#ty for the tag Grace <3< /div> Explore tagged Tumblr posts

[cosmic-navel-gazin]

I HAD SO MANY!!!

But I feel like this is a good selection of things that are permanently in rotation in my brain

Tagging: everyone who comes across this in their dash. Consider yourself invited friends

Got tagged by my lovely @lordcustythependletwat to do this and uh I guess this is me

Tagging @radjerda @noyin @puddtoast @sphyrnestuff @throbussydestroyersfwsquelcher @cosmic-navel-gazin anyone else who'd like to :)

[capn-twitchery]

flumblr tag game!

tagged by @t6fs & @letheology (thank you 😌) & started by @bizarrebazaar13

posting OC cameos vs what they actually look like in art or picrew! (all cameos can be found here on the wiki)

twitch! who was kinda designed on their cameo. it's very obvious

& grace! who was Not modelled after his cameo whatsoever

i am late as always so i don't know who's been tagged but i'm tagging @half-life-citizen anyway >:)

[zukkaoru]

risk it all ('cause i'll catch you if you fall)

Three times, Kunikida finds himself infatuated with people he should not want. Three times, he trips over the edge into the freefall people call romance. Three times, he is tugged beneath the waves and all he can do is hold his breath as he desperately tries clawing his way back to the surface. Three times, Kunikida breaks his own rules for falling in love.

on kunikida doppo, disrupted schedules, and falling in love

📗 8k words || kunichuuranzai, kunikida-centric 📗 written for / because of lena @littencloud9

[aromanticmara]

happy birthday @zukkaoru!!!

[id: two drawings of Maki Zen'in from jjk. she is resting her head on her left hand and frowning. there is a lesbian pride flag in the background. the second drawing is just maki in greyscale. end id]

[reflection-s-of-stars]

🐝 remedy and wrong entwine (+ any fandom/ship/characters you want <3)

John is lonely. He has Alecto, sure, but he’s had her quite a while, and he can’t live on a singular peer. (He thinks Alecto is a peer. She has to be. She’s the closest thing to it, anyway.) He’s considered this course of action before, but he always vetoed the thought before it could end up anywhere potent. To resurrect on such a tiny scale, to pick a handful of souls out of eight billion crying dead- it might hurt Alecto, and more importantly it might hurt their souls, not to mention it would be impossible. But all those grievances are minuscule when compared to John’s vast loneliness. They poke out like little pins in a vast empty unfinished quilt. He wants to start big. His nana is a no-go, she’d be furious. Anyone he knew in life is out of bounds, outside maybe Gary or the nun. They liked where he was headed, but even they might not appreciate the omnicide. The thought comes to John unbidden: What if they didn’t remember?

Or; John prepares to resurrect his oldest friends.

[tragedykery]

mailee pink in the night for the wip ask game? 👀

the document is a mess of unfinished sentences so I tried to finish a few of those instead of writing three new ones. those make very little sense without context tho so have a few that I wrote uh. in august last year probably? (it was meant for sapphic week but I. did not finish it)

Ty Lee doesn’t seem to notice Mai sneaking glances at her, focused on the psychology textbook in front of her. She writes down notes with a steady hand, occasionally tapping the pen against her lip with a thoughtful expression or grabbing her pastel pink highlighter to mark important words. It’s simply unfair how beautiful she looks, even after a full day of classes and studying for exams. She always looks beautiful, though. Mai can’t remember a time when the sight of her didn’t set this something aflutter in her chest; a soft-petalled flower blooming inside her heart.

[gyuswhore]

Never Shall We Die (2)

«« Nothing is too outlandish when it’s a life of liberty on the line. »» 

PAIRING: kwon soonyoung x reader

PLAYLIST: right here!

pirate lingo glossary (pls refer!)

SYNOPSIS: Deadliest pirate on the high seas or a damn fool? The stupid King and his men have snatched Hoshi's precious pirate ship with their too clean, too soft hands; grounds to question his own vices. Except, when he and his crew land in the quarters of a navy ship, revenge on their roster, they stumble across a princess in its gallows. Hoshi wonders if he's just struck gold, or if you'd become the final tread to his downfall.

GENRES: pirate!au, enemies to lovers, slowburn, angst, fluff, smut [minor dni], some pirates of the carribean vibes but ? idk

WORD COUNT [full fic]: 48.1k

Part 1: 17.07k | Part 2: 15.2k | Part 3 [final] : 15.8k

@highvern's out of context comment box: new fear unlocked: hoshi with explosives, victorian ankle moment, HATE HIM (need him carnally), hoshi covered in soapy water would distract me enough, strip for me pirate mingyu [hes litrally taking off his jacket], your honor hes a bitch, freaks!, mingyu crushes hoshi's head like a grape, WONWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, massive dick, the way i literally gasped like an old scandalized woman

masterlist

WARNINGS: slowburn, plot heavy, happy ending bc no angsty endings in this household, being taken hostage, knives, bombs, and guns, mentions of blood, mentions of SA (does not happen and it is not explicitly mentioned), alcohol, mentions of death (patricide), hoshi is ✨selectively moral✨but kind of moral nonetheless, side character death, [pls lmk if im missing something its alot] smut tags in following parts

[AN]: part 2 !!!! ty for reading pt1, hope you guys will enjoy this too <3 as always, ty to @highvern for beta-ing and sitting through this entire thing lmao <3 happy reading, and remember to tell me what you think !!

THE FOREVER EMPTY DECK, for whatever reason, was occupied when you trudge up the stairs in an attempt to free yourself from the stuffiness of your quarters. 

You make out Seungkwan sitting cross legged on the floors, very carefully pouring himself a bottle of something unmarked into a bowl. Chan is there as well, very meticulously explaining a happening to…Hoshi, who sits by with an interested expression, mouth turned into a frown with his brows furrowed. Chan is using his hands as he continues, unaware of your presence. 

“Oh!” Seungkwan calls you out by name, causing the rest of the clique to turn their heads to you. “Come have a drink!” 

“What’s this?” Hoshi starts. He’s smiling, but his reddened cheeks give away his very obviously intoxicated state. “Has miss princess decided to grace us with her presence?” 

You ignore him, acknowledging Chan when he asks why you were up at this hour as you sit between him and Seungkwan. 

“Just needed some air,” you mumble. 

“Well,” Hoshi is loud when he spills half the drink out of the cup he was pouring it into. “Air pairs well with rum.”

He holds out a cup of the liquid for you, swaying slightly from the effort of holding it far out towards you. 

“I am a lady.” You resist the effort to turn your nose up. 

“Okay lady, bottoms up!” he slurs. 

When you continue to keep your hands folded, he retracts his hand with what you think is a  prominent scowl, but it looks more like a disappointed pout if anything. He takes a dejected sip from the cup. 

“Come on, just one!” Seungkwan tries to convince you. 

“Leave her alone, Kwan, miss princess is too good to be drinking with pirates,” Hoshi chides. 

You aren’t sure if it was meant to be a jab at all, considering the strange switch in behaviour he seems to have adopted as his drunk persona. You watch in silence as he reaches over to plant a big kiss on Seungkwan’s cheek in affection, grabbing his head strongly. He yelps, pushing his captain off with a face. 

But regardless of what he meant, the defiance sparked within you anyway, and you find yourself gripping the neck of the poorly dusted bottle that sat in the middle amidst even more bottles, cups and twine. The motion has all eyes on you, even as you bring the bottle to your lips, preparing yourself for one of the dumber things you’ve done. 

Locking eyes with Hoshi’s sharp ones over the bottle, you chug it of its remnants, ignoring the fiery burn and the trickles of liquid that trail down the corners of your mouth. 

You hear Seungkwan and Chan cheering, Hoshi remaining stoic as he refuses to be the one to look away from above the bottle. 

By the time you’ve slammed the bottle back onto the hardwood, you’re struggling to maintain your vision and you’re forced to tear your eyes away from the man that sits across from you, unwavering. 

Resisting the urge to vomit, you can only smile weakly at Seungkwan and Chan who are overly excited over your endeavour, clinking their own cups as they down another one in your honour. 

It kickstarted your spree in any case as the night commenced, continuing to accept refills as you sip slower than before, savouring the taste that you couldn’t really say you enjoyed. The feeling, however. 

Seungkwan and Chan took longer than you’d expected to pass out, noting the way they continued to clink and drink with no regard. 

Hoshi seemed to need little to be washed away, something you found yourself silently snorting at, even as both boys continued to snore quietly behind you. 

“What’s so funny?” Hoshi asks, taking a sip from his cup. 

You snap your head up, drunk and hot. You consider shaking your head to indicate a null, but you can’t say you have much control over yourself at the moment. 

“You take so little to get tipsy,” you comment with a little giggle. 

“What makes you think I’m drunk?” he asks.

His red face? The uncharacteristic warmth he’d been treating you with all night? Who knows? But right now you ignore his question, zeroed in on something. He’s wearing one of his stupid linen shirts that are always buttoned too low, the ones that make it impossible to keep your eyes on his face. 

Your eyes find the distorted slash of tissue that resides on his chest, right over his left peck, right over his heart. You’ve noticed the scar on multiple occasions. Not that he seems to ever try to hide it. You decide to mention it. 

“How’d you get that?” you whisper. It feels right to talk like that; the deck is silent, the sea is calm in her regard to pushing the ship where it needs to go. Your legs are pulled up to your chest, cheek on your knees. 

He follows your gaze to his scar, coming round to answer you with a drunk, dopey smile on his face. “Got hungry.”

Possible, but you also get the feeling he wasn’t about to give you a straight answer if you pushed anyway. But your gaze remains on his chest, ingraining the ridges of the scar to memory. 

And with every moment that passes, it looks less and less like a scary altercation of someone trying to carve his heart out, and more like he may have fallen off his horse while riding. Accidentally cut himself with a steak knife at the supper table. Took a bad blow during a practice sword fight. 

And with every moment that passes, the backgrounds of your mind’s pictures turn from the rugged sea to the grassy training grounds of the palace, the hay and brown of the stables, the silver glints of the dining hall. The thuds of rusting cups and cheap sailors rum turn into clinks of wine glasses, Hoshi’s hand wrapped around the stems, skin free of every scar and darkened slash. 

And with every moment that passes, you imagine what this deadly, ferocious pirate would look like if his life was a little different. If his life was a little like yours. Would he be able to be a better match against your father, would he have taken every missed opportunity to become a ruler that you only wish you could be? Could he lead a kingdom as well as he leads his beloved band of pirates?

There’s not a thought of what you’re doing in your mind as you find yourself reaching over, not to the bottles that lie empty, but to the pirate captain’s hands, taking his rough calloused palms in your soft, unscarred ones. 

He does little to resist, letting his hand fall limp in yours. 

“What’s this one?” you ask, tracing over the biggest scar that slashed across his knuckles. 

“Piece of wood sticking out of the mast.” 

It’s an older scar, clear with the way his skin has settled into the healed wound like it’s always been that way. 

“This one?” you ask, tracing over another nick. 

“Fell on glass.”

“This one?”

“Punched Mingyu.”

You frown at that, looking up at him and in accusation. 

“I apologised,” he defends. 

Was it strange that a pirate captain would apologise for assaulting his crew? Slightly, yes. But you liked to think you understood Hoshi a little better than you’d first met him, and that he considered his crew more like his family than anything else. 

Never in a million years, in your pirate hating household, would you have thought that the deadliest band of pirates would soon be the ones you’d be sharing drinks with, tracing scars with, feeling somewhat secure being alone with. 

Entrusting to save your future with. 

You turn his hand over to his palms, now staring at a fresher looking gash that seems to still be healing. It looks painful, the redness yet to fade into its darker hues. 

“What about this one?” you ask, being extra careful to not touch the wound. 

Hearing him let out a small laughing exhale, you look up.

“Thought you’d recognize your own work.” 

And then you remember. 

The spray of blood in the air as your dagger made its first ever maim at your hands. 

“Oh,” you breathe out. 

When you look up from your hunched position, you’re closer to Hoshi than you’d initially thought. He went from an arms length away to brushing shoulders with you, his palm remaining cradled in both of yours. 

“Do you regret it?” he asks as he looks at you like he’s gotten lost somewhere in your face. 

His breath hits your face in a delicate fan, the smell of alcohol mixing from your own mouth. 

Glancing down at his scarring wound, you look back up at him with your lips in a tight line. 

“No.”

He smiles, less of disbelief and more of contentment, a pleasant look on his face as he reads your expression. 

You felt like you’d passed some kind of test. 

“Good.”

And then you’re so close you can barely make out the tip of his nose, his warmth infiltrating your own. You can smell him past the rum, a faint woody scent that makes your head spin. You push up to the alcohol. 

Your stomach is on fire as you expect the final push to come, the eager build in your chest becoming near unbearable. 

Just as you’re about to flutter your eyes closed, ready to take whatever he might give you, you find his face disappeared. 

Hoshi turned his face away, your face infiltrated by the cool breeze once more. Your palms are cooling as his warmth retracts from them as well, leaving you cold and confused. 

Blinking, pushing your chin closer to your chest, you attempt to catch your bearings, catch the notes in the air as you feel him move to his feet quickly. 

“Get some sleep, it’s late,” he announces in a low, gravelly voice before trudging towards the staircase. He seems to have sobered up. 

All that’s left on the deck is your empty palms, the stinging sea spray, and two snoring pirates. 

HOSHI SPENT THE REST of the morning trying to sleep off the imminent feeling of spontaneous combustion. 

The tingle in his right hand refuses to go away, even when he plunges the darn thing into a freezing bucket of water next to his cot, assuming his wound was acting up. 

He sleeps fitfully, the frustration that simmers refuses to let him have a staggering moment of peace. His head is as dense as a whale, throbbing in the seeping light. The sounds of the sea, ones that once brought him calm, were now triggering an irrational reaction from his entire being. 

Swinging to his feet is easy, it’s the aftermath of such a reckless action that has him stumbling like a fawn. Slipping into his boots, he thuds to the lower decks, to the storage area where all of the rations are. 

And where all of the alcohol is. 

He bumps into Minghao on the way down, who’s filling his canteen as he keeps morning watch on deck. 

“Go sleep, I’ve got it,” he says to him, and Minghao does little to refute as he makes a beeline for his beloved hammock. 

It’s too early for anyone to be awake, despite the afternoon sun that lingers. He takes full advantage of it as he hauls the first crate of rum up to the deck. 

There isn’t an inch of hesitation as he lifts the death juice and sends it splashing into the ocean. He stares for a moment as heavy bottles disappear under the water, still full of the very thing he’d shoot his crew for wasting a single drop of. 

Even more determined than before, he goes back down into the brig, this time lugging two more crates of rum, all to be met with the same fate, going down to touch the bottom of the ocean.

With every echoing slam of the wood hitting the water, he feels himself freeing. 

But you plague him anyway. 

Lifting a particularly heavy box, he thinks of how close you had gotten to him on this very deck. How he could breathe in your exhales. How he could feel the tactile of your fingertips tracing over every mauled slash on his hand. How you consumed his mind in ways he couldn’t fathom. 

It was the rum. The rum was doing this to him. 

At least, that’s what he’d chosen to blame. 

Who was he to deny the effect you seemed to have on him?

The answer was that he was a pirate, especially with the way he chalked his muddled brain to not having had a woman around for so, so long. 

He’d considered indulging once they reached Port Ash, slipping away for an hour into one of the beaded doors of women ready to give him what he wanted. The thought seemed like an unwanted remedy. 

Every solution felt fruitless, a balm that only seemed to make the itch worse. Even as he commits a sin as heinous as feeding perfectly good rum to sea foam, he only does it in the hopes that the sea will take it as a sacrifice, to give him the kind of peace his being has begun to crave. 

Hoshi has been moved to insanity. 

Even as he feels the cool cylinder of Jun’s revolver on his temple, he pushes the last crate overboard as his final answer. 

“What do you think you’re doing?” he hears Jun ask. 

When he turns around, the revolver remains stationary as it now points into the smack middle of his forehead. He has an audience, Mingyu’s face has leftover sleep on it, a mildly horrified look on his face. Chan looks like he could slice his own Captain’s throat open. 

“Where’s the rum?” Mingyu asks in an airy voice, disbelief prominent. 

“The rum’s gone.”

“Why is the rum gone?” 

Hoshi doesn’t answer as he moves Jun’s loaded gun out of his face and makes his way back to his cot downstairs, in no mood to squabble with his too sober crew. 

There’s calls of his name that follow him all the way to below the deck, even as he snatches a stray hat on the floor, placing it above his face in the hopes that he was relieved enough to sleep. 

It’s snatched away as Mingyu stands above him like an angel of death, his hat in his equally deathly grip. 

“Did the spirits possess you?” 

“No,” he replies begrudgingly. “But good sense has.”

“Captain,” he hears Chan begin, looking about five seconds away from committing a murder on the seas. “You know I can’t fight sober.”

“Learn.”

“What is this about? Where was the rum at fault?” Jun grits. 

Hoshi swings up once again. If Mingyu was an angel of death then he was the king of hell. 

But he has no threats left to give, his menacing soul left with the rum. There is only a snarl that turns into him dropping his head, sighing a loud, loud sigh. 

He tells his crew a sad affair as he expresses his sorrows like a eulogy. Blaming the rum was stupid, but it was what he had done. And now the fruit of his decisions sit forgotten in the reefs so far below.  

His crew is not happy when they find out, in any case. 

“But what did the rum do?” 

“Kissing beautiful women is part of life’s pleasures!” 

“I have half a mind to make you fish it all back up.” 

Mingyu has simply crumpled onto the floor in his heartbreak, Chan has his face in his hands. Hoshi doesn’t look up to witness Jun’s reaction. 

