears it, unlike back in his academy days when his wardrobe was limited to the uniform he was instructed to wear.

Besides that... There is sadly not much else I can add. Perhaps I could add that the asymetric silhouette given by both the hairstyle and the cape are in line with his warm yet aloof and unpredictable personality, or that out of the main three protagonits he breaks out of the pattern of having a monochromatic color palette by having bits of green and those little red tassels attached at the end of the belt.

But these observations do not contribute anything relevant to the reading that I'm trying to make of his design. His design does not give us any further insight on his political views or his personal struggles, or his character growth over the course of the war. And I am afraid that's just a direct result of the writting.

I can't really say this design is bad. It really isn't! But I can't help but wish there was more depth to it.

And yes I do know that more lore on Almyra and it's politics and culture is revealed on Fire emblem three hopes, however that game is but an alterante story set in the same world as Three houses.

Personally, I believe that a designs capacity to communicate a message should be evaluated on said design and no other factors external to the story it is a part of, such as alternate universe stories or similar. Since requiring supplementary information not contained within the source material in order to make a better reading on the design, inevitably means that said design (or the source material for that matter) was already incomplete or insufficient to begin with. Therefore what little more information is given to us about Claude and his origins in that game, is not taken into account when analyzing this specific design.

[sh4nksslvt]

Fractures in the Silence

When a moment of anger turns into a lasting scar, both Shanks and the one he loves must learn how to heal from wounds they never meant to inflict.

shanks x reader ౨ৎ🖤 ONE SHOT

main characters: shanks

a/n: this js me trying to write ffs, this is experimental and for fun only so expect this ff cringe and oc

tags: angst, sfw, angst with comfort

words count: 1k

: 𓏲🐋 ๋࣭  ࣪ ˖✩࿐࿔ 🌊

The tavern was loud with laughter, the scent of spiced rum and sea salt thick in the air. The evening had started light, stories swapping like currency, the Red-Haired Pirates gathered together in their floating haven. You leaned against the wall, watching them with a small, fond smile. Shanks’ voice rang louder than the rest, that familiar carefree grin on his face — but there was tension in his shoulders tonight. Something was off.

You knew him better than most did. The way his laughter faltered half a second too soon, how his jaw clenched when no one was looking. It wasn’t the drink. It was something heavier. A rumor? A betrayal? You weren’t sure.

But it was only a matter of time before it boiled over.

“Captain,” Benn Beckman’s voice was low, cautious. “We can deal with this later.”

Shanks scoffed, slamming his cup down on the table hard enough to spill rum across the wood. “Later’s too damn late.”

You stepped forward, reaching for his arm gently. “Hey,” you murmured, “whatever it is, it’s not worth losing your head over tonight. You’ll handle it. You always do.”

But his eyes — dark, stormy, and burning with a mix of anger and helplessness — didn’t soften. Not like they usually did when you spoke to him. Not this time.

And then it happened. Too fast to stop it.

His hand shot out, sharp and unthinking, an open palm meant for the air — a gesture born from frustration, meant to chase away his demons, not hurt you.

But you were too close.

The slap connected with your cheek, a crack splitting the room’s noise in two. The sting bloomed instantly, white-hot against your skin. A sharp, horrible silence swallowed the room whole.

Shanks froze.

His eyes widened in horror, color draining from his face as if he couldn’t comprehend what his own hand had done. You blinked at him, your own shock mirrored in his expression, your skin throbbing.

“I—” his voice broke, barely a whisper. “Y/N…”

You forced a tight, almost too-wide smile, the taste of copper on your tongue. “It’s fine,” you said too quickly, waving a hand like you could swat away the moment. “Just… an accident. No big deal.”

But you saw it in his face. The guilt. The way his hand trembled as he lowered it. The way his whole body seemed to recoil from itself.

Benn Beckman stood up then, murmuring something about giving you both space as the rest of the crew quietly filed out, heavy boots against wood the only sound in the suffocating quiet.

You didn’t look at Shanks. Not when the world was spinning, not when you felt too much and too little all at once.

