#we get sunburns like pirates

[k-mraz]

nico "wtf is sunscreen" robin

[ryiju-muunie]

i've been asking this a lot and no one do it😞😞

May you write a fic about Pirate sukuna X Mermaid reader??

PEARL

18+ viewer discretion is advised

mermaid!fem!reader/pirate!Ryomen Sukuna Warnings: pirate AU, dub-con, love at first sight, imprinting, sukunas personality is V complex here, soft sukuna, pining, kind of slow burn not really, drinking, masturbation, voyeurism, exhibitionism, slight humiliation kink, ass job, cumshot [back] backshots? mermaid sex sort of, idk man I'm making this up as we go SORRY Word count: 4936 DESC: Ryomen Sukuna never believed in mermaids, until he met you

NOW WHY WOULD NO ONE DO THIS!?!? I had so much fun writing this omg I LOVE THIS

Fair warning: this is kinda shit IM SORRY I have a HEADACHE

Sun blessed Ryomen’s features, kissing against his brow and creating a tan he could never escape from. The waves crashed against his ship and made it rock ever so slowly, back and forth, as he walked across the deck. He wasn’t sure how long he had been at sea, maybe a month or so, but he wasn’t getting any closer to his goal. The wood made a faint clicking sound under his heel as he paced, waiting for something. There was an island his crew had been in search of for months, but it was becoming a distant dream. There was no evidence it truly existed other than a map he had found in the depths of a library. The paper crinkled against his pant pocket, always reminding the captain it was there. There was never a moment where it wasn’t on his person. He didn’t trust anyone but his younger brother, Yuji, and his half-brother Choso. The two made for adequate help on board, but they weren’t serious. They enjoyed drinking into the night and regaling stories of mermaids. Psh, like those existed. Ryomen knew that tall tales existed, but he didn’t believe anyone thought they were still true. 

Mermaids were the stuff of fiction. Although he had seen his fair share of weird shit, he drew the line at mermaids. Sirens too.

Yuji was leaning against the railing of the tip of the boat, staring off into the distance with squinted eyes. A small bandana wrapped around his forehead to stop more sunburns from creasing his skin, and to keep his hair clean from the sky. He was superstitious like that, always fearing too much sun could ruin his naturally pink locks. His brother was somewhat right, Ryomen’s hair was more washed out from sun exposure than Yuji’s. Choso was different, choosing to stay inside and tending to the food. His aura was melancholy and it reflected in how he walked, with a limp. 

The rest of the crew were either downstairs or tending to their duties, keeping a watchful eye on their captain. Sukuna was a scary man when angered, but docile all the rest of the time. Most days he rarely spoke a word, unless it was to his brothers. His voice never raised above a mutter, unless he was angered. If he was upset, the whole ocean could hear him. And if he was intoxicated. But he didn’t drink anymore. Someone had to watch over the boat and make sure looters stayed clear of it. 

Ryomen took this life very seriously, never straying from getting what he set out for. So it puzzled him as to why the island hadn’t appeared. They were in the right direction, they did everything right! So why was it so hard to find this treasure? It could buy him a new life, and his brothers a better life. That’s all he wanted. All the other men would rave about the riches and the women, but he didn’t care for that. Women never caught his eye, he instead cared for his family. Or, surprisingly, the misfortuned. His crew was made up of people who needed a second chance at life, people who wanted to start over. He never judged anyone’s past. He had no right to. He was just a lost soul floating on Earth as well. 

“Ryomen,” Yuji’s voice broke through his thoughts, stopping his footsteps against the sun-washed wood. He raised his head and stared at his brother, waiting for him to continue, “Do you think we should anchor for the night?” 

“Anchor?” One of his eyebrows quirked, “Now why would we do that?” It was rather odd to suggest such a thing. But the more the captain thought about it, the more it made sense. The wind wasn’t very strong today, making the ship keep at an almost standstill for the majority of the day. Anchoring could let everyone get a good night's rest for a longer journey the next day. Although Ryomen didn’t typically sleep at night. Someone had to keep watch, and he wanted his crew to be awake in the morning than at night. He didn’t mind losing out on some daylight hours if it meant keeping up productivity. The only reason he was awake now, was because it was an hour and a half until sunset, when his job began. 

“Well,” his brother tilted his head to the side, pressing his lips together hesitantly. He had a stupid idea, “I was thinking we could have a bit of a party! Raise morale and make everyone a little less … depressed!” 

Ryomen raised his hand and waved it in the air dismissively, “No one’s depressed. I’d know if they were, brat.” 

He frowned, “They so are. Everyones been sluggish for days. Just one night of partying should reset us!” The boy perked up and waved his hands in the air, trying to convince his older brother, “C’mon! Ask Choso, I’m right.” 

“Choso would only agree with you to spite me,” the man grumbled, looking away for a moment. Something caught his eye and made him stop. It was something shiny bobbing in the water, a few yards from the boat. A bright color, flowing across the sea in an almost blob-like fashion. Like… hair. Ryomen didn’t hear Yuji’s further protests, boots squeaking on the deck as he marched over to the side of the boat. He placed two of his rough hands on the railing and peered down, astonished when the blob was gone. It was weird. Just … disappeared into thin air as if it hadn’t been there just seconds before. 

Yuji tapped his brother's shoulder, groaning into his ear, “C’monnnnn Ryommennnnnnnnnnn! Just one party!!” Like an incessant child who wanted a toy at the grocery store, he wasn’t going to stop until he got what he wanted. 

He looked over at the boy with a muddled expression. Eyebrows furrowed together, he found himself searching his memories for an answer. Ryomen had seen unusual things before on the ocean, but never like that. Were his eyes playing tricks with him? Deceiving and pulling him from reality? Or were those tall tales really true? Nonsense, he shook his head, there wasn’t any reason to think that. His eyes were playing tricks on him, that had to be it. The pirate looked over at his brother once again, seeing his pleading expression, and nodded. 

There would be a party. 

Just because you were a mermaid didn’t mean you were a special one. You considered yourself normal, in every sense of the word. A regular mermaid with a regular life, who went to work and came home at the same time every day. Swam the same channels and hung out with her friends on the weekend. You didn’t find yourself longing for more or wishing you were special. You were content. That was until you noticed the shadow. You had heard of humans before and been told the same story. Don’t go up to the surface, they could spot you and kill you. Humans feared the unknown and mermaids were exactly that. You followed and respected the rules, so your curiosity never got the better of you, until you noticed the shadow. 

It was a large shadow cast over your coral reef home, making it almost impossible to see. At first, you thought they were building a new mall overhead or perhaps a new traveling show in town. But as you swam closer to the surface, with the cooler water brushing against your fins, you realized it was human. A ship. You had heard of ships before yet you had never seen one this close to your home. Housing closer to the surface was cheaper for being more dangerous, but you didn’t think you were that close.

The boat was brown, and covered in wood panels. Something came over your brain as you swam closer and closer, taking in the bottom side. One of your hands reached out before you and touched the cold wood, brushing against the edge with your fingertips. It was foreign to you. You had never let yourself explore before. You had never let yourself be curious before. It was an addicting feeling. Your eyes glazed over as your tail propelled you further up until your head was bobbing out of the water. Long hairs, of different colors spread out across you, hiding your form in a cave of strands. You watched with interest at the top of the boat, your eyes catching on one man in particular. 

He was gorgeous. Pink hair, pushed up in a spikey fashion, with the under part shaved and a dark brown color. His cheekbones were high and hollow, signaling he hadn’t had a good meal in months. But his body showed otherwise. The constant running, walking, and standing, meant he was built. Arms, covered in black ink, broke out from his sleeveless shirt and flexed in the sunlight. Ink covered his neck, lightly stopping by his jaw. It dipped into his front, and you just knew there was more. He hadn’t noticed you yet, staring at a boy who looked similar to him. They were talking about something you couldn’t hear, but from reading their lips, you deciphered his name. 

Ryomen. It was an ancient name, something you hadn’t heard before. You wanted to think about it more and admire him from afar, but he turned his head and spotted you. He didn’t see you, but your hair flowed before you in the water. It made your heart drop to see his face contort. It wasn’t hatred, but a look of shock, followed by disbelief. As he walked closer to the edge of the boat, you made your decision and dove back under the water, floating backward to hide yourself in the depths of the waves. 

The night rolled around faster than the pirate captain had anticipated. Stars lit up the sky and illuminated the ship, although most of the light came from the lanterns strung across columns. He didn’t drink but opted to sit on a barrel and watch as his shipmates did. They all danced around and sang as if there wasn’t a care in the world. He would’ve danced with them, or done something lively, but he couldn’t get that image out of his head. He had seen something in the water, something alive. It watched him through a veil of thick-colored hair, that bobbed in the ocean’s water. And it ran away the moment it realized he had seen it.

“Ryomen,” a voice behind the man made him jump. He looked over and saw his half-brother, with a tired look across his features, staring back at him, “You should dance.” 

“I’m tired.” 

“Ryomen,” he said knowingly, “stop worrying and enjoy yourself.” 

“I said I’m-” but he was cut off again by a pointed look from Choso. He was hot-headed, sure, but Choso was another level if angered. Ryomen let out a breath and got up, slipping off his jacket. Yuji had brought his fiddle, playing some tune everyone had heard of. It was simple but drowned out by the voices of their laughter and singing. It was a cheery moment, filled with more screams once their captain got up and bowed dramatically. 

“Captain!” A crewmate, Nobara, chided. She strolled over to him and took his hand, “Dance with me, will ya?” She was about Yuji’s age, which made her almost a younger sister in his eyes. He took her hand and put another on her shoulder. With one movement he picked the younger girl up and set her feet atop her shoes, striding around the deck with a small smile. She giggled and laughed, holding onto him so she wouldn’t fall. It even made him smile wider, which was strange considering he used to never smile until he met his crew. They all … softened him. Showed Ryomen a side of himself he hadn’t known before. 

The captain didn’t notice, in fact, no one noticed they had a guest. From a gap in the railing, a small hole, you watched. You never left. Your curiosity was starting to get you into more dangerous situations, hanging off the edge of the boat all to see a man who didn’t know you existed. You watched him as his face contorted into a smile, echoing laughter radiating from his chest. It calmed you, to see this side of him. Watching him dance and have an amazing time, all without realizing someone was watching. 

They danced for another hour and drank for several. But you never left. You ducked your head when the crewmates got close and peeked up to meet Ryomen’s rugged face. He didn’t notice you, no one else did. They were lost in their own world and you were more thankful than ever. His eyes had softened and his smile was radiating, so you were surprised when everyone had left that it… disappeared. The captain put his coat back on and looked around. He didn’t do much to the bottles lying across the deck, or the garbage, opting to kick it with his shoe. There was a hollow look on his face and you desperately wanted to know why. What changed him from turning so happy and charismatic into… that? You had to admit, it was hot. And you had to admit, you were beginning to feel a way about this man you had never felt about anyone before. A loud heartbeat thumped in your ears and made the world slightly fog over, in a daze. 

You had imprinted on him. 

It’s a bit self-explanatory, but I’ll explain it for a bit. Seeing someone, the someone in mermaids sets off a biological code. They can tell from the moment they meet that person that that’s their lover, their someone, for the rest of their lives. It was complex, seeing as you were two different species. And, seeing as he didn’t even know your existence. You couldn’t get the feeling out of your head that he was meant to be yours, in some universe or lifetime.

You didn’t realize it, from all this info dumping, but being out of the water for so long had dried up your tail, causing you to transform. A bit more lore, if you will. Mermaids, in any body of water, will form a tail around their legs as a protective barrier. Although, out of the water their legs are shown and they can use them, it’s illegal and forbidden to even go above the water and test this theory out. Many mermaids who've tried to live undercover as humans always get outed in some way or another, so after so many terrible disastrous stories, the king outlawed it. You always followed the rules, but you knew it would happen. Looking down, you gasped and stared for a moment before warmth spread across your inner legs. 

Masturbating as a mermaid was always kind of a chore, finding the sensitive spot over your tail and rubbing until you got somewhere took forever. But you always heard stories from your more adventurous friends that masturbation with legs was heavenly. Your eyes glanced from your bare legs back to Ryomen who was seated on another barrel and staring at the open ocean. It was so wrong, to touch yourself in front of someone who had no idea, but you couldn’t help yourself. You grabbed onto the ledge and slid one of your hands in between your legs, spreading apart your foreign folds. It was wet and slippery, but a different kind of wetness. Not from water, but natural lubrication. Your teeth found your bottom lip, biting down to suppress a noise when your fingers brushed over a sensitive spot. Was this the clit? It felt so good, that you started to focus solely on it. Rubbing small circles over your clit and praying you wouldn’t be too loud. 

It felt like you were on fire, watching the captain and imagining what he would do to you. His cock, because human cocks were much better than mermaid cocks, you’ve heard, would feel so good in your wet pussy. You could imagine him stretching you out and fucking into you with such sheer force it would hurt. It would be different from the sex you’ve had before, no more men laying eggs in you. But instead, pumping bucket loads of sperm inside your tight hole. Your fingers slipped into your cunt, three at a time. Small noises escaped from your mouth and before long you began to unravel. You could see it on the horizon, and feel the orgasm building in your stomach. It was so good, it was so hot. You tried your hardest not to moan too loud, but you did. It was a small noise that could have been passed off as a grunt or perhaps a pained noise. But he knew. 

Ryomen’s head snapped in your direction and he saw your face contorted in some kind of pleasure. You pressed your lips together and widened your eyes, thinking of something to do. But in that moment, you were frozen. It was fear, but it was excitement. You had been caught and humiliated, and it felt so hot. Your fingers trailed up from your pussy and to the ledge, glistening in the light. The captain just stared at you for a moment, trying to wrap his head around what exactly to do next. He was face to face with a mermaid of some sort, who he had just heard moan. He stood up and slowly made his way over to you, boots squeaking. 

“You,” he gruffed, kneeling to look you over. You stared up at him with wide eyes. He was gorgeous up close too, something out of a fairytale. You wanted to extend your hand and reach out for him, let him pull you up and into his embrace. 

“Me,” you repeated sheepishly, a hazy blush forming at your temple. Ryomen reached for your hand and took it, looking over your delicate skin. You went to continue, but he pulled you up. You gasped and let go of the ledge, then found yourself being thrown backward into the water. When your frame hit the water, a shriek escaped your lips and was cut short. 

“You!” You gasped, breaking the surface tension and appearing back from the waves, “What the hell was that for?!?” He raised a calculated eyebrow and nodded, standing up. The captain's body shifted from side to side as he debated a response. You could see the wheels turning in his head as he decided if he should even respond to you, or leave you to drown. Of course, you wouldn’t drown, but it was the thought behind it that left a sour taste in your mouth. 

“You’re a siren. Some kind of temptress trying to infiltrate my crew,” he spoke proudly as if he had come to the right conclusion. You stared up at him with a dumbfounded expression. How could he be so far from the truth? You weren’t there to tempt him into diving in and drowning, that was an outdated stereotype. The majority of the mermaids and sirens you knew didn’t want anything to do with humans. Why would he think that? In all honesty, you just wanted to feel his skin again. When he grabbed you, you had a chance to feel his rough calloused hands against yours. He was strong and warm—a warmth you had never experienced before. 

“I wasn’t gonna-” A frown pulled at your lips, swimming forward to the base of the ship. With force and a lot of groaning, you made your way back up to the ledge with arm strength alone. The man watched you without a caring look in his eye. To him you were here to ruin his mission, the quest he had taken so long for. You were … his enemy. You weren’t sure how to make him see you didn’t want any harm, but rather him. In those few hours of just watching Ryomen and seeing him operate, you had begun to fall for him, even imprinting on his being. It was a tale as old as time, a creature falling in love with a human who couldn’t want anything to do with them. You had heard it play out before, but you wanted to try. Something about him felt different, even if his initial reaction was the same.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” the words flowed out of your mouth gently, taking the captain by surprise. You saw it in the way his eyebrow twitched, and the corners of his mouth pulled down into a frown, “I’ve been watching you all today. You intrigue me, Ryomen.” 

“How do you know my name, wench?” He sneered back at you, a cold wall in place of the warm exterior you had seen moments prior with his crew. 

“I heard it. I heard a lot.. I don’t want to hurt you,” you looked down at your hands, then to your tail that flowed in the small breeze, “I don’t want to hurt you or your crew.” 

He was silent for a moment, lips pressed into a line. He stared at you with an expression that was hard to read. Thinking, calculating, and figuring out his next move. Ryomen was truly stunned. He had never expected a siren to be real and approaching him. And he had never expected one to be so … beautiful. The captain had to admit, he was captivated by your beauty from the moment he saw your orgasm face. Yeah, he knew what you were doing. He didn’t want to think about how it turned him on to be watched like that, hear your sweet moans fill the salty air.

Sukuna knew the tale, a beautiful siren would take in a captain and make him jump. He knew it all too well, so he couldn’t trust you, not even if he wanted to. A part of him did want to. He noticed the fact you grew legs, followed by a tail in their place. He could see the appeal of drying you off and fucking a baby into you, then throwing you overboard and leaving. But something was different. There was a genuine tone in your voice and there was a genuine flutter in his heart. He would never admit this, or show you his warmth as he did his crew. You were a stranger who deserved nothing but a cold exterior and a cold heart. 

“Then what do you want?” He asked, quirking an eyebrow. You let a moment pass, silence falling all around you. You didn’t want to say it because the answer would make you completely and utterly vulnerable. But you had to, you had to say something.

“You.” The words rang in Ryomen’s ears for a few moments as he stared at you with incredulous eyes. You wanted him? Even after he threw you into the ocean for dead, you wanted him? You wanted this man when he showed you nothing, not kindness, not hatred, just nothing? He didn’t want to believe he had just accidentally captivated you so much that you’d fall for him, in hours no less. The captain stood and watched you, taking in your form. Your hair was covering bits of your face, and blue scales covering bits of your skin. It didn’t cover your breasts, exposing your perked nipples to the cold wind. It didn’t cover the skin of your stomach, how your rolls were accentuated in the light. 

He couldn’t deny he was a little bit curious, and the curiosity was turning into a perverted lust building in his abdomen. He had a mermaid at his will, a pretty one too, willing to do anything for him. The man could tell, from how you stared at him. So in love. It was cute, it made even his heart flutter just a bit. But it was still Ryomen, as warm as he was to his crew he was still a cold-hearted man. And he was a man. A lonely man, who hadn’t seen someone look at him with such love in his whole life. It was intoxicating, how you devoted yourself without thinking. Imprinting. He had read about it but never seen it in person. Hell, he had never seen a mermaid in person before. It was all new to Ryomen. There were mixtures of love, lust, warmth, coldness, confusion, love- love? He didn’t know you! How could he love you? But… it wasn’t natural. There was a pull, different from his other thoughts. It took over his thoughts and made him forget those perversions. It made him want to kneel and take your hand, pulling you from the water and holding you close. Was this the effect of your imprinting somehow rubbing off of him? Or was it… being shown unbridled love and affection that made Ryomen crumble?