The crew would get over the lack of alcohol on board, perhaps a morbid brawl or two to help them get by, but what was more concerning was whether it did anything for Hoshi at all. 

At the very least, he knows he won’t go around kissing people sober, but when it comes to the matter of the war inside his chest…

A phantom ache throbs across the scar on his chest. 

Perhaps his heart would finally be the next to go.

PORT ASH WAS A depraved man’s heaven. 

One that could easily become his downfall if he doesn’t play his cards right. 

Too covered was suspicious, too much of the opposite was an open invitation to all the drunk and debauched population of Ash; pirates, criminals and councilmen alike. You were comfortable enough in what you were given to put on, to become the perfect blend in the rowdy, barely lit streets of the brothels and bars. 

Despite everything, Seungkwan assured you that no one would bother a woman flanked by obvious pirates, for whatever reason that may be. If it were up to you, you would’ve remained on the ship, safe and buried in your quarters, but the threat of an ambush on the docks plagued the crew enough to risk bringing you directly into the dragon’s den. 

Jun disappeared quickly, ducking behind an unmarked curtain with a nod to his captain. You could only assume this was where he’d obtain his remaining supplies for the explosives he seemed to be so good at creating. You’ve awoken to multiple median bangs during the night, so you can only assume he knows what he’s doing to a certain extent. 

“Jun said it might take a while, so we might have to wait on him a little bit.” Hoshi stands at the front of the group, addressing his crew. 

“Spread out, do whatever. Don’t linger, don’t drink yourselves to death—” he sends a pointed look at a shifty Chan and Mingyu, “—and meet back at the ship at six bells or we’ll leave without you.”

The announcement doesn’t seem to apply to you. You’re sandwiched between Hoshi and Seungkwan as they lead you into the throng, to wherever it was they were to pass the time till it was time to return.

If Ash was anything, it was alive. Men and women scatter in all states of drunk and sober, arms latched with their partners for the night as they let the oil lamps carry them to their abode for the night. It’s a wilder Hasry, a scarier Hasry. 

The nighttime does nothing to help your nerves, every single face shrouded in the half shadows, seemingly resembling every person you’ve ever met in the Kingdom. 

It makes you feel better that both men are pressed against your sides, as strange as the thought sounds in your head. Safe between two pirates.

“Nobody’s tried to kill you yet, I’d call that a record,” Seungkwan comments, but it’s not directed towards you. 

Hoshi scowls as you shift your gaze from Seungkwan to him. The usually nonchalant pirate captain looks…cautious. His eyes dart around the crowded streets, like he was looking for familiar faces all the same as you. 

Your eyes land on his curled lips and force down a shiver. This was the first time you’d been around him since that drunken night, since you’d promised to never drink again. 

He doesn’t mention it, so neither do you.

“Captain Hoshi Kwon? How wonderful of you to show your face again!” 

A woman’s voice rings shrill amidst the loud buzz and hollers of the streets, emerging like a white ghost from the throng. Dressed to the nines, face painted intricately, fan clenched in her hand that perches on her hip. She’s joined by another gaggle of women that crown behind her, displaying a rainbow of coloured gown and fans, but holding the same disdained look. 

The pirate captain freezes beside you, and you feel Seungkwan’s hand on your back burn. 

He seems shaken at the sight of the new woman initially, but puts on a smile you’ve only seen a few times. One that dazzles with his teeth on display, eyes squinted.

“Delilah!” he exclaims, almost too happy to see this mystery woman. “How’ve you been?”

“Who did that? I’d like to send them flowers,” she refers to the scar above Hoshi’s heart. 

“Jellyfish don’t really like me, learned that the hard way.” 

His answer seems to only annoy her. Delilah has a wicked snarl on her face, threat in her stance. “When was the last time I saw you?”

“Uh,” Hoshi stumbles. 

“The Crowded Inn, was it? When I fell asleep to a promise and woke up to an empty bed?”

“Our dear captain seems to have thrown memory at sea,” one of the girls behind her calls out, followed by a collective giggle. 

Hoshi looks cornered, at a loss for words as he attempts to save face. Regaining his prior easygoing expression, he continues. 

“There’s no promises after I’ve had a drink or two, you know that, Delilah.” It scares you a little how easily he can inject all the sugar and honey in the world directly into his words, flirting his way out of the predicament. 

Except, she doesn’t seem to be buying it, because as soon as the words leave Hoshi’s lips, you hear a loud thwack and a blur of colour. You gasp before you can help it, covering your mouth in shock. 

There’s a reddenning mark on his cheek in the shape of a hand. Hoshi remains face scrunched, coming round, hand slowly coming up to touch his no doubt stinging cheek. 

Your reaction seems to have roused this woman, because she sends you nothing but a look laced with pure venom, completely ignoring Seungkwan who stands aside doing nothing to help his captain. 

“Where’d you pick this one up?” She asks, her fan now shucked open, fanning herself even in the pleasant weather. Her pale face, red lips, dark eyes all remain on your shabby form, a hint of a smirk on her face. “Is she as disappointing of a performer as she looks?” 

That seems to do it, as you watch Hoshi’s facade of a cheeky bed trotter image drop to something with more depth. 

“Delilah,” he says, warning in his voice. 

“Ah! Looks like I’ve struck a nerve.”

You watch Hoshi take a step forward and you’re suddenly hyper aware of the crowd of people that continue to pass and linger, reminding yourself of the repercussions of causing a scene in a place like this. Turning slightly, you attempt to push Seungkwan to do something.

“Captain,” Seungkwan says, a casual but careful voice. A starting attempt at calming things down. 

“That’s enough,” Hoshi says, ignoring Seungkwan’s warning. “Quit pretending you weren’t warming that privateer’s bed right after I left.” 

There was no reason for you to say anything, do anything. But when you find yourself pushing forward, leaving Seungkwan’s hold, you can’t stop. Perhaps he’d have punched Seungkwan, his own crew, if he’d done the same as you were right now, but you’d like to think you know the pirate captain enough to assume he’d react less so with you. 

There’s a shift in the woman’s jaw as she watches you wrap your arm around one of Hoshi’s, trying your absolute best to mimic a bright smile. 

“We should go,” you announce, the stretch of your cheeks unfamiliar even to you. You turn to catch Hoshi’s stare, he’s looking at you like you’ve grown an extra head. “Right, Hosh?”

“Go on then, Captain. Your little princess awaits.” 

You flinch without meaning to. Princess. 

This woman doesn’t know what she’s talking about, at least, that’s what you recite in your head as your trio goes back to pushing walking through the streets. She doesn’t know who you are. 

“She doesn’t know,” you hear Hoshi say under his breath, but you hear it loud as day.

You exhale, “I know.”

“Sorry about her. And him, “ Seungkwan says, before turning to Hoshi. “I told you not to get involved with that one, she’s a menace.”

You’ve let go of Hoshi’s arm at this point, now simply watching him attempt to calm himself down as you walk. He doesn’t reply to Seungkwan’s jab. 

You feel strange, a feeling you can’t exactly pinpoint. You’re too aware of yourself, in a way that’s different than just the fear of being recognized. Shifting your eyes to your attire, your usual linen skirts and corset, an added grey shawl for your own anxious sanity.

The woman’s voice rings in your head. Shabby. 

“You didn’t let her get to you, did you? She’s always been vile, she can’t live without being a bitch about something every five minutes.” 

Seungkwan’s grumbling goes in one ear and out the other as you don’t answer. He seems to read you better than you thought he could. He sighs.

“Congratulations Delilah, you’ve made a princess feel shabby,” he says in a sarcastically chipper voice, one that earns a hiss from his captain for being too loud. 

Before you know it, you’re being led down a flight of stone stairs and you’re informed that it was an underground pub of sorts. Something about his undertone told you it was probably more, but you ignore it as the darkness is let alight beyond the musty curtains of the basement entrance. 

It’s a sizable expanse, a bar on one of the long ends of the hall, busy and overflowing with mugs, jugs and plates. Wooden tables and chairs, almost all of them occupied by patrons of all kinds that do nothing to regulate their volumes. It smells like a rancid mixture of alcohol and people, but you push past as you find yourself seated on one of the wooden seatings in the corner. 

“I’ll go get us drinks,” Seungkwan announces as he walks up to the bar. You watch as he’s greeted by nearly every passing customer, all smiles. 

Hoshi sits beside you like a begrudged toddler, arms crossed and glaring at nothing. 

“Didn’t realise how popular you were around these parts,” you comment, scanning the crowd in excruciating detail, blaming force of habit as you do. 

He clicks his tongue, and you can’t see him, but you can almost visualise his grimace.

A too clean councilman that has his hands on the upper thighs of an outlandishly dressed woman. A man so grimy and dusty who has nothing but an array of empty jugs for company. Another flock of fan yielding, hair towering, gown exploding women that swarm a man you cannot see past the bodies. 

It’s organised chaos, immoral yet is the only thing that seems to work on this island. 

Another entrance is being made from the curtains that block the pub from the outside, you steer your eyes automatically. 

Looks like he could be a pirate, beyond just the dark hair and chiselled face. He has a girl under his arm, a pretty brunette that giggles at his side as he whispers something in her ear. She’s wearing something similar to you, a corset and a linen skirt, and a pirate's hat that’s too big for her that’s perched on her head. 

Subconsciously, you feel better about being so severely underdressed. 

Hoshi sits up next to you and you glance over your shoulder to assess his shift. He’s also staring at the couple that’s just walked in. You briefly wonder if this was going to be another showdown.

The man catches Hoshi’s eye from across the room, and you notice how his smile falls a little. 

“Who’s that?” you ask quietly. 

Your question is answered when the man himself begins to walk towards your table, leaving the girl at his table, a confident strut as he makes his path. 

Hoshi rises next to you before you realise what’s happening, and you have the sudden urge to call out for Seungkwan. 

“Why are you getting up?” you hiss. He doesn’t answer, yet again.

“Captain,” the man greets. 

“Captain,” Hoshi replies. 

Captain. So he was a pirate. 

“Hm. That’s not gonna go away, is it?” The man comments with a smirk, eyes trained on the scar on Hoshi’s chest. 

“Wonder who’s fault that is.” Hoshi’s voice is levelled. 

Oh. Was that scar his doing?

“I hope you won’t mind if I don’t apologise?” The smirk on his face remains as he continues, motioning towards his own cheek, eyes trailed on the side of Hoshi’s face. “Looks like you’ve got enough enemies without me trying to carve your heart out.”

Hoshi doesn’t answer as he grimaces, a frustrated blink and a hand that runs over his sore cheek. 

“Delilah was quite adamant on having your head on a pike after that,” the stranger adds with a chuckle of his own, before trailing his eyes behind Hoshi. Right where you sat watching the two men interact. “Perhaps she does have some consideration left.”

“Delilah cared more about looking like a fool than she ever did me leaving. You’d know all about that wouldn’t you, Wonwoo?” 

There’s a flash of irritation on Wonwoo’s face at the jog of a memory. “Handled it better than you did. At least I wasn’t walking around with a handprint on my face.”

“No, no you weren’t. Just a leash around your neck,” Hoshi’s own eyes darted towards the girl seated at Wonwoo’s table, a silent jab.

Wonwoo’s face morphs into something a little more dangerous than just irritation, his jaw tightening as he takes a step forward. They’re nearly nose to nose. 

To your surprise, Wonwoo smiles. “I guess brothels don’t teach many manners after all. My mistake.”

For the second time that day, you spring from your position in the shadowed table, giving up on praying for Seungkwan’s arrival. The man seems to have disappeared somewhere along the barline, and you curse both the men that stand before you for their horrid temper management skills. 

You don’t have to do much, however, as you find Wonwoo pulling away by himself. At least, you thought so, finding a hand wrapped around his upper arm. The brunette spares neither of you a glance as she simply murmurs furiously under her breath, hand now on her lover's chest as she pushes him to move back from the brewing altercation. 

Hoshi doesn’t seem to be breaking, remaining standing with his eyes shooting daggers at the man that’s reluctant to walk away from a budding fight.  

Being gentle wasn’t going to work right now, and you weren’t feeling so soft anyway. Instead, you reach over to grab his wrist tight, positively yanking him back as hard as you could. 

“Wh—ow!”

He slams into the seat next to you, deadly eye contact with the other captain broken as he winces at the impact. When you glance up, Wonwoo is gone. 

“You said to blend in, how is this blending in?!” 

“I didn’t do anything!”

“You were two seconds away from drawing knives,” you hiss. “We’re in a pub, for goodness’ sake!” 

Despite your irritation, and with the newfound information that rests in the back of your head, it’s difficult to keep your eyes off the scar that stands against the lamplight of the pub. 

Someone did try to carve his heart out. 

Context for an altercation that could lead to something like that remains unknown, and you doubt you’d ever get a straight answer from him if you asked—as always. Besides, you forget they’re pirates. 

Hoshi goes back to simply ignoring you as he festers in his grumbled silence. Choosing to keep his arms folded and staring straight ahead. You make no moves to entertain him. 

“I guess brothels don’t teach many manners after all.”

This mystery captain’s left you with enough ammo to keep you wondering for days. What on earth was that? 

As if Hoshi’s (and yours) mood wasn’t sour enough, your attention is brought to the front of the room where another entrance is being made, quite loudly so. You very quickly recognise the gowns and fans and shrieking giggles of women as Delilah and her posse. 

You note the woman herself is nowhere near. 

“Fucking hell,” you hear Hoshi swear under his breath. He’s sitting up, eyes darting around the room, almost like he was trying to find a hiding spot. You doubt he's too excited over another conversation of similar nature, let alone a matching mark on the other side of his face.

The women hadn't seen him yet, and were approaching far too quickly for him to get up and leave anywhere to hide. A quick scan of the room yourself and you realise there’s only one remaining option. 

They didn’t seem to recognise you for your title before, and you assume the current extent stays within simply being another seductress in the pirate captain’s company. You push the sickening feeling away as you realise you might have to play the part. 

So you do the sensible thing and push Hoshi’s head under the wooden table, forcing him to leave his seat and crouch beside your legs. In a split second, you’ve lifted your linen skirt and draped it over his hunched body. 

This would have to do. 

And it seems to have been the right move because as soon as the man is out of sight, you find the opposite end of the table more occupied than you ever would have been comfortable with. 

“Oh! You’re that Hoshi’s girl aren’t you?” one of the women who's made themselves comfortable asks, fan in front of her mouth and nose as you note her sharp eyes. 

“Uh,” you laugh nervously. 

“Oh, nothing to be embarrassed about,” she assures, a snap in her voice. 

Another woman decked out in a green ensemble speaks in a teasing voice, “We’re all quite accustomed to his…mannerisms.”

The table erupts in a fit of giggles and cackles and you’re forced to laugh weakly along, hyper aware of the man that sits under your skirt right below. You try not to flinch as you feel his clothes brush against the side of your calf. 

“So, tell us,” she says, taking your hands in hers, a contact you really wish you could break free of. If only you weren't quite as terrified of the women seated at your table. “How far along in heaven has this man taken you?”

She spares you an answer as you gape with square shoulders. She fans herself in a whimsy as she looks like she’s reminiscing. “He’s almost as good of a pirate as he is a beast in bed, I don’t think I’ll ever forget that night.”

“Quite generous with the tongue too, if you know what I mean.” 

The pirate captain’s breath hits your bare knees in its own fan, goosebumps almost immediately erupting across the expanse of your skin. You fail to suppress a shudder.

Goodness, this man stays busy.

“Oh look at her, she’s gotten all flustered!” one of them laughs. You take it as an opportunity to slip your hands out of the tight grasps of the bold ladies. “It seems he’s taken to a newer liking. How innocent.”

These women seem to like talking more than they wish to hear a word from you, of course, you couldn’t tell them anything they already didn’t know. Of which, according to their interests, you knew nothing of it anyway. 

“Don’t get too attached now, we’re all mere expendables in this busy pirate’s—”

Slam!

Rum. You smell rum. 

It’s like you’ve been transported back onto the main deck, the smell of rum mixed with….with—

“Ladies!” Seungkwan announces, slamming bottles of alcohol on the table with a force unnecessary. “Funny seeing you again.”

For a moment you may have even thought Hoshi had clambered up to the table to announce himself, and you feel a hand fly down to your skirts. 

He’s still there, head now actively leaning against your knee. You pray the man hasn’t fallen asleep as you attempt to greet Seungkwan. 

“Took you long enough,” you grit through a sickly sweet smile. 

With your hand somewhere on Hoshi’s upper back, you guide him with you as you make space for Seungkwan next to you. 

“The—oh!” Seungkwan is quick to notice the breathing lump under your skirt as he sits himself next to you, but manages to compose himself with a cough. “Long line. What were you ladies talking about?”

One of them smiles big as ever, slowly lifting themselves from their seats, “We were just…leaving. Wonderful speaking with you!” 

And with that, you can finally feel your breath coming back to you, the table significantly lighter with the lack of colours, perfume and humans. 

Releasing a long exhale, you let your shoulders drop and lean backwards. 

“Are you going to explain why the captain is hidden under your skirts?”

With a jolt, you're forced to consider his presence under the table, scanning the room to find the women gone from the pub altogether. 

Hoshi emerges from under the fabric, and shuffles over to the other side of the table to sit down, bringing an instinctive hand towards the fresh bottles on the table. Halting, he instead reaches for the jug of water on the edge and pours himself a helping.  

You refuse to look at him. Refuse to acknowledge the red in his face. Refuse to acknowledge the sudden cold under your skirt. 

Seungkwan’s stare is burning holes into the side of your head, even as he uncorks one of the bottles as an offer. You also refuse; both to look him in the eye and the drink itself.