“You should sit,” he rasped, voice frayed.

“I’m fine.”

But you weren’t.

And for the days that followed, you kept pretending.

The bruise faded quickly enough, but the damage didn’t. Not the kind you could see.

Every time Shanks lifted his hand to run it through his hair, to gesture wildly in a story, to reach for you — you flinched.

It was a small thing, barely noticeable if you weren’t looking for it. But he saw it every time. And every time it cut deeper than any blade could.

He stopped raising his hands altogether.

Stopped reaching.

And the distance between you, once so easy, so natural, stretched like a wound neither of you could name.

“Y/N,” he tried, days later, as you sat alone on the deck under a half-lit sky.

You didn’t look up. Couldn’t.

“I… I need to say something.”

You forced a weak smile, pulling your knees to your chest. “You don’t have to. It was an accident. I get it.”

“But you’re scared of me.”

The words cracked in his throat like breaking glass. You finally looked up, meeting his gaze — and saw it. The raw, aching guilt in his eyes. The weight he’d been carrying since that night.

“I’m not scared of you,” you lied.

His shoulders sagged. “Y/N… please. Don’t… don’t lie to me.”

Your throat tightened. “I’m not scared of you. I just…” You trailed off, closing your eyes as the memory hit you again, unbidden. The sting. The shock. The way your body instinctively flinched when he moved too quickly now, no matter how much you told yourself it wasn’t real.

“I hate that I did this to you,” he whispered. “I swear on my life — on the sea, on everything I am — I never wanted to hurt you.”

A tear slipped down your cheek before you could stop it, hot and blinding. “I know.”

Silence stretched between you, thick with all the things neither of you could say.

“I love you, Y/N,” Shanks said quietly. “And I don’t expect you to forgive me. Not now. Maybe not ever. But I’ll spend the rest of my life making sure you never have a reason to flinch around me again.”

You swallowed, wiping your cheek roughly. “I love you too, you stupid idiot.”

A broken, shaky laugh escaped him then — the first real sound in days. He didn’t move closer, didn’t reach for you. Instead, he sat a few feet away, letting the space stay. Letting you control it.

“Can I tell you a story?” he asked softly.

You nodded.

And so he talked. About old battles, about mistakes, about fear and fury and the weight of being captain. About how sometimes anger takes the shape of something monstrous when you’re too exhausted to hold it in.

About how it doesn’t excuse anything.

But how it could maybe, one day, be forgiven.

By the time the sun rose, the space between you felt a little less jagged.

Weeks passed. It wasn’t perfect. You still flinched sometimes. Shanks still froze every time you did. But little by little, the distance closed.

The first time he reached for your hand again, he moved slow — giving you every chance to pull away.

You didn’t.

His calloused fingers brushed yours gently, and your heart stuttered. But you didn’t flinch.

“You okay?” he murmured.

You nodded. “I’m okay.”

And you were.

Not all the way. Not yet.

But enough to hold on.

Enough to let him stay.

Enough to know you’d both heal, slowly, piece by piece, in the quiet places between the crashing waves.

And maybe one day, the memory would stop hurting.

But for now, his hand in yours was enough.

It was hope.

[pinkkop]

Why you should watch ...

Lost in the Woods

I finally have some time to tell y'all why you should be watching this show, so buckle up!

The Basics:

Young aspiring artist Fifa is set on going to a prestiges university in Japan but his grandma won't allow him to go unless he works on her elephant ranch for 3 months. On her ranch in rural Northern Thailand, Fifa is a fish out of water and clashes with the stoic ranger, Hem, who's put in charge of showing Fifa the ropes. Fifa doesn't want to be on the ranch and Hem doesn't want to deal with Fifa, but maybe 3 months will be able to change that. Will the city boy with big dreams learn to love the slow farm life in rural Thailand? And will the stoic ranger have space for more than nature in his bruised heart?

The show has 7 episodes and the 5th airs on Tuesday on Gagaoolala.

Why you should go watch it!