Ryomen didn’t say anything, leaning down and taking your hand. His eyes intimately met with yours, as his hand enveloped yours. You looked down at him and a small gasp escaped your lips when he lifted you, without breaking a sweat. His arm flexed in the dull light, and you collapsed against his chest. Wet, you clung to him and rested your face against his pectorals. 

“You… want me?” You murmured, not bothering to look up at him. 

“I don’t know. I’m drawn, I’ll say that.” his breath was warm against your ear, making the hairs on your neck stand up. He was holding you up, so your tail didn’t drag on the ground. It wasn’t long or big, so it didn’t make a loud commotion as he set you down on the deck, “You.. need to dry off, huh?” 

Your head nodded, thinking that would be that. You didn’t expect him to pick you up again, laying you on your stomach. A moan-like breath escaped from your lips, “Ryomen?” You turned slightly to watch, but something stopped you in your tracks. He was drawn to you, in more ways than one. It was your imprinting, rubbing off on him, making you drunk on his scent. Yes, Sukuna had his own will, but he couldn’t help but be drawn to you. Your eyes, maybe that’s what it was? Those tales of sirens were right, except it wasn’t just lust he was feeling. Maybe he was imprinting as well? If humans ever could. Love at first sight, which caused massive arousal on his part. 

The entire point I’m trying to drill home is, that the captain was (whether he liked it or not) stuck with you, and he did like it. You couldn’t control your desires for him as much as he could. You knew he was the one and that aura surrounding yourself brought him in, making him feel safe. But onto the matter at hand? His erection was out, glistening in the pale light. You bit your bottom lip as you saw it bob from his left hand slowly stroking up his shaft. He didn’t know how mermaids consummated, because your penetration hole was not behind you, so you weren’t entirely sure what he was doing. 

Then you felt it, he pressed his length against your asscheeks, frotting it back and forth to create stimulation. A small whine came falling from your bite-swollen lips, feeling the foreign sensation, “I think… we’re going to have to get to know each other,” Ryomen breathed out between his thrusts in between your asscheeks. 

You said your name lowly, giving a brief description of your life. It was boring, with no parents and no siblings. So you had no qualms about leaving and starting over with this hot sailor. He nodded to your story and asked questions about different aspects. For him rutting into your behind, it was oddly casual. As if the two of you had silently agreed, this was normal, and you were now committed. Then he narrated his tale, growing up an orphan with two younger brothers to take care of. How he wanted a better life for his siblings and by doing this exploration, he’d get that. At points, the two of you forgot he was even humping your ass to begin with. It was so intimate, that detail slipped your mind. 

It didn’t though, when his grip on your hips tightened, sharp nails digging into your scaled skin. He gaped and groaned, throwing his head back. You felt so good, different than the women he had fucked before. You were good and quiet, letting him hump you until he was about to cum. Then Ryomen leaned back and stroked himself to completion, spilling all on your pretty little back. You gasped and shuddered at the cold sperm, dripping onto your lower back. 

“Warning, next time,” you breathed out, looking back at him. 

Ryomen smiled and nodded, “Of course. Are you dry yet?” 

You looked down at your still very mermaid bottom half and glanced back at him, “Do I look dry?” A hearty laugh escaped his mouth and he shook his head as you continued, “Just a few more minutes. Am I officially coming home with you? I mean, I’d like to, if you’re offering.” 

“I don’t think I have a choice. I just came on your…” He trailed off, “I don’t even know why I,” another laugh, “Did that. I think you imprinted- or maybe I imprinted? I just… feel something for you I’ve never felt for anyone else before.” 

“You mean it?”

“Mean it.”

[stray-kaz]

Double The Bounty : a Roronoa Zoro x f!reader fic part two

Summary: Your life takes a turn for the piratical when you discover your brother's new life, and the man he calls his first mate. In other words, you catch up to Zoro just when he thought he really would never see you again.

18+ and up, thanks.

You stood on your shaky makeshift mount of wheelbarrows and trash cans, watching the sheep ship slowly rock into harbour. Concern creased your brow before you leaped down and washed into the crowds with everyone else.

Keeping an eye on Luffy had become a fulltime job, constantly keeping an ear out for anyone wanting his head on a spike. You knew he was capable by himself, but you didn't want him to have to do it alone. Nor did you want his crew to come into any unnecessary trouble. Or, one member specifically.

You folded the note in your hand and found him amongst everybody else, his broad shoulders sending a shock of loneliness through you, his wind ruffled green hair spiking a pleasurable memory.

Zoro walked away from you, his right hand propped on the hilt of a sword, as usual.

You had hardly been able to believe it when you had overheard at a Marine tavern that the pirate with the straw hat had taken on the Demon as a part of his crew. The green haired Demon with three swords and no conscience.

He had a conscience.

On your way out, you had removed a sharp pin from your hair and pushed it carefully into the Marine's hip, vanishing before he felt the intrusion. A loud cry followed you out into the street, a wicked grin twisting your lips.

And now, he was right here, mere feet from you, unaware of your presence. Your fingers crumped the note tightly and you set off after him, tracking his steps through the crowd.

Zoro turned as someone brushed his shoulder, caught a flash of familiar eyes in a woman's face as something was pressed into his left hand. He glanced down at the crumped ball of paper, but by the time he looked up again, the woman was gone.

"Isabel?" he said aloud, confused. "What the...?"

Curious, he unfolded the creased note and read it to himself.

Hunters and pirates here for Luffy. Get out now.

He spun and started running, the image of his one night stand pushed to the back of his mind, for now.

You came up on a couple of pirate hunters you had collaborated with in the past on a few different occasions, coming alongside just in time to hear them finishing a conversation on a certain lanky pirate boy with weird stretchy abilities. You lowered a hand to one revolver, quietly cocking it.

"Who's that?" you asked, feigning curiosity. "Who are you hunting, Wil?"

The sunburned hunter turned to look down at you, raising his eyebrows.

"Hey, Isabel. There's a massive bounty out on Monkey D. Luffy and we plan on collecting it. You want in to split?"

"Oh, yeah? Is he here?"

The older, more grizzled hunter, nodded.

"Yeah. Sheep's in the harbour."

Silently, you cursed Luffy for not listening to Zoro and turning tail. Outwardly, you pasted on a happy smile.

"Thank you for the information."

And you shot out both Wil's kneecaps before pistol whipping the older man. He dropped like a rock, Wil toppling over on top of him.

"That bounty's all mine" you gritted out, and took off running.

Luffy looked up, startled, as a pair of boots hit the deck unexpectedly. His eyes widened as he realised you, his sister, had just vaulted over the railing instead of using the plank, and were now staring him down with the same glare you had given him when he accidentally broke your favourite toy gun.

"What are you doing here, Isabel?" he asked, already backing away.

You were almost oblivious to the rest of his crew now staring at you, flummoxed by the scene before them. Their captain backing away from someone?

You jabbed a hard finger into your brother's chest, glowering up at him.

"Did Zoro give you my note?" you demanded.

Luffy nodded slowly.

"Yes..."

You poked him again and he caught your hand in his. You squeezed as hard as you could, your gaze desperate.

"Then why are you still here? I had to take out two hunters gunning for your head, you moron!"

"Not a moron" Luffy mumbled. "I don't run away, Isabel. You should know that."

"You listen to me, Monkey D. Luffy, and you do as I say!"

His eyes darkened.

"Why?" he asked, belligerent.

"Because I am your sister! Damn it, little brother, get this rig in the tide and go! I do not want to see your head on a stick!"

A woman with bright orange hair gasped and pressed a hand over her mouth. Luffy stared down at you, at the tears sparkling in your eyes, and sighed heavily. He let go of your hand and wrapped both arms around you, propping his chin on your head. He nodded at the other woman and she dashed away, slipping past Zoro as he came up on deck to find out what the ruckus was about.

He leveled dark eyes on Luffy, slowly dragging his gaze down to the young woman leaning against him.

"I thought it was you, little thief" he muttered.

As if out of his own control, he watched his own hand reaching out to touch the small of your back, his fingertips brushing against the rough fabric of your jacket. Your reaction was immediate and hard. Your fingers twisted in the back of Luffy's vest before you turned and faced Zoro, your heart pounding hard at the expression on his face.

"You saw me?"

He nodded, reclaiming his hand and folding his arms across his chest.

"Hard to forget those eyes" he told you, staring. "I have to see a very similar pair every day."

You blinked, glanced at Luffy and back to Zoro. If you weren't mistaken, and you might be, he seemed pained as if seeing you after a year and a half hurt.

"Zoro, I took -"

He cut you off, holding up a hand.

"I don't wanna hear it" he growled, flashing his teeth at you and stabbing a finger in your direction. "You let me...you let me -"

He took a frustrated breath, his cheeks flushing hot and chest heaving slightly.

"You let me touch you and then you snuck off with my bounty! I would have -"

Zoro turned his back and retreated below deck, leaving you standing, lost, with Luffy's hand resting on your shoulder. You turned to look up at him. He offered you a crooked half smile.

"He's difficult sometimes" he said, shrugging. "And I think what you did really hurt his feelings. He just can't say it. Go talk to him."

You reluctantly head after Zoro, worried. You just spot the heels of his boots disappear into a room before the door slams closed. You tested the handle and discovered it wasn't secured. You slipped inside and shut it behind you, then turned back to find him staring down at you.

"What do you want?" he snapped, trying to hide the burn behind his eyes.

He held his arms out to his sides, gesturing around the room.

"I don't have anything else for you to steal, Izzy. So you can go now."

"Roronoa Zoro, let me explain" you tried.

"No."

You huffed frustratedly.

"I can tell you why I took your bounty!" you exclaimed loudly, before he could cut you off at all.

He grunted.

"You wanted a larger payout" he rumbled. "It isn't hard to guess."

You shook your head.

"Wrong."

He eyed you, taking a single step closer.

"What?"

"You're wrong, smartass. I thought you might come after me if I took what was yours. But you never did."

Zoro blinked quickly, taking it in. He shook his head slowly.

"...It was a ploy to get a second date?"

"...yes."

You looked up at him with wide eyes, your hands resting anxiously on your hip revolvers. His dark eyes narrowed.

"Why should I believe you? I've got a bounty on my head now, too."

"How is that my fault?" you snapped, irritated. "I didn't join Luffy's crew, you did! And besides, I have diverted countless pirate hunters away from you and my brother."

He took another step.

"Are you tracking us?" he demanded hotly.

"Obviously. Luffy has the highest bounty on his head in the East Blue. If I don't keep an eye on him, others will catch up quicker."

Zoro hesitated before speaking again.

"And me?" he asked, a little quieter.

You ducked your head a bit, briefly avoiding his intense gaze.

"Like you said...second...date. I couldn't give a damn about your bounty, Zoro."

A small grin tugged at the corners of his mouth.

"You don't fancy seeing my head on a spike?"

You shook your head firmly.

"I don't fancy seeing you lose any blood at all. But I do fancy seeing you without your swords again, though."

Zoro arched his eyebrows at your words.

"My swords are only removed when my clothes are, Izzy."

You hummed in appreciation of that memory, smiling slowly.

"Yeah, I know. I remember, Roronoa."

He rolled his eyes at the use of his last name.

"Don't you have somebody to go hunt?"

You shrugged.

"No good bounties around here at the moment, except you two. I checked."

His eyebrows flicked higher.

"What if baby Luffy finds out, hmm?"

"What he doesn't know won't hurt him."

Zoro cringed slightly.

"I may have told him about the first time..." he admitted slowly.

You paused to stare at him for a moment before sighing heavily.

"What did he say?" you grumbled.

His answering grin was so wide, so mischievous, your heart stammered in your chest.

"That you have good taste in men because I'm a great fighter."

You snorted a laugh.

"Luffy would find a way to put a healthy spin on it. But he's right, you are a great fighter" you replied.

He took a third step.

"Great at anything else, Iz?" he asked you.

You raised an eyebrow.

"One or two, don't want your ego to get too big there."

Zoro smiled, like a cat that got the cream.

"You want me to show you those things again?"

"I may have forgotten a thing or two, I might need a refresher" you murmured, glancing up at him from under your lashes.

"You haven't had anyone to remind you since you saw me last?"

There was an undercurrent of something almost possessive in that question and you thrived on it.

"Been busy. Chasing pirates I'll never get the bounties for. It's a fulltime job. No time for much else" you answered him.

Zoro just stared at you, flummoxed.

"What are you, my guardian angel?"

You smiled again.

"Starting with the pet names already?"

You closed the distance between you and him and stopped to look up again.

"But I can't imagine my job being all that different from being your eyes in the sky."

He sighed gently.

"You like me or something, pretty girl?"

"Or something" you admitted.

Your smile softened slightly before your hand moved to rest over his right, the hand always on a sword hilt. You stepped so close Zoro could feel the heat of your skin. Your thumb stroked over the back of his hand before your fingers tried curling underneath his palm to pull his hand free of the weapons.

His eyes on you were bright, curious, anxious all at once. He looked at you like you were going to bolt and he would do anything to stop it happening.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" you asked him. "Like I'm going to disappear."

Zoro tipped his head to the side, looking slightly skeptical.

"Because you already did it once."

You sighed quietly, tugging at one of his slender fingers.

"I was just trying to beat you to the punch" you muttered.

Zoro snorted, surprising you.

"And miss seeing what your hair looked like in the morning? Not likely."

Surprised again, you tilted your head a bit to see his eyes better, shifting on your feet.

"Wild" you said.

You tugged on his finger again, smiling ruefully.

"Would you still like to see?"

Zoro nodded, a little stiff.

"Yeah. I would. I'd like to do a lot in the morning."

A little hesitant, you lifted yourself up onto your tiptoes to kiss his cheek, your hand still using his for balance.

"Mind sharing what those things might be?"

He huffed, finally flipping his hand over to grasp hers.

"You could just wait and I can show you."

You hummed at that, amused by his belligerence.

"I'll try to be patient."

"Good."

And the next thing you knew, he was kissing you with all the force of a hurricane. You immediately kissed him back with the same fierceness, leaning into him, hands sliding up his shoulders and the sides of his neck to slip into his hair, mumbling a quiet moan as he nudged his hips into yours. His swords in triplicate bumped repeatedly against your hip.

You groaned into the kiss, pushing the swords to the side.

"Swords and clothes off, Roronoa."

He bit gently into your bottom lip.

"Ladies first, Isabel."

You barely even grumble, a whimper escaping you at the sting of his teeth, your hands moving quickly to drop your gun belt to the floor.

"Is this something you're willing to help me with?" you asked, looking up at him.

He didn't need to be asked twice. Nimble fingers unsnapped your trousers first and wiggled them down your legs so you could kick them off, along with your boots. Then he dragged the zip down the front of your shirt, exposing your corset bra and a narrow silver ring in your belly button.

Zoro raised an eyebrow.

"That's new" he commented, reaching out to toy gently with it.

You shrugged.

"I had time and a bit of extra Berry" you said dismissively, focusing on the task at hand of shrugging out of your shirt and tugging at the front of his. "A girl can try new things."

"Does that philosophy go for tonight as well?" Zoro asked, letting you drag his shirt over his head.

You paused to kiss his chest, centering over his pounding heart. You looked up at him through your lashes, faintly smiling.

"For you? Yeah."

You trailed down his body until your mouth hit his belly button as your fingers slowly drew down his zipper. You held onto a small smile as his hips shifted a little.

"Impatient, pretty girl?" Zoro panted, refusing to groan out loud.

Looking up at him through your lashes, you traced your fingertips over him lightly through the fabric of his pants before firming up your grasp, kissing gently at the treasure trail that led down above him as you slid to your knees.

"You're not impatient?"

He closed his eyes as heat washed over his skin.

"Oh, I am, but I wasn't going to ask" he replied, shaking his head.

He stared at you with hooded eyes as you hooked your fingers into his pants at the hips.

"Want to try something new, Zoro? You have to ask" you said quietly.

You didn't think Roronoa Zoro, the greatest pirate hunter in the East Blue, could blush. He shook his head again. Narrowing your eyes slightly, you smiled and sat back on your heels, removing your touch from him entirely.

Zoro clenched his jaw and you heard his teeth click together. He blew a heavy sigh through his nose before opening his mouth and speaking with visible effort.

"Will you...go...down on me?"

You were much too soft on him, so you merely lifted yourself onto your knees again, tugged his pants down so he could kick them away, and pressed warm kisses across the space between his hipbones.

"Because you asked so nicely" you murmured.

You held onto his hips tightly and pressed a hard kiss right above him, grinning against his skin as his hips shunted forward. When you briefly kiss the tip of him, you are paid back with the soft grunt he allowed himself to make. Wanting to earn more, you kissed down the side of his shaft, soothing circles into his hips.

As you gently suckled him into your mouth, his hands reached down to land on you, one in your hair, the other on your shoulder, digging into the muscle. He muttered something in Japanese you assumed was a curse and gripped his hips tighter again, breathing carefully through your nose.

You started with a steady pace, taking him in as deep as you were able, humming every time he tapped the back of your throat and groaning, pleased, under the pressure of his hands.

Lightning ricocheted up Zoro's spine when your hums vibrated and he had to plant his feet hard to stop himself rutting into your mouth, fearful of damage done to your throat. But your eyes were massive as you looked up at him, accepting him as far as you could, and he whined.

You let go of him for a second to take a deep breath, your voice a rasp as you pressed messy kisses over him.

"Use me. Use me how you need, Roronoa Zoro."

Your lips slid back down on him, giving him a gentle suck, gaze fixed on him. You felt his fingers make a careful ponytail out of your hair and then a slightly more forceful push to the back of your throat. You hummed again and felt his hips buck, the heated heft of him slide over your tongue. You flattened your tongue so it ran along his length every time he rutted into your mouth, humming encouragingly when his hips bucked again.

Zoro's hard breathing became even more laboured.

"Where do you want me to...?" he asked, unconsciously pleading with his dark eyes.

Your grip on his hips tightened as you pressed forward so all of him slid into your mouth, your eyes watering a bit from the stretch, swallowing around him as your answer. Your eyes met his hotly, heavy lidded.

Zoro moaned the same word as before and tried to thrust again, instead finding himself constricted by your fluttering throat and hollowed cheeks. His hips convulsed and he came undone, spilling hot and hard down your slowly loosening throat. He could feel you swallow around him again before slowly pulling off of him once he was done, licking your lips slowly and giving him a small smile.

His eyes closed and his head tipped back to bare his throat to you.