Bottle to his lips, he moves his glare to his captain, who sits nursing his water like it was something stronger. 

“I haven’t gotten an answer yet,” he finally breaks. 

Instinct has your eyes lifting to meet Seungkwan’s inquisitive one’s, answers frozen in your throat. 

“Why are you asking like you don’t know who they were?” Hoshi snaps. 

“I can understand not wanting a matching handprint on your other cheek!” he refutes. “But how do you decide the solution is to dive into yet another woman’s skirts?”

Your only solace to the heat that prickles your body is the way Hoshi himself flushes. 

Seungkwan sighs as he takes another sip of his drink, eyeing Hoshi’s still red cheek. “I’m starting to think you deserved it.” 

Hoshi makes a motion like he’s about to send his half full cup flying into Seungkwan’s face but stops short. Perhaps he’s realising he’s become the problem child for today. 

You contemplate telling Seungkwan about Wonwoo and the near pub brawl you would’ve had to deal with, but decide it to be a story for another time. Besides, you weren’t about to risk mentioning his name while it was still fresh. 

You realise just how unstable this island can turn a person; not just the pirate captain.

Because as you look at Hoshi on the other side of the table, you find how difficult it is to look away.

“YOU NEED TROUSERS.”

“What?”

“Oh don’t look so scandalised, you’ve been prancing around with pirates for goodness’ sake.”

Seungkwan haggles with the stall owner over the price of padded coats, blankets and an array of other things the crew would need. The journey was only going to take the ship further North, and it was only going to get colder as you neared the icy water of the Green Islands. 

Seungkwan’s suggestion to buy you trousers came out of the blue, but it seems you couldn’t refuse when you find both Hoshi and Chan (who joined you after he was tired of the others) agreeing. 

“You can’t possibly stay warm in linen,” Chan argues. “Trousers are the only way you won’t freeze your limbs off.”

“Too much airflow in a skirt,” Seungkwan agrees, eyes closed, head shaking solemnly. “Captain would know.”

“Hm?” Chan looks at him confused. 

“Fine!” You snatch the folded brown lump in Seungkwan’s hands. You keep talking in a louder than necessary voice in the hopes that Chan won’t ask any more questions. “I’ll wear them.”

“Perfect! Now we need to get you boots.”

“I have boots!” 

“Warm boots!” 

“But—”

It was difficult to argue with Seungkwan once he’s got his mind set on something. But that paired with the loud noises of the Ash port market was sending pulsing throbs across the sides of your head. You simply surrender as Seungkwan leaves Hoshi to pay the vendor before pushing you across the street to where a stall held boots and slippers for sale. 

In the midst of his bargaining, Chan had disappeared into the throng, returning with a steaming plate of something that smelled doughy and delicious. 

“What is that?” you ask as Chan shoves the tray in front of you. 

“Whatever they are, they’re delicious. Try one.”

He was right, one bite of the warm, soft goodness covered in syrup had you taking a moment to ponder. It melts in your mouth, barely registering the rest of the group scarfing down the tray like it was their last.

“God, you can never get them this good on the mainland,” Seungkwan cries. “We’ll get another tray before we leave.”

Speaking of leaving, you turn to ask about the time. 

“How many bells has it been?” you ask Seungkwan whose cheeks bulge with the amount of dough balls he’s stuffed in. He looks like a child caught stealing when you ask. 

“Oh—”

“Five,” Hoshi answers instead, eyes remaining on the pile of goods that he’s gathered to remain in his line of sight. You suppose there was no delivery system here like in Hasry, and you doubt how secure it is to be walking around with a pile of supplies on this island in particular. 

“You need to hurry, I told the rest of them to meet at six bells.”

Seungkwan’s quick to wrap up, but not before shooing Chan away for another tray of those sweet dough balls for the journey. You manage to whisper to him to bring extra. 

By the time Seungkwan’s done with the last vendor, dropping the giant coil of rope onto the already large pile of supplies, you begin to wonder how you were supposed to get all of this to the ship. 

“Shove those in a bag and carry some of this,” Hoshi says to Chan who has returned, brandishing another steaming tray of the sweet treat. He grumbles as he complies, complaining about how the sticky sweet syrup was going to ruin the inside of the pack. 

You look a little lost as you attempt to help, all three men grabbing their share of the load. 

“Let me hold something,” you attempt, reaching for a wrapped pile. 

You watch as Hoshi snatches it before you can grab it for yourself. “Keep an eye out instead.”

“But—”

“Here.” Chan drops the pack with the now rolling dough balls inside. “Snacks for the walk too, how lucky.”

There’s a light push from behind you as Seungkwan urges you to move forward, face slightly obstructed with the tower he’s holding in his arms. “Go on, straight and then left. We’re close to the port anyway.”

You’re left feeling slightly useless as you remain caged with Chan in front while Seungkwan and Hoshi follow you from behind. The walk is short, but crowded nonetheless. 

It’s only later in the night, which means the crowds in the bustling streets and alleys of Ash only multiply, clear with the case you’re pushed into right now. You pause in front of a particularly busy patch, needing to take a breath before following Chan’s fearless footsteps. 

It’s immediate suffocation, bodies on all sides as you try your best to not lose Chan in the midst of the crowds. Perhaps they were right to keep your hands mostly unoccupied—it would’ve been impossible for you to not completely lose yourself here. 

Gaining a rhythm of walking with the crowd before moving slightly against to near your exit, you’ve almost made your way out. 

Just as you find the bend leading to the open air of the port, you hear a distinct rip sound from behind you. 

If your skirt was airy before, it was a windstorm now. 

Craning your neck at an impossible angle, you find the bottom of your skirt ripped so high up the back of your knees are out for the population of Ash to see. 

Gasping loudly, you halt in your tracks. A horrible mistake, because you’re only being bumped and shoved by the evermoving bodies. 

“Why are you stopping?” Seungkwan hisses, before realising what’s just happened. “Uh oh.”

“I…”

Both Seungkwan and Hoshi push past the throng making their way out of the crowd, leaving you there frazzled and practically naked 

You barely consider that they’ve just left you there as you scramble to cover your calves with what overlapping fabric you had left, registering the threats and curses being sent your way for being the idiot that stops in what is essentially a fast paced parade. 

The rational part of your brain checks out, refusing to consider that perhaps the back of your knees were the least scandalous thing this island has seen, especially after the conversations you’ve had in your short time here. But alas, a few months of the pirate life wasn’t enough to push the princess out of you, and you stand like a paralysed fool about to get stampeded. 

Just as you’re convinced you’d die here, embarrassed and utterly panicked, you feel a body press up from behind you. 

It was too close to be a bystander pushing past, which was saying something since most of these patrons were practically climbing over your form. 

You whip your head back to look at the person who’s invading your space more than usual, hands tight around your upper arms in an effort to push you forward. 

Hoshi stands behind you as his body covers the ripped damage of your skirt, eyes trained in front to survey the crowd.

“Come on, I’ve got you,” he grunts, pushing to get you to move your legs. You stumble in the beginning, still not registering anything.

He was helping, but with the way you can feel every dip and shallow of his chest and abdomen pressing into you, you can’t help but think he’s only made matters for your already speeding heart worse. 

Your legs move automatically, letting him steer you wherever. Trying not to think about how his entire front is pressed onto your back like a mould. He’s so close you can even smell him despite the crowd.

Like your head isn’t spinning enough.

By the time you’ve exited the main rush of people, you’ve begun counting your minutes. 

Emerging to the bend that leads straight to the docks, you find the rest of the crew already there, running sprints to get all the new supplies to the ship that remained a few yards away. 

Despite having left the crowd behind, your exposure remained, which meant you’d have to be tailed all the way to the ship. You curse your luck as you watch Jun quirk an inquisitive brow at the both of you stuck like you’ve been glued. 

You pray you never have to show your face here again, because the looks don’t seem to stop until you’ve reached the ship. Perhaps the crowd where nobody was paying attention was better.

In any case, you respond to Minghao’s questioning noise with half shut eyes and a joint sprint towards the stairs leading to the lower decks. 

Hoshi keeps behind until you’ve gotten to the heavenly doors of your quarters, springing inside before Hoshi could register looking lower. 

It’s silent for a few sparing moments as you breathe tightly, convincing yourself that you were alone and uncompromised. You're pressed up against the door, almost like you’re afraid the entirety of Ash would barge through to witness your calves. 

“I’ll handle the boys, don’t worry about that,” you hear Hoshi speak from the other side of the door. 

There’s nothing you could do other than slide down the door in a beyond dramatic fashion, head in your hands as you grip the strands like you were moments away from ripping them off. Every instance of your upbringing flashes before your eyes, every crack of your mentor’s canes on your thighs and calves, every waking pain in your back from the impossible postures, every bruise and nick on your feet from being stepped on and trodden over. 

Despite the ridiculous nature of the situation, you feel your eyes grow heavy with tears. 

Was this panic? 

Taking in the circumference of your cramped quarters; the unmade bed, the strewn clothes, the thrown covers. 

It was nothing. Yet, at the same time, it was everything. 

Amidst the pile, there’s a glint of metal where your knife lies on your nightstand, the tiniest smear of uncleaned blood on the blade. From your position on the floor, you find the half broken lamp discarded under your bed, shunned from your sight. The desk in the corner is empty, save for the staggering mountain of letters from your father. 

The only suggestion of normalcy, yet the one you itch to be rid of the most. 

The letter opener necklace that was exchanged for the ring on your finger sits warm against the valley of your breasts, a reminder of the first weapon you plucked from this very room. The weapon that began it all. 

The smell of gunpowder fills your nose, the forever echoing bang of Jun’s revolver as you took that child sailor’s life with your own two hands. 

You lay like that, on the cold floors of your quarters. Refusing to touch the court appointed comfort of your bed, for fear of reigniting the guilt with a fire stoked. 

You aren’t sure if you sleep, but you do dream.

LIDS OPEN, EYES WIDE, but nothing to perceive.

It’s a pit of obsidian, unrelenting and unproposing in its press against your lungs. 

The familiar ball of prickling embers makes itself known in the pit of your stomach, rising and penetrating your senses in ways worse than even the darkness. It's alarm, dread and swivet; the concoction sticking to the walls of your lungs, throat and mouth. 

And then there’s pressure. 

Something envelopes you from behind, an unidentified lump that pulls you into something warm and sturdy. There’s another pressure at your stomach, another pull keeps you grounded between a wall built just for you. 

The air is perfumed, something beyond a flower or an incense. You know what it is.

And then you're falling, slipping into nothingness and landing between sheets warm enough to suggest you never left. 

The scent remains, and this time, Hoshi towers over your frame in something that might have been domineering. But with the distinct feeling of a wet mouth over your collarbone, a small whisper of words unintelligible, you melt like frost in front of a fireplace. 

“What?” you question his muttering, hands hovering just above the expanse of his covered back, barely touching. 

He rears his head like a gentle beast, wet lipped and zeroed in on your face. His response comes in the form of his lips enclosing your own. 

He tastes like rum.

OPENING THE DOOR TO an expectant Seungkwan, you only wave off his reference to you looking like you have one foot in death’s mouth, grabbing the stack of clothes and boots he delivers. 

He leaves you alone, something you cannot decide is a blessing or a curse as you take in the unchanged state of your quarters. 

Sleep gives you nothing but more troubling images to keep your mind utterly occupied, so you take what you can control in consciousness. 

You drop the clothes on a cleaner corner, yanking one of the thinner pairs of dark brown trousers to change into from your still torn and tattered skirt.

Moving inside the room, you pick the littered papers, ropes and rags on the floor, swerving and crouching with more vigour than necessary.

Hoshi’s scent sticks to you. 

Grabbing the pile of letters on your desk, you shove them in a sack and throw them under the bed. 

Hoshi holds you like he might die if he doesn’t.

Ripping the covers off the bed, you fold them into a giant ball of fabric, hoisting it into your arms as you strut to the door.

Hoshi’s lips have left a bruise on your chest.

The late morning sun combats the chill in the air, the salt sticking to your hair. 

Hoshi’s mouth is hot and wet on yours. 

Hoshi stands before you, manning the wheel on the deck. 

You halt in your tracks. 

He turns to register you with your arms full and shielding most of your body. 

Clearing his throat, he states, “You’re up.”

Eyes darting, you respond. “I’m up.”

Somehow, his presence makes you forget the audacity of your own brain to stew the play it did. Depositing the sheets on the floor of the deck, you attempt to look for a reasonably long coil of rope. 

In your pointed distraction, you miss how distracted the pirate captain has also become. 

His elbows, initially perched on the wheel, slip in a comical manner, unintentionally pushing the wheel to the right. 

You don’t expect the minor lurch of the ship, landing on your bum with a yelp when you lose your footing all of a sudden. Your elbows take a worse hit, spiking pain across your upper limbs at the hard contact. 

His hands are pulling you to your feet before you can register what’s happened, coming round as you open your eyes to an open mouthed captain.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” you grunt, dusting off your brand new pants as you move past him, refusing to make eye contact. 

Picking up a coil of rope, you bring one of the ends to a mast on the end of the ship, stepping on a crate to tie it around the pole. By the time you’re stepping off the crate to tie the other end to the opposite mast, you find it already done, the pirate captain tightening the knot from across the ship. 

He meets your eyes for a moment, before you step in the direction of your piled sheets, breathing in a heavy inhale.

Untangling the mess, you pull them over to the suspended rope, throwing the sheets over with a grunt. You’d only ever seen the palace maids do this when they’d beat the carpets to oblivion, dusting the ages of dirt. 

“I just…”

When you turn around, the pirate captain is closer than you anticipated, hands encased around a smaller slab of wood. He trails off when you turn to face him, like he hoped he could speak to the back of your head instead. 

You take an instinctive step back, putting space between the both of you. You bring your expectant eyes up to him.

“I just wanted to tell you to ignore what happened at Ash.”

You flush, stuttering, embarrassed at your previous predicament all over again. “Oh, um—”

“Wait no!” he drops the wood onto the floor, hands flying as he waves them all over, seemingly as flushed as you are. “I meant—what Delilah and the others said. I just– they’re horrendous gossips—”

“What are you trying to say Hoshi?”

He falters. 

“I’m trying….” he exhales. “There’s nothing on my roster. Nobody. You aren’t expendable or disposable or whatever it was she said, you aren’t a used rag—”

“What am I then?” 

The question is tumbling out of your mouth before you can help it, stoned jaw and tight fist. 

“What?”

“What am I then? If I’m not expendable or disposable, what am I then?”

“You’re…” 

Taking a step forward, you move back to your initial spot, closer to him, chests almost touching.

“I’m?”

“You’re a princess and I’m a pirate!” he blurts, his previously apprehensive face morphing into something intense. 

You huff a short breath, an incredulous stretch to your lips. Of course. 

“What is that supposed to mean?” you ask in a low voice. 

“Like what it is,” he heaves, chest inflating and deflating like he’d run the course of the deck about thrice. “Nothing more, nothing less.”

If your ears weren’t deceiving you, it sounded more like he was trying to convince no one but himself. 

You take a step closer as he takes a step back.

His face is scrunched ever so slightly, eyes blinking quicker than normal. The sunlight blurs the edges of his features; his usually sharp, stinging stare is hazy, the slant of his nose curvier, the ridges of his lips blending into your muddled perception of his face. 

The only thing dividing you is the silence, the bore of your stare and the war in your mind. You cannot speak for him, but you also aren’t a fool. 

“Everything they say about you is wrong.” 

“What?” he asks again. 

“You don’t have a deadly bone in your body. You’re a coward that hides behind his knife and his big bad pirate ship that you can’t even defend.”

For once, he remains speechless while you persist.

“To think we spent all these years trying to subdue you, push you to the edge,” you can feel the anger seep into the hottest centre of your bones. “All for you to be some scared sailor all along.”

“Your father ruined my life,” he says. It’s a strange voice he uses, one that’s somewhere between disbelief and a warning.

“And mine with it.” 

He laughs, blinking rapidly, backing away even further, running a hand through his hair. Coming around, he looks over his shoulder. He looks like the man you met the day your life fell apart, a strut in his step that runs your blood cold. 

“Are you sure this has nothing to do with you simply wishing to spite the man?” He walks back over. “Prance around with the filthy pirate he hates just for the fun of it?” 

“Oh and you haven’t just been itching to ruin the kingdom’s beloved princess.”

Your mouth seemed to have a mind of its own, spewing the accusation with a vigour you never realised you possessed. Lies. Lies. Lies.

This was your own deteriorating mind’s doing. You were the debauched princess painting lewd pictures of a pirate in your mind. It was your heart that couldn’t stand being near the man for longer than necessary. It was you that had the scripture somewhere in your chest, the tiniest speck of a daydream, that perhaps this inner turmoil didn’t end with just you. 

Did you want to be another woman he doesn’t have to remember? 

You don’t know. All your mind registers is the unbearable twist in your chest, and how it feels like you can’t do nothing about it.

You’re used to getting your way, and you hate that your mind seems to have drifted away from you.

Hoshi’s expression is nowhere in your mind, too preoccupied with sucking in inhales and trying not to begin spiralling right on the main deck. 

“You’re projecting.” 

Eyes snapping up like he’s proposed to sink the ship itself, you feel yourself hit a mental wall. And a physical one as you feel the brush of the suspended sheets against your hair, having taken an unconscious step back. 

He’s cornered you. Yet again. 

“Everything about you screams vulnerable,” he says, moving closer. “Not very sharp to show in front of a pirate.”

“Hoshi.” A warning. A sharp, hurtling sting of fear. 

“What? Big bad pirate too emotionally removed? Beloved princess trapped and defenceless on unfamiliar lands?” 