If Enemies to lovers from different worlds is your thing, this show is for you. It's giving A Tale of Thousand Stars so if you liked that show, this might also be up your alley

High production quality

Tired of every show being set in Bangkok! This show is set in Northern Thailand and filmed on location and immersed in local culture

Gratuitous gorgeous nature shots! If you don't already know how beautiful Northern Thailand can be, this show will make sure you know. And if you want a taste, I've made GIFs!

Want a break from product placements? This show seems to entirely be funded by elephant ranches in the Chiang Mai area, so the most you'll see are beautiful shots of an elephant ranch and some dialogue showing elephant ranches in a positive light, which feels like nothing compared to other show's product placements

The Characters:

Fifa

City boy and aspiring artist with a colorful wardrobe and personality. He's stubborn but will give his all if he sets his mind to it.

Hem

Nature loving stoic ranger who just wants to be left alone. He has a big heart and just wants to help the community and local landscape thrive but keeps his walls high after getting hurt in the past.

Grandma

The strict matriarch of Fifa's family and the reason why Fifa ends up on the elephant ranch. I'm unsure what she's trying to do by making Fifa work on her ranch. Is she trying to keep Fifa from going to Japan? Is she trying to teach him how to stand on his own two feet? Does she just want him to prove that he can do that?

Prod and Padmé

These two are the friends and confidants of our main pairing. You might already know the actor who plays Prod, Nammon, from past BLs such as The Rebound and A Tale of Thousand Stars.

Fifa's Parents

Looking at these two I'm not surprised Fifa is the way he is. They seem like the most chill but also oddest parents. They love Fifa even if they let grandma decide. Also I want both of their wardrobes!

[sahonithereadwolf]

My hatred of the DMC tv show has very little to do with story. DMC has never had a great story, it never will and that's kinda the point of it all. It's a meeting point of Devilman, and Tokusatsu, it's connections to resident evil, and the things teenage boys find cool (the chunibyo of it all). It's a series that at it's best, has always prioritized caring about the emotions of feeling cool. It's fun. It's silly at times. It's melodramatic in all the ways you would expect a half-devil oc with a magic sword and long lost twin should be and that's the point. Everytime americans get their hands on DMC their seems to be a loathing that it's not serious enough. It's not performing to their idea of edgelord masculinity. It's not transgressive enough in the specific exact way 80's superhero comics were and they can't seem to write (the reasons why differ between D.I.N.O. and Netflix)

So they add things and it feels tonally dissonant because it doesn't fit the bones of the stuff already there. They see the aesthetics as shallow or a weakness. "Our dante isn't a gay cowboy" or netflix's weird additions of the genetic determinism Could Dante be John Constantine? Sure. He's not though. All of the main male playable characters in DMC have a color scheme and a cool guy aesthetic they're playing to. Dante, in red, is playing to this very Japanese aesthetic of Rock & Roll that inform things like Guitar Wolf and the 1999 movie they're in the middle of, Wild Zero

Virgil is a classic princely cool guy any anime fan would recognize. With haughty precision, an ice cool attitude, and a katana he can iaido away with. And he is in blue (toku kids take note).

And Nero is punk, aesthetically and tonally different than dante's rock and roll by being painfully earnest. He often has both red and blue, if not sometimes purple design elements for story reasons.

I could go on talking about trish, lady, and D, but the point is that the aesthetics matter. The tone matters. The gothic architecture isn't there because the series has anything to say about christianity, but that it's cultural influences care about them and they evoke gothic tones and the art of grimoires.

The things they add feel out of place because it, either by admission in the case of D.I.N.O. or injecting, or prioritizing their own exhausting aesthetics, don't care. They don't fit. When you add things like demon abortions and the odd world building with vice presidents they don't fit. It's not in on the earnest celebration of these things.

If you want a DMC series you're better off watching any given live action garo. A toku series about hell knights that fight demons.

You'll even get action direction that gets the aesthetics (it has been a series, that historically, stunt actors get showcased and get to show off). Unfortunately, you'll also get dmc's tendancy to underserve it's female characters.