"Remind me to return the favour in the morning, Iz" he murmured.

Slowly, you kissed back up his body, littering kisses over his bared throat. You gently squeezed at his hips.

"Ready for sleep already, handsome?"

You teased him gently, but were already nudging him towards the bed to sit. He looked up at you.

"Like you, I haven't done this since that night. Forgive me" he sighed as he lay back.

You leaned over to kiss him lightly, knowing he'd been through a long day, too. You hadn't managed to take down all of the pirate hunters before they spotted him and your brother.

"Sleep, Zoro. I'll be here when you wake up. Promise."

As you lay down close beside him, he pressed his nose into your shoulder.

"And then it's your turn, Isabel."

You made a small sound of contentment, sighing softly and nuzzling into him, curling around his body.

"Okay. I'll hold you to that."

Zoro smiled, eyes shut, and nodded into his pillow.

"Promise" he murmured, and fell asleep.

You followed after him bit by bit, head against his shoulder, eyes drifting slowly shut.

Tagging: @writingmysanity @elizabeth-karenina @96jnie @jesssssmaybankk

[deathmetalunicorn1]

Part 7 with Eri Reader They finally make it to Alabasta (Luffy, Sanji and Nami told the others what Dr. Kureha told them what might be the cause of Reader’s scars, but no one wants to ask Reader unless she’s ready to tell her story)

Though they meet a strange man named Bon Clay (She didn’t meet him since she’s with Sanji) and go through their usual shenanigans, though she got separated from Luffy, but was found by Ace who’s nice enough to help her find her ‘big brother’ and even treated her to some food (Only for him to pass out, wake up and pass out again, which started her) then Smoker comes in and Luffy, and to her surprise Luffy and Ace know each other (As they begin to run away from the Marines)

When everyone finally gets on the Merry, Ace introduces himself as Luffy’s Older Brother, with Reader sparkly eyed (Ace has a heart attack), as he even tries to convince her to join the Whitebeard Pirates since Pops would love her (She politely declines as she’s happy where she is with the Straw Hats)

They then meet the Kung Fu Dugongs, with Reader and them all sparkly eyed at each other, causing everyone having another case of heart attacks, the Dugongs follow Reader too as their ‘Sensei’ because “her cuteness defeated them”, Chopper explains, which everyone agrees is true, but they have to part ways from the Dugongs)

Ace and Reader bond (He shows her little fire tricks he can do and even made his fire form flowers and animal shapes that even move, with Luffy trying to One-Up him, shows his tricks only to get himself tangled up and stuck, causing everyone to laugh at him) and later more chaos and shenanigans happens, and have to part ways with Ace (Which makes Reader sad, but he gives her a mini Transbonder Snail so they can talk, as he intends to brag to Pops and his crew that he has the cutest little sister in the world)

More time passes until they finally make it to Crocodiles’ Casino, with Nami, Usopp, Zoro, Luffy, Reader and Smoker captured, but to their shock Reader isn’t in the cage with them and discover she’s sitting next to Crocodile with a plate of food in front of her, like she’s his ‘guest’ (He gained intel on her power, to his surprise, it wasn’t a lot, only she has the power to heal and she’s highly wanted, almost like she never existed until she got her bounty) then he and Miss All Sunday leave with her in his clutches head off to meet ‘Mr. Prince’

This gives everyone an even bigger reason to stop Crocodile to not only help Vivi but save Reader and when the battle is over, the Straw Hats feast and rest, and Vivi gives Reader some of her old clothes she wore around her age for her to have

They leave and say goodbye to Vivi, and discover Zoro now has a bounty with Luffy and Reader’s bounties increasing along with MAS, who reveals her name is Nico Robin and joins their crew as payment for what Luffy and Reader ‘done to her’ (Luffy saved her and Reader healed her wound)

-Luffy and Nami made the decision, once you all back on the ship and you were playing in the snow that was on the ship before it melted, to tell the others of what Kureha had found out about your scars, about her speculations behind your scars.

-Usopp and Vivi were both in tears, hearing the torture you went through before Sanji spoke, his voice low and serious, “As we said, Dr. Kureha is only speculating, she doesn’t know for sure. If we want the truth, we will have to ask Y/N.”

-Glances were sent around the galley, they were hesitant to say anything, they didn’t know how it would affect you if they were to ask.

-Alabasta was so hot!!! Nami and Vivi made sure you were completely covered by a cloak, light pink in color, including a hood, so you wouldn’t get sunburned and both women threatened all of the men on the crew that they had to make sure that you were kept covered and safe from the sun, or else.

-Zoro was the only one who asked, “Or else what?” you wanted to heal his wounds moments later, after he was covered with lumps and bruises all over, but Usopp held you in his arms, telling you that Zoro deserved his punishment for sassing the lovely ladies.

-You went with Sanji to go shopping, unaware of the ‘new friend’ the others were meeting in Bon Clay, as you had hurt all of their hearts by beaming up to him when you asked to go with, “I wanna help you carry stuff, big brother Sanji.”

-He couldn’t leave without you, but he had to stop crying before the two of you left the ship.

-The markets were so colorful and there were so many stands around, you were in Sanji’s arms, so you could look around to your heart’s content.

-Sanji smiled softly up at you as you pointed out some kids flying kites, seeing you smiling brightly, like the child you should have been all along.

-You found Luffy a short while later and Sanji beamed, ruffling your hair, minding your horn under your cloak, “Thank you Y/N, you were a big help today!” your smile could have melted the sun, before you went off with Luffy, holding his hand.

-Twenty minutes later you were looking around, once again all alone and having no idea where you were. Tears began to well in your eyes as you started down a road, looking for any of your big brothers or Nami.

-Your soft sniffle was overheard by someone who came over and put his hand on your head, kneeling down, “You okay?” you looked up to see a stranger, he wasn’t wearing a shirt, but a big orange hat, and shorts with boots, and he had fluffy black hair with freckles across his cheeks.

-Despite your aversion to strangers, you felt an instant connection with this man who gave you a bright grin as you tried to wipe your tears away, trying not to cry anymore, “I lost my big brother.” He chuckled softly, patting the top of your head, “You lost him, usually it’s the other way around and the big brother loses the little sister.”

-He introduced himself as Ace and you introduced yourself, before he asked if he could pick you up, so you could go look for your big brother together.

-You couldn’t see anyone you recognized, getting a little upset before Ace took you to a restaurant to get something to eat, “Gotta eat to stay strong to look for your brother!” you nodded and instantly your eyes were stars, getting a fruit parfait, turning to look up at him, “Is this really mine?” you killed the whole restaurant with your cuteness.

-Ace was asking you questions between bites, grinning down at you as you had whipped cream around your mouth before he suddenly stopped and started to snore, face planting into his food.

-Your mind went blank before you shook his arm, “Big brother? Big brother wake up! You shouldn’t sleep in food!”

-Luffy and Smoker then flew in, damaging a good part of the restaurant and Ace woke up, looking around before noticing that you were clinging to him and he was quick to hug you, seeing that you were scared.

-Your eyes were stars when you realized Luffy and Ace were brothers, before Ace tried to beat Luffy in annoyance, pulling on his cheeks, “I had the cutest little sister ever and you didn’t even bother to tell me?!”

-Once you were all back on the ship and Ace introduced himself to everyone else, he beamed down at you, “Y/N~ do you want to join the Whitebeard Pirates? I know pops would love you!” you were surprised by his request before you shook your head, “I wanna stay with big brother Luffy.”

-Ace wasn’t upset, ruffling your hair fondly before you all set off to your next destination, Vivi’s home to take care of Crocodile.

-The Kung Fu Dugongs were a little scary, as Luffy had jumped down with you, something he was quickly beaten for, as these creatures looked like they wanted to fight. Your eyes were full of tears as you pleaded, “Don’t hurt my big brother!” you killed the dugongs with your cuteness, becoming their new leader because your cuteness defeated them, or that’s what Chopper told you.

-Ace and Luffy began to fight over you, Ace making flowers and little animals out of flames, making your eyes sparkle while Luffy was trying to stretch and show off, only to get tangled up and you and Chopper had to get him untangled while everyone else was laughing.

-Ace had never regretted something before, but seeing you crying, holding onto his leg, begging him not to leave, he was full of regret, feeling so guilty.

-He gave you a mini Den-Den Mushi and Nami told you that with it, you could call him any time you wanted and he would come and visit. He even linked pinkie fingers with you, making a promise to come and see you which made you smile.

-Ace went back and gushed to Whitebeard and the others about how cute you were, lamenting that he couldn’t convince you to come with him.

-You were terrified, after being captured by Crocodile, but unlike Nami, Zoro, Usopp, Smoker, and Luffy, you weren’t in the cage with them, you were sitting on a pile of pillows, a booster seat, that Crocodile had made for you.

-Crocodile explained that while the others were prisoners, you were a ‘guest’ unaware that he had gathered a bit of intel on you, about your ability, but he didn’t know the whole truth, only that you could heal others and you were heavily wanted by the government. He wanted to keep you at his side, safe and sound is what he had said.

-Miss All Sunday was holding you when she and Crocodile left to go and see Mr. Prince, unaware that it was Sanji, while everyone prepared their jailbreak, having more of a reason now that Crocodile had you in his clutches.

-Unlike Crocodile, Miss All Sunday didn’t scare you much, she was nice to you, talking gently to you, and unlike when she spoke with others, her smile towards you was genuine. You couldn’t explain it, but you felt like you could trust her.

-Miss All Sunday put you in a very lavish room with lots of pillows and some fruit, “Stay here Y/N. You’ll be safe here. Your brother will come to get you soon.” She said that last part as a whisper, holding a finger to her lips, telling you that it was a secret and you nodded.

-The chairs were too high for you to get onto by yourself, you tried, your little legs kicking as you tried to pull yourself up, unaware that your crew, your family, were all fighting against Crocodile and his strongest members of Baroque Works.

-You gave up getting into the chair and crawled into a large pile of pillows, hugging one close to your chest and you were quick to knock out.

-Several hours later you woke up to the door being busted down as it had been locked from the outside and you jolted awake, scared before you saw Zoro there and your eyes widened, “Big brother!” he kneeled as you ran to him, catching you in his arms before he stood, “C’mon, the others are worried.” You nodded, hugging him around his neck.

-When everyone was witnessing the fall of Crocodile, you found Miss All Sunday, who smiled softly, seeing that you were safe. You hesitated for a moment before healing her wound, making her eyes wide, seeing your ability firsthand.

-You did come down with a slight fever but many attributed it to the heat as you were better in just a few hours, with some rest.

-There was a massive feast celebrating Crocodile’s defeat, there were so many tasty foods and you got to play in the giant bathtub with Nami and Vivi, swimming around which they thought was adorable.

-Vivi surprised you with some of her clothes from when she was a little girl, flowy princess dresses and you had a fashion show with her and Nami who adored it, happy to see you having so much fun.

-When you arrived back on the ship, you froze, seeing Miss All Sunday, who just smiled warmly at Luffy, who demanded to know why she was there on his ship.

-She introduced herself, telling you her true name, Nico Robin, and to pay Luffy and you back, for saving her and giving her a reason to fight, respectively, she was joining the crew.

-Luffy was fairly quick to accept her only because you did, trusting her, which warmed her heart and she sat with you on one of the lounge chairs in Nami’s orchard, reading to you, finding you a delightful young child, one she wanted to keep safe.

[cheerycherrycandy-resurrected]

Ghoulette Appreciation Week 12

Week 12: Beach day & Playful one-upping

It's the Beach Episode y'all 🏖️

Rating: G Content: Beach day, competitive ghouls Words: 1378

Read below, or on AO3!

It was a rare day off from touring, and the ghouls were at the beach. In a show of compassion for his cabin-fever-ridden ghouls, Copia had asked the bus driver to drop them at the coast for the day. If they were being sceptical, the ghouls could have realised the empty and quiet bus was more for his benefit than theirs.  

They had arrived early, the long stretch of beach almost entirely empty as it was a weekday. The few humans in sight were all too preoccupied by the dogs they were walking to pay much attention to the noisy gaggle that were setting up camp near the ocean, one looking distinctly less human than the others as they sprinted towards the waves. 

“Keep your damn trunks on!” Mountain hollered after Rain, who was shedding clothes as he ran. There was no response besides the splash of him diving into the water. 

“Dibs on not getting him out later” muttered Dew as he flopped onto his back in the hot sand to begin soaking it up like a lizard. It was a good thing ghouls couldn't get sunburned, Cirrus thought as she helped Mountain set up a drinks cooler in the shade of an umbrella.  

Aurora looked like she was itching to follow Rain and get her feet wet, so Cumulus tied her hair up in a scarf to protect it from the salt and sand and grabbed Rory's hand, running with her down to the water's edge.  

Cirrus joined Mountain – who had seemingly produced a paperback from thin air – on a blanket, content to simply watch her packmates enjoy the beach. Swiss and Phantom seemed to have already started digging a big hole, thankfully downwind as they flung sand behind them. 

Cirrus sat there for a while, enjoying the cool breeze on her skin as she watched her fellow ghoulettes splashing in the shallows. Catching her eye, they beckoned her to join them. Keen to cool off a bit, she jogged lightly down to the water’s edge. 

“You were staring, Riri,” Cumulus teased, “like what you see? Two hot babes all soaking wet?” 

Cirrus flicked water at her, laughing, and Cumulus retaliated by tackling her. Cirrus gasped at the sudden cold and wiped seawater from her face. Even sat down, the water here only reached her chest. Cumulus smirked smugly down from her perch on her lap, her hair and face remaining miraculously dry, protected by a shield of air. 

“I do, actually.” Cirrus grinned up at her. Cumulus leaned in for a quick kiss, before pulling back and dragging Cirrus to her feet.  

“Come swim with us for a bit!” 

A while later, the three ghoulettes returned to the sand to dry off in the warmth of the sun. Dew didn’t seem to have moved, his ears twitching slightly in the breeze the only sign that he was still alive. Phantom and Swiss were now waist deep in their hole. Cirrus passed out sodas from the cooler before plopping down onto her towel. 

“We should build sandcastles!” suggested Aurora, “We could make it a competition?” 

“Ooo good idea,” enthused Cumulus, before turning to yell at Phantom and Swiss. 

“Yo ho me hearties, stop digging for pirate treasure and come build sandcastles!”  

Phantom’s head reappeared from inside the hole excitedly, before scrambling out and over to the ghoulettes. 

"Dew, do you want to join?” the sleepy mutterings Cirrus got in return sounded like a no. 

“Alright, the rules.” Cirrus sat up straighter, “You have thirty minutes, Mountain and I will judge, and no cheating or I’ll sic Rain on you.” As if on cue, Rain popped his head up out of the water and flashed a mouthful of fangs at the ghouls assembled on the beach. 

Cumulus and Aurora ran back to the ocean to get water while Swiss and Phantom both started reshaping the pile of damp sand they had clawed out of their hole. Cirrus sat back to watch them get to work, enjoying the feeling of her element ruffling her hair. 

When Cirrus eventually called time on the sandcastle building, it was far longer than half an hour later. Her packmates had clearly been having so much fun, who was she to stop them? Swiss and Phantom were stood proudly behind a large and messy sandcastle, that looked like a small breeze could knock it down. Cumulus and Aurora were still fussing over their much smaller, but incredibly intricate creation. 

"Wow guys, don't they look great!” Cirrus cooed, getting to her feet. 

“Who won then, it's us right? Look, we recreated the Abbey! There's our wing!” Cumulus asked excitedly. 

"No way, we're gonna win, ours is like five times bigger!” Phantom yelled indignantly. 

“Nuh uh, yours barely looks like a castle!” 

Uh oh. Cirrus knew that if she let this dissolve any nearer to an argument, it would only end in tears and destroyed sandcastles.  

“So, Mount and I are going to judge two categories...” Behind Cirrus, Mountain snickered at her attempt to diffuse their competitive packmates. 

After Mountain had declared Swiss and Phantom the winners of Hardest Castle to Invade (“it has no discernible window or doors, it's a completely impenetrable fortress” he had nodded, feigning seriousness), and Cirrus has awarded Cumulus and Aurora Most Likely to Win an Architecture Prize, Dew had woken up energized to join in the pack activities. 

"Let's play volleyball!” Cumulus suggested, jumping to her feet. A chorus of good-natured groans erupted from the ghouls who knew too well what Cirrus and Cumulus were like playing sports. Cirrus smirked at Cumulus,  

"Oh, you're going down!" 

“Pound sand, loser!” 

“Okay, you two as team captains then?” Swiss interrupted their playful spat, before turning to yell at the ocean, “RAIN!" 

Eventually, the ghouls managed to organise themselves into teams and erect a volleyball net. The advantage of Mountain's height and Rain's thick tail for Cirrus's team was balanced out by the presence of Aurora. Cumulus meanwhile claimed Phantom, Swiss and Dew for her team. 

Cirrus bounced on her toes like she was stood behind her deck of keyboards as she waited for Cumulus to serve the ball. She returned it easily, heckling as she did. Rain returned the next ball, narrowly saving it with a whack of his tail. 

After several rounds of reasonably civilised play, albeit with a near-constant stream of trash talk from the air ghoulettes, it was Aurora's turn to serve. The small ghoulette lobbed the ball as hard as she could, straight into the net. 

“Aww, next time you'll get it Rory!” Cirrus encouraged. Next round, Swiss carefully hit the ball in her direction, lining up an easy return. Aurora lunged for it, missed, and landed on her bottom with a giggle in a spray of sand.  

“I think my fingers touched it, maybe!” she laughed excitedly, scrambling back to her feet. 

The next time she was up, the ball still hit the net, but almost made it over. The ghouls around her cheered, "That was the furthest so far!” 

Eventually, the sun began to graze the horizon, and their shadows lengthened. Copia and the bus would be back to collect them soon, and the two teams were tied for score.  

"Final point!” Cumulus called.  

The volley was one of their longest all game. Finally, the ball glanced off Mountain's fingertips. As it threatened to hit the sand near Aurora, she swiped at it with all her strength. The ball soared through the air, making it over the net with millimetres to spare, and crashing into the sand in front of Phantom. 

"You did it!!” Cirrus squealed, throwing her arms around Aurora and spinning her in a circle. Competitiveness forgotten for a moment, Cumulus ran over to join in the ghoulette hug. 

"That was such a good save Ror!”  

As they continued celebrating, a loud honk sounded from the road along the beach; the bus had returned for them. As they trudged back up the beach with their sandy towels and sports equipment, Cirrus piped up, 

“I said you were going down, didn't I!” 

Cumulus stuck her tongue out at her and skipped on ahead with a smirk. With that, Cirrus found herself tripping over the air in front of her, landing face-first into the sand. 