He’s moving closer, too close.

“I take it back,” he says. “Perhaps drunken Ash does speak the truth—”

Not a familiar plane on his face, like the pirate king had absolved a long held mask. His eyes mortified you, his stance was a walking threat. 

Despite the morning sun, the cave of the hung sheets, the shadows of the high masts and the towering gloom of the pirate captain creates enough darkness to throw a shadow in your mind. 

It’s like the day his crew dropped on the deck for the very first time. The emotions you wished you’d never have to feel again. 

“Stop.” A whisper. 

“Itching to ruin the kingdom’s beloved princess—”

“Do not move any closer!” you shout, eyes squeezed shut, hands fisting the suspended sheets so hard you can feel your fingernails dig into your palms. Scarring.

The world halts, and you feel the darkness beyond your eyelids, lighten. The air is forgiving, cool and blowing.

When you open your eyes, you’re alone.

THE WAR ROOM LOOKS the same, but everything has changed.

For one thing, you were significantly more bundled up with coats and lined boots. The cold of the green islands wasn’t the creeping frost you’d anticipated. You simply woke up one day without feeling in your fingers and toes, fog in the air as you breathed. 

The coat wasn’t nearly as thick as it needed to be, but you doubt you would’ve found anything better even at the ports. The green islands weren’t meant for life.

“You need to get into the hold unnoticed, and as quickly as possible,” Minghao says. “We don’t know what’s gonna happen after the exchange is made but we know we can’t help you once you’re on that ship.”

Clenching your jaw, you nod tersely. It was high stakes, you couldn’t hurt any of the soldiers to keep it clean; planting a bomb where a King resides was difficult—princess or not.

“Getting you out of the wreckage is our job,” Hoshi says, and you pointedly refuse to look at him. You weren’t quite convinced. “We’ll be on Tigress by the time the bomb goes off. Leave nothing of importance on this thing, we’ll be blowing it up too.”

“You need to get in the water as soon as that bomb goes off,” Jun says. “Their priority is gonna be you and your father. You need to make sure they can’t find you when they realise the ship’s sinking.”

The ship the King should be transported in was the same as the very naval vessel you sat in right now. 

“They might be on one of the smaller ships,” you say.

“Why?”

“You know what the ships that hold royals look like, they aren’t risking you having that advantage.”

If your father was bringing out all the guns of deception to take down these pirates once and for all—which you don’t doubt he was—every move you were about to make was based on assumptions. Assumptions that might as well cost this entire crew’s heads.

“Do you know what those ships look like?” Minghao asks.

“I’ve only been on them a few times, but never in the hold,” you say. “I think I’ll figure it out well enough, they’re all the same more or less.”

There’s a blanket of silence, a quiet regard to how utterly unprepared all of you were. Limited information and the most important man’s head at the butt of the target; your bow pulled too taut, too wobbly, your arrow too blunt. 

“Are you sure we can’t risk shooting a couple of ‘em in the head?” Chan asks from across the room, running a tired hand across his face.

Sighing, you ignore the burst of fog erupting from your mouth, answering, “I can convince an entire Kingdom their King drowned, but I don’t know if I stop them from trying to find his body. Imagine their surprise if they find a supposedly drowned man with a bullet in his head.”

“It’s fine,” Hoshi interrupts, eyes downcast and arms folded. He leans against the wall of the war room and you can’t help it when your mind flashes to that stormy night. Your hands finding refuge on his chest, the heat of the moment. 

Nose flaring, you look away, the rage hurtling up your throat like vomit. 

“We’ll just have to figure it out. Stay vigilant, we all know what’s at stake. We all know what we have to do,” he continues, a glance around the inhabitants of the room. 

Something about it almost insinuates an underlying question of trust, a confirmation to sweep an unanswering room.

“The bomb’s done,” Jun says, and heat crawls up your entire being. “I made a couple extras, I’m gonna chuck ‘em out into the water for a test and that’ll be it.”

Somewhere on this ship lies the bomb that would kill your father, and if you didn’t do your job like you were supposed to, it might as well kill you all. 

YOU LEFT YOUR SOUL on your bedside table the moment Seungkwan entered your quarters with a rapt knock, informing you that the ship was nearing the rendezvous point. 

It had only been a few hours since that meeting in the war room, and it felt like only a week since this had all begun. 

Seungkwan invites himself in as he continues to talk. You aren’t sure if he’s doing it to calm you down or not, but you appreciate it regardless. 

“Keep those trousers on and make sure you look good. You have to look like we cared while we kept you prisoner,” he says, and you can’t help but smile just a little. “Take anything important—pocket it, give it to us. We’re not gonna see this ship after we’re done.”

The idea is strange, that your home for so many months would soon be forgotten, resting on the frozen ocean bed for eternity. You think of what you wish to keep, eyeing the stack of letters on the desk. You won’t be able to keep them on you if you were going to be jumping into the ocean at some point. 

Collecting the smaller pile, you hand them to Seungkwan. “You might have to take a dip in the ocean too, but at least you may have a chance to skip that bit if luck’s on your side. Keep these for me?”

Seungkwan smiles as he takes the stack of letters, pressing them to fit inside his coat. “Aren’t these all from your father?”

“Yes, but…” you trail off. “I’d like to remember them in case I forget why I did what I’m about to do.”

Seungkwan stands in front of you, an unreadable expression on his face. “You know this can’t work unless we trust one another. All of us. The entire crew.”

“I trust you,” you say. “Pirates are impatient. If you wanted me gone I wouldn’t be here.”

He sighs, almost like he was dissatisfied with your answer. With a laugh you ask, “Did you want me to say no?”

“No, it’s just,” he starts. “I wasn’t going to bring it up but, since we don’t have time…I don’t know what’s going on with you and Hoshi but…”

You stiffen at the mention of his name.

“I need to make sure you aren’t about to do something rash because of him.”

Your corset lies on the sheets, and you snatch it off, a bite to your movements.Your coat is already off, your linen shirt is the only thing that covers your upper body

“It was my mistake. I misunderstood. I won’t be letting it affect anything tonight.” You push the loosened corset over your head, too frustrated to unlace it and lace it back up. Your fingers are freezing cold, even too much for your palms to bear as they come in inevitable contact. 

Beyond yourself, you continue to grit through your chattering teeth, the pulses of irritation in your brain only encouraging you to spill. Turning around, back now facing Seungkwan, you fiddle with the strings on your corset as you rant.

“I can’t say the same for him, but you can ask.” Your arms are bent at a strange angle, but you attempt to make the loops and knots anyway. Having never had to do this by yourself ever, you’d found a practice after your peculiar situation. You were alright, but the cold was making it near impossible to simply loop the string through the existing holes.

“He seems to have a lack of emotional control, of course, you’d know, but I can’t say I find it too charming,” your grunting front he effort as you speak.

Seungkwan seems to have noticed your struggle because you feel a pair of warmer hands replace yours, unlacing the loop you’d just made only to loop it again, tighter this time. He takes the liberty to tie the final knot, tighter than you’d usually have it but you’re too busy to correct him. 

“I don’t think I need to explain what happened, your captain seems to be content with the way he is,” you scoff slightly before continuing. “I’m not quite sure what else I was expecting. Actually, I do know what I was expecting, but again, that’s just seems to be my fault—”

“I’m sorry.”

It’s like an entire ocean’s worth of ice water has been poured down your back. Perhaps being buried under the glaciers of the Green Islands would be more forgiving. 

Turning around, you find the hands on your waist do not move, Hoshi’s face coming into view instead of Seungkwan’s. 

The room is bare besides the both of you, the door to quarters closed. You don’t know when he came in nor when Seungkwan left, but he stands before you now, hands touching you where you shouldn’t let him. But you do. 

“I’m sorry,” he repeats, his eyes locked in on yours. 

“W-what?” you breathe.

“I’ve been quite stupid.”

“Have you?”

It sounds like he breathes out a laugh, but composes himself. “I didn’t realise I was cornering you on the deck the other day. I’m sorry for making you feel unsafe. I’m sorry for everything I said.”

Every fibre of your being wants him to suffer, to withhold your forgiveness. But then you realise where you are, in the middle of an ocean that’s been designed by the heavens to kill. 

“Thank you for saying that.” You don’t have the courage to look him in the eye. “I’m sorry too. You aren’t…you aren’t what I implied you were. You’re right. I was projecting.”

“I don’t want us to go out there walking on eggshells around each other,” he says as his breath fans your face. Warm. “We have to come out the other side. All of us.”

You nod slowly.

“You have it the hardest out of all of us, I just…” he trails off and you feel his fingers tightening on your waist, even through the material of your corset. “I don’t want you to feel like you’re alone. No matter what you lose, I think it’s safe to say you’ve gained me. All of us.” 

The thought of not making it out alive has you flexing your numb fingers in front of you slightly. You might die. This crew might die. Your crew might die. 

The man that’s begun to mean more than just a saviour might die. 

Not considering your frozen fingertips, or the absurdity, your body moves on its own. 

In a split second, your iced lips are in contact with the pirate captain’s warmer ones. 

You don’t doubt they’re cold as well, but they differ from yours enough for them to feel like the only warmers you need. 

Your hands have grabbed his face, light brushes against his skin as you tiptoe to reach his lips. They’re soft. Softer than you could’ve ever imagined on a pirate, and you find yourself forgetting where you are for a moment as you feel the plush of his mouth against your own. 

Pulling away first, your noses still brushing, you whisper to him through the creaks and groans of the drifting ship. “I had to do that. Just in case.”

“In case?” he whispers back.

“In case… we don’t make it.”

It only takes him a moment to remove his hands from your waist. For a heartbreaking second, you think this is him pulling away from you. Again.

And then both of his arms are looping around your waist, pulling you into his chest hard, your lips slamming into each other even harder. 

He takes the liberty to move his mouth against your own, hot even in the cold air. Moving with a restrained pace, yet appropriately desperate nonetheless. The cold tip of your nose brushes against his cheek and he pulls away to hiss. 

“God, you’re freezing.”

The discovery only seems to urge him to pull you impossibly closer. If your lungs weren’t already occupied, you wouldn’t have been able to breathe. Despite it all, you find your arms coming up around his neck and shoulders, one hand finding refuge in his light hair.  

You might never need a drink of anything ever again, not with the way his mouth alone seems to have you drunk and deranged, begging for time to stop so he’d never stop kissing you, never stop moving his beautiful, glorious mouth against your own. 

There isn’t a thought in your mind as you pull away for wretched air, eyes closed and breathing heavily. 

Hoshi places his forehead flush against your own, both of you exhaling into each other’s faces, still holding you so tight it hurts. It’s warm, his breath seemingly defrosting the formed icicles on your face. 

“Hoshi,” you slip from your mouth instinctively.

“Soonyoung,” he breathes, and it takes you a moment to realise he’s talking. “My name. Soonyoung is the name my mother gave me. I want you to have it.” 

Opening your eyes, you register his face so close to yours. His eyes are screwed shut, he’s still breathing heavily. 

“Soonyoung,” you repeat, hands finding his face again, stroking his cheek with your thumb. “Soonyoung.”

He opens his eyes.

“I like it. It’s very you.”

He smiles and you can’t help but think how beautiful he looks when he does, and when he leans forward to give you another elongated peck, one that has you chasing his lips again. He relents for one more.

“Well, Soonyoung, can I give you something too?”

He looks at you expectantly. 

Reaching up to the back of your neck, you find the knotted bind of the leather cord that hangs from your neck. Undoing it, you bring the charm out from under your shirt, leaning forward to tie it around his neck this time.

He stares at the charm that dangles down his front as you give it a light tug, “A letter opener. So that’s what you were getting from that lady at Hasry.”

“You knew when I left?” you ask, brows furrowed.

“I was more worried about you wandering off than I was about anything else, what made you think I didn’t know exactly where you were?” He has a cheeky smile on his face, one that you’ve never seen without an underlying threat or the usual glint of unhinged in his eyes. 

You can’t help but grin, of course he knew.

“If you wanted a letter opener as a weapon, you should’ve just asked.”

“Aren’t knives just bigger letter openers?” you ask with a soft chuckle.

He responds with a chaste kiss on the tip of your nose before saying, “Since we’re exchanging gifts—”

“You started it.”

“And I’m ending it.”

He emerges from one of his many pockets with what looks like a bracelet in his hands. 

“That’s—”

“From Hasry,” he confirms. “I bought it for no real reason, never even wore it.”

He rolls one of the pink and blue beads between his thumb and forefinger, and you remember it sitting at the stall in Hasry like it was yesterday. 

“Didn’t realise I only bought it because I saw you looking at it.”

The twist in your heart is the worst it’s ever been, even while he holds you closer than anyone ever has, you feel the need to squeeze him beyond measure hoping it’ll fix the turmoil in your chest. 

He attempts to take one of your hands, in an obvious attempt to slip the bracelet on your wrist. 

“Wait.” 

Hoshi stops. 

“Keep it,” you say as you grab his wrist, pushing the beads down his hand so it sits on his wrist instead.

“But—”

You cut him off with a kiss. “A reason for you to come out of this alive.”

There’s a silent understanding between the two of you as you stand in each other's arms. 

“We still have much to talk about. But I think this is alright for now,” you say. 

“We will,” he confirms. “But when we go out there and put everything on the line, remember you aren’t just a princess anymore. You’re a pirate, too. So fight like one.”

THE COLD HAS COATED the deck in a fine layer of ice, one that makes it a hazard to simply walk on. Your boots feel unstable and it takes a conscious effort to plant your feet firmly on the wood to ensure you don’t fall like Chan almost has the last four times and the one time he did. 

It’s less foggy than you’d anticipated, and you can see Mingyu and Minghao working overtime to ensure the giant ship doesn’t hit one of the absurdly large icebergs that float in the freezing water, the crow’s nest occupied by Hoshi himself as he peers through his telescope. It was strange seeing him use it, you’d begun to think he only kept it like an accessory.

He yells something from his place high up; it’s unclear, but you know.

And then you see it, the naval ship with the unmistakable flag that ripples proud in the cold air. Your family crest is barely decipherable, but knowing what lay ahead was enough to have you taking significantly deeper breaths. 

Your father’s—the King’s— ship bobs in the water with a near empty main deck, not a soul on board. 

You hold your breath, and as one of the blocks of ice are swerved, you find a second ship. The indicative jolly roger is nowhere to be seen, but it's obvious what ship that was. 

The Tigress stands proud with her years of darkened wood, the unmistakable figurehead at the prow in the distinct shape of a fanged siren. 

And only a smaller sailboat away, lay a flat of ice. 

Another white flag with the royal crest, lines of uniformed soldiers that stand at attention like protectors of the ice, a pattern of dotted blues. The admiral stands next to your father, who’s donned his own Naval uniform complete with a purple cape pinned at his shoulder. 

The purple cape of a victor that returns home from battle. The purple cape he’s donned before the battle has even ensued. 

The King has noticed your arrival, his face becoming clearer the nearer the ship gets to the block of ice that would act as common ground. 

And then the ship stops, you turn around and realise the rest of the crew has their eyes on you, expectant. 

“We have a message,” Mingyu says, looking at you but handing the thing in his hand to his captain. 

In your fixation, you did not notice the small boat that had floated near the ship, bearing a scroll with the royal seal. 

Hoshi reads it, lips tight shut and jaw clenched. 

In the next few minutes, all seven of you are cramped into a single, tiny wherry to be rowed onto the iced land. None of you speak, none of you acknowledge the other. The canister that Jun had given you presses against the side of your bare hip, your knife strapped inside your boot. 

That was it. That was all you had. 

But there was some confidence in it, the way the entire crew was asked to present themselves at the exchange was enough to tell you there was truth in what you presumed of your father’s plans. 

He had knives of his own up his sleeve, and he intended to provoke his worst enemy while looking him in the eye. 

As the boat reached what was a hardened shore, the crew stepped off the boat one by one. Very carefully, you stepped on the block of ice as the group moved forward, reaching a point where you stood parallel to the other rigid party. 

In a purposeful attempt, you were kept in the middle of a herded circle, shielded by the crew as Hoshi stood front and centre, the crew’s mouthpiece. You can’t help but swallow, the ringing in your head growing louder than ever. 

There’s a loud voice that plagues the sheets of ice, and your stomach flips so violently you lose both your vision and your hearing. You take an unconscious step back before you feel a hand on your back. 

It was Chan, who whispered, “Keep it together. Calm down, it’s okay.”

It was the obvious response from him but you find yourself calming in any case. 

“The crown commands you, Hoshi Kwon, to bring forth Her Royal Highness, the princess,  at once.” Your father’s right hand man, the royal advisor, and his more trusted friend speaks for the throne, his voice recognizable as it rings on behalf of his king.

From standing behind him, you watch as Hoshi simply raises his fist to place at his hips. 

“Captain. Captain Hoshi Kwon,” he corrects, before continuing. “And my hostage will not be brought anywhere till I have my money ship.”

“As proposed by Hoshi Kwon, His Majesty, The King will cooperate in the exchange of Her Royal Highness, the princess for said ship.”

“Give me my ship first.”

“Hoshi Kwon—”

Hoshi groans loudly, loud enough for the other party that stands multiple feet away to hear, before continuing, “This is why I despise dealing with you insufferable lot, why must everything be so formal?”

But you knew what game he was playing at, the deadliest pirate on the seas does not comply with government officials so easily, and he wasn’t about to drop his masquerade now. 

“You know what,” Hoshi starts, and you see him eye the wooden boat you had just reached the island on. “We do it this way.”

There’s a pause. 

“Me and my harmless little crew will sidestep back over, zip our way to our ship and leave you with your precious princess. Is your royal highness majesty in agreement?”