[ceiling-karasu]

Actually, now that I think about it, Mushishi is also technically a fantasy medical drama in feudal Japan, which might be why I thought about the similarities.

The show also has people kind of just appear under mysterious circumstances claiming to have been in another world or somewhere else, carrying strange items and strange knowledge, and it is just kind of accepted in a 'ok but winter is coming early, we insist you just stay with us and could you maybe help us with the harvest?'

Like someone can come out of silkworm cocoon with a note saying they have been missing for many years, a small pond can glow and a confused man can crawl out of it with no way he could have gotten in there without anyone noticing, or a child can play shadow tag and in front of everyone get switched with a doppelganger who is just as confused, and at most the village will be upset that they are going to lose a day's work in helping this person figure out what is up.

They don't seem to mind most powers, either, although people who have powers that draw something dangerous towards them are picked up by the mushishi nomads so they can move around.

So yeah, I would definitely recommend it!

I'm just glad that the oarfish comparison actually made sense in the end! I know I tend to make strange connections.

Yeah, that's pretty complicated magic! I was just thinking along the lines of the weapons that can be made with minerals from the ocean, since there would be way more types to be found than in the actual earth or mountains nearby, if that makes any sense. If Heriot can control the water, then it would be easier to search for specific particles since with the sediment the minerals would be scattered instead of in immobile veins, but there would be more variation. But I feel like you would understand that kind of stuff way more than I do.

Although he would still have to deal with people being terrified of him for changing the entire ocean patterns, but it might take a while before they can pinpoint that it is him. I would assume inhabitants would figure out that it must be an otherworlder though.

I definitely understand jumping at bringing a character that was removed from one story back into another story! I've done that myself a time or two, although it has lead to me having to make some major changes. But I figure if a group of characters have no knowledge of a series of events, then it is not a plot hole for something to happen that they never expected, so characters can be written in later.

I've played a lot of DnD, so I know a bit about war scythes and halberds! I'm not good at a lot of the math and technical stuff so I tend to stick to fighter (although currently I play a Thri-kreen specifically because multiple pairs of arms allow for multiple archery attacks per turn) and pick up the great cleave feat as soon as possible. It works differently depending on the weapon, but the ability to save the party by taking out multiple enemies in one swing is a huge attraction to the polearms. Plus, I really just like to look at them.

Yeah, I can see Lennard having a weapon or two that he can't actually use that well because he saw it somewhere and just took it in case it would be useful later, as you say in the descriptions.

Some final drafts of secondary characters from my original series.

Luken Lightbringer is a combat architect, he like to play and listen to emotionless music unemotionally. He love bland, tasteless food and sees any form of emotion in art as unnecessary addition but is usually polite about his preference.

Luken can animated statues by amputating their head, the statue will return to their static state once their head returned to their body. This results in Luken usually being surrounded by bloodied statues with hands on their hands on their head like they are losing their mind around him.

Heriot Marycoast is an armament alchemist, he believes in having to prove oneself to be accepted into the world although his situation 100% contradicts that. He probably just wants deluded himself that if he just work hard enough, his problem will go away.

Heriot can control the sea but due to that ability, he naturally pull ocean toward him. He cannot stay in one place too long or the tsunami will drown him and his surroundings. The tsunami will travel faster whenever he’s in rage, this also render his presence problematic for Seafaring.

Here are comparison between the first draft and the current draft of both characters.

[t-u-i-t-c]

as much as i like mira's different outfits i do wish she'd wear the outfit she wears in the intial promotional materials and in merch. it's one of my favorite looks and if they're going to put her in it in promotions i'd like to see her wear it more in the show.

[hotdogmchiggin]

the Horrors probably could’ve been avoided if they just tried the Medicine Drug

[feelo-fick]

...i promise i take him seriously i just keep finding shitposts that fit soooo well... i have folder with just shitposts that fit ominously well with him that i keep wanting to draw and then i never get to them HAHAHA

[ceilingfan25]

Can you draw Danny Fenton as Chat Noir and Valerie Gray as LadyBug?