[the-stars-in-between]

Conclusion after my first Whumptober participation: 11 stories. Not too bad, more than I expected, but the moment I realized I was allowed to sleep instead of continuing to write it was over for me. Overall it was a fun experience — for me, not for the characters — and the prompts gave me ideas I never would have thought of without it, so thank you @whumptober.

However! I will finish this challenge whether it is finishing the stories I already started or those that are not yet written. I am not giving up. My goal is to finish by the end of January considering that I have a big break for Christmas but nothing is guaranteed.

I leave you now the links of the stories that are already posted and I will update each time I post a new story.

DAY 1 & DAY 19: Every Day You Fight Like You're Running Out Of Time (Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester)

Sam gets lost in the forest. This action has consequences.

No. 1: RACE AGAINST THE CLOCK Search Party | Panic Attack | "If only we could hold on.” (Icysami x Renegaderr, Strangers.)

No. 19: BLOOD TRAIL Abandoned Cabin | One Way Out | "Is there anybody alive out there?" (Bruce Springsteen, Radio Nowhere)

Luffy relives the worst day of his life, over and over again.

DAY 2: Again. (Monkey D. Luffy)

No. 2: ALTERNATIVE  Time Loop

Dean is going to die, Sam doesn't know what to think about it.

DAY 3: Did You Bring Me Some Pie? (Sam Winchester)

No. 3: SET UP FOR FAILURE Fingerprints | Wrongfully Arrested | "I warned you."

Law can't escape, even in his dreams. Especially in his dreams.

DAY 4: A Good Night's Sleep (Trafalgar D. Water Law)

No. 4: HALLUCINATIONS Hypnosis | Sensory Deprivation | “You're still alive in my head.” (Billy Lockett, More)

Luffy can stretch and stretch, but he can't escape his pain.

DAY 5: If My Pain Will Stretch That Far (Monkey D. Luffy)

No. 5: SUNBURN Healing Salve | Heatstroke | "If my pain will stretch that far." (Lottery Winners, Burning House)

Bobby is bleeding out, but family doesn't end in blood.

DAY 6: Blood On The Car Seats (Bobby Singer)

No. 6: NOT REALIZING THEY'RE INJURED Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms | Healed Wrong | "It's not my blood."

The heart of a demon, willingly given, is a powerful weapon for the one who wields it.

DAY 7: The Heart of a Demon (Crowley)

No. 7: ONLY FOR EMERGENCIES Unconventional Weapon | Magic with a Cost | "It's us or them."

Zoro can't sleep, ghosts come to keep him company.

DAY 8: Nightmares Don't Sleep (Roronoa Zoro)

No. 8: SLEEP DEPRIVATION Isolation Chamber | Forced to Stay Awake | "Leave the lights on." (Coldplay, Midnight)

Castiel is learning to be human. It hurts. In more ways than one.

DAY 10: Did It Hurt When You Fell From Heaven? (Castiel)

No. 10: BLOW TO THE HEAD Slurred Words | Passing Out from Pain | "I can't think straight."

No. 11: SEEING DOUBLE Convenience Store | Loneliness | “Leave no trace behind, like you don't even exist.” (Taylor Swift, Illicit Affairs)

DAY 11: Fade Away Into The Sunset (Sam Winchester)

No. 12: STARVATION Underground Caverns | Cannibalism | "Just a little more."

DAY 12: (Nico Robin)

The end of a crew. The end of a legend.

DAY 13: Till Death Do Us Part (Straw Hat Pirates)

No. 13: TEAM AS A FAMILY Familial Curse | Multiple Whumpees | "Death will do us part." (Set It Off, Partner's In Crime)

No. 14: LEFT FOR DEAD Hunting Gear | Blackmail | “Because I want you to know what it feels like to be haunted” (tiLLie, kooL aiD mAn)

DAY 14: (Shanks)

The cycle repeats itself.

DAY 15: The Father's Mistakes Fall on the Son's Shoulders (Dean Winchester, Jack Kline)

No. 15: CHILDHOOD TRAUMA Painful Hug | Moment of Clarity | "I did good, right?"

No. 16: NECROSIS Swamp | Wound Cleaning | "No, I can't feel anything."

DAY 16: Where Dreams Go To Die (Sanji)

No. 17: NOWHERE ELSE TO GO Ruined Map | Shipwrecked | "We had a good run."

DAY 17: In the Dark You Can't Tell Ink and Blood Apart (Nami)

No. 18: REVENGE Unreliable Narrator | Loss of Identity | “I see what's mine and take it.” (Panic! at the Disco, Emperor's New Clothes)

DAY 18: (Sabo)

No. 20: EMOTIONAL ANGST Shoulder to Cry On | Giving Permission to Die | "It's not your fault."

DAY 20: (Charlie Bradbury)

No. 21: BODY HORROR Body Horror | Tattoo Gun | Spirit Possession | “Let the bedsheet soak up the tears.” (Apparat feat. Soap & Skin, Goodbye)

DAY 21: D.E.A.T.H. (Trafalgar D. Water Law)

No. 22: BLEEDING THROUGH BANDAGES Tourniquet | Reopening Wounds | "Oh that's not good."

DAY 22: (Jack Kline)

No. 9: OBSESSION Broken Window | Bruises | “Frame me up on the wall, just to keep me out of trouble.” (Fall Out Boy, Irresistible) No. 23: FORCED CHOICE Public Display | Broken Pedestal | "I'm doing this for you."

DAY 23 (+DAY 9): The Hand That Saves Is The Same As The Hand That Wounds (Gabriel)

No. 24: RADIATION POISONING Collapsed Building | Equipment Failure | “I never knew daylight could be so violent.” (Florence + The Machine, No Light, No Light)

DAY 24: Embracing the Sun (Portgas D. Ace)

No. 25: SURGERY Stitches | Being Monitored | "It's for your own good."

DAY 25: Grit Your Teeth, Everything Will Be Fine (Sam Winchester)

No. 26: NIGHTMARES Breakfast Table | Parting Words of Regret | “I'm haunted by the lies that I have loved, the actions I have hated.” (Poe, Haunted)

DAY 26: (Claire Novak)

No. 27: VOICELESS Laboratory | Muzzled | “I have no mouth and I must scream.”

DAY 27: EX-FL02 (Portgas D. Ace)

No. 29: FATIGUE Labyrinth | Burnout | "Who said you could rest?"

DAY 29: Run Rabbit, Run (Dean Winchester & Sam Winchester)

No. 30: RECOVERY Hospital Bed | Holding Back Tears | "What have I done?" No. 28: ALTERNATIVE  No-Holds-Barred Beatdown

DAY 30 (+DAY 28): When the Sun Dies, the Stars Go With It (Portgas D. Ace, Sabo)

No. 31: ASKING FOR HELP Therapy | Making Amends | "I'm alive, I'm just not well." (Elliot Lee, Alive, Not Well.)

DAY 31: The Hardest Things To Say (Dean Winchester)

[silverstarfics]

Here’s my fic for @thunder-pride​ lesbian day in which Kayo and Gordon are disasters and Penelope is just very confused.

AO3 link

The first twelve years of Kayo’s life passed blissfully unaware of all the complicated aspects of identity. She had a vague idea of romantic love and had already decided that she wanted nothing to do with the notion for a number of reasons but mostly because the idea of kissing a guy was gross.

Besides, she had to put up with enough boys at home where her brothers were loud and annoying and did disgusting things like dare each other to eat bugs or (even worse) Grandma’s cookies. The boys at school were even worse - at least her brothers could be nice. So, no, she was quite happy by herself thank you very much.

And then Gordon chose to watch Pirates of the Caribbean for movie night and she was introduced to Elizabeth Swann.

Kayo wasn’t sure if she wanted to be with her or be her. She was everything; beautiful, clever, feisty, could handle herself and okay, so maybe the idea of kissing Elizabeth Swann sounded quite nice actually. This posed an issue because girls weren’t supposed to want to kiss other girls… were they?

She stuffed her mouth with popcorn to give herself an excuse not to talk and proceeded to ignore those feelings, which worked brilliantly until several years later when a certain Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward smiled at her for the first time and a swarm of butterflies immediately materialised in her stomach.

Oh no.

In her defence, she wasn’t entirely oblivious. She had come to accept the fact that she was attracted to women even if the idea still scared her. She was different enough already, what if this was the final straw? Sorry, you’re too much. God, no. There was a reason why she’d tried to repress her feelings for so many years with the exception of one high school party featuring underage drinking and fumbled hands in a dark room with one another sworn to secrecy.

Unfortunately, her sexuality was the one thing she couldn’t run from, as was fast becoming clear as her vocal chords spontaneously decided to strangle themselves. She opened her mouth and let out a curious squeak.

There was a flash of something in Penelope’s eyes. “Are you quite alright?”

“I…”

John had once rambled about event horizons. It was the boundary around a black hole beyond which no radiation or light could escape; a point which no longer affected the observer. Kayo absently wondered whether she could fall into her own event horizon if she internally cringed any harder.

Um, hello? Voice? Brain? Form words, please.

“You’re nice. I mean, it’s nice. To meet you.”

Oh my god. Kill me now.

Penelope frowned.

“I don’t mean that you’re not nice,” Kayo hastily amended. “I’m sure you’re very nice. Not that I’m assuming. We don’t know each other yet. But I’d like to get to know you.”

Stop talking, Tanusha, oh my god.

“As friends. Not in a weird way.”

Oh yeah, totally saved it.

Penelope’s expression twitched as she attempted to refrain from laughing. “I look forward to getting to know you too. Something tells me that we’re going to make an excellent team.”

Kayo bit back her immediate question of what exactly do you mean by that? She imagined physically clawing back the words, locking them away in her chest where they couldn’t embarrass her. God knew she could already feel heat prickling across her neck which couldn’t be blamed on sunburn.

She wiped her hands against her jeans – oh my god, did my handshake seem weirdly sweaty? – and fixed a neutral expression on her face. Penelope’s gaze remained fixed on her and for a brief moment her world consisted entirely of impossibly blue irises until her heart sort of hiccupped and she was jolted back into the present. Oh god, why couldn’t she stop staring? She tore her gaze away and spied a distraction… or, you know, a victim. She had never been so glad to see Gordon in her life.

“Have you met Lady Penelope?”

It was miracle that her voice managed to remain steady. An even greater miracle was the way Gordon also forgot how to speak and promptly resembled a ripe tomato. Somehow, he made an even greater fool of himself than she had. At least she’d managed to stay on her feet. Really, it was Gordon’s own fault for wearing those stupid sandals everywhere; he’d worn down the soles so much that they caught on the slightest rough surface and sent him head-over-heels, such as right now.

“Careful!” Penelope caught him before he could faceplant. “Are you alright?”

“Oh, hey.” Gordon grinned wolfishly at her. “Looks like I fell for you.”

Yes, Kayo silently cheered. This is great! Keep embarrassing yourself! Make me seem like I’ve got my life together in comparison.

There was a brief silence in which Gordon slowly registered what he’d just said. That stern warning from Grandma that his mouth running faster than his brain would eventually get him into trouble suddenly seemed very real. He jolted backwards with a strangled yelp.

“I mean, uh, I- Thanks. I… have to go.”

“What a coincidence,” Kayo said sunnily, grabbing his arm before he could bolt. “So do I. We have… that thing.”

“Right!” Gordon nodded frantically. “That super important thing which we should definitely go and do. Like, right this second.”

Penelope stared after them, utterly bemused. “It was lovely meeting you!”

“Likewise,” Kayo called over her shoulder as Gordon dragged her out of the room.

Nothing was said until they had fled to his bedroom and closed the door behind them. Gordon flopped facedown on the floor and spread his arms like a grieving octopus, complete with a desolate wail. Kayo dropped onto the bed and drew her feet up to sit cross-legged. Maybe the sheer act of sitting in the lotus position would have calming properties even if she didn’t meditate.

“So,” she ventured after a few seconds of silence. “That could have gone better.”

Gordon made a vague, pitiful sound not unlike a dog when someone trod on its tail. Kayo was torn between laughing and screaming. She tipped onto her back and stared up at the ceiling with a heavy sigh.

“I’m a useless lesbian,” she declared.

“I’m just useless,” Gordon mumbled into the carpet.

She rolled onto her front and propped her chin in her hands. Gordon made no attempt to move from the floor which was a bold decision give his room could be considered a certified biohazard. Kayo could spy at least five wrappers and a mouldy plate from here alone.

“It’s fine,” she decided aloud. “She probably meets lots of people every day. I doubt she’ll even remember us by this time next week.”

“Really?”

“Nope. We suck.” Kayo buried her head in her hands with a slowly dawning sense of utter humiliation. “People make first impressions within seven seconds or less of meeting someone. She’s never going to forget us and not in a good way.”

There was another pause.

Gordon let out an exaggerated groan. “You know what I love about you, Kay? Your eternal optimism.”

[bananasugarwarrior]

One of Those Days

(Bad Batch Pirate AU)

Also posted on Ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/53673571

—————————————————————————————————

Hunter emerged from below deck sweaty, as usual, but today was hot, like sunburn in 2 hours hot—and that's saying something for a Fett. Yeah… it was one of those days.

The Maurader was small by battleship standards, big enough to do some damage but still manageable by a crew of 5. The Marauder lived up to its name, and that's all the Bad Batch really needed.

Hunter let the Seawind blow his hair majestically for a blink before the winds receded. He glanced up at the Crowsnest unsurprised to find it empty, no matter how much Crosshair likes that thing, nobody wants to be closer to the sun on these days, Hunter thought. He looked back down to see Crosshair under the gangway getting sprayed by seawater periodically, nice spot. Hunter had gone below to raid the water barrel, and rations only to find the barrel nearly empty and all his meilooruns gone. He'd still spent some time looking around but found no trace of the treats.

“What's the crow doin’ out of his nest?” Hunter teased

Crosshair growled softly but remained unmoved.

Hunter smiled slightly running his hand through his gorgeous but sweaty hair and looked around once again. The others were splayed around the deck similarly, Wrecker sittin’ shirtless in the biggest slice of shade around next to a bucket, (probably for a bucket bath), Tech seated closer to the bow (for Seawind?) wearin' only loose pants and his crimson vest he’s so fond of, and Echo placed in between Wrecker and Tech’s spots—but still wearin’ his worn 501st blue coat, he must be dyin’ in that thing.

Hunter brisked over to Echo’s spot.

“Ahoy,” Hunter said

“Ahoy,” Echo responded

He was positively drenched in sweat and his face was a slight red.

“What brings ya here?” Echo asked

“Ya can't be wearin’ that coat in this heat, it's hotter than Mustafar’s seas out here.”

Echo’s face instantly turned from relaxed to cold. Hunter couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at that, what's up with him?

He hasn't taken off the coat since he got it from Rex, but he can't be wearin’ it in this heat.

“Aye,” Echo said cooly

They both paused staring. Echo made no effort to move.

“Echo…” Hunter said “You’ll get heat stroke in that, just take it off and you can have it back later”

Echo’s face then laced with sorrow, and he faced away staring at the deck. Hunter stood there for a moment waiting for him. Why’s this coat got him in such a ruffle?

Echo silently shrugged off the coat, then clenched it in his good hand. He wore a long-sleeve wool shirt underneath, Hunter raised another eyebrow to that.

Echo sighed pulled out a canteen from one of the pockets and reluctantly handed Hunter the coat. He lurched slightly from the weight of it. Wait a minute…

He padded the coat pockets.

“It was you!” Hunter accused

“What?” Echo said defensively

“You took all my meilooruns and hid them in your coat!”

Echo shrugged and smirked slightly.

“Is that why you refused to take it off?”

Echo’s barely playful manner evaporated again, and he scowled and turned to look at the sea.

“Take them, there were only 2 left,” Echo said bitterly “Wrecker ate the rest”

Hunter eyed him carefully, this was strange, even for Echo.

Even so, Hunter turned and walked over to the barracks coat in hand. Which was barely a few meters away, the Maurader was small and saw the others eyeing him from their spots on the boat. Wrecker was the first to approach him.

“Hey Cap’n, What's up with Echo?” Wrecker asked glancing at Echo

Hunter shrugged, “I can't say, it's got somethin’ to do with this coat though”

“Aye,” Wrecker agreed softly “Do you know why he’s wearin’ that thing in this heat?”

“Don't know that either, but it's drenched in sweat” Hunter commented “he also took my last meilooruns, but I don't think that's the reason”

“Maybe we should dunk him in the sea to cool him down”

“Actually that could drown him,” Tech declared walking over “his metal legs would haul him down and though I have developed countermeasures for said disaster, I would not recommend testing it”

“And I don't reckon he’s in the mood for such antics at the moment” Hunter added

The others nodded glancing at Echo.

“Do you reckon a bucket would work?” Wrecker asked mischievously

Hunter chuckled at that, “If you do try such a thing, be sure to do it smartly, or he might actually shoot you this time”

The others smiled at that memory, good times.

“I'm serious lads, you should leave him be”

With that Hunter spun and entered the barracks, a dark and smelly place, but that's a privateer’s life.

Though Crosshair was given the gift of impeccable eyesight, Hunter had been blessed with fabulous hair and the ability to see in the dark so he walked effortlessly to Echo’s hammock.

Since Echo had joined they'd worked to make a space for him, and anyway, Echo wanted to be further away from them for his reasons. Echo’s hammock was in the far corner next to his personal storage chest.

Echo would probably stab Hunter with one of his own knives if Hunter ever tried to learn the 501st pocket space trick—Hunter once saw Echo pull three pistols, a canteen of water, a dictionary, a whole meiloorun, and an entire toolbox out of his coat while the thing looked completely normal. But Hunter’d still like to know what stirred Echo so much. It was a pretty regular coat, worn, with patches and stitches here and there, but other than that, well cared for. He studied it a moment longer flipping open the collar—that’s strange— a single number, 5, was embroidered in it. Maybe it's a worn-out rendition of 501st? Hunter shrugged pulling out one of the meilooruns and tossing the coat onto Echo’s hammock making his way back on deck.

Hunted walks back up the stairs, and immediately gets dunked by a whole bucket of water. He yelps,

“Wrecker!!!” Hunter exclaims

To which Wrecker responded with roaring laughter. Okay, that was actually pretty refreshing, plus now the sweat is out of his hair. But that won't stop him from getting Wrecker back somehow.