“Hoshi Kwon is commanded once again to bring the princess forward.” There’s less formality in his tone now, and you realise very quickly that there was no other way to separate yourself from the crew.

“Hoshi,” you whisper under your breath, hoping he would understand. Taking the risk, you move forward in the little space you had, hand very gently placed on his back. 

There’s a pause before he speaks, “Fine. Have your princess.”

Turning around, back facing the crowd, he makes eye contact with you before moving to discreetly meet the eyes of his crew. “Let them take you.”

That’s the last thing you hear him say to his crew as you find a larger shadow approach from behind Hoshi.

“Ho—”

Hoshi grabs your arm harsher than he usually would, dragging you forward in his attempt to present you, but you find that Hoshi’s turned back was taken as an opportunity, the dozens of soldiers having already made their way across. 

If you hadn’t heard what he had whispered to the crew, his shocked face would’ve fooled you too. He looks like he wasn’t expecting the way the crew was immediately surrounded by swarms of armed soldiers, guns perched directly at each member of the crew. He looked like he wasn’t expecting to be cornered. 

But you liked to think you knew this man, and he had once told you to never turn your back to an enemy. Too much to be a rookie mistake of his, so you trust him. 

And then you’re being tugged by someone who’s not from the crew, the distinct feeling of softer, more respectful hands that wrap around your elbow, urging you forward. 

You find it within yourself to not look back, sending a prayer to every entity in the world to keep them safe, to keep the trust in your heart that they knew what they were doing. 

Eyes downcast, you know immediately who you’re being led towards, and when you stop, bracing yourself to meet your father’s eye, you find yourself feeling nothing. 

“Are you hurt?” he asks in his strange form of greeting. No embrace, no sign of relief that his daughter and only heir was alive and well. 

“No, sir,” you reply, shifting your eyes back down to your shoes. 

“Go back to the ship with the guards. We leave as soon as I’m done with this lot.”

Your stomach jolts, but you bite your tongue and let yourself be led to one of the smaller boats. The canister burns against your skin. 

Seated in the smaller boat, flanked by guards, you can’t stop your neck from craning to look at the scene behind you. 

Far away, on the other side of the glacier, the pirates are being ordered to strip themselves of their weapons. 

Hoshi’s dagger glints against the sunlight and you spot Jun’s revolvers in the pile. 

Hoshi looks up and catches your eye, face unchanged. 

“You’re safe now, your Highness,” one of your guards assured you, taking your gaze as a fearful look back instead of one laced with something else. 

Please be okay. 

As soon as you're led up to the main deck, your eyes dart. It doesn’t take long for you to figure out that your father had not chosen to take one of the smaller ships as you’d expected of him. Instead, you stand in an exact replica of the ship you had just disembarked, except for the flag that fluttered with your family crest. 

You’re pushed into one of the quarters in the lower decks, hearing the distinct click of something outside as you find yourself in the mostly barren indoors. 

It looks like a colder version of your quarters on the other ship, the same dimensions, the same window that displays the clear waters of the Green Islands. Except it’s only occupied by a single bed that’s pushed into a corner, stripped of its sheets. 

It looks like a prison cell. 

When you turn around to try for the door, you try to wrench it open but it refuses to budge. You can’t help but question how many times you’ve landed yourself in this exact situation.

Why on Earth would they lock you in? Did they suspect you of something? But whatever for?

You give up, turning to untuck your shirt from your trousers, feeling for the bomb against your hip to make sure it hadn’t slipped. After that, you crouch down to check the inside of your boot, despite feeling the dagger this entire time, you couldn’t help but need to check. 

There was nothing you could do, not when you knew nothing of what was happening on the other side of the door. The window gleams, and you find yourself bolting towards it, peering through the glass to check for any bodies that may land in the water, praying your father would keep them alive.

Hang them publicly. Guillotine them and suspend their heads at the gates of the palace. Just keep them alive for tonight. 

The sun is proving a sorry resource of time, especially when you can’t tell how long it’s been since you were shoved in here. The sun seems closer to the seas when you hear the jingle of the lock. 

Nearing the risk of whiplash, you turn to the door to find your father walking into the room. He walks in, his cape gone, immediately turning to lock the door from the inside once again. 

Once he comes around, he stands with his hands clasped in front of him, eyes boring into your soul. 

“It seems the pirates have changed you,” he comments, eyeing your new trousers that you sport. It was strange, a woman in trousers, let alone a princess. 

“Not at all, sir,” you respond. 

“Your newfound friends are strapped into the brigs, finally subdued and ready to stand trial for their crimes.” His voice is rough, and he looks older than when you last saw him months ago. 

He acts in less alarm than you would’ve thought, assuming his definition of ‘friends’ was simply a sick way to prod at you than any indication that he suspected an alliance. But you fight the effort to let out a sigh of relief; they were in the brig, they were fine, they’d stay alive in time for you to get to them. 

“I thought David less than for a fool,” he refers to the Admiral as he talks. “He proved me quite incorrect when he showed up on some shoddy fishing boat with a message from a pirate. Like some messenger boy.”

You don’t answer as you simply stare at the toes of your boots. It was foolish to dare make eye contact with him.

“A stupid proposal from a stupid pirate,” he chortled in a genuine laugh. “That pirate ship was easy bait. If only you hadn’t gotten yourself roped in like a simpleton.”

His sentence ends with a harsher undertone as he blames you for something you couldn’t possibly have controlled. 

“In any case,” he continues, the gruff in his voice clearing out. “What’s a pirate to a King?”

Everything in you screams at you to halt your already moving tongue, yelling about how horrible the idea was. 

“He’s more of a man than you ever could be.” 

The ringing in your ears becomes a sounding blare, your vision going white at the sides. Your hands shake and you don’t know why you keep staring your father in the eye. 

There’s a furrow in his brow, eyes unyielding and face stoic. 

It’s silent for goodness knows how long as you wish you could sink in that very moment. 

“That load of filth’s done more than just put you in trousers, is it?” he grits through his teeth. He’s seething. “Henley had said you were acting strange when he saw you at that port market, it seems he was right.” 

“No matter,” he continues, exhaling loudly. “It only makes my job easier.”

He unclasps his hands, pulling his white gloves at the fingertips. 

“Perhaps we may live in a world where princesses prance around with pirates, but that won’t be the reason I fulfil my duty as King today.”

He slips them off his hands entirely. 

“I tried shaping you into something worthy of the throne for so many years, and I’d begun to realise that perhaps, not everyone is fit to be ruler after all.”

Was he about to strip of your inheritance? The crown was why you were born. Despite everything your father had put you through, the throne was your god given right. 

“Unfortunately, I cannot simply renounce your title. Not without reason,” he continues as he takes a step closer to you, dropping the gloves to the floor soundlessly. “And while perhaps the court may not consider inadequacy as enough reason, I’m quite sure an exchange gone wrong would be enough, even for them.”

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying, dear daughter, that our time together has come to an end.”

And then his hands were around your throat.

[AN]: HEHEHEHEHEHEHE rb or send an ask telling me your thots as always, one part left to go!!!!!

[fullscoreshenanigans]

#You can see me getting increasingly pissed lmao #Just give her pants it's not that hard #Manga Emma: only wears pants #Merchandise Emma: we need to make sure the audience understands she's a GIRL that dresses like a GIRL

Ranking Emma's outfits in promotional art according to how much she would wear them / how much she wears pants in them

※ All the promo where she wears canon outfits won't be included. Outfit with skirts will receive a maximum of 5/10 for obvious reasons

No pants, but that outfit looks fairly warm for winter clothing so that's a bonus. Also the skirt is longer than usual. Still something that doesn't look like Emma at all. 3/10

A cute outfit. She's wearing a skirt but that's kinda justified by the fact that it's Alice's dress, and she needs to be Alice since she's the protagonist. No pants but the skirt is very large and soft and the art has this feeling to it like she would enjoy running around in that fluffy dress. 5/10

The outfit on its own is pretty, but seriously Emma would never wear something like that. The skirt is extremely wrapping and looks like it would restrain her movements terribly. She has high heels I don't think Emma is ever going to wear in her entire life. I can't understand why they didn't just give her an outfit that matches Norman and Ray's, it's not like bands have a fixed gender clothing code or anything. -1/10 you tried but please try to understand what Emma would wear which is. Definitely not this

She wears a skirt but that's just how Japanese school uniforms are like. Still that skirt looks like it could be longer. 4/10 with bonus points for the lil octopus.

I don't know who ever thought that baking or serving in a skirt was a good idea but I can assure you it definitely isn't. 2/10

Same as above except this time she's not wearing anything similar to her GF uniform under the apron, so there's literally no excuse at all for making her wear a skirt. I can't see what sort of skirt she's wearing under the apron but the apron itself is wrapping her way more than how it does for Ray and Norman????? It looks like it'd be extremely hard to walk with that on, and that's NOT how kitchen clothing is supposed to work. 1/10 this time I'm not even sure you tried at all

Thanks God FINALLY something that actually looks like Emma. The only promotional art where she wears exactly the same outfit as Norman and Ray which gets bonus points for trio cuteness and for reminding us that clothes don't have gender. Look at those adorable yellow sneakers. The pants are long and beautiful. 10/10 thank you for this

Can't believe they released two pants Emma one after the other like they really want to kill me. The pants are very short compared to what Norman and Ray are wearing which is such a shame because otherwise this art would have been perfect. Still looks a lot like something Emma would wear in a steampunk AU!! 9/10 thank you.

She's called Little Red Riding Hood and not Little Red Riding Skirt, why couldn't they just give her pants. The skirt itself kinda looks like the Wonderland promo one, but this time I'm severely pissed because she got to wear that when Norman and Ray have that kind of super cool outfits. 3/10 just sayin' but next time make Norman the fairy godmother and Emma the prince

The coat is cute but it literally looks like Emma is going to freeze in that outfit. The fact that it looks like she's wearing the GF uniform under the coat makes up for her wearing a skirt a little, but not enough to prevent her from freezing. 2/10

Continues in reblogs!!

[jawnscoffee]

I NEED FANFIC RECS !!!

preferably johnlock or larry on ao3

also because i really need to catch up on ao3 😶‍🌫️

sooo if anyone of you has a rec OR is writing something/has written something, pleaseeee tell me because i need to make a list (and searching through tumblr is a lil overwhelming).

I’ve reposted some fics but i kinda…lost track

tagging tagging: @a-victorian-girl @lisbeth-kk @topsyturvy-turtely @bs2sjh @atamh @missdeliadilisblog @helloliriels @calaisreno @grace-in-the-wilderness @totallysilvergirl @jobooksncoffee @snonkerdoodlefizzy221b @nottheweasley @jawnn-watson @sunshineinyourmind @keirgreeneyes @catlock-holmes @221beloved @paulineholmes02 @dw91165 @peanitbear @jolieblack @ghostofnuggetspast and whoever has a rec :)

okay byeee and ty <3

[welcometololaland]

10 things - 2024/2025 edition

happy new year, everyone! 2024 has been a year of change for me in so many different ways, and i've posted very little fic this year, mostly due to writers' block and time constraints. so, instead of doing the writing round up i thought i'd list 10 things i'm grateful for in 2024 (fandom edition) and 10 things i want to do in 2025 (also, fandom edition). please feel free to make your own if you wish! consider this an open tag 🏷️

2024 - things i'm grateful for (in fandom, in no particular order)

1. my ride or die friends who deal with my self doubt and breakdowns and (being 100% real) paranoia about situations that simply don't exist - @rmd-writes @celeritas2997 , the popcorn squad and others. wouldn't be writing without your support!

2. the writers who have trusted me to beta for them - @heartstringsduet @basilsunrise @rmd-writes i think i'm forgetting some (so sorry if so). michelle, being with you through first aid was such an amazing experience, and i feel so lucky to have seen you develop as a writer!

3. the people who have read my fics and encouraged me including the wip wednesday and seven sentence sunday tags! - i literally would not be anywhere without you. you actually give me life.

4. the friendships i've made on discord with people who just wanna know me for me and share little snippets of their lives - @reyesstrand and @heartstringsduet the little squirrel photos y'all send me are soul soothers for real! @st-elle-ar and @clottedcreamfudge and @lightningboltreader and @birdclowns for the cat pics! @howtosingit for your commentary and spoiler services 💜

5. the grace given to me by @carlos-in-glasses and @actual-sleeping-beauty - you two are so kind and encouraging and tell me all about your knitting projects even when i go missing for weeks on end. thank you for being my friends <3 and i don't even think you guys know you are both my yarn obsessed friends but you ARE.

6. everyone who has trusted me enough to collab with them on projects - the legends on never the same twice, @rmd-writes @strandnreyes. i loved working with you and i hope you had a positive experience! looking forward to more collabs in 2025.

7. the document gremlins, betas and sensitivity readers i've collected this year - @rmd-writes @strandnreyes @lightningboltreader @celeritas2997 @cold-blooded-jelly-doughnut ty ty ty ty some of those fics were in danger of being lost forever but we revived them!

8. @she-walked-away for making me laugh with your hilarious posts and olympia2997 who apparently doesn't exist on tumblr but leaves the most unhinged comments of all time on my fics.

9. everyone who has translated my fics or made art or gifs this year! inspired by you and in awe of you! @donghaian @whatsintheboxmh @heartstringsduet @guardian-angle22 i know there are more i'm so sorry if i've not listed you here!!!

10. everyone in the various fandoms i'm in who have created brilliant works in 2024! i am inspired by your work more than you know <3

2025 - things i want to do (in fandom, in no particular order)

1. read more, and read more broadly. expand my horizons a bit. read things that are a touch outside my go-to zones just to test the waters. read stuff by new authors!

2. spend time co-writing because that's actually my favourite thing to do. i have some things in the pipeline with a couple of people which i hope work out!

3. finish. the. damn. fic. (eurotrip). IT'S SO FREAKING CLOSE.

4. spend more time with my 2019-2021 beloveds - alex and henry. write more rwrb fic. engage in the fandom a bit more.

5. finish the ring-in 2.0 within 1 month of the LS finale (weep).

6. take one hand off the wheel with fandom relationships - my therapist tells me i need to stop trying to control how everyone feels about me and instead let people show me the kind of friendship they're interested in maintaining. scary because i think i may lose some people along the way but OH WELL WE BALL.

7. worry less about the engagement! god! i need to stop looking so much! *shakes fist at self*

8. write a little more regularly with less word count expectations.

9. learn how to be okay with smaller comments (from myself). sometimes i feel terrible if i don't write a damn essay but sometimes it stops me from reading which is horrible!

10. be a better fandom contributor than i was in 2024 - i think continuous growth is important and i'm always open to feedback (as long as it's constructive and genuine)! my mission is to always make a positive contribution and to make people feel good about themselves, and if i can even do that for one person in 2025, i think i will achieve this goal.

ty for the 2024 wrapped tags @hippolotamus @rmd-writes @reyesstrand @emsprovisions @nancys-braids @carlos-in-glasses @lemonlyman-dotcom @alrightbuckaroo @strandnreyes @thisbuildinghasfeelings @whatsintheboxmh @heartstringsduet @firenati0n @cha-melodius. you are real ones! consider this a tag back if you would like to do a 2024/2025 10 things edition.

[valentine-cafe]

Been hiding in your walls for a while but

Bros can i ask for a forehead kiss from your softest men

This week has been 🫠💀😭😩 and its only MONDAY

ty

-

˖⁺. “ all is well . . . ” : 

﹙ multi monster boyfriends x gn reader ﹚.𖹭 ݁

. . . various monster males x gn reader !! 🍓 : ﹙ mercenary  ˖ grim reaper ˖ poet ˖ hero characters ﹚

they give you a little forehead kiss 

﹙ cws ﹚: none !  | wc : 0.5k 

﹙ receipts ﹚: i really hope you're doing better and that this makes you feel better :((

꒰  other treats : guidelines ˖ m.list ˖ characters ˖ our lore  ꒱

﹙ alessio 781. ﹚. . . !! 🍓 : soft lips brush against your forehead, while a pair of gentle hands reach down to your waist and hold onto it. the warmth of his body presses up against yours as you are enveloped in a hug.

“rough week amore?” he croons in a whisper, smiling against your forehead while he gives your scalp a gentle massage.

as his lips press to your forehead, he sighs softly and rocks you from side to side in the comforting hug.

“let me take care of you. we can get something to eat, or drink. anything you’d like.”

꒰ mercenary ˖ antihero ˖ immortal ˖ punkgoth character ꒱

 

﹙ rishen 781. ﹚. . . !! 🍒 : immediately, his hands lay the work that previously were in his hands. documents scattered on the desk as usual. while he makes his way over to you to take a soft and careful hold of your jaw with both of his soft hands.

his eyelashes flutter softly. maroon eyes crinkling with a soothing happiness that leaves your limbs easing and finally resting.

“you don’t even have to ask cariño.” he chuckles softly, before pressing a kiss to your forehead. warm and enough to make you fall into his hug some more.

“i got you.”

꒰ hero ˖ moth-spider-mantis hybrid ˖ preppy nerd character ꒱

 

﹙ talisen 781. ﹚. . . !! 🍓 : long fingers stroke along your cheek and then trace their index down the side of your neck. the small crease in his brows mimic the light curl of his lips.

“oh. . . oh my darling,” the iciness of his hand cups the small of your back. talisen pulls you close and the frost meet your forehead soon after. the hand slips up and caresses the back of your head to ease it into his shoulder.

“confide in me. may I make your worries no more.”