I love this kinda crossover!!!!! One of my favorite pass times is taking 2 shows I like and assigning characters roles from the other show, also drawing characters in other characters' outfits, so this was fun to ponder!!

[sheepydwagondraws]

trying to figure out how to them,,, I think im on to something

[tordoise-x3]

FINISHED FINALLY X3

@stat1cheart ‘s designs I said I wanted to drawr a billion years ago :3

[blackstar-liveblogs]

As someone who watches Blue often, I can divide the main things by bullet points:

- Blue stopped wanting to be neutral a long time ago. Their main draw was that they don't want to involved with the Green-Yellow conflict and didn't have those kind of dramas going on. But it's true, now if you want that, you could also stay Factionless or join the Dwarves. Yes, Dwarves are allied to Green now and they're assisting each other already, but that's a secret no other faction will know.

- Saying that Blue is allied to Yellow just because of Aimsey's actions, since they're the leader, it's a complicated subject.

Blue is moreso about judging and recognizing people because of the person they are and not because of the faction they belong to. Aimsey from the very start stated that they don't want to help Yellow, they want to help Ros.

Nowadays, yes, Aimsey trusts Foolish and has all these conversations, but they are very much personal level. The only time they did propose to be allies was when Green was threatening Blue, and it would only happen if Green attacked. EVEN THEN, you had Yellow members like Sneeg saying ''why are Blue's problems our problem'', despite the fact that he gets along with Aimsey by this point.

CPK if ever snitched to Yellow some truth was for the sake of chaos and having trouble out of his tail, not for Yellow's benefit. Heck, even recently he said that if he wanted to get involved with the Ros' death situation, he would gaslight Yellow members and lie about the culprit and what happened. He was not mourning Ros, only said ''well sorry that happened''. He owes Yellow nothing.

And again, recently, Scott read about Ros' death, was shocked that it happened, but later he questioned why were people caring to mourn one of the many deaths they cause on this Realm. Very ''you bring this upon yourselves all the time, why should we be sad now.'' He wasn't mourning either.

When the giant was attacking at Spawn and going towards the castle, Scott and Eloise just watched, said that it was not going to Blue base so it was fine, and left. Straight up don't gaf.

I remember how Scott was one of the very few to have a neutral opinion on Ros and point out her, unaware yet true, manipulative behaviour to get people she hates killed. And agreed that the Kingdom does receive their karma for their own actions. Not only that, but also he did not snitch a single thing when he was hanging out with Green during the second ball and kept hearing about their intentions of murder. Their main issue is Yellow, not Blue anymore, and they promised they would not kill him, so he's chilling.

It's literally only Aimsey, but Aimsey happens to be the leader, and the other factions see one's actions as the entire faction's, so, that's what happens.

- I think their only true definition right now is the chill faction that does not want to be involved in the conflict and won't betray each other. A group of friends that watches the chaos other cause and interact/help anyone whenever no matter the faction, because they see person first and color they portray second. They are not neutral, they don't want that, they just want to remain on the sidelines.

The trouble would be that they don't know their own PR, so they just hang out and do whatever they want, with their factionmates or individually. They agree to have the leader have the final say of important matters, but they discuss things when they need to first.

And that's it.

A faction with inactive members, because we partially lost the remaining two active Aimsey had left to the Misadventures war, and the newest one as well /silly nm.

After all of this, yes I can give reasons for joining and explain what the faction is about. But if only the leader remains and said leader accepted to be part of Krow's Commune, you know the out of factions place... Well, as much as I love Blue, it's hard to see how it will stand and have more people wanting to join. The only way I see people joining regardless it's if some new members feel sorry for the faction with lowest active players and goes to help Aimsey and be a company.

unrelated to anything but thinking about blue faction and how its not looking too great for them. their initial stand was to be neutral, but being factionless/purple is a better indicator for that. yellow and green both have strong themes to appeal to newcomers but blue's main pull rn is just aimsey i feel ? they need some new pr