[starseedfxofficial]

The Hidden Rounding Bottom: Mastering the Weekly Timeframe for Big Wins Imagine trading as a treasure hunt—except instead of pirates, you're up against central banks, hedge funds, and thousands of other traders trying to find the X on the map. If that doesn't sound daunting enough, here's the kicker: most traders are using the wrong map. Today, we’re going to dive deep into a rarely explored treasure trove—the weekly timeframe combined with the rounding bottom pattern. We're pulling back the curtain to reveal next-level techniques, insider insights, and hidden opportunities that most traders miss entirely. The Forgotten Power of the Weekly Timeframe Let’s face it, the majority of traders love the thrill of the 5-minute chart. The rapid ups and downs make you feel like you're on a roller coaster—and it’s exhilarating until you realize that roller coasters also come with terrifying drops. Enter the weekly timeframe. This overlooked gem offers a stable, clear view of market trends that can save you from the heartbreak of the 5-minute chart's fakeouts. The weekly chart is the serene boat ride after the roller coaster, giving you time to sip your coffee and actually see where you’re headed. The truth is, the weekly timeframe allows you to catch the real market direction. You can see the major trend—not just the noise that keeps your adrenaline pumping. It’s like being in a crowded bazaar but having a vantage point from a balcony; suddenly, all the chaos makes sense. The Rounding Bottom: A Subtle Pattern with Massive Potential Most traders know the basics: double tops, head and shoulders, and the good old trendline. But if you’re just sticking to those, you’re missing out on one of the best-kept secrets of market patterns—the rounding bottom. Imagine the market forming a big, lazy U-shape. This pattern suggests that the sellers have been exhausting their supply, while the buyers are quietly waiting, building up momentum like a spring being compressed. When combined with the weekly timeframe, the rounding bottom becomes a power move that even the pros often overlook. Why? Because it takes patience. You know, that quality we traders sometimes forget about—right alongside flossing and doing taxes on time. The weekly rounding bottom signals a significant, long-term shift, hinting at potential breakouts that can lead to some very profitable moves. Why Most Traders Miss It (And How You Can Avoid Their Mistake) Let’s be honest: staring at a chart for weeks hoping to see a bottom forming doesn’t sound thrilling, and most traders simply don’t have the discipline. We’re wired for instant gratification—click the button, see the green candle go up, celebrate like you just won the lottery. However, by focusing on shorter timeframes, traders miss out on the bigger, more reliable moves. The weekly timeframe offers the unique advantage of filtering out a lot of market noise and showing you the bigger picture. Think about it like dating. If you're analyzing someone based on a 5-minute interaction, you might be wowed by their confidence, only to find out a week later that it’s all bluster. The weekly timeframe, however, is like getting to know someone over a few dates—it's where the true story unfolds. How to Trade the Weekly Rounding Bottom Like a Pro Alright, here’s where the magic happens. When you spot a rounding bottom on the weekly timeframe, you’re looking at the potential for a trend reversal—a powerful signal for a long entry. But it’s not just about recognizing the pattern; it’s about understanding context. - Wait for Confirmation: Patience is a trader's best friend here. Look for price action that confirms the rounding bottom—perhaps a break of a key resistance level or a clear signal of buying momentum. Remember, false breakouts are like those "too good to be true" deals on vacation packages. You might end up stranded, sunburned, and out of pocket. - Use Volume as Your Guide: Volume is like the market’s microphone. When you start to see volume picking up during the bottoming process, it’s a good sign that more traders are piling in. Volume increase during the right shoulder of a rounding bottom is often a precursor to a breakout—a hidden opportunity that too many traders simply ignore. - Set Realistic Targets: Unlike the 1-minute chart where your trades may be over faster than a sneeze, the weekly chart calls for patience. You’re looking at moves that could take weeks, even months. Your profit target should be based on longer-term resistance levels—not the quick 20 pips. Ninja Tactics for Maximizing the Weekly Timeframe's Potential Most traders can spot a rounding bottom, but only the elite know how to leverage it properly. Here’s a ninja tactic: stack confluences. Don’t just trade off the rounding bottom—look for supporting elements. - Align with Fundamental Events: If you see a rounding bottom forming just as the economic indicators start favoring that particular currency pair, it’s an added sign that something big is brewing. Imagine it’s like all your favorite superheroes showing up for the same fight—that trend doesn’t stand a chance. - Divergence on RSI or MACD: If your rounding bottom coincides with a bullish divergence on the RSI or MACD, it’s a double win. Divergences are a clear sign that momentum is changing—think of it like finding a cheat code just as you’re about to lose a video game. - Support from Institutional Activity: If you track commitment of traders (COT) reports, you might notice institutional traders making moves just as a rounding bottom is forming. Institutions are like whales; if they start to move, you’ll notice. Real-World Example: Spotting Hidden Opportunities Let's take the EUR/USD back in late 2022. There was a beautiful rounding bottom forming on the weekly chart, signaling a significant trend reversal. But here’s the catch—at the same time, market sentiment reports and COT data showed increasing long positions from institutions. Most retail traders ignored this, choosing to scalp the 15-minute charts and missing the 1,000-pip run that ensued over the next few months. They say hindsight is 20/20, but if you understand how to read these signs on a weekly chart, foresight could be just as clear. The Hidden Gems in the Weekly Timeframe Let’s bring this home. The weekly timeframe is often overlooked by day traders who love the excitement of quick trades, but the best opportunities come to those who wait and observe patiently. The rounding bottom is a pattern that embodies this patience—it’s a sign that the market has gone through a period of doubt and fear, but is slowly ready to turn back up. But here's where you have the edge: now you understand not just the pattern itself, but how to leverage it, stack confluences, and align your trades with bigger market narratives. The next time you find yourself tempted to stare at a 5-minute chart, remember the power of zooming out. Take a step back, watch the rounding bottom complete itself, and then, when the time is right—strike. After all, even the best ninjas know that timing is everything. Time to Act If you’re ready to move beyond the frantic pace of the lower timeframes and start uncovering hidden opportunities on the weekly chart, then it’s time to put these strategies into practice. The rounding bottom isn’t just a pretty shape; it’s a roadmap to market sentiment and a guide to profit when executed correctly. Curious about how to align this strategy with the latest market news and indicators? Check out our real-time updates to stay informed on key market movements and emerging trends at StarseedFX Forex News Today. Want to hone your skills further? Get in-depth insights, elite tactics, and the tools to take your trading to the next level at our Forex Education Center: StarseedFX Free Forex Courses. Remember, trading is a game of patience and strategy—not just speed. Patience pays, and now you have a map that’s a bit more complete. —————– Image Credits: Cover image at the top is AI-generated   Read the full article

[fantomcomics]

What’s Out This Week? 11/30

We hope everyone had a safe & restful holiday!

Sunburn TP -  Andi Watson & Simon Gane

Rachel is a teenager who lives a gray suburban life in gray suburban England. It's a world of brown sauce, warm beer, and scrambled eggs every Tuesday. With her summer already mapped out for her-a job working at the butcher and a caravan holiday in Clacton-it seems like this year will only bring more of the same. So when family friends invite her to spend the summer with them in Greece, she jumps at the chance to escape her life and finally be treated like an adult.

The Warners are everything her parents are not-glamorous, sophisticated, and carefree-and when Rachel meets Benjamin, a handsome young friend of the Warners, her summer seems to be taking a turn for the better. But there's no escaping the pains of growing up, and she'll soon learn that life on a small island where everyone knows each other's business may not be all it's cracked up to be.

In The Clear Moonlit Dusk GN Vol 1 -  Mika Yamamori

Yoi Takiguchi's long legs, deep voice, and handsome face are the perfect recipe for an attractive guy-until people realize she is, in fact, a girl. Dubbed a "prince" by her peers since childhood, Yoi has all but given up on being seen as anything else. That is, until she bumps into Ichimura-sempai, the school's other prince (who's a he) and gets a taste of what it feels like to be seen for her true self. The story of the two high school princes starts here!

Plush #1 (of 6) -  Doug Wagner, Daniel Hillyard & Rico Renzi

Serial-killing, cannibalistic furries! PLASTIC and VINYL creators DOUG WAGNER & DANIEL HILLYARD are back. This time, they've recruited colorist extraordinaire RICO RENZI for their disturbing "neon-horror" spin on fursuit psychopaths and bizarre love.   In PLUSH, Devin Fulcher is coerced into attending his first furry convention. When he accidentally happens upon a group of furries devouring a human, the insanity begins. Do they just want Devin for dinner... or something much more wicked?

Koshchei In Hell #1 (of 4) -  Mike Mignola & Ben Stenbeck

The world above may be over, and Hellboy gone with it, but Koshchei is still in Hell content with his wine and his books-until an old face arrives and brings Koshchei a critical task. An old and powerful foe is returning, and Koshchei must take up his sword and defend the city from destruction.

Magic: Nahiri The Lithomancer #1 -  Seanan McGuire, Kath Lobo & Ariel Olivetti

Nebula, Hugo, Locus, and Alex Award-winning novelist Seanan McGuire (Ghost-Spider) returns to the world of Magic: The Gathering along with Kath Lobo to bring Nahiri the Lithomancer to comics! Nahiri-also known as The Harbinger-has protected her home plane of Zendikar for centuries, her ruthlessness and terrible deeds kept in check by a strong sense of justice. But her fate is far from decided, and a new challenge awaits that may change the way the entire Multiverse perceives her...

Penguina One Shot -  Julie Devin

Sent in a dimensional portal ship and landing in the Antarctic as a baby, Penguina is found and raised by Samurai Penguin. Leaving to see the world once she's grown, she finds out she has the ability to mimic powers of any comic character if she reads the comic but only for 1 hour!  To keep a low profile, she takes a secret identity working as in intern at a small comic company...until Penguina is needed!

Star Wars The High Republic Adventures #1 -  Daniel Jose Older, Tony Bruno & Harvey Tolibao

For young Padawan Sav Malagan, joining the ranks of the noble Jedi Order has been all she's ever wanted. But a chance encounter with a crew of eccentric misfits makes her question everything she's taken for granted in her life. Trapped aboard the ship of infamous space pirate Maz Kanata, will Save ever be able to rejoin the Jedi? And if she spends much long with Maz and her crew, will she even want to?

I’m A Terminal Cancer Patient, But I’m Fine GN -  Hilnama

After being diagnosed with terminal colon cancer, the creator documents her physical and emotional journey through treatment in this powerful memoir manga. At 38 years old, Hilnama, a manga artist, is diagnosed with colon cancer. Never one to lose hope or give in to despair, she begins cancer treatments despite the deadly diagnosis. But when going through such a grueling process, it can be difficult to keep a positive outlook. When faced with the struggles and trials of life, Hilnama turns to what she knows: writing and creating manga again, drawing herself as a rabbit in a world of humans and hospitals. This poignant and down-to-earth account of diagnosis, treatment, and living with terminal disease will be a reference for positivity and perseverance for years to come.  

Whatcha snagging this week, Fantomites? 

[peachmouthwash]

No but the thing about Our Flag Means Death is it commits as a pirate show as much as it does a romance and a comedy: it's full of blood, dirt, infections, sunburn, injury, disease etc. It succeeds as a pirate story. Just look at Stede after he gets near-hanged! He looks like shit for the rest of the episode, there are red welts on his neck and his face is a mess.

It has as much impact in those terms as the genuinely frightening bits of What We Do in the Shadows. Shadows succeeds as a vampire show, a horror show, as well as a comedy. Doing one well is seasoning for the other.

[tinyravenfeathers]

Ceremony! By TinyRavenFeathers, your celebrant and ministeroni

Dearly beloved, who are all descended from pirates, we are gathered here today (while wearing colanders on our heads to prove our faith) to join chronicoverachiever and hug-them-trees in the semi-realistic and 45% holy bonds of matrimony under the auspices of Great Big Meatballs Itself, the Flying Spaghetti Monster, may Its Noodly Appendages never whither in vain.

Chronic and Hug, you have come here today of your own free will and, in the presence of your narwhals and space coconuts, have declared your love of Charlie Cox and commitment to this ongoing joke that is now, like, a month old.

As you know in the Pastafarian religion, there’s a beer volcano in heaven.  And you know who else likes a beer volcano?  Matt Murdock! You cannot tell me that Josie's beer wouldn't make an awesome Beer Volcano! And Matt Murdock, who is played by Charlie Cox and coincidentally, was the subject of a gif I added to a comment about keeping one’s temper that…and here’s where it gets weird!  caused these two awesome people to plan this trading of pasta-rings or at least of pixels, would definitely approve.  If that’s not pirate-y enough for you, chomp on this:  Beer Volcano Matt Murdock.  Bam.  You see what I’m cooking here?  It’s like the Flying Spaghetti Monster dripped marinara all over this!

And that’s what tumblr and Pastafarianism is all about!  It’s the pure serotonin that happens when mutuals get on the same wavelength and keep a bit going for about 100 posts. I don't know if it's actually been 100, I wasn't keeping track. Do you think I type like this all the time? No! No one else will read this, especially that dude from 20 years ago that I had a crush on who insinuated he'd like to read my fanfic and I really hope he doesn't, because it's a mess. There's no way it's going to make a good impression on him. Seriously, just an absolutely directionless three-legged dog of me trying to find myself as a writer. I'm just writing it to make myself happy.

It limps along but you know the thing about dogs? They never feel sorry for themselves. We see a three-legged dog and go 'awwww, poor puppy!' and the dog is like 'hey, I'm still moving and doing my thing, everything's copasetic!' And likewise, no one else has to read my stupid and ill-conceived double-derived drivel. It's mary-sue-esque, half-insert fluff and smut (and thanks for the encouragement in that area @jenksel ! You will be my downfall. Much love!) that probably tells people way too much about me and I'm constantly 20 minutes from nuking my entire online presence from orbit. Kill it with fire!

And hey, speaking of killing things with fire, I really do want to go to Burning Man, where apparently there's a metric ton of skinny people throwing an art show and being wacky in the desert. That's enough for anyone who's ever enjoyed a sammich to eventually have an existential crisis. They ought to fly the Samaritans out there just for moral support and occasional free rub-downs with SPF 80+. And now please notice that this nefarious plan will put elderly British people in the middle of the Nevada desert; if the juxtaposition of Burner culture and Colonizer culture is not comedic gold waiting to happen, I'll eat my stylish pirate hat. I'm hoping for Are You Being Served? but with sunburn.

Seriously though, deserts are dangerous on all levels for humans, which is why most of ancient humanity spent a ton of energy on leaving the freaking desert.

But one thing my extensive research about Burning Man has turned up: You are responsible for your well-being. Eat the strawberries if a tiger is coming for you, babes. Write the words, dance in the moonlight, drink the mead, crush on the person you might have had a chance with, or the ones that will never know your name. Take responsibility for your own happiness.  Whatever you decide to do, the Flying Spaghetti Monster hopes you will maximize your well-being and the well-being of all sentient beings, on this, your 45% of a special day and every day.

Thus, by the powers vested in me by the interwebs, webber-netters, Charlie Cox although he doesn’t know it, Matt Murdock who knows it even less,  AskANinja, and the Flying Spaghetti Monster Itself, I now pronounce you person and other person and maybe Charlie Cox even though he's already married and Catholic to boot, we won't hold that against him. You may now trade pasta-rings if you got them, pixels if you don’t. The shoes and Cadbury eggs are for everybody.

Rock on. R'Amen!

-----

@chronicoverachiever @hug-them-trees

I'm scheduling this for as early as possible on August 13th so it will appear first thing on your dash. Right now it's 11 PM on the 12th for me, so I'm going to bed!

Much love,

Tiny

[let-them-read-fics]

Rivalries Of The High Seas

Requested By Anon: "Pirate AU, enemies to lovers."

AU: Pirate

Pairing: Captain!Rosé x Fem!Captain!Reader

Word Count: ~ 7,375

Warnings / Misc. -- Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Major Injury (Inflicted On Reader), Dangerous Situations, Fluff

Disclaimer: This writing is a work of fiction, and no disrespect is meant for those mentioned herein.

A/N: Anon, thank you for this one! I've never seen the movie you mentioned in your request, but you did well in explaining what you wanted to see here. I had a lot of fun with this one, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

PS ~ Captain Rosé could step on me and I'd say thank you

♡ Happy Reading ♡

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

Death isn't a new thing to you. It isn't some far-off, enigmatic fear capable of tearing down your psyche anytime the topic is brought up. In fact, you're faced with the harsh realities of it almost everyday, given your ranking. Even still, when you woke up this morning, you hadn't expected for the day to consist of you meeting your end. 

Your hands remain clasped together tightly, bound to the rickety wooden chair you've been securely strapped into by layers of rope and chains. Your wrists burn as the rough material pulls against your skin, surely leaving dark marks by now, but that's the least of your worries as you eye the bandits standing before you. Their faces hold smug grins, cheeks pulling back in eerie smiles to reveal crooked teeth. "I won't give you the pleasure of seeing me beg for my life. I accept my fate." You say bravely, holding your head high. 

"How noble, Captain." They sneer, leaning far too close for comfort. You fight the gag that works its way up your throat at the smell of them, the wicked stench burning your nostrils as it invades them. 

"Even if you escape now, the rest of my crew will come for you." Rosé finally speaks from behind you, sitting in the same state as you as she glares at the surrounding men. Her fingers futilely pull at your shared restraints for the millionth time, brushing along your wrist in the process. 

"It's cute that you think that matters. We'll be long gone by then."

Her head lightly pushes against yours as she leans back in her chair, seeking to evade the man when he enters her personal space. For some reason unbeknownst to you, your blood boils at his actions -- though Rosé is your enemy of sorts, seeing that she's a rival captain herself, you can't help but want to keep him away from her. 

The vile creature parts her legs with an evil smirk on his lips, his filthy hand groping her thigh as he runs his fingers along her beautiful skin. She whimpers in protest, growing afraid of what he'll do to her in her captive state. Had she been unrestricted right now, she would've most definitely cut his hand off, forever reminding the world of his misdeeds. 

"Just get it over with!" You shout angrily, voice hoarse from all the screaming you've done today. You've grown tired of the game they've been playing for over an hour, flipping between beating and ridiculing you relentlessly. 

"Alright, alright," their leader chuckles, putting his hands up as he approaches you. He instructs his men to be on standby, ready to gather around the two of you and hoist you into the air. They wait for the all-clear to throw you overboard and into the chilly sea below, full of creatures you've seen during your fateful adventures over the years. There are certainly worse ways to go, and you attempt to come to terms with what's about to happen. Perhaps this is a poetic end for you -- being laid to rest in the place that you've spent most of your life and made countless memories.

"Keep those eyes on me as you fall. I want to remember what it looked like to take down the infamous Y/N L/N." You narrow your eyes at their leader, grimacing as they scan over his greasy, jet black hair and tattered overcoat. Aren't the "bad guys" supposed to at least be stylish? He's a sorry excuse for one if so. 

"Kiss my ass." You utter, spitting at him. He lunges forward, just like you expected -- seriously, why are men so predictable? -- and takes the collar of your shirt between his fingers. He delivers a swift blow to your left cheek, only allowing you a second to recover before pulling your head back up to give the same treatment to the other side. 