꒰ grim reaper  ˖ naga  ˖ poet character ꒱

 

﹙ jìngyí 9948e. ﹚. . . !! 🍒 : within a matter of seconds, the feel of soft lips press to your forehead. then again. and again. and again.

two your cheeks. one to your chin. your nose. and one more to your head for good measure.

a puppy-eyed look takes on those big maroon hues of his. his lips pull into a pout while two large hands take your face between them.

“no sad, please?” his deep croon couples with yet another kiss to your head. “let us go for ice cream!”

꒰ grim reaper ˖ angel-in-training character ꒱

 

﹙ rishen 9948e. ﹚. . . !! 🍓 : the feel of softness is not the first to grace your presence, but the engulf of warmth and velvet-like comfort. his wings find their way around you in a matter of seconds.

his lips meet your forehead. delicate hands that litter with jewellery cup beneath your jaw. his thumbs press up into your flesh and circle soothing motions.

“stay with me for a bit, mi amanecer.” one of his hands finds refuge at the center of your spine and then slowly trails down to the swell.

꒰ angel character ꒱

 

﹙ orion. ﹚. . . !! 🍒 : a set of 3 wings would wrap around you slowly, while arms pull you closer to the angel you had asked to give you a little forehead smooch.

for an abyssal inhabitant. he was warmer than most. you felt it especially when his lips moved to your forehead and stayed there for a few minutes. a long, healing and soothing forehead kiss.

you know he never spoke much, you received a hum and a smile. while a hand rubbed circles into your back. and that was enough.

꒰ abyssal angel ꒱

﹙ taglist. ﹚: | get tagged for specific posts

﹙ tip jar. ﹚: like our work? consider suporting us 𖹭 

[miks-delusional-blog]

Hair- Mizu x fem! reader

Tags: Fluff, mild angst? (Again idk how to tag guys, somebody who does know please tell me that would be amazing <3), gender reveal (reader discovers Mizu is a woman), mentions injury and violence, maybe a slow burn? (might make into a series)

Notes: in 2nd person (you), 995 words, Mizu x fem! reader

Context: you and Mizu are friends with romantic tension, also it’s a bit awkward between you two after you find out she’s a woman

A/N: Hello there. Fanfiction. Read it. Hope you enjoy. I’m going to get back to doing school work now. Or I’ll procrastinate and make a part 2. 

Also this is inspired by a scene that was cut from the show where Mizu plays with her hair.

Toodles, love Yamz x

Mizu huffed, frustrated as she tried to tie up her hair. It was normally a simple task, however, on this morning it was not. 

In a scuffle with some assassins, Mizu had hurt her arm quite badly. Although it was the day after the battle, the pain still lingered. Pain was not the only thing that lingered, but an awkward air. After yesterday’s battle, you treated Mizu’s injured arm, finding out that Mizu was not the man you thought she was.

She was a woman.

The image of your shocked face when you pulled down her haori lingered in her mind, like a reflection in a window pane. 

The two of you sat on the floor of the inn, with a noticeable gap, getting ready for the day. Her annoyed huff brought you to look up from the mirror you were holding. You turned to her chuckling softly, “You alright over there?”

She shot you a small glare. “I’m fine.” She attempted to tie her hair up again but the strands cascaded out of her grasp. Her arm fell to her side, she sighed a little defeated.

You crawled behind her, propping yourself up on your knees. Taking the hair tie from her hand, you began gathering her hair together.

Mizu hesitated before uttering, “What are you doing?”

“Shaving your hair off.” you casually remarked as you brushed the knots out of her long hair with your fingers.

Mizu jerked her head back to face you, grabbing your wrist.

“I’m joking! I’m tying up your hair, obviously.” you laughed.

Mizu’s lips curled to a frown, her grip loosening. 

“Just let me help you out.” She let you move her head so she faced away from you. You shuffled a little closer to her, her back up against your front as you continued brushing through her hair.

Mizu relaxed a little as your fingers softly graced her. She thought of how gentle you were with her. Something she wasn’t used to. 

Her usual contact with people tended to be violent to say the least.

Mizu thought of a time before she had to shave her hair as a child. How her mother would tug and pull at her hair, telling her to sit still. 

Your touch was nothing like her mothers.

You were careful and soft, touching her as if she was silk.

Mizu closed her eyes with a small sigh of relief as you gathered all her hair into one hand, using your other to smooth out any bumps.

“Sorry I don’t have a comb. I think I lost it in the heat of things yesterday. Hands are nature's comb anyway.” 

Mizu hummed in response, melting under the way your hands moved through her hair.

“All done.” You pick up the mirror, holding it so Mizu could see your handy work.

She opened her eyes, catching yours in the reflection.

“Not bad right?” You smiled at her through the mirror.

Mizu smiled back, “not bad. You didn’t shave it off.” 

“Don’t give me ideas.” You tried to brush her cowlick behind her ear but it failed to stick.

Turning around, she chuckled. The two of you became face to face “for every strand of hair you cut, is a finger lost on your hands.”

You felt the heat of her words touch your face, eyes widening slightly at your closeness . You sit back on your feet, creating a bit more distance between the two of you. “Well I guess my fingers are safe.”

“For now.” Mizu smirked.

You crossed your arms, hiding your hands away from her. You playfully glare at her which she returns before the two of you start laughing. 

After the laughter subsides, Mizu gazes at you with soft eyes. “Thanks…Uh for helping me with my hair.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m happy to help.” 

“I won’t be like this for long.” She adjusted the sleeve of her haori. 

“I know. You always spring back quickly. By the end of the day you’ll probably be fighting the whole town with no problem. And even if you’re not, and you still need my help, I’ll do your hair.”

Mizu smiles again, bowing her head slightly. “Thank you.” She paused thoughtfully, her gaze lowering to the floor.

Noticing the slight shift in mood, you offered a kind smile. “Everything okay?”

“It’s nothing.” Her eyes flickered to yours.

“There’s always something.”

“It’s just… I don’t understand.” She looked down at her hands.

“What is it you don’t understand?”

“How can you be so normal? You know my secret. I’ve been deceiving you for so long… How can you act like it’s okay?” Her blue eyes gazed into yours with worry.

“Because it is okay.”

“But I lied to you. I am not a man.” 

You took a breath, one which felt like an eternity to Mizu. “Listen, I understand why hide the truth from everyone. It’s easier to walk as a man in our world than it is to crawl as a woman, and it’s easier to keep a secret if you’re the only one who knows it.”

“Well… Ringo knew.”

“What?!” You exclaimed. Mizu winced slightly.

After a brief pause you continued, “That’s… fine. A-anyway, my point still stands. I’m not angry or upset with you because I get it.”

Mizu stayed quiet, reflecting on your words. After a moment, she speaks. “You are very kind to me… I’m not sure if I am deserving of it.” 

“Well, I give my kindness to whomever I want so whether you think you deserve it is not for you to decide.” You crossed your arms. “I think you are deserving of my kindness and compassion, and you’re not the boss of me so, nyeh.” Your serious facade couldn’t stay up as you began smiling.

Mizu chuckles, putting her hands up in defeat. “OK, OK, I won’t talk more about it.”

“So we’re OK?” You asked carefully but with a smile gracing your lips.

“We’re good.”

“Good.”

[zukkaoru]

lemon futon AND kunichuu + "THAT's who you were talking about?!" "look at who you're holding hands with!"

nikomushithaniel + "it could have ended differently" "i know."

beast souheki + "why?"

i offer you some silly fun times followed by ✨angst✨

lemon futon & kunichuu

“THAT’S who you were talking about?!” Katai demands, gesturing wildly with one hand. “Kunikida, that’s a Port Mafia executive!”

Chuuya rolls their eyes.

Kunikida bristles. “You’re concerned about me? Look at who you’re holding hands with!” This, he thinks, is a fair argument to make. Because Katai is holding hands with one Kajii Motojirou, the Port Mafia’s notorious lemon bomber, while Chuuya is a well-mannered, polite, individual who just happens to also work for the mafia. There’s a pretty big difference between the two, as far as Kunikida is concerned.

Needless to say, when Katai said he would be introducing his partner to Kunikida, he did not expect to see a familiar face. Definitely not mafia familiar.

“You hate the mafia,” Kunikida points out.

“So do you!”

“Well—”

“As far as I’m concerned,” Chuuya cuts in, “you’re both hypocrites. You two can argue all you want, but if this goes on for too much longer, Kajii and I are going to ditch you and go out ourselves.”

Kajii grins, maniacal and dangerous. Kunikida tenses.

But…he supposes Chuuya gets like that sometimes too. The wild, carefree, laughter. The wicked glint in their eyes. And while it scared Kunikida at first, it’s now one of the endless things about Chuuya that he finds indescribable beauty in.

So maybe he can trust Katai and give Kajii a chance.

-

nikomushithaniel + “it could have ended differently” “i know”

“It could have ended differently,” Mushitarou spits out. It stings, like a knife to the gut; he says it like Nikolai doesn’t care. Like he hasn’t lost hours upon hours of sleep combing through his memories pointing out all of the moments he could have done something—anything—to change the ending.

“I know!” he snaps, hands clenched into fists at his side. Curled so tight his fingernails are drawing blood. He knows, he knows, he knows. They could have stopped Nathaniel, could have talked him out of it. They could have simply escaped with him in tow.

They could have done any number of things, but now—

Now, it’s too late.

It could have ended differently, but they both missed every opportunity to bring about the needed change, and now they’re left alone with the broken pieces. Nathaniel was the blood binding them together, and with him gone…

“Just get out of here,” Mushitarou orders. “I don’t ever want to see you again.”

Nikolai doesn’t argue. He just leaves.

-

beast souheki + “why?”

Ranpo didn’t go to the funeral.

He knew exactly where and when it happened, but the gathering was so small they would have instantly noticed an enemy in their midst. It wasn’t his place to intrude regardless. He never meant that much to Dazai.

Then again, no one did.

He refused to let himself care about anyone. And now he’s gone.

Ranpo sits in the wet grass, back against the headstone, face tilted towards the sky. Two weeks ago, they were in Dazai’s bed, back pressed against the mattress, teeth sinking into his skin. And now—

“Why?” they whisper.

No answer comes. The dead cannot speak. Ranpo knows this all too well.

The dead do nothing but leave you with unanswered questions and ghosts that you cannot shake.

Dazai never even fully removed his bandages when they were together. It meant nothing to him, and Ranpo knows this—has always known this, but—

The one thing he doesn’t know is why Dazai jumped. The one thing Ultra Deduction cannot help him figure out is Dazai’s motivation. Ranpo has tossed and turned for hours, rolling the question through his head in the middle of the night, but they always come up empty.

It doesn’t make sense.

They knew he wanted to die—knew he planned it out, down to the second.

But he would never explain why.

Now, he never will.

[michavs]

FLASH DRIVE

TSUKISHIMA x Fem!Reader

Summary: A photography enthusiast forgets their flash drive at the lab, filled with photos they shouldn't have taken. Tsukishima Kei finds it and threatens to expose them unless they agree to pretend to be in a relationship. Over time, their fake feelings turn real. (Also please help to support my AO3, ty <3)

Tags: Tsukishima x fem!reader, slight Sugawara x reader, fake dating

Warnings: Reader being a stalker, language, blackmailing, grammatical mistakes probably

Click. The sound of your camera went off as you captured a photo of your awesome senior, Sugawara-san, playing soccer on the field in front of your class. You had been admiring him since your first day at this school, he was your mentor for student orientation.

“Cute.” you murmur while looking at the photo you captured, your heart fluttering at the sight of Sugawara’s smile frozen in time.

“You’re such a stalker, you’ll be in a big trouble if you get caught, you know.” your friend Yachi says, smirking at you as she nudges your shoulder playfully. You roll your eyes and gave her a defiant grin. “I don’t care.” you reply, shifting your position to get a better angle to shoot Sugawara-san again. The excitement of capturing the perfect shot makes your pulse quicken.

“Hey, help me out at the volleyball club at 5 PM. Kiyoko-san is absent today.” Yachi says, munching on her food with an air of nonchalance. “Yeah, sure. I’ll study in the lab while waiting.” you respond, your mind already wandering to the photos you’ll edit later.

Later, in the quiet of the lab, you sit ready with your computer. The intention to study is overshadowed by the thrill of transferring your photos. You connect your flash drive, your fingers trembling slightly as you gaze at Sugawara’s handsome face on the screen. Each click brings a new wave of admiration.

“All done!” you say excitedly, your voice echoing softly in the silent room. You pack up your things with a satisfied smile, already anticipating the next opportunity to photograph him. You get up from the lab chair, your steps light as you head to the volleyball court with your bag and camera in hand. Little do you know, in your excitement, you’ve forgotten to turn off the computer and your flash drive is still connected to it. The oversight, unnoticed in your eagerness, sets the stage for the unexpected events to come.

“Yachi, am I late?” you ask, your breath slightly ragged from rushing to the court. “Nope, we’re still waiting for the others.” she replies, glancing up from her attendance sheet. You scan for Sugawara-san’s face among the tall volleyball players, your heart beating faster with anticipation.

“There he is,” you murmur, eyes sparkling upon spotting Sugawara-san next to Daichi-san. Your pulse quickens, and a smile tugs at your lips.

“Hinata… here, Kageyama… here, Tsukishima… eh, where’s Tsukishima?” Yachi asks, her voice echoing in the gym as everyone shakes their heads.

“Tsukishima, the blonde guy with glasses, right? He was studying in the lab earlier,” you say, recalling the fleeting glimpse of him before. The door swings open, and Tsukishima strides in, his tall figure and blond hair unmistakable. “I’m here, sorry I’m late,” he says, placing his bag and headphones aside before joining the practice. Practice begins, and everyone immerses themselves in their activities. You sit on the sidelines, leaning against the wall, eyes drawn to Sugawara-san's every move. He’s graceful and focused, a natural leader on the court.

Suddenly, a loud thud catches your attention. BRUKKK You look over to see Tsukishima sprawled on the ground. Your heart skips a beat as everyone rushes to surround him, their concern palpable.

“I’m fine, no need to worry.” he reassures, brushing off their concerns and returning to the game. Your eyes follow him, noticing an item that has fallen from his pocket and landed right in front of you. A flash drive, identical to yours. You pick it up, frowning. “Hmm weird, it feels just like mine.” you mutter, rubbing the flash drive. Then you see it, a label with your name on it.

‘(Y/N) GRADE 10-C’

OH. MY. GOD. Panic sets in as you remember what you’d done before coming here. Your heart races, a cold sweat breaking out on your forehead. You forgot to take out the flash drive, and you left your computer on. Crap, what if he saw the files?

Great, now your life is over.

After practice, you gather your courage and approach Tsukishima. “Hey, can we talk for a second?” you call out, your voice trembling slightly. He’s walking with his friend, Tadashi, but they stop and turn to face you.

“Can’t you just say it here?” he replies curtly, with that annoying look on his face. You pull the flash drive he dropped from your pocket. “Oh, that. Do you know whose it is? Looks like they forgot to take it,” Tsukishima responds, a sly grin on his face.

“It’s mine, idiot. My name is literally right there,” you snap back, your frustration bubbling over. He whispers something to his friend, which you can’t hear. Tadashi gives you a sympathetic look before leaving, leaving you alone with Tsukishima.

“So, you’re the little stalker, huh?” he smirks, his eyes gleaming with amusement.

“It’s for the photography club assignment, nothing else,” you retort, trying to keep your voice steady.

“Oh, really? Then what’s with the folder named ‘Pretty Boy, Suga-san’?” he teases, stepping closer until only a few centimeters separate you. You glare up at him, your height disadvantage making you feel even more vulnerable. “Let me see the flash drive.” he demands. You show it to him, but he suddenly snatches it and holds it above his head.

“Hey, give it back!” you cry, jumping to reach it.

In an unfortunate twist, you trip over Tsukishima’s foot. Luckily, he isn’t weak, so neither of you falls completely. You crash into his chest, and he catches your left hand while still holding the flash drive. His other hand steadies your waist. “Wow wow, watch it.” he complains, his voice softer, letting go of you.

“Well, give me back my flash drive then.” you demand, straightening your uniform and glaring at him.

“I will, but do me a favor first.”

“Huh, why are you so demanding.” you mutter, crossing your arms.

“Well, if you won’t do it, say goodbye to your image then Ms. Stalker.” he threatens, still wearing that annoying smirk.

“No. Please don’t share it, I’ll do anything you want.” you sob, your eyes starting to water. Panicking, you grab Tsukishima's shoulders, pleading desperately. “Wow, chill. I didn’t know you’d freak out like this,” he chuckles, gently prying your hands off his shoulders. “Let’s go on a date for a month.” he adds, his tone flat.

“Stop joking,” you shoot back, annoyed and desperate.

“I’m not joking. If you don’t want to, then whatever,” he shrugs, a smirk playing on his lips. You roll your eyes at his smug expression. “Fine, it’s a deal then.”

“Yeah, it’s a deal. See you tomorrow, Ms. Girlfriend.” he says, giving you a wink before walking away, leaving you standing there, trying to process everything that had just happened.

“Damn it, please tell me this is just a dream.” you mutter to yourself, hoping for an escape from this surreal situation.

──────────────────

Weeks has been passed, you and Tsukishima grow closer, and what started as a fake relationship begins to feel real. You start to notice the little things about him – the way he listens intently when you talk, his subtle acts of kindness, and his rare, genuine smiles. As the month of your fake dating arrangement nears its end, you and Tsukishima walk home together after his volleyball practice for what you believe might be the last time. . The streets are quiet, the sky painted with the warm hues of the setting sun. You feel a mix of relief and sadness, knowing that this bizarre yet strangely comforting chapter of your life is about to close.