You can feel Rosé tense behind you, doing all she can to reach for you and offer comfort. 

With a pained groan, you spit out a mouthful of fresh blood and raise your head to look at him again. "You know, you're not nearly as observant as you think you are." You smile, ignoring the pain that shoots through your busted lip. Before he has time to react, you raise your foot in one motion, swiftly connecting it with his crotch.  How could they neglect to tie your feet? That's practically Pirate 101.

He doubles over in an instant, lungs void of the air necessary to speak another insult in retaliation to your act and body incapable of any further movement. His men make the decision for him, taking this moment as a sign to follow through with their plan and throw you over. Shouts and cheers pierce through the air above you as you make your quick descent, not even having time to say a goodbye to Rosé or offer a final word to the universe. 

Cold water immediately rushes over your heated skin as you plunge into the waves below, its frigid temperature almost taking what little breath you managed to store away in your lungs. Aided by the water's altered state of gravity, you're able to work your hips past a few of the loosely tied ropes that rested against them. 

One thing you admire about Rosé is her quick thinking. She's smart -- while you distracted the leader, she took the opportunity to pry off some of the restraints that required more time and effort, just like you hoped she would. Her slender fingers inconspicuously wiggled their way out of the ropes before freeing you from them as well, and the bandits were none the wiser. Her previous actions make this part all the more easy, and after spending a while on the final ties, the two of you kick off of your chairs and head for the surface. It's a struggle, no doubt, with the way you have to fight to bring the chains up with you and keep them from pulling you further under. But eventually you reach the surface, once again filling your lungs with that miraculously fresh air that they so desperately craved. 

The saltwater stings as it flows over your face, getting in your eyes and rushing over all the wounds you've accumulated. Rosie sputters from beside you, struggling a bit to keep her head up, so you extend an arm for her to use to push herself up. You tell yourself you're only doing it -- that is, making sure she doesn't drown -- because she'll be useful in helping you survive. Deep down, though, your intentions extend further than that. 

Once you find a steady rhythm with the waves and the fear of drowning subsides for the time being, you scan the horizon line. "I see land -- over there." You say, using your head to point to what looks to be an island in the distance. "We'll swim when we have the energy and float when we need rest, okay?" She nods in response, and the two of you get set on your way. 

-----

Huffing from the pure exhaustion coursing through your bodies, you manage to drag yourselves onto shore before collapsing. The sand serves as a good place to lay, almost cradling you the longer you lay there. Tiny, rippling waves -- the aftershocks of much bigger ones -- lull into shore, fluttering past your ankles before being pulled back in by the tide. They lap against your skin, remedying your racing mind with their rhythm. Minutes pass in this cycle, setting you in a state of comfort before you remember everything you'll have to do before nightfall.

Once gaining enough strength, you raise your head and peek over at your rival.

She's sleeping. Of course. You can't blame her, but the sun -- once blazingly hot, perched high up in the sky -- is now setting, giving you a preview of the darkness that the night sky will hold. She turns, rolling her head towards you in her sleep, and you almost smile -- a light dusting of sand sticks to her puffed-out cheeks, and the bridge of her nose holds a small sunburn, making her look sunkissed and blushy. Y/N, stop that, you command yourself, shaking your head at your thoughts. She's your enemy, and she's the reason you're even in this mess in the first place. 

"Wake up," you nudge her, reverting back to your previously tense demeanor. The anger you possess for the situation you're in is returning en masse, wiping the pleasant thoughts of Rosé from your mind. 

She groans, keeping her eyes tightly shut as she attempts to ignore you. "Roseanne, we have to get up." Your voice is strong, commanding her just like your crew. Your crew, you think to yourself. Some of them were killed by the bandits while others were thrown into the prison chambers of your ship, left at the mercy of your enemies until they decide what they want to do with them. Your people are inventive and strong -- they'll likely find a way out of the sticky situation and reclaim victory. For now, though, you're left to worry about their fates as you attempt to survive on this island. If the elements and animals don't kill you first, the gorgeous woman beside you most definitely will. 

"I'm up!" She all but shouts, following another prodding from you. Her eyes flutter open and she instinctively raises her hand to wipe her face -- you catch the chains before they can make contact and harm her, and she sends you an appreciative look. "Guess I forgot about these…" she shakes her arms, jiggling your restraints in the process, "Oopsie."

"Come on." You say, standing up and pulling her along with you. Her dilly dallying is making you impatient, and it only increases your levels of irritation. You don't have time to waste. 

"We have to break these," she states the obvious, searching the shore for a decently sized rock.

A sarcastic gasp slips past your lips as you look at her. "You don't say! I was thinking we'd just leave them on." She turns to glare at you, narrowing her eyes as she stops walking. Dear god, there's no time for this. With a mumbled "here we go", you allow her to continue. 

"You know, we wouldn't be in this mess if it wasn't for you." 

"Me?!" You shout, completely taken aback. "Quite the contrary, Rosé. You're the one who led them to us!"

"If you would've accepted my offer, none of this would've happened. But you refuse to team up with anyone else. Look at where that got us now." She motions around herself to the island, expression settling back into an annoyed scowl as her eyes settle on you again. 

"It's not my fault that my crew is more trained than yours; I had no reason to merge our teams."

"An agreement would've solidified our strength!" She yells, stomping her foot into the sand. Her boots managed to survive the long trip here, but their material is completely soaked.

"I'm responsible for my crew, and my crew only. I had no decent reason to bring yours in with mine. It's just a liability and more mouths to feed." You say evenly, clenching and releasing your jaw a few times. 

She begins to fire off her rebuttal, but you tune her out for the most part and start walking further inland. She has no choice but to follow, and she does so while adamantly complaining. You throw occasional jabs to her arguments in order to keep her moving, and your plan works well. She's too busy bickering with you to notice that she's doing exactly what you want her to.

"...and you're so arrogant, Y/N! I mean, really. God, you're infuriating." 

"Are you done yet?" You ask, cocking your head to the side while you simply blink at her. She squints at you, about to give you another piece of her mind, but you glance down at the rock you led her to and she closes her mouth. 

"You can keep screaming at me or we can break these chains. Your choice." You shrug, pursing your lips. She cuts her eyes at you, but agrees with a huff, nonetheless. 

The two of you work together to find fittingly sized rocks, taking turns dropping them on your restraints and methodically working them against them. Eventually the chains give way, allowing your hands to wiggle out of their strict hold. You're the first to free yourself; once you're done, you find Rosé struggling in silence, refusing to ask for your help. 

"Here," you offer, extending a hand to her. Doing nice things for people without gaining something for yourself isn't something you do often -- you've been raised differently; grown more independent and self-serving after your time on the sea. 

"Oh, now you want to work together?" She quirks an eyebrow.

You put your hands up with an amused grin. "I don't have to help, feel free to do it alone." You stand, dusting the sand off of your clothes as you begin to walk away and investigate the island. She calls out behind you, annoyed shouts getting further and further away as you just smile and continue your journey. 

------

"Ah, glad you could join us again." You smirk, adding some kindling to the small fire you managed to set up during her time away. 

"Shut it," she bites back, glaring at you. 

"Tough crowd," you laugh, raising your eyebrows. For once, she doesn't say anything back. She busies herself with removing her shoes and socks, setting them next to the source of heat to dry before disappearing into the tree line. She returns a few minutes later, carrying with her a few different branches. Some of them are forked at the top, and she arranges them into a sturdy structure beside the fire as well. You try not to focus on how strong she looks as she does it, her muscles glistening in the fading evening light with a sheet of sweat.

To your surprise, she begins stripping. 

First her overcoat, which she drapes across the branch acting as a beam between the forked ones, and then her vest. She wrings them out individually, and you watch as the materials drip with what water hadn't already evaporated yet. The loose linen undershirt that she wears remains on, and you're thankful for that -- had she taken it off as well, you likely would've passed out. The blush on your cheeks deepens as you feel her eyes on you, and you keep your gaze trained on the fire. 

"Well? Are you planning to stay in those clothes all night?" She asks, running a hand through her hair to fix it and get some of the sand out. 

"If I didn't know better I'd say you're trying to get me naked, Rosie." You play, smiling harder when you see her roll her eyes and look away. 

"You wish," she scoffs, though you can see her stealing glances at you as you remove your clothes. She admires the shadows that the fire casts over your body, the flames dancing as they offer their beautiful warmth. The two of you go way back, having grown up as frenemies due to your professions, but she's always had a soft spot for you. You piss her off to no end, and yet somehow she can think of plenty worse people to be stuck with.

After catching her staring, you decide to tease her. You flex your muscles, making sure to be extra and really make a show of it. She blushes, hiding behind her hands to escape the situation. 

"Awww, somebody's shy." You say, chuckling at her. 

"Am not," she protests, though her sheepish grin sells her out.

"Prove it," you challenge, a mischievous smile tugging at the corners of your lips. Teasing her is one of your favorite pastimes. 

Tired of the games, she gathers all of the courage she possesses and stands, slowly sauntering her way over to you. Your eyes take in the sight of her, and she smirks; she works hard to stay in shape, and she knows she looks good. Countless weeks spent at sea, working alongside her crew on long voyages has left her with artfully tanned skin and a physique to die for. You go to compliment her, but she stops you before you have the chance, pressing a finger to your pursed lips. She trails it lower, blazing a path across your jawline and chest, stopping at your ribs. Your breath hitches, and she definitely feels it. You curse yourself for being so easy, already knowing what's coming. 

"Who's shy now, sweetheart?" She purrs out, smiling victoriously. 

How she's capable of switching demeanors so easily baffles you, but it ensures that no interaction with her will be boring, if nothing else. 

"Yeah, yeah," you grumble, pushing her away to break the growing tension. She's looking at you with some glint in her eye that you can't quite place -- all you know is that if she keeps doing it, things might escalate to a place neither of you are prepared for.

You clear your throat and step around her to adjust your clothes on the drying rack. "You can go ahead and sleep. I'll stay awake and keep the fire going."

She nods with a slight frown on her lips, though you don't see it. "Alright. But wake me up when you get too tired, okay?" You assure her you will, though truthfully your body is aching for sleep right now. The beating you took earlier did its worst on you, leaving your skin bruised and muscles knotted. She deserves to rest, though, and you're okay with giving her the first shift of it. Besides, your mind would surely keep you awake for the better part of an hour -- at least it'll be used to its fullest with her. 

What you don't realize, however, is that when she lays down beside you, cuddling into the sorry attempt for a bedroll that you threw together, she merely pretends to fall asleep. Likewise, when she settles her head in your lap, searching for a more comfortable place to lay it, she's fully conscious. She lazily smiles when you run your hands through her hair, wrapping the locks around your fingers in mindless patterns before releasing them and starting over. It's soothing, and soon enough she calms her eager heart enough to slip away to dreamland. 

--- A Few Days Later --- 

"Wakey wakey…" Rosé sing-songs, hovering over you. The two of you have settled into this familiar rhythm over the past few days, spending the daytime searching for food and supplies and taking shifts to sleep through the night. You've almost always ended up taking the latter opportunity, though sometimes Rosé would force you to rest first if you needed it badly enough. 

"Mmm," you groan in disapproval, rolling over. The sun is far too bright, and your upgraded bed situation is much too comfortable to offer any valid reason for you to leave it. Rosé knows how difficult it is to get you up, but she's learned some very useful tactics. 

"Y/N…" she drawls, voice like honey as it releases your name with care. Her lips are next to your ear, teasing you as her warm breath fans across your neck. You audibly swallow, not prepared for that in the slightest, and slowly peek your eyes open. She raises a hand to shield your face from the unforgiving sun, and you smile at the domesticity of the act. She looks like a dream -- her hair is fanned out, swaying peacefully in the calm breeze that rolls in from the sea, and she's grinning that killer smile down at you. Her previous sunburn has turned into a tan now, making her look even more irresistible somehow. 

"What do you want to do today?" You ask, lacing your fingers together as you put them behind your head. They work as a cradle, cushioning your head from the sand.

"I saw some berry bushes on the north side of the island. They didn't look like any poisonous kind I've studied about, so maybe we could check them out?" She suggests, sitting back on her knees with a quirked brow. 

"Sounds like a plan." You smile lazily, gazing up at her. A light pattern of freckles paints her cheeks, and you can't help but grin at how adorable she is. 

"What is it?" She asks skeptically, squinting at you. 

"You're just too cute for your own good, is all." You sigh, content as you stand up and tug a blushing Rosé behind you. She closes the "door" behind herself, sealing off the entryway to your humble abode. It's a panel of leaves and sticks, built to be sturdy yet lightweight and easy to move. She built it herself, and a sweet smile works its way onto her lips as she remembers the praise you sent her way after she presented it to you. 

--------

"If you don't slow down then I'm gonna slap you," she says, peering up at the trees that loom high overhead. In her distracted state, she neglects to look where she's going.

Her rambling is cut short by your hand darting out in front of her, effectively stilling her movements and words. You glance at the ground, prompting her eyes to follow the path they made and widen upon realizing what you just saved her from. An animal -- some wretched cross between a scorpion and pincher beetle -- continues its trip across the downed log that lays in front of you, menacing in its appearance. 

"Thank you," she breathes out, leaning into your side as you hold her and direct her away from danger. 

"Do me a favor and don't die, okay?" You quirk, scrunching your face up at her humorously. She shoves you, holding up her middle finger as she walks ahead and blazes a path for the two of you. You chuckle, grinning stupidly as you follow after her. 

--- 3 Hours Later --- 

"Take cover," you shout to an imaginary army, seeking refuge behind the base of a large tree. Rosé chuckles maniacally from behind one of the berry bushes, her fingers lightly stained from the juices that are running down her palm. 

"Nice try, Y/N. But you can't escape… CAPTAIN ROSÉ!" She shouts, surprising you as she charges in your direction, pelting you with berry after berry. You squeal, evading as many of the makeshift missiles as you can by darting behind different greenery. She eventually catches up, snaking her arms around your waist and preventing you from getting away again.

"NO!" You exclaim, slumping further into her arms in defeat after your attempts to escape prove futile. She spins you around to face her, pressing your back up against the nearest tree as the two of you practically double over with laughter. She looks ethereal, with how she shines in the sunlight that sneaks its way through the canopy of tree tops above you. Her eyes are almost closed from how hard she's smiling at you. 

A sharp growl breaks the happy moment, perking your ears up and causing your heart to race for a different reason entirely. You glance around the tree, protectively stepping in front of Rosé to shield her from any new threat. An animal -- something you've never seen before -- bares its teeth, snarling aggressively as it sets its sights on you. Your blood runs cold in your veins, stopping your heart momentarily as your brain attempts to formulate a plan on the fly. With only a few precious moments left before it attacks, you glance around for anything to double as a weapon without making any sudden movements. 

Rosé is clutched onto you from behind, and you can feel her heart beating wildly. You have to protect her, no matter what. 

"On my count, I want you to climb into this tree. I'm going to try and defend us." From what little knowledge you've inferred in the past couple minutes, you doubt the animal is capable of climbing well; it doesn't have the body or feet for it. You fear it is capable of running quickly, though, so the tree is likely your best bet. 

"What? No, I'm going to--"

"Roseanne, please, for once, just do as I ask. Trust me." You plead over your shoulder, noting the slight tremble that runs through her as another roar echoes out. Your eyes remain trained on it, never backing down for a second. 

One steadying breath later, you shout, "Now!" and swoop down to pick up what helpful materials you can. You charge at the animal, taking the offensive in order to keep as much distance possible between it and Rosé. You successfully jab the sharpened stick into its side, causing it to wail in pain. In an instant it grabs your arm, wrapping it's paws around you as it lunges forwards and tumbles to the ground on top of you. A scream leaves your lips as you watch its teeth dig further into your flesh, garnering deep crimson blood to spill from your developing wounds. You protect your neck with your other arm, only breaking this rule to reach to your side and retrieve the heavy rock you brought along as well. It connects with the side of the animal's head, only making it whimper before loosening its grip the slightest bit. You weren't prepared for it to be such a tough enemy. You use your strength to roll it over and sit on top of it, keeping your arm in its grip to ensure that it stays occupied. Your fingers dig into every sensitive part of its body you can reach, performing the defense moves you've spent your life practicing to use. With a glance at Rosé, you find her safe in the tree, just like you wanted. 

"Run!" You shout, willing to keep the creature distracted in order to give her time to escape. Before you can see if she listens to you, it's nails claw into your abdomen, scratching painful designs into the previously smooth skin. It performs another death roll, and you barely have the strength to shank it in the side again. It howls, rearing back to go for your jugular before its movements are abruptly cut short. An unsettling crack rings out above you, and you open your eyes after not receiving the fatal blow you had been expecting. The animal scampers away from you, limping off further into the forest until it's out of sight. 

Rosé drops the large branch in her hand, the end of it lightly stained with blood. "Go..." you weakly mumble, eyes beginning to flutter closed as you notice how much blood you've already lost. You feel cold, and you have to fight the shiver that runs through you.

"I've got you, Y/N." She whispers, cradling your fragile frame in her arms as she picks you up and begins the journey back to camp. "You did good." She reassures, having no idea how much you needed to hear that before falling unconscious. 

---------

After gathering the medicinal plants and resources that the two of you have accumulated so far, she returns to the fireside, settling down beside you. She raises your shirt enough to have access to your wounds, but not far enough to expose you. Temperate water meets your bloodied and broken skin, rushing over the sensitive areas as she gently cleans them. Once dry, she mixes the materials into a sort of salve to rub on them before laying the plants on them in place of bandages. 

The crackling of the fire works with the crashing of distant waves to serve as background noise, making the night far more peaceful than the day had been. She allows you to continue resting, knowing you need all of it that you can get. 

About an hour or so later you wake with a start, hands reaching out as if you were right back in front of the animal. Your dreams were plagued with images of the nightmarish beast, and you're having trouble adjusting to the fact that they were all in your head. They felt so real. Rosé is by your side in an instant, brushing your hair out of your face with one hand while caressing your thigh with the other -- it's one of the only places that made it out of battle relatively unscathed. Your panicked eyes find hers, glazed over with tears as you pull her flush against your body, glad to know she's okay. Her warmth reminds you that she's here, that she's real, and that she's safe. 

Memories of your fight come flooding back, filling your mind with the terrifying things you witnessed and reigniting your fight or flight response. You remember that she didn't listen to you -- she put herself in harm's way instead of leaving you behind, like you asked -- and you grow angry. Muttered phrases of disapproval leave your lips as you push her away, stumbling slightly when you try to stand on your own. Although confused by your erratic behavior, she reaches out to assist you, only to be met with a harsh refusal from you. 

"Stop!" The word comes out as an angry shout -- louder than you originally intended -- but you can't find it in yourself to apologize right now. You find your footing after a moment, holding your side as you walk away from her. 

"What's your problem?" She shouts, marching after you. She refuses to let this go without a fight, seeing as how she has plenty more questions than answers now.

"You could've gotten hurt, Rosé, and I could've handled it on my own." You say over your shoulder, continuing on your journey away from camp. Her relentlessness is quickly getting on your nerves.

"Clearly you couldn't! You needed help; why are you denying that?" She stops now, crossing her arms angrily with her brows furrowed. The fact that you're still so set on clinging to your pride is pissing her off. 

"You should've left me there! I can't have you getting hurt because of me." You turn around now, setting your jaw. Is she really this blind? This has nothing to do with your pride. Her eyes meet yours, the pools overflowing with confusion as they scan over your face in search of clarification.

"I can handle something happening to me; I've made my peace with that. But if something ever happened to you because of my incompetence…" you shake your head at the mere thought of that, momentarily too overwhelmed to continue, "...I wouldn't know what to do with myself. I care about you, idiot." You add that last line before turning around, not bothering to wait on her reaction. Part of you is scared to, honestly, and the day has been far too eventful for you to handle a potential rejection on top of everything else. 

She says nothing, leaving the air around you void of her beautiful voice, and you don't know whether to be thankful or disheartened. 

You put more distance between the two of you, leaving a stunned Rosé in your wake as you find a place to sit along the shoreline. Your temper -- more precisely, the fear you hold that presents itself as anger -- reared its head tonight. You didn't mean to snap at her like that, but the possibility of her getting hurt because of you makes your blood boil. That would be unforgivable, and you wouldn't be able to live with yourself. You felt helpless earlier, quickly running out of the strength required to keep her safe.

Salty tears manage to break past your line of defenses, much like Rosé has managed to do with your heart. She's torn down every wall you've ever put up to protect yourself, and now that she's there you don't know how to cope. You've had people you considered close before, but none of them have mattered like she does. You've never been so afraid of losing someone. 

A soft hand on your shoulder makes you jump slightly, pulling you from your thoughts. Speak of the devil.

"Hey." She says simply, sitting down beside you. You turn your face away, not wanting to let her see you cry. "I'm sorry for fighting, okay? But I'm not sorry for helping you. I care about you, too, and I'll be damned to just leave you like that." She doesn't say anything else, doesn't try to make you look at her -- she just sits there, waiting for you to be ready to do so on your own. 

She's waited on you since you were teenagers, so she figures she's capable of waiting a bit longer now. Both of you are aware of the love you hold for one another; this is just the hardest part -- finally admitting it. 

"I can't lose you," you whisper, eyes full of tears that occasionally roll down your cheeks once gravity finds its footing. You turn to the front, still too emotional to look into her eyes. 

"Ditto. That's why I did what I did." 

Your knees are raised and pulled in close to your body for security, your arms wrapped around them to keep them in place. She reaches over to rest her hand on yours, wordlessly coaxing you into looking at her. 

"I…" You pause, voice breaking with the emotions you're still reeling from. 

"I know." She says, resting her forehead against yours. 

"I love you, too." 

She pulls you in, making sure to be gentle and not injure you any further. She raises your head to press her lips against yours, tasting the faint hint of wildberry that still rests on them from earlier. It's slow and new, giving you a break from the intensity you've been dealing with the past few days. You tilt your head to the right, letting out a whimper as her fingers graze a bruised spot on your ribs. She gives you another peck before pulling away, determined to stop herself while she still can. You're addicting, and she already can't get enough of you. 

A beat passes between you, giving you time to sort the thoughts rushing around your mind. "I've always loved you." You admit, pulling back to look at her. Tears well in her eyes, shining brightly in the brilliant moonlight as they threaten to fall. 

"Ever since we commanded our own boats for the first time. Mine was better, of course," she laughs at that, smiling despite herself, "...but I knew you were different then. I've spent all these years being too stubborn to let myself have you." 

She takes your words in, her heart pounding victoriously in her chest at your confession. "I knew when we were still training together. You always made things better for me then; I was so thankful to know you. Even if we teased the hell out of each other." 

You grin at the countless memories that come to mind. "Do you remember that night at the docks, after we graduated from our classes?" She looks up, searching her memory vault. "When you kissed me?" She asks. You nod, looking down with a bashful smile. 

"I knew we wouldn't see each other for a while, so I wanted to make it count."

"You made it really hard to say goodbye, you know?" She says, her eyes softening as she looks at you. 

"I know. But you get half of the blame." 

She tuts at you, nudging you playfully. You hiss in pain, causing her to bring a hand up to cover her growing smile. "Oops. Sorry, not sorry." 

"If I wasn't hurting so bad I'd tackle you right now." 

"Oh, I'm so scared." She laughs, mocking you. 

"That's it," you declare, ignoring the pain that shoots through your body with all the moving you're doing. Her laugh practically heals you anyway, so it's not hard to push it from your mind. You press her into the sand, rolling over to straddle her hips and pin her hands above her head. 

"Woah, tiger. Don't hurt yourself." She raises her head as much as her restrained state will allow, coming dangerously close to your face. 

"You're such a dork." You tut, leaning in to capture her lips once more. She mumbles out a, "you love it, though" against you, and your heart can't help but soar. 

- A Few Weeks Later -

A soft melody rides along the airwaves towards your ears, persuading you to wake up from your cozy slumber. You cuddle further into Rosie's tempting embrace, smiling at the way she pulls you impossibly closer. Her throat wiggles as she hums out a familiar tune from your childhood -- one of the songs you used to dance together to. 

"You big softie." You coo, resting your chin on her chest to look into her eyes with a smile. She grins, finally peeking at you through her lashes. 

"Good morning, beautiful." She says, her accent coming through adorably. She pulls you up to her lips for a kiss before rolling you onto your back. 

You sigh as she leaves open mouth kisses to your neck, dragging her lips over the skin there lazily. She takes her time, leaving marks here and there to show the world who you belong to. Her hands skim over the warm skin of your abdomen, finally free of the intense wounds you've been recovering from. Only small scars are left now, serving as a testament to what you endured.

"Mmm, I'm hungry. Let's go get something to eat." She chuckles at that, her head falling forward to rest against your shoulder as her body shakes with laughter. 

"You're thinking about food while I'm kissing you?" She grins, propping herself up on her arm to look down at you lovingly. 

"What can I say? I'm a hungry girl." You kiss her cheeks, ghosting your lips over hers. "Although," you tease the corner of her mouth, "...you're looking pretty tasty right about now. I might just eat you instead." 

She squeals as you crawl on top of her, pretending to bite her skin as you tickle her sides. 

"I surrender!" She shouts, finally giving into you. You kiss her one last time before pulling away and practically dragging her out of the structure. 

"I'll get started on cooking the fish if you grab some water." You offer, rustling through your handmade crate for the skewers you use to prepare food. 

"Alright," she nods, kissing you on the cheek before grabbing your canteens and setting off towards the freshwater spring not far from camp. 

"Be careful!" You call out after her, smiling when she turns around to face you with her hands in the form of a heart. 

---------

"Good job baby. That was delicious." She compliments, leaning back against the log you use as seating beside the fire. She almost always opts to sit in the sand and rest against it for some reason, but you're long past questioning her at this point. Rosie's… unique. 

"They don't call me Chef Y/N for nothing." You quip, holding your head higher with a sense of self-importance. 

"They don't call you that anyway." 

"Hey," you pout, slapping the back of her head with no real force. "Let a girl pretend, would you?"

"Fine, my apologies." She smiles again, and you can't help but do the same. You've lost count of how many times she's made you laugh over these past few weeks, and although you hope to be rescued sooner rather than later, the thought of being stuck here with her for a while longer doesn't seem all that bad. 

"You're doing it again," she trails off, wiggling her voice up and down to tease you. 

"What?" 

"Looking at me like a lovesick puppy." Her eyes shine in the warm, tropical sunlight, pools of rich amber that you wouldn't mind getting lost in. They match the color of whiskey almost perfectly.

"Not my fault. Have you seen yourself?." She scoffs, but blushes nonetheless. You lean over to press a kiss to the top of her head affectionately. 

Your attention is stolen away all at once as you hear the words you've been imagining ever since you arrived on the island. "Land, ho!" Multiple voices bellow out in the distance, prompting you to search for their source. Collective cheering can be heard, and you swiftly stand -- as if that simple act will miraculously enable you to see better. 

"We're coming, Captain!" Jisoo, your second in command shouts, seemingly hanging off the bow of the ship -- your ship. A squad of others follows behind, maintaining a tight formation as they make their way to shore. 

"Us too, Captain!" Someone calls from one of the neighboring boats, apparently one of Rosé's crewmembers. She waves back excitedly, and you bite back the smile that tugs at your cheeks. 

Eventually they reach land.

"Y/N!" Your scout, Lisa, shrieks like a schoolgirl, running into your arms eagerly. She was the first friend you ever made during your training years, long before you met Rosé, and you were truly worried for her.

"Ah, Lisa. Jisoo." You look between the two of them proudly, glad to see them alive and well. "What happened?" 

"We managed to defeat Captain Crusty's men--" she stops to explain when she notices your brows furrowed in amused confusion, "--that's the nickname we gave the bandit leader. Anyway, we defeated them and repaired the ship enough to make it back to shore. They did some major damage, though." 

You nod, satisfied with their story, until you remember that they didn't come alone. You subtly motion your head to the other crew, and Jisoo gets the memo. "We found the rest of these pea-brains back at the docks and they insisted on coming along."

"Hey, it's not like we wanted to be stuck with you either!" Jennie, Rosé's second, hits back, defending herself and the rest of her crew. "If your moron captain would've listened to Rosé we wouldn't be here, and we wouldn't have lost anyone in the process." 

"Quiet," Rosé warns, stepping in front of her to block the two sides from each other.

Despite knowing it isn't technically your fault, Jennie's words do hold some truth. You feel guilty for all the senseless violence you could've potentially spared your people from enduring, and the what-ifs weigh heavily on your mind and heart. 

"So long as I'm still in charge, no one will disrespect Y/N or her crew. Are we clear? I won't take kindly to any of you going against me." It's a heavy warning, and her tone makes it clear that she'll be true to her word. They know better than to test her. Her eyes scan the group of misfits, all looking bewildered by her sudden change of heart. It must be a bit jarring for them, after being such bitter enemies with the others for so long. Regardless, scattered nods and grumbles of acceptance leave them before they all scurry away to get started on their tasks, looking like scolded children. 

You send Lisa and Jisoo along with the rest of your crew to go ahead and board again, seeing that you have no real equipment to pack up this time. It feels wrong to leave the island  -- the place that brought you back to Rosie and allowed you to open your heart to her -- without something to remember it by. So, with a whispered, "Wait here," you run back to camp to snatch something. 

You return soon after, a huge smile plastered on your face. "You're bringing our door?" She laughs, tilting her head at your strange choice. 

"Duh. Good to know your eyes still work, I was getting worried." You tease, giggling as she pinches you. 

"Come on baby; let's go. Last one there has to clean the poop deck." 

"Get back here!" She yells, chasing you into the chilly water with a smile. Whether she loses or not doesn't matter much to her -- she finally has you after all these years, and she can't wait to see where the future will take the two of you. 

[hyah-lian]

Ao3 link here!

I was feeling really bleh today and slept on qnd off a lot(I overdid it and went way past my comfort zones and limits yesterday), so yesterday and today's prompts are still blank. I did write one for Sick on Vacation a bit ago and I want to post it early bc I'm not sure if I'll have time tomorrow. I hope you all like it. It'll stay on tumblr for now, but I'll update to ao3 once I feel more capable.

Lowkey also some sunburn, but not counting it for the prompt bc I have another idea for that Frostbite/Sunburn one. Wind and Four and Granny! Set up: Wind woke up sick the day after they landed on his home island, and is confined to the lowest bunk in the house with cold cloths to fight the heat and fever.

Does it count as a vacation if you're at home?

---------

Four pushed open the window’s shutters and popped his head out into the sun filled day.

“Hey!” They whisper-yelled, “quiet it down, or move along!” 

Wind whined and slammed himself back into the pillows. Four turned back and raised an eyebrow at the sailor. The chatter of the rest of the chain outside on the sandy clay path heading to the beach filtered in past Four with the sea breeze.

“I can’t believe it! Its so unfair!” Wind scowled, squinting at the thatched ceiling. He knew he was whining, but couldn’t help his voice pitching while he was so busy trying to stop the spinning room and rocking head.

“Nothing ever happens when we come to Outset,” he scrubbed at his eyes. Damn it. “Its always sunny, and fun, and nothing happens, and-!”

“Settle down, Link,” Grandma petted back his bangs from his roasting forehead. She tossed Four a sly wink, “your friends, here, are going to want some cheese to go with that vintage whine of yours.”

“Gramma!” Wind rolled his eyes in an exaggeratedly wide arc as she laughed into the kiss she placed on his forehead.

He laughed anyway, and Four smiled along. Their face stung with the sunburn, but chapped lips be damned. Wind smiled despite his own chapped lips and poorly appearance. Four wrung out and passed a new cooled facecloth to Grandma.

“Thank you, Four,” Grandma smiled over at him after plopping on on Wind’s forehead, “do you want anything for that burn of yours, dear? I’m grabbing our esteemed pirate some more ice and some ingredients for dinner from Beedle’s float, so if he’s got anything you boys need, I can get it.”

“No thank you, ma’am, I think what we’ve got in our bags is alright for now.”

“I bet you Wild and Sky are gonna swim out to his dingy and torment him without us,” Wind pouted.

“They shan't be dear,” Grandma patted Wind’s shoulder, “Beedle has set up on the dock lately. With you gone on adventures nobody swims out to meet him anymore.”

Wind rolled over to face the wall, sniffling. Four didn’t dare mention the watery look in the sailor’s eyes. It felt a bit like prying to be sitting in the small house with the family while Wind was upset like this.

“I want to go swim out to his boat and torment him.”

“I know,” Wind’s grandma rubbed his back a little more roughly than Four thought one should do to someone who is laid up with a fever. “I know. You will.”

“I can go get those errands done for you, if you’d like? I think if I borrowed a hat with a brim it would be okay-” Four offered.

“No, no,” Grandma stood up and started making her way to the door, “it’ll be good for these old bones to move around. And it’ll do you both good to keep out of that sun and heat today.”

[theclaravoyant]

AN ~ To no-one’s surprise, the pirates are giving me FeelingsTM. So much so that I’ve dusted off my fic writing fingies to enjoy it.

(I say enjoy 😬 This one’s pretty angsty … The morning after Stede rejoins his crew.)

Now on AO3 (800wd)

-

Sinking Feeling

Stede Bonnet is free.

It’s the first thing he thinks when he wakes up the next morning, as the warm daylight begins to touch his face. He sucks in a deep, hearty breath of it, ready to open his eyes to an inspiring sunrise. Instead, he gets a lungful of sand and seaweed.

The crew is amix with humour and concern as Stede splutters awake. He remembers now, where he is, and why sunburn stings his skin. He tries not to be too disheartened, as Oluwande gives him a small, encouraging smile and offers a flask of water. The crew holler in protest -

“That’s the last of it!” one complains. Olu waves them down.

“He’s the captain,” he reminds them, “and he’s had a big day yesterday.”

Stede savours the water on his lips. It’s neither crisp nor cool, but it’s the first thing he remembers tasting that isn’t salt and sand. It’s glorious. He frowns as he takes in Olu’s concerned face, hears the way the shallow water all but rattles in the bottom of the flask. If this truly is the last of it…

“I’m going to fix this,” Stede promises. “I’ll make it right.”

“In that what got us into this mess though?” Wee John queries. “No offence Mr Bonnet but a captain can’ just walk out on his crew like that.”

“I didn’t mean to, I was-“

“‘Sides,” Buttons points out, “Far as I recall, Mr Oluwande the Cap’n now, aye. We put it to a vote.”

“Oh.” There’s a pang in his chest, but even so he can’t help but smile. They put it to a vote? Stede meets Oluwande’s eyes, and pushes the flask back at him. “Then, it’s a pleasure to serve, good sir. I’m sure I couldn’t wish for a better man to lead us.”

Olu glances at Stede, at the flask in his outstretched hand. It’s still a little uncomfortable, this leadership business. He feels somewhat out of place. But there’s not a hint of vengeance or insult in the Cap- in Stede’s face. It seems he really is happy to serve. So Olu takes the water, and makes sure the cap is screwed on. He’s parched, but he knows better than to squander their last mouthful over mere thirst. Honestly, he’s sort of impressed Stede had thought to save it. The learning curve on this pirate thing was pretty damn steep, after all.

“Permission to take a walk, Captain?” Stede requests.

“Uh, sure. Permission granted, I guess.” Olu clears his throat - it’s not used to the authority - but Stede gives a little salute, and he feels his chest puff a little. It’s the most amicable exchange of power he’s ever seen, he thinks, and maybe it’s the pirate in him but something is still waiting for the other shoe to drop.

The water laps at Stede’s newly bare feet.

Olu sees what it bears, and frowns. That other shoe might just be upon them.

Stede looks down.

Gulliver’s Travels.

He picks it up, and brushes away some sand, but evidently that won’t do much good. The poor book’s spine is bent, its hide waterlogged. Stede half-heartedly turns a page and finds the text is running, illustrations disfigured.

And it’s not the only one.

Out of the corner of his eye, Stede catches sight of another doomed work of literature making land. Then a pot of ink, a candle, a ship in a bottle. Another book, and another, and another. They’re dotted along the beach and in the waves and out, leading a trail into the distance toward the horizon. Stede’s face falls. His library. His ship. It’s like the wind, if you’ll forgive the expression, has been sucked right out of his sails. It starts to dawn on him, what he had been too delirious to take notice of when he had pulled in the night before.

A little sliver of fabric makes its way through the debris, as if headed directly for him.

Stede walks into the water and scoops it up. Sopping, it twists around his fingers. He feels his heart rend in two as all at once it hits him. That night on the deck, in the shadow, tucking softness again Ed’s chest. The beach; Ed’s lips on his. The blast of Badminton’s shotgun, running for his life, for all he was worth, all sense of warmth and sweetness gone as he was running, running, running.

He squeezes the silk. Takes a deep breath and pushes the fear back down. He is going to fix this. He promises. He is going to make things right.

But as the light reaches the last corners of the morning, and Stede looks out at the broad, empty horizon, he has to admit it might be harder than he’d thought.

[absolutepokemontrash]

Beach Day!

Masterlist~

As requested by an anon, The Half Demon kids get to have their beach day! Please enjoy!

‘‘Twas a summer’s day in the Devildom, and school was out for the next couple of months, what else was there to do other than have a fun little beach vacation?

“Do we have towels?”

“Check.”