The silence between you stretches, comfortable yet tinged with an unspoken tension. You steal glances at Tsukishima, wondering if he feels the same way. As you reach a familiar corner, you slow your pace, reluctant to let this moment end. Tsukishima seems to notice, his steps matching yours until you both come to a stop. He turns to face you, his usual cool eyes softened by an unusual intensity in his eyes.

“(Y/N).” he starts, his voice steady but quieter than usual.

“Yeah?” you respond, trying to keep your voice casual despite the fluttering in your chest. He takes a deep breath, his gaze never leaving yours. “This month… it was supposed to be just a favor, right? A fake relationship to help me out,” You nod, unsure where he’s going with this but afraid to hope.

“But somewhere along the way, it stopped feeling fake for me,” he admits, his eyes searching yours for a reaction. “I know we agreed to end this after a month, but… I don’t want it to end.”

Your heart skips a beat. “What are you saying, Tsukishima?”

“I’m saying that I like you, (Y/N). Not just for this month, not just for the sake of our arrangement. I genuinely like you,” he confesses, his voice earnest and a bit vulnerable. “And I want us to be real.” You stare at him, trying to process his words. The cold, aloof Tsukishima is looking at you with a raw honesty that you’ve never seen before.

“Tsukishima…” you whisper.

“Kei.” he corrects softly.

Your own feelings bubbling to the surface. “I like you too. I’ve liked you for a while now, but I was afraid to say anything because I thought it was just part of the deal.” He takes a step closer, his hand reaching out to gently cup your cheek. “It’s not part of any deal. I want to be with you, for real.”

You smile, tears of relief and joy welling up in your eyes. “I want that too, Kei.” With a small, relieved smile, Tsukishima leans in, pressing a soft, tentative kiss to your lips. It’s gentle and sweet, filled with the promise of something real and lasting.

As you pull away, you both smile at each other, the tension of the past month melting away.

“Ah right here, you’ve fulfilled your end of the deal” he says and hands back your glash drive. You take it, “Thanks.” you reply softly with a small giggles.

He looks at you for a moment before speaking again. “Since I’m your boyfriend now, you should delete those Sugawara-san’s photos, okay?” he says.

“I’ll delete them, i guess.” you reply, looking at him playfully. He chuckles, a rare, genuine laugh. “Yeah yeah, now let’s go home.”

“Mhm, let’s go home, Kei.” you agree, feeling lighter than you have in weeks. Walking hand in hand, you both head home, knowing that this is just the beginning of something beautiful.

From that moment on, your relationship with Kei blossoms. The teasing and banter continue, but now it’s filled with affection and understanding. You find comfort in his presence, and he becomes your rock, always there to support you. Your friends notice the change, and they’re happy for you both. Even Tadashi, who has always been supportive, gives you a thumbs-up and a wink.

© MICHAVS 2024, please do not translate or repost my fics without my permission.

[starions]

i didn't find my love, but i still made it this far without it.

pairing ; miguel o'hara x gn!spider!reader

words ; 1432

summary ; in every dimension you are loved dearly by all, and in every dimension, miguel gets you killed.

tags ; angst, mentions of death (reader dies... a lot), miguel is a stalker (with good intentions), allusions to comic!miguel, mentions of cheating, y/n isn't used, gender neutral pronouns

han's note ; i wrote this with my self-insert spidersona spiderette in mind lol but i tried to make reader as vague as possible <3 also i haven't written in a while and it shows. title is an ethel cain lyric. stream preacher's daughter.

;

The first time he had seen you, you were wearing a lab coat and helping him with his genetic tests at the Alchemax headquarters; the second time, your face was broadcasted on an “in memoriam” video on New York’s biggest news channel; and the third was you in your Spider suit, swinging around NYC. He never thought he’d see that face again.

The glow of orange screens burned into his vision, the beginnings of a migraine brewing behind his eyes. Miguel’s eyes narrowed at the screen, watching as you take down a villain in your dimension. You moved with grace, tying the villain up in your webs with ease, before turning them into the police. He mentally noted some skills that you could work on, like becoming more aware of the blindspot you had on your left side or cutting back on the quick quips that riled up the villain even more. Nevertheless, he hummed in approval, clicking off the video. He was in view of another window this time; you as you exited your apartment’s back window in your Spider suit. He gritted his teeth; you treated your job as Earth-799’s Spider-Person with such carelessness, such negligence. Yes, you had a good skill set that could become great with more work, more practice, but the indifference you had about concealing your identity irked him. Your mask only covered half your face, for God’s sake, and your hair wasn’t covered at all. Was this a game to you?

“You’re going to tear a chunk of that desk off again,” Lyla said, flickering above his shoulder. He grunted, looking down to see the talons extended from the pads of his fingers sinking into the material of the desk. He quickly yanked his hands off the desk, crossing his arms over his chest. Lyla looked him up and down, grinning mischievously. “You should just let them join already, instead of stalking them.”

“I’m not stalking them,” he retorted, closing out the window.

“Right right right,” Lyla responded. “What’s this then?” She snapped her fingers, and videos and videos of you pop into view; you shaking hands with Captain Stacy; you swinging around your Earth’s New York City; you enjoying your morning coffee on your balcony; you. You. You— 

“You have a problem dude.”

“It’s not like that,” Miguel said, a growl seeping into his words. “I’m just… making sure they are safe.”

“You could make them safer if you just let them join~”

“No.” Miguel rubbed his temples, glancing up to stare at you on the monitor.

Lyla tsked, checking her nails as if she was in dire need of a manicure. “How could I forget you had this self-loathing, cynical nature about you. Shielding them from yourself is just going to drive the both of us insane.”

“Lyla,” Miguel said, “activate ‘do not disturb’ mode.”

“Whatever, stalker.” With a roll of her eyes, Lyla flickered out of view, leaving Miguel alone. With only you.

His eyes are drawn to an advertisement in the background of one of the videos. You, in your Spider suit, advertising some energy drink on a giant screen in the middle of Times Square. Another screen showed you advertising some sort of athletic wear, and he could see someone dressed in your suit down below, taking pictures with tourists. Sure, Spider-People in almost every dimension take on advertisements, sell merchandise, and sign autographs. But everyone loved you, everyone wanted to get close to you. You even got J. Jonah Jameson to soften up to you with your cushy job as editor of The Daily Bugle.

In every dimension, everyone admired you, adored you, even. You were cherished by all.

And in every dimension, Miguel was the cause of your death.

Miguel gritted his teeth, a fang threatening to break the skin of his lip. The flood of incoming memories was doing nothing to dull the pain behind his eyes, and he slammed a fist into one of the monitors, watching as it flickered once, and all of the orange screens turned to black.

He held his head in his hand, mind drifting to the first dimension he had found you in. His dimension.

Absolutely intelligent, hard-working, ambitious, you joined Alchemax as an intern with the goal of being a top geneticist, like himself. As you moved up in the ranks, you became a member of Miguel’s team, tracked to design a serum that could allow anyone to gain superpowers. Miguel viewed you as a vital member of his team; obedient without needing to be, kind and optimistic despite the workload assigned to them all, and one to watch. With your brains and work ethic, you would have been at the top of Alchemax in no time.

Would have. It all went wrong, and it was his fault. You and him were both against using felons as test subjects for the serums, but it was out of both of your hands. You were only supposed to take the blood of the man they had injected with the serum, with Miguel monitoring the screen from outside the room. It happened instantaneously. The man in the hospital bed reacted negatively to the serum, growing the legs of a spider in seconds and grabbing you by the throat. Miguel watched in horror as the man wrapped his spider legs around your neck, slamming you over and over again against the cool tile walls.

The next thing he remembered was security gunning the man down, and him cradling you in his arms.

That was the first of the tragedies that plagued his life. When he decided to abandon his dimension for another one, one where he wasn’t afflicted by the role of Spider-Man, he was not expecting to find a dimension where he and you had a family together. For a split second, he imagined a world where he had taken you up on the offer of having a drink after work, if he answered those silly pictures you sent him more often. A world where the two of you had a family, and he didn’t have to take one over.

That thought collapsed when he saw what became of you in this new world. Miguel—this version of himself—didn’t love you. Not like he should have. After years of marriage, you discovered his lies, his deceit, his cheating. You seperated from him immediately, moving into your sister’s place as you began divorce and custody proceedings. Then, one night, while you were driving to your old apartment to pick up Gabriella, you were struck by a drunk driver.

You, this dimension’s favored meteorologist, were mourned for weeks. News channels across New York showed your face and aired your best segments in memoriam. New York City’s treasured weather forecaster, dead at the hands of a drunk driver, leaving behind a devastated husband and daughter. Even in this dimension, you were loved by all.

Miguel had killed you twice, and didn’t even know the second time. If that version of him hadn’t been so despicable, hadn’t thrown away something so precious, then you wouldn’t have been driving that night. It was his fault.

So when he saw that dimension’s Miguel be gunned down, what was he to do? Leave Gabriella to be an orphan? He couldn’t do that. Not to you. She’d be loved by a regretful father, and your memory would be kept alive until he died.

How naive he was.

“Earth to Miguel,” a voice chimed. Miguel stopped his self-inflicted mental torture to glare at Lyla.

“I thought I put you on ‘do not disturb’.”

“Have you not seen your watch blinking? Anomaly detected on Earth-799. Jess needs backup.”

His breath hitched, eyes trailing down to his Gizmo where he found several missed calls from Jess. “Send Hobie,” he said, voice lacking emotion. The thought of seeing you face to face made his stomach churn.

“He’s not available,” Lyla replied, pushing her heart shaped sunglasses up.

“Then send Peter B.,” he said, annoyance seeping into his voice.

“He’s in a ‘Daddy and Me’ class; he sent pictures, wanna see?” Lyla asked, pulling out her phone.

“No!” Miguel snapped, rubbing his forehead. “Send Ben, send Lego Peter, send Pav! Send anyone but me.”

Lyla tutted, shaking her head. “No one is available. Jess needs you, Miguel.”

Miguel cursed under his breath, his holographic mask suddenly covering his face. He tapped a few buttons on his Gizmo, eyes squinting at the brightness of the portal that opened next to his workstation. He took a step into the portal, praying that this time would be different.

[fullscoreshenanigans]

What is some of your favorite full score trio fanart?

Dear anon we will be here for hours, days even.

I wish this website would let you search multiple tags at once because I do have a fave tag (mobile version) but there's other posts in there too you'd have to go through (but I mean, I also love those too and think they're worth seeing lol).

I don't like reposting fanart for a variety of reasons, but some links and tag ramblings below the cut for some of them:

☆ "tire swing" by @notelectrictigerart

#ℍ 𝔼 𝔸 𝕃 𝕀 ℕ 𝔾 #I personally have an embarrassing distaste of tire swings but this... t h i s 🥺🥺 #like in the “NER in the Bird Cages” short story from the light novels Emma laments how Ray is never happy #and back then a lot of the time she probably thought he was being churlish and moody for no reason #so to capture a moment like this is... 🤧 #these are the moments that kept him going #also love the impressionist style of the greenery #and how the sun is filtering through the leaves and speckling on the tire #ty for sharing op this is beautiful

☆ Untitled by @tohmei

#this is how Ray sees them #him just off in the corner like #“I would and will die for you 🧡🙂🤍” #messin' me up lads #even if it's same hat lol #but no really this is gorgeous #with how bright the colors are around the two of them and their expressions #contrasting with how dark it is around Ray because he fully believes he has to shoulder all his burdens alone for years #and doesn't deserve to share in their light because of the things he's done #I'm always going to be emo over the emo son

☆ "I need a Ray-charge" by @uragirinoteme

#mf got shoujo bubble vision lkfjdkl #the most adorable and endearing lil shits Ray never stood a chance 🤍🖤🧡 #moments like these solidifying that everything will be worth it in the end‚ even if they end up hating him for i t#he might be biased but he just can't shake the belief of an inherent goodness in them #that makes them better people than him who deserve to be saved #I know I say Ray is a cat boy a lot and Emma's got the 83 face going on in the first two panels #but the way Norman is laying on him?? omg he gets the cat boy vibes/award this time #most contented cat on what he and Emma believe to be prime real estate |3

☆ Untitled by @vivithekid

#godddd I still fucking adore the soft tenderness of this piece so much #which is kind of wild when you think about it given how grey is usually associated with being dull and devoid of that #when it's the predominant tinge to a setting #but here it's just so calm and intimate with the fog and their proximity #and the way the pink and orange are overtly and subtly woven in throughout the piece #love it; along with the drop shadow around the flowers Emma's emitting to make them *pop* #and the details on their clothing!! #some of the pink is due to the cold outside sure but u///u #Norman tenderly placing a flower behind his ear is just...so sweet #he's treating him so delicately not because he's fragile or he thinks he needs to be babied #but because he deserves that kindness after all he sacrificed for them and he considers him to be something precious #(read: i am fucking emo) #and Ray's just stunlocked by the both of them because is this really happening?? 404 error lol #for a few seconds they can't even see the fog of his breath because he stopped breathing #the way he's holding onto that book out of shock but also as a kind of unconscious barrier because this is treading into new unknowns #and they're definitely not unwelcome but it's still scary in its own way all the same #for someone who relies so much on his memories and the knowledge he's read #(there were undoubtedly titles that featured romance at Grace Field but it's a bit different reading about it happening to others #and it happening to you)

☆ Monster AU doodles by @tempo-takoyaki

#THAT FUCKING NORMAN IN THE TOP RIGHT KDJFSAS #it is so rare for him to be the Person C in the birdsquirrel trio dynamic but he is so done with their shit #not even needing to look at Ray in the bottom left to figure out what he was thinking I love it #long-suffering; so long-suffering #also the lil crying one 🥺 with them nibbling on him with their little bby fangs 🥺🥺 precious 🤧 #“Emma doesn't need to do it she just thinks it's fun” #something something “Ray was doing it so I wanted to do it too” LKDFKLKJL #with Isabella and Ray being the only black-haired pureblood vampires these kids have ever met #makes me wonder if they're more inclined to pick up on their connection (combined with their enhanced senses)

☆ "🎉🦉🎂 Happy Birthday, Norman! 🎂🦉🎉" by @officersnickers

#Ray’s got melanin‚ Emma’s got freckles‚ they’re all blushing but Norman’s bushing the most out of them all #the outfits look like something kids would wear (also I'm biased and love hoodies so ray in a hoodie is gr8 in my book lol) #the definition of each of their jawlines but especially the birthday boy's #the details with the folds and shading on the clothes‚ the metallic shine to the balloons with their little crevices‚ #each of them having a candle corresponding to them on the cake that’s littered with little goodies #matching their respective hats that each have the others’ colors in their little poofs #the blurred confetti so we know we’re right in the midst of it erupting and falling around them #in this kinetic chaotic haze of love and warmth #it’s all what he deserve after everything <3

☆ kofi-request by @nekokat42

#can't believe they invented ot3s #← incredibly valid prev tag #love when people give Ray his shark teeth back love that cheeky confidence getting to come out in more relaxed circumstances #and Emma having the time of her life dancing and laughing aaaaahhh. healing 🤍🧡🖤 #love her outfit esp it looks adorable on her #and the way Norman and Ray pause to make eye contact with the latter mid-dance; beautiful

☆ "favorite genre of tpn content: WE LOVE NORMAN!!" by @pawphin

#filed under posts I'll reblog in perpetuity until blocked #to go with the previous reblog #Ouran uniform vibes are still v strong for me lol #but no I love how genius boy Norman is all ? and subdued and slightly bashful in the middle #as if he can't understand what could possibly warrant this intervention #as if he doesn't have any idea of how much they love and adore him and would do near anything for him #We Are All Love Norman Fanclub indeed #love how you capture their personalities with Norman being humbled and finding comfort in their presence #Emma (potentially on tiptoe <3) with a steeply slanted delighted smirk on her lips as she leans in #and Ray‚ whose expression is so frequently camouflaged by his fringe and who favors actions over words when it comes to these matters‚ #not wearing a matching smirk but following her lead without a second thought in such a sweet and tenderly fond fashion #not treating Norman delicately because he's fragile but because he considers him someone to be treasured #as one of his precious two in this moment #love how it all feels so natural to them as they inhabit each others' space #everyone's already cited how gorgeous the colors are but I love how the purples & pinks bring out the hint of pink in his eyes 💗💙 #so many little things to adore that combine into such a soft piece #god tier trio tbqh; can't believe they invented OT3s

☆ "Go for it, Ray!" by @mari-lair

#when i tell you these three have me by the neck i- #im love themb #← prev tags... yeah 🥺🤧🖤🧡🤍 #reblogging again because this is still so incredibly true #adore the moments of NE together adore their individual moments with Ray #it took me a sec to realize Emma and him were holding hands in their solo one; so precious 🤧 #probably during the Cuvitidala search #Norman's cocky side coming out during one of their chess matches #to say nothing of how he's the queen and Emma's the king out of the pieces in the background; all the little nuances in here 🧡🖤🤍 #and then ofc Ray being all sheepish and bashful in the center #he loves them so much and is so grateful they exist even if he thinks he doesn't deserve them :') </3

☆ "DO NOT SEPARATE THEM!!!!!!!!" by @lemcean

#𝕋 ℍ 𝔼 𝕄 🖤🤍🧡 #still absolutely adore this set so much with all of them taking turns being the center of the hug #love how the pink undertone of the shading infuses them with an even greater sense of cozy warmth and safety #love the little leans of each#NE leaning in to support #(and overwhelm bc after GF he's still working on expressing himself openly re:  “selfish” personal wants) a blushy mess of a Ray #as Norman gives him a headpat |3 #Norman's got a bit of height over both of them so Ray has to raise himself up a bit to fully get on his shoulder #but it's worth it to see the normally calm‚ cool‚ and collected emperor adorably frazzled 🤍🤍 #and then finally how they both lean down to Emma's height to embrace her #neither of them looking tense as melt into her embrace and you can almost hear the thrum of contentedness radiating from her #stealing another Sae line but ough 's the good good shit #[Love for Emma is not measured quantities to be doled out in scarcity like it is for him and Norman; love for Emma is a fact of life, like the air she breathes and the sun that warms her skin.] #the accuracy #can't believe they invented OT3s