“Umbrellas?”

“Yep.”

“Beach toys?”

“Uh huh.”

L!MC and Lucifer were running through the long list of items as the rest of the family loaded everything into their (several) cars. Mammon grunted and shoved one of three umbrellas into a gap in the piles of luggage, they were all packing the rapidly filling car like they were playing a game of Tetris from hell.

“Ya know, you two can try and, I dunno, help a little?!”

Lucifer raised an eyebrow and looked up from his list. “I am helping, Mammon. I’m making sure this doesn’t end up like the last family vacation we took.”

“What happened last time?” The soft voice of A!MC piped up, they were carrying roughly four different carryon bags into one of the cars.

“Mammon forgot to pack sunscreen during our last little visit to a human world beach and we all got horrifically sunburned. That’s why this year we’ll be visiting a proper Devildom beach.” Lucifer explained.

“That stupid mistake nearly cost me my perfect skin.” Asmo grumbled, A!MC patted him on the shoulder.

“Don’t feel too bad, dad. You look great!”

“Oh little butterfly,” Asmo patted A!MC on their head, much to the kid’s delight. “Go on~.”

“Hey pop!” Mammon’s head whirled around as he looked for the source of the voice. “THINK FAST!”

A duffel bag slammed into the side of Mammon’s head, knocking him into the side of the car.

“What the hell M!MC?!”

The little culprit gave their dad a fanged megawatt smile and shrugged. “I said think fast.”

“M!MC, he can’t think fast, he doesn’t have a brain.” Asmo smirked over at Mammon, who not so graciously flipped him off. A blast of water from wiped both the smirk and some of the makeup off Asmo’s face.

“Whoops,” M!MC lowered their water gun. “Misfire.”

Lucifer massaged his temples as he watched this complete and utter chaos unfold. This was ridiculous, he turned to L!MC. “I refuse to subject you to this, I don’t was CPS to come knocking. You are riding with Lord Diavolo and I.”

“Wooop!” L!MC cheered, then paused. “Was I not riding with you two before now?”

——————

After arriving and unpacking, everyone set out to the beach, per Lucifer’s totally reasonable beach rules, no cameras within eight feet of the beach. Asmo had to compromise and take his Devilgram selfies at Diavolo’s villa in the five minute window of time before everyone set out for the beach.

While the group made their way to the beach, M!MC proudly presented their shiny new metal detector to the crowd of not too impressed family members. Well, everyone but Mammon, he was hyped as all hell to try and find buried treasure.

As M!MC and A!MC lagged behind and chattered aimlessly, something flew right into M!MC’s face. Reeling at the sudden loss of their sight, M!MC’s hands flew to their face and peeled the thing off of them. A…piece of paper..?

No, not a piece of paper, it was a map! Well, half of a map!

“Woah… Pop! Check it!” M!MC waved the piece of paper in the air. “What if we use this to find treasure or something?”

Mammon’s eyes practically sparkled as he swiped the map from M!MC. “Kid, we’re gonna be rich. Not the lame kinda rich either, we’ll be… multiple yacht rich!”

“Oh geez…” A!MC murmured.

By the time the entire group had gotten to the actual beach, Mammon and M!MC had already had the layout of their fabulous Hollywood mansion planned out and were busily describing the kinds of cars they wanted to own. Armed with only half a treasure map and a metal detector, the two set off down the beach.

L!MC, Belphie, and Satan snickered like a bunch of kids as they set up their new pink unicorn floaty. It was just perfect for just slightly ticking off Lucifer. A!MC hummed happily as they unpacked all their sand toys, perfect for making a sand-empire! The rest of the adults set up the umbrellas and beach chairs and practically deflated when all the work was finished.

Hang on- where was Levi- OH! There he was. He had ran right into the water and was petting Lotan. Man… Lotan was fucking massive.

“Hey, Luke,” L!MC called out. “Why are you wearing water wings? You know those things don’t work, right?”

“H-huh?” Luke tilted his head in confusion. Like a chihuahua- “What do you mean?”

“Well, water wings aren’t like life jackets, water wings only keep your arms out of water. If you start to drown, those aren’t helping.” L!MC dutifully explained. “There are documented cases in the human world of kids drowning with their arms still afloat because of the water wings.”

Luke was having such a good day forty five seconds prior, now he was petrified.

——————

“Ah, this is the life, right Sea Monster Levi?” L!MC leisurely floated around on their giant pink unicorn floatie as Levi swam around them.

Levi couldn’t exactly speak, but the terrifying eldritch shriek of delight was enough of an answer.

“See, you should go outside more often, the ocean is outside, fresh air is outside,” L!MC continued to list lovely things that just happened to be outside until Lotan poked four of his heads above water. “Lotan’s outside,”

Levi grumbled and slammed his tail into the water, sending a massive wave over to L!MC.

“Fuck.”

Those were L!MC’s last words before the wave crashed into them and tipped over the floatie, leaving them angrily starfish floating in the water. “You fucking hikikomori.”

—————

A!MC carefully placed their bucket full of sand onto the ground upside down and slowly pulled the bucket away. Perfect! That made a great castle tower! The sand-city that A!MC had concocted could put any city to shame, there was a town hall, a bank, a museum, and multiple construction projects headed by Luke. Well, the chihuahua wasn’t doing too well with his castle-building.

“Aww…” Luke pouted as his castle crumbled. “I ruined it…”

“You should add a bit of water to the sand, Luke.” A!MC said as they carefully placed some seashell decorations around their castle tower. “It’ll help stop your towers from crumbling.”

Luke vehemently shook his head. “There’s no way I’m going near that water. Not after what L!MC said…”

“Luke, L!MC’s just being a butt, you won’t drown-” A!MC was unceremoniously cut off by Lotan rising from the depths of the ocean and L!MC’s squawk of protest when he began to bat their unicorn floatie around.

“Y-yeah… I won’t drown, I’ll be eaten by a sea monster…” Luke shuddered.

“A!MC, I’m living here.” Belphie laid his towel out a little ways away from the sand-city and collapsed into a snoring heap on the sand.

“Great! A new citizen!” A!MC smiled and clapped their hands. “Beel, are you going to join us?”

Beel took a large bite out of a watermelon and sat down next to Belphie. “Yeah, I’m going to live here too.”

“We’ve got a real kingdom now!”

—————

The metal detector beeped for the thousandth time that day and M!MC and Mammon were beginning to get tired. They had found a total of 45 cents and a bottle cap, not the heaps of pirate treasure their map promised.

“Alright old man, dig.” M!MC lazily motioned towards the spot in the sand where the metal detector beeped.

“Why do I gotta dig?” Mammon whined. “You do it this time!”

“I’m holding the metal detector!” M!MC snapped. “Lookit! This shit’s heavy!”

“UUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH.” Mammon dropped to his knees and began to dig, unearthing a second bottle cap.

“Have our intrepid treasure hunters struck gold yet?” The taunting voice of Satan wormed its way into M!MC and Mammon’s ears as they both rolled their eyes.

“Why do you care, Satan?” M!MC sneered. “Shouldn’t you be off waxing philosophical about the demon condition or some other pretentious shit right now?”

Satan scoffed and shook his head. “So you haven’t found anything, shocker.”

“Ya didn’t answer the question, Satan.”

“Fine, you two dumbasses forgot to bring water after you immediately ran to go find your treasure.” Satan chucked two metal water bottles at Mammon, both of which hit him in the face. “So where’s your little treasure map?”

M!MC grumbled and pulled the map out of their pocket. “Here.”

Satan raised an eyebrow as he looked over the map, then looked back up at Mammon and M!MC. “I’d expect this level of idiocy from Mammon, but not you, M!MC.”

“WHAT WAS THAT?!” M!MC and Mammon shouted in unison.

Satan flipped the map around so it was facing the pair, he pointed at the X. “You’re supposed to be going that way,” Satan pointed back towards where they had set up the towels and umbrellas.

“…shit.” Mammon murmured. “I swear if we just wasted two fuckin’ hours on this-”

“Don’t blame me! I’m a mathematician, not a fucking geographer!” M!MC hissed.

“Actually, cartographers are the ones that make maps-”

“SHUT UP SATAN!”

——————

“Ugh… I hate the ocean now…” L!MC trudged over to Lucifer and plopped themselves down next to him. “0/10. Next year, can we go somewhere with significantly less seaweed?”

Lucifer wordlessly pulled a clump of sea-gunk out of L!MC’s hair and dropped it on the sand next to them. The fucking gunk-thing then began to MOVE-

“…is that alive?”

“Probably.”

L!MC grabbed the thing and threw it as hard as they could into the water. “I’m not allowing that eldritch terror the privilege of evolving.”

Lucifer chuckled and shook his head. “This is karma for the unicorn floaty.”

“That wasn’t even all my idea!” L!MC hugged their knees to their chest and grumbled. “Where’s Belphie, Satan and M!MC’s karma?!”

“I’m sure it’ll come soon.”

“Now would be nice…” L!MC growled.

“If you’re going to go sit and whine for the rest of the day you can walk back to the villa by yourself.”

“Ugh!” L!MC threw up their hands and walked away. “So Belphie can angst all he wants but I can’t?! This is bullshit!”

“LANGUAGE!”

—————

A!MC’s burgeoning kingdom had grown in population in the last few hours; Barbatos and Diavolo had moved in and were gleefully helping out with the construction projects (well, Dia was gleeful, Barbatos was standing off to the side holding lemonade), Simeon had joined in and was making a moat, and L!MC was designing the flag.

“Our walls will be impenetrable!” Diavolo proclaimed as he continued to reinforce the sand-walls. “No one would dare invade us!”

“Where’s our sand-army? I call dibs on being sand-general.” L!MC raised their hand. “Luke, you can be a sand soldier.”

“Huh?”

“Here’s your sand-sword.”

“L!MC this is driftwood…”

“Hit a bitch with it.”

“There will be no hitting of any bitches.” Simeon gently took the driftwood from Luke and chucked it into the ocean.

“Lame…” L!MC rolled their eyes.

A little while into the kingdom building, A!MC surveyed their land with a proud smile. Every little building was adorably decorated with shells and pebbles, the roads were laid out perfectly, the castle was stable… Ah. Perfection!

A familiar trio sauntered over looking down at their map and occasionally back up at the surrounding beach until they stopped right outside the moat outside of A!MC’s kingdom. Satan, Mammon, and M!MC looked up at the group and pointed their shovel and metal detector at them.

“Hey kiddos, and… not kiddos. We’re gonna need ya to move over. There’s treasure in the area and we gotta dig!” Mammon proclaimed, standing up straight and putting a hand on his hip.

“Uh… no?” A!MC sat down on their beach chair, but to them, it was more like a throne. “We spent forever building this, we aren’t just going to let you destroy it.”

“Can’t you build somewhere else?” M!MC waved their hand to a place farther down the beach that was just littered with holes from M!MC and Mammon’s treasure hunting. “Couldn’t have taken that long.”

“Are you stupid or just ignorant?” L!MC hissed, protectively moving in front of the sand-wall next to Diavolo. “This took literal hours. You three can piss off.”

“L!MC, don’t be dramatic.” Satan rolled his eyes, then looked to the adults. “Come on guys, this may actually lead to something historical. Can you guys move out?”

“Uh… fuck off?” Belphie sleepily looked up from his towel. “We were here first. Finders keepers.”

“Yeah,” Beel paused his job of helping clean up the toys and buckets. “Belphie napped here, this spots been claimed.”

Barbatos and Diavolo nodded in agreement.

“A!MC has claimed this land, therefore, it’s their kingdom.” Diavolo said.

“Guys, this ain’t a joke! There’s actual treasure here!” Mammon waved the map in the air.

“That doesn’t matter. our sandcastles, our rules.” Luke crossed his arms and huffed.

“Oh bullshit! Move over! Money and treasure is under your city and we’ll take it by force if we have to!” M!MC crossed his arms and glared.

“Really now~?” L!MC cooed, slamming their fist against their open palm. “Fucking try us.”

————

A fight would have broken out if it weren’t for Lucifer calling for everyone to eat. Everyone sat down on their towels and angrily munched on their macaroni salad and sandwiches.

Team Treasure hunter (it was generous to call them a team considering there was only three of them) were forming a plan to try and get passed the much larger Team Sandcastle. M!MC and Satan bounced ideas off of each other while Mammon stole everyone’s potato chips.

“So, we need to lure at least some of them away… but how?” M!MC stuck their hand into the much reduced bowl of chips and took out a fistful.

“Mmm…” Satan murmured. “Well, there’s a thief in our midst…”

M!MC knitted their eyebrows in confusion, then began to nod in understanding. “Ah… and we have someone very quick…”

Both Satan and M!MC turned to Mammon, who was polishing off the chips and counting their metal detector money. He stopped mid chew and tilted his head.

“What are ya lookin’ at?”

Over with Team Sandcastle, L!MC carefully traced Belphie’s hand onto a piece of paper with a vindictive smirk on both their faces.

“What are you doing?” Luke asked as he bit into his kebab.

“It’s an official declaration of war.” L!MC quickly finished up the tracing and proudly showed the picture of Belphie’s middle finger to the assembled team. “I think it’s very clear and concise.”

Simeon slapped a palm to his forehead as Luke let out a gasp.

“L!MC! That’s so vulgar and awful-” Luke’s irate yapping went completely ignored.

“It’s a very nice picture.” Beel calmly observed, turning over the paper in his hands.

“Enough about the declaration!” A!MC stood up and put their hands on their hips. “We need to take action immediately! I’m not letting our sand kingdom fall into their hands!”

“We know that A!MC, but we need to at least give them some kind of warning that we’re going to beat them into the ground.” L!MC said.

“They got their warning. Now is not the time for being polite, now is the time for curb stomping.”

“Is it just me,” Belphie leaned over to Beel and cartoonishly whispered. “Or is A!MC getting really intense about this?”

—————

Team Treasure Hunter’s battle plan did not go as well as they thought it would. Satan and M!MC did not factor the fact that Mammon would be stealing something and then running in sand, and next to no one can properly run in fluffy beach sand, what this poor narrator is trying to say is that Mammon got football tackled immediately because he couldn’t run after he stole something as a distraction. Oh well… at least the sand was soft…

Team Sandcastle’s superior numbers meant superior ideas, and one of their ideas was for A!MC to politely ask some of the beach dwelling creepy crawlies to attack the other team. Well uh… toes were pinched that day…

“Fools,” A!MC sat straighter in their beach chair. “All of them.”

“I’m loving the supervillain vibes, A!MC, but-”

“But nothing!” A!MC cut L!MC off with a huff. “I’m not a supervillain either!”

“Sounds like something a supervillain would say.” Belphie snickered, only to be blasted in the face with a water gun. A!MC was turning on their own people…

“Alright, everyone who dares to doubt me gets the water gun.” A!MC sneered. “My kingdom won’t fall!”

The kingdom fell.

One giant wave caused by Lotan and Levi playing in the water nearby crashed onto the beach and absolutely flattened the detailed sand kingdom. A!MC slowly moved their hair out of their eyes and turned to Lotan and Levi in the water.

“You… you…” A!MC growled, a tick forming in their right eye. “YOU SHUT-IN PIECE OF [Hello, this is the narrator, I’m very sorry but I cannot repeat what little A!MC said here. I hope you all can find it in your hearts to forgive them for this outburst, their kingdom just got destroyed after all.]”

Simeon vaulted forward and covered Luke’s ears while the rest of the group on the beach stared in wide eyed shock as their sweet little A!MC cussed out two giant sea monsters. This was… not what they expected from their beach trip…

Beel quickly recovered from his shock and scooped A!MC up into his arms. A!MC didn’t seem to care all that much as they continued to kick and scream profanity at the giant sea monsters. Beel lumbered over to Asmo and handed the screeching A!MC to him.

“This is yours.”

“…Beel dear,” Asmo looked at the practically feral child that had managed to shift into their demon form, then looked to Beel. “Are you sure?”

——————

Ever the opportunists, Team Treasure Hunter managed to dig in the area where the sand kingdom once stood. After roughly an hour of digging, Mammon struck something… wooden. Hmm…

“Hey I uh… think I found somethin’!”

“Really?” M!MC exclaimed. “Lemme see! Let’s get it out!”

“Allow me,” Diavolo motioned for everyone to move away and leaned in. He yanked a massive treasure chest out of the sand like it was nothing and plopped it onto the beach. “Oh! It is a treasure chest! How novel!”

Mammon jumped forward and yanked the chest open, inside was an absolute mess of glimmering gold and jewelry.

“DON’T TOUCH THAT.” Lucifer’s booming voice stopped Mammon dead in place. Everyone’s heads swivelled to look at him. “It’s probably cursed gold, you idiots.”

“As much as I hate to agree with Lucifer, we should at least check before we touch anything.” Satan crossed his arms and grumbled.

The gold was hella cursed and basically useless. No one went back to the villa happy.

———————

A!MC sulkily kicked off their shoes and flopped backwards onto their bed. They stared half-vacantly up at the ceiling, they were so tired despite the fact that they hadn’t even gone swimming… they had spent their entire day building that stupid sandcastle kingdom…

M!MC flopped down next to them and let out an explosive sigh. “Hey.”

“Hey.”

“Sorry about your sandcastle stuff…”

A!MC sighed and shrugged. “Yeah… sorry about your treasure…”

“Yeah… so far this trip blows.”

L!MC flopped down next to A!MC and practically deflated.

“What’s wrong with you?” M!MC asked, rolling over onto their side to look at their cousin.

“I’m in mourning…” L!MC grumbled, holding up a piece of pink stretchy plastic. “Lotan ate my unicorn floaty.”

“Aww… I’m sorry L!MC.” A!MC patted them on the shoulder. “Let’s go fight Lotan and Levi for revenge.”

“A!MC. I’m grieving, not suicidal.” L!MC said seriously, then their face melted into a grin as they began to giggle. “Dummy…”

“I’m not a dummy! I think we might have a chance!”

“Yeah, a chance of gettin’ eaten!” M!MC snickered.

“Okay… maybe…” A!MC giggled.

“Hey guys,” Simeon knocked on the door and poked his head in. “We’re making a fire for s’mores, you all better hurry up before Beel gets to everything.”

The three kids stuck their thumbs up and got ready to go. S’mores fix everything!

————

Author’s note: Okay, back in like… May, I promised I’d write a beach day episode for these characters, and it’s finally done!!

The whole sandcastle war is something that actually happened when I went to a summer camp ^.^

It was less about digging for treasure and more about who had the best sandcastles, and I shit you not, a wave slammed into the rival team’s sandcastle. It was funny as S H I T. HA! TAKE THAT RIVAL TEAM! MAYBE YOU SHOULDN’T HAVE MADE YOUR CITY SO CLOSE TO THE WATER!