☆ "Specimen" by Jean

#hey fucking kill me (most affectionate) #this is still so immaculate I can't get over it #the way Ray's and Emma's black-to-white ratios for their outfits are opposites while Norman's is more balanced #a cooler white used for him to harmonize with his hair #set against the rich red backdrop to subconsciously bring forth visions of fully bloomed vida fields #so visually striking #the melancholic aura of the piece as they all bow their heads forward #playing into the tragedy of them succumbing to the original fate that was in store for them #immortalized in the innocence of their youth #(akin to the chapter 113 art with the line-up of kids in the present with Norman as he was at Grace Field) #as they're paraded around in their fancy attire for the amusement of those who want nothing more than to feast on their flesh #but oh the way the boys delicately hold their hands out for Emma's to slip into; that unspoken trust and unconditional love #“It's going to be okay. The three of us—Norman‚ Ray‚ and me—are together.” #that reassurance that they're capable of the impossible #as the butterflies and specks of light dance around them in a near ethereal display #very grand very beautiful #though ngl now I'm kind of wishing they had to confront the demons in a more diplomatic manner #along the lines of what Norman does with Geelan or something like Peter showing up at Bayon's party in Ch73 #but with all of them in outfits like these; alas </3

☆ From 約ネバLOG by だいすけ 1881860

#a twist on the spin with Emma being paired with a field though still having the brighter warm colors #while Ray has the night sky but it's being reflected in a dark ocean with some waves for a nice touch #and then Norman with an incredibly blue sky and oceanscape that looks like it could be from the Seven Walls #which is funny considering he's the only one of the three who doesn't go there lol #think the first time i saw this was in a "Dusk Till Dawn" mini amv #and it took forever to find the original source qwq #bless AMV artists who list all their sources either in the description or in a Google doc

☆ "Today on Tori traces animation: Kekkai Sensen ED ft. fullscore trio" by @stray-tori

#𝑴𝑰𝑵𝑬 𝑭𝑼𝑪𝑲𝑰𝑵𝑮 𝑨𝑺𝑺??????????? #𝙏𝘼𝙇𝙀𝙉𝙏𝙀𝘿‚ 𝘽𝙍𝙄𝙇𝙇𝙄𝘼𝙉𝙏‚ 𝙄𝙉𝘾𝙍𝙀𝘿𝙄𝘽𝙇𝙀‚ 𝘼𝙈𝘼𝙕𝙄𝙉𝙂‚ 𝙎𝙃𝙊𝙒-𝙎𝙏𝙊𝙋𝙋𝙄𝙉𝙂‚ 𝙎𝙋𝙀𝘾𝙏𝘼𝘾𝙐𝙇𝘼𝙍 #spoiled spoiled the fandom was so spoiled by you Tori; taking time to share the individual frames no less #strong competitor for my favorite of your TPN animated works omfgggg I can't get over how smooth and seamless this is #the extra work you put into including Emma's bow #and Ray coolly catching Norman from his fall after Emma surprises him with that rush (because if that isn't classically her) #the soft expressions they exchange‚ the mutual bounce and giddiness in their step as they fall into that shared rhythm with ease #borne from their years of finding solace in each other's presence #but oh the muted layer of horror with your ingenuity of placing them in a field of fully bloomed vida #instead of just tracing them over the original's stage background #and to top it all off‚ it's them in their shipment clothes (and not just one or the other but both the manga and anime variants) #similar to that heartbreaking mania Ray works himself up into in the climax of the escape arc #but viewed from the perspective of if Ray had kept the secret or if none of them knew the truth of the house #and them unknowingly dancing along to the cruel tune that was laid out for them over a thousand years ago #alternatively‚ the more upbeat view is them dancing to their own beat completely aware and defying fate #and them drawing strength from each other #a la “If there isn't a place out there for humans to live‚ we'll carve one out for ourselves. Together we'll change the world.” vibes #fun either way though!!! have I conveyed how much I adore this yet? #ty so much for sharing and leaving it for fans to enjoy to this day

☆ "12.05.24" by @bercybbc

#OMFGGGGGGGGGGGG #you op. you get them 🤍🖤🧡 #when you need to let your Ray who is full of love and loyalty know that he is deeply loved in return #the way Emma's hand is on his neck to gently tilt him closer to her #while Norman tenderly holds his chin so he can place a soft kiss to his cheek #(Emma's other hand resting on his wrist‚ sentiments so profoundly interwoven) #and the relaxed tension born of fondness you convey with the shape and slope of the latter's iconic brow especially‚ <3 #love how you define his Adam's apple and jawline too; so solidly satisfying #and their strong noses? their hands??? the way they melt into each other's touch and reaffirm each other's concept of home #can't get over it can't get over any of it #I'm that one sped-up gif of the guy walking into the living room and knocking over a vase on repeat (most affectionate) #ty for sharing this is a great start to my day

☆ "The trio 💕" by @h0lymanteca

#oh. oh they is hold. #they is hold and secure 🧡🤍🖤 #thinking about how protective Norman is of them that he fully accepted walking to his death not just once‚ but twice #and once he got them back at the paradise hideout it's like this lol #I love the small contented smiles on Emma's and Norman's faces #meanwhile Ray is feigning indifference but he can't stop the blush from creeping up on his face as he accepts the embrace and leans in #him and Emma both safely nestled in the crook of Norman's neck #after thinking they'd never be together again with him until the afterlife #stealing this from you for the umpteenth time sae but #[If Norman had to give a name for the emotion Ray seems to be feeling right now, he would say: relief.] #feel like that's what permeates this piece with the content yet small tired lines around Emma's eyes #but tired because they have a moment to safely relax and breathe #and Ray's definitely feeling that too #aaaa so soft 💕💕

☆ "they were alone in the kitchen and Ray came in for a morning hug <3" by @h0lymanteca

#filed under RENarts that drive me crazy stupid #the pure domesticity 💯👌👌😩 #me whenever I see Ray not wearing the blacks and greys he longed for at Grace Field #especially when Emma's associated with the sun‚ Norman's associated with the moon‚ and he's associated with the night sky/stars #nice detail with that pattern choice with how he's got an arm wrapped solidly around each one of them #the sky and stars gently enveloping the two in a safe and secure hug 🥺🤧 #perfect with those aforementioned associations as well as in capturing their typical demeanors?? #Ray coming in quietly and maybe comparatively subdued in the way he expresses his love and loyalty #but it's imbued in his actions and gestures and Emma and Norman can feel it emanating from him #also in his matching blush u///u #meanwhile Emma is unabashed in her open displays of affection and reacts with glee to Ray's joining her and Norman #while Norman will sort of act as a bridge between the two; usually never reaching Emma's levels of expressiveness #but still being more willingly to openly display his affections in a gentle way #like here with the contented smile and blush on his face as he's sandwiched between them #(not that he minds as the one most prone to freezing; why i hc him as sleeping in the middle 90% of the time) #that lean back so he can see more of Ray and make room for him #and it's all so warm too with this palette choice aaaaah 🖤🤍🧡 #also that hand on the hip #Ray might have interrupted but they don't mind :')

☆ "3" by @yaboybokuto

#such tender kissies #love the gentle contentment with Norem #smiling into each other with gentle touches #the casual giddiness with Rayem #at least for Emma; Ray looks a little timid but the gesture feels familiar #the soft passion with Norray #Ray almost looks a little desperate reaching up to kiss him #their hands and expressions do a great job of conveying their different dynamics #they are tender #← incredible and accurate prevs #also love how the blush streak across each of their faces #leads to a visually pleasing asymmetrical symmetrical path for the eye to follow on a first viewing of the piece #love how OP gets REN

☆ "As I drew it, I remembered NER holding hands." by @vinokurinner

#wow can't believe they're married now #hands is hold 🤝 #the way they do it so delicately too‚ ah |3 <3 but especially the way Ray tenderly cups and takes Norman's? #Like bitch what?? 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵??? (utmost affection) #Norman's little bow to Emma and the way he's standing so proper with his hands behind his back as she's putting the ring on Ray fjdvkld #love how the comic is primarily composed of white‚ black‚ and pink to really make their rings stand out #they all look so dashing?? i love Emma's nontraditional wedding outfit so much??? #also love how they're balanced in the last panel since Norman and Ray both gained a head on Emma #and how she's got this officiating pose for the final leg of their exchange #good stuff great stuff

☆ "I just finished Promised Neverland soooo" by @vassssssssssss

#LONG-HAIRED NORMAN LONG-HAIRED NORMAN HOLY SHIT #i've only ever seen Sunny draw him with long hair aaaaah #m'guy close to pulling a Julius; he will never beat the Ratri allegations in my eyes #likewise Ray displaying the most PDA out of a trio pic is rare but not unwelcome #him with stubble 🖤🖤 i will always be on the hc of him growing a beard when he's older #love the choice in gold effects for each of them #along with the quiet‚ serene atmosphere as they all lean into each other and draw solace from each other's presence #built up from a lifetime of familiarity and safety #literally just used this a few days ago but once again pulling out the sae defending quote [In hindsight—it’s probably been true since they were children playing tag in trees, too young to know anything except each other.] #bc yeah kill me softly with that one #also tiny note like the detailing/strokes used for their eyebrows

☆ "compilado REN" by @7w7thais

#AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH #ALL THE LITTLE SNAPSHOTS OF PURE DOMESTIC BLISS #AND THEIR RINGS FUCKING AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH 🖤🧡🤍🖤🧡🤍🖤🧡🤍 #okay i'm (ostensibly) normal and (slightly more) coherent now #Norman being tall and bulky enough to fit a little Emmita in his jacket with her adorable beret doubles the adorable #Norman as a Sylveon to Ray's Umbreon oh that's nice; also that the latter was willing to get into the kigurumi without much fuss lol #them doing facials together and 𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙 that cuddling under the covers #with Norman looking pleased as punch at that behind kiss #adore the way you covey how they each carry themselves because I always feel that energy and fervor thrumming beneath the surface for Emma #girl just has so much love to give and makes no attempt to deny the obvious (nor believes she should) #while Norman and Ray are more subdued and reserved in their displays of affection but by no means does that make them less loving #the quiet reveling in the mundane (especially in that bottom left one with Ray nestling into the crook of his neck 🤍🖤) #further evidence Ray is a cat #that bottom right one of him and Emma looking so content |33 #special shoutout to the soft look he gives her in the top right he's in his element cooking is one of his love languages <3 #oh and the way she cards through his hair while he's playing the switch; they fit together so naturally after everything #AND AND Norman shaving the peach fuzz off his face and winding up baby-skin smooth (nothing less than perfection ✨✨) #while Ray looks on with a quirked brow of interest jkfsj #love how you play with the square jawline in the shadow while he still has a softer‚ rounder one #aaand I'm running out of tag space but as always love the way you get them and show your love for them; a patron saint of REN 🙏🖤🧡🤍

☆ "💕" by @7w7thais

#LET'S FUCKING GOOOOOOOOOOOOOO #Thais I'll never be over the way you capture the warm tenderness between them #interwoven with a playful mischievousness and underlined with a delighted steady giddiness #particular like the confident‚ open cheekiness Ray displays as a means of saying “come on‚ you know you love me” #wrt to whatever he's just said #the repeated reverie at having that constant of home in each other's arms after everything they've been through #almost not believing it's real as they soak in the moment before the reassurance that it is with each embrace #and how they enrich each other's lives in the ways they challenge and inspire each other #making sure to live up to the sentiments of “I'll show you something cool‚ so shut up and follow” with something new every day #'s the good stuff 💯👌👌 love how that's all reflected in their eyes and body language #and the lighting for enhancement #also Ray's piercings yeees <3

☆ "pampering Emma" by @bakeddeer

#filed under RENarts that drive me crazy stupid #[woah woah woah hold up#THIS ARTSTYLE??? it’s so unique and whimsical and geometric but still soft?? like how?? #I love the glow and how both Emma and Ray appear to generate light while Norman doesn’t #it’s so SAD and so PRETTY #like op please illustrate a book or publish an art collection I would pay] #← realest prev prev tags fr fR #alt Emma is the one emanating light/who the light is centered on and they're both just basking in it #(“just” from their perspective with their self-worth issues </3) #her and Ray have glow-in-the-dark shoelaces‚‚‚even the president would be jealous‚‚‚ #110% agree about the geometric style it feels so jaunty and perfectly reflective of their respective dynamics with her pre-Escape #(though her cravat paired with her in a skirt initially threw me lol) #Norman being more hands on and open in the way he holds her and cradles her head as she delights in telling him something #Ray hands off and feigning nonchalance but very much willing to let her be this up in his personal space #and wouldn't even consider letting her fall #for him to treat her the same way as Norman would be inauthentic to all of them #thus we arrive at the caption (which is‚ gah‚ love how much is said so simply) and how they each do that in their own ways #love the grand cosmic and ethereal feel to this with the coloring and enhanced by the speckling and lack of a background #making it feel like they're adrift in a pure distillation of each bond #god they are fucking everything and this set is fantastic; sun and moon imagery unparalleled and immaculate

☆ "Stay" by @theamazincactus

#filed under posts I'll reblog in perpetuity until blocked #the way this art still drives me absolutely fucking 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘦 (most affectionate) #how they're floating in this black nothingness as he's just lost and adrift before they gently confront him #at first i almost didn't see Ray (</3) #but nope he's just got himself wrapped around Norman's back as they surround him from both sides dlkfjl 🖤🤍🧡 #because if that isn't the most Ray approach: to offer that silent yet steady comfort; that undying‚ unyielding loyalty #After the powerful declarations they give him in Ch153 #“I've decided that I won't let you kill yourself anymore. That I won't let you go it alone‚ Norman.” #“We don't want a future where you're going to suffer. No matter what result it brings.” #they've gotta be firm because he's so damn obstinate klsfjkls #but underneath that there's the very palpable fear of losing him when they just got him back #and this desperate and gentle and admittedly selfish (but they don't care and they'll accept the consequences) plea #that's so simple yet weighed with so much gravity to speak to the core of his soul and what he wants for himself. “𝑆𝑡𝑎𝑦.” #love how in the midst of all this there's light bathing them from above but not quite engulfing them #as Norman is just on the precipice of this pivotal decision #love how his eyes are the only blue in the pic to highlight how terrified and vulnerable he feels #(his soul is bare before them yet he continues to hesitate in returning either of their holds) #but Ray and Emma accept him in his entirety i'm fucking. love them so much your honor 🖤🤍🧡 #ty so much for sharing this op it's still so appreciated

☆ "look fullscore trio are soulmates and no one– NO ONE – can convince me otherwise." by @salsae

#Phil goes to Harvard and they are the proudest older sibs 🥳 #always love when people incorporate how even when they're older their family is still so v important to them #also cannot overstate how amazing and healing it is to see Norman so carefree to the point where he's willing to dance with them #(it comes as no surprise for Emma‚ but Norman? just getting to be silly without any pretense #after how meticulously he curated the Minerva persona to shield himself? aaah love that for him) #“Emma's living her best life‚ cuddling with her bfs‚ in her bf's jacket‚” #“watching weird (but cute) animal videos w her big giraffe phone case‚ let's just fast-forward to this future thanks” #YES PLEASE WORDS CANNOT EVEN BEGIN TO DESCRIBE HOW MUCH I ADORE THIS MIDDLE PIC 🖤🧡🤍 #just. the pure domesticity and their chaotic arrangement on the couch. and emma being allowed to have hair below her neck #'s beautiful #“Ray is always in the middle for expressions of love‚ but when they're cuddling/in bed Norman is in the middle b/c the other two run warm.” #“Any other time Emma is in the middle” yes yes yeeeeeeesssssssss fully agree #(outside of the middle swapping around for whoever might be in need of some extra tlc on a bad day) #i love the way you get them sm sae 🧡🖤🤍

☆ "more full romo full score trio" by @salsae

#SAE WORDS CANNOT EXPRESS HOW MUCH I ADORE THIS #just. fuuuuuuck i've said this so many times but i love how you get them #the pure adoration in NR's eyes as they look at each other and the way Norman tenderly tilts up Ray's face #meanwhile Emma is a cat personified as she arches her back in content against Ray to nuzzle up to his chin #even her face is scrunched up like one kdfjsd 🧡 #meanwhile the way her hand rests on Norman's‚‚‚🧡🤍 love how the aura around her ring emanates as well #and then the second pic where the boys switch off to making sure she's pampered nestled between them #and the way Ray delicately kisses her freckled shoulder as his fingers are interlaced with Norman's #not with a desperate grip but more lightly as they revel in the sensation of touch #(just love how you drew the hands but esp where the pinkies lay to convey they're in the middle of movement) #all to be expected from a patron saint of REN bless you for this bounty 🙏🧡🤍🖤

☆ "We'll show you something great, so shut up and marry us" by @salsae

#filed under posts I'll reblog in perpetuity until blocked #I still love this piece sm Sae the sunbeams to bless their union and highlight their rings are immaculate #along with imbuing the autumn scene with a cozy warmth while using the contrast of the cool blue sky to make them pop in the foreground #the S1e11/Ch33 callback is nothing short of brilliant with how it was used to connect the three of them #now elevated by Norman being physically present beside RE it is everything. to me. #also will forever champion older Ray sporting a beard like his dad Yuugo :